Briefwisseling. Deel 6: 1663-1687

6665. Aan Lady Swann¹⁾. (K.A.)

There was no peace to be made between your ladyship and me but by the intervention of so kind a letter as you were pleased to send me at a time, when indeed I did beleeve you to be at Hambourg²⁾ a good while agoe, your cousin Sixty having assured me of it, and much confirmed me in that opinion by telling me how your ladyship had found in her heart to be a whole night at the Haghe without giving any notice of it to those who did presume to be in an ancient possession of some little corner of that heart. In good earnest, Madame, I was something greeved at the news, and am scarce wel returned from, I know not, my displeasure or my anger. Howsoever, seeing you are pleased to pay us in words, patience must be taken; of one thing I may assure your ladyship, that if ever I came so neare Hambourg as Utrecht is from the Haghe, I could not leave Mylady Swann unvisited. What then if she were prevailed, as I am now, of a new paire of virginals of the length of four Hollands elles and a quarter. I could tell you wonders, Madam, of its most excellent sound and other perfections, which a time was when they could have charmed you, but seeing you quite out of all sence and delight of musike, but what consisteth in division - division not of fingers upon strings, but of gold and silver of which I have little notice - I see it were in vaine to entertaine you with such trifles, and therefore have sought some other divertissement at least to pas your time withall in travelling home. For that purpose I intreat your ladyship to receave these poor presents. One of the bookes will inform you of what became of me since I had the honour to see you last in England, and how not unwelcome a guest I was at Orange, after that afflicted people had been delivered by my endeavours. You will find there expressions concerning my unworthie person beyond all reason and truth, but, Madame, your charitie must impute it to the madness of an extream joy the whole country was in for the happy recovery out of the heavy oppression they had groaned under, considering, it was the peoples harts that spoke and not their braines. The second almanach is the yongest and, as you shall find somewhere in the text, the last of my productions of that nature, upon our illustrious new way digged and paved through the sanddownes from hence to Schevering. Your ladyship would not vouchsafe to come and see the original, and so at least the shadow of it must come to see you. I hope you will find some idle howre to peruse it in hast, when there shall be no division more to be played. And so, sweet Madam, wishing you all happines, both here and in heaven, where we are more like to meet then anywhere else, I rest as ever I was and for ever ..... 6 Jun. 1668.

1) Een paar zinnen uit den brief zijn uitgegeven door J.A. Worp in Tijdschr. der Vereen. voor Noord-Nederlands muziekgeschiedenis, V, 1897, blz. 136.

2) Sedert 1664 woonde Utricia met haar man te Hamburg.