Briefwisseling. Deel 6: 1663-1687

[p. 267]

6765. Aan Lady Giffard¹⁾. (K.A.)

I had the fortune to find amongst a thousand the gracious letter your ladyship was pleased to send me with those papers concerning the opening of her Royal Highness the duchess of Orleans her miserable body²⁾. I hope, Madam, your ladyship will have the goodness either to forgett or to forgive my former negligence and, as for the matter, to receave here my humble thankes for the satisfying of my curiosity about that particular. Having perused all those sad relations, I fell considering, Madam, what a pittie it is, the true and inward constitution of a lady's breast and heart cannot be discovered but after she is dead and torn in peeces. Your ladyship hath read more then I, but it may be she never fell upon the book wherein we find, how at first our common parents were created open, so that every part of breast and belly could be distinguished and cured as occasion would require, but that those two nice persons growing weary of what they should have most esteemed of, got every one a lace and with the lacing of their skins, as now you doe your ticht³⁾ bodies, Adams lace was found so much too long as Eva's too short, of which inconvience it seemeth all mankind and both sexes to this very day doe wear a visible mark. As for my part, Madam, I could wish things had been left as they were for many a good reason, which I could expound you at large, if there did not stik something here, where I venture to write in a strange language without the help of a dictionary, which here I am unprovided of, as I feare too well will appeare. So I must hast to make an end, and leaving my anatomical historie unto your ladyships wiser consideration, to assure you, I am constantly ..... Hofwijck, 3 of Aug. 1670.

1) Lady Martha Giffard was eene zuster van Sir William Temple, bij wien zij aan huis schijnt te hebben gewoond. Zij was zeer bevriend met Prinses Mary, die later de echtgenoote van Willem III is geworden.

2) Henriette Anna van Engeland was de oudste dochter van Karel I. Zij was in 1644 geboren, huwde den 31^sten Maart 1661 Philips, hertog van Orleans, en stierf in 1670.

3) Er staat: stight