Briefwisseling. Deel 6: 1663-1687

6873. Aan lady Swann³⁾. (K.A.)

For all our being public enemies I hope we do not cease to be privat friends. Upon this confidence I am bold to trouble your ladyship onely with two questions. The first is, how you doe, Madam, both your ladyship and Sir William, and if you doe not use to sweeten the bitter displeasures of these times with some harmonious practice, as I can tell you I doe, and never will give over while I breathe. My second question is, what kind of live are leading your next neighbours, lately arrived and settled, as we heare, at Altena, being departed from Herford on a suddain, without taking their leaves of the Princes Elisabeth⁴⁾. Many odd and extraordinairie reports are brought from thence, as for example that the handsomest of the young ladies of Sommelsdijck⁵⁾ should be married with M. Labadie, and that many such marriages are a continuing amongst that holy society upon prealable proofs, whether parties are, or are not, fruitfull and fit for generation. I can give no credit to any of these tales, till I see them verified by your ladyship's hand. I hope, Madam, you will excuse this curiosity, and take the paines to give me a particular account of what I may relate as an undoubted truth.

We doe live here, by the grace of God, in good health, but my poor sister of S.^t Annaland, whose good eye is covered with a catarracte, so that now she has no use at all of neither, and beareth this affliction with a most incomparable wisdom and patience. My daughter was lately brought a bed of a most pretty girle⁶⁾, but in the same time it hath pleased God to deprive her of our lovely Susjen⁷⁾, her eldest daughter, to our universal and most sensible greef, as your ladyship may consider, the child in this age of nine

3) Kopie van andere hand. Het postscriptum is uitgegeven door J.A. Worp in Tijdschr. der Vereen. voor Noord-Nederlands muziekgeschiedenis, V, 1897, blz. 136.

4) Bij haar hadden de Labadisten, waarbij zich Anna Maria Schurman bevond, een tijd lang eene schuilplaats gewonden.

5) Drie dochters van Cornelis van Aerssen hadden zich aangesloten bij de Labadisten, nl. Anna, Maria en Lucia.

6) Philippina Doublet († 1746) werd 1 Nov. 1672 geboren en huwde in 1708 Constantijn Huygens, den oudsten zoon van Lodewijk.

7) Geertruid Doublet, geb. 5 Juli 1663, was den 11^den Nov. 1672 gestorven.

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years being grown to a rare and wonderfull ripenesse of witt and judgement. But, Madam, Sir William Swann will tell you what signifieth that passage we have many times sung together in my Psalms, Obmutui, et non aperui os meum, quoniam tu fecisti¹⁾. My eldest son, as I beleeve your ladyship knows, serveth his Highness in the same qualitie I have served his forefathers so many yeares. The youngest of all hath been lately preferred by the Prince his goodnes to the drostampt of Gorcum ende den lande van Arckel, which is one of the chief places to be possessed in this Provinces, giving him session and voyce in the assembly of the States of Holland. Here, Madam, you have an account of my domestick affaires. Lett me return to my two questions, and obtain the favour of your ladyships solution upon both ..... Hage, 10/20 of Decemb. 1672.

M.^rs Casembroot²⁾ presents her humble service to your ladyship. We doe use to make a certain noyse together with her virginals, and my theorbe, which I am confident you would not disapprove.

1) Uit No. VII der Pathodia.

2) Zie IV, blz. 490.