Desiring your Majesty a happiness more tangible and less hazardous, and that you may be beloved rather than feared by your people, and believing that your welfare and theirs are of necessity knit together, I rejoice to think that the progress which you make is one towards more practicable conditions of peace, as well as towards victory! Sire, your letter of the last of November came to my hand only just now, when the time which it pleased you to name for meeting you at Tours had already passed.

I take it as a singular favour that you should have deigned to desire a visit from so useless a person, but one who is wholly yours, and more so even by affection than from duty.

You have acted very commendably in adapting yourself, in the matter of external forms, to your new fortunes; but the preservation of your old affability and frankness in private intercourse is entitled to an equal share of praise.
You have condescended to take thought for my age, no less than for the desire which I have to see you, where you may be at rest from these laborious agitations.

Will not that be soon at Paris, Sire?
and may nothing prevent me from presenting myself there!--Your very humble and very obedient servant and subject, MONTAIGNE.
From Montaigne, this 18th of January [1590].
XV.
To the same .-- [ This letter is also in the national collection, among the Dupuy papers.

It was first printed in the "Journal de l'Instruction Publique," 4th November 1846.] SIRE,--The letter which it pleased your majesty to write to me on the 20th of July, was not delivered to me till this morning, and found me laid up with a very violent tertian ague, a complaint very common in this part of the country during the last month.