La Boderie, Ambassades (1750), 3.81-2.
Letter from M. de la Boderie to M. de
Villeroy
; 5 February [i.e. 26 Jan.], 1608. This is contained
in a five-volume printed book of transcripts of the letters of Antoine
Le Fevre de la Boderie, French
Ambassador to
England
, to King Henri IV
of
France
and his administrators in
Paris
. Note: the dates in the letter are based on the French calendar which was ten days
ahead of that in use in
England
.
[p. 81]
Il l'Ambassadeur d'Espagne fait
Jeudi un
[p. 82]
grand festin, où par permission de la Reine, il a convié toutes les Dames du ballet
avec autant de
Cavaliers & d'autres Dames qu'elles y voudront mener. Il prépare un beau présent
pour chacune de celles qu'il a vu danser. Si nous espérions d'ici quelque chose, il
faudroit se résoudre d'y dépenser aussi; & je crois certes que nous y ferions plus
pour mille écus qu'il ne feroit pour quatre.
Translation by Karen Britland and Line Cottegnies
[p. 81] On Thursday, he [the Spanish
Ambassador
] provides [p. 82] a big feast, to which, with permission from the
Queen
, he has invited all the ladies from the ballet with as many gentlemen and other
ladies as they want to bring there. He is preparing a lovely present for each of those
he saw dance. If we will hope [to get] something here, we must resolve ourselves to
spend as well; and I certainly believe that we will do more for a thousand ecus than
he
does for four.
Bibliography
La Boderie, Ambassades (1750), 3.81-2.
H&S, 10.456-7, 458
M. Sullivan (1913), 201-7