SILHON Jean de (1596 ?-1667) conseiller d'État, philosophe et écrivain politique ; membre fondateur de l'Académie [AF 1634, 24e f]. L.A.S. "Silhon", [Venice, ca. 1630?]; 2 pages in-fol. Beautiful and rare letter from Venice. After so many courtesies, the departure from Venice of his correspondent leaves Silhon with great displeasure. "You will not find it strange, Sir, when I have told you that this whole city has been moved by it, & that you have shown so many inclinations, & so much willingness, that if its interests were not entirely mixed with ours, the conduct which you have used for this purpose would have passed for conspiracy, and the Republic would have been more troubled by it than it was in the past by the practices of the Duke of Ossone and the Cardinal of La Cueva. But for you, Sir, Venice has only honors and delights. It is already waiting for you with new pleasures: the pomp of its course will be greater than usual on your return, and never has the Grand Canal carried such beautiful loads, which it will do if you return. [He recounts a strange incident: "It is that the Patriarch forbade the Relligieuses de St. Laurens to speak to any foresters, except Madame de Rohan and her daughters. On which the speculative ones are well impeded, and their political maxims in disorder. But, Sir, the common opinion is that this defense will cease upon your return, and that you have more authority to change the order of this state than the Pope, who could not violate a small Loy in favor of Cardinal Cornare, nor assure him of the bishopric of Padua.