Saint FRANÇOIS DE SALES (1567-1622) bishop of Geneva, founder of the Visitation order, author of Introduction à la vie dévote and Traité de l'amour de Dieu. L.A.S. "Françs E. de Geneve", Chambéry March 17 [1612], to "Madame de Pezieu" [Françoise de Longecombe de Peysieu]; 1page folio, addressed with small red wax seals. Beautiful letter of affection to a relative. [Françoise de Disimieu, wife of François-Philibert de Longecombe de Peysieu, widowed in 1591, had five children, mentioned here by François as his siblings; she died in 1617. She was related to François de Sales through the marriage of one of François' grandmothers to a François de Longecombe, and François de Sales, who maintained a fine correspondence with her, called her his "very dear mother"]. "Madame ma tres chere et tres honnoree mere. The honor your two letters have given me cannot be worthily thanked by this one. Elle tesmoignera vous seulement, que j'ai un extreme sentiment du bonheur que vous m'aves departi, m'advoüant pour vos filsz, voyant me tous les jours arriver des nouveaux ruysseaux de faveur qui descoulent de cette vive fontaine. Car voyes-vous, Madame ma mere, ne dois-je pas être fort glorieux, de treuver me maintenant receu en la bienveüillance de Monsieur et de Madame de Cerviere, [la dernière fille de Mme de Peysieu, Lucrèce, dame de Saint-André de Cervières] vos chers enfans, comme presque cet autre frere [Louis, seigneur de Selignieu, who left on a mission to Brazil, where he died in 1614], who, impatient to be deprived of the sweetness of your presence, came back so quickly to you, to whom he will give thank God good news of the health of this good sister, whom I want to serve and honor with all my heart in the absence of the other best brothers"... In a postscript, he adds: "Mon Dieu que jay de contentement de voir en cette chere seur qui est icy, non seulement l'air de votre visage, mais, ce qui est le plus beau les traitz de votre esprit et de vos affections. Jen loüe Nostre Seigr Madame ma mere." Œuvres, Annecy edition, t.XV, Lettres, vol. V (dcclix). Attached is a L.A.S. from his brother Jean-François de Sales de Boisy (1578-1635, he succeeded his brother to the bishopric of Geneva) to Mme de Pezieu, Annecy 1st day of Advent 1613, a beautiful, affectionate letter to "Madame ma tres honnorée mere".