the wisedome of the vse of the same to whom at what time most fitting for his Glorie that gaue it and their good that shall receiue it and for labour that you bee not found idle when you shall bee called to account to yeeld vp a reckoning of your Stewardship yet let mee not disswade you from a good worke in respect of your young yeares For Iohn was the yongest of the Euangelists and Timothy was yong in the Church of GOD and therefore I feare not his gracious blessings to thy proceedings In hope whereof and prayer for which I rest Your most louing Vnkle T. W. A Letter to a worthy Knight beyond the Seaes WOrthy Knight I know you expect by this bearer to heare from me to write you newes into a forraine nation I know not how my letters may bee intercepted and then if I should write any thing either false or vnfitting my hand would witnes against my will and yet let me say thus much of my obseruation of the world that in these latter times I find nature in so strange a course almost in the carriage of a world of Creatures that had not the Creator of the earth a hand of mercy ouer it surely the sinnes of the Creatures would call for a new deluge but what shall I say my selfe beeing as a Cipher among figures or a shadow among men to see the world at such a passe as that I hold him happy that is well out of it but the best is when night is past that maskers will be gon and when the Sunne sends forth his beames the Owle will not dare to looke abroad not to trouble you too long with little better then trifles giue me leaue only to Loue you and to wish I were with you which if your returne be not the sooner may hap to bee ere you be aware till when in the seruice of my heartes loue I rest Yours assured at command T. N. His Answere YOu dare not write vnto me in thee sparts for feare either of your own mistaking in your writing or misfortune in the deliuery of your letters but happe what will I haue written to you of the occurents of this time where betwixt the Masculine and Feminine Gender a coniunction copulatiue is of such a force as puts downe all the speaches of the world yea there is such fluttering among these birdes as if euery day were Saint Valentines and touching the wheele of the world it runnes such a whirlegigge that if nature mend not her course she will be quite out of credit in the Courts such enuy betwixt Mars and Apollo that a song somtime puts a seruice out of countenance in the Citty such iealousie betwixt Vulcan and Venus that Mercury hath much to doe to saue Cupids bow and arrowes In briefe all the powers of hell are so busie in the world that if God did not blesse his seruants the Diuell would haue a shrewd day but hee that is gratious hath not to doe with the vitious and he that trusteth in God hath no feare of the Diuell to bee briefe if thy leasure will serue thee make a steppe ouer to mee thou shalt make thine owne welcome and thy charge shall bee nothing so longing to see thee till I heare from thee and alwayes I rest Thine or not mine owne R. D. A Letter of Counsaile to a friend going to trauaile GOod Cosen I vnderstand thou art determined to trauaile let mee intreat thee to take heed to thy way for mountaines are laboursome to clime and a valley may bee of a deadly length woods may bee full of wild beasts and the high wayes haue vnhappy holes the Riuers may haue swift streames the Seas are full of rockes and sandes and the best shippe may haue a leake learne therefore thy compasse before thou runne thy course least if thou light among the Sirens thou bee drownd ere thou swim Fortune helpeth the bold but seldome to a blessed end and what a wo is it to wit when had I wist sees the wheele that threw him headlong from his happinesse I speake not this to disanimat thee for aduentures are honourable so the cause bee according but if immagination bee deceiued how is discretion impaired I would not yet like a Snaile haue thee liue alway in a shell but know thy way and then take thy walke betwixt Scilla and Charibdis the Channell is narrow and hee that lookes not with both his eyes may be decâ—iued on one side but what euer thou doest do all to Gods glory Loue him aboue all and feare nothing at all but from him onely haue all that is necessary in all so loath to make a long booke of a few lines for thy instructions let this suffice that I haue written bee wary in thy passage and passe not wisedome in those limits when thou beginnest to reade in all the letters of the row the Holy Ghost bee thy speed a little token of my loue I send thee and so with my prayers for thee to the Lord of heauen I leaue thee Your faithfull louing Kinsman T. N. His Answere GOod Cosen your kind Letter I take most kindly and let me tell you what answere I make to your admonitions no man knowes his way till hee haue learned it and hee that best knowes his compasse may yet run his course awry when sodaine stormes may wrack the best shippe aduentures and labours are the passages of mans life and mountaines and vallies are the walkes of the world hee that lookes to his feet need not feare a hole in the way and hee that feareth a beast is not fully a man for the riuers strong Oares will goe against swift streames and a cunning Pilot will keepe the channell where the passage is narrow there is the more need of heed and if the shippe be tight there is the lesse feare of her sailing for the songs of Sirens they are the fictions of the Poets but the figures are good warnings to beware the mischeefe of wantonnes hee that will winke when hee should see may blame himselfe for his blindnes and yet the cleerest eye may be deceiued in a coulour Immagination must breed hope before happines bee attempted and where the intent is vertuous the voyage is like to bee gratious all is in the will of God vpon the hand of whose mercy building the hope of my comfort assuring my selfe of your prayers for the prosperity of my trauailes till my returne and alwayes I rest Your most louing Cosen D. T. A Letter written to a Noble-man by a Gentleman in distresse Right Honorable VVHen Lords begge of Kinges I hold it the lesse basenesse to begge of Noblenesse and though this booke begging be a disgrace to learning yet since Paupertas non est vitium and Honos alit Artes I hope your honor will rather releiue afliction then rebuke presumption in the few lines that I héere humbly present your honorable patience I haue written that my heart is burst and yet to
A PRESIDENT FOR YOVNG PEN-MEN OR THE LETTER-WRITER CONTAINING LETTERS of sundry sortes with their seuerall Answeres Full of Variety Delight and Pleasure and most necessary for the instruction of those that can write but haue not the Guift of enditing LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Robert Wilson and are to be sold at his shoppe at Grayes Inne Gate 1615. To the Reader IN these latter times euery Ballad-maker will be a Poet as if euery Pedler would seeme a Merchant and euery Pettifogger a Lawyer so hee that can scarce endite a Letter will take vpon him to be a Secretarie For my selfe I dare not be so sawcy as to put such a Title to my Booke onely this I haue heere written a few Letters which I hope are so composed as will be presidents for yong pen men and not displeasing to elder yeeres such as they are I put them out into the world to the censure of all entreating the best to correct what is amisse and the rest not to discommend that they cannot mend and rest as I haue reason Your well-willing friend M. R. TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull and my most worthy esteemeed Kinsman ANTHONY HOBART of Hales Hall in the County of Norffolke Esquire all happinesse on Earth and the ioyes of Heauen hereafter IN reading of Epistles written in diuers languages I finde them dedicated to such Patrones as could iudge of their worth and would accordingly accept them Some to men of great account other to men of lower Titles of honour but in higher esteeme of their loue Now finding great men so busie in great Matters that I should haue great adoe with their patience in troubling their leisures from imployment in more serious affaires and yet knowing my labours in my Letters worth the looking on I haue bethought me of such a Patron as in his kindnesse will vnderstand my work and regard my loue which hauing found in your many fauours giue me leaue with my seruice to present my Book to your Patronage Each Letter hath his Answer the Subiects are diuers so is the manner of their enditing Hatefull I know they will not be to any good they may do to many that can aptly make vse of them and for your selfe and perhaps yours after you it may be no hurt to peruse them howsoeuer at your idle leisure they will saue time and perhaps yeelde you pleasure in reading them but loth to bee tedious in needlesse Eloquence I will leaue them to your kind acceptance and my loue to your like command and so rest Your most louing Kinsman M. R. ⧠A Table of all the Letters in this Booke A Letter of request for a kindnesse The Answer to the same A Letter of counsell to a friend in distresse The Answer to the same A Letter from a Nephew to his vnckle from the Vniuersity The Answer to the same A Letter of Loue to a Gentlewoman of good worth Her Answer to the same A Letter of kindnesse from a louing Father to call horne an vnthrifty sonne His Answere A Loue letter to a faire Gentlewoman Her Answer A Letter of discontentment to a Gentlewoman of incontinency Her Answer A Letter of reprehension of suspected vnthankfulnesse His Answere A Letter of counsell from a discreete Mother to her Daughter newly married Her Answer A kind letter of a Father to a prodigall sonne His Answer A Letter in a kinde of challenge vppon report of a great abuse His Answere A Letter to a Kinsman a yong man towards a Wife His Answer A discontentiue Letter vpon the deniall of friendship His answer A letter from a friend to a fantasticall conceited madcap His answer A byting Letter to a clamorous Gentlewoman The Answer to the same A discontentiue Letter of a coy Mistresse Her answere A letter written to a friend in time of great affliction His answer A kind of quarrelsome Letter vpon a frowne of a friend His Answere A Letter to an Vnckle to borrow a horse His Answere A Letter from an old man to his adopted Sonne going from the Vniuersity to trauaile His answer A letter of Counsell not to be precise The answere A letter from a Knight of great place to a Gentleman to attend him His answere A Letter to a Knight for the entertainment of a Steward into his seruice A thankfull Letter vpon the tryall of his Seruant A Letter of counsell from a Brother to his Sister vpon her going from the Country to the Court. Her answere A kind letter to a scholler going from the Vniuersitie to a benifice in a Cittie A letter to a worthy Knight beyond the Seas His Answer A letter of counsail to a friend going to trauaile His Answere A Letter written to a Nobleman by a Gentleman in distresse A pleasant conceited letter to a friend in the Country The Answer A kind letter to a friend in the Country from the Citty His Answere A melancholy discontentiue Letter vpon a frowne of a Kinsman A discontentiue letter of a louer The Answer A comfortable letter to a kinsman vpon the buriall of a young Sonne The answere A Letter to an Hypocrite vpon betraying of a Friend His answere A Letter of aduice to a friend that was to be married His answere A Letter of vnkindnesse to a Kinsman vpon a report of his abuse His answere A Letter of kindnesse from a Gentleman to his loue from beyond Seas Her answere A most kind letter from a Lady to her Seruant of good worth His answer FINIS A Letter of Request for a kindnesse IF you knew my néed you would not deny me specially knowing the good you may doe me Your excuse may proue more wit then loue and my want more gréeuous then I hope your good will would me that which will hurt you little will help mee much and what my remembrance shall be of your kindnes shall rest in my thankfulnes If protestations be not idle you will performe the part of a friend to put your will to your power to pleasure him once that will loue you euer In Summe leauing my hopes comfort to your kinde answere I rest Yours or not mine owne W. H. The Answere I Will not deny you though I cannot help you in that measure of comfort that may answere your expectation for my purse is not euen with my Credit though I will not complaine of pouertie Come therefore to me and know me that Truth hath no Trickes and I will not falter with a Friend as I know my estate I must manage my affaires if I hurt my selfe I can not help my Friends but since bare words yéeld little comfort you shall finde better fruits in my affection I know you are wise and hope to find you kinde in being perswaded of my loue to be as ready as able to performe more then I will protest so expecting your presence in assurance of your patience till I see you and alwaies I rest Your faithfull louing friend H. W. A Letter of Councell to a Friend
set it together againe what I cannot doe if I should dye in not doing of it vouchsafe my good Lord to read them and me in them with a few of your golden Angells deliuer me from a world of incarnate Deuills which with siluer daggers seeke to stab the heart of my liberty which beeing a great part of my life doe a Noble deed to saue it God himselfe will requite you and I shall bee bound to pray for you that all the good that the heauens will and the world can giue may befall you So hauing long knowne and euer loued your Honor beseeching the Almightie to blesse the same with encrease of aduancements in the worthinesse of true Noblenesse at the feete of your fauour laying downe the seruice of my hearts loue crauing pardon for my presumption I humbly rest during life Your Honors in all humble deuoted and bounden dutie and seruice W. R. A pleasant conceited Letter to a friend in the Countrey YOu write vnto mee for Newes and mee thinkes it is Newes you write vnto mee For not hauing heard from you thus long I wonder I haue heard from you at last And yet though I am merrie with your silence your Letter is welcome for I rather feared your health then your vnkindnesse but to answere your expectation let mee tell you that the occurents of this time are such as are either false and then vnfit to write or if true not worth the writing onely this I dare tell you that rich men play with the world and make a kinde of paradice vpon earth while the portion of the poore is most held in patience For my selfe I am as you left mee neither beholding to friends nor fearefull of enemies and for the world I am so farre in loue with it that I could wish I were well out of it and for your selfe I wish rather your continuance of your home louing friends then to hunt heere after fortune a day after the faire To conclude if I come neere you I will see you where so euer you are I will loue and so to the Lord I leaue you Yours what mine owne N. B. The Answere OLd wagge of the world I see thou art neuer out of thy humour I am glad to heare from thee not of thy discontents but to see now thou setst them downe which in a manner is as musique when I am sometime melancholy disposed but for the rich let them be proud only of their time for the poore may happen meet with them at their graues and proue better men in an other world For thy selfe I held thy happinesse greater in thy Contemplation then many misers in their large possessions And in briefe when thou art weary of the world come to me and let vs talke of that which all the world shall not heare of so longing for thee till I see thee or heare from thee I rest Thine or not mine owne B. S. A kinde Letter to a friend in the Countrey from the Citie KInde Anthony I am sure thou doest not maruell a little at my long silence I could make sufficient excuse were it not to tedious to write But let this suffice that a troubled minde is not alwaies in temper and the world is at such a passe that the wise are amazed at it and for my selfe such I doe finde it that as I can not get out of it so I scarce know what to doe in it for wisedome is watch't whether her workes bee like her faith and folly is much in fauour because shee pleaseth the common people so that I thinke I must turne foole if I will feed on fat meat and yet it greeth so ill with the nature of my spirit that I had rather liue as a shadow among men then bee the substance of a monster oh my good Anthony how happy a life doe you lead that may heere the Birdes sing in your woods see your Ewes suckle your Lambes in your fieldes catch a fish with a worme a Cony with a Ferret and a hare with your Greyhound and by the way as you come home contemplate more comfort then the earth can giue you for he that hath a heart to lift vp his eyes will bee of Senecaes opinion that the mind of that man is brought into a streight that can bee contented with earth and hee that were in his right wits would hold it the greatest misery in mans life to desire to liue though in misery For mine owne part I wish I were not out of it but so in it that I may not loue it but I will neither hasten my death nor prolong my life in this world but attend his pleasure that will call me out of it and the little time that I haue in it I would I could spend it in thy presence not to ease my charge nor to charge thee but that in true worth I know not a more worthy friend and thus till I see thee which shal hee as soone as I can conueniently in the affection of an honest heart I rest Thine or not mine owne R. B. His Answere HOnest Robin thy silence was not so discontentiue as thy letter was comfortable for thou writest not like the world bare words for matter but alwayes like thy selfe the fruites of true iudgement thou saiest well of the world that it is a strange passe when let the wisest heads haue the most honest hearts yet will the eyes of wickednes be prying into their procéedings while fooles craft is soone seene when they most seeke to deceiue themselues but let the fat Bulies of Bashan feed with Diues in his delicates pore Lazarus will haue a time to bee farre merrier then meat can make them Oh Robin the monsters of this age see not their owne deformities and better bee a shaddow among men then so vumanly a substance while blessed bee the spirit that hates the course of iniquity for my happines I confesse it is more then I am worthy of but most in contemplation aboue possession when the Spirit aboue Nature sees Grace aboue Reason shewing it a better world then this where it liues yet while in this little time wee passe the pilgrimage of a few dayes more pleasure is in the least creature of life then the fairest dead Idoll if I catch a Trout with a flie a Nightingale with a worme the one serues me in my dish the other sings in my Chamber and are not these comforts more contentiue then to hang on friends and hope of fortunes while the witts are dead weary ere trauaile find comfort well bee the world what it will come thou to mee when thou wilt and command what thou wilt for though I say it beleeue it thou hast not a more louing friend that will approue it so longing to so thee that I may haue my fill of discourse with thee with all the happines a heart can wish thee to the Lord of heauen I leaue thee and so rest Thine what mine owne W.