honest minde then to runne any course that may giue a wound to the Conscience which while wit would excuse wisedome layes open when if the soule finde grace in Repentance of sinne the heart cannot but bléed in the sorrow of iniquitie but God is all-sufficient in all things and therefore knowing your vertuous disposition to his gracious protection leauing your most happie preseruation in prayer for the same with the encrease of all comfort in the bounden dutie of my loues seruice I humbly take my leaue Your seruant assured in what resteth in my power I. S. A Letter to a Knight for the entertainment of a Steward into his seruice VVOrthy Knight at my last beeing with you you spake vnto mee to doe my best in helping you to a Seruant that you might employ for your Steward Now if it please you at my hands to accept the bearer hereof beleeue it you shall finde his sufficiencie so fitting your content that I dare vndertake you shall not neede to seeke any further I haue knowne him long and such euery way his disposition as may deserue good regard in a very good vnderstanding he is honest and wise and able to liue of his owne yet in donour of your worthinesse desireth to follow your fauour for his Truth you shall not doubt it and for his behauiour I know you will like it for his wages I will leaue it to your wisedome in his desart so with his dutie commending my seruice to the command of your kinde loue till I sée you and alwaies I rest Your very louing Kinsman T. R. A thankefull Letter vpon the tryall of his Seruant MY good Cosen among many courtesies I thanke you most kindely for my man who in my great content hath answered the Contents of your Letter for such hath beene his carriage as hath gotten good will not onely of all my house but of such of my friends as haue occasion to know his seruice lesse vice and more matter worthy loue haue I not seene in a man of his sort yea such hath beene his desert of my loue as except for his better preferment I will not part with him in hast For in earnest in many true Rules of Ciuilitie hee may be an example to good Iudgements In briefe as I neuer found you to faile in any kinde care of my good so in this I haue great cause to thanke you and wherein it may lye in my power to requite you be assured you shall know I loue you in which I rest assuredly Your most affectionate Kinsman and friend R. S. A Letter of councell from a Brother to his Sister vpon her going from the countrey to the Court. SWeet Sister I heare thou art going from home to a high place from the countrey to the Court beleeue it thou wilt finde it a place of danger for the preseruation of thy best comfort for there is honour both to bee got and lost but for a caueat in thy carriage reade what I heere haue written vnto thee and lay it vp in thy memory it will doe thy vnderstanding no hurt Take heed of the Mewing of Muske Cats for they watch but for a Mouse and when they haue their prey they are all gone away Let not the fading glosse of gay clothes dazzle the eyes of thy spirit nor faire tongues rob thee of thy fame for a good name is not like a garment for if it once be broken it will neuer bee set together againe there are many hands that will bee plucking of flowers whose hearts neuer care how the stalkes grow or wither but if you will be your owne friend let no man take the fruit without the Tree beleeue no idle vowes nor vaine protestations for many times the tongue and the heart are farre asunder when the best words haue not the best meanings Nor let ambition bewitch thee for the sinne is all one with the Lord or his Lackey the Ice once crackt will crack more and what is the face that hath lost the beauty of the minde sweet Sister I write not this that I feare thy imperfection but to forewarne thee from euill And what good is to bee gotten seeke it by that vertue that may keepe thy colour without staine when a Maiden blush is the beauty of modestie serue God and hee will blesse thee pray to him and hee will defend thee loue him and hee will keep thee that no hurt shall come neere thee bee constant in thy Religion loyall in thy Allegeance courteous in thy behauiour and vertuous in thy loue so no doubt but the Court will grace thee and the King of Kings will so aduance thee that though she be no Lady on earth thou shalt be an Angell in heauen To which happinesse in prayer for thee to his tuition I leaue thee Thy most louing Brother D. H. Her Answere MY most louing Brother I most kindely take your most louing Letter which I will lay vp for your sake and mine owne good not in my pocket nor my Cabinet but in the inward Chest of my heart and will dayly reade it as the rules of true wisedomes direction but to bee a little merry with the answere of your figures let Muske Cats Meaw where they will I hope to bee no Venizon for Vermine and for the Garden of my fauour there shall no hand plucke aflower except hee take the Roote and stalke to his keeping for the glosse of gay coates they may bewitch Babies eyes but the eye of vertue lookes after no vanitie and for false hearts and faire tongues they are easily discerned they goe so commonly together betwixt pride and basenesse there is a carriage of ciuilitie which I hope to hit on without touch of dishonour so leauing Lords to their Ladies and their Lackeyes to lower Creatures beseeching the Almightie to blesse mee heere with his Grace and hereafter in Heauen to make the least of his Hand-maides rather then the greatest Princesse on the Earth with all the pleasures of the world to which prayer hoping you will say Amen in much thankefulnesse for the care of your kindnesse I rest Your most louing Sister E. B. A kinde Letter to a Schollar going from the Vniuersitie to a Benefice in a Citie GOod Cozen I vnderstand by your Father that you are determined shortly to leaue the Vniuersitie but yet withall that you haue bent your minde onely to the studie of Diuine vnderstanding and leauing the world betake your selfe wholly to the Church and in the Ministerie of the word to doe good vnto Gods people I commend your determination but with you if I might aduise you to spend some few more yeeres in the Vniuersitie for your further hearing and reading for your better confirmation of your resolution not that I feare the blessing of your Spirit but that it is a function of great charge care and labour Charge in regard of the Talent beeing out of the Treasurie of Heauen the riches of the Soule then for care in
loathed that loues not his Father pardon therefore what is past and feare not what is to come You inuite me to your house that am worthy to be driuen from your doore and will méete me halfe way that merit banishment from your presence and make me a feast that deserues euer to be kept fasting but this shewes loue descends before it ascend God came to Man ere Man could come to God your loue called me to comfort before I could come to receiue it In summe your kindnesse hath bound my loue in an indissoluable duty in which I hope shortly to see you and till then euer to pray for you that all happinesse may befall you and so humbly rest Your obedient Sonne A Loue-letter to a faire Gentlewoman SWéet Creature if the World did not hold thée faire I should thinke my selfe blind and if the wise did not admire thée I should not so much honor thée but since thy worth deserues more honor then I can giue thée giue me leaue onely to pray for thée that no black spot of pride may staine the faire white of thy vertue but that continuing in thy goodnesse thou mayst enioy the fulnesse of thy happinesse and for my selfe that in the desert of thy fauour I may be a Seruant of thy command in which more hoping in thy vertue then presuming of my fortune I rest Thy vnworthy Seruant B. T. Her Answer KInd Sir I would be as loath to be the gaze of the Worlds eye as the subiect of your fiction and for the honor of wisedome it should bee rather in the Heauens then the Earth for your prayers I thanke you though I hope they are more charitable then necessary and for your seruice take it not vnkindlie that I wish you a more worthy Mistris and so intreating you to giue me leaue to leaue you to your selfe whom you haue most reason to make much off I rest Too vnworthy a Mistris of so worthy a Seruant E. M. A Letter of discontentment to a Gentlewoman suspected of Incontinency IF you were as wise as Salomon yet if you were not more honest I would not giue a penny for your wit if you were as rich as Craesus yet if you want grace I would not giue an halfe penny for your wealth and if you were as faire as Venus yet if you want vertue I will not giue a point for your painting Counterfeit modesty is plaine hypocrisie and to flatter for gaine is the common course of the world Babies in gay coats are Childrens sports and fooles Idols For my selfe I haue knowne you long and began to loue you but finding your folly I haue with-drawne my affection and to play faire with you vpon euen tearmes I had rather giue ouer my game with a little losse then haue a bare stake to set my rest vpon so wishing you henceforth to make your best match for your aduantage and not deceiue your selfe with hoping after a fooles fortune meaning as little as I can to trouble my thought with your idle humors As I found you I leaue you and so rest Your Friend as I find cause W. R. Her Answer VVHat you thinke of your selfe I know not and what your estate is I care not it séemes you are well read in names but lack iudgement in applying their natures they that feare not God are worse then the Diuell and they that want grace are in a pittifull taking for vertue it is so rare that thinke Venus better fits your humour for your pence halfe-pence and points they are but Pedlers ware and therefore I haue nothing to doe with such Chapmen Hypocrisie mistaken may take Iealouzie in an idle humor and as good be a painted Baby as a péeuish Bowby for your gaine if you be not pleased you may change your Card or be content with your fortune and for your franke play you are so fresh a gamster that I thinke losse of time will be all that will be gotten by you and so wishing you to keep your money in your purse play with children for Apples that you may eat your part of them if you loose like a white God-sonne I wil leaue you to your mothers blessing and so rest till I sée you which I hope to doe neuer Yours Asse you mine M. T. A Letter of reprehension of suspected vnthankfulnesse COzen how kind you haue found me you know and how vnthankefull I haue found you I would I did not know to be so long from me and in your silence to forget me in the notes of a good nature I finde no such ill disposition but lest I may wrong you and my selfe with a false suspition of vnkindnesse not knowing the cause that may be excusable I pray you write vnto me by this Bearer for if the cause of your silence haue bin sicknes I am sorie for it if your Letters haue béen lost or intercepted we are both wronged howsoeuer it is something is amisse which I wish kindely to be amended not to trouble you with a tedious Letter the Contents perhaps discontentiue till I heere from you which I expect presently in the nature of a kinsman and loue of a friend without great cause to the contrarie I rest Your very louing Cosen R. D. His Answere MY good Vnkle how kinde so euer I haue found you I now finde you contrarie when in the Construction of dispositions exprobation and vnthankefulnesse make a hard Choise which is the greater Cut in vnkindnesse you thinke it long since you heard from me and I heere from you to soone when in your writing I finde you so farre from your selfe for could I not be my selfe I should forget you but if a Carde come crosse shall the game be giuen vp and if there fall out a mischance shall it giue suspition of an ill minde I hope not well the cause knowne of my silence I leaue so the report of this bearer to whom I know you will giue trust and by whom I send you an other written long since how miscarried and returned being tedious to write I will leaue to his deliuerie so hoping that when you finde where the fault is you will there lay the repentance in the true assertion of a Naturall kinsman rather willing to deserue a good turne then to heere of it I take my leaue Your very louing Cosen N. W. A Letter of Counsell from a discreet Mother to her Daughter newly married MY good Daughter thou art now going into the world and must leaue to be a Child and learne to be a Mother and to looke to a family rather then to the entertainement of a friend and yet both necessarie in their kindes finde the disposition of thy husband and in any wise moue not his impatience Let thy kindnesse binde his loue thy vertue his comfort and thy Huswiferie his commendation auoide fatling Gossips yet be kinde to thy Neighbours and no stranger to thy kindred bee gentle to thy seruants but not ouer-familiar haue an eye
that I am in Loue I doe not deny it but with all the world I wil not confesse it for the Reprobates are out of the Rule of Charitie that my affection is of force I grant it for so had I rather haue it then fantastick and with a woman beleeue it for shall wee abandon their loue by whom wee haue our breeding to life I know it is not your meaning for my weakenesse in vnworthinesse you must leaue that to the blessing of Grace whereon building the house of my hopes comfort the foundation well laide I the lesse feare the fall of it in the Subiect of mine Obiect can be no Abiect when Diana's Cupid knowes neither Vulcan nor Venus but if Pallas and Mars make a coniunction Copulatiue in an Accident vnseperable the ioy may be vnspeakeable I write not this out of the Arte but the heart of loue where there is more hope of faith then a poeticall fiction To grow towards the matter that I know you most looke at let it suffice you that shortly I will sée you and then acquaint you with that I hope shall not dislike you but to the confirming of comfort at the houre of conclusion in ioining hands vnto hearts you will bee rather a father then a friend in hope whereof and prayer for which I humbly rest Your most louing Nephew T. P. A discontentiue Letter vpon the deniall of friendship IF I were rich I would be beholding to no beggers and if wise I should trouble no fooles but he that is plagued for his sinnes must haue patience with his crosses yet spight of the Diuell God will blesse his Seruants when Christmas comes we shall haue Holy daies and though the Lent be long Easter followes Good-Friday I know to well you vnderstand mee to ill but hauing knowne you to long to finde that I doe in you at last meaning to trouble you no more except with my fight against my will I rest as I haue reason Yours as you mine B. D. His Answere HE is poore whom God hateth and he rich that is contented he is wise that knowes himselfe and he vnwise that misconstrueth an other punishments of sinne are the trials of patience and afflictions well taken are the tokens of loue twixt feasting and fasting are daies of indifference and who wil not work must take the profit of idlenes Your knowledge to well may be taken to ill but if your presence may be troublesome let me entreat your absence so neither angry nor well pleased till I heare better of your humor I rest Yours as you mine H. B. A Letter from a friend to a fantasticall conceited Madcap IF I know where to finde you I should know how to send after you for what I think of you I should know how to write vnto you but I thinke you are like a Bird to flye vp and down where you list or like a Cameleon to change into all manner of colours I am sorie to see how your vnseasoned braine sets your wits a wool-gathering but would you once be your selfe your friends would be glad of you for there are good things in you howsoeuer you make vse of them If I had not heard of you now I thinke I should neuer haue heard of you for I could not deuise almost what should become of you very strangely you went from me but if more kindely you would come to me your welcom should be in better then bare words therfore if I may entreat you and not to trouble you when you can conueniently let mee see you that wee may speake of something that is necessary to be spoken off bee you assured I will not hurt you and what good I can doe you you shall finde before I will tell you and thus with my hartie commendations to your kinde acceptation in hope shortly to heare from you and not long after to see you till then and euer to the Lord of heauen I leaue you Your assured louing Friend N. W. His Answer IF you were not estranged from that I left you I should know how to finde you but beeing as you are I know not what to say vnto you you haue not heard from me a long time and me thinkes to soone at last considering the comfort I finde in your Commendations For you would seeme kinde and yet in words shew the contrarie when in the manner of your writing the bitter ouercomes the sweet if the good be marde what should you doe with the euill and if my wits be out of temper what should a foole doe among wise men I haue no Birds nor Beasts to figure your fancies but an Ape is no man though hee be nimble in his conceits and hee that bites like Diogenes deserues a name of his Nature your hurt I feare not and your good I seeke not but if I chance to come neere you it is a chance but I will see you when as I finde my welcome you shall enuie my company till then rather to quite your courtesies then to moue your discontent in the Answere of your Letter loth to bee in your debt for an humour in more loue then idle talke as I was and will be till I see you and alwaies Your louing friend H. T. A biting Letter to a Clamorous vngentlewoman IF all Birds were Nightingales the Owle would not make such a noise whose feature is as ill fauoured as her Note is vnpleasing yet such deformed things are in Nature that perfection may be the better esteemed her feede is most vpon vermine except shee light on a Birde in her sleepe when hauing filde her gorge she fals to pruning of her fethers til shee leaue nere a good one on her backe now if you vnderstand not this figure goe no further then your selfe in whom being all that vnworthinesse that may deserue all vnhappinesse in the same I leaue you as I found you and so I rest till I heare better of you Yours as you see W. B. Answere IF all Beasts were Horses an Asse would not kéep such a braying whose shape is as vnhandsome as his flesh is vnholesome yet such creatures there are to serue the vse of a Clowne onely to beare either burthens or blowes now if you vnderstand not my meaning looke but vpon your picture and you shall see the proportion in which being nothing worth any thing in as little regard as may bee till I finde better cause of liking I rest as I was and will be Yours as you may conceiue A. S. A discontentiue Letter of a coy Mistris YOur coy lookes condemne you for little noise your sharp spéech of no swéet disposition it is pitie so good apparell should haue so ill lining if I had not mine eyes I should worship an Idol but when it know coulours I can gesse which is in graine to be short I will giue honor her right and vertue her Grace beauty her praise and wisedome her honour but where I finde conditions of a
contrarie Nature I will regard them accordingly the best is I am not the first that hath been deceiueâ—… nor shall bee the last that shall be deluded and yet though this be no excuse for my folly it shal be a warning to my discretion in the placing of my affection in which not ouer bootes though ouer shooes not gone so farre but I can come home againe I rest Yours if you were your owne N. R. Her Answer IF you look for hearts in eyes you may be out of the rule of loue and let me tell you that your crabbed writing shewes a crooked disposition for your apparel and the lining if I were acquainted with your Tayler I should the better know the measure of your meaning and yet if I mistake not your figure it goes no further then your selfe whose out side is better then your inside if you deceiue your selfe blame no body but your selfe and if you deceiue mee I will snap vp mine owne sorrow if you haue done amisse know how to excuse it or amend it and when you finde a good warning make your best vse of it In briefe howsoeuer you trouble your selfe I pray you trouble me no more for which kindnesse I shall rest in much thankefulnesse Yours as I finde cause B. T. A Letter written to a friend in time of great afliction KInde Anthony thou writest vnto me to know how I doe and though perhaps it may bee grieuous to thee to know it yet being truth to thy loue I will tell it if thou aske how I fare as hard as any man to liue if what I doe shed teares for my sinnes and pray for mercy sigh to thinke of the follies of my youth and sorrow to see the misery of mine age If how I passe my time in the passions of the mind if where I liue in the maâ—e of griefe where till I get into my graue I thinke I shall neuer get out if how I liue so neere the nature of death as if one may liue dying I dye liuing for may I not offend the heauens maiesty to speake it I think neuer course of life came neerer to the thorny Crowne about Christs head which prickt him round about so is it with me crosses abroad and crucifyings at home in body and mind puts patience to a high point Oh my torments are innumerable and almost intollerable but that his goodnes that gaue me them giues me grace to beare them for in briefe if want to supply necessities vnnaturall kindred vnfaithfull friends vnconscionable Creditors vnquiet neighbours and a most vncomfortable wife méet all together to the tryall of a heart whether it will hold or not thinke if thou canst in what perplexity is my spirit and pray in thy heart for my ease or end of it And thus assured if thou canst do me good to find it till I heare from thee and till death I rest Thine what mine owne W. R. His Answere HOnest Henry I am sorry in my heart for thy heauines and to ease thee of thy greefe could bee content to beare part of thy passions but let this comfort thee that thou art not alone in thy calamities for euery man hath his crosse carry it as well as he can and for my selfe though my shooes be finely made yet they so wring my toes that they giue me many a twing at the heart and yet I must commend my Shoomaker and conceale my paine because the fault is in my feet if wee had not our sinnes wee should not haue our punishments beleeue me Henry aflictions are the Badges of Gods blessings if they bee borne without murmurring at his will hee that keepes a house may haue many euill birdes about it but I must confesse within doores the night Rauen is the worst whose continuall croking is many times vncomfortable but haue patience it is a spirituall salue that healeth all the sores of the heart and a Tenure by which wee haue possession of our Soules which guift of grace God of his goodnes in his mercy grant mee and thee and all his seruants deliuer vs from our miseries and make the ioy of our liues in the feeling of his loue to which prayer hoping thou wilt say Amen till I see thee and alwayes I rest Thine or not mine owne R. B. A kinde of quarrelsome Letter vpon a frowne of a friend AT my last being in your company your countenance gaue me some immagination of your discontent if you be angry I would know with whom and for what if it be with your selfe you know how to mend your selfe if with me I know not why nor care I wherefore if it bee your nature I will not seeke to alter it and if but your humor I would wish you to purge it and so wishing you to satisfie me if you haue any skill in Astronomy whether wee shall haue faire weather or foule as I heare from you I rest Yours as you mine T. N. His Answere MY occasions of my countenance are secret to my selfe at which if any take exceptions I wish me out of their company your condition I know not nor desire greater to bee acquainted with for any hurt that is done the amends may bee soone made if you be desirous of quarrels you may haue your handes full of mischeefe but if you will be at peace with your selfe I know no man that meanes to trouble you soe loath to bee at cost with any Almanacks to looke into the rules of Astronomy come what weather will welcome by the Grace of God and soe I rest Yours as you mine D. T. A Letter to an Vnckle to borrow a horse MY good Vncle I haue occasion to trauell some few miles further then I feare my feet will easily carry me if therefore I may intreat you to lend me your horse for some few dayes I will trauell him easily tend him carefully and feed him sufficiently his safe returne you shall not doubt nor my thankfulnes for your kindnes so loth to vse needlesse complements till I heere from you and alwaies I rest Your very louing Nephew R. T. His Answere IF I should lend you my horse you might thinke me an asse knowing your horsemanship and his quality but let this satisfie you three thinges I will not lend nor can I spare my wife my horse nor my sword the one from my bed the other from my stable the third from my side the one for my pleasure the other for my defence and the third for my seruice but that you shall not think I will be altogether vnkind I haue sent you heerein enclosed a piece of gold to hire you a Nagge so hoping of your discretion to haue patience with my deniall I rest Your most louing Vnkle T. R. His Answere A Letter from an old man to his adopted Sonne going from the Vniuersity to trauaile MY good Sonne I find by thy writing that thou art determined to leaue the vniuersity and to looke abroad into the world