Fortune and mee for my good will and so till I see thy liuerie I leaue thee to thy selfe Thine if I like M.T. A kinde Sister to her louing Brother MY deere Brother as you knowe our loue began almoste in our Cradles so I praie you let it continue to our graues I haue had a bad husbande and you no good wife and yet with patience wee haue liued to see the straunge chaunges of times but wee muste one daie walke after our friendes and therefore in the mean time let us make muche one of another write vnto mee howe you doe in bodie and minde and when I shall bee so happie as to enioie youre good companie for being alone you may bee as a husbande and a Brother to controll my seruants and comforte my selfe beleeue me I long to see you and in the meane time to heare from you and therefore I praye you let no Messenger passe without some fewe lines of your kinde loue which are as deare to me as my life this I praie you let me not fail off And so with my heartie Commendations and most â—inde Loue in my dailie praiers for thy health I leaue thee to the Almightie Thy very louing Sister A.N. His Answere SWeete Sister I haue receiued your kinde letter for which I returne you manie kinde thankes my bodie I thanke God is in good healthe but my mind somewhat out of temper for I see three thinges that doe muche grieue mee A Foole riche a Wise man wicked and an Honest man poore for the firste either Prodigallie waste himselfe or like a dogge in a benchehole hoords vp his monâ—e hee knowes not for whome the second turnes witte to an euil course that mighte compasse better matter and the thirde liues in griefe that he cannot shewe the vertue of his condition But when I consider againe that heere is no paradise the Aungells liue in Heauen and Hell is too neere vnto the Earthe I am glad I can fall to praier to shunne the trappes of the deceiptfull And since I cannot goe from the course of Fates to take my fortune as patientlie as I can You saie well wee haue liued to see much and yet must die when wee haue seene all you are tidde of a trouble and I well freed of a tormente yet are there crosses enough to trie the care of a good Conscience in which I doubte not youre wisedome nor shall you of my will but as patience is the salue of miserie so is Loue the ioye of Nature in which as wee are neerelie lincked so let vâ— liue vnseparable shortlie I hope to see you and til then and euer will loue you The Lorde of heauen blesse you and in his good mercy keep you So with my harts loue to you to the Lords tuition I leaue you Your verie louing Brtother E. B. A young man to his first Loue. SWeete Loue since first I sawe you I haue seene none like you nor like anie but onely you my reason is drawne out of manie grounds and all in your graces For firste youre Beautie beeing such as exceedeth my commendation your wit too high for my reason to reach and youre demeanure so discreete as driues mee onelie to woonder beleeue my affection to be vntouched with vntruthe and requiâ—e my loue with some token of your good liking for beeing the firste starre that hath made me study Astronomy let me not liue in the clouds of your discomforte least in a mist of misery I fal to the lowest of Fortune Leauing therefore my life to your fauour or my death to your frowne I rest restlesse til I may rest Yours onelie and all T. P Her Answere If your heart were in your eyes and your wordes were all truth I should beleeue a strange tale of the great force of faÌ„sie but I must entreat your pardon to pawse vpon my iudgement of your opinion I would I were as you writ me though I did not requite you as you wish me for though I would not be vnkinde yet wil I not be vncarefull Astronomie is too high a studie for my capacitie the clouds are fittest dwellings for them that are so high minded that the earth cannot hold theÌ„ In briefe therefore build no castles in the aire least they happen to fall on your neck distrust not your fortune where your affectioÌ„ is faithful nor put your life to loues passion least it trie your patience too much howsoeuer it be carry reason in al your courses and your care will haue the more comfort to which I wishe you as much hope as a true hearte may deserue and so not knowing your rest wil trouble you no further but rest as I haue reason Yours in good vvill A.M. A Trauailer beyond the Sea to his wife in England DEare wife the miserie of my fortune is more then can eastlie be borne and yet the most of grief is to be absent from thee and my little ones but as a Denne to her Chickens be kind to them till I see thee and praie for my successe as I do for thy health from manie daungers God hath deliuered me and I hope wil after many storms send mee a faire daie to doe me good and a faire winde to bring me home in the mean time I will haue patience and entreat thee the like for loue so long setled I know cannot loose his nature and therefore not doubting thy constancie I commend me to thy kindnesse kisse my babes for me and kindly receiue for thy selfe and them such tokens as by this bearer I send thee for thee and them thus hoping of thy health as my hearts greatest happinesse in this world in prayer for the same and thee and thine euermore I rest Amsterdam this 20. of August 1604. Thy deare louing husband T.M. SWeet hart let mee entreat thee to be as merry as thou caÌ„st in spight of fortune and all her furie for if thou hast but life to bring home yet loue shal bid thee welcome my praier and thy little ones is dailie for thee we al long to see thee think it long to be so long without thee but knowing thy intente for our good we will haue patience til thy comming and praye for the speed of it with good successe of thy trauail the posts hast is great and therefore I muste end for thy kinde letters and tokens I thanke thee so mewhat by this bearer I haue sent thee my notes in my letter wil tel you what with my hearts loue which can holde nothing from you but auoweth al I am and haue readie for you so with my babes kisses and my owne in prayer for thy health and hearts-ease I commit thee to the Almighty London This 23 of September 1604. Thy verie louing wife E.A. To his friend that was in loue HOnest VVilkin I cannot but mourne for thee to see thee in such a taking as I thought neuer to haue takeÌ„ thee in I heare sait thou art in loue is it
my onely worldes happines referring onely to the care of your kindnes in the faith of true affection I rest Yours auowed and assured R. N. A letter to a friend to borrow a piece of mony SIr as nothing more trieth a friend then calamitie so is there nothing more grieuous then to bee beholding In kindnes therefore if I maye become your debtor for fiue pounds it is not much yet will it pleasure me more then a little your appointed day I will not breake with you and wherein I may thankfully require you you shall find no forgetfulnes of your kindnes but time is precious and therefore entreating your speedie answere in hope of no deniall I rest Your assured friend to command T. W. The Aunswere I Would be as glad to pleasure you as any man but truth cannot be blamed for more then for my necessary vse that I cannot spate I am not presently furnished I praye you therefore take not a deniall vnkindly for iâ— my credit will pleasure you I will not faile my best to doe you good if otherwise you would vrge mee it will â—â—e to little purpose and therefore sory that I am not in tune to satisfie your expectation I must leaue patience to your kind discretion which as you know me shall commaund me for I am and will bee to the vttermost of my power You re assured friend D. S. To my best beloued Cosen mistrisse H.C. at her house in pe Chest. MY good Cousen I remember at my last being with you wee had some conference aboute consideration beleeue me when I consider the worlde and what I haue seene in it and the best things of it and that all if it effect is as nothing or rather worse if any thinge at all I wonder howe men who haue so much iudgement of good froÌ„ euill will shewe so little vnderstanding of good in following of euil how can those meÌ„ that know the in certaine time of death liue as though they thought neuer to die hâ—we can hee that readeth or heareth the word of god and beleeueth the truth of it bee so carelesse of it and so disobedient to it will men bee sicke that may bee whole â—or dye that may liue what shall I say but as Paule saide to the Corinthians O yee foolish people who hath bewitched yee it is the worde of God that transgression is as the sinne of witch-crafte and surely if men were not bewitched with sinne they could not so delight in wickednesse being the crosse and barre to all their happines coulde the theefe consider the doome of the lawe or the miserie of the dispoyled surely hee would not steale if the adulterer did consider the filthines of his action and the shame of his folly surelye hee would turne honest if the murtherer did consider the horror of death and the terror of sinne hee woulde neuer kill In briefe if any sinner woulde looke into the foule nature of sinne hee woulde bee out of loue with it and if â—ee did consider the power of Gods wrath hee woulde bee afraide of it Nay could or would man consider the goodnes of God towards him in commaunding and forbidding nothing but that which is good for him howe could hee bee so forgetfull of his owne good in offending the Author of all goodnesse If the vnthrifâ— coulde consider the misery of wanâ— sure he would not be carelesse of his estaâ—e if the couetous coulde consider the misery of the poor he would be more charitable if the Swaggerer could consider the comelines of sobriety and the shame of immodesty surely hee would be more ciuill If the magistrate did consider the misery of the poore he woulde not be so careles of their torment put them to such sorrow but remember that iustice without mercie is to neere a tuch of Tiraâ—ny If the offendant did consider the griefe and shame of punishment he would containe himselfe within the compasse of a better course If â—ee that preacheth the worde and followeth it not could consider the heauinesse of Gods iudgemente and the shame of his folly hee woulde doubtlesse bee more carefull of his soul and more kinde to his flock If the lawyer could consider the lawe of god hee would neuer grieue his clyent nor speake against a knowne truth but as I saide before to leaue tediousnesse it is the onely lack of consideration that maketh the heedlesse will of man to runne the waye of error to the ruine of his beste comforte and therefore entreat you notwithstanding my allowance of your iudgement touching the heauenly prouidence and power in the motion of al good actions yet so to allow of my opinion touching consideration that it is a great and one of the greatest causes of the confusion of reason by the corruption of nature and knowing that the care of your consideration is such as doth and may wel giue example to the most expert to follow the rules of your directions in the whole course of your life wishing my selfe so happie as to enioy the company of so good a friend till I see you and euer I rest in fast setled affection Your very louing friend N. V. To my sweet loue mistris E. P. SWeet Loue if absence could breed forgetfulnesse then fortune should doe much harme to affection but when the eye of the mind looketh into the ioye of the hearte the sentence may well be spoken As in silence you may heare me so in absence you may see me for loue is not an hours humour nor a shadowe of light but it is a light of the spirit and a continuing passion thinke not therfore I do or can forget thee or loue my sefe but for thee shortly I hope to see thee and in the meane time though not with thee yet not from thee nor well at rest with my selfe til I may reste only with thee I rest alwaies to rest Thine onely and all â— VV. Her Aunswere MY deare if delayes were not a death to loue excuse were currant in the construction of kingdomes but sentences are better spoken then vnderstood and a pleasing presence is better then an excused absence remembrance is good but possession better and loue holdeth memorie but a kind of melancholie Let your selfe therefore be your messenger rather of your loue then your letters least fortune in a mad fit be a crosse to your best comforte not in respect of my constancy but my parents vnkindnesse This is all I will write at this time but wishing a happie time to the beginning of a neuer ending I rest til that time and at all times on the same Yours as you know E. P. An old mans letter to a young widdow VVIddow I haue neither a smooth face nor a filed tongue to cheate your eies nor abuse your eares withall but a true hearte and a constant minde that doth inwardly loue you and will nâ—uer deceiue you fickle heads and vnbrideled wills know not wher nor how to bestow themselues when their
thing to send thee with the loue of my heart I commit thee to the almighty Thine to the end M.R. An Answere THou mad villain what hath walke aboute thy braines to put thy wits in such atemper a tale of a tubbe and the bottome out well to quite your kindnes you shall knowe somewhat of our world So it is that the Foxe hath made a hand with most of our fat Geese the Woolfe meetes with our Lambes before they can welgoe from the damme and the water-rat hath so spoiled our sish-pools that if hee had not beene caught with a trap we might haue gone to y e Sea for a red herring Our Baâ—â—â—ffes Bul runnes through all the Rie in our parish and the Tanners dogge hath worried a wild Sow The Bailâ—ffe of our hundreth takes vpon him like a Iustice since the newe Alehouse was set vp the coâ—stable is much troubled but though oates be rank and rye bee ripe wheat is but thinne and Barlie short good fellowship goes down the wind and yet wenches are righte bred our Piper is falne sicke of an Ale surfet and olde â—uddle got a blowe at midnighte that makes him straddle all day Parnell shall haue her sweet heart in spight of Tom. Tinker and there is wâ—ndring in the towne that thou art not in the gaole before the Sessions but be thou ofâ— good chear there is time enough for a good turne and come when thou wilt thou shalte make thine owne welcome Oh mad staue let me be merry w t thee a little for thou knowest I loue thee thy Gransire is going to his graue and hath bequeathed thee a knaues portion the Bel hath gone for him but so soon as he is past I wil seÌ„d thee word in post that for griefe of his death thou maist drinke to all christen soules thy sister is where she was and sweares thou arte honester then thy father I will say no more but thou haste friends that thou knowest not and therefore come when thou wilt we will haue a health ere we part and so in hast farewell Thine to the proofe R. S. To a young man going to trauell beyond the Sea GOod Cousen I finde by your last letter your present intent to trauell I pray God it fall out for your good for though in respect of your yeares your bodie bee in good state to indure some hardnesse yet there is difference in the natures of countries both in the ayr and the diet but aboue these things there are many things to be observed that negligently regarded may be greatlie to your hurt as first for your religion haue a great care that your eies lead not your heart after the horror of Idolatry serue God sincerely not fondlie not in shewe but in truth of zeale and for all your comfort in all your course that you trust in him and none else now secondlie for your carkasse take heed of too much following the feminine set and praie for continencie it is a blessed vertue I speake not this for the common or base sort for I hope your spirit is too high to stoupe to such game but as the Sirenes whose faces are bewitching obiects and whose voices as Inchanting musique if these be in the waie of your eare or your eye hast you from them least too late you find it too true that you will hardly scape drowning when you are ouer head and eares such weeds will hang on your heeles as will so hinder youre swimming y t you will hardly ouercome it in health if you hap to scape with your life furthermore if you meete with some chast Penilasse whose beautie walks eâ—eÌ„ with her vertue let not a chast eie in her beget an vnchast thought in you I speak not this in feare of anie thinge but your youth yeâ— though I know you wel disposed in many waies I doubte you are not righte in all this being a thing that I know moste necessarie I thoughte in my loue to giue youâ—punc a note of nowe for your purse let it be priuate to your owne knowledge least it be an occasion of your vnhappinesse and breede you more partakers then for your profit Now for your tongue let it follow your wit and typpe it with truth that it may abide al â—utch and for your diet let it be sparing for better leaue with an appetite then goe to Phisick for a surfet now for your conuersation chuse the wise and rather heare them then trouble them and against all fortunes take patience in all your passage so seruing God and obseruing the word no doubt but you shall make a benefit of your voyage and I shall be ioyfull of your returne and thus loath to tier you with a long tale when I knowe in a little you wil vnderstand much in praier for your good successe and saâ—e returne I commit you to the Almighty Your affectionate kinesman and assured friend N.B. To his friend G.T. in his time of sicknesse and sorrow for a great misfortune DEare George knowing the cause though not the condition of thy sicknesse I am bold a little to aduise thee for the better recouerie of thy health Thou knowest that there is nothing passeth neither vnder nor aboue the heauens but either by the direction or permission of the wisedome of the Almightie ther is no day but hath his night no ElemeÌ„t but hath his contrarie nor comfort on the earth without a cros thou art sorry to see the cruelty of fortune but turne thine eies to a better light and thou shalt see it a trial of Gods loue for if nature bee accursed for sin thou must finde it in this world or another and the second death is worse then the first If sicknes makeÌ„ thee feel the hand of God shall not patience make thee trie his mercy and health make thee know his loue if losses make thee poore wert thou not beteer with patience be Gods begger then in pride the worlds king grieue not then at thy fortune but liue by thy faith â—e rather Iob then a Saul for there is no spurning against so sharpe a pricke as Gods purpose I am sorry for thy sicknesse but more for the cause for to mourn to no end is meeâ—e folly and a piâ—ing sicknesse is a signe of more passion then patience Christ suffered for thee suffer thou for thy selfe lay away thy too much melancholy for sighing is womanish and weeping is babish be wise therfore for thy selfe and be good to thy sefe pluck vp thy spirits and put thy selfe onelie vppon God liue not like a dead man but die like a liuing man let not fortune be a messenger of death nor impatience a preiudice to thy health take thy horse and ride ouer to me and take the time as it falls if faire the fewer clothes if foule take a cloak but deferre nâ—t the time for thought pearceth apace for the mind there is no phisick but patience and mirth bring the first with