desire to be excus'd 23 To acquaint one wiih a journey 24 To thanke one for a curtesie 25 To excuse a friend in his absence 26 The wooers complement 27 The Mayes answer 28 The Wooers answer 29 To invite one home 30 To excuse with thankes 31 To deliver a letter to a Lady 32 The Ladies answer to her Waiting-Mayd 33 The Waiting-Mayds answer 34 The Serving-mans wooing of Susan a Chamber-mayd 35 Susans answer 36 To desire the Mayd to speak to the Mistres 37 To entreat lodging at a Gentlemans house 38 The Gentlemans answer 39 A bold Complement to a Widdow 40 The Widdowes answer 41 To wooe a Country-Mayd 42 The Country-Mayds answer A BOOKE OF COMPLEMENTS As there are divers occasions of speech so to have variety of words and phrases to expresse ones selfe must needs be an ornament to the speaker and delightfull to the hearer I have therefore in this little Booke set down some formes of speaking and answering as followeth 1. To wooe a Mayd FAire Mayd the opportunity of time and place none being by to over-heare us doth invite mée to discover my affection For since nothing can be determined in loves affaires without consent of both parties I meane now so acquaint you with my desire Which is that since my heart hath made choice of you in the way of marriage you would bée pleased to receive my love with like affection I know I might have delivered my mind in more choice and eloquent words but beléeve me that love is truest which speakes plainest Now the reasons that induce mée to séeke your lovs are the vertuous qualities which adorne your mind whose amiable and lovely beauty makes my heart burne with a chast affection Thinke not therefore that any foule desires move me to become a Suitor to yâ—u nor am I hasty for marriage for if you please to grant mée your love I will stay your leasure to appoint the day to consummate our happinesse I am a young pleader at the Barre of affection and therefore hope you will not discourage me in my first suit but rather since my cause is full of love will at last give me a happy answere Fearfull distrust I know doth plead against me and tels you how Maides have béene deceived by flattering men who have onely made a Complement of love to obtaine their own desires But alas faire Maide condemne not all because some have béene false hearted for I dare promise for my selfe that the streame of my affection slowing from your vertues shall ever kéepe a constant course For the seale of your love is so déepely imprinted in my heart that no time can weare it out and therefore be assured that till you cease to be vertuous which I know is impossible I can never cease to love you And thus swéet Mayd I have unclasped the volumne of my secret thoughts wherein you may read by faire intents which are onely to obtaine your love and ioyne your heart néerer to mine by the inviolable Bond of marriage Let me desire you therefore to unfold your lips and give a favouring answer to my languishing hopes 2. The Maids answer SIr your language is so full of chast affection and delivered with so much mooving passion that had my fancy hitherto entertained a thought of love you had certainly prevailed over the weakenesse of a Mayds resistance But alas your love is a stranger to my heart and therfore blame me not if I dare not receive it as a plaine guest till I have consulted with my owne thoughts Sudden consent is alwaies held dangerous and is still followed by repentance And therefore give me leave to consider your late motion I wil study your satisfectioÌ„ in my answer which if it proove not to your content yet it shall expresse my thankfulnesse for that love you beare me In the meane time I must dismisse my selfe from your company for I feare my mother hath tooke notice of our conference and so for my abrupt departure if it be any breach of manners I must relye on your parton 3. To urge a suite the secondtime THe next day repairing to the former place I spyed these two Lovers lying on a bank of Flowers so that using the friendship of some bushes to hide me I lay downe and so uâ—seene over-heard the former Sutor renewing his sute in these words Faire Mayd now is the time that your promise hath ingag'd you to give an answer to my doubtfull feares and now I am to receive my sentence from you which I hope shall be full of comfort since the greatest offence wherewith you can charge my heart is onely this that I love you and therefore I came to this place full of hope to be made happy by your answer so let mée returne full of ioy by your frée consenting to my former motion But what néede I doubt or afflict my selfe with vaine feares since I doe reads some comfort in your chéerefull countinance which caynot like a cruell Iudge smile and condemne at once Mâ— heart doth presage that during my absence Cupid hath wrought in your heart a good opinion of mée which if you are unwilling to let your tongue confesse lest a bush should spread it self upon your chéeke I am content to take youâ— silence for my answer so you will suffer me acâ—cording to the rules of love to interpret that silence for consent But say I sée your lips are ready to prepare my doome and therefore with patience I will expect my sentence either of life or death since it is in your power to raise mee up or cast me downe 4. The Mayds answer SIr I perceive the love that you professe unto me can receive no alteration by time for I was in good hope that your two dayes absence would have inform'd your iudgement to place your love on some more worthy choyce But now since you are bent still to prosecute your former suite and will not beléeve me when I â—ell you how much I want of those vâ—â—tues which you attribute to me I hope you will not â—lame mée if I consent to your former motion for I beléeve you love me in the way of marâ—â—ge and in that assuranâ— I grant you my love â—â—aine 5. The Lovers reply IT is a grant that makes me happy and now let me seale my patent with this kisse for you have given me your love and with it a little world of happinesse So that there remaines nothing but that we appoint our wedding day which I will not hasten through any forward desire of mine owne For since I have obtain'd your promise for marriage I doe beléeve that our hearts are already married in heaven before a Congregation of Angels which the Church shal but only publish and make known to the world And so bidding adieu to vaine Complements which onely became mée as a Sutor I hope I may now say you are mine as I am yours 6. Master Brainlesse his wooing of Mistrisse Barbara
CVPIDS SCHOOLE Wherein Yong men and Mayds may learne diverse sorts of new witty Amorous Complements Newly written and never any written before in the same kinde Complaine unto thy Love with flattering Art For gentle words do move the hardest heart Printed at London by Rich. Cotes and are to be sold by Francis Grove dwelling on Snow-hill neere the Sarasins-head 1642. The Character and Description of a Complement IN the old time their Garments were plaine and so were their words and meaning But afterward some more witty than the rest finding what power perswaâ—ion hath over the minde of man invented a new art of words called Complements which â—s indeed nothing but an effable and courteous manner of speech and yet is now growne so necessary that nothing can be done without â—hem For men now a-dayes regard not vertuous qualities but onely a pleasingnesse of nature and condition so that hee that speaketh best â—eeds best and shall be sure to be preferred before the plaine meaning man So that the neâ—essity of these times doth enforce us to learne â—he Art of Complements which I will prove â—nto you by particulars and first in love he that â—hinkes to winne affection by telling a Mayd in plaine tearmes that hee loves her is much deceived for when she heares you begin so plainly she will start backe from you and think you to be some ignorant Coridon that know not Cupids language when on the contrary hee that can deliver his minde in amorous words doth seeme to keepe the keyes of their Maydenheads of which he can take possession when he list for their hearts are at his devotion while the other poore Lover that cannot expresse his minde in a Complement may pine away with sorrow unregarded for he that loves most is many times neglected and he that loves least is oftentimes most respected Therefore it behooves a Lover now adaies to use some Complement insinuation to procure affection for a man can prevaile in nothing without Complements your friend will not thinke you his friend without you salute him with a Complement you cannot invite one home nor entertaine him afterward without Complements neither can you keepe company or be sociable without the mutual enterchanging of Complements To conclude therefore a Complemenâ— is the language of Callants the Conquer our oâ— Mayden-heads the quintessence of wit the resâ—ner of speech and necessary both in City anâ— Countrey For though the Countrey-man be plaine yet faire and courteous words will prevaile much with the goodnesse of his nature and this may be seene by the fable of Mercury and Iupiter who wandring one night upon the plaines not knowing where to get a lodging at last they came to the house of old Baucis and Philemon an old marryed couple who had long lived together in a poore cottage here Iupiter beginning to make his case known the old wife Bauciâ— began to scold and told him plainely she had no lodging for him till at last Mercury so farre prevailed with his complementall eloquence that the good wife being ravished with his sweete words straight opened the doore lighted a candle and entertained them with all kindnesse and courtesie whereby you may see that such is the power of Complements that it breakes lockes opens doores at mid-night and will give you accesse to the mistresse of your heart if you can but handsomely complement with the Maid and come over her with melting language onely you must remember to mingle some kisses and line her Apron with gold and then you may be sure to obtaine your owne desires Besides as Complements are necessary in wooing so you cannot counsell your friend to refraine from any vicious course unlesse you use the insâ—nuation of a Complement fortruth is so sharpe that it is displeasing to all men and seemes to grate their eares if it be not sweetned by some pleasant discourse and therefore when you are to doe the tenderest office of a friend which is to lay his shame and vice before him there is nothing can give a more ready entrance to your words or make him more willingly endure the sharpenesse of good counsell than to beginne in a loving and complementall manner Seeing therefore that a CoÌ„plement is so gracefull to the speaker so delightfull to the hearer and so powerfull to winne affection I hope young men will imbrace and love this Booke which teacheth them how to obtain their love And I hope young Mayds will lay it under their pillow and read it when they goe to bed since it will instruct them how to give an Answer to their amorous Sutors And so wishing to all young men and Maydes the accomplishment of their desires I leave these complements to their perusall A Complement to the Reader Gentle Reader IT is some perswasion to read a Booke when wee dare say that the matter is new and that there was never any thing written in the same kind This we may affirme of these Complements and therefore hauing had no patterne of imitation to direct me I hope kind Reader thou wilt so much the rather vouchsafe out of thy wonted kindnesse to grace them with thy favourable acceptance Let their newnesse perswade thee to rerd and then I doubt not but thou shalt find some amongst them so pleasant and delightfull as will induce thee to crowne my labours with thy free commendations For as I am studious to benefit thee in in any thing I may so all the ayme of my desire is to bee thought worthy of thy liking and good opinion which if thou grant mee it shall oblige the service of my Pen to pleasure thâ—â— in this or any other kind So I rest Thine as mine W. S. The Author to the Reader VVHen thou dost chance to fall in love by power of Cupids bow If thou these Complements doe prove their vertue thou shalt know Suppose thy Sweet-heart fled from thee as Daphne fram Apollo Yet she at last changed will be if thou the câ—ace doe follow And if these Complements thou use in fitting place and time The Maid that did thy love refuse shall unto love incline For though my selfe did never try yet I have heard it said Faire words and opportunity will winne the coyest Maid The Contents 1 TO wooe a Mayd 2 The Mayds answer 3 To urge a sute the second time 4 The Mayds answer 5 The Lovers reply 6 Master Brainelesse his wooing of Barbara 7 To excuse some inconsiderate speeches to â— Gentlewoman 8 To welcome one home 9 To perswade by way of counsell 10 To entreate a courtesie 11 The Answer 12 To bid a Bride goodmorrow 13 To bid a Bridegroome goodmorrow 14 At the first meeting of a friend 15 The other friends answer 16 To present a gift to a Mayd 17 To bid a friend farewell 18 To entreat a courtesie of a stranger 19 To aske a Fathers good will to marry his Daughter 20 To begin a health 21 To promise to pledge it 22 To
friend will refuse it for I would have the health in a circular orbe move round about the table till every man hath had it And so as I said before I begin this health Ad salutem Amicorum To the health of all our friends wishing them as full a measure of all happinesse as this cup is full of Wine I hope you 'le pledge me Gentlemen 21. To promise to pledge it SIr héere 's no man will refuse it for my part I will continue the health for I am bound to second it since it is in memory to our friends and therefore I will pledge it though the glasse were so big that the Moone might make a câ—ver to it 22. To desire to be excused GEntlemen I must entreat your pardon for I dare not drinke such health since I know I should loose mine owne health by it Besides I hold it a heathenish custome and not becomming a Christian I shall therefore estéeme it a courtesy in you to dispence with my pledging it for to shew love to our friends by wronging our selves were a part of folly rather then friendship To which purpose I have written these verses T is an â—ld rule now amonst Bacâ—ius traine That from our owne healthes drinking we refraine Yet now they doe begin healths to their friends Which with the losse of their owne health still ends And thus while of our friends too much we make We love our friends but our owne selves we hate 23. To acquaint one with a journey I Am to ride this morning toward London and if you please to command mee any service I shall be carefull in the performance of it or if you have any thing to buy pray let me be your steward I le buy it as cheape as I can for it is a happinesse to me to have any imploy ment from you If therefore you have any businesse or cause to solicite trust me with it and I will use the best diligence I can to effectuate your desires or if you please to command me any other service you shall finde me your ready servant 24. To thanke one for a courtesie SIr I must acknowledge my self indebted to you for your last courtesy the remembrance makes me your debtor till I can finde some opportunity of requitall neither will I bée ungratefull for your last favour but will returne it with interest when Fortune shall enable me in the mean time I would desire you to reckon me in the number of those that are beholding to you and for your former crurtesies to take the payment of a friend in a currant English shankes 25. To excuse a friend in his absence SIr it is the part of one friend to excuse another in his absence and therefore I intreate you not to be offended with him till you know the truth but to interprete all things to the best For I know it would much grieve him to gaine your displeasure and therefore let not your wisedome censure him in his absence for I know hée will cleare himselfe at his returne Bée pleased therefore to suspend your anger a while and let not your passion pronounce him guilty before you know the truth for if you will uniustly condemne him I must rise up in my friends defence for howsoever his enemies have incensed you against him I dare engage my selfe hée is not guilty of those calumnious slaunders which are heaped on him Let me entreate you therefore not to give credit to the reports of malicious informers who can with ease defame and cast aspersions upon the best men but I would rather have you thinke the best of him till you know the worst and then determine of as you find cause If hée deserve it let him continue still your friend if not let him be wiped out of the number of your friends 26. The Wooers Complement SWéet Maide the Sunne hath almost gone his yearely iourney about the World since first I beheld the Sunne of your beauty which hath so dazled mine eyes that I behold all other things as trifles in respect of those glorious beames which do shoot themselves from thence If therefore câ—ntinuance of time may bée any assurance of fidelity in love you must néedes confesse that I have long béene a devoted servant to your perfections Bée pleased therefore now to accept that love of mine which my fond heart cannot conceale you are the darling of my thoughts the treasure of my heart the â—appinesse of my life neither would I live â—ndéed but that I hope in time by my true serâ—ice and obedience to obtaine your favour Neither would I have you thinke that I slatâ—er you for my tongue doth but interpret â—o my heart and the heavens know with what a due reverence I honour you If therefore my love be grounded upon vertuous desires you ought to cherrish it but if I seeke your wrong by satisfaction of my owne desires let me perish in your favour which is to me above all punishments You are the Load-stone of my affection your lips are the moyst Adamants that doe attract me one touch from your hand hath power to revive the dead faculties of age There is musick in your voyce and a lovelines in all your actions Blame me not then for loving you but blame your selfe for being so worthy of love and since your beauties haue wonnded me let your gracious answer cure mée by consenting to tie that holy knot of Marriage which I have often urged Make me happy in your answer 27. The Mayds answer SIr as you are a friend to vertue I cherish your Love and am perswaded you love mée but alas wée Maydes have no power to give away our selves withouâ— consent of Parents neither can we dispose oâ— our selves or be liverall of our affections tilâ— our Parents be acqutinted with it And therefore you must now become a Sutor to my Father his liking obtain'd mine shall follow and if you get his good will my hand shall give you my heart in the Church before the whole Congregation in the meane time rest assured you shall find me constant in affection and therefore you néede sollicite mée no further I am yours 28. The Wooers answer I Desire no more happinesse for by your answere you have revived my drooping heart neither would I change my estate with rich Croesus since I value the obtaining of your love above the Empire and Dominion of the whole world I doubt not but we shall live and love together And as for your Father I hope he will grant us the priviledge due to al hearts to love to enioy and I wil shortly take some fit opportunity to sollicite his consent in the interim I must force my heart to take my leave of you not daring to salute you for feare one kis should tempt me back againe but t is no matter what we spare now we will take out upon our Wedding day Farewell 29. To invite one home SIr I have often desired your