Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	answer_n	letter_n	send_v	2,129	5	6.3692	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00001	[The passoinate [sic] morrice]	A., fl. 1593.	1593 (1593)	STC 1; ESTC S115782	48,724	70

Fathers liuing which he himselfe had purchased by his good husbandrie What say you to this vnthrifte was not she put to a shrewde triall she was and it proued passing wel Wherfore then should yonger brothers be reiected or why they that haue little be vnregarded surely because the hart is couetous and mistrustfull and womens mindes are aspiring being neuer contented They so much thirste after preferment as often they ouer-leape amendement and iumpe iust into a worser predicament Many looke so long for aboundance of mucke as as they fall into a quagmire of miseries hauing siluer to looke on though wanting mony to supply many wants hauing a faire shewe and a shrewde kéeper one that hath more then enough yet will not part with any thing Honest●e knowes many of these and they féele more then I can tell you Who goes for the most parte worse shod then the Shoomakers childe and who hath lesse mone● in her pursse then she whose Husband hath most in his chest But for that I am some what straied out of my way I will return to my first widdowe before my shooes be quite worne My forenamed Bacheler that neither by himself● or his fréends could speake with her to know her answer deuised this conclusion to send her a Letter by a fréend not so much for the matter there in set downe as that y● might be a meane to entice her to be spoken with which indéed● proued to some purpose For to the Messenger she came and after notice giuen from whome the Letter was sent gods Lord quoth she did not my fréend giue him his answere No replyed the Messenger for he craues no more by this Letter Surely quoth she I thanke him for his good will but I am not minded that way What way replyed he not to marry Yes saide she but not with one so yong Now you shall vnderstand her simple excuse cleanly made for in a mans iudgement it would not be thought there was much difference betwéene their ages And as it was gathered after she meant one way and the Messenger tooke it an other for she meant yong in substance though he vnderstood it for yéers as after further talk she plainely expressed What shall Honestie say more of her in sooth nothing but to pray either for the amendement of her and her companions or else that this punishment may be inflicted vpon them that is to say that they may be so haunted vntill they deale better as they may not péepe foorth of their houses without as much wondermen as the Owle hath that flieth in the day time And doo they deserue lesse that make fooles it hath béene a fustie saying Qui moccat moccabitur and vntill that proue true by practice as i● falles out true often vnlookte for we that are to spéed shall neuer finde better If all men will agrée to Honestie we wil keepe a Cronicle of such wenches my selfe will be speak the registreship and though it be no great office yet it may doo much good But now to a fourth kinde Which were a thrise-made not a thréed-bare Widdower and a fiue times left Widdowe both of them being so much in Fortunes bookes as they were endowed with the thousands They soone agréed vpon the matter and within a shorte time were married vnto whose house hauing heard them boast of their substance I often resorted to sée what good chéere they kept I was twise there together in Christmas time but neuer could sée hotte meate yet good store of cold by reason they had had foure daies before many guests But since the holly dayes hoping for hetter fare I found him and she set at a couple of red Herring a slice of barrel butter colde fare as I thought for a tuesday supper Alas how were the seruants dieted when they had no better I would haue thought the faulte to haue béene in her vntill she saide vnto me that she was sorrye she had no better fare for Honestie when the olde Churle replied holde thée content wife he is welcome I thanke God I haue this for him I thanke your worship saide I though I thought I beshrewe the Churles hart But there of force must I lodge too for that I had ouer farre home and he that had fedde me so hungerly had found talke enough to kéepe me with him till midnight I must confesse I lay better then I had supped lodgde in the next Chamber to themselues there being nothing but a thinne wall betwéene vs. After my first sléepe I heard them two very lowde and though I did not greatly desire to be a partaker of their secret yet I could not choose vnles I had béene either naturally or artificially deafe They were at so hotte words as he cryed out vpon thée old beggarly whore with other most shamefull tearmes she therby being forced thus to complaine Alas that euer I was borne to sée your face I was no begger when I met with ●ou for I brought with me as good as twentie thousand pounds which now being at your disposition you deale thus crabbedly with me méeting together in respect but yesterday what hope resteth to me of the end seeing the beginning is so bad you diet me with hardmeat and chéer me with crabbed vsage I can neither haue a penny in my pursse nor a good shooe to my foote I gréeue to heare my seruants repine thereat though I cannot amend it and for that I tell you of it which may redresse it thus you reuile me Holde thy peace olde whore quoth he or I will make thée if they like it not let them mend theirselues and either charme your toung or I will clapperclaw your bones with which cooling carde she was glad to be quiet as I gesse for I could beare no more of her at that time Now Honestie hauing leasure to thinke of what he had heard still harpt of y● twentie thousand pounds which as I thought was méeter to haue made a King then to haue pleased a churle with y● I condemned his cruelty and pitied her chaunce so long thinking on her hard fortune as I fell a sléepe taking vp the remnant of my mornings nap Well before I rose my olde carle was vp and before I was ready gone ahroad when suddenly comming foorth of my lodging forced to passe through his Chamber I found the good olde woman shedding teares so aboundantly as I could not but gréeue for company But séeing me she rowzed vp her selfe and would haue shadowed her discontent yet at last assured I had heard the ●arre she saide she was sorrie I had béene disquieted the which I excused saying I was more greeued for her then for my disquieting for had that béene the worst Honestie hath béene farre woorse troubled Ah good sir quoth she this is their fortune that are couetous for I had enough left me to haue liued like a woman if I could haue béen so contented but aiming at dignitie hath béen my destruction and

another time I should thinke that suing to thée for sauour thou wouldest bestowe frownes profering my seruice thou wouldst offer skornes If I sighed thou wouldst smile laughing at my teares and ioying at my griefe requiting euery kinde demande with so cruell answers as if thy bitter words could not force me to leaue my suite thy skornefull farewels should frustrate my wil offering to touch thine hand mée thought thou profereds thy foote and stouping to catch that being glad of any thing thou wouldst in a rage fling from me and leaue the doore barred against me There should I sit till my téeth chattered in my head and my heart aked in my bellie then should I shake for colde and sigh for sorrowe when thinking to knock my legges against the ground to get heate I should kick al the cloathes off me being in the end constrained to awake through colde At what time that colde fare would better content me then the former flattering cheare did please me being as glad it was false as I would haue béen glad if the other had béen true Many like to these did I endure before my acquaintance with thée not knowing any meanes how to obtaine the same of thée vntill happely finding thee in a sommers euening at the dore I presumed to enter parlie with thée offering my selfe your seruant which had béen a tweluemoneth your sworne subiect doubting of your patiēce though you séeme to be a patterne of pittie How and after what order I haue since that time besought your sauour your selfe shall be my iudge for I list not to rehearse my dayly shiftes to shewe my zeale my manyfolde conclusions to obtaine your companie my giftes to wooe the seruants and my presents to gaine your good will But to be briefe thereby to come to that I like best one whole yeare I loued thée before thou knewest me thrée more are passed since first I spake to thée yet then was I as neare as now I am and now as farre off as I was then Say therefore swéete since to stay longer yéelds but little comfort shall my suite now end with the verdit You loue me To which long preamble shut vp with so whot a conclusion she no lesse prepared herselfe to answere him then Frier Tuck vsed ceremonies before he song mattens She cast her eyes vp to Heauen as if she had béen making her praiers to loue sighing so bitterly as I thought hir placket lace would haue brokē then to the matter thus she answered Alas gentle sir I must confesse I haue found you kinde and you haue béen at a great deale more cost then I could wish you had your suite hath béen long and my kindenes not much nor doe I hope you e●pect more at my hands then you haue had before my friends haue granted their good will Maidens are modest and must not bée prodigall of their courtesie children are bound and cannot consent without their parents counsell pardon mée therefore I pray you if I say I loue you not since my father knowes you not and thinke not much if I desire you to leaue to loue mée vntill my mother giue me leaue to like of you At which time assure your selfe I will bee as ready to performe your will as they shall be forward to wish me that good and thus in the meane time I hope you will rest satisfied This was a shroade bone for my passionate youth to gnawe on that being so strucken on the head as his heart aked therewith thought to ease his sorrowe with this replie Ah my swéetest swéete quoth hée Thinke not on thy fathers counsel séeing a greater friend craueth his deserte nor let me rest their leasure without pitie that hath thus long remained constant vnto thée I loue thée nor for thy fréendes sake though I loue them for thy sake nor doe thou lothe me for their pleasure that liues but at thy pleasure But swéete and soueraigne of my hart as thy thoughts be not tied to their wils so let not thy loue be linked so fast to their liking as their mislike should end my life by remouing thy loue Say my goddesse and therewithall as he was procéeding she cut off the rest with this short answere I beséech you sir to leaue off your courting vnlesse you entend some other conclusion then as yet I can gather for of my faith loue you I wil not nor consent I dare not without my fréends giue their consents first and thereupon she thrusted through the throng and poasted out of doores leauing my passionate louer to say his pater noster alone where we will leaue them What I thought I will tell you and I hope you will not doubt of the matter for that Honestie speakes it One yéeres loue without acquaintance and thrée yéeres suite to be neuer the néerer either he was a bad lawyer or she a monstrous vniust iudge but be it both a passionate Asse and a péeuish wench were well met But marke his folly and her cunning he building Castles in the aire and setting trappes in the Sunne to catch the shadowe of a coye queane was pleased by her with wagging his bawble and ringing his bell while she pickt his pocket and cut his pursse A proper péece of seruice of a passionate Souldier and a prettie sleight of a flattering Slut I would we had more of them nay why wish I that since the worlde is too full of such alreadie Yet of my honesty she was as fitte a match for such a foole as might be found in the worlde A great deale of fond fancie repaied with a sharpe shorte deniall and thrée yéeres affection rewarded with an ounce of flatterie mingled with a pound of discurtesie a good cordiall to comfort so kinde a hart Oh the subtilty of the diuell that vnder the shadow of obedience couers y● craft of cosonage It is hotte loue that buildes on fréendes liking and pestilent affection that relies rather on the mothers loue then on the Louers loyaltie Such as stands so curiously on their Parents good will hauing dealt so craftily without their consent are worthie by Honesties doome to stand in a Cage vntill either their fréends good will be got or her swéet harts licence obtained for her deliuerie And this is too good for that the kinde Asse wil too too soone release her I thinke this punishment would be worse welcome vnto her namely that she be bound from mariage so long as she hath kept him without his answere which will so pinche her prodigall desire as either she will forsweare honestie or neuer commit the like knauerie Oh there is a companie of minions which delight to haue many sutors that they may bragge amongst their mates of their diuersitie of louers they thinke it commendable to haue store of customers But knewe they so much as I know they were better to goe once in a fortnight to Greenes Cunnyberries then to haue such resorte to haunt their companies Honestie honours