THE PROMPTERS PACKET OF PRIVATE AND Familiar Letters Fitted in sundrie formes to mens seuerall Occasions and according to the qualitie of Persons Not vnworthy Imitation of the most But most necessarie for such as want either facultie or facilitie to endight LONDON Printed by Melchisedech Bradwood for Sa. Macham and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Bull-head 1612. To the Reader MAny there are vnto whom is not giuen a spirit inuentiue enough for their occasions so that they are alwaies to seeke when the necessitie of their affaires cals them to write Againe there are others in whom is no such defect of conceit but yet are as much troubled about the manner of deliuering their minds To direct either and both of these then what and how to write was this Worke especially vndertaken in hope neuerthelesse it would not prooue altogether so vnusefull for such abler iudgements as feele not these others want in themselues but that they may meet with something in it whose example may doe them seruice So much concerning the generall frame of the Worke. For the Letters in particular there is not added vnto euery one a superscription or subscription but only to so many as might suffice to instance with some variety what is proper and best fashionable in that kinde And for their Contents they are expressed in a Table heere following whereunto hauing recourse a man may finde direction there to any such Letter as shall neerest agree with the nature of the businesse he hath in hand A briefe Table of the speciall Arguments of these seuerall Letters EXcuse for seldome writing with protestation of sincere affection and ready seruice Recommendation of a worthy person to the acquaintance assistance of some special friend A pretty preuention of excuse for seldome writing concluding with friendly complement To importune the intercession of one friend toward another for dispatch in a money matter or other case of importāce A curteous offer and kind acceptance of friendly offices An earnest expostulation of answer to letters long omitted A complaint of wants with vehement solicitation of a friend to get in debts by faire means if it may be or by foule rather then faile A short quarrell of vnkindnes for not writing concluding in a vow of perpetuall amity A thankfull acknowledgement of kindnesses receiued and wel entertaining of a seruant recommended A gratefull acknowledgement of kinde offices towards ones Sonne with request to continue the fame A briefe recommendation of a friend An acknowledgement of curtesies vndeserued A mild taxation for not writing and for some seeming negligence in prosecution of a businesse A witty excuse for long intermission of writing A due acknowledgement of true friendship which especially in aduersity is more apparant than in prosperity A thankfull acknowledgement to one that hath well reported of vs when occasion hath been offered A sad and serious complaint of a frends vnkindnes ingratitude Recommendation of a poor man to the fauour and furtherance of some worthy friend An earnest protestation of sincere affection with some touch of vnkindnes taken for too light beleefe of sinister reports A pleasant complement discoursing of the contempt of the Court and content of a retired life Recommendation of an extraordinary man to the woorthy friendship of some honourable person Recōmendation of one friend to anothers fauour assistance A promise of our best endeuor in the education of a child notwithstanding some doubts of his capacity and inclination A second reproofe or rather the doubling of a friendly admonition A briefe discourse concerning the progression or rather the succession and vicissitude of Learning sometimes flourishing in one Climate sometimes in another An excellent and extraordinary letter of commendation A gratefull acceptation of a friendly gift with modest refuse of things exceeding either the giuers meanes or the receiuers merit An earnest disswasiue from a cruell and couetous course of life An expostulation of vnkind misconceits iealousies in friendship Consolation for the death of a Brother or other friend A complement full of acknowledgement of courtesies receiued A graue intercession to a Father for a Sonne that hath offended with friendly testimony of his hopefull towardnes A short complement vpon receit of some new curtesie Excuse for too rare writing vrging with all the prosecution of some businesse vpon occasion of the death of a friend the election of another in his stead Thankful acceptance of a friendlie counsell aduising to follow or serue some great man whence ariseth an obseruation of the cold recompence of seruices in these daies in comparison of times past Vpon submission of a runnagate and vntuly son the kind father vnder hand commends him to the seruice of a woorthy friend vnder whose shelter necessity had already driuen him Excuse for not comming to congratulate a friends Returne with protestation and comparison of affection with the forwardest Thankfull acknowledgement of kindnesses vnto ones Sonne A priuate taxation of the publike ingratitude of great persons toward such as haue best deserued of them Excuse for not saluting a friend passing by vs endeuouring by the way to wipe away his imputation of pride or of forgetfulnesse A sad commemoration of some worthy friend deceased A gratefull acknowledgement of an especiall fauour from any great man A short and sweet consolation in the death of friends A modest complement extenuating our own desert in any fauour done our friend acknowledging all to be but duty A gentle and easie submission to some new direction or alteration of our commission Recommendation of a forward son to the fauor and entertainment of some famous captain in the wars A complement most officious affectionate to a Lady concerning some serious affairs of hers A pleasant Irony in commendation of Law and the commodity of Law sutes A pretty controuersie compounded in a wittie complement A briefe answer to a bitter complement vpon a false ground An earnest and elegant intreaty importuning the assistance of some friend in any matter of importance and that with expedition A kind quarrel of vnkindnes with a friend for leauing vs vnseene vnsaluted hauing in a manner passed by our doore Intercession for fauour remission in the behalfe of one that hath offended and is vnfeignedly sorrie for his fault To importune a friend to prosecute to perfection any businesse already begun A particular account of sundrie businesses committed to ones care A most Christian consolation of a friend in any crosse or afflictiō An earnest recommendation of a well qualified seruant to some place worthy of his parts An amorous complement vpon the first sight or after some short parley An earnest protestation of perpetuall loue and loyaltie A sad extasie for the absence of your Mistresse A Loue-letter or the sum of Louers Rhetorike in two figures viz. Flatterie and Faining Another of like Argument Another not vnlike Another of the same Another no lesse earnest though
leauing nothing behinde him but sorrow and teares and a desire alwaies to bewaile him alwaies to wish for him He that loued him not neuer knew him he that knew him and was not sorrie for him had neither sense nor humanitie But what doe I meane to be carried away thus by griefe from my purposed end Let vs leaue all sorrow and rather enuious of his selicitie then mooued with his losse let vs reioice at his fortune He hath paid the debt which he ought vnto nature and the sooner it was the better was his hap For happier is he that by an impetuous but prosperous gale is speedily driuen into the desired port then he that arriues there with a long and tedious calme And be that knew this life was but lent him of nature liued so as hee was not vnwilling to die if hee may be said to die that is gone out of darknesse into light that leaues paine for pleasure and puts off mortalitie to become immortall Wherein could the fauour of God appeare vnto him more then in taking him out of the troubles and calamities of this wicked world before hee should know the dangers of times the sorrowes of age and the many mischiefes that continually attend on this miserable life of ours And well was it foreséene of his nature that féeling it selfe cloied with the false and transitorie pleasures of the earth for to bee possessed of the true and euerlasting idies of heauen made him leaue vs euen then when in the very prime and flourish of his yéeres he had attained to as much honour and fame as man with long trauell as bodie and minde could in al his life time acquire But why Sir doe I take all this paines to finde out meanes of consolation for you that with much more eloquence and vnderstanding is better able to comfort me and that with more courage and constancie knowes how to beare this brunt of fortune I will therefore cease to be a further trouble either to you or my selfe and with this comfortable assurance end that as reioicing in his glorie he is now assuredly liuing in heauen so shall the memorie of his vertues haue an eternall being in the spéech of men A complement ful of acknowledgement of courtesies receiued SIr with many fauours as continually you do you may augment my obligation but you cannot adde any thing to the loue I beare you or the desire I haue to do you seruice for neither the one nor the other can be greater And would the time could accommodate me as wel with means to satisfie these debts as it giues you occasion to increase them I am indebted to you in much and my abilitie is very small but it shal be better if like a rich and liberall Creditour you will bee contented to take kinde words and the good affection of an honest heart in paiment of your courtesies I haue receiued M. G. his Letter which you sent mee vnto whom if you please returne the inclosed answer with that one office you shall gratifie two friends and of them two if it were possible make me alwaies more readie than I am To be commanded by you A graue intercession to a father for a sonne that hath offended with friendly testimonie of his hopefull towardnesse To my reuerend friend M. c. SIr the friendship which hath béen betwixt vs from our youth commands mee to write the present for to aduertise you how your sonne R. doth euery day more and more applie himselfe to the course you desire of his studies I would not beleeue that which my boies reported of him but sounded him my selfe vpon the sudden in his lesson And if the hunters saying bee true that the Deare is knowen by his tract I will promise you as much contentment from him as you wish Wherfore I would counsell you forgetting matters past heereafter to embrace his actions like a louing father All that I labour in is to become caution to you both to you that hee shall be so good a sonne that as in age so in well doing hee shall goe before the rest of his brothers and sisters to him that hence forward you shall fauour him not only as your eldest but as your best beloued It is no small victorie for you to haue subdued and reduced him according to your desire to studie after he had for a time followed armes whereunto he séemed to be naturally inclined neither was it a lesse victorie for him to haue subdued himselfe for to obey you And in truth you reape no little commoditie by his fault in that now you know how good a sonne you haue Such as in the holy Scripture were sinners and afterwards truly repented them were no lesse estéemed of God nay many times more than those which had not sinned at all I will not stand vpon any application but commending both it and my selfe vnto you very kindly take my leaue A short complement vpon receit of some new courtesie SIr I haue receiued the Greyhound you sent me wherewithall I am as much pleased as hee was kindly deriued although I must confesse that in receiuing him I was somewhat ashamed by reason I thought this new courtesie did vpbraid me with my not acknowledging as yet in action how much I am your seruant in will But howsoeuer I thanke you very kindly for him and with such affection as hee that amongst your friends most desireth to appeare how readie hee is alwaies to vndergoe your commandements and commend your liberalitie as much as all your other vertues are aboue all your like generally commended And so for this time I humbly take my leaue Excuse for too rare writing vrging withall the prosecution of some businesse and vpon occasion of the death of a friend the election of another in his stead SIr you may perceiue by my former that although I am your debter for many Letters yet am I nothing behinde to you in good will and the more my slacknes is in that the more is my readinesse to serue you in great matters I am to desire you to second the request I haue made vnto M. H. your vnkle and my very good friend concerning the businesse wherof I haue now written to him which is verie easie for him and without meanes impossible for mée to effect The death of M. P. your kinsman very much troubled mee at the first but I consider that with glorie and reputation hee hath satisfied God his Prince and the debt which he ought vnto nature And no doubt but hee is now at peace in heauen whereas we amidst the troubles and corruptions of the world are continually tossed with the tribulations of this miserable life And séeing it hath pleased God to take from mee so good and faithfull a friend I beséech you to accept of the election I make of you in his stead with such a minde and affection to serue and honour you as I haue alwaies carried towards him May you bee
perhaps lesse honest A friendly answer to such a suter A FORME OF Superscription of Letters TO my very honourable good Lord. To the right honourable my especiall good Lord and Master c. To the noble and euery way excellent Lady c. To my honourable friend Sir c. To my euer honoured friend Sir c. To my worthie friend To my truly worthy friend To my well esteemed friend To my very much esteemed friend To my dearely esteemed friend To my worthily esteemed friend To my most respected friend To my much respected friend To my worthily respected friend To my more than ordinarily respected friend To my endeared and worthy friend To my dearest friend To my euer kindest friend To my truly louing friend To my much approoued friend To my well approoued friend To my approoued deare friend To my reuerend friend To my very learned friend To my learned and iudicious friend To the right Worshipfull my very good Master M. c. Esquire To my highly esteemed friend A FORME OF WRITING Letters Excuse for seldome writing with protestation of sincere affection and readie seruice SIR The continuall emploiment of my affaires will not permit me to write oftner vnto you Howbeit you may be assured whensoeuer you haue occasion to vse my seruice they shall not so ouer-ruls me For my affection to you is no lesse then your vertue and the many offices of kindnes which heretofore you haue done me do require Neither is this affection of mine placed in the outward complement of words but in the interiour of my heart where though it seeme to lie hid and concealed yet shall it be sure to shew it selfe at al times when any point appertaining either to your profit or honour shall come in question And this your experience shall vndoubtedly make good vpon euerie occasion wherein I may be so much fauoured of fortune as to be made apt for your vse In the meane time I remaine Wholly at your commandement Recommendation of a woorthy person to the acquaintance and assistance of some speciall friend SIr My purpose is not by any long or artificiall letter to violate the lawes of our ancient and perfect friendship nor offer wrong to your curtesie and singular iudgement in the commendation of this friend M. P. who being a Gentleman of sorte and of such parts that all that know him are induced not only to loue but to honour him it shall suffice mee to say he is my friend and worthy to be yours the rest you will finde in him your selfe beeing well assured that hauing once knowne him his acquaintance will bee very déere vnto you He comes to towne about certaine of his affaires wherein he shall haue néede of your counsell and fauor and I cannot doubt that either you will neglect the goodnes of your owne disposition or his merit not so much for that I entreat it as because your vertue perswades it and his requires it I shall be very glad to vnderstand that hee may finde you a liberall dispenser of these offices and you him a thankfull and woorthy receiuer of them And I thinke not but you will as much acknowledge vnto me the notice I haue giuen you of such a gentleman together with the meanes to do him pleasure as he the entrance I haue made him into the possession of your friendship Loue one another then as I know you will and in your loue reserue mée such place as I hope I deserue and doe very much desire A prettie preuention of excuse for seldome writing concluding with friendly complement COsen it imports not so much as some say that friends which haue alwaies made exchange of euery good office of loue should be tyed to a continuall entercourse of letters For report that takes account of al things carries from one to another newes enough of both And for proofe of it I am perswaded that ere it be long you will vnderstand by it of all that I doe as by the same meane I am oftentimes acquainted with your courses so that it is as good as a writing to vs with letters wherein we may take no lesse pleasure then the eye doth in picture forasmuch as rumor is nothing else but an open letter where euery man may reade what him list Wherefore neuer go about to excuse your selfe vnto mee of that whereof for my part I neuer meane to excuse my selfe vnto you but continue me in your memorie with this opinion that you haue as much power ouer mée and my best meanes as ouer any of your owne neither is it with bare offers or the common sacrifices of a good will that I desire you should be satisfied for I am of the religion that makes a nullitie of faith without workes and therefore bee assured to finde mee much better then my word in all your occasions to the experience whereof I referre you and my selfe to be Alwaies at your seruice To importune the Intercession of one friend toward another for dispatch in a money matter or other case of importance SIr I may iustly vaunt that I carrie a minde more apt to giue then to take But God be thanked and my fortune I haue often times cause to aske but very seldome power to doe a pleasure And I reioice more when I haue meanes to gratifie my friend then I grieue when I am to importune them It may bée now you may thinke this is some preamble of necessitie I am contented you should take it so M. Treasurer though my pension hath béene due a month and more saith he cannot pay me without an expresse commandement from my Lo. and that also he hath no mony Now I that haue more occasions vpon my backe then crownes in my purse doe appeale from this excuse and making you the Iudge of it doe earnestly pray nay coniure you by that courtesie which yet hath neuer failed mée in my néed not to suffer sentence to passe against me but as a fauour altogether deriued from the goodnesse of your disposition let my occasions through your interposure finde such supply as their present extremity require And at any hand I beséech you so deale that the Treasurer may not say he hath no money for that would prooue a feauer to him and a plague to me against the which hoping to receiue a preseruatiue in your returne héereunto I leaue you to the composing of it and my selfe Very desirous in euery thing to serue you A curteous offer and kind acceptance of friendly Offices WIth more Honour and by a more worthy person you might haue presented your letters vnto my Lord but not by any that with more affection and desire would vndertake the office then my selfe And that not onely for your satisfaction the which yet I especially regard but also for mine owne content it being greatly to my reputation that a Gentleman of such worth and estéem as your selfe should make choice of me for so good an employment I very
much thanke M. C. for giuing your memory that addresse and mée the meanes to doe you seruice if that may be caled seruice which redounds to my credit Thursdaie next my Lord will be vpon returne and then with the best commodity I will performe what it hath pleased you to command and of all accordingly aduertise you In euerie other occasion for your seruice I humbly beseech you not to spare mee to the end that by the way of your commandement I may get out of these bonds wherin I stand so obliged vnto you as well for diuers other fauours as especiallie for this you presentlie doe me An earnest expostulation of answer to letters long omitted SIr I wrote twice vnto you by a young man of this place and it is so long agoe that I am almost out of hope of answer neuerthelesse if he be not dead by the way which God forbid or that you bee in health as I much desire and stil retaine the same opinion of mee my friendship deserues let me entreat you to rid me of this feare which is much increased by the comming of this messenger without letters from you For though I were not at home you might not thinke me so far or so concealed but that your letters would haue found mee out I wrote vnto you then at large of the greatnes of my businesse and what resolution I had taken I will not trouble you therefore with any repetition but onely now desire you to consider that new friendship is not to be preferred to the surety of olde which like olde wines are euery way better than new For mine owne part I loue you in the fame degrée with my selfe and in such manner that I desire nothing more then to be acceptable vnto you I hope you are so enclined towards me otherwise I should doubt that not finding me of ability to giue you any promise of profit your frendship is therefore decayed which would proue an incongruity of discretion and offence of iudgement But not fearing that euer you will fall into any such error I commit you to a returne and my selfe to an expectation of your answere A complement of Wants with vehement solicitation of a friend to get in debts by faire means if it may bee or by foule rather then faile GOOD Nephew I know I should very much wrong your loue in recommending my affaires vnto you but necessity which cannot brooke delay compels me vnto it I am altogether without money and many things are wanting in my house now iudge whether I haue not reason to presse you with some importunity for the getting in of such as are there owing mee Those good debtors of mine especially the party you wot of are like dulâ—…ades that will not stir a foot without spurring Wherefore seeing that both my occasions and the slacknes of their nature require it I pray you egge them forward and if the spurre will not serue lay them on and spare not you must remember that the end of this moneth will be the end of your power and my hopes For if you with all the loue you beare me together with the meanes desire you haue to doe me pleasure cannot bring these businesses to any good passe what should I expect from those whom héereafter I must employ that shall haue little ability and happily lesse will The gentleman you mentioned in your last I haue not yet séene neither doe I thinke his sight wil bring me more commoditity then pleasure considering hee is a fellow that promiseth mountaines but neuer performs any thing and introth I know not what to say to him for I finde such a distanes betwéene his words and works that now I begin to hope neuer to hope on him more I wil trouble you no farther but onely to put M. G. in minde of my suite to the end his promises may bring foorth effects like themselues and so very timelie I commit you to God A short quarrell of vnkindnes for not writing concluded in a vow of perpetuall Amitie SIr it a long possession with you were turnd into custom I should accuse you for suffering one of your folkes to come hither with empty hands But the trueth is though I am sorry for that I haue receiued no letters from you yet am I not so sorry for that default as in that it is a certaine signe vnto mee that as yet you haue not thought vpon your returne because wee neuer receiue letter from you but when you are vpon the point of your comming hither Howsoeuer be assured that neither your letters nor the want of them shall giue any encrease or diminution to that tespect and loue I beare you hauing alwaies made this a firme determination with my selfe to be still the same I euer haue béene and am vnto you I meane your Humble seruant and friend A thankfull acknowledgement of kindnesses receiued and well entertaining of a seruant recommended GOOD Cosen not being able in better manner to answer the greatnes of the obligation wherin I stand engaged vnto you for the good remembrance it pleaseth you alwaies to haue of me I must entreat you to rest contented with an infinitie of thankes I presently send you vntill such time as occasion shall surnish mée with meanes to make you a more worthy satisfaction I am very sorry my fortunes are worse then competent and that for diuerse reasons among the which I account it not the least that I cannot make prouision correspondent to the merit of the young man you recommended vnto me I know not what his entertainement hath béene otherwhere neuerthelesse if he be as you say I will straine my selfe in cutting off some lesse considerable charge to giue him his demand But before we procéede any farther I would willingly haue him send mee an essay of his hand to the end that he being sure of his wages and I of the qualitie of his seruice both of vs may remaine satisfied for touching the rest I wholy referre me to your iudgment so with all affection I commend mée vnto you A gratefull acknowledgement of kind Offices towards ones Sonne with request to continue the same SIr I am to giue you many thanks for the fauours it hath pleased you to shew my sonne This is not the first kindenesse I haue recetued from you and yours neither was my gallant worthy of it considering his fault But you haue béene vnto him as a Psacos in the middest of a darkenesse to saue him from the Shipwracke which without you he had assuredly suffered I know not what will be the issue of it pray God your prognostication may proue true I haue entreated M. P. to ioine with you and supply my want of presence in exhortations I haue also desired M. F. to take him into his house and I hope he will not denie mée The form of his voyage hath much displesed me it may be God will turn it all to the best But to tell you what I
pleased then to receiue me into this degrée and though my qualities deserue it not at leastwise it appertaines to the innated courtesie of your disposition I assure my selfe that the Letters héere inclosed shall finde such addresse as their directions require and that you will be pleased if the gentlemen be in towne to returne their answers I will say no more but only intreat you to loue me and to write often vnto me to the end that the gaine I make of you may giue mee lesse sense of the losse I haue made of so deare a friend and so very kindly I bid you farewell Thankful acceptance of a friendlie counsell aduising to follow or serue some greate man whence ariseth an obseruation of the cold recompence of seruices in these daies in comparison of times past To my truly louing friend SIr you were not out of reason when like a friend for to comfort me in my troubles or rather indéed to possesse mee with that care which euery man ought to haue of the time to come You told me I should doe well to put my selfe into the seruice of some great personage where you were perswaded I should be well entertained and that the sooner it were the better it would be nothing being more precious than time Your counsell séemes to mee without all question no lesse vertuous and wise than worthy of our friendship and I am fully resolued to follow it But the feare of not attaining that propounded end is as it were a very crosse to my resolution For the malice of the time is such that one is more deceiued in the recompence of seruices than in any other practises whatsoeuer Great men thinke that others inferiour to them in fortunes were expresly made for their onely and particular respect neuer considering that if they would put that fantasticall opinion out of their heads they should with much more contentment be better serued M. Crassus hauing many seruants was alwaies very carefull of them and with all gentlenesse vsed them no worse than his owne children One of the chiefest satisfactions that followed Iulius Caesar in his end was that hee had well acknowledged the merit of his seruants But the humor of these ancient vertues is now to séeke and to serue with losse and preiudice is become euen a matter of necessitie Let not the spurre of your affection then post mee on so fast to a seruice that I repent me but too late of my more haste than good spéede Neuerthelesse because it is against my nature to bee idle I will doe as God shall put in my minde hoping to meet with the fortune of some good Crassus and to that effect let mée bée remembred in your praiers as your prosperity shal dailie finde a place for it in mine Vpon submission of a runnagate and vnruly sonne the kinde father vnder hand commends him to the seruice of a worthy friend vnder whose shelter necessitie had alreadie driuen him To my very honourable friend Sir R. c. SIr hauing alwaies honoured and respected you among other my worthy friends not onely for your vertues but for a certaine kinde of I know not what obligation of nature which inuites me thereunto I perswade my selfe that you also haue some instinct and naturall inclination of good will towards me Whereupon I am drawen with the more boldnesse to offer you a request I very much desire to obtaine I am a father when I say father you may withall imagine the tyrannie which nature exerciseth ouer mee in fauour of my children It hath pleased God to giue me fiue sonnes of the which I had destined the third to the seruice of the Court but as it commonly failes out that fathers purpose courses for their children and they dispose of them contrary to their mindes so it happened that he whom I spake of stole out of England without my knowledge about thrée moneths agoe and crossing into France came at length to Paris where his meanes failing him he hath bethought himselfe and begins to represent the parable of the prodigall childe vnto his father which I am very well contented to accomplish Hee hath craued pardon of me by Letters and by the same meane interposed the authority of a kinsman of mine one M. M. a gentleman of quality who hath béen these two yéeres abroad in trauell I vnderstand hee hath done his dutie vnto you and that you haue kindly entertained him vpon knowledge that hee was my sonne Now since his fortune hath carried him thither I shall humbly entreat so much fauor of you as to take him into your seruice with no other priuiledge then as one of the meanest in your house So doing you shall get two seruants at once the one there with you in Paris and the other to receiue your commandements in England If you can be pleased to satisfie me herein I wish hee should thinke it were done not at any instance of mine but only out of your gentlenes séeing him reduced to that extremity which in my iudgement he is in whatsoeuer shew hee makes I hope if you vouchsafe to doe him this honor being in such a schoole his debausche will turn to his good But howsoeuer my entreaties run they shal be alwaies limited with that saying of Cicero Quod commodo tuo facere possis I make no question but there are others that presse you with such suites but none that haue so much desire to doe you all seruice as my selfe Excuse for not comming to congratulate a friends returne with protestation and comparison of affection with the forwardest To my worthy respected friend M. c. SIr it would haue béene a point of my duty to haue come in person for to haue welcommed you home But séeing my affaires will not permit it I haue sent the present to supply that office and to let you vnderstand that albeit there bée many which for their vertuous qualities do better deserue your loue yet in regard of my affection and the continuall desire I haue to serue and honour you there is none more worthy of it than my selfe And though you are to hope for more riches of spirit and fortune from them than from the pouerty of my vnderstanding estate yet are you not to prefer their friendship vnto mine For if they outreach mée in merit I will go beyond them in good will and if the abilities of their mind bée more the sincerity of their heart shall bée lesse But héerein you are to imitate the liberall who with a frank and gentle will imparts of his fauours to euery necessity not as a vsurer to make profit of them but onely out of a kind and generous disposition So it is then you should bee affected towards mée without any expectation of other aduantage by it than my seruice and you are to doe it the rather in that you feel your selfe so noble rich and vertuous that whatsoeuer you can desire or wish for in another is aboundantly in