protest Page 113 No no thou all of red and white Page 150 O. OH Celia come tell me how long it will be Page 12 Oh Delia for I know 't is thee Page 23 Oh that Joy so soon should wast Page 33 Oh name not the day lest my 〈◊〉 reprove Page 59 Oh sorrow sorrow say 〈◊〉 dost thou dwel Page 71 Oh Celia come tell me 〈◊〉 Page 100 P POor Citizen if thou wilt be Page 52 Poor Corydon thy flames remove Page 112 Peace Cupid take thy bow in hand Page 134 Poor Celia once-was very fair Page 140 Peace and silence be the guidâ— Page 142 Philander and Sylvia a gentle young pair Page 143 Phillis I pray Page 149 S. STay shut not the Gate Page 32 Since we poor slavish Women know Page 40 Sure it is so then let it go Page 74 Still to be neat still to be drest Page 79 Since Celia 's my Foe Page 90 Strephon what enviom Cloud bath made Page 117 T. THe delights of the Bottle and charms of good Wine Page 5 Tell me no more you live Page 3 'T is not enough great Gods 't is not enough Page 5 The Pot and the Pipe Page 28 'T is late and cold stir up the fire Page 42 Thou joy of all hearts and delight of all Eyes Page 52 To play upon a Viol if Page 60 They call they call what noise is that Page 62 Tyrant thou seek'st in vain Page 63 Thou art so fair and cruel toâ— Page 67 Turn off the Glass 't is a crime to see 't full Page 73 'T was in the pleasant Month of May Page 75 The Glories of our Birth and State Page 77 Thou fair Vsurper of my Fate Page 88 The World is grown mad and turn'd upside down Page 109 Take oh take those Lips away Page 145 V. Venus chanc't to love a Boy Page 42 W. VVHy should so much beauty fear Page 1 What sighs and groans now fill my breast Page 6 Why should Friends and Kindred gravely make thee Page 7 Were Celia but as chast as fair Page 14 What a madness it is to give over our drinkâ—â—ing Page 15 When a Woman that 's buxâ—m to a Dâ—tard doth Wed Page 16 When first I saw fair Celia 's face Page 21 What mean the dull Poets themselves to abuse Page 22 When I see the young Men play Page 24 Where the Bee sucks there suck I Page 27 Woman who is by Nature wild Page 30 What an Ass is he Page 48 When first my free heart Page 53 What does the fair Clariza mean Page 55 When 〈◊〉 my dear Delia my heart did surprize Page 61 What shall we do Page 66 Why lovely Celia should I fear Page 70 Whilst Alexis lay prest Page 72 What makes you all so dull Page 76 When Aurelia first I courted Page 78 Why should we not laugh and be jolly Page 80 Why Phillis to me so untrue and unkind Page 89 When youth do agree to be merry and free Page 108 Where ever I am and what ever I do Page 122 When I shall leave this clod of clay Page 128 With an old Song made by an ancient old pate Page 145 Y. YOu Lovers Love on Page 29 You merry Poets old Boys Page 39 Ye she-friends and he-frriends Page 85 AN INDEX DIRECTING How to find out any of the aforegoing Letters in their proper Pages A Father to his Son at School in the Countrey Page 49 The Sons Answer Page 50 A Citizen returning his Friend kind thanks for his entertainment when he was in the Countrey Page 51 The countrey Gentleman's Answer to the Citizen Page 52 A merry Letter to invite a Friend to the Tavern Page 52 His Friend's Answer Page 53 A Letter from a Gentleman to a young Lady whom he courted to marry Page 54 The young Ladies answer Page 55 A Countrey Farmers Son to one of his Neighbours Daughters Page 56 Her kind Answer Page 57 A Letter to court a young Widdow who had lately buried her Husband Page 57 The Widdows Answer Page 59 A Merchant to his Factor in the East-Indies Page 60 The Factor's Answer Page 61 A Letter to disswade a Friend from marrying Page 61 The Young Man's merry Answer Page 64 A Letter of Anger sent to his Friend for an affrent given at their last meeting Page 66 His Friend 's short Answer Page 67 A Letter to chastise a near Kinsman who was given to Extravagancy Page 67 His Kinsman's Answer Page 69 A Letter from a Countrey Shop-keeper to a Grocer in London for commodities Page 70 The London Grocer's Auswer to his Countrey Chapman Page 71 A Letter from a Citizen to his Friend in the Countrey to send him up a Prentice Page 72 The Countrey Gentleman's kind Answer Page 73 A Letter of advice for health Page 73 The Gentleman's Answer Page 74 A Letter to his Friend in praise of his Mitress Page 75 His Friend 's merry Answer in praising his foul Mistress by the Contraries Page 77 A Letter sent to his Friend a Sommerset shire Man full of Complements Page 80 The Sommerset-shire Man's clowish Answer in their own Countrey Language Page 81 A loving Letter sent to a Gentle-woman Page 82 The Gentle-woman's kind Answer Page 83 A Letter from a Gentle-woman to her Husband who had buried her Child in the Country Page 85 The Husband's Answer Page 86 A Letter to congratulate a Friend's happy return from his long Journey Page 86 The Captain's thank ful Answer to his Friend's Letter expressed with many Complements Page 88 A hasty Letter to his Cousin Page 89 His Consin's hasty Answer Page 90 A Letter sent to his Friend condoling his long sickness Page 90 The sick Man's thank ful Answer Page 91 A Letter to perswade a Friend to betake himself to business Page 92 His Friend 's short Answer Page 94 A Letter from an Elder Brother to the Younger reproving him of extravagancy Page 95 The Younger Brother's Answer Page 96 A Letter sent from a London Quaker to one of his Country Brethren Page 98 The Country Quaker's Answer Page 99 A Letter of Excuse Page 99 The Gentleman's Answer Page 100 A Letter sent to a Gentleman in way of petition Page 101 The Gentleman's Answer Page 102 A Letter from a Gentleman to a Countrey School-master concerning putting his Son to School with him Page 103 The Schoolmaster 's Answer Page 104 A kind Letter to a Gentle-woman with a Ring sent as a token Page 105 The Gentle womans Answer Page 106 A Letter sent to a Gentleman as a challenge Page 106 The Answer Page 107 A Letter desiring his Friend to acquaint him with what news is stirring Page 108 His Friends Answer Page 109 A dunning Letter sent from a Creditor to his Debtor for Money Page 110 The Debtor's Answer Page 111 A Letter to perswade a Friend to marry Page 112 His Friend's Answer Page 114 A Letter complaining of such long silence in his Friend in writing no oftner to him Page 115 His Friend's Answer Page 116 A cunning Letter sent to a crafty Friend to borrow Money Page 116 The Answer Page 117 A Letter to his angry Sweet-heart Page 118 Her short but loving Answer Page 118 A Letter upon the delay of a courtesie desired Page 119 The Answer Page 119 A Letter of Counsel and good advice from a Father to his Son Page 120 The Son 's dutiful Answer Page 121 A merry Letter after the old fashion sent to a Maid Page 121 Her Answer Page 123 A Letter from a Father to a Son at the Vniverfity Page 123 The Son's Answer Page 125 A Danghters Letter to her Mother Page 126 The Mothers kind Answer Page 127 A Letter of comfort sent to a Friend in adverfity Page 127 His Friend 's thank ful Answer Page 128 A Letter sent to a Friend perswading him that he was a Cuckold Page 129 His Friend's Answer Page 130 A Fantastical Comical Letter sout to a Friend to try both his wit and patience Page 131 The Answer Page 132 A Conceited Letter from a Countrey Schoolmaster who thought himself to be a great Scholar Page 132 The Gentleman's Answer Page 133 A contional Letter from a Husband to his Young Wife in the Country Page 134 His Wifes Answer Page 135 A Letter to invite a Friend to a Wedding Page 136 His Friend's Answer Page 137 A Letter of farewel sent to a Friend from one that was going a long Journey Page 138 The Answer Page 139 How to begin Letters with Complements Page 140 Supplements with choice Phrases and Sentences to be used in the middle of Letters upon all occasions Page 151 Conclusions and Endings of Letters of all sorts and upon all occasions Page 157 Superscriptions for Letters suitable for all Degrees and Qualities of Men and Women Page 16â— Posies for Rings or Motto's fit for presents Page 166 FINIS
Apprentice to our Trade I do not question that if you will be pleased to make a small enquiry amongst some of your Neighbours but that you may hear of an honest Boy that will be for my turn the usual rate which we commonly have is forty pounds and seven years service ours being a good Trade and not very laborious besides for our credits sake we must keep our Servants in no ordinary Apparel as some other small Trades do I leave it to your discretion to give such a Character of me as you shall think I deserve and none I think can give a better account of my Life and Conversation then your self you having known me from my childhood When you write to me direct your Letter to be left for me at the Windmill in St. John's street thus with my Love to your Wife and self I am Your ever-loving Friend T. R. The Countrey-man's kind Answer Loving Friend I Am glad to hear that you are settled in the world and according to your desire I have made a diligent enquiry for a boy to serve you as an Apprentice and now at last I have heard of one that I hope may be for your turn he comes of very honest Parentage and seems to be a sober Lad his Father hath brought him up to Learning all his time insomuch that he is reckoned a very good Scholar of his Age he is sixteen years old and pretty well grown but all that they scruple at is about the Money they like the Trade well enough but are not very willing to give forty pounds with him however they are resolved upon that good Character that I have given you that the Boy shall come up next Week and be a while with you upon Tryal and afterwards if the Boy like you and the Trade and you approve of him I do not much question but they will agree with you upon those terms which you have proposed no more at present but wishing you prosperity I am Yours in all friendly kindnesses S. D. A Letter of advice for health Kind and loving Friend I Am very well satisfied that you are seldom well in health whilst you live in London and if I may be a competent Judge I suppose I know the grounds and reasons of your sickness which are twofold in the first place I imagine that the City Air is not agreeable to your constitution and not only with you but it is disagreeable to thousands more and especially to those that are not naturaliz'd in it and bred up there it choaks them up Another reason is that because you have but little or no employment you are forced to be continually in company which draws you to drinking either at the Tavern or the Ale-house by reason whereof you loose your Stomach that you seldom have an Appetite to cat which much disorders your body therefore let me advise you for your healths sake to betake your self to a Countrey Life you know you may be welcome to me at all times who am A well-wisher to you upon all accounts S. F. The Gentleman's Answer Most dear and loving Friend I Must censess that you have always been so generous and obliging to me that now it remains on my behalf to study some way to gratifie all those unmerited favours which I have received from you and your good Wife and truly I am apt to think that you like a skilful Doctor have found out the principal causes of all my grievances and have prescribed a most safe and courteous remedy for my cure and should I refuse to make use of your kind and free prosser I should be found injurious to my self and basely ungrateful to so good a Friend therefore so soon as I have dispatcht some small concerns here in Town and taken leave of my Friends you may expect me in the Countrey let me beg the favour of you to send me up a Horse for I cannot endure to ride in the Coach thus with my hamble service to your self and second self I am Your most obliged Servant F. S. A Letter to his Friend in praise of his Mistress Honest School-fellow LOng time have I rambled about this vain World and have visited most of those Nations and Islands to which our Merchants traffick and the chiefest of my business hath been to find out a Woman that I could like well enough to make her my Wife to tell you a long Narration of my Travels and of the dangerous Voyages I have undergone where I have seen grim death come tumbling to me in a monstrous Wave ready to devour me in a moment or if I should tell you of a thousand more difficulties which I have escaped 't would fill a Ream of Paper instead of one sheet therefore omitting all those dolesome Histories for brevities sake though had I a convenient time they would be worth repeating I shall only proceed to tell you that at length I have obtained a Mistress one that I intend to marry and make my Wife and now I will begin to make a description of her beauties She is a Woman and a fair one too and so fair she is that all that ever saw her admire her beauty her Features in her Face are so excellent that should the best of Painters strive to draw them out to the life he would wrong her beauty much for all his Art could never form so rare a Creature her Cheeks with red and white so neatly deckt that you would think the Lilly and the Rose did strive in them which should have the Victory till at length they both being conquerours conjoyn together and center there to make one perfect beauty Her eyes like two refulgent Diamonds are placed above to cast a splendant lustre on her sweet comely face Her Coral Lips that close her pretty Mouth are of an equal size neither too thick nor yet too thin Her Teeth more White then is the Ivory like to two Rows of inestimable Pearl stand in a decent order in her Mouth none striving for preheminence above their fellows Her Hair which on this Globe of Wisdom grows more White then is the best of Flax by far and softer then the unwrought Silk that comes from the Bowels of the labouring Silk-worm like to the smallest threds of Silver hangs two handfulls down below her slender Wast Her Neck an Ivory Pillar is on which this Globe doth stand but whiter is by far her Arms two branches are which do proceed forth from the bottom of her Neck for to defend and keep secure that curious piece her Face Her Breasts like to two little Hills are placed on either side of a most fruitful Valley Her Belly round and smooth but not too big and underneath oh there dear Jack oh there the place of pleasure grows but hold rude Pen forbear to nominate or once to mention any more of that for fear great Jove should be my Rival too and on his Ganymede come hovering down and take away my Jewel
a Man was mad surely he would not make all the hast he could to his own destruction you are wise enough to know that those extravagancies will certainly ruine you if you proceed and do not give a timely check to your immoderate and immodest desires for shame leave off your drunkenness before it be too late whilst yet you have something left to maintain you like a Man for when all is gone you then perhaps may with sorrow sigh and wish you had been wiser and not mispent your time and Money but you will find no redress nor pity from any body as for my own part if you will not take up and become a sober Man I will not own you for my Brother neither will I countenance nor assist you in the least in any thing that you shall take in hand but if you mend your Life you shall assuredly find me to be Your Friend and Brother J. K. The younger Brother's Answer Good Brother I Am so far from thanking you for your advice that I must needs tell you that I am wonderful sorry for your ignorance I bless God for those natural parts he hath given me and next I thank my good old Father which I bope is now in Heaven for bringing me up to Learning that now I can see above the reach of such illiterate Asses as your self alas for you that which you call drunkenness and extravaganty I can make appear is the better part of Man his very Life and Soul it is to converse with such Men that are aiery and brisk those Men are full of Wit Reason and right understanding We over two or three Bottles of brisk Wine can compass round the spacious Earth or when we please can give a reason how to fathom the deep gulph of the Red Sea or soar aloft with reason and sound judgement and take a view of those Heavenly Constellations taking the circumference of the broad fac'd Sun and track his pale fac'd Sister in her nightly paths and give the substantial grounds of her monthly mutability taking the exact magnitude of every Star and tell you which are fixed Planets and which are moveable calling them all familiarly by their Names This we such drinkers can perform and more which should I name you would think me mad indeed and but only that you are my elder Brother I should scarce forbear to call you Fop or Fool who envy at those who practise that which your shallow brains are never able to attain to but just like a Carriers horse you have but one pace a softly jogging on in the self same Road which you have trod in ever since your Infancy Neither will you be put out of your Road nor pace but will continue at the old rate in spight of reason and discretion who are your utter enemies insomuch that you cannot abide them but hate them with a perfect hatred nor will you suffer them to come within your doors Oh blind stupidity 't is well my Father left thee a good Estate else hadst thou been left to live by thy Wits I am sure thou must have starved the first week after his decease but he was a wise Man that did foresee those infirmities that hou wa st born to and so prevented poverty from coming to thy doors yet thou with fear of want canst scarcely rest and without cruse dost thou pinch thy self and thy Family not having Wit enough to know one half of that Estate which thou hast left thee nor how to make the best use of it that so thou wilt miserably live to thy Lives end though indeed thou canst not want prithee Brother let me advise thee to leave thy babling in pretending to give me counsel and I think the better way will be to come and live with me or let me come and live with you and leave but the management of thy Estate to my disposing I 'le warrant thee we will live like Princes and never want any thing else that Money can obtain and this I am sure will be the best for thee to live at content for now I know you live in fear thus wishing that you would take my counsel is all at present from Your Jovial Brother R. K. A Letter sent from a London Quaker to one of his Countrey Brethren Friend George IN the breathings forth of the Spirit I write unto thee to let thee know that blessed be the God of all power I and my Family with the rest of our dear Brothers and Sisters of thy acquaintance are in sound and perfect health and do enjoy our meetings with peace and quietness free from the disturbance of the enemy our Assemblies do encrease exceedingly Our Friend John has been much with us of late being wonderfully carried forth in the Ministry to the Conversion of many Infidels thou knowest that he is a precious heart and in the Spirit of meekness doth overcome their perverse Natures Salute me to our dear Friend thy Wife poor innocent Soul my Bowels do yearn towards her and verily I have a great affection for her she is a pretty Lamb and I long to visit her for truly that last kindness which she shewed unto me when she was last in Town cannot nay must not be forgot prithee dear Friend send her to Town again and I shall be very free to entertain her who am Thine in the Lord A. S. The Country Quaker's Answer Dear Abraham I Am rejoyced at these tydings which thou hast sent me in thy sweet Epistle for it is a great refreshing to my inward parts to hear of the welfare of our Friends and Brethren with our Holy Sisters but more especially I do rejoyce that truth encreaseth so much amongst you I know our Friend John is very powerful in the Ministry and verily we want him much amongst us having not seen him this six months insomuch that the Sisterhood about us do bewail his absence thus long for they thou knowest are often troubled with failings and want to be strengthened daily with powerful Men however I know he cannot come until the Lord doth send him and then he will not tarry I question not honest George thy kindness to my Wife for she indeed hath signified so much to me and does speak of coming up to London within six days Salute me to thy Wife and Family and to the rest of our Friends and that is all at present from Thy Brother in the Lord G. D. A Letter of excuse Sir I Must beg your pardon that I could not be so good as my word in waiting on you yesterday for an extraordinary business of great importance sell out just as I was coming to you and prevented me of the great happiness of seeing you and enjoying your good company however I know your good Nature will forgive what I could not perform and on that I rely giving my self an assurance of a smile and not a frown when I see you next which shall be the very first opportunity I
whilst I live I am Yours to the utmost of my power G. R. His Friend 's kind Answer Kind Sir YOurs I received and am very sorry to hear that you have suffered any loss or damage in the way of your Trade I wish you may recover with interest what you have lost and am so far from being angry with you for sending for your own that I am rather angry with you for questioning that which you might assuredly know which was the payment of that Money which you so kindly lent me However to shew my thankfulness to you for those favours and my willingness to gratifie so good a Friend I have sent you by your Cousin all that Money which I owe you both interest and principal before the time not knowing but that you may have a more sudden occasion for it then you were willing to discover to me your Friend pray cancel the Bond and send it back by your Cousin and also send me word whether or no you shall have occasion for any more present Money which if you have I will be sure to furnish you with it being ever as ready and willing to serve you As you have been to oblige me R. W. A Letter to perswade a Friend to marry Loving Friend IN considering your welfare and taking a short view into your present concerns I cannot but think that it is altogether inconvenient for you to lead a single Life any longer for since you have betaken your self to House-keeping and the ordering of a Family I am sure that it would be very necessary for you to marry a Wife whose care if she perform her duty will be always within doors and see that those Servants you keep do not waste nor make lavish of any provision or otherways what Goods you shall commit to their charge in your absence when you are abroad about your earnest concerns expecting all to be well and carefully minded at home but alas you may be mistaken in a House-keeper or a Servant-Maid for they oftentimes do combine and have self-concern with the Apprentice to the great detriment and almost ruine of several young Men like your self who have put confidence in them this as the first and no small Argument I bring to disswade you from living single and to perswade you to betake your self to a Wise The next reason is this which you must pardon because it is not spoken particularly concerning you neither does it exclude you but it may be very properly attributed to any single Man which is a House-keeper Suppose then this that a young Man as you are does at sometime or other meet with some of his good friends or former companions abroad as he is walking about his lawful occasion and being glad to see each other you cannot well part without drinking a glass or two of Wine together thereby to signifie your mutual loves and friendship which you mutually do owe and having sate a while in the Tavern one Bottle many times begets two or three or may be more and still loth to part till it oftentimes is seen that the Wine doth predominate over your reasons at that time and you stay late being elevated with those charming liquors you at length return home and having no body to entertain you there but your Servant-Maid it may be in that humour though not in the least inclined to it another time you begin to be familiar with your Maid and so familiar as is unseemly for me to name though you may guess my meaning this Maid perchance though honest heretofore yet considering that you are her Master and she but of a low degree or quality contrary to her natural custom may submit her self and willingly condescend to what you shall earnestly desire to enjoy which being granted you on the morrow when 't is too late repent you of the Fact and may perchance be brought to open shame quickly after for such your deed as you have committed or else forc'd to marry her whom you have already strumpeted this cautionally I advise you of not that I know you in the least guilty but I am sure a good Wife of which sort there are many would prevent all these miscarriages of youth and be a great comfort to you both night and day therefore pray take my counsel and think ne're the worse of him who cordially is Your real Friend W. P. His Friend's Answer Loving Friend I Am apt to think you speak experimentally as concerning youthful vanities and frailties However I must confess your advice is good and I should be ungrateful if I should not return you hearty thanks for so good admonition but yet I must also let you know that I am not guilty of those transgressions which you forewarn me of for I seldom am long out of my Shop but if I should the Apprentice could not wrong me much for I take a narrow inspection into all my concerns that I should soon miss any particular parcel that should by any means be miscarried and as for being overcome with Wine I think I never was beyond the bounds of reason but were I never so much addicted to drinking I should never be over-kind to my Maid for to prevent that danger I keep one that is well stricken in years and so deformed that she is a perfect Antidote against Letchery However I shall not tye my self from Marriage could I meet with a young Woman that was suitable and agreeable to my condition and temper descended of honest parentage and reputed to be a vertuous civil and honest Virgin and one that after Marriage would not defile my Bed neither had she in her single condition stained her Virginity by yielding her body to be spotted with any lascivious companions but had behaved her self in all her youthful days unspotted according to the strictest rules of modesty with such a one if I could meet I say it should be the first thing I undertook to marry with her but truly there are so many that I find miscarry when they marry that I am something fearful how I tye my self for term of life to that thing which for ought I know may be my perpetual ruine but as you used to tell me that I must venture for nothing venture nothing enjoy I am therefore resolved e're long to take your counsel and good example who am Yours as my own R. L. A Letter complaining of such long silence in his Friend's writing no oftner to him Loving Friend WHen I consider the ability and strength of your fancy together with the dexterity of your Pen in writing as also the benefit and advantage I reap and receive in reading your learned and well composed Epistles I can do no less but blame you for not writing oftner to your Friend I am sure and very confident that it cannot be in the least burthensome to you to take Pen in hand and write to me some few Lines that I may hear of your welfare which would be very
others Blisses Laughing weeping still together Bliss in one is mirth in either Never breaking ever bending This is Love and worth commending In Praise and Dispraise of LOVE NOw what is Love I will thee tell It is the Fountain and the Well Where Pleasure and Repentance dwell And it is like a Passing-Bell That toles all into Heaven or Hell Now what is Love I will thee show A thing that creeps where it cannot go A Prize that passeth to and fro A thing for me a thing for mo And he that tries shall find it so EXAMPLES OF LETTERS AND COMPLEMENTS OF All sorts both Jocose and Serious fitted for business as well as Recreation and Delight A Father's Letter to his Son at School in the Countrey Dear Child AS it is my Fatherly care to provide for your future good in bringing you up to learning as well as my present endeavours to see that you want nothing in the time of your Minority so I expect that you by being dutiful and diligent should make me amends for all my costs and charges Be sure you mind your Book and consider that you alone will receive the benefit let not too much play steal away your mind from Learning for you can never receive any good thereby but harm does often happen by over-heating your self which will dull your memory and make you incapable of attaining what your Master shall set before you so that you will cheat both your self and me your self of time and knowledge and me of my Money and expectation When you have a little leisure from your Latin I would have you practise Writing which will be a recreation to you for to be always upon one exercise doth dull the senses of any one whether Young or Old and it would be a comfort to me to have a Letter from you now and then to hear of your welfare be careful how you spend your time and you shall want for nothing that I can help you to that may encourage you to be a good boy and the way to be so is to live in the fear of God and to keep his Commandments then will his Blessings for ever attend you and you will be a joy and comfort to me and your tender Mother in our old Age Both our Loves remembred to you and your Mistress I am Your loving Father A. B. The Son's Answer Honoured Father AFter my humble Duty presented to you and my Mother these may let you understand that through the blessing of God I am in good health and will to my lives and be dutiful and obedient to you and my good Mother taking your advice and counsel in every thing knowing that you wish me well both for my present and future happiness my Master is very kind to me and careful of my welfare in every respect pray be pleas'd to accept of my ill writing at present and I doubt not but in a short time I shall mend my hand and write better though as yet I have had but little time allowed me to learn to write My kind Love and service to all my Relations and Friends is all at present that I have to trouble you with who am Your dutiful and most obedient Son till death C. B. A Citizen returning his Friend kind thanks for his entertainment when he was in the Countrey Kind Sir THe great and manifold kindnesses which I have often received from you and your Wife do ever call upon me and put me in mind of making an acknowledgement as some part of satisfaction but most of all those infinite savours which you were pleased to confer upon me when I was last in the Countrey must not nor can never be forgot whilst I live I know not how to make you amends to my own content in no way but desiring your good company in London at my House where you may be sure of a welcome from him who is Sir Your loving Friend and humble Servant E. G. The Country Gentleman's Answer to the Citizen Sir IT is not my business to complement my Friends with fair words and eloquent Speeches but to tell them in down-right and in plain Language they are welcome and not only to tell them so in words but to let them find they 're welcome by their entertainment which if you found worth your acceptance I wish you had stayed longer for I 'le assure you Sir your company was most delightful and most pleasant to me all the while you were in the Countrey Insomuch that I cannot be contented to be long without it therefore since you would not tarry with us I do intend to come very speedily to London and give you a visit where I do purpose to remain till you are weary of my company and I weary of the City but how long that may be I cannot tell in the mean time Sir I present my Service to your self and good Brother Thomas wishing you all health and happiness I remain Your truly loving Friend J. S. A merry Letter to invite a Friend to the Tavern Honest Tâ—m FAith I have designed this Afternoon to be merry in and want nothing that can be helping to my delight but your good company my defire is that you would meet me at the George Tavern in White-Fryers about two of the Clock and I will get together two or three more of our old Companions and there we will soak our Souls with good Sack and Claret till our Brains are inspired with that Heavenly Liquor then will we sing each of us a merry Catch and drink our Mistresses Health crying God bless the King again and again then toss off a brimmer of Bacchus his blood which will make us like Mars be couragious and valiant and cause the fair Venus to fall on her back though the black limping Cuckold old Vulcan stand by Never think of the reckoning for I 'le pay the shot and if I have not Money the Vintner shall trust thus expecting your coming I impatiently remain Your true Friend and toâ—ing Comparion D. J. The Answer Honest Soul YOu are always so obliging and your company is so delightful that you may assure your self I will not fail to meet so true a Friend you know my â—â—â—â—sition is ever inclin'd to Mirth and good 〈◊〉 Sack and brisk Claret will command me at 〈◊〉 to fight under their Banners so long as I can stand but if by their charms it happens that I am overcome one jolly sweet Song sung in a high strain will awaken each sence and recover me to Life again then cursing the Drawer for being so slow instead of calling for one Bottle we will make him bring up a dozen together till at length we are fitted for Venus indeed then high for a Mistrest a Girl of the Game that by her rare Art will easily quench those flames in one half hour which we have been kindling with the Spirits of Bacchus the space of a whole day all which being done we will seek our
only Jocose but be it true or false or what it will I am not much concern'd about it if this answer will not give you satisfaction you must expect no other from me however I shall not fear to come into your company at that place where I us'd to find you Yours as you please to think R. S. A Letter to chastise a near Kinsman who is given to Extravagancies Cousin John THe daily noise which rings about the Country of your extravagancies and great debaucheries causes me at present to write to you not in anger but by way of advice desiring that you would see your own folly and learn to be wiser before it be too late I had thought truly that the University had qualified you better then I perceive it has for instead of growing better as you grow older you now grow worse since you went to London I must confess I have nothing to do with your concerns only as a Relation and instead of a Father which indeed you want to give you good counsel and to desire you in time to forsake bad company for they in the end will ruine both Soul and Body and truly your Estate will soon decay if you hold on spending as you begin though at present it is large enough I wish that Women and Wine be not your Master which if you avoid I shall not doubt in the least but you will do well enough How many fine young Gentlemen have I seen that by over-drinking themseives have been brought to ruine and untimely deaths For when their brains are intoxicated and the blood inflam'd with high drinking then are they fit for all manner of vice some in that mad humour run to common Strumpets where they get the foul Discase sometimes uncurable to their everlasting shame and disgrace others in that heat of blood engage themselves by oath to kill the next Man they meet he not giving them the least affront which brings them deservedly to the publick place of execution to suffer death the due reward of such crying fins Therefore dear Cozen let the thought of these things reflect upon your Soul that you may appear odious and terrible in your eyes and apprehension and that God may turn your heart and let you see the evil of your ways is the prayers of Your ever-loving Kinsman R. W. The young Man's Answer Good Cousin I Received your Letter wherein I hear you find scandalous reports of me in the Countrey I admire who should be the Messenger that brings this ill news to you I find my reputation is very much abused and if you will be so kind to me as to let me know the Authour of it I shall make bold to require such satisfaction of him as shall become a Gentleman to demand I am apt to think that you ground those ill characters you give me upon suspicion for certainly no Man nor Woman can be so audacious as to blaze abroad such infamous and undeserved calumnies without the least ground for their so doing however I am not the first that has been abused in this Nature I thank God I know my self clear of those great enormities which are alledged against me and laid to my charge which is a real satisfaction to my self though not to you and the rest of my friends and if I may be believed before those insinnating Sycophants who value not to stain a Mans Reputation for a meals Meat I think I am as little given or addicted to keep ill company as any Gentleman in Town I cannot deny but that I do drink Wine and will do if I can git Money to buy it and I hope I shall not want so much as will purchase a bottle or two of Wine all my Life-time but if perchance I do I must then leave it off and not before yet thus much I can safely say that I never drunk so much that I was thereby deprived of my senses though I know there is too many which are guilty of that crime But as for a common Whore or Strumpet as you call them I defie and hate like the Devil neither am I a great admiver of any Woman-kind though never so honest therefore free from those debaucheries you lay to my charge However I give you many thanks for your good admonition and desire that you will be satisfied that I am not the Man that report says I am But your loving Kinsman J. S. A Letter from a Countrey Shopkeeper to a Grocer in London for Commodities Sir I Received the last goods you sent me but they were not so good as I expected whether I must impute it to be your fault in not sending the best or whether those sort of commodities are not generally so good as they used to be some other years I cannot easily resolve my self however I am not willing to harbour an ill opinion of you presently but am resolved to try you farther therefore I would desire you to send me down by the next return of our Carrier four hundred weight of the best new Raisins of the Sun two frails of Malago Raisins and the same quantity of each sort of Spice as you sent me last pray let them be all very good else you will quite disoblige me for dealing with you any more I have not sent you any Money but do intend God willing to be in Town my self about a Month hence and then I will bring Money and clear all concerns between us no more at present but that I am Your loving Friend and honest Chapman D. F. A Letter from the London Grocer to his Countrey Chapman Loving Friend I Received your Letter and according to your desire I have sent you down those Commodities you writ to me for they are all of the very best and I doubt not but will give you very good content as for those which I sent you formerly which you find fault with I was not to be blam'd for they were the very choicest I had then in my Shop and I dare boldly say as good as any Man had in London at that time though I cannot say they were as good as these are which I have sent you now you need not question but my care shall be to serve you to the best of my power as for your Money you need not so much as mention it for I know your pay to be very good and will trust you as far as you shall desire your self I would desire you to keep account in your Book what Goods you receive from me that when we come to reckon there may be no difference betwixt us thus wishing you good Markets I rest Your friend to serve you to the utmost of my power R. W. A Letter from a Citizen to his Friend in the Countrey to send him up an Apprentice Loving Countrey-man I Being now made a Freeman of London have taken a House and Shop and my greatest want at present is a Countrey Lad that would willingly put himself an
and this small Token which I have sent you which is a Barrel of Oysters I heartily recommend you to the protection of the Almighty who is the only keeper and preserver of all Men and all things I take my leave presuming to write my self Yours to serve you by night or day W. W. The Sommerset-shire Man's clownish Answer in their own Countrey Language Zir I Received a piece of Paper from you which I think Volks call a Letter but when I pulled it open I am zure I could not tell wone letter in it I gave it to wone of our Neighbours that is to zay wone of our Town that is to zay wone that dwells within two or three doors of our door a little thick way and he being a better Scholard than my present zelf made hard shift to pick out the words but the Devil a bit of zense can I vind in it you talk of obliging and vavours in my Conscience Zir you be not like me wont jot nor do I vavour you at all you also talk of gratitude and merits I 'le zwear I do not know what to make of your Lingua my Neighbour tells me that it is Latin and I wonder that you would write Latin to me you know I cannot stand under it and in truth you shall be no zervant of mine I will have no zuch zervants as for your writing our Volks put it in the Virt and vor those shells you zent I know not how you call them I een mended our do or with them and zo I thank you vor em when you come again you shall be welcome to your old Friend Dick Downright A loving Letter sent to a Gentle-woman Madam IN what a multitude of sorrows I am involved since you went out of Town no Tongue is able to express nor Pen to write Had you commanded me with open breast to have stood before you whilst you had took my own Sword and had pierced my now bleeding heart I could then more willingly have suffered a death by your hand then thus long to undergo a continual torment for want of your good company Ah Madam you know my Heart is with you how can you be so cruel to make me heartless live thus long without you can you forget those pleasant Evening hours which we together spent beguiling time which gently slid away the silent night not daring to disturb our harmless mirth and innocent delight whilst on my knees you sate my loving Arms did circle round and gently grasp your small and tender body you sometimes would ravish all my sences with a Song whilst I amazed at your warbling Notes charmed to a silence and gaz'd upon your powerful sparkling eyes whose double lustre would pierce a heart more hard and more obdurate then is the Adamant Then Madam then stealing of a kiss was not content but rob'd you still of more I kist so long that I at length perceiv'd my self to be the looser for all that time my heart and soul departed from my breast and vow'd they would possess a nobler Room then into your sweet bosom both did fly and begg'd an entertainment which you gave and seem'd to cherish them with warm desire I was content and was glad they had made choice of you to he their Guandian provided I might be a visitant to come and see they no disorders bred within your quiet breast But now alas dear Madam you have left me comfortless I am left to sigh and and breath my passion out unto the open Air without redress and cannot comfort find till you return Then Madam on my knees I beg return and give me ease unless you do intend to be my death by staving longer from me thus to the powers above I do commit you desiring you to pity him who is Your languishing Lover R. T. The Gentle-womans kind Answer My sweet Soul LEt not your passion over-much disturb your rest and quiet sleep secure and know that I an equal sharer of your grief do sigh and mourn in private all alone not daring to disclose my unknowne waes unto the open Air far fear some blast should whisp 〈◊〉 this my discontent I am therefore forc'd to bide my mistries and for a time conceal my Inward pain 〈◊〉 then undergo the angry sâ—owns of an unkind Father whom I fear would count my loving you a disobedience My study is to run a safer course and by degrees to penetrate the Breast of my indulgent Mother telling her the noble love which I bear in my bâ—som is placed on you and none but you alone shall make her Daughters Bride then on my knees I 'le beg of her to mollifie the fury of my too rigurous Father who hath forgot since be first trod the paths of youthful love My hopes are still that she will moderate his strict severity and make him yeild to gratifie our loves by his good will and make us ever happy with his blessing who knows but these my hopes may take effect My Mother loves me with a tender love and when she sees my resolution fixt to marry you and with no other Man I know she 'l never rest till she overcome my Father with entreaties to be kind Then will our meeting be again with joy But if at last my expectations sail and that my Father will not give consent we should enjoy each other yet be sure I 'le never leave my Dear until cold Death shall seize my body and from thence divide my Heart and Soul which are not in his power them I 'le bequeath to thee my dearest Love for they indeed already are thy own I know I have thy loving Heart and Soul within my Breast where they shall safely dwell My Father's cruelties shall not molest their happy being neither will I long detain them at this distance from my Love For let my aged Parents frown or smile within this Month I 'le fly into thy Arms and never part till floods of joyful tears have washt away all sorrows from our hearts and hands that nought but Death shalt part us In true constancy I remain thine alone S. V. A Letter from a Gentle-woman to her Husband who had buried her Child in the Country Loving Husband I Must now acquaint you with sorrowful and I suppose unexpected news if tears and sighs of a broken hearted Wife will give me leave to write to you which is that cruel death who favours neither infancy youth nor old Age has deprived us of our pretty sweet boy which was the only joy and comfort of our lives and truly grief has almost done its worst with me for I bewailing of this our great loss am brought so low that I think I shall scarce recover my self to be able ever more to come again and see thee his sickness held him but three days before he died else I had sent you word but now it is too late for we shall never see him more I borrowed Money of my Landlady where I am
to bury him in a decent manner therefore I would desire you to come down as soon as you can and bring Money with you to discharge what here I stand engaged for no more but that I am Your sorrowful Wife R. W. Her Husband 's Answer Dear Wife I Must consess this unerpected News goes nigher to my heart then if I had lost all that ever I had or am like to have in this World that having but one sweet Child we should be deprived of him so on a sudden however we must be contented with those afflictions that God is pleased to lay upon us let me desire you to bear it as patiently as you can and cast not your self down with grief for now he is gone all the sorrow and mourning in the whole World will avail us nothing nor stand us in no stead for he is gone to him that first gave him â—â—s and cannot be reached by mortal Man therefore prithee be comforted and rest thy self contented and I will come down as soon as possibly I can and bring Money with me to discharge what there thou owest and do intend if thou art able to travel to take thee up to London with me in the mean time I rest Thy disconsolate Husband T. W. A Letter to congratulate a Friend's happy return from his long Journey Loving Friend A Thousand welcomes to your Native Country where every heart during that redious time which you were absent selt no little grief but every one lamented their great loss in missing you our true and faithful Friend Your presence caus'd an awful reverence and made the vicious and obnoxious Man to creep and slink away his head in private and now again we on the self-same score who are your friends at this your safe return are blest with joy and gladness But I above the rest of your well-wishers have double cause to thank auspicious Heaven who safely has conducted you at length to this our Shore where being arrived each creature does congratulate your safe return I now can say I have a Friend and Father to give me counsel when I stand in need of it this Letter does but serve dear Friend to let you know that now I have notice of your happy arrival I would not only by my Pen bid you welcome home but by my words and actions in your presence express my joy and humble thankfulness to Heavens Divinity in taking care of so much Loyalty and bringing back our Captain which having missed and been without so long we your poor Souldiers languishing betwixt hope and despair did fear you had been lost but now you are come the Bells in a loud harmony shall ring your welcome home all day and night the Martial Drums shall beat aloud your Fame The Silven Trumpets with shrill Notes shall sound your praise forth with honour and renown thus shall you ride Triumphant through the streets until you come to your most sumptuous Castle long desolate for want of your abode where at your approach the deep mouth'd Canon with their thund'ring voice shall bid all hail to you their valorous Master thus praying Sir for your continuance with us I take leave at present and remain Your much comforted Friend R. D. The Captain 's thankful Answer sent to his friend exprest with many Complements My well beloved Friend YOu cannot be more joyful at my safe return then I am glad to hear that yet you live and living are in health that once again we may embrace each other with true Love and Friendship such as is inseparable had I been a Woman and unknown to you your Rhetorick would have given me a sufficient cause to think and suspect that you had flattered me but being a Man and knowing well your former friendship and true affection which you ever did bear to me unworthy of so great favours must needs imagine that your joys are real and since that blessed Heaven now at length has safely brought me to my Native Country the chiefest of my studies shall be to render my self worthy of those praises which you have been pleased to put upon me and make my presence acceptable to my honest Countrey-men and more especially to you my dear Friend whom I long to see for friendship at a distance though never so real cannot enjoy it self with that true happiness and sweet content as that which mutually conjoyns and meets together then let me beg of you to make no delay but let me have your company at my Castle where you shall be my guest for one six months I also must entreat you not to come alone but let your virtuous Bride accompany you with your good Son where you shall be sure to find the same welcome as you give me at this my safe arrival And when we are together I will give you a true and persect account of all my travels what dangers I have escaped and what recreations I have had ever since I left you and departed from my dear Countrey thus expecting your coming I at present remain Your Friend in expectation S. F. A hasty Letter to his Cousin Good Cousin I Am informed that you intend to let your house and put off all your stock and betake your self to a private Lodging I much wonder what you mean and intend by so doing I doubt you go unadvisedly about those concerns I know not how the case stands with you However I imagine that a little good counsel in this matter would have done you no harm but good you know it is an old saying that it is good to look before we leap and not to run precipitously hand over head and not regard what you are going about However if it prove well I shall like it well and all will be well but if it succeed contrary to your expectation blame not me nor any body else but your own self However now you cannot contradict but that according to the Latin Proverb Praemonitus praemunitus Forewarn'd forearm'd and that is all that I can say to you at present who am in hast Your loving Cousin W. V. The Answer in haste Good Kinsman IN haste I thank you for your hasty Letter and though my present business be in hast concerning my hasty removing from my house yet not quite so hasty as not to consider what I am about to do I do not much question but that I have had the approbation of as wise Men as your self concerning the management of this business and they with me do all of them agree that I have enough to live upon without incumbring my self with a multiplicity of business and get but little by it besides if I should continue House-keeping I should be ruined for there is such a gang of flatterers and dissemblers of my kindred and others that haunt my house that in a short time they would eat me out of house and home therefore I think it is better to betake my self to a private Lodging in hast then by
delays to stay longer where I am and be undone by them I am Yours hastily in hast R. Hastings A Letter sent to a Friend condoling his long continued sickness Dear Friend I Am very sorry and much grieved to hear that you thus long have lain languishing on the bed of sickness my heart participates of your dolorous miseries feeling by way of sympathy the self same torment which you undergo but that alas I doubt won't give you ease though 't is a seeming comfort or rather I may say a satisfaction to be pittyed by our Friends Let me admonish you to take the advice of the best Learned and most eminent Physician that you know of and be not concerned for parting with your Money though sickness I know is very chargeable yet well you know now by sad experience that the perfect enjoyment of your health is far more pleasant and delightful then baggs full heaped with Gold and Silver therefore be not sparing of your Coyn so far as it may be available and conducing to the procuring of your welfare and that you may recover your former strength shall be the Players of Your most affectionate Friend in sorrow S. T. The sick Man's thankful Answer Dear Friend THe very sight of your most cordial Letter did give somi ease to my distressed miseries for which you have the kind and hearty thanks of a sick and almost dying Man 't is long since I considered that worldly wealth is but dross neither do I esteem of it as any comfort only to procure those necessaries which while we live on earth we stand in needâ—â— for well I know that when my breath is departed from me and my blood grown cold and death hath brought my body to the Grace that then the wealth of Croe us will not avail me any thing nor stand me in any stead My heart is fixed now upon a better subject which is that after Death my Soul may find rest and comfort in another World whither now I am going endeavouring to repent of all my past sins consulting with my Maker concerning my happiness for he is the best and only Physician that can give ease to those my sore afflictions this as a farewel to you I do send who am Till death gives ease your friend in torments B. D. A Letter to perswade a Friend to betake himself to business Loving Friend VVHen I consider the many inconveniencies that are incident to those that live remisly and have no employment it puts me in mind of your Life and Conversation and to deal plainly and honestly with you like a Friend I am very sorry to see that idleness has taken such possession of your mind that you will betake your self to no business but just like a Swine you eat and drink what is set before you but never endeavour to get Money to buy more Suppose you have enough barely to live upon in time of your Families health that ought not to be all the care that you should take for it behoves every Master of a Family to provide and lay up something against a rainy day as they say that is against sickness or any other casualty that may happen to you before you die besides already you have two Children pretty Babes and it may please God to send you more which when they come to bigness and ripeness of Age will expect that you should give them a portion according to their education which must be Gentily for your own repute and credits sake all which will cost you no small sum of Money and when your Estate comes to be divided amongst three or four it will be but a slender maintenance for them all my advice is therefore that you forthwith employ your stock of Money in some honest way which you understand and that will improve your fortune by careful industry with some small pains which will be very advantageous for your bodily health for always to sit still and do nothing but eat and drink and sleep corrupts the blood and will impair your health I know you understand the way of malting well now I should think that it would be a fine recreation to you for to ride up and down the Markets to buy in Corn at the best season of the year and so keep Men to manage your business at home thus might you busie your self and reap the fruits and benefits of your own labour besides it would be mighty commendable and credible for you to be accounted a Man of business and if perhaps this way of dealing does not answer your expectation as to matter of profit you may soon lay it aside and betake your self to something else that you fancy will be more advantageous to you for there is a thousand ways for a Man that has ready Money to improve it and gain more by it then at the rate of six per Cent to let it out to Usury besides if you got never so little by your employment yet I would have you follow it for it will keep you from idleness which is the Mother of shame and beggery more might be said of that but I suppose you understand enough of those things if you would but practise according to your knowledge be sure to give your Children learning and when they are big enough put them out to Apprentice for then they may live without your assistance where they have gotten a good Trade if they prove good Husbands they may obtain great preferment this for your Father's sake I advise you for indeed upon his Death-bed he desired me to give you good Counsel who am A greater friend to you then yon are to your self F. G. His Friends Answer in short Dear Friend I Kindly thank you for your good advice whether I am guilty or not guilty of what you task me with Nevertheless I judge charitably of you and your well-wishes that I think no less but that you write to me out of pure love I must confess that hitherto I have not settled my self to any publick business nor have I been concerned much in worldly affairs being something cautious how I dispose of my Money but since it is your wise opinion that it will be for my advantage to put my self into some manner of dealing I 'le shew my willingness in being obedient to your commands and next acquit my self of that ignominious and reproachful companion called Idleness for it in it thing I hate had I an employment whereby I might busie my self for I have an active not a sluggish Soul as for my Children Sir it behoves me to take care of their welfare and it was always my purpose to bring them up to Learning and afterwards to put them to good Trades however I thank you for your friendly admonition and remain Your obsequious friend to serve H. I. A Letter from an Elder Brother to the Younger reproving him of Extravagancies Loving Brother 'T Is strange to me to see you run these courses except
can steal from my urgent affairs having no greater felicity then to be in your good company and do take it as a great favour that my unworthy presence is thought acceptable to a person of so great honour and worth as your self but that is your humility to condescend to my undeserts But lest I should seem to be too prolix and tedious in making my Apology I for this time humbly desist and write my self Your humble Servitor R. C. The Gentleman's Answer Kind Sir YOu need not have given your self the trouble to make Apology for your not coming to me according to your promise for I have had too large an experience of your love and friendship towards me to believe that any frivolous concerns could have detained you from making good your ward neither am I so injudicious but that I know full well that business must not be neglected to visit Friends nor would I be so injurious to your interest to disoblige or hinder you from prosecuting your earnest affairs though I must confess that I take a great delight in your company therefore I desire of you to be so kind to me as to let me enjoy you as often as conveniency will permit and give leave I design next Wednesday if health continue to go down to my Countrey-house and hunt a Buck and if you have leisure from your own occasions pray favour we with your pleasant Society your welcome I hope you will not question from Your loving Friend T. R. A Letter sent to a Gentleman in way of Petition Honoured Sir AMongst the rest of your charitable Acts and deeds I humbly beg that you would be pleased to grant me one small boon and for ever make me happy and obliged to pray for you which is that you would accept of me your unworthy Servant so well that I may succeed my Father in that Office which whilst he was living did enjoy who is now dead and buried and I question not but that I shall officiate and behave my self so well that you shall not hereafter repent you that you did countenance and shew me any kindness in this matter but with all humility I shall carry my self obliging towards you and the rest of those worthy Gentlemen that are therein concerned I know Sir that it lies in your power to stand my friend in this business and I hope you will be pleased to think me capable of what I make my request to you for being brought up and educated under my Father in the same way my industry and diligence with humble gratitude shall ever attend you whilst I am Sir Your Servant in all thankful acknowledgement P. Q. The Gentleman's Answer Honest Peter I Am very sorry to hear of your Father's Death the last time that be and I were together truly I little thought or imagined that he was so nigh his end though I must confess that he was pretty well stricken in years you may assure your self that for his sake and your own also I will do you any kindness that lies in my power and though the management of this concern does not wholly depend on my single choice and approbation there being several other Gentlemen you know which are equally concerned with me in the same business yet I do not question in the least but that they will freely condescend to my propositions in your behalf therefore rest your self contented for a while and doubt not but that you may succeed your Father in this place and when we meet together you may be confirmed according to your desire no more at present but remain Your assured Friend R. S. A Letter from a Gentleman to a Countrey School-master concerning putting his Son to School with him Worthy Sir ALthough I have not had the happiness as yet to be well acquainted with you yet your good works have rendred you famous to my opinion having partly understood some of your excellent qualifications in educating youth by some of my near Neighbours who have been concerned with you by committing their children to your tuition and government which by evident examples you have demonstrated that you have taken no small pains and care in order to their benefits for I find they have made a good proficiency considering their time and Age I have a Son Sir about ten years of Age that I intend to commit to your charge very suddenly therefore I would desire you to govern him according as you shall find him well or ill disposed not with too much severity nor too much lenity and I shall be willing to answer any reasonable demands as you shall desire both for his board and Schooling pray send me word if you please to accept of him and I will speedily come down along with him who am Your Servant unknown J. T. The Answer Sir I Must confess you are a Stranger to me nevertheless I am bound by the rules of civility to give you thanks for your good opinion of me however I hope if you ever make trial of what you have hitherto but only had by reports that I shall make good that Character which your Neighbours have given to your own satisfaction and belief If you please to bring your Son down to me Sir I shall be very careful of him as I am of all others which I take in hand and I doubt not in the least but that we shall quickly agree upon terms I have conveniency enough to entertain him and we live in a very good wholesome Air I never had a Boy that lodged in my house return home sick since I kept School which is now about sixteen years since Yet I have entertained many good Mens Sons as for his disposition I shall soon learn and find out what temper he is of and accordingly shall have an eye towards him thus till I see you Sir I remain Yours in all reasonable service W. K. A Letter to a Gentle-woman with a Ring sent as as token Fairest of Creatures I Here present you with the true Emblem of my love it is a Ring which represents my Love to you is endless that though you frown upon me and seem to slight my proffered services yet still my Love endures as firm as at the first neither can all your angry denyals to my long continued sute alter or change my loving resolution This Ring is Gold the purest of all Metals which signifies if that you please to take it so that my Love is pure and the purest of all Love not tainted nor corrupted with any thoughts of worldly interest but 't is your love alone Madam that I ask how can you be so cruel to your adorer one that takes no delight in any Creature living but your self I dare not call you unkind nor speak the least ill thing against you for my love is so great that I cannot call your disdain unworthiness Let pity move you to compassion which if I find I shall not doubt but that I shall quickly be a
Conquerour till then I restless live The object of your scorn N. L. Her Answer Sir IF that you count it any happiness to be beloved of one so mean as I am who hitherto have held you in disdain and laught at all your discontent with scorn Then bless that happy hour when you did buy that Ring you sent me for a token not for the value of the Ring I love you but those your kind expressions which you writ to me in your last Letter have moved my heart to pity you then now may assure your self a Conquerour for I do pity you and not only so but I love you too for your true constancy had you been fickle and had took denial in a short time I never would have granted you what now I do then now be comforted my Love and cast all sorrow from thy heart for I am thine and will be to my death think not of any thing that has formerly past between us for I will love thee the better for the time to come and when you please to come and visit me you shall be welcome to her who is Your affectionate Lover J. P. A Letter sent to a Gentleman as a Challenge Sir YOu may take notice first of the affront you gave me when we were last together and secondly that I am not of so mean and low a spirit to pass by those your rude actions without taking just revenge according to the offence therefore you being all Man last night I hope will not prove your self to be less to morrow morning about four of the Clock in Lamb's conduit fields with your Sword in your hand where we will end the dispute which you contend about but if you refuse to meet me at the place and time which I have appointed I shall post you up about the Town for an inconsiderable Fool and scandalous coward and shall make my self satisfaction some other way this from Your present enemy and disobliged Friend F. D. The Answer Good Mr. Huff WHat is that little spark of courage which has lain asleep ever since you was born awakened now at last In troth I am very glad that I gave you occasion last night to rouze it up this morning and truly had I thought that you durst have been so valiant as to have taken notice of what I had said I would have spoke ten times more to you then what I did I will be sure to meet your outragious self at the place aforesaid and instead of my Sword I shall only make use of my Scabbard and bang your sides sufficiently sending you crying home to your Wife just as you used to do when you saw a couple of Mastiff dogs fighting in the street hard by your own door I scorn to defile my Sword with such cowardly blood as thine is but shall rather satisfie my self in giving thee a good sufficient beating this from Your derider S. N. A Letter desiring his Friend to acquaint him with news that is stirring Kind Friend KNowing that your affairs in the World are of no small importance and that you negotiating your self with Men of Foreign as well as Domestick business cannot but be acquainted with all the news that is stirring both at home and also at places more remote I should be glad to have some small satisfaction from you by a weekly Letter if you would give your self the trouble of writing I would be at what charge they should cost you in sending them that I might a little please my self in hearing what transactions happen on this our Earthly Globe of Mortality For in our Countrey we hear no news except perhaps I hear that our Neighbour Prattle's Daughters belly begins to swell by eating too many Pease-pottage or else some body has prickt her there or else at present we know not what this and the like stories is all our divertisement no more but remain Yours expecting to hear from you N. J. The Answer Good Cousin I Must humbly beg your pardon for my long silence and now at length if writing upon such an insignicant account as I now have done had there been any thing of News abroad worth the relating and had it come to my ears I would have been sure to have made you acquainted with it e're this as for Foreign businesses and affairs of State I hear no noise God be thanked the Universe of Mankind is hush'd into a quiet peace for ought I hear and trading flourishes indifferent well amongst ingenious Men and good Husbands but bad Husbands will always be finding fault of the badness of Trade when it is their extravagancies which makes them sink and decline in the World as for the News which you tell me concerning your Neighbours Daughter I think it is almost Universal for young Maidens now a days are often troubled with such swellings but it seldome lasts them above nine months and then it asswages again insomuch that we scarcely take any notice of such like distempers now of late I may inform you thus much that the building of St. Paul's Cathedral in London goes on most expeditiously and I am apt to think will be accomplished a great deal sooner then most men could imagine so vast a structure could be finished some other news I can acquaint you with which though it be a little Jocose yet it is very certain that several Men of several minds of several conditions and several qualities do wear the Bull 's Feather upon their heads and yet they know not some of them that they wear it there but others do and count it a great ornament supposing that their Horns were tipt with Gold neither will they matter if their Neighbours call them Cuckold for if they do they 'le ask them to shake hands all the difference between them being this the one knows himself to be a Cuckold and the other only thinks that he himself is none and I believe you have some of this sort of Cattle in your Countrey no more but am Yours upon all occasions R. D. A dunning Letter sent from a Creditor to his Debtor for Money Sir COntrary to my natural Will and Inclinations necessity forces me to give you a timely summons that you may provide me some Money against the next quarter-day for I shall be very much necessitated about that time for Money else I would not have troubled you as yet though I ask you for nothing but what is my own However had I not received great loss of late in my way of Trade I would not have called in my Money from you because I know it to be very secure whilst it is in your hands therefore pray be pleased not to take amiss these my lawful demands but let me have a speedy Answer from you which may be effectual to my desires and I will for the time to come be always studious how I may again be serviceable to so good and sure a Friend as your self which may assure you that
great joy and comfort to your faithful Friend and a recreation to your ready Muse I know not wherein I have offended you or acted any unworthy action towards you that you should slack your hand from writing but if you will let me know my fault I will endeavour to make satisfaction for my misdemeanour thus desiring to hear from you I am Yours in expectation W. N. The Answer Dear Friend YOu must pardon my long forc'd silence in Letters for I have been sorrowfully employed another way it hath pleased God to visit my poor Family with great and heavy sickness insomuch that I have buried two of my children the Eldest and the Youngest and my Wife now lies desperately sick of a Fever whether she may escape or no I cannot tell for she is very weak you might imagine that some extraordinary business or other had befallen me else I should not have been so long in silence from so good a Friend as your self I hope you will not question the continuation of my wonted custom of writing to you so soon as it shall please God to blow away those storms of afflictions that hang over our house thus long and cause a Sun-shine once again to appear for be assured that I am Yours till Times hour glass is run out J. M. A cunning Letter sent to a crafty Friend to borrow Money Kind Sir Your obliging qualities have ever been so great and manifold to me who have never merited the least favour from you that your goodness makes me presume once more to beg a kindness of you which is that you would lend me ten pounds between this and Thursday next and accept of my own Bond for your security but for three Month's time and you shall then be sure to be repaid it with the interest as shall be then due and my humble thanks shall ever require you with this friendly assurance that if ever you should stand in need of the same kindness though your demands should be ten times more that I shall be proud in obliging you on the same terms your answer by this Bearer if without excuses will be my present satisfaction and my study for the future shall be for a requital Your faithful Friend to serve you R. N. The Answer Kind Sir I Am very sorry that I cannot oblige you according to your expectation for at present I have not so much Money to spare by me nor shall not have any such sum within the time as you have mentioned you seldom could have asked me at such a time for seldom it is that I am unprovided of so small a quantity and if I had it you may assure your self that I would make no denyal of it to so good a Friend as you are and have been to me but should be glad that I could oblige you in any thing whatsoever therefore pray let me beg of you not to take it unkindly fer it is my Nature and ought to be the free disposition of every generous Soul to communicate his assistance to his Friend in every respect to the utmost of his power but these your present demands laying aside all formal excises and flattering complements are beyond the reach of my capacity however I will subscribe my self Sir Your assured and faithful Friend S. D. A Letter to his angry Sweet-heart My Love YOur frowns have so eclipsed my wonted comfort and consolation that without the speedy Sun-shine of your smiles my future hopes which I promised my self will be utterly blasted you know you have my heart and all that ever I could call my own at your disposing therefore let me beg of you to be kind before it be too late least certainly you hear that I died through your neglect and cruelties who am Your afflicted Lover N. B. Her short but loving Answer Sir I Fancy when you wrote to me last you were in a Dream or else not throughly awake for how can you task me with unkindness that have no pleasure but in your content and comfort if you have undergone any sorrow by your own imagination I am very sorry for it for I 'le assure you my heart participates of all your troubles your Love to me I mutually accept giving you mine again with this assurance that I am Yours without dissimulation whilst S. G. A Letter upon the delay of a courtesie desired Kind Sir AMongst the rest of my Friends you have had no small share of my good esteem therefore I thought you would have had greater care in preserving your promise and not have dealt so disingenuously with me who have been always so ready to serve you pray let me desire you not to feed me any longer with fair words but let performances speak your mind or frustrate my hopes by a flat denial Your dissatisfied Friend M. K. The Answer Sir YOur Friendship I must consess hath been variously shewn to me for which I must give you abundance of thanks pray call not my delays uncivilities nor forgetfulness for believe me Sir my promises which I made you shall be speedily performed according to your desire and the best of my power and instead of justifying my self I beg your pardon for non-performance hoping 't wil be granted by your worthy self Yours D. F. A Letter of Counsel from a Father to his Son Dear Child I Have heard that you are given to Alchymistry which is a great charge to many but profiteth few employ your time so that you may not lose by the bargain what a grief it is to want I pray God you may never know therefore eschew Prodigality which quickly makes a poor Man I have sent you twenty pounds I hope you will make good use of it and when you need more send to me for it after the Term the Vacation will call you into the Countrey where knowing your Father's House you may make your own welcome you must not from me expect a flattering welcome nor take it unkindly that I forewarn you of what may prove to your prejudice above all things serve God and keep a clear Conscience towards all Men converse not with fools for in so doing you will lose your time beware of drunkenness for it is a beastly humour take heed of Knaves for they are much to be feared all which my advice if you pursue you may expect God's blessing which is Your Father's Prayers H. D. The Son 's dutiful Answer Honoured Father AS touching the study of Alchymistry I have heard much but believe little However I will not wast your Lands to make a new Mettal I know it is not long to the next Vacation which being come I will not be long from you and if at my coming I find you well that shall be my best welcome as I will not flatter my self with your Love so I cannot but joy in your kindness whose careful counsel I will lock up in my heart as my best jewel For to serve God is the duty of every Christian
and no longer let me live then in the care of that comfort as for Fools they cannot understand me and Knaves shall not trouble me as for drunkenness never doubt me for it is a thing most loathsome in my Nature as for your Money I humbly thank you and I hope to bestow it according to your good liking thus with my prayers for your long life health and happiness I remain Your dutiful Son till death H. D. A merry Letter after the old Fashion sent to a Maid AFter my Love remembred unto you trusting in God that you are in good health as I was at this present writing with my Father and my Mother and my Brothers and Sisters and Unkles and Aunts and the rest of my good Friends thanks be to God for it The cause of my writing to you at this time is that I hear Joan since my coming from Weston when you know what talk we had together there at the sign of the Horns and how you did give me your hand and swear that you would not forsake me for all the World and how you made me buy you a Ring and a Heart that cost me two and twenty pence and I left them with you and you gave me a Napkin to wear in my Hat and a small Feather I thank you which I will wear to my dying day and I marvel if it be true as I hear that you have altered your mind and are made sure to my Neighbour Pigsay's Son Truly Joan you do not well in so doing and God will plague you for it and I hope I shall live well enough if I never have you for there are more Maids in the World besides you Joan and truly I count my self worth the whistling after I am sure there are some young Maids about us will except of me and be glad to leap at me to have such Honey kisses Joan as I used to give you therefore be not so high and so proud Joan and so scornful for if you will have none of me I will have none of you but will be as stout and as coy as any handsome Maid in England for you know my old Grandsir has left my Father good House and Land and my Father will give it to me his own Son I am sure and therefore praying you to write me your Answer by this Bearer my friend touching the truth of all how it stands with you I commit you to God From Willow-green May 11. 1675. J.S. Jones Answer INdeed sweet John I did not expect such a Letter from your hands I would have you to know I scorn it have I got my Fathers and Mothers ill will for you to be so used at your hands I perceive and if you be so jealous already you would be somewhat another day I am glad I find you that you can believe any thing of me but it is no matter I care not send me my Napkin and you shall have your Ring and your Heart for I can have enough if I never see you more for there are more Batchellors then John and my penny is as good silver as yours and seeing you are so stout even put up your Pipes for I will have no more to do with you and so unsaying all that ever hath been said betwixt us pray make your choice where you list for I know where to be beloved and so farewel J. R. A Letter from a Father to a Son at the university Dear Son I Am sorry to tell thee that I hear thy diligence doth not answer my desire and I would gladly wish it otherwise but I hope a kind admonition will suffice to work a on good Nature and therefore will rather hope the best then doubt the contrary and in the love of a Father let me entreat thee to avoid the company of a lewd fellow as rather an enemy then a Friend The Feminine Sex are dangerous to affect for as they will be a loss of time so with hinderance of study they will produce expence The exercise of thy body I admit for thy health but let thy Love be in thy Learning else wilt thou never be a good Scholar for desire and delight are the best Masters both of Art and Knowledge whilst vertuous Reason makes Understanding gracious Therefore not out of the bitter humour of displeasure but the careful Nature of affection I write unto thee for thy own good and as nothing can joy the heart of a Father more then the obedience of a loving child so can there nothing be more grievous then the stubborn spirit of an ungracious Son I speak this to thee knowing thy years and understanding able to digest the consideration of my desire which in sum is my joy in thy good For let me tell thee my Estate thou knowest and how much I have strained my credit for thy advancement to which Learning being a speedy and an assured good means I would be glad to see my comfort in thy profit in such fruits of thy study as with the blessing of God may hasten thy preferment therefore be industrious and diligent for thy own benefit and thou shalt not want a Father's encouragement to the very utmost of his ability thus praying to God for thee whom I beseech daily to bless thee with my hearts love to the Lord's blessing I leave thee who am Thy loving Father S. D. The Son's Answer Loving Father AFter the bands of humble duty my good Father I have received your most kind and loving Letter in which how much joy I have received I cannot express fearing rather your sharp rebuke then loving admonition but God himself who can and doth work more in some Natures with a kind chiding then in others with may stripes I know you are not ignorant of the inclination of youth and therefore thus kindly touch the hurt of inheedfulness for which how much I do humbly thank you I hope the care of your counsel in time shall pleasingly tell you therefore for what ill you have heard grieve not and of the good you may hear doubt not but believe me for I will not abuse your trust whatever vanity soever I have seemed to effect My Book hath been the Mistress of my Love in which how much I will labour and from which what profit I will gather your hope shall see in the effect of God's blessing without the which how dangerous are many studies to the understandings of ungracious Spirits I would it were known in any and I pray God that none may know it in me I My preferment I leave to God's pleasure who best knows how to dispose of his Servants and for your contentment that it may be in my obedience Your health as the worlds happiness I pray for mine own moderate exercise with abstinence from excess doth with God's blessing hold me in good state and for the Feminine Sex though I would be no Hypocrite I had rather read of then be acquainted with them for I allow
of your opinion touching them thus hoping ere-long that you will receive as much content of my courses as you have ever doubted the contrary in the duty of my humble Love I take my leave for this time but rest always Your dutiful Son S. D. A Daughters Letter to a Mother Honoured Mother I Mast acknowledge in all duty that your came of me hath been so great that my prayers shall ever petition Heaven for your long life and happiness and will always move in obedience to your commands I have no other ways to express my filial duty and love but by conforming my self in all things to your commands and I shall think all the endeavours of my life well bestowed to gain your blessing and love which I have hitherto enjoyed let me beseech therefore and beg of you that there may be a continuation of your kind love and good affection towards me and I will endeavour all the days of my life more and more continually to engratiate my self into your favour whilst I am Your obedient and datiful Daughter J. P. The Mothers kind Answer My dear Child I Received thy kind and dutiful Letter which was no small comfort to me pray God continue thy duty and obedience to thy Loving Mother and if thou dost fear him I am sure be will encline thy heart to Wisdom which is to fear the Lord and to honour thy Parents with humble reverence and will be the only way to prolong thy days on Earth and after Death hath seized upon thy body and sent thee to the Grave yet thy name shall live after Death to Immortality and all that ever knew thee shall lament thy loss after death saying thou lived'st and did'st die a good Woman and a good Christian which will be a comfort to thy Friends that hear it and an Eternal joy and consolation to thy self in the World to come thus to the protection of him that made thee I recommand thee who am Thy loving Mother J. P. A Letter of comfort to a Friend in Adversity Sir WEakness is presently discomfited when any calamity doth befal them but I doubt not but you are strong enough to oppose your unfortunate sorrows and to make such good use of them that they shall rather confirm then discourage you in the way of vertue I know you can look upon Adversity with an eye of consideration discerning therein the hand of Providence look up then and see from whence all troubles do arise there is a blessing annexed to them if they be suffered with patience your virtue that stands inward may now be made apparent to the World in bearing your sorrow misery or any worldly affliction which refine good Men to a greater perfection I know you need not my counsel being strong in your self yet pardon my love my compassion and my counsel and accept them from Yours bound to serve you N. C. The Answer Kind Sir LIke as the Rain doth fall from a wandring Traveller when he comes dropping in even so at the receipt of your kind and cordial Letter I felt my sorrows wast and vanish from me being presently refreshed by your good counsel and all my sorrow is in this my adversity that I have nothing to requite your love withal but the poor and slender payment of thanks It is common with others whom we reckon in the number of Friends to fall off when they see their Friend is fallen into any calamity but such are no more to be accounted of then the flattering shadow that walks before us in the Sun-shine whilst your Love being built on the constant foundation of your goodness cannot be shaken with the unfortunate chances of your Friend in all Estates your Love doth know no change and this in the midst of my troubles shall bring me store of assured comfort that I am blest with a Friend so faithful unto him who is Your friend in the same fidelity C. B. A Letter sent to a Friend perswading him that he was a Cuckold Honest Charles THou knowest I love thee well and ever have done since our first acquaintance In troth I am sorry that I must now write to thee about such news as I believe will be unwelcome to thee which to be short and plain I hear tkou art a Cuckold neither do I ground my belief upon the vulgar report of others that say thy Wife is a Whore but I have seen so much by her own self that thou must needs be a Cuckold by those actions which I have observed by her in our Market Town she not thinking me to be so near her watch her a little more narrowly for the future and I believe thou wilt soon be satisfied of the truth of this matter I do not write this to make thee jealous without cause but because I would not have thee rock the Cradle when another Man got the Bastard this is all from Thy real Friend H. E. The Answer Honest Harry I Must confess that thou tellest me strange News neither is it in the least welcome to me yet as I would not be too credulous in believing any thing that may touch or stain the honour and reputation of my Wife who has been my Bedfellow thus long so in like manner I would not be blinded with sair speeches to believe her honest that is a notorious Strumpet for as thou sayest Harry by that means I may indeed Father the spurious issue of unknown Progenitors yet however I will not be jealous before I find a cause and when I have found a cause I will not be jealous long after for I will watch her as warily as ever a Cat watcht a Mouse that she shall not stir but I will Incognito attend her and then I shall quickly perceive how she behaves her self abroad she not mistrusting of my suspicion will not proceed so cunningly as otherwise she might but will continue in her wonted course without all doubt which if it should be in the ways of wickedness as God forbid it should I should be very sorry and would soon separate my self from her and if I am a Cuckold I am certain Harry you know and are acquainted with several others as may shake hands with me You know 't is said that Cuckolds are Christians and truly I am apt to think that it is many an honest Man's lot and also many a Knave 's deserved Fortune to be Cuckolded by his own Wife at home at that very instant of time that he is Cuckolding his Neighbour abroad As for my part Harry if it be so it shall not much trouble me but I am resolved to know the truth on 't for I know thy honest love and kindness to me is such that thou would'st not give me any disturbance without some grounds and for thy love I give thee hearty thanks who am Thine to my power C. D. A Fantastick Letter to a Friend to try both his Wit and patience Sir I Would be glad to see you for
au opportunity I have here in the Countrey to make you a Cuckold I am like enough to take notice of it so far as to make the best use of my time and not to let it slip for I can judge no less but that you have got some homely Doxy or other to supply my place during my absence which makes you cry out Whore first but 't is no matter for that now I think on 't Husband I will be honest pray think so I would fain have you think so and then it will be the better for my design I mean honestly indeed I do Husband therefore pray believe her who is Your virtuous Wife J. B. A Letter to invite a Friend to a Wedding Honest Ned MY Sweet-heart and I have just now consider'd on 't and have concluded together to make a jovial Wedding and in troth I am a little in haste too I must confess and know not well how to stay any longer for I have such pritty thoughts come into my mind concerning the Wedding-night and then Ned and concerning the Sack-posset and then Ned and when the Candle is taken away and then Ned but what then is to be done I do but guess Ned but I vow and swear and will take my Oath on 't that I long till that time is come that I may know Ned and 'faith old Soul to make up our merry company I invite thee to come and see us joyn'd together next Saturday and thou shalt be as welcome as any Man in England I would have it on Saturday Ned because we may lie in Bed all day on Sunday and that 's all at present Ned but the more is to come R. H. The Answer Honest Robin I Perceive by your short Epistle that you now think your self to be Man good enough to venture on a Woman and I am glad to hear that you have got one to your mind Faith Bob in my mind thon art much to be commended that thou dost not make a foolish long and tedions wooing for that signifies nothing when they have done all they must take one another for better and for worse as the Parson says and if it must be so it must then high for a Boy or a Girl the very first night for I perceive Bob that thou art a little tickled with the thoughts of it already by my Mack old Boy thou need'st not question my coming for I am resolved to be there and will pick me up a Spouse of my own if I can if not I protest and swear I 'le make use of any one that belongs to some body else and so much for that Thine E. P. A Letter of Farewel sent to a Friend from one that is going a long Journey Kind Sir SInce for several years we have been convenant together and have held a great correspondency together in way of friendship and also business I could not leave my Native Country and betake my self to travel without letting you know of my departure Sir which will be the next opportunity I can have for transporting my self and Family into the East Indies and I am informed that we may have a conveniency of Shipping within this Month within which time if I may be so happy as to see you in Town I shall take it as a great favour if not Sir I humbly recommend this to your hands which will let you know that I give you a thousand thanks for all kind courtesies which I have received from you and if it please God that I return again into England I will be sure to come and wait on you my self who am Yours in all places whilst G. R. The Answer Dear Sir Your Letter at first sight did very much surprize me to think that I so suddenly should lose so good a Friend but afterwards considering that your Wisdom would prompt you to nothing but what shall be to your advantage and preferment I thought I had no reason to envy at your happiness or to advise you to the contrary I am very sorry that I cannot personally appear before you to make an humble acknowledgement how much I am your Debtor for all those kind favour which I have received from you time after time I doubt I cannot get so much leisure from my urgent affairs in the Country as to come and wait upon you before your departure however Sir I shall beg of God for your safe passage through Neptune's raging Waves and that in safety you may again return which if I live to see I 'le strive to be the first that shall come and kiss your hand who am Sir Yours where ever I am N. B. How to begin and end Letters with new Complements Sir BEing sensible of all those former favours wherewith you have obliged me I could do no less but make an humble acknowledgement for those unmerited kindnesses which you have been pleased to confer upon me Sir Since the last time I saw you abundance of Worldly sorrows have surrounded me insomuch that I have been uncapable of serving my Friends of whom I reckon you the chief Sir What ever Tongue can express or Heart can wish of the welfare of any real and beloved Friend I wish and desire may always attend you but setting aside all ceremonious complements these may give you to understand c. Sir I know your discretion to be so great and your Love so unfeigned that you will not misconstrue any mistake that I shall make in this Letter therefore I shall not be so curious as at other times I ought to be when I write to those that are more critical c. Sir In considering your manifold obligations wherewith you have obliged me it puts me in mind how much I am your Debtor and how urable I am at present to make you satisfaction thanks is too mean a present for so much worthiness yet at present Sir may serve to let you know that I am not ungrateful c. Sir If I knew which way to gratifie you for all those favours which you have accumulated upon my undeserts I would not all this while have remained your Debtor c. Sir After a recommendation of my good wishes and my hearty prayers for your good health and preservation these may certifie you that c. Madam Your Ladyship I hope need not question my faithfulness in serving you but shall ever account it the greatest honour that can be conferred upon me to be reckoned amongst the number of your Servants and all my comfort will be in being obedient to your commands though at present I must confess c. Madam If loving you be reckon'd and accounted a crime then I am certain that I am the greatest criminal in the whole World yet am I also sure that the wretch that loves you not must be a Devil c. Madam In the fresh remembrance of those pleasant charms I gain'd from your resplendent eyes at our last meeting I take bold courage to salute your
Honourable Lord. Gentry To the Right Worshipful R. T. Knight Baronet To the Worshipful R. T. Knight To the Worshipful Esquire To the most Impartial and upright Judges To the most wise and most discreet States-man To the most pious most grave and most religious Clergy-man To Professors of Liberal Arts and Sciences To the most Eloquent and most florid Rhetorician To the most Skilful most Learned and approved Physician To the most crafty and most subtle Logician To Poets thus To the Muses best adorers Or thus To the Laureated Society To Lawyers thus To the most skilful and most Impartial Friend c. To the most skilful and most aiery Musician To his worthy and noble and highly esteemed Patron To Kindred and Relations To his Honoured and Welbeloved Father H. P. To his dear and tender Mother To his most affectionate Brother or Sister To his dearly beloved Wise To her dearly beloved Husband To his loving Unkle To the honourable Colonel To the couragious and most valiant Captain To Lovers To the Life of my Soul Mrs. A. B. To the Mistress of my best thoughts E. C. To the fair hands of the Honoured Lady To the fair hands of the Honoured Lady Madam R. S. To the fulness of my true contentment Mistress S. L. To the hope of my Fortunes Mrs. J. P. To my best choice Mrs. P. P. To the only joy of my heart Mrs. D. D. To my Heaven upon Earth Mrs. J. F. To the fairest and most Angelical Beauty in the whole Universe Mrs. R. T. To the adored and most venerable demi-goddess Madam J. K. To ordinary Friends and Acquaintance These to his loving and much esteemed Friend Mr. A. B. These to his true and trusty Friend Mr. B. C. To his honourable Friend Mr. C. D. To her newly displeased Friend Mr. D. E. To her best resolved Friend Mr. E. F. To her well advised Friend Mr. F. G. To his loving and long expected Friend Mr. G. H. To her most disquieted Friend Mr. H. I. To his respected Friend Mr. J. K. To his approved Friend Mrs. K. L. To her most worthy Friend Mrs. L. M. To his well experienced and most esteemed noble Friend Mr. M. N. To his well disposed Friend N. O. To his much disordered Friend O. P. To his unkind and ill advised Friend P. Q. To his perjur'd and lascivious Wife R. S. at her Lodgings in Moor-fields To the jealous Pimp and Cuckold my Husband S. S. at his Lodgings in Whetstones-Park To his suddenly displeased Friend Mr. S. T. To her worthy Friend Mr. T. T. adventurer in Barbadoes To his true and trusty Friend Mr. V. W. Factor in Jamaica Doctor in Divinity To the most pious and most Learned Doctor W. A. Doctor in Physick To the most eminent and most skilful Doctor A. B. To a Bishop To the most Holy most Learned most Benevolent and most Reverend Father in God John Lord Bishop of c. To Mrs. Twattle you may easily find the house For she at Mr. Woodcock 's does carouse Posies for Rings or Motto's fit for Presents I Love you well Your self can tell Let Virtue guide My lawful Bride Sure you mistake That bargain 's to make My tender heart Disdain makes smart My Love Shall ever faithful prove I moan Because I lie alone Absence ne're parts Two loving hearts This and the giver Are thine for ever I vow to kiss Her that reads this The Love I owe In this I show No Turtle Dove Shall shew more Love As I affect thee So respect me The gift is small But Love is all When this you see Remember me This to a Friend I freely send Well directed If well accepted I 'le not express What you may guess When this you see Think well of me Virtue and Love Are from above More near to me Then Life can be Though Friends cross Love We 'll meet above 'T is Love alone Makes two but one You and I Will Lovers die I seek to be Both thine and thee I am sure to die If you deny In thee each part Doth catch a heart My true Love is Endless as this When Cupid fails The eye prevails Your blest sight Is my delight I wish to have But blush to crave I wish you knew What I owe you My constant Love Shall ne're remove Take this in part Of my true heart For one sweet kiss I give you this Nothing for thee Too dear can be Desire like fire Doth still aspire In troth you know It must be so My Love you know Then say not no. If you this foregoe You are my foe I love thee Jone And thee alone I love thee John Therefore come on My mind is bent And I am content I 'le venture Till I find Love's center I was an Ass Should I let you pass In midst of grief Love sends relief Where Hearts agree No strife can be I joy to find A constant mind Love never dies Where Virtue lies Love's delight Is to unite Let Friend nor Foe This secret know I must confess Love goes by guess The nigher kin The further in What I have done Declare to none My name is Harry And Doll I 'le marry Come when you will I am yours still I 'le take my Oath To part I 'm loath I 'le swear and vow That I love you I hope to meet Some kisses sweet Though this be small You shall have all When I am well Have at thee Nell I hope your mind's To Love inclin'd Forgive Or else I cannot live You 'l ever find Me very kind I am full of Love Towards you my Dove I this present With good intent What more I owe You 'l shortly know True Friends By Love are made amends Cupid's command Who can withstand Think well of me When this you see When you see this Blow me a kiss My only joy Be not so coy I love till death Shall stop my breath Unto the end I 'le be your Friend A COLLECTION OF THE Nevvest Songs AND MERRY CATCHES WHICH Are now sung either at Court or Theatres SONG I. WHy should so much beauty fear Round this Isle the Heavens appear Like your own streams undisturb'd and clear Those beauteous Nymphs unfrightned too Not minding what another shews they do Their innocent delight pursue Why should so much beauty dye Or so sweet a Soul deny The delights of those keep company But whilst 't is fresh and blossoming Ne're make delays in any thing But grant those joys most pleasure bring Your sweet smiles and dimple cheek Fatal are to all they meet And lay them prostrute at your feet Then dear Nymph for once be kind Let sighs and skricks be left behind Whilst innocent our sport we find SONG II. NOw that the cold Winter 's expell'd by the Sun And the Fields that did pennance in Snow Have put Madam Natures gay Livery on Embroyder'd with flowers to make a fine show Since the Hills and the Valleys with pleasure abound Let Mortals bear a part and
Beauty said We know that thou art blind But Men have knowing eyes and can My Graces better find 'T was I begot thee Mortals know And call'd thee Blind Desire I made thy Quiver and thy Bow And Wings to kindle fire Love then in anger flew away And straight to Vulcan pray'd That he would tip his shafts with scorn To punish this proud Maid Thus Beauty ever since hath been But courted for an hour To love a day is now a sin ' Gainst Cupid and his power A Dialogue betwixt Neptune and Apollo occasioned by the death of the Earl of Sandwich SONG C. Apol. I Charge thee Neptune as thou art just resign The most admired Sandwich which is mine Whose loss creates a discord in the Spheres And turns our melody to groans and tears Nept. Forbear to ask what is unjust to grant Thy charge and my desins are dissonant He 's mine by conquest what is thy pretence Apol. In Musick his unequal'd Excellence Nept. Heroick parts I gave him taught him how With thundering Canon and a furrow'd Brow To rule the surface of my Realm Apol. And I By a Magnetick power in Harmony Made him a Conquerour to overcome All Souls that lov'd or lik'd Elizium Nept. Thy Seat is pleasant there all sweets do dwell But mine with rage and horrour only swell Which lately is encreas'd since Sandwich sent So many Religions to my Element Whose Emulation to a Princes Throne Makes me keep Sandwich to preserve my own Chorus We 'll sing his Requiem by some murmuring Brook On which as th' Emblem of our grief we look And with our tears increase it to a Main Then sigh and weep till Sandwich come again Or else we never never will refrain The Quakers Song CI. YE she-friends and he-friends whoever inherit Infallible Light in dark Lanthorn of Spirit Come prick up your Ears and behold I will fit ye With an Hymn that is call'd by the Wicked a Dirty In the scuffle we lately have had with the Baptist Wherein both our honour and interest wrapt is Though our Logick perhaps be too weak to dispute 'em We hope by a Ballad at least to confute ' em For though Fiddle and Organs are both Babylonish Wherewith the Prophane delighted alone is Yet in such a case Inspiration may haunt Even us which are perfect to warble a chaunt Then let us a while our trembling lay by And quit our still meetings to set up a cry Let 's challenge and Rant talk loud and be bold For the Spirit at present doth move us to scold 'T is time to exclaim as receiving the wrong And take up that carnal Weapon the Tongue For if we delay our whole party must sink And our long boasted light go out in a stink Our juggling's so plain will appear that each eye Through the Mask of our holy pretences will spy And see that a Quaker when stript of his paint Is nearer of Kin to an Atheist than Saint Then let us equivocate neatly and lay A plausible meaning on all that we say And the very same Art that serves to excuses At once shall condemn all those that accuse us This being done we point time and place And come full prepared to bandy the case In the Barbican first we gave them a meeting And never was seen such a Bear-Garden greeting A Rabble thrust in from each end of the Town And before half an Argument could be laid down In less time then a Man can a pot of Ale swallow 'T was confirm'd with a hoop and deny'd with a hollow The place like a Hot-house appear'd and by hap some Friends might be cured here of a Clap And if it were so I cannot but say 'T was the best effect of our meeting that day For once more have at 'em for without doubt If we cannot confute we must tire them out And therefore sent word they were cowardly Lubbars If they would not in Spittle-fields venture a Rubbers Four hours and more we dispute in and out To know what it was we should dispute about Which yet at the last was never agreed But no matter for that we resolv'd to proceed 'T would have made Puss laugh or Child in the Chrisomes To hear us chop Logick and talk Syllogisms That Spiritual Cantings of Naylor and 's brood Should Apostatize thus into Figure and Mood To see holy seed so grand a designer As to turn Yea and Nay into Major and Minor Use Language o' th Beast Concedo or Perge And tickle their Tobies at length with an Ergo. At first they came on like huffing Philistines And needs would attempt to prove us no Christians When most by our wranglings already thought much To believe that in truth either of us were such All Dialogues we cry'd down as prophane Though divers of us had writ in that strain But that by a Figure must be understood Making things bad in others in us to be good But let Friends take notice how basely they wrong us By suggesting a Papist God bless us among us For there was no need of that I must tell ye Since each of us carries his Pope in his Belly Our selves to be Christians we loudly declare But avoid the contest to prove that we are For we find that our interest doth better agree To be counted Christians then truly to be Yet inveigl'd at last by a kind of a Wile We were drawn into what we had shun'd all the while But still we are safe though shrewdly put to 't For when all things fail Inspiration can do 't To this then we fly though certain it be Old Mahomet had as much claim to 't as we However it serves to ward off a blow For who shall refute what no Man can know For if Folks would have Wonders or Miracles done We confess we can instance at present but one That so many should Scripture and reason forsake And in our ridiculous whimsies partake But though in good Form we would argue no more We went on with bawling as high as before For we knew that the Croud would the glory afford To him that spoke loudest and had the last word To prove that we did our Antagonist beat 'T is enough for to say that we made them retreat And charged them bravely when we had done In the Bear with an Eccho they run Friends they run And to shew that our Ammunition of Lungs Was yet not all spent nor weary our Tongues After this we began another new quoil And fell all a Preaching in Rank and in file Thus in brief a strange clutter we kept and a stir But what good came on 't if I know I 'me a Cur Only people went home some sick and some lame But all of them just as wise as they came SONG CII THou fair Usurper of my Fate Tell me what my Lot shall be Must I languish at this rate Without hope or help from thee And am I damn'd a slave to be Unto a truckling destiny Or is your