honest minde then to runne any course that may giue a wound to the Conscience which while wit would excuse wisedome layes open when if the soule finde grace in Repentance of sinne the heart cannot but bléed in the sorrow of iniquitie but God is all-sufficient in all things and therefore knowing your vertuous disposition to his gracious protection leauing your most happie preseruation in prayer for the same with the encrease of all comfort in the bounden dutie of my loues seruice I humbly take my leaue Your seruant assured in what resteth in my power I. S. A Letter to a Knight for the entertainment of a Steward into his seruice VVOrthy Knight at my last beeing with you you spake vnto mee to doe my best in helping you to a Seruant that you might employ for your Steward Now if it please you at my hands to accept the bearer hereof beleeue it you shall finde his sufficiencie so fitting your content that I dare vndertake you shall not neede to seeke any further I haue knowne him long and such euery way his disposition as may deserue good regard in a very good vnderstanding he is honest and wise and able to liue of his owne yet in donour of your worthinesse desireth to follow your fauour for his Truth you shall not doubt it and for his behauiour I know you will like it for his wages I will leaue it to your wisedome in his desart so with his dutie commending my seruice to the command of your kinde loue till I sée you and alwaies I rest Your very louing Kinsman T. R. A thankefull Letter vpon the tryall of his Seruant MY good Cosen among many courtesies I thanke you most kindely for my man who in my great content hath answered the Contents of your Letter for such hath beene his carriage as hath gotten good will not onely of all my house but of such of my friends as haue occasion to know his seruice lesse vice and more matter worthy loue haue I not seene in a man of his sort yea such hath beene his desert of my loue as except for his better preferment I will not part with him in hast For in earnest in many true Rules of Ciuilitie hee may be an example to good Iudgements In briefe as I neuer found you to faile in any kinde care of my good so in this I haue great cause to thanke you and wherein it may lye in my power to requite you be assured you shall know I loue you in which I rest assuredly Your most affectionate Kinsman and friend R. S. A Letter of councell from a Brother to his Sister vpon her going from the countrey to the Court. SWeet Sister I heare thou art going from home to a high place from the countrey to the Court beleeue it thou wilt finde it a place of danger for the preseruation of thy best comfort for there is honour both to bee got and lost but for a caueat in thy carriage reade what I heere haue written vnto thee and lay it vp in thy memory it will doe thy vnderstanding no hurt Take heed of the Mewing of Muske Cats for they watch but for a Mouse and when they haue their prey they are all gone away Let not the fading glosse of gay clothes dazzle the eyes of thy spirit nor faire tongues rob thee of thy fame for a good name is not like a garment for if it once be broken it will neuer bee set together againe there are many hands that will bee plucking of flowers whose hearts neuer care how the stalkes grow or wither but if you will be your owne friend let no man take the fruit without the Tree beleeue no idle vowes nor vaine protestations for many times the tongue and the heart are farre asunder when the best words haue not the best meanings Nor let ambition bewitch thee for the sinne is all one with the Lord or his Lackey the Ice once crackt will crack more and what is the face that hath lost the beauty of the minde sweet Sister I write not this that I feare thy imperfection but to forewarne thee from euill And what good is to bee gotten seeke it by that vertue that may keepe thy colour without staine when a Maiden blush is the beauty of modestie serue God and hee will blesse thee pray to him and hee will defend thee loue him and hee will keep thee that no hurt shall come neere thee bee constant in thy Religion loyall in thy Allegeance courteous in thy behauiour and vertuous in thy loue so no doubt but the Court will grace thee and the King of Kings will so aduance thee that though she be no Lady on earth thou shalt be an Angell in heauen To which happinesse in prayer for thee to his tuition I leaue thee Thy most louing Brother D. H. Her Answere MY most louing Brother I most kindely take your most louing Letter which I will lay vp for your sake and mine owne good not in my pocket nor my Cabinet but in the inward Chest of my heart and will dayly reade it as the rules of true wisedomes direction but to bee a little merry with the answere of your figures let Muske Cats Meaw where they will I hope to bee no Venizon for Vermine and for the Garden of my fauour there shall no hand plucke aflower except hee take the Roote and stalke to his keeping for the glosse of gay coates they may bewitch Babies eyes but the eye of vertue lookes after no vanitie and for false hearts and faire tongues they are easily discerned they goe so commonly together betwixt pride and basenesse there is a carriage of ciuilitie which I hope to hit on without touch of dishonour so leauing Lords to their Ladies and their Lackeyes to lower Creatures beseeching the Almightie to blesse mee heere with his Grace and hereafter in Heauen to make the least of his Hand-maides rather then the greatest Princesse on the Earth with all the pleasures of the world to which prayer hoping you will say Amen in much thankefulnesse for the care of your kindnesse I rest Your most louing Sister E. B. A kinde Letter to a Schollar going from the Vniuersitie to a Benefice in a Citie GOod Cozen I vnderstand by your Father that you are determined shortly to leaue the Vniuersitie but yet withall that you haue bent your minde onely to the studie of Diuine vnderstanding and leauing the world betake your selfe wholly to the Church and in the Ministerie of the word to doe good vnto Gods people I commend your determination but with you if I might aduise you to spend some few more yeeres in the Vniuersitie for your further hearing and reading for your better confirmation of your resolution not that I feare the blessing of your Spirit but that it is a function of great charge care and labour Charge in regard of the Talent beeing out of the Treasurie of Heauen the riches of the Soule then for care in
A PRESIDENT FOR YOVNG PEN-MEN OR THE LETTER-WRITER CONTAINING LETTERS of sundry sortes with their seuerall Answeres Full of Variety Delight and Pleasure and most necessary for the instruction of those that can write but haue not the Guift of enditing LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Robert Wilson and are to be sold at his shoppe at Grayes Inne Gate 1615. To the Reader IN these latter times euery Ballad-maker will be a Poet as if euery Pedler would seeme a Merchant and euery Pettifogger a Lawyer so hee that can scarce endite a Letter will take vpon him to be a Secretarie For my selfe I dare not be so sawcy as to put such a Title to my Booke onely this I haue heere written a few Letters which I hope are so composed as will be presidents for yong pen men and not displeasing to elder yeeres such as they are I put them out into the world to the censure of all entreating the best to correct what is amisse and the rest not to discommend that they cannot mend and rest as I haue reason Your well-willing friend M. R. TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull and my most worthy esteemeed Kinsman ANTHONY HOBART of Hales Hall in the County of Norffolke Esquire all happinesse on Earth and the ioyes of Heauen hereafter IN reading of Epistles written in diuers languages I finde them dedicated to such Patrones as could iudge of their worth and would accordingly accept them Some to men of great account other to men of lower Titles of honour but in higher esteeme of their loue Now finding great men so busie in great Matters that I should haue great adoe with their patience in troubling their leisures from imployment in more serious affaires and yet knowing my labours in my Letters worth the looking on I haue bethought me of such a Patron as in his kindnesse will vnderstand my work and regard my loue which hauing found in your many fauours giue me leaue with my seruice to present my Book to your Patronage Each Letter hath his Answer the Subiects are diuers so is the manner of their enditing Hatefull I know they will not be to any good they may do to many that can aptly make vse of them and for your selfe and perhaps yours after you it may be no hurt to peruse them howsoeuer at your idle leisure they will saue time and perhaps yeelde you pleasure in reading them but loth to bee tedious in needlesse Eloquence I will leaue them to your kind acceptance and my loue to your like command and so rest Your most louing Kinsman M. R. ⧠A Table of all the Letters in this Booke A Letter of request for a kindnesse The Answer to the same A Letter of counsell to a friend in distresse The Answer to the same A Letter from a Nephew to his vnckle from the Vniuersity The Answer to the same A Letter of Loue to a Gentlewoman of good worth Her Answer to the same A Letter of kindnesse from a louing Father to call horne an vnthrifty sonne His Answere A Loue letter to a faire Gentlewoman Her Answer A Letter of discontentment to a Gentlewoman of incontinency Her Answer A Letter of reprehension of suspected vnthankfulnesse His Answere A Letter of counsell from a discreete Mother to her Daughter newly married Her Answer A kind letter of a Father to a prodigall sonne His Answer A Letter in a kinde of challenge vppon report of a great abuse His Answere A Letter to a Kinsman a yong man towards a Wife His Answer A discontentiue Letter vpon the deniall of friendship His answer A letter from a friend to a fantasticall conceited madcap His answer A byting Letter to a clamorous Gentlewoman The Answer to the same A discontentiue Letter of a coy Mistresse Her answere A letter written to a friend in time of great affliction His answer A kind of quarrelsome Letter vpon a frowne of a friend His Answere A Letter to an Vnckle to borrow a horse His Answere A Letter from an old man to his adopted Sonne going from the Vniuersity to trauaile His answer A letter of Counsell not to be precise The answere A letter from a Knight of great place to a Gentleman to attend him His answere A Letter to a Knight for the entertainment of a Steward into his seruice A thankfull Letter vpon the tryall of his Seruant A Letter of counsell from a Brother to his Sister vpon her going from the Country to the Court. Her answere A kind letter to a scholler going from the Vniuersitie to a benifice in a Cittie A letter to a worthy Knight beyond the Seas His Answer A letter of counsail to a friend going to trauaile His Answere A Letter written to a Nobleman by a Gentleman in distresse A pleasant conceited letter to a friend in the Country The Answer A kind letter to a friend in the Country from the Citty His Answere A melancholy discontentiue Letter vpon a frowne of a Kinsman A discontentiue letter of a louer The Answer A comfortable letter to a kinsman vpon the buriall of a young Sonne The answere A Letter to an Hypocrite vpon betraying of a Friend His answere A Letter of aduice to a friend that was to be married His answere A Letter of vnkindnesse to a Kinsman vpon a report of his abuse His answere A Letter of kindnesse from a Gentleman to his loue from beyond Seas Her answere A most kind letter from a Lady to her Seruant of good worth His answer FINIS A Letter of Request for a kindnesse IF you knew my néed you would not deny me specially knowing the good you may doe me Your excuse may proue more wit then loue and my want more gréeuous then I hope your good will would me that which will hurt you little will help mee much and what my remembrance shall be of your kindnes shall rest in my thankfulnes If protestations be not idle you will performe the part of a friend to put your will to your power to pleasure him once that will loue you euer In Summe leauing my hopes comfort to your kinde answere I rest Yours or not mine owne W. H. The Answere I Will not deny you though I cannot help you in that measure of comfort that may answere your expectation for my purse is not euen with my Credit though I will not complaine of pouertie Come therefore to me and know me that Truth hath no Trickes and I will not falter with a Friend as I know my estate I must manage my affaires if I hurt my selfe I can not help my Friends but since bare words yéeld little comfort you shall finde better fruits in my affection I know you are wise and hope to find you kinde in being perswaded of my loue to be as ready as able to performe more then I will protest so expecting your presence in assurance of your patience till I see you and alwaies I rest Your faithfull louing friend H. W. A Letter of Councell to a Friend
set it together againe what I cannot doe if I should dye in not doing of it vouchsafe my good Lord to read them and me in them with a few of your golden Angells deliuer me from a world of incarnate Deuills which with siluer daggers seeke to stab the heart of my liberty which beeing a great part of my life doe a Noble deed to saue it God himselfe will requite you and I shall bee bound to pray for you that all the good that the heauens will and the world can giue may befall you So hauing long knowne and euer loued your Honor beseeching the Almightie to blesse the same with encrease of aduancements in the worthinesse of true Noblenesse at the feete of your fauour laying downe the seruice of my hearts loue crauing pardon for my presumption I humbly rest during life Your Honors in all humble deuoted and bounden dutie and seruice W. R. A pleasant conceited Letter to a friend in the Countrey YOu write vnto mee for Newes and mee thinkes it is Newes you write vnto mee For not hauing heard from you thus long I wonder I haue heard from you at last And yet though I am merrie with your silence your Letter is welcome for I rather feared your health then your vnkindnesse but to answere your expectation let mee tell you that the occurents of this time are such as are either false and then vnfit to write or if true not worth the writing onely this I dare tell you that rich men play with the world and make a kinde of paradice vpon earth while the portion of the poore is most held in patience For my selfe I am as you left mee neither beholding to friends nor fearefull of enemies and for the world I am so farre in loue with it that I could wish I were well out of it and for your selfe I wish rather your continuance of your home louing friends then to hunt heere after fortune a day after the faire To conclude if I come neere you I will see you where so euer you are I will loue and so to the Lord I leaue you Yours what mine owne N. B. The Answere OLd wagge of the world I see thou art neuer out of thy humour I am glad to heare from thee not of thy discontents but to see now thou setst them downe which in a manner is as musique when I am sometime melancholy disposed but for the rich let them be proud only of their time for the poore may happen meet with them at their graues and proue better men in an other world For thy selfe I held thy happinesse greater in thy Contemplation then many misers in their large possessions And in briefe when thou art weary of the world come to me and let vs talke of that which all the world shall not heare of so longing for thee till I see thee or heare from thee I rest Thine or not mine owne B. S. A kinde Letter to a friend in the Countrey from the Citie KInde Anthony I am sure thou doest not maruell a little at my long silence I could make sufficient excuse were it not to tedious to write But let this suffice that a troubled minde is not alwaies in temper and the world is at such a passe that the wise are amazed at it and for my selfe such I doe finde it that as I can not get out of it so I scarce know what to doe in it for wisedome is watch't whether her workes bee like her faith and folly is much in fauour because shee pleaseth the common people so that I thinke I must turne foole if I will feed on fat meat and yet it greeth so ill with the nature of my spirit that I had rather liue as a shadow among men then bee the substance of a monster oh my good Anthony how happy a life doe you lead that may heere the Birdes sing in your woods see your Ewes suckle your Lambes in your fieldes catch a fish with a worme a Cony with a Ferret and a hare with your Greyhound and by the way as you come home contemplate more comfort then the earth can giue you for he that hath a heart to lift vp his eyes will bee of Senecaes opinion that the mind of that man is brought into a streight that can bee contented with earth and hee that were in his right wits would hold it the greatest misery in mans life to desire to liue though in misery For mine owne part I wish I were not out of it but so in it that I may not loue it but I will neither hasten my death nor prolong my life in this world but attend his pleasure that will call me out of it and the little time that I haue in it I would I could spend it in thy presence not to ease my charge nor to charge thee but that in true worth I know not a more worthy friend and thus till I see thee which shal hee as soone as I can conueniently in the affection of an honest heart I rest Thine or not mine owne R. B. His Answere HOnest Robin thy silence was not so discontentiue as thy letter was comfortable for thou writest not like the world bare words for matter but alwayes like thy selfe the fruites of true iudgement thou saiest well of the world that it is a strange passe when let the wisest heads haue the most honest hearts yet will the eyes of wickednes be prying into their procéedings while fooles craft is soone seene when they most seeke to deceiue themselues but let the fat Bulies of Bashan feed with Diues in his delicates pore Lazarus will haue a time to bee farre merrier then meat can make them Oh Robin the monsters of this age see not their owne deformities and better bee a shaddow among men then so vumanly a substance while blessed bee the spirit that hates the course of iniquity for my happines I confesse it is more then I am worthy of but most in contemplation aboue possession when the Spirit aboue Nature sees Grace aboue Reason shewing it a better world then this where it liues yet while in this little time wee passe the pilgrimage of a few dayes more pleasure is in the least creature of life then the fairest dead Idoll if I catch a Trout with a flie a Nightingale with a worme the one serues me in my dish the other sings in my Chamber and are not these comforts more contentiue then to hang on friends and hope of fortunes while the witts are dead weary ere trauaile find comfort well bee the world what it will come thou to mee when thou wilt and command what thou wilt for though I say it beleeue it thou hast not a more louing friend that will approue it so longing to so thee that I may haue my fill of discourse with thee with all the happines a heart can wish thee to the Lord of heauen I leaue thee and so rest Thine what mine owne W.
wishing with conueniencie to see you and often to heare from you in more affection then protestation I rest Your very louing Cosen T. W. A Letter to an Hypocrite vpon betraying of a Friend TO deny a Friend may bee a touch of vnkindnesse to deceiue a Friend a proofe of ill Nature but to betray a Friend to plaine a villanie Cheaters are set downe in the orders of euill persons Pandars are base Rascals and the scum of the earth but Traitors are most hatefull villaines of the world Among the twelue Apostles there was but one Iudas and wilt thou leaue the Saints to follow one Diuell If thou wilt runne his course thou maist runne to his confusion Wilt thou mistake GOD for Gold and sell thy Soule for a little Siluer What will be thy end Shame on earth and sorrow endlesse What shall I say to thee but thinke what will become of thee beeing a horrible Hypocrite take thy portion among them Heauen will abhorre thee and while the world hates thee hell stands gaping for thée but GOD in his mercie if it be his holy will forgiue thee and so neuer meaning more to looke on thee but to giue all my friends warning of thee to the will of the Almightie I leaue thee Thy neuer more Friend I. S. His Answere AN vnwilling offence may be an excuse acceptable what I spake of a sodaine I repented at leasure for beleeue if no gaine could haue made me so vngracious but yet the occasion of your discomfort can not but grieue mee in vnhappinesse though farre be it from my thought to doe so wilfull a wickednesse be not therefore so bitter in your inuectiue against my basenesse For if I were of Iudas his Nature I wish no other then his end place me not therefore among Hypocrites for I hate them in my heart and desire not to liue to deserue that imputation be you assured my griefe is greater for you then I will shew till in the fruit of my labour I may make proofe of my Loue wherein I will not cease till I haue effected something to some issue in your good in which you shall see how farre it is from mee to bee so vnhonest as I was vnhappy and how farre my euill hap was from the Nature of an euill minde and so entreating your patience so suspend your iudgement I hope ere it be long to haue you write in an other humour till when beseeching the Almightie to blesse you with health and my heart with happinesse to bee a meane of your comfort till then and alwaies I rest howsoeuer you esteem me in the affection of an honest heart Your most faithfull friend E. B. A Letter of aduice to a friend that was to be married FRiend William I heare that you are shortly to take a Wife or rather to bee taken of a Wife and that for a little times pleasure you will sell your liues libertie but if the matter bee not so farre gone with you let mee tell you a little of my minde to make you looke about you for touching your choise note what I say vnto you if your wife be to young she knowes not how to make her ready if too old shee must haue one to helpe her out of her bed if shee be faire shee will giue you cause of iealousie if foule she will bee anoyance to thee if full of talke shee will bee troublesome if sullen shee will bee irkesome if of honorable Parents you must make courtsie to all her kindred if base you must prouide for a generation If rich she will bee proud of her portion and he kept accordingly if pore still calling for necessities and sometime more then needes if wise shee will thinke to gouerne thee if foolish she will disgrace thee if Barren shee will be vncomfortable if full of children shee wil be chargeable if you trust her not with all you haue shee will grow suspicious of your loue to her if you trust her with all you haue she wil make you a seruant to her if she neuer loued any shee wil not know how to loue you and if she haue loued other she wil not leaue all for one furthermore if a man buy a house or land he wil suruey it ere he purchase it and if he do not like it when he hath it he may find means to part with it but for a wife hee must take her at all aduentures once had during life must neuer part with her and therefore if thou canst fine a woman neither young nor old wise nor foolish ritch nor pore kinde nor froward honorable nor base talkattue nor sullen let me see her that I may commend thy choyce in her but til then make stay of the Bells they may not ring to thy Bridall but if thy affection bee setled and not to be remoued then in Gods name goe on with Gods blessing So till I heare from thee how the world goes with thee wishing thee either a good wife or none in my prayers for thy prosperity I rest Thine what his owne B. T. His Answere FRiend Samuell your Caueats to my marriage I haue lookt ouer very carefully and am sorry to see your course so farre short of such comfort for in the election of Grace it is an holy ordinance of God for the good of his people and in the world what companion can equall a kind wife If I were as nice in my choyce as you are in your notes I might haue a long dreame and awake find nothing but come to your selfe when you dye what issue will you leaue of your loue if you liue how vngodly is your course for my selfe I am fully resolued rather to aduenture the hope of vertue then to runne a vainer course and to nourish mine owne family then to feed on another mans trencher In briefe when the Bells ring you shall know what busines is at Church and if you come to my house you shall be heartily welcome till when wishing you as to my selfe I rest Your very louing friend R. T. A Letter of vnkindnes to a kinsman vppon a report of his abuse COsen I am sorry to heare that I doe of you how you haue vsed me you know how I can disgest it you know not I would willingly forget vnkindnes but if my patience nourish your presumption who deserueth to bee blamed if one folly beget another you are my neere kinsman I would you were not so farre from me in kindnesse but I feare the Prouerb proues to true in you to vse mee more like a kinsman then a friend but I can bee angry and not sinne or rather be sorry and not angry for if you will come to mee and acknowledging your fault make it a warning to your further euill the euill past shall not be remembred and the good to come not vnregarded and so wishing to see you and the sooner the better till then I rest Your louing Cosen D. H. His Answere