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
that I am in Loue I doe not deny it but with all the world I wil not confesse it for the Reprobates are out of the Rule of Charitie that my affection is of force I grant it for so had I rather haue it then fantastick and with a woman beleeue it for shall wee abandon their loue by whom wee haue our breeding to life I know it is not your meaning for my weakenesse in vnworthinesse you must leaue that to the blessing of Grace whereon building the house of my hopes comfort the foundation well laide I the lesse feare the fall of it in the Subiect of mine Obiect can be no Abiect when Diana's Cupid knowes neither Vulcan nor Venus but if Pallas and Mars make a coniunction Copulatiue in an Accident vnseperable the ioy may be vnspeakeable I write not this out of the Arte but the heart of loue where there is more hope of faith then a poeticall fiction To grow towards the matter that I know you most looke at let it suffice you that shortly I will sée you and then acquaint you with that I hope shall not dislike you but to the confirming of comfort at the houre of conclusion in ioining hands vnto hearts you will bee rather a father then a friend in hope whereof and prayer for which I humbly rest Your most louing Nephew T. P. A discontentiue Letter vpon the deniall of friendship IF I were rich I would be beholding to no beggers and if wise I should trouble no fooles but he that is plagued for his sinnes must haue patience with his crosses yet spight of the Diuell God will blesse his Seruants when Christmas comes we shall haue Holy daies and though the Lent be long Easter followes Good-Friday I know to well you vnderstand mee to ill but hauing knowne you to long to finde that I doe in you at last meaning to trouble you no more except with my fight against my will I rest as I haue reason Yours as you mine B. D. His Answere HE is poore whom God hateth and he rich that is contented he is wise that knowes himselfe and he vnwise that misconstrueth an other punishments of sinne are the trials of patience and afflictions well taken are the tokens of loue twixt feasting and fasting are daies of indifference and who wil not work must take the profit of idlenes Your knowledge to well may be taken to ill but if your presence may be troublesome let me entreat your absence so neither angry nor well pleased till I heare better of your humor I rest Yours as you mine H. B. A Letter from a friend to a fantasticall conceited Madcap IF I know where to finde you I should know how to send after you for what I think of you I should know how to write vnto you but I thinke you are like a Bird to flye vp and down where you list or like a Cameleon to change into all manner of colours I am sorie to see how your vnseasoned braine sets your wits a wool-gathering but would you once be your selfe your friends would be glad of you for there are good things in you howsoeuer you make vse of them If I had not heard of you now I thinke I should neuer haue heard of you for I could not deuise almost what should become of you very strangely you went from me but if more kindely you would come to me your welcom should be in better then bare words therfore if I may entreat you and not to trouble you when you can conueniently let mee see you that wee may speake of something that is necessary to be spoken off bee you assured I will not hurt you and what good I can doe you you shall finde before I will tell you and thus with my hartie commendations to your kinde acceptation in hope shortly to heare from you and not long after to see you till then and euer to the Lord of heauen I leaue you Your assured louing Friend N. W. His Answer IF you were not estranged from that I left you I should know how to finde you but beeing as you are I know not what to say vnto you you haue not heard from me a long time and me thinkes to soone at last considering the comfort I finde in your Commendations For you would seeme kinde and yet in words shew the contrarie when in the manner of your writing the bitter ouercomes the sweet if the good be marde what should you doe with the euill and if my wits be out of temper what should a foole doe among wise men I haue no Birds nor Beasts to figure your fancies but an Ape is no man though hee be nimble in his conceits and hee that bites like Diogenes deserues a name of his Nature your hurt I feare not and your good I seeke not but if I chance to come neere you it is a chance but I will see you when as I finde my welcome you shall enuie my company till then rather to quite your courtesies then to moue your discontent in the Answere of your Letter loth to bee in your debt for an humour in more loue then idle talke as I was and will be till I see you and alwaies Your louing friend H. T. A biting Letter to a Clamorous vngentlewoman IF all Birds were Nightingales the Owle would not make such a noise whose feature is as ill fauoured as her Note is vnpleasing yet such deformed things are in Nature that perfection may be the better esteemed her feede is most vpon vermine except shee light on a Birde in her sleepe when hauing filde her gorge she fals to pruning of her fethers til shee leaue nere a good one on her backe now if you vnderstand not this figure goe no further then your selfe in whom being all that vnworthinesse that may deserue all vnhappinesse in the same I leaue you as I found you and so I rest till I heare better of you Yours as you see W. B. Answere IF all Beasts were Horses an Asse would not kéep such a braying whose shape is as vnhandsome as his flesh is vnholesome yet such creatures there are to serue the vse of a Clowne onely to beare either burthens or blowes now if you vnderstand not my meaning looke but vpon your picture and you shall see the proportion in which being nothing worth any thing in as little regard as may bee till I finde better cause of liking I rest as I was and will be Yours as you may conceiue A. S. A discontentiue Letter of a coy Mistris YOur coy lookes condemne you for little noise your sharp spéech of no swéet disposition it is pitie so good apparell should haue so ill lining if I had not mine eyes I should worship an Idol but when it know coulours I can gesse which is in graine to be short I will giue honor her right and vertue her Grace beauty her praise and wisedome her honour but where I finde conditions of a
contrarie Nature I will regard them accordingly the best is I am not the first that hath been deceiueâ—… nor shall bee the last that shall be deluded and yet though this be no excuse for my folly it shal be a warning to my discretion in the placing of my affection in which not ouer bootes though ouer shooes not gone so farre but I can come home againe I rest Yours if you were your owne N. R. Her Answer IF you look for hearts in eyes you may be out of the rule of loue and let me tell you that your crabbed writing shewes a crooked disposition for your apparel and the lining if I were acquainted with your Tayler I should the better know the measure of your meaning and yet if I mistake not your figure it goes no further then your selfe whose out side is better then your inside if you deceiue your selfe blame no body but your selfe and if you deceiue mee I will snap vp mine owne sorrow if you haue done amisse know how to excuse it or amend it and when you finde a good warning make your best vse of it In briefe howsoeuer you trouble your selfe I pray you trouble me no more for which kindnesse I shall rest in much thankefulnesse Yours as I finde cause B. T. A Letter written to a friend in time of great afliction KInde Anthony thou writest vnto me to know how I doe and though perhaps it may bee grieuous to thee to know it yet being truth to thy loue I will tell it if thou aske how I fare as hard as any man to liue if what I doe shed teares for my sinnes and pray for mercy sigh to thinke of the follies of my youth and sorrow to see the misery of mine age If how I passe my time in the passions of the mind if where I liue in the maâ—e of griefe where till I get into my graue I thinke I shall neuer get out if how I liue so neere the nature of death as if one may liue dying I dye liuing for may I not offend the heauens maiesty to speake it I think neuer course of life came neerer to the thorny Crowne about Christs head which prickt him round about so is it with me crosses abroad and crucifyings at home in body and mind puts patience to a high point Oh my torments are innumerable and almost intollerable but that his goodnes that gaue me them giues me grace to beare them for in briefe if want to supply necessities vnnaturall kindred vnfaithfull friends vnconscionable Creditors vnquiet neighbours and a most vncomfortable wife méet all together to the tryall of a heart whether it will hold or not thinke if thou canst in what perplexity is my spirit and pray in thy heart for my ease or end of it And thus assured if thou canst do me good to find it till I heare from thee and till death I rest Thine what mine owne W. R. His Answere HOnest Henry I am sorry in my heart for thy heauines and to ease thee of thy greefe could bee content to beare part of thy passions but let this comfort thee that thou art not alone in thy calamities for euery man hath his crosse carry it as well as he can and for my selfe though my shooes be finely made yet they so wring my toes that they giue me many a twing at the heart and yet I must commend my Shoomaker and conceale my paine because the fault is in my feet if wee had not our sinnes wee should not haue our punishments beleeue me Henry aflictions are the Badges of Gods blessings if they bee borne without murmurring at his will hee that keepes a house may haue many euill birdes about it but I must confesse within doores the night Rauen is the worst whose continuall croking is many times vncomfortable but haue patience it is a spirituall salue that healeth all the sores of the heart and a Tenure by which wee haue possession of our Soules which guift of grace God of his goodnes in his mercy grant mee and thee and all his seruants deliuer vs from our miseries and make the ioy of our liues in the feeling of his loue to which prayer hoping thou wilt say Amen till I see thee and alwayes I rest Thine or not mine owne R. B. A kinde of quarrelsome Letter vpon a frowne of a friend AT my last being in your company your countenance gaue me some immagination of your discontent if you be angry I would know with whom and for what if it be with your selfe you know how to mend your selfe if with me I know not why nor care I wherefore if it bee your nature I will not seeke to alter it and if but your humor I would wish you to purge it and so wishing you to satisfie me if you haue any skill in Astronomy whether wee shall haue faire weather or foule as I heare from you I rest Yours as you mine T. N. His Answere MY occasions of my countenance are secret to my selfe at which if any take exceptions I wish me out of their company your condition I know not nor desire greater to bee acquainted with for any hurt that is done the amends may bee soone made if you be desirous of quarrels you may haue your handes full of mischeefe but if you will be at peace with your selfe I know no man that meanes to trouble you soe loath to bee at cost with any Almanacks to looke into the rules of Astronomy come what weather will welcome by the Grace of God and soe I rest Yours as you mine D. T. A Letter to an Vnckle to borrow a horse MY good Vncle I haue occasion to trauell some few miles further then I feare my feet will easily carry me if therefore I may intreat you to lend me your horse for some few dayes I will trauell him easily tend him carefully and feed him sufficiently his safe returne you shall not doubt nor my thankfulnes for your kindnes so loth to vse needlesse complements till I heere from you and alwaies I rest Your very louing Nephew R. T. His Answere IF I should lend you my horse you might thinke me an asse knowing your horsemanship and his quality but let this satisfie you three thinges I will not lend nor can I spare my wife my horse nor my sword the one from my bed the other from my stable the third from my side the one for my pleasure the other for my defence and the third for my seruice but that you shall not think I will be altogether vnkind I haue sent you heerein enclosed a piece of gold to hire you a Nagge so hoping of your discretion to haue patience with my deniall I rest Your most louing Vnkle T. R. His Answere A Letter from an old man to his adopted Sonne going from the Vniuersity to trauaile MY good Sonne I find by thy writing that thou art determined to leaue the vniuersity and to looke abroad into the world
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.