The contents of the second booke HIrmolaus Barbarus writeth vnto George Merula 91 Hirmolaus Barbarus writeth to Angelus Politianus 93 Marsilius Ficinus writeth vnto Angelus Politianus 94 Politianus aunswereth vnto Marsilius Ficinus 95 Innocent Pope to Angelus Politianus eodem Innocent the eight Pope to his welbeloued Sonne Laurentius de Medicis 96 Angelus Politianus to Innocent the .viij. Pope rendreth salutation eodem A certain man writeth to a Bookebinder of Paris 97 An epistle of Angelus Politianus to Laurentius de Medicis his Vncle. 98 Angelus Politianus to a certaine friende of his 100 Politian to his friende eodem Politian to an enuious person eodem Politian to a slanderer detracter 101 Politian to his friende Caesar Carmente eodem Politian to Iames Modeste eodem Politian to an vnconstant person eodem Angelus Politian to Picus Mirandula eodem Politian to a friende of his 102 Politian to a promise breaker eodem Politian to his friende eodem Politian to Picus Mirandula 103 Politian to a certaine frend of his eodem An epistle of Iohannes Picus Mirandula to his deare frende Iacobus Antiquarius eodem The contents of the third boke A Father writeth vnto his sonne 105 The aunswere of the Sonne vnto his Father 107 The Father writeth vnto the Sonne 108 The Sonne maketh aunsvvere vnto his Father eodem The wife writeth vnto hir husband 110 The aunswer of the Husband vnto his wife 111 A Sister writeth vnto hir brother 112 The aunswer of the brother vnto his Sister eodem A motâ—er writeth vnto hir daughter 113 The daughter maketh aunswer vnto hir mother 114 One Lord writeth vnto another 115 The aunswere of one Lorde vnto another eodem A Gentleman writeth vnto a noble Captaine 116 The aunswere of the Captaine vnto the Gentleman eodem One gentleman writeth vnto another 117 The aunsvvere of one Gentleman vnto another eodem One Marchant writeth vnto another 118 The aunsvver of one Marchant vnto another eodem A Marchant writeth vnto his Factor 119 The aunsvvere of the Factor vnto the Marchant 120 One Cashier writeth vnto another 121 One Cashyer vnto another eodem One frende writeth vnto another eodem The aunsvvere of one friende vnto another 122 One friend writeth in anothers behalf 123 The aunswere vnto his frende eodem To write vnto a Prynce in a prisoners behalfe eodem The aunswer of the Prynce declaring the demaund to be vnhonest 124 The excuse for that the demaunde was against Iustice 125 To ayde thy friende being in prison for det eodem To shew thy selfe sorowfull for the misfortune of thy friende 126 The exhortation of a captaine vnto his Souldiers eodem To demaunde entertaynement of a great Captaine 127 To excuse thy selfe for being negligent in writing vnto thy friende eodem To put thy friende in remembraunce of thy busynesse 128 To require ayde at thy friends hand eo To write vnto an Aduocate 129 To aunswere thy friende hauing praysed thee eodem The replie vnto the same 130 To shew thy selfe thankfull for a benefit receiued eodem The same after an other maner 131 The contents of the fourth boke EVrialus writeth vnto Lucresia 131 A certaine louer writeth vnto his Ladie 133 A louer requesteth his ladies loue eodem The aunswere of his Ladie 134 The Reply of the louer 135 A louer writeth to his Ladie 136 A constant louer doeth expresse his gryping grief which still encreaseth 137 A louer pearst with Cupids bowe thinks long till he be rid from woe 138 A secret louer writes his will by story of Pigmalions ill 139 A louer hath his Ladies hart and writes to hir as is his part 141 A louer sick for very loue to pitie doth his Lady moue 142 A faythfull louer feeling smart doeth nippe his Lady false of hart 143 FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman dwelling in Knightrider strete at the signe of the Mermaide For Leonard Maylerd Anno. 1568. Appelles Pigmalions The Cause The Intent The Conclusion The Inteut The Cause The Conclusion Conclusion Cause Intention Why the Epiloge is made A Confirmation An other Confirmation which is in forme of the Minor Two other reasons coÌ„firming and augmeÌ„ting that which goeth before Conclusion The Minor A prouerbe The Conclusion A three fold coÌ„sideration to be had in all Letters 4. things to be noted
garmeÌ„t had come so y t they spare theyr peÌ„s I pray you therfore my deare Father be content glad for I consume not your goods but I sell them aswel vnto women as vnto men I send you by your Factour two thousaÌ„d pounds for clothes of Scarlet six hundreth poundes for clothes of silke I will tary to finish the rest the cursed enuie languishing shall fall vnto the ground and you shal finde me God to frend a good iust faithful Sonne c. The vvife writeth vnto hir Husband ENtirely beloued Husbande after a thousand commendations vnto you wyth the desyre of your health and welfare rather than myne owne c. Synce your departure hence God knoweth in how many careful cogitations thoughts I haue lyued and certainly in all my tribulations through your absence I haue found none greater than in one whole yeare with much a doe to haue receiued from you onely two short Letters It may be y t some great affaires of the Court would not permit you time to write or peraduenture that no care of vs doeth prick you forwarde These verily were not your promises made vnto me at your departure It may please you to vnderstand that our two children are in good Health and encrease in stature but not in maners which to them should appertayne we are riche of substaunce more than otherwise therfore take heede least couetousnesse doe surmount ouercome you For riches wil be small ornaments for our Children without the brightnes of some vertues Besides this forget you not y t I haue not any lacke of things necessary for lyuing but know ye that I am a wife and that yong not better nor worse than other Therefore I beséech and require you that you will come vnto vs for we haue great néede of you not of money â—nd thus with gret desyre doe we attend for you beseching God to blesse you prosper your affairs Your faythfull Spouse c. The aunswere of the Husband vnto his Wife LOuing Wife after hartie commendacions with desire of your prosperitie and all oures c. This may be to certifie you that within these fewe dayes I reciued some very lamentable Letters from you by the which you doe greatly complaine of mée for y t I should be slow in writing vnto you you thinck peraduenture that from hence where I am in Lyâ—ns vnto Amboyse is like distaunce of way as from Bloys to Tours Verily I haue written at the least nyne tymes in the yeare And often it hapneth as you might consider that by negligence of the Cariers letters are lost But to procéede farther when I parted from you I had thought that I parted ioyfully leauing in your lap our two children with stedfast confidence to haue committed them to a prudent sage temperate careful diligent and heartie wife about the gouerning of domesticall affaires wherein me thinks there should be no default in you You write vnto me that you are a wife yong with that which foloweth I say that when I maryed you I tooke you not onely for a wife but also for the most vertuous most chaâ—t most honest most skilfull of all other of your age I am not couetous as peraduenture you suppose true it is that I am come vnto the Court to aduantage vs and our children asmuch as I can which may hereafter be cause of ioyfull quietnesse At this present I will write no further God willing within these thrée monethes I trust to be with you And thus I commit you and all ours to the blessed Trinitie Your louing Husband c. A Sister vvriteth vnto hir Brother MY welbeloued Brother after most heartie commendatioÌ„s vnto you c. I can not expresse nor declare in wordes what greuous sorowes and passions I haue receiued for the death of Frauncis your louing faithful spouse Therefore were not y e extreme teares gret anguishes wherewith I am bitterly accompanied I might peraduenture find out for you some maner of consolation but certainly very ill may he help an other that can not in any wise helpe himselfe Any other meane is there not saue only reason which might comfort you to take with a good heart the fierce and vncertaine death of that honest vertuous and chast wife who through the merites of hir vertues I estéeme without al dout to be gone to possesse the eternall Triumphes of y e heuenly glory Wherfore then ought we more to lameÌ„t y e vngeÌ„tlenes of enuious death which in y e end destroyeth all things created than we ought quietly to render the money which we haue borowed for the gift of life lent vnto vs by the generall Pastour ought to be restored without any lamentation Therfore I pray you study with me to prayse God for the faithfull departure of your welbeloued out of this transitory lyfe And so bring vp Loyse my déere niece that she may follow the maners of hir Mother Would the bitter rayne of the humour that falleth from myne eyes haue ceassed I would haue bene more large in writing vnto you The eternall God of his infynite pitie preserue you and yours in peace and prosperitie Your louing Sister c. The aunswere of the Brother vnto his Sister DErely beloued Syster after louing commendations vnto you c. The tendernesse of the swete Style of your humayne letters hath caused somwhat to ceasse the abundance of the moyst humour gushing from myne eyes therefore I can not by any sufficient wordes expresse the thankes which I do owe euen vntill the last day of my life shall owe vnto your pitie goodnesse and curtesie I know how tenderly you take the memory of Francis also I know the effect of the singular loue which she bare vnto you Your Niece humbly recommendeth hir vnto your benignitie I trust that she wil follow in all things the gentlenesse and honesty of that hir vertuous Mother deceassed We in the meane tyme shall alwayes be ready to accomplish your request in all things at your pleasure God haue you in his blessed tuition Your faithfull Brother c. A Mother vvriteth vnto hir Daughter WElbeloued Daughter Antyonette after due Commendations vnto you c. Very acceptable dâ—re daughter were your letters vnto me partly for hauing aduise of your health and partly to vnderstande that Peter your sonne doeth so diligently attend to the beginning of his studie To aduertise you by motherly charitie of that thing which apperteyneth both vnto my honesty and yours it is so that within this lytle whyle I haue by diuers voyces vnderstanded I wot not what of your yll renoume froÌ„ those partes of your Towne of Bloys You know my doughter y t at sixtene yeares of age I was maryed and at .xxiij. remained widow with two children and vnto this my age of .lij. yeares there was neuer none veryly that could say any thing against the integritie of my life neither haue I at any tyme passed for a
husband Thou veryly at .xvj. yeares didst take a husband and now at .xxxv. yeares remainest widow with one Sonne onely .xix. yeares hast thou possessed thy husband therfore thou oughtest to be satisfied of worldly things Thou art rich and arte left vnder the state of a widow Oh I pray thée for the loue of the eternal God and for the obeysaunce that thou owest vnto me that thou wilt be well aduised not to maculate or blot that wydowish and decent habyte which thou berest for the worship of him who of thy virginitie gathered the first frute The Lord be with thée Thy pitifull mother c. The Daughter maketh answere vnto hir Mother DEre and welbeloued Mother after most humble and reuerent commendations with the desyre of your long life c. Through your last briefe Letters I am become altogither melancholike and sorowful that not for the occasioÌ„ springeth of you but of the vnpappynesse of y e wicked world Verily with most-humble obedience I receiue al those admonitions which come from you my discretâ— mother Hippolit as we reade in the auncient histories bicause he would not consent to Thaedra his horrible Mother was by hir occasion cruelly put to death without deserts so I by the pestiferous tongues of others am innocently sclaundered Wherfore hearkeÌ„ I pray you my déere Mother you know Clare very wel who hath a brother .xxiiij. yeares olde a dronkard euill taught a gamner and a glutton these two yeares hath he by letters gifts and promises gon about dishonestly to tempt me and this doeth he not somuch for his owne desyre as for the wicked will of his Sister Clare who being about .xxx. yeares of age and richly maryed but vnto an olde man is very liberall of hir loue vnto who so euer demaundeth it And bicause that she is my neighbour she wold gladly haue me ioyned in loue with hir brother but that shall notwithstanding nothing preuayle him though mistrustfull persons speake their pleasure No more at this time you vnderstande me well God prosper and preserue you Your obedient and louing Daughter c. One Lorde vvriteth vnto an other RIght honourable Lorde after due commendations c. It is alreadie three monethes agoe since your honour by your learned and prudent Letters requested me that if it were possible to vse such meanes and diligence in speakyng vnto VVilliam Ardiller that it would please hym to serue your honor in the office of a Secretarie bicause he is a man skilfull quiet and of maruellous elegancie in composing verily I vsed all the meanes that I could to induce him vnto your honors desire the assaultes that I gaue vnto hym of that matter in the beginning did nothing auaile for he excused himself to be wearie of seruing lordes and that he nowe loued to reste and to giue hym selfe to nourishe his litle childe But in fine I so handled the matter that within one moneth he wil depart hence to go vnto you I told him that your honor would vse such liberalitie as his vertue requireth I take great pleasure for that your Lordshippe shall haue néere you a man prudent loyall learned a wonderfull obseruer of antiquities a great historian and in the plesant pastime of poetrie a man without comparison which shall be great satisfaction to the ardent zeale of the diuine vnderstandyng of your excellencie which I pray God stil to prosper and encrease c. The aunswere of one Lord vnto an other RIght honorable after continuall coÌ„mendation c. Your Lordship knoweth in howe troublesome and wearie exercises we haue consumed the other part of our transitorie miserable life therfore your honour by the humanitie therof must pardon our vnlearned letters but now by vertue 〈◊〉 your honor we possesse the gentle and quiet personage of VVilliam Ardiller for the loyal good Secretarie of our affaires Certainly I loue his humanitie and geÌ„tlenesse his iudgemeÌ„t doth greatly please me the eloquence of his speach deliteth me If all y e holy church of the christians had aswel chosen their bishops deacons and ministers as I haue done my Secretarie vndoutedly y e true Religion of our Catholike faith would be had more in reuerence and better spoken of than wee see it is in this our myserable time I certifie your lordshippe that as soone as our forsayd Secretarie came to salute vs we immediately of oure curtesie gaue him Fiue hundreth Crownes of golde God for his clemencie send prosperitie to our affaires for vnto our sayde Secretarie and to all mindes like vnto his we wil at all tymes enforce our selues to giue all commoditie and fauour Here will I make an ende and commit your Lordshyp to the blessed Trinitie c. A Gentleman writeth vnto a noble Captaine HOnorable Captayne after moste humble coÌ„mendations c. I am aduertised by Letters from my Sonne that your honor through your gracious goodnesse hath placed him in the number of your men of armes For which thing I with all our parents and frendes doe so muche remaine bounde vnto you that in veritie we are not able to expresse it in wordes O how precious is the seruice that is done to a liberall man but much more happie and more praise worthy is that lorde who knoweth his loyall and faithfull seruitor and rewardeth him with condigne benefits The hautie worthinesse of your magnanimitie doth cause vs y t though we be absent in bodie yet our ardâ—â—â—e loue is always at hande and néere you No more at thys tyme but the Lorde prosper your affaires c. The aunsvver of the Captaine vnâ—o the Gentleman WElbeloued I hartily recoÌ„mend me vnto you c. Right acceptable vnto me were your Letters replenished with loue and humanitie by the which you with your friends and kinsfolkes do appeare to be willing to giue me thanks for that I haue chosen your sonne into the order of my men of Armes I will aunswere you briefly vnderstand ye then that in feates of chiualrie where the matter standeth of life and death of pouertie and richesse of honour and shame I make not election by frendship or fauour but I preferre meÌ„ to higher degrée by their vertue and therfore the wisedome counsell and manly courage of your sonne constrained me to honour him who is readie to be further preferred you in the meane time liue quietly and if he doe you honour giue the praise to God and not vnto me The eternall haue you in his keping c. One Gentleman vvriâ—eth vnto an other RIght worshipfull my heartie commendations vnto you remembred c. I haue presentely receyued youre grateful Letters which were welcom vnto me for two causes First bicause they were yours â–ª and secondly bicause with them I receiued from youre worship a liberall presente to wit halfe a dosen Phesants and a couple of Kyds I hartily thank your gentlenesse We are also hunters but it behoueth vs to pray vnto Diana the auncient Goddesse of the forests y t she