desire to be excus'd 23 To acquaint one wiih a journey 24 To thanke one for a curtesie 25 To excuse a friend in his absence 26 The wooers complement 27 The Mayes answer 28 The Wooers answer 29 To invite one home 30 To excuse with thankes 31 To deliver a letter to a Lady 32 The Ladies answer to her Waiting-Mayd 33 The Waiting-Mayds answer 34 The Serving-mans wooing of Susan a Chamber-mayd 35 Susans answer 36 To desire the Mayd to speak to the Mistres 37 To entreat lodging at a Gentlemans house 38 The Gentlemans answer 39 A bold Complement to a Widdow 40 The Widdowes answer 41 To wooe a Country-Mayd 42 The Country-Mayds answer A BOOKE OF COMPLEMENTS As there are divers occasions of speech so to have variety of words and phrases to expresse ones selfe must needs be an ornament to the speaker and delightfull to the hearer I have therefore in this little Booke set down some formes of speaking and answering as followeth 1. To wooe a Mayd FAire Mayd the opportunity of time and place none being by to over-heare us doth invite mée to discover my affection For since nothing can be determined in loves affaires without consent of both parties I meane now so acquaint you with my desire Which is that since my heart hath made choice of you in the way of marriage you would bée pleased to receive my love with like affection I know I might have delivered my mind in more choice and eloquent words but beléeve me that love is truest which speakes plainest Now the reasons that induce mée to séeke your lovs are the vertuous qualities which adorne your mind whose amiable and lovely beauty makes my heart burne with a chast affection Thinke not therefore that any foule desires move me to become a Suitor to yâ—u nor am I hasty for marriage for if you please to grant mée your love I will stay your leasure to appoint the day to consummate our happinesse I am a young pleader at the Barre of affection and therefore hope you will not discourage me in my first suit but rather since my cause is full of love will at last give me a happy answere Fearfull distrust I know doth plead against me and tels you how Maides have béene deceived by flattering men who have onely made a Complement of love to obtaine their own desires But alas faire Maide condemne not all because some have béene false hearted for I dare promise for my selfe that the streame of my affection slowing from your vertues shall ever kéepe a constant course For the seale of your love is so déepely imprinted in my heart that no time can weare it out and therefore be assured that till you cease to be vertuous which I know is impossible I can never cease to love you And thus swéet Mayd I have unclasped the volumne of my secret thoughts wherein you may read by faire intents which are onely to obtaine your love and ioyne your heart néerer to mine by the inviolable Bond of marriage Let me desire you therefore to unfold your lips and give a favouring answer to my languishing hopes 2. The Maids answer SIr your language is so full of chast affection and delivered with so much mooving passion that had my fancy hitherto entertained a thought of love you had certainly prevailed over the weakenesse of a Mayds resistance But alas your love is a stranger to my heart and therfore blame me not if I dare not receive it as a plaine guest till I have consulted with my owne thoughts Sudden consent is alwaies held dangerous and is still followed by repentance And therefore give me leave to consider your late motion I wil study your satisfectioÌ„ in my answer which if it proove not to your content yet it shall expresse my thankfulnesse for that love you beare me In the meane time I must dismisse my selfe from your company for I feare my mother hath tooke notice of our conference and so for my abrupt departure if it be any breach of manners I must relye on your parton 3. To urge a suite the secondtime THe next day repairing to the former place I spyed these two Lovers lying on a bank of Flowers so that using the friendship of some bushes to hide me I lay downe and so uâ—seene over-heard the former Sutor renewing his sute in these words Faire Mayd now is the time that your promise hath ingag'd you to give an answer to my doubtfull feares and now I am to receive my sentence from you which I hope shall be full of comfort since the greatest offence wherewith you can charge my heart is onely this that I love you and therefore I came to this place full of hope to be made happy by your answer so let mée returne full of ioy by your frée consenting to my former motion But what néede I doubt or afflict my selfe with vaine feares since I doe reads some comfort in your chéerefull countinance which caynot like a cruell Iudge smile and condemne at once Mâ— heart doth presage that during my absence Cupid hath wrought in your heart a good opinion of mée which if you are unwilling to let your tongue confesse lest a bush should spread it self upon your chéeke I am content to take youâ— silence for my answer so you will suffer me acâ—cording to the rules of love to interpret that silence for consent But say I sée your lips are ready to prepare my doome and therefore with patience I will expect my sentence either of life or death since it is in your power to raise mee up or cast me downe 4. The Mayds answer SIr I perceive the love that you professe unto me can receive no alteration by time for I was in good hope that your two dayes absence would have inform'd your iudgement to place your love on some more worthy choyce But now since you are bent still to prosecute your former suite and will not beléeve me when I â—ell you how much I want of those vâ—â—tues which you attribute to me I hope you will not â—lame mée if I consent to your former motion for I beléeve you love me in the way of marâ—â—ge and in that assuranâ— I grant you my love â—â—aine 5. The Lovers reply IT is a grant that makes me happy and now let me seale my patent with this kisse for you have given me your love and with it a little world of happinesse So that there remaines nothing but that we appoint our wedding day which I will not hasten through any forward desire of mine owne For since I have obtain'd your promise for marriage I doe beléeve that our hearts are already married in heaven before a Congregation of Angels which the Church shal but only publish and make known to the world And so bidding adieu to vaine Complements which onely became mée as a Sutor I hope I may now say you are mine as I am yours 6. Master Brainlesse his wooing of Mistrisse Barbara
confesse our Towne is but ill provided for the entertainment of strangers and therefore if you please to accept of such a meane lodging as my house can afford you shall be welcome 39. A bold Complement to a Widdow SWéet Widdow I come not with a tedious Complement to win affection but I come with love and youth which are more gracefull qualities in a Widdowes eyes I am indéed a younger brother and have no land to indéere me into your liking yet if you please as they say to cast away yourselfe upon a man I hope I shal be able to delight you with the swéet contents of love Thinke it not therefore the worst charity to make a man and to raise the fortunes of a yonger Brother who only wants some of that white and red earth which lyes by you so uncomfortably Come I will not be put backe or daunted nor will I take your no for a denyall for I know however you Widdowes séeme to dislike our boldnesse yet in your owne thoughts you doe commend us when like good Souldiers comming up bravely we make an assault upoÌ„ your lips and scorne to retire although your eyes shoot frownes against us Thus far swéet Widdow I have bin bold with you and I hope not more bold than welcome yet lest I should pâ—esume too far know therfore in plaine termes that albeit I am the last that hath sollicited you for affection yet doe I not least affect you but should be glad of such a comforter as yourselfe who by your good counsel may reclaim me from the wild unstayed errors of my youth for being once marryed I wil fast from all loose affection striving night and day to make myself worthy of the title of your husband which I hope you will grant me that so our wooing may conclude in a wedding 40. The Widdowes answer ALas Sir the remembrance of my late Husband whose memory doth ever draw teares from mine eyes his memory I say had so farre once prevailed and was so déepely implanted in me that I resolved never to make a second choyce But yet I know not how mooved rather out of pitty to your selfe than any desire of my owne I am willing to second your desires in any lawfull affection For I see you can speake moovingly and I must confesse you have wrought more upoÌ„ me than many others whom I could put backe at any time by telling them with a serious countenance that I never meant to marry But I sée you wil have no answer but in the right kind and therefore as I said before in pitty of your youth hoping you will be a comfort to my age and proove a good Husband I am content to make you Master of my selfe and mine But still I say in pitty of your youth for t is your youth and young blood that I love 41. To wooe a Country Mayd FAire Mayd the opportunity of occasion and the strong bent of my affection which will either break out in words or breake my heart compell me to take this short time to discover my desires unto you The first time that I beheld you was when you were reaping your fathers corne and then it séemed to mee that the golden eares did even bend unto your hands your straw hat became you better than if you had woâ—e a coronet of starres But indeed what néed you weare a starry crown whose eyes are starres and have so powerfull an influence upon the beholders that ever since that day my heart hath never béen mine owne but yours and my thoughts have béene wholly given over to thinke of nothing but the obtaining your love for which I am come now to entreate bâ—gge and sue knowing that you cannot be unmercifull for if you will save your Fathers Lambs out of danger when they fall into a pit if such trifling things can moove your compassion I hope you will a little commiserate the dolouâ—s and extreame passions of a Lover For I perâ—wade you to nothing but that which is the end of your comming into this world and that is marriage for how soone would the world decay and come to nothing if it were not preserved by marriage since therfore nature hath given you so large perfections she lookes that you should requite her againe and not to let your beauties wither on your chéeke but to bestow your youth and beauty on him who will honor you both in age and sickenesse For know this that beauty is a fading flower which cannot long continue and as Fryer Bacons headspake Time is Time was Time is past so Mayds have their sevâ—rall times and seasons for at 15. they are in their prime and then Time is at 30. Time was and at 40. Time it past But I néede not I hope use so many circumstances in words to come to the sull point af Marriage since you yourselfe cannot be ignorant of my affection For when you went to milke I have like a faint shadow followed you aÌ„nd when you went to fold your fathers shéepe I have helpt you all which were services of that love and duty which my heart doth owe you Be pleased therefore now out of the goodnesse of your nature and by that soft compassion which should dwell in a Maâ—dens heart to grant me your love and then I shal estéeme myselfe more happy than the greatest Monarch in the world I beséech you do not deny me but let one chast kisse strike a bargaine betwéene us that so we may tie the true Lovers knot of marriage 42. The Country Maydes answer SIr I had thought you would not have mockt me by laying beauty to my charge for I have often beheld my face in the running streame but I wish I could never behold such a dicker of beauty as you will ascribe unto me You compare my eyes unto starres and I know not what Alas Sir doe you thinke we CountreyMayds are such harmelesse innocent fooles that we are taken with fine faiâ—e words which you Courtiers call Complements Alas no you may goe use them to Ladies yet I know not how mée thinkes your words come from you with such fervency of affection that I could find in my heart to answer you in your owne phrase for you must know wée Country Mayds can Complement as wel as you know therefore that if your former words doe proceed out of chast desire to marry mee and if your heart hath beene so long a servant of mine I will not detaine your wages but will pay you love for love againe and that I know is the payment that you expect But I pray boast not that you overcame me with a ComplemeÌ„t though indéed I like your Complements very well which being set forth with a languishing behaviour did become you so wel that I am content to yeeld my selfe to your disposing and to make my selfe an example to shew what great power a Complement delivered in due time and place may have over a mayds affection and so without further ceremony pray let our Baâ—â—es be bidden let the fidlers be hired to play upon our wedding day and let the Mayds strew the way to Church woth flowers for your Complement hath overcome me and so I leave you FINIS
SWéete Mistresse Barbara I beséech you not to be barbarous unto mée For our Fatherâ— have made the match already and I am now come to wâ—â—e you for I feele the mouth oâ— my affection begin to water at thée so thâ—â— there must be some spéedy remedy found out tâ— allay my burning heat for if I looke but â—â— your pretty foote I féele my heart begin to risâ— beneath my girdle that sure I thinke thou hast some spirit about thée which doth bewitch mée but I hope ere long you shall finde that I have a spirit too which if it take after my Mother it may be a devillish spirit for any thing I know for I am sure shee was an arrant shrew But I love no long discourse and therefore I would entreat you That you would looke upon my wounded heart And with your favour helpe to ease my smart 7. To excuse some inconfiderate speeches to a Gentlewoman IF formerly swéet Mistris I have throwne out any words inconsiderately which might move your anger I beséech you pardon them or if my tongue have wronged my heart by hasty speaking attribute it to my rashnesse not want of love for I recant those wordes that have mooved your iust disdaine and since they cannot be recalled let your wisedome and swéetnesse of nature be shewed in pardoning as my folly was in offending Let these words excuse my trespasse for I know you are full of mercy and cannot long deny a pardon to him that sues for it with teares though in a greater matter But I sée you turne away from mée as if my words séeking to excuse my former words did still offend you and therefore I will beg some favour from you in these few verses which I made upon this occasion If that my tongue faire Nymph hath said amisse The same for pardon now a Sutor is Or for it selfe if it too weakely pleade My lips on its behâ—lfe thus intercede Thus sue thus beg and begging will not leave Till they a pardon sâ—al'd from yours receive And while my kisses beg O happy me If I might ever such a begger be 8. To welcome one home SIr we have often wished your compony at home and now you have made us happy in our desires by your safe retâ—rne to bid you welcom is but the common rode way of friendship and therefore I would fâ—ine speake something that might set forth my love more fully but indéed I find that all words are tóo meane to expresse the ioy thaâ— my heart conceives at your happy returne Wée were fearfull and solicitons least some misfortune might befall you in the way But now we must confesse we owe a sacrifice of thankes to Heaven for protecting you in your iourney and bringing you backe againe unto us to whom I dare prâ—sume you are as welcome as health to the ficke man or a calme to the Weather-beaten Marâ—iner To conclude I could bid you welcome a thousand times and yet thinke those welcomes too few for since my love to you is infinite I must néeds say you are infinitely welcome 9. To perswade by way of Councell SIr were I worthy to counsell you of whom I am more fit to learne than to advise I would perswade you to leave off that ill company to which I finde you are too much addicted For I professe unto you my counsell is directed to no other aime but your owne good and to entreate you to be kind unto your selfe and not to disgrace your parentage and birth by frequenting such base and ignoble company who onely desire to infect you with their vices and who like shaddowes onely depend upon the Sunne of your fortune which if once it be darkened by the aclipse of adversity you shall finde that you who before could number so many friends shall then be left alone to deplore your owne folly in thinking that those could be friends unto you who are not friends unto themselves for having by their owne lavish profusion spent their owne estates all their purpose now is to winde you into the some Labyrinth of misery if there thou have already entred into the intricate wayes of vice let my counsell serve like Adriadne's clew of thred to guide your steps backe againe into the way of vertue from which you have too farre already wandred But perhaps I shall obtaine your hatred and by séeking to reclaime your errours shall there by lose your favour yet however I shâ—ll expresse the duty and office of a friend for while I see you run these wilde and ruinous courses though I am your friend I will not be your flatterer 10. To entreate a courtesie SIr you shall oblige mée to you by adding one new favour to your former courtesies for so it is that my businesse will miscarry unlesse I obtaine your assistance which if you please to grant mée you shall not onely binde me unto you by the resâ—eâ—s of duty and observance but shall also expresse your selfe the miracle of true friendship I confesse I am unwilling to be troublesome unto â—ou but yet such is the commanding necessity of my affaires that I must assume an unwonted boldnesse to petition your favour and assistance in my behalfe 11. The answer SIr you may command mée for I am so wholly devoted to your service that you may assure your selfe I can deny you no request which lies within the circle or compasse of my power For my heart is yours and therefore what good I am able to doe you either in this or any other kind you may promise your selfe being indéed glad to be imployed in any service that concernes you so that to the ability of a poore friend I shall be evâ—r ready to second your desires with my best endeavours Command me therefore when you please and you shall finde mée your ready servant for I languish with a desire to doe you some courtesie that may expresse that friendship and love I owe you which hath hitherto laine dead in me for want of opportunity to demonstrate and make it evident to the eyes of the World by some friendly office 12. To bid a Bride good morrow MIstris Bride I wish the ioyes of love may be still multiplyed upon you Nay blush not for it is no shame to doe the Common wealth service by bringing a race of Souldiers into the World I know this night you have endevoured for it but we must sée the fruit hereafter All this I wish is that your Husband and you may live together like a contented paire happy in each other What now Wéeping I hope you will not give such an example to the Mayds or so disable your Bridegroom as to shew any sigues of griefe or sorrow on the following morning to your Wedding day If you have parted with a long preserved ioy to night yet comfort your selfe in your losses for there are many Mayds would have béen glad of your place and thanke you too But I have no art in Complements and
friend will refuse it for I would have the health in a circular orbe move round about the table till every man hath had it And so as I said before I begin this health Ad salutem Amicorum To the health of all our friends wishing them as full a measure of all happinesse as this cup is full of Wine I hope you 'le pledge me Gentlemen 21. To promise to pledge it SIr héere 's no man will refuse it for my part I will continue the health for I am bound to second it since it is in memory to our friends and therefore I will pledge it though the glasse were so big that the Moone might make a câ—ver to it 22. To desire to be excused GEntlemen I must entreat your pardon for I dare not drinke such health since I know I should loose mine owne health by it Besides I hold it a heathenish custome and not becomming a Christian I shall therefore estéeme it a courtesy in you to dispence with my pledging it for to shew love to our friends by wronging our selves were a part of folly rather then friendship To which purpose I have written these verses T is an â—ld rule now amonst Bacâ—ius traine That from our owne healthes drinking we refraine Yet now they doe begin healths to their friends Which with the losse of their owne health still ends And thus while of our friends too much we make We love our friends but our owne selves we hate 23. To acquaint one with a journey I Am to ride this morning toward London and if you please to command mee any service I shall be carefull in the performance of it or if you have any thing to buy pray let me be your steward I le buy it as cheape as I can for it is a happinesse to me to have any imploy ment from you If therefore you have any businesse or cause to solicite trust me with it and I will use the best diligence I can to effectuate your desires or if you please to command me any other service you shall finde me your ready servant 24. To thanke one for a courtesie SIr I must acknowledge my self indebted to you for your last courtesy the remembrance makes me your debtor till I can finde some opportunity of requitall neither will I bée ungratefull for your last favour but will returne it with interest when Fortune shall enable me in the mean time I would desire you to reckon me in the number of those that are beholding to you and for your former crurtesies to take the payment of a friend in a currant English shankes 25. To excuse a friend in his absence SIr it is the part of one friend to excuse another in his absence and therefore I intreate you not to be offended with him till you know the truth but to interprete all things to the best For I know it would much grieve him to gaine your displeasure and therefore let not your wisedome censure him in his absence for I know hée will cleare himselfe at his returne Bée pleased therefore to suspend your anger a while and let not your passion pronounce him guilty before you know the truth for if you will uniustly condemne him I must rise up in my friends defence for howsoever his enemies have incensed you against him I dare engage my selfe hée is not guilty of those calumnious slaunders which are heaped on him Let me entreate you therefore not to give credit to the reports of malicious informers who can with ease defame and cast aspersions upon the best men but I would rather have you thinke the best of him till you know the worst and then determine of as you find cause If hée deserve it let him continue still your friend if not let him be wiped out of the number of your friends 26. The Wooers Complement SWéet Maide the Sunne hath almost gone his yearely iourney about the World since first I beheld the Sunne of your beauty which hath so dazled mine eyes that I behold all other things as trifles in respect of those glorious beames which do shoot themselves from thence If therefore câ—ntinuance of time may bée any assurance of fidelity in love you must néedes confesse that I have long béene a devoted servant to your perfections Bée pleased therefore now to accept that love of mine which my fond heart cannot conceale you are the darling of my thoughts the treasure of my heart the â—appinesse of my life neither would I live â—ndéed but that I hope in time by my true serâ—ice and obedience to obtaine your favour Neither would I have you thinke that I slatâ—er you for my tongue doth but interpret â—o my heart and the heavens know with what a due reverence I honour you If therefore my love be grounded upon vertuous desires you ought to cherrish it but if I seeke your wrong by satisfaction of my owne desires let me perish in your favour which is to me above all punishments You are the Load-stone of my affection your lips are the moyst Adamants that doe attract me one touch from your hand hath power to revive the dead faculties of age There is musick in your voyce and a lovelines in all your actions Blame me not then for loving you but blame your selfe for being so worthy of love and since your beauties haue wonnded me let your gracious answer cure mée by consenting to tie that holy knot of Marriage which I have often urged Make me happy in your answer 27. The Mayds answer SIr as you are a friend to vertue I cherish your Love and am perswaded you love mée but alas wée Maydes have no power to give away our selves withouâ— consent of Parents neither can we dispose oâ— our selves or be liverall of our affections tilâ— our Parents be acqutinted with it And therefore you must now become a Sutor to my Father his liking obtain'd mine shall follow and if you get his good will my hand shall give you my heart in the Church before the whole Congregation in the meane time rest assured you shall find me constant in affection and therefore you néede sollicite mée no further I am yours 28. The Wooers answer I Desire no more happinesse for by your answere you have revived my drooping heart neither would I change my estate with rich Croesus since I value the obtaining of your love above the Empire and Dominion of the whole world I doubt not but we shall live and love together And as for your Father I hope he will grant us the priviledge due to al hearts to love to enioy and I wil shortly take some fit opportunity to sollicite his consent in the interim I must force my heart to take my leave of you not daring to salute you for feare one kis should tempt me back againe but t is no matter what we spare now we will take out upon our Wedding day Farewell 29. To invite one home SIr I have often desired your