THE SECRETARIES STVDIE CONTAINING NEW familiar Epistles OR DIRECTIONS for the formall orderly and iudicious inditing of Letters Whether Amorous OR Louing Whether Morall OR Ciuil Whether Oeconomicall OR Houshold busines Whether Politicall OR Wittie Whether Obiurgatory OR Chiding Whether Excusatory OR Excusing Whether Petitionary OR Requesting Whether Gratulatory OR Giuing thankes Whether Nuncupatory OR Relating Newes By Thomas Gainsford Esq. Sic iuuat indulgere fugacibus horis LONDON Printed by T. C. for Roger Iackeson and are to be solde at his shop in Fleetstreet ouer against the Conduit 1616. TO THE RIGHT HOPEFVL YONG GENTLEMAN Maister Iohn Mounson at Charter-house and as likely to aduance his Vertues to Honorable eminency as any expectation can warrant GEnerous Youth without other ceremony or complement I am now to aduēture a iourney and a fearefull one as the first voiage that euer I made into the streights of opinion or seuere Censure so that pollitick and temporising-men would contract a sure bargaine with some rich marchant honorable patron or sufficient Statist to protect and countenance the enterprise But in despight of aduerse Fortune or calumniation I haue made choyce of your loue fauor vertue and good condition of which I take the aduantage in your virgin chastitie and soules puritie and wherein I will as much reioyce as if larger embraces had opened themselues to make me credulous of sincere welcome Bee therefore your selfe expectable Gentl and doe but loue mee for olde loues sake and I shall bee so proud yea presumptuous in your acceptation that neyther windes nor seas shall affright mee vntill I haue made a satisfactory voyage or beeing ouer-freighted with heauy Fortune sincke the whole Stocke or Remaine of mine abilities in this kinde in other like aduentures which if it should so fall out I could but conclude Hic finis Priami Yours assured though there be no assurance amongst men Tho Gainsford Non opus est digitis per quos arcana loquaris Errata pag 5. lin 4. read tracted Pag 10. m. read loose p 13. l 24. read sturd p 17. l. 6. r. euen fol. 19. l. 15. r. sorer f. 26. l 5. r. adornation f. 27. l. 7. r. country life f. 30. l. 7. r. goe p. 31. l. 26. r. fiue p. 34. l. 2 besides for so p. 34. l. 33. r. stake p. 35. l. 16. r. work p. 36. l. 26 leaue out to p. 43. l. 27. r. sedation l. 29. r. inuitations p. 45. l. 13. re a bettering f 46. l. 26. r. grow l. 32. r. Lords fauor p. 47. l 30. r. hold vp p. 50 l. 11 r you might gather l 14 r hauing p 53 l 12. r. for the p 57 in the mar following described l 21 r O God! that p 107 l 30 r obsolete THE TABLE Amourous or louing Letters THe Louer afraid to loose his friend contracted The Louer troubled with suspition of hazarding his desire The Louer iustifieth his loue from inward vertues and outward comelinesse The Louer findeth fault with neglect of titles The louer complaineth of sequestration The louer cannot endure a riuall The Louer cannot soone forget his loue after firme rooting The louer desires secrecie not ouer liberall discoueries The louer doth not tye his affection to outward beautie The louer is afraide to loose his contentment The louer maintaineth that a little iealousie will season affection Morall or Ciuill Letters True Friendship Friendly precepts An other of the propertyes of friendship Friendes would haue no vnkindnes taken for any thing Necessitie causeth importunitie Friendship is broken through denyall of trifles and presuming of anothers weaknes Friendship is lost through vnkindnesse and discontinuance Ingratitude is not befitting a Gentl A man out of good manners must answer Letters Iealousie should not be showne without iust cause The difference between a willing and compulsed absence Friendship is afraid to be forgotten A good Wife compared to a Shippe at Sea A friend desireth a Gentle-woman to vnite the inward vertues to outward comelinesse Oeconomicall Letters or of houshold businesse A Gentleman must take heede how hee settles himselfe in the Countrey as a Farmer If a Gentleman will bee a Farmer it is best to obtaine the principall House or credite of the highest place in the towne Concerning the building ordring a house with retaining of seruāts Whether a Gentle-woman may with her credite let out Lodgings for money The danger of disagreemēt betweene man wife with their duties How Children ought to be brought vp How Seruants are to be instructed Politicall or witty Letters Women in yeares should rather look for rich aduancement then wanton satisfaction A Gentl should not be seruant to any that hath a sufficient estate of his owne and if he be with what pollicy he must contriue it No Oathes must be belieued before marriage He that will enrich himselfe by seruice must follow some thryuing Officer The Lady must be obserued by such as mean to thriue vnder the lord Some Lord or other must bee made an Agent to obtaine a sute of the Prince Suites in Court are not dispatched without great attendance A military pollicie to restraine insolent mutiners What policy soeuer ambition buildeth vpon it is cast downe with death and destruction Men must submitte to their Fortune Obiurgatory or chiding letters Against a sonne for his disordered life Against inconstancie and following a strumpet Against swearing Against couetousnes Against denyall of trifles amongst friends Against idle excuses Against pride and tyrannous behauiour in great persons Against foolishnes and dishonesty in a seruant Against Drunkennes Against the breach of Wedlocke in the man Against Whoredom in the woman Excusatory or defensiue letters Excuse for not lending money Excuse for being importunate in the behalfe of a friend Excuse for keeping company and going to Court Excuse for sheltring with a stranger in a storme Excuse for not dispatching a suite of importance Excuse for tarrying too long from a Wife Excuse for not dispatching of businesse Excuse for not writing attending vnwilling persons to bee spoken with Excuse for not forbearing a friend presuming to disgrace another Excuse for not beeing surety for a friend Excuse for not entertaining a friend as hee ought to be Excuse for not soothing vp of humors Petitionary or Letters of Request A Request to requite discurtesie A request for Money A request to entertaine a daughter A request for assurance of a Farm A request to forbeare a debt A request to forbeare a dangerous Ladyes company A request to be charitable A request to entertaine a Scholler for a Souldier A request for the Knighting of a friend and worthy Gentleman A request to defend a Widow in her right against all wrong and calumniation A request for an office for another A request for aduise in matters of difficultie Gratulatory or Letters of giuing thankes Thankefulnes for a daughters good bringing vp and well-bestowing Thankefulnes for recompencing the giuing of a Booke Thankefulnes for an office Thankefulnes
of a story Although decaied with time when head is hory Yet is it made adulterate hy arte When a false hand hath playde a cunning part Opinion is a Monster amongst vs all Yet doth not terrifie with outward shape Onely our selues doe as we rise and fall After the censures of the people gape And therevpon by force of vicious rape Bereaue sweete uertue of her chastitie With anxious hearts swelling in vanitie Life and the best life but a topping tree Set in the midst of a confused grange Which whē the Lord thinks good he doth agree to fell or roote it vp for some newe change Or trie some stranger form by such exchange Yea peraduenture burned in the fire subiects must yeld to what their kings require Apparell monstrous by our monstrous wills Disguising our defests seeking to hyde Natures deformitie when purse fulfills An humorous wantonnesse on euery side Yet frō substantiall truth most largely wide For when that we must naked goe to graue What will become of that wee seeme to haue Vertues and vices neither good nor bad But as the owners states giue them their test For who in estimation can be had For greatest vertues if they doe not rest In wealth or good opinion of the best And vicious who but he that cannot hide And keepe his faults from being soone espide Buildings of sumptuous cost the prey of Fire are somtimes curst with sobbing poor mes cries When to erect what greatnesse doth desire A hundred cottages in rubbish lyes And many an Orphan vnrelieued dyes But where the morter of an house is mixt With blamelesse bloud it cannot long be fixt Pearls pretious stones the glasse of plēties pride Riches and Friends vnstaid in mood minde Kinred but Natures chaffe Whē they are tride For they will flye away with Stormy winde In whom nor loue nor truth at all we finde These shapefull monsters daily alter so as wee can hardly credite what we know The fraudfull Fox deals friēdly with her whelps There is no beast that to her owne is cruell All things were by creation made for helpes And kinde to kinde is still a friendly iewell The Fire doth giue him fire that giueth Fuell Euen there where contraries enforce despight Nature in nature teacheth 〈…〉 Then if thou wilt be man and not be kinde Disdaine thy needlesse int'rest in creation Be to instruction deafe to nature blinde With neioher man nor beast haue conuersation Abandon hope of grace abiure saluation Be both aliue and dead harmfull and hatefull Be any thing if thou wilt be ingratefull And lay aside absurde Affinitie Vnlesse to hell thou wilt allye thy selfe And so the Diuell graunt immunitie As is thy trust in him and in thy wealth Abortiue potion of foule poysoned pelfe Sorrrow of soule and surfet of vile sinne Man had bene happy if thou hadst not hin An honest minde informer time did show More pietie then now the best of kinne That was because the time was honest to Much better then this age that wee are in Such are the putrefactions of sinne Our almes our neighbor-hood our humanity Turnd diuell discord and immanitie Neighbour indeed is now by stranger nam'de Cousen by cousnage kindenesse is vnknowne And friends of friendship are so much ashamde As custome hath concluded there is none None that doth good the Psalmist saith not one It is the Prophet it is GOD doth say it And man were much to blame to disobey it As hee 's as much to blame that doth belieue Any that liues in ioy vnusde to moorne Doth loue can loue commiserate or grieue Father or brother haplesse and forlorne For pitty onely is to plenty sworne And hee 's a bastard vnto worldly blood That doth a poore man eyther grace or good Yet GOD forbid that GOD should causer be That wee for lacke of knowing him do erre He gratious suffers whilest that gracelesse wee His tollerance into negligence trans-ferre Whereby it makes the Atheist to auerre The soule of man immortall in the least 〈…〉 as it doth in beast Men cannot doe what cannot be vndone Nor suffer more then flesh and blood can beare Who playes with fortune sildom times hath won T' is labour lost to worke aganst the haire Then not preuaile it s better to forbeane A thing vndone is easily preuented Doe to vndoe is neuer vnrepented Glorious designes are ammelled in blood The way to greatnes is vneuen and hard He neuer was that for preferment stood That was not often with mischaunces barrd The body of attempts haue crosses scarrd Who liu'de and sought for honest labours hyre And was not forst to worke it out of Fire Courts and occurrences of Kings Pallaces Where some soone rise to fall againe as fast Show the conditions of the fallaees Whose fruits doe scantly blow before they blast Planted with care and with repentance past So that cōpare the gains with losse surmoūting And saue a labour and auoyd accounting T' is pittie Warre were not at warre with this But let the worthlesse Souldier be aduanced The better times made better seruices Where best endeuors best rewards enhanced But now the best of Beggars is best chaunced A heauy Fortune that such hazard yeelds Either to starue at home or die in Fields But heare my counsell in a Grand-sires phrase All doe amisse let all amisse amend Self sauing workes are best deseruing praise And praise on workes in prudence done attend All actions are approoued as they end Who made the feast will fast to mind the pay whē vnthrifts care not who the charge defray Then sith the ende is good of these my Rimes Theyr plainnesse showes no vainnesse but the Times FINIS The louer is affraide to lose his beloued The Louer distracted with feare of hazzarding his desire Loue occasioned through a vnity of inward vertues and outward comelinesse The Louer findeth fault with neglect of titles Loue complaineth of sequestration Loue cannot indure a riuall or competitor Loue will hardly bee supprest after it hath taken firme rooting Loue desires secrecie not ouer liberall discoueries True loue is not tyed to outward beautie Loue is affraid to looke his contentment A little iealousie seasoneth true loue A letter describing true friendship A letter of friendly precepts The properties of true friendship The properties of true friendship Necessitie causeth importunitie Deniall of trifles and presumption of anothers weakenesse maketh a breach in friendship Discontinuance and vnkindnes loseth friends in the end Ingratitude is not befitting a gentleman A man out of good manners must answer letters howeuer they proue vnsauory in the acceptation Iealousie should not be shewne without cause The differēce betweene a willing and compulsed absence Friendship is afraide to bee forgotten and so pleadeth in her owne behalfe A good wife cōmended compared to a ship at sea A friend desireth a Gentlewoman to vnite the inward vertues of the mind to outwardlouelinesse A gentleman must take heede how he settles himself in the counitry as a farmer If a Gentleman will be a Farmer it is the best to obtain the principall house or the credite of the highest place in the towne Concerning the building and ordring a house with retaining of seruants Whether a gentlewoman may with her credit let out lodgings for money The danger of disagreement between man and wife with their dueties How children ought to be brought vp how seruants ought to be instructed Women in yeares should rather looke for rich aduancement then wanton satisfaction A Gentlemā should not bee seruant to any man that hath a sufficient estate of his owne but if he be with what policy he must contract it No oathes to be beleeued before marriage He that will enrich himselfe by seruice must follow some thriuing officer The Lady of the house must be obserued of such as meane to thriue under the Lord. Some Lord or other must be made an Agent to obtaine a suite of the king Suites in court are neuer dispatched without great attendance A military policy to restraine insolent mutinies Wat policy soeuer ambition build vpon it is at last cast downe with death and destruction Men must submit to their fortune A sonne reprehended for his disordered life Loue findeth fault with inconstancy and follow a strumphet who is desired Against 〈…〉 Against coueteousnesse Against deniall of trifles amōgst friēds and feare of combersomnesse Against idle excuses Against pride and tyrānous behauiour in great persons Foolishnes and dishonesty in a seruant condemned Against drunkenesse Against the breach of wedlocke in a man Against whordom in the woman Excuse for not lending money Excuse for being importunate in the behalfe of a friend Excuse for keeping company and going to court Excuse for taking shelter in a shower of raine with a strange gentleman Excuse for not dispatching a suite of importāce according to expectation promise Excuse for tarrying too long from a wife Excuse for not dispatching of busines Excuse for not writing attending unwilling persons to bee spoken with Excuse for not forbearing a friend presuming to disgrace another Excuse for not beeing Surety for a Friend Excuse for not entertaining a friend as hee ought to bee Excuse for not soothing vp of humors A request to requite a discurtesie A friendly request for money A request for the entertaining of a daughter A request for assurance of a farme A request to forbeare a debt A request to forbeare a dangerous Ladies cōpany A request to be charitable A request to admit a scholer for a soldier For the knighting a friendly worthy Gent For to defend a widow gentlewoman in her right against all wrong calumniation A friend entreateth for an office for another For aduice in matters of difficulty A thankefulnes for a daughters good bringing vp good bestowing A thankfulnes for recompencing the giuing of a Booke A thankefulnes for an office A thankefulnes for defending one against a great aduersary A thankefulnes for not beleeuing a fals report A thankefulnesse for lending of mony A thankefulnes for a timely good turne Newes from Xante and Candy Newes from Constantinople Newes from Scio. Newes from Meteline Newes from Malta Newes from Venice Newes from Turine Newes from Ziion and Ierusalem Newes from Cyprus
them wirh teares as desperat of his recouery For in this vice custome age are so forcible that men are so far frō reformation as they grow from bad to worse from worse to be loathsome to thēselues and al ciuil company So played I with thee and dryed vp thy mother cheekes with my kisses kept her rage from desperate furie with excuses held her hands from wringing with sweet perswasions shewed her instances of many licentious yong men redused to gouernment till we heard of this eruption of beastiality past all limitation or hope of amendment A drunkard that I haue liued to see this day and my owne shame and disgraces ripened in thy rottennesse Let mee tell thee how the Lacedemonians were woont to do after they had found a drunkard wallowing in the durt and like a Swine besmeered in his filthines to bring forth their children to beget in them a deadly detestation of the spectacle they beheld But how that if any fore-warned and by such exēplary cautions terrrified fell into the bogges of such by-wayes out of the tract of Temperance and path-way of discretion they were publikely whipt but I am afraide thou wilt serue me like the beastly younker of Strasborough who when his father led him to such a spectacle where besides the loathsomnes of the party wallowing in his vomit the ridiculousnes of the action set the spectators on worke to the clapping their hands and extraordinary iollitie was so farre from misliking of the same that hee onely demaunded where the good wine was which had made the good man in such a taking And wilt thou serue me so indeed Are the pleasant voyces of my fatherly instruction discords vnto thee Is there no remedy but I must see thee irrecouerably plunged in a quagmire of so loathsome a vice Oh that I might rather see thy death then this disorder and cease to bee a Father then to haue so vntoward a sonne My prayer is Eyther mend or end And so I leaue thee Your Father if you be sober To her vnkinde Husband WRetched and miserable man How darest thou lift vp thy Adulterate eyes to heauen and behold the pure and christalline Firmament wherein that euerlasting Law-giuer sits in Triumph against the day of vengeance to iudge such perseuerāt delinquēts as thy self or dost thou imagine that those strict duties commanded from the beginning were but matters of pollicie or that position of man wife being one flesh was meerly breath and exhalation Surely it must needs bee so with Atheists and prophane liuers And I am afraide to the hereafter horror of thy soule that thou wilt tumble into the pit of burning lasciuiousnes from whence it is easier to be kept frō falling then once fallen to recouer out But O foole looke againe with brighter eyes and reade with more iudiciuos vnderstanding the lips of a whore are as sweete as honie to the taste of fooles but in her heart is the sting of scorpions yea the poyson of aspes lies vnder her lips and wilt thou then aduenture the stinging when there is no Cataplasme for the soare Wilt thou forget the honest wife of thy youth for a disloyall and impudent stranger Wilt thou despise thy children resembling oliue branches about thy Table being buds of the Blessings promised a good man for Bastards plants which the hand of Diuine Iustice will soone roote out wilt thou runne into the sincke of lustfull confusion that maist trace the faire walks of contentment with chast embracings Oh doe not so I charge thee nay by the contracts to our first vowes I coniure thee returne to the pleasant springs of our amity and I will wash thee cleane againe and make thee sweete with teares and kisses of a louing wife Your true wife in your vntruth To his periurde and lasciuious wife THou for sworne wretch To what end hast thou prostituted thy selfe to filthinesse abandoned the strong and certaine supportation of grace for the momentarie ticklings of pleasure so that by this filthy dashings of lusts lothsome chariots we are all bemyred deformed made odious to the world thy selfe art branded for a strumpet and in the best excuse but a brokē glasse neuer to be set together againe I am made a by-word a pointing-stocke not that the disloialty of a whore can ouerthrow the reputation of a vertuous honest man but because corrupted times haue taught men a mischieuous lesson of taunts contēptuous scornings thy children appeare not but with suspitious faces and I dare not looke vpon them for feare some harsh news should whisper in mine eare their bastardy our friends and acquaintance dare not meete without murmuring and me thinks I heare them say what shall we do in the house of shame and eate at the table of incontinency Oh that thou hadst remembered Iudah against Thamar that she should be burnt for playing the whore yet a widow and before the law But when the Iewes were reduced to obedience adultery was punished with death But me thinks I heare the diuell to prompt thee that they which dare aduenture their soules dare hazzard their liues and now it is not so strict as it was in the time of the law For Christ himselfe forgaue the woman taken in adultery and we liue in a commonwealth far from such extremity Is this your sophistry take heede of cousening your owne soule and deceiuing the trust which Christ hath reposed in thee making thee therby partaker of his pretious blood and thy own redemption But how neither to spill the one by casting it abroad with vncleane and polluted hands nor betray the other by conspiring with presumptuous sinners to rebel against grace repentance newnes of life wherin if thou dost not examin thy selfe prepare to better conformity I need not breath out vengeance against thee or seek a greater iustice then thy mischeeuous will vnpenitent life shall pull vpon thy disguised shamelesse face and defiled mishapen soule Your husband if you do not diuide him Excusing Letters To his best Friend G.L. GOod Sir I would not haue you stagger in your opinion of me considering I haue alwaies with an vpright hand held vp the beame of our friendship would neuer giue my heart leaue to entertaine a thought of politicke misdoubt either of your abilitie or honesty For the very name of a friend shal cōmand my person much more my goods but such a man as your selfe hath interest in my life spirit Therefore beleeue it I was so destitute of mony at that time that casting vp an irkesome account of my brothers departure necessity enforced the pawning of my vtensels to furnish him wherein if any experience or example haue taught my tung the cūning of excuses let it hereafter grow too big for my mouth when my wants knock at the doore for supply let hands of Adamant admit them no entrance to my insupportable afflictiōs But wheras you lay a further