R. A melancholy discontentiue Letter vpon a frowne of a Kinsman COsen vppon your last lookes I lookt a little into my selfe where I find it too true that hee that is cursed in the cradle can hardly be blessed in the swaddell and yet God is too strong for the Deuill while Fortune is but the fiction of fooles Patience goes against the heare with Nature but yet where grace guides the Spirit the way is not hard to heauen the fore-horse goes straight because hee sees on either side and the wilde goose rase makes more hast then good speed I know there is a difference betwixt running and creeping and yet who is surest footed may take a fall excuses are more ready then foresights and yet the wisest may be ouertaken ere he be aware In summe he that cannot be himselfe must be subiect to others censures and therefore to conclude with my crosse this shall be onely my comfort that hee that is at warres with the world shall haue peace in Heauen to which ioy after sorrow God send mee and all his seruants among whom hoping to finde your name in the booke of life in more loue then I found in your bookes I rest Your louing kinsman B. S. A discontentiue Letter of a Louer WHen you were faire I loued you for then you were not painted and when you were wise I honoured you for then you were not inconstant but when Art married Nature and varietie shewed but vanitie I was aggrieued at my folly to haue grounded my affection on so little Grace yet when I see all true Birds haue fethers I must let them take their flight but yet rather heare them in the woods then féed them in Cages yet will I not shut them out at my windowes nor hurt them if they come in my house but regard them in their Natures and so hoping that you vnderstand the figure in the honor of your best substance I rest Yours more then you are your selfe S. T. Her Answere GOod Cosen doe not wrong affection with a false iealousie Nature is euer her selfe and I will bee no changeling what my lookes were I know not but what my loue is you may know Curses and Crosses differ much in construction and punishments for sinne are no plagues vnto patience God is euer good and will help his seruants while the fictions of fortune are but the fruits of idlenesse Hee that builds his hope in heauen may the better carry his crosses in the world which bred in the Cradle will be blessed in the Saddle And therefore my good Cosen not a little reioycing in the resolution of your disposition command my loue though I cannot command my lookes and wherin I am my selfe feare mee not to be yours for pouertie is no vice where vertue deserues honor and so wishing thee much good and ready to doe thee any good in the best nature of good will I rest Your very louing Kinsman T. R. The Answer VVHen you were wise I did esteeme you for then you were not humorous and when you were faithfull I did loue you for then you were not iealous but since imagination marde discretion and iealousie ouer-topped loue I will quit you with your owne Carde that I am sory in my affection to be so mistaken in a friend but since beasts are most of a hayre though not all of a hewe I will rather looke on them in a field then leade them in my hands and yet will I not hunt them from my ground nor driue them from their field and so hoping that your skill in Arithmetique will discerne a figure from a Cipher I rest Yours so farre as I may be my selfe M. W. A comfortable Letter to a Kinsman vpon the Buriall of a yong Sonne SWeet Cosen I know you are both religious and learned and therefore hope I shall need the lesse reasons to perswade you to that patience that may best make proofe of your disposition I am sorie for your sorrow and not your losse of your deare and worthy beloued little Sonne For know this hee was but lent you till bee that hath him would send for him yea your selfe are not your own but onely his that lets you haue heere a being till hee will haue you bee in a better place Good Cosen I knowe Nature is of great force yet where Grace gouernes Reason all is referred to the will of God I am assured that you pray dayly that his will may be done and will you grieue that his will is done Farre be it from you you know it is written and I am assured you beléeue it that whosoeuer loueth Father or Mother or Wife or Child more then God is not worthy of his loue Take héed therefore not to offend the Creator with to much louing his Creature and loose not your selfe in loosing his loue that you haue for his loue that you cannot haue he is among the Angels and would you haue him among men Yea he is with God himselfe and are not you glad that he is with him Furthermore if you were alone in your griefe you were the more to bee lamented but when thousands are in your predicament let not passion exceed Reason but humble your will to the will of God to whose heauenly protection leauing your most happy preseruation I rest Your most louing Kinsman H. B. The Answer MY good Cosen I thanke you for your kinde Letter in which I haue receiued no little comfort but let mee tell you that a collop cut out of the flesh puts neere home to the heart and therefore so farre as a man may not offend God giue me leaue to be my selfe but yet I beséech him of his mercie I may not passe the limits of his loue I reade that Iacob sorrowed for the onely imagined death of Ioseph and shal not I grieue to sée my boy in his graue and yet this is my comfort his yeeres were to yong to commit any actuall sinne and in the election of loue I am assured he was a Lambe of the Lords flocke it is written that GOD would haue yong Lambes for his Sacrifice and my boy could not be to good for his Altar No let not my soule liue but in the seruice of his loue though I loued him on earth yet would I not wish him from heauen for there is no Iewell so safely kept as that which is â—aid vp in the Lords Treasurie I haue read it that sorrow may tarry for a night but ioy commeth in the morning then if the night bee long there is a time of mourning till morning and therefore blame not Nature in beeing her selfe though the power of Grace shall worke in her patience In summe I hope so to manage my affecâ—ion as shall not impâ—ach my discretion nor loose his loue that is the ioy of my life to whose gracious blessing leauing our eternall comfort in prayer for that patience that may qualifie vnfitting passion in much thankefulnesse for your carefull kindnesse
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
honest minde then to runne any course that may giue a wound to the Conscience which while wit would excuse wisedome layes open when if the soule finde grace in Repentance of sinne the heart cannot but bléed in the sorrow of iniquitie but God is all-sufficient in all things and therefore knowing your vertuous disposition to his gracious protection leauing your most happie preseruation in prayer for the same with the encrease of all comfort in the bounden dutie of my loues seruice I humbly take my leaue Your seruant assured in what resteth in my power I. S. A Letter to a Knight for the entertainment of a Steward into his seruice VVOrthy Knight at my last beeing with you you spake vnto mee to doe my best in helping you to a Seruant that you might employ for your Steward Now if it please you at my hands to accept the bearer hereof beleeue it you shall finde his sufficiencie so fitting your content that I dare vndertake you shall not neede to seeke any further I haue knowne him long and such euery way his disposition as may deserue good regard in a very good vnderstanding he is honest and wise and able to liue of his owne yet in donour of your worthinesse desireth to follow your fauour for his Truth you shall not doubt it and for his behauiour I know you will like it for his wages I will leaue it to your wisedome in his desart so with his dutie commending my seruice to the command of your kinde loue till I sée you and alwaies I rest Your very louing Kinsman T. R. A thankefull Letter vpon the tryall of his Seruant MY good Cosen among many courtesies I thanke you most kindely for my man who in my great content hath answered the Contents of your Letter for such hath beene his carriage as hath gotten good will not onely of all my house but of such of my friends as haue occasion to know his seruice lesse vice and more matter worthy loue haue I not seene in a man of his sort yea such hath beene his desert of my loue as except for his better preferment I will not part with him in hast For in earnest in many true Rules of Ciuilitie hee may be an example to good Iudgements In briefe as I neuer found you to faile in any kinde care of my good so in this I haue great cause to thanke you and wherein it may lye in my power to requite you be assured you shall know I loue you in which I rest assuredly Your most affectionate Kinsman and friend R. S. A Letter of councell from a Brother to his Sister vpon her going from the countrey to the Court. SWeet Sister I heare thou art going from home to a high place from the countrey to the Court beleeue it thou wilt finde it a place of danger for the preseruation of thy best comfort for there is honour both to bee got and lost but for a caueat in thy carriage reade what I heere haue written vnto thee and lay it vp in thy memory it will doe thy vnderstanding no hurt Take heed of the Mewing of Muske Cats for they watch but for a Mouse and when they haue their prey they are all gone away Let not the fading glosse of gay clothes dazzle the eyes of thy spirit nor faire tongues rob thee of thy fame for a good name is not like a garment for if it once be broken it will neuer bee set together againe there are many hands that will bee plucking of flowers whose hearts neuer care how the stalkes grow or wither but if you will be your owne friend let no man take the fruit without the Tree beleeue no idle vowes nor vaine protestations for many times the tongue and the heart are farre asunder when the best words haue not the best meanings Nor let ambition bewitch thee for the sinne is all one with the Lord or his Lackey the Ice once crackt will crack more and what is the face that hath lost the beauty of the minde sweet Sister I write not this that I feare thy imperfection but to forewarne thee from euill And what good is to bee gotten seeke it by that vertue that may keepe thy colour without staine when a Maiden blush is the beauty of modestie serue God and hee will blesse thee pray to him and hee will defend thee loue him and hee will keep thee that no hurt shall come neere thee bee constant in thy Religion loyall in thy Allegeance courteous in thy behauiour and vertuous in thy loue so no doubt but the Court will grace thee and the King of Kings will so aduance thee that though she be no Lady on earth thou shalt be an Angell in heauen To which happinesse in prayer for thee to his tuition I leaue thee Thy most louing Brother D. H. Her Answere MY most louing Brother I most kindely take your most louing Letter which I will lay vp for your sake and mine owne good not in my pocket nor my Cabinet but in the inward Chest of my heart and will dayly reade it as the rules of true wisedomes direction but to bee a little merry with the answere of your figures let Muske Cats Meaw where they will I hope to bee no Venizon for Vermine and for the Garden of my fauour there shall no hand plucke aflower except hee take the Roote and stalke to his keeping for the glosse of gay coates they may bewitch Babies eyes but the eye of vertue lookes after no vanitie and for false hearts and faire tongues they are easily discerned they goe so commonly together betwixt pride and basenesse there is a carriage of ciuilitie which I hope to hit on without touch of dishonour so leauing Lords to their Ladies and their Lackeyes to lower Creatures beseeching the Almightie to blesse mee heere with his Grace and hereafter in Heauen to make the least of his Hand-maides rather then the greatest Princesse on the Earth with all the pleasures of the world to which prayer hoping you will say Amen in much thankefulnesse for the care of your kindnesse I rest Your most louing Sister E. B. A kinde Letter to a Schollar going from the Vniuersitie to a Benefice in a Citie GOod Cozen I vnderstand by your Father that you are determined shortly to leaue the Vniuersitie but yet withall that you haue bent your minde onely to the studie of Diuine vnderstanding and leauing the world betake your selfe wholly to the Church and in the Ministerie of the word to doe good vnto Gods people I commend your determination but with you if I might aduise you to spend some few more yeeres in the Vniuersitie for your further hearing and reading for your better confirmation of your resolution not that I feare the blessing of your Spirit but that it is a function of great charge care and labour Charge in regard of the Talent beeing out of the Treasurie of Heauen the riches of the Soule then for care in
wishing with conueniencie to see you and often to heare from you in more affection then protestation I rest Your very louing Cosen T. W. A Letter to an Hypocrite vpon betraying of a Friend TO deny a Friend may bee a touch of vnkindnesse to deceiue a Friend a proofe of ill Nature but to betray a Friend to plaine a villanie Cheaters are set downe in the orders of euill persons Pandars are base Rascals and the scum of the earth but Traitors are most hatefull villaines of the world Among the twelue Apostles there was but one Iudas and wilt thou leaue the Saints to follow one Diuell If thou wilt runne his course thou maist runne to his confusion Wilt thou mistake GOD for Gold and sell thy Soule for a little Siluer What will be thy end Shame on earth and sorrow endlesse What shall I say to thee but thinke what will become of thee beeing a horrible Hypocrite take thy portion among them Heauen will abhorre thee and while the world hates thee hell stands gaping for thée but GOD in his mercie if it be his holy will forgiue thee and so neuer meaning more to looke on thee but to giue all my friends warning of thee to the will of the Almightie I leaue thee Thy neuer more Friend I. S. His Answere AN vnwilling offence may be an excuse acceptable what I spake of a sodaine I repented at leasure for beleeue if no gaine could haue made me so vngracious but yet the occasion of your discomfort can not but grieue mee in vnhappinesse though farre be it from my thought to doe so wilfull a wickednesse be not therefore so bitter in your inuectiue against my basenesse For if I were of Iudas his Nature I wish no other then his end place me not therefore among Hypocrites for I hate them in my heart and desire not to liue to deserue that imputation be you assured my griefe is greater for you then I will shew till in the fruit of my labour I may make proofe of my Loue wherein I will not cease till I haue effected something to some issue in your good in which you shall see how farre it is from mee to bee so vnhonest as I was vnhappy and how farre my euill hap was from the Nature of an euill minde and so entreating your patience so suspend your iudgement I hope ere it be long to haue you write in an other humour till when beseeching the Almightie to blesse you with health and my heart with happinesse to bee a meane of your comfort till then and alwaies I rest howsoeuer you esteem me in the affection of an honest heart Your most faithfull friend E. B. A Letter of aduice to a friend that was to be married FRiend William I heare that you are shortly to take a Wife or rather to bee taken of a Wife and that for a little times pleasure you will sell your liues libertie but if the matter bee not so farre gone with you let mee tell you a little of my minde to make you looke about you for touching your choise note what I say vnto you if your wife be to young she knowes not how to make her ready if too old shee must haue one to helpe her out of her bed if shee be faire shee will giue you cause of iealousie if foule she will bee anoyance to thee if full of talke shee will bee troublesome if sullen shee will bee irkesome if of honorable Parents you must make courtsie to all her kindred if base you must prouide for a generation If rich she will bee proud of her portion and he kept accordingly if pore still calling for necessities and sometime more then needes if wise shee will thinke to gouerne thee if foolish she will disgrace thee if Barren shee will be vncomfortable if full of children shee wil be chargeable if you trust her not with all you haue shee will grow suspicious of your loue to her if you trust her with all you haue she wil make you a seruant to her if she neuer loued any shee wil not know how to loue you and if she haue loued other she wil not leaue all for one furthermore if a man buy a house or land he wil suruey it ere he purchase it and if he do not like it when he hath it he may find means to part with it but for a wife hee must take her at all aduentures once had during life must neuer part with her and therefore if thou canst fine a woman neither young nor old wise nor foolish ritch nor pore kinde nor froward honorable nor base talkattue nor sullen let me see her that I may commend thy choyce in her but til then make stay of the Bells they may not ring to thy Bridall but if thy affection bee setled and not to be remoued then in Gods name goe on with Gods blessing So till I heare from thee how the world goes with thee wishing thee either a good wife or none in my prayers for thy prosperity I rest Thine what his owne B. T. His Answere FRiend Samuell your Caueats to my marriage I haue lookt ouer very carefully and am sorry to see your course so farre short of such comfort for in the election of Grace it is an holy ordinance of God for the good of his people and in the world what companion can equall a kind wife If I were as nice in my choyce as you are in your notes I might haue a long dreame and awake find nothing but come to your selfe when you dye what issue will you leaue of your loue if you liue how vngodly is your course for my selfe I am fully resolued rather to aduenture the hope of vertue then to runne a vainer course and to nourish mine owne family then to feed on another mans trencher In briefe when the Bells ring you shall know what busines is at Church and if you come to my house you shall be heartily welcome till when wishing you as to my selfe I rest Your very louing friend R. T. A Letter of vnkindnes to a kinsman vppon a report of his abuse COsen I am sorry to heare that I doe of you how you haue vsed me you know how I can disgest it you know not I would willingly forget vnkindnes but if my patience nourish your presumption who deserueth to bee blamed if one folly beget another you are my neere kinsman I would you were not so farre from me in kindnesse but I feare the Prouerb proues to true in you to vse mee more like a kinsman then a friend but I can bee angry and not sinne or rather be sorry and not angry for if you will come to mee and acknowledging your fault make it a warning to your further euill the euill past shall not be remembred and the good to come not vnregarded and so wishing to see you and the sooner the better till then I rest Your louing Cosen D. H. His Answere