little iealousie but beeing out of Italie grow prowd of Englands libertie where the practices of humanitie teach vs the true vse of cōuersation So that an vncorrupted heart is Canon-proof against a slanderous tongue but a wanton minde will turne vertuous sentences to laciuiousnesse if then you were well perswaded of my vertue to put all out of doubt there passed not one word which a diuine might not haue bene partaker of otherwise bee resolued that if I had not bene limited with the bands of respecting you I would haue bene tyed to the conditions concerning my selfe and neither haue giuen eare to immodest parlee nor way to any vndecencies and so if you are satisfied I am pleased But from hencefoorth bee more confident of my worth and lesse suspicious of my loyaltie Yours if you wrong her not To her best resolued friend F.G. MY true and worthy friend Your late discourse concerning absence and iealousie as if they were rather inflamers then extinguishers of loue hath almost startled my resolutions concerning the negatiue that is whereas I held an opinion that iealousie absence were rather deficiencies in themselues and meerely obstacles to continuing kindnesse I am now perswaded they may so march in the army of passions as to haue the Vauntgard in the encounter of affection but withall I haue learnd so much cunning in morality as thus to distinguish betweene their abuses Concerning absence there is a difference in that which is constrayned and that which is voluntary For there may be honourable causes of the one when the other at the best is but an vntoward triall of one another as imployment in martiall affaires legation to forraine Princes trauell to enrich experience necessitie of trafficke and such like to all which no worthy party beloued but will affoord a helping hand and admit of hope of returne patience to endure and wisedome to harken after his endeuours but voluntary absence if it could bee veiled vnder the adulterate shew of trials hath so many ill companions that it can neither doe well it selfe nor bring them to any good order For commonly it is accompanyed with carelesnesse slacknesse in obseruation suspition feare of idle humours vnkindnesse and at last meets with vtter obliuion with diuers of that sort and what shall the party beloued conceite if she first demand reasons of his departure and after finde a breach of vowes for his returne so that alledge what philosophicall inference you may and guild it ouer with the imposturing Art of Oratory I absolutely conclude that howeuer pleasure is the stronger in his rarity loue true honest and perfect loue is no way beholding to a wilfull absence Touching iealousie I confesse I haue read of a holy-day in hell when loue and iealousie were marryed together but howeuer they feasted for that day I am sure all the time after they were turmoyled with despight For except a great discretion ouermaster suspition feare rage madnesse watchings disquiet absteining from meate and rest torment of minde and vntoward distractions accōpany vs especially if there be the least cause giuen of the breach of vowes Oh then loue prooues like a beautiful glasse which once broken can neuer be cemented againe yet I confesse there may bee a ciuill emulation concerning a Riuals worthinesse and honest feare to hazzard the thing vnobtained but once wiued and contracted vnseparable there can be no man iealous but vpon his wiues disloyalty and she that giues the occasion must aduenture her honour I will not therefore haue the marryed man iealous and would tye the amorous suiter within certaine bounds lest by transcending he transshape his owne discretion into fury and quarrelsome humours of which a well disposed Gentlewoman would nor should be any way guilty and so till I heare further I leaue what you haue heard to a fauourable construction Yours wheresoeuer To the worthie and Noble L.B. MY best Lady I wold not now proue recreant to my former cōstancy considering I haue not only plaid the wanton with affliction but haue had you a looker on to my great encouragement yet some vnkinde feare begins now to stagger my resolution because I finde a falling away amongst your selues like loose earth from a maine banke and am resolued that this banishment will vtterly disioynt the frame of our long acquaintance and at last pull in peeces the bands of true friendship else how can it be that I am vnworthy the remembrance and who would haue thought I should so long haue passed vnregarded But this is the corruption of greatnesse either you thinke to make vs slaues by obseruation or dare not bee your selues vertuous for feare of cōbersomnes as for friendship kindnesse loue faith loyalty respect and generous dispositions they are but voyces and smoake and as you all vse the same like Tantalus Apples which once touched turne into cinders and yet hang with glorious shews to the eye But will you serue me so indeed and as the diuell seduced the woman the womā enticed the man the man offended his Maker run arme in arme in the race of contempt and at last triumph in my deiection Why doe a Gods name and then shall you see mee smile in distresse and reach at the helpe of all helpes out of heauen it selfe yet for al this I pray you do not mistake me but rather impute all to the distraction of my owne feares then your defects for I haue euer loued your worth and while I liue will thinke you worthy to bee beloued so that if amongst your other vertues you can pardon this vnsauorinesse I shall receiue a new life and with a further chearefulnesse present my duty once againe vnto you Yours if you prooue worthy To his much esteemed Mrs. P. MIstresse Me thinkes I behold you like a goodly ship at sea so that I which am a stander on the shore must needs be afraide when I consider the danger of boysterous winds and raging billowes the perill of the shelfes and sands the terror of rockes and shores the inconueniences of harbors and long voyages and the hazzard of incounters with pirats and men of warre Yet againe when I remember the excellent workemanship in your contriuing the strength of your building the comelines of your raising vp the delicacie of your trimming and aboue all the cunning and experience of your Pilot and steersman I am somewhat pacified and had rather expose you to the glory of famous voyages then see you lie still in safe harbour where time and many inconueniencies shall weare out your keele and obscure your beautie therefore go foorth a Gods name and let me see you vnder saile For the wisest of men hath compared a good wife to a ship at sea which bringeth her food from a farre and so I make no doubt you will esteeme your selfe and not aduenter abroade without care order and good prouision In which hope I leaue you to the fortune of the world and send my good
of familiaritie I will submit to these disasters and make this vnworthy banishment the author of Contemplation and triall of affliction In which if my prayers ascend like a smoake of a sweete-smelling Sacrifice I will thanke the God of comfort for his Fatherly correction and remember in the same that you may flourish in the worlde like a faire fruitfull Tree and prosper in your desires as if Iacobs seede did sowe in the Land of Abimelech where hee receiued an hundred for one As for your Mother I wish her the blessings of Rahel and Lea to be honored of her Husband reuerenced by her Children esteemed of her Neighbours famosed by strangers respected of Friends and aboue all loued of GOD who will neuer leaue to loue such as vnderstand what true loue importeth Yours though I thriue not To his Honourable Friend Syr G.L. WOrthy Syr I am loath to vse a further preamble with you then may stād in equall poyse with your iudgement and my dutie yet because I would not seeme too peremptory in iustifying my selfe I will confesse that vertue looketh with a more confident aspect in the maintaining a well gotten possession then in the first Fortune of kinde embraces so that I infer according to your own proposition that there is more cunning in keeping then getting a Friend But withall if a Friend will so presume on the weaknesse of another to tye him ouer-strictly to obseruation or burden him with intollerable impositions because there hath passed vpon him some descendings of gratuities I see no reason to curbe his manhood or libertie in such a fashion especially if the standers by be ignorant of their combination or iealous that hee is subiect to some maligne circumstances of Fortune or Time and thus much in generall Now to the particulars As you wonder at my repugnancie and absolute contradicting your arguments in the last conference I maruell that you would so apparantly maintaine such a Paradox and amongst all the rest draw mee into the circle of wrastling with our wittes whereby either I must cowardly leaue poore truth in the hands of venomous and corrupted Sophystrie or fearfully bring my preuailing forces forward to foyle your vnderstanding iudgement whereby in the contention friends must needs fall out wheras you wonder that I would hazard your loue by so sudden a deniall of such an easie commaund wherein better and greater Friends neuer disputed I maruell why you should at that time aboue all others and before such persons burst out to shewe your greatnes and power ouer mee or discouer my weaknesse onely to be insulted on when you had attendants of your owne for seruile businesse or might haue made some groome an actor in the same to preuent all exceptions Otherwise I sweare for honourable purposes when the whole bodie shuld be exposed to your seruice I would not haue denyed the Legges from going of an errand into the Kitchin for you Whereas you wonder that I departed discontented without ceremony or making you once acquainted when all the companie wished mee well and expected a conclusion of the discourse I maruell both at your putting mee to it before such curious eares and solid iudgements and at the strange entertainmēt of a man whom you know could not looke vpon mee but with Basiliskes eyes nor I endure him without dislike and discontent Therefore to preuent vntoward disturbance and to scatter my iealousie abroad least it should gather a head of assurance that you did it of purpose I left you to murmure at my vnmannerlines but pleased my selfe in a supposed preuention of further mischiefe Thus if these sad lines haue better fortune then their maister it may be you wil admit of them as excusatory and of mee in them as willing to please you in noble and iustifiable actions Your seruant and assured To his suddenly displeased Friend GOod Syr you saw at the beginning that the diuell was so enuious of mans felicity that hee neuer desisted till the bands of his first contract were dissolued the hope of saluation abandoned and so hath hee continued euer since as an aduersary to all goodnes and vertuous dispositions whereof euen at this instant I am a poore witnes and in this foyle which our friendship is likely to receiue an vnhappy instance else could not you haue demanded the onely thing I haue forsworne nay am legally bound to take heede of nor I haue denied you any thing which might seem dissonāt to our contract so that I request you with tears if a man can shed them without ridiculousnes make triall of mee if it stood with the secrets of our loue in any thing Surety-ship excepted commaund my person rifle my goods pawne my Leases open my purse and take whatsoeuer I call mine but to drawe mee and my posteritie into the terrour of bondage Nay to fasten and as it were to sigillate and affixe vs to the vnmercifulnesse of men and crueltie of Cut-throats is so terrible to a poore estate that I start at the naming of a Statute and am afraide of mine owne shadowe least my hand should bee counterfeit For I haue knowne the debt discharged and for want of honesty in some cunning in others to cancell the Recognysance a new enformation hath made a hurliburly in the family and the Law hath claimed for the Prince against all prescription of time releases of men because the record was a liuing voyce and ecchoed out you must discharge the debt againe Therfore I request you let not this denyall make any breach against the fortification of our loue nor let the banks of out friendship bee so slightly cast vp that so small an Inundation shall eyther ouerflowe the same or burst downe with violence that which we once presumed was strong enough against most impetuous shouldrings eyther of Riuers or Seas Yours when you commaund To his well resolued Friend GOod Syr let it not seeme strange vnto you that I neither durst bidde you welcome nor open my mouth with so pleasing a voyce as the harmonie of our hearts was wont to tune together For you know I am subiect to an others controwll and this name of a seruant hath in me ouermastred the condition of a Friend so that I can but curse the occasion when first my Lord let in an ill opinion of your worth into the closet of his former affection and blame that ominous night of feasting which ended so mischieuousty ro distast you both but I hope time will eyther weaken these inflictings or your faire demeanor work vpon a better Anuile of constancy and regard of vertuous noblenes in you both so that I shall performe the part of a Friend in working your reconciliation and you the part of a wise man in giuing way vnto some humors that otherwise might confound all our quietnes Be therefore I pray you your selfe and pardon me a while if my dutie to him restrain me a little from running too
latter motiues I will come as neare your satisfaction as I can in this slender discouery Vnderstand me then that my poore experience would open the mystery of this knowledge vnto you that fortune which we so often prophanely remember is no way to bee ouercome but with Vertue that Vertue is neuer so well to be entertained as in youth that youth is but some speciall flower in a curious garden kept by extraordinary diligence till an vntimely blast perish the stalke and impouerish the beauty that beautie is like a white wall curiously trimmed which if an enuious hand do besprinkle with a few vncleane droppes a present alteration daunteth the company that company is like a strange net catching all fish vnlesse they slip into some vnknowne nookes or auoide the danger by other cunning that cunning is like holding the Woolfe by the eare which if you wrest hard you are bitten if you let go you are in perill of life that life is like a strong timbred tree which at the maisters appointment is cut downe in a small time that time is resembled to sweete smelling flowers which must be staid to please the sense and stilled to heale the body or else they will bee faire to the eye and as vnprofitable as ill disposed friends that friends are like childrens sports who for a new Counter refuse an old Angell and to go to a strange nurse forsake the nearest kindred and that kindred are like Tantalus apples which keepe their shew till they be touched but once pressed crumble to powder These be principles to my griefe experienced and may without offence be to others good embraced not that I go about to draw you into suspition but because I would preserue your remembrance toward me whereby I must needs be satisfied if you be not displeased Yours as I haue professed To his esteemed friend C.N. SIR Had not our friendshippe receiued reciprocal strength from true vertue and worthy conuersation I could slightly haue passed ouer your last deniall of trifles and quietly gathered the raines of discretion to restraine the forwardnesse of impudency or combersomnesse but when I remembred our combination and with what conditions we contracted a league especially the nature and propertie of friendship me thought there was a pleasure to name you so and a comfort to finde you so therefore from hencefoorth let vs vnderstand one another better either firmely to maintaine the cause of kindnes or lightly to leaue it vnder the colours of courtesie For the best Philosophers haue chained loue and friendshippe with equall goodnesse so that as loue can endure no competition friendship must abide no community as loue can haue but one fauorite friendshippe should admit but of one companion as loue pardoneth friendship forbeareth as loue commandeth all friendship is denyed nothing as loue entreth when he list friendship doth so vncontrowled as loue triumpheth ouer the heart and affection friendship raigneth ouer body goods no excuses no drawings backe no contracted brow no delaies no hiding the head no daintinesse or absurd ceremonies but a happy Sympathy to strengthen goodwill and an absolute power to command and readines to obey one other If then with these conditions you can bee contented to march arme in arme to the house of contentment I am yours as you mine and both to shew the world an example of happy imitation Yours indissoluble To his assured friend F. L. SIR To craue pardon were to submit and more then you looke for obstinately to offend were iniurious to you and not befitting a Gentleman To auoyd therefore the one and to eschew the other For not writing imagin want of skill for not comming suppose my businesse to hinder me for not sending thinke I could not conueniently thus you see I am willing to be excused where I am loth to be accused considering I loue you better then other men I would not distast you if it were possible especially because I haue tyed my selfe to true obseruation as you haue professed a happy contract of kindnesse In hope or rather assurance hereof I pray you present my seruice to that louely party whom I compared at our last meeting to a rich Diamond orderly inameled and extraordinarily set out to the best grace and all to shew the cunning of the workeman so that if my fortune could but conduce me to the way of entertainment it would sure exceed the worlds happines and I durst search the whole earth for AEsculapius bones to restore her eyes but if you play the truant with me to shew her this letter giue mee leaue to be my owne interpeter and let not your excellent wits triumph ouer my simplicitie Euer your owne To her tried and trusty friend WOrthy Sir Hauing relyed on your noble promises and knowing my selfe on a sure and honest ground concerning the secrets of my discontents I rested some way satisfied in the expectation of the performance and thought my selfe happy in this vnhappinesse that I had falne into the hands of so noble a Gentleman so that if there were no more in it then loue and assurance of your selfe I would haue bene silent till your owne leasure had serued you rightly to consider mee But necessities knocking so hard and so fast and conspiring with the suddennesse of time against my patience and quiet I am enforced to ouerpasse all limits and step to an earnest importunitie to request both your confidence of my honestie in this businesse and suppliment to keepe mee out of the hand of misery and despaire This humanity challenges at your hand this occasion compelleth mee to request so that if I find you no lesse then I hope nor no worse then I deserue we shall both be pleased and I haue cause to proclaime your worth euen to my best friends and thus I haue cast my selfe downe into the scale of equall consideration take vp then an vpright hand and peize me accordingly but withall I pray you let no indirect strength turne the beame aside For I haue euer loued you truly and therefore rely on your friendship at this time absolutely Not liuing without you To his assured Friend G.M. SIR I would not willingly haue our friendship receiue any maime lest my wounds grow festred for want of a skilfull Chirurgion considering I haue loued you aboue all men and found you many waies true and free-hearted yet I am afraide we doe both faile in iudgement and true vse of cōuersation For you see that that hand which hath or should couer my nakednes hath not only left me bare and subiect to cold but euer turned the worst side to the view and derision of passengers insomuch that your last deniall of trifles and glorious liberty of deceiueable speeches to please your selfe hath made me contemptible to seruile creatures and debarred my desires when I determined but a small satisfaction which with a little suppliment had had a free passage But now I see my selfe
growing to vnderstanding make not nature a slaue to cunning or profit that is enforce them not against their owne inclination to follow that which is irkesome vnto them For if you tie a great spirit to a seruile trade hee will neuer proue good chapman or contend with dul capacitie about mistical secrets he will neuer grow good scholler so in the rest let them euer be where either the best company shal giue good example or if inconueniences follow they may haue the shadow of honourable purposes but aboue all let them neither practise deceit nor dishonestie for when a mind is once corrupted with basenes it resembles a stinking vessel which will neuer be througly sweetned Concerning your daughter presume not too much of our countrey liberty for wantonnesse standeth at the corner of euery Street to inuite the commers-by yet do not so restraine her that shee may eyther murmure at the same or complaine to her neighbours of her Parents hard hand as though shee were viciously inclined by nature If it bee possible rather school her within dores thē aduenture her with a pedant abroad and for dancing courtship and such like let thē be vsed rather like a feather to a litle dust which may be brushed from the garment the guard or seame which shall weare out with the cloath giue them warning of familiarity with the seruants For a curteous ciuility becommeth the children of Gentlemen but wanton embraces sitting on the knee bearing in armes and such like be fearefull signes of following confusion and too forward desires sitting vp late allow not nor giue way vnto night banquets For they resemble the stolne bread in the Prouerbs and a strumpets Title is the nethermost hell wherein the name of Virgine is perpetuallie damned make them not proud either of natures portion or the fathers dowry For women will looke in a glasse and shal not want any flattering to seduce them to vanity and concerning the vpshot of all reckonings which is mariage let her neither assume so dangerous a liberty as to run at randome without your consent nor be you so transported with a variety of self-selfe-loue as to draw her perforce to vnpreuentable inconueniences yea many times mischifes and confusion For these matches in infancy as contracts for mony without liking enforcemēts to vnequall yeeres or nasty disparily with diuers of that kind are meerely pullies to winde vp care sorrow and discontentments and at one letting flippe the hold to hurry them on the head of a poore afflicted virgin Yours in true libery To his ill aduised friend I. M. SIR I am not ignorant that the two mastring corbes that gouern the reines of the whole world are praemium and Poena reward and punishment I doe also know that in a statute against stabbing and wilfull murther there is a clause of exception inserted for fathers and masters in correcting their children and seruants yet will I giue no such way to the violence of passion as that a Gentleman or otherwise ciuill disposed liuer should strike or wound his seruant with any dangerous weapon nor can I any way colour your temeritie for contending so long with that boysterous knaue as to bee compelled to free your selfe for such be the words of your excuse out of his robustious closing with you by the stabbe of a dagger which ranne 9. inches vpward ouer his pappe Beleeue me it was a fearefull falling off and I wish in my heart there had beene no such occasion giuen to draw your discretion in question nay to endanger your person and estate For if he had miscaryed the king hauing lost a subiect you must needs haue beene brought to iudiciall triall then lawes are according to the Iudges construction or Iurors interpretation Well I hope from henceforh you will be better aduised and rather bring vp your seruants so that either they shall not offend or after the offence be apprehensiue of instruction with more gentle correction Therefore choose the sonnes of such men as rather will second their fathers honesty and credite then follow their owne wantonnesse and riot let euery one haue instruction for their feuerall places yet teach them al to obey when you command and not one to command another haue an eye vnto the honest diligence of the meanest and grace him with a cheereful reward If you chide for good occasion ler the ptowdest be the subiect of your first admonition wherein be so temperate that vndecent reuilings heate not your mouth but words sauouring of wisedome and iustice Thus shall the rest stand in awe when they see you are not partiall or fearefull if aduice serue not spare not a smarting blow which if it prooue a sturrer vp of rage or contēpt in him bring him to publike iustice but be not you on him your own executioner suffer neither oathes nor prophanation no gaming on the Sabbath nor for much mony at any time nay let it be rather a recreation with a modest acknowledging your wincking at small faultes then any comaunding voice to passe away the time or please themselues let them not slack the houres of attendance nor the entertainment of friendes giue eare to no busie bodies tale-tellers nor flatterers of your imperfections least gouernment turne to confusion and recreation to dissipation as pride is a drawer on of filthy enormities so nastines and vncomely adorning themselues brings surquedry and loathsomenes To conclude in one word let your seruants be such of all sortes as shall doe what you prescribe rather then make vse of the time to maintaine their owne pleasures and licentiousnes as for such as must performe inferior seruill duties pay them truly and send them to their worke orderly neglect no seruice of God for any cause and if you haue as you ought priuate praiers let all come and know what reuerence meaneth hearken to the time of sicknes and let them not complaine for want nor cry out to God for susteyning more then they can away with vpon good deseruing adde a recompence and let none presume to strike or reuile another Infinit other particulars would draw on many lines but these shall sufice till better conueniency to shew my loue and duty and serue for caution and aduertisement Yours in charitable aduise Politike Letters To his noble Lady and Vertuously respected T.G. WOrthy Lady I thinke it not befitting the time nor the tendernes of your sex to giue such life to your memory as Catalogue the praises of that worthy knight deceased or draw in question his want of iudgement in this one point or peraduenture abilitie in leauing you thus wrapped vntowardly in accounts and bringing you as hauing fiue daughters to marry to the house of care and sadnesse further then the sorrow of his losse and the ceremonies of his exequies pretended But I would rather open the store-house of instruction and comfort and shew you the Embleme of Fortune or Time shadowed with a hairy foretop as if we
imputation vpon me that my credit caried an ouerswaying command of my rich neighbor true it is that in former times as Doues resort to glistring painted houses as Farmers bring their seed into fat ground as Beasts cattle resort to feeding places as all the world is transported with priuat respect I carried vp a head of thriuing wantonnes he looked vpon me with a correspondent alacrity but no sooner came the pulling hooke to throw down the fruit of my fertile trees wherby he perceiued the boughs bare and saw the knots and branches battered in peeces but he suspected my prosperity and added withall a fearefull prophesie of hereafter canker-eating decay both of root and rinde Thus are my hopes abortiue concernining my interest in him to speake the truth I am so fearefull of a deniall that I had rather sit still with some ease then rise and fall with vtter dispaire Thus if I haue wonne the field against your incredulitie and brought vp preuailing forces to strengthen your loue and good will still on my side I am then my selfe againe and protest I reioyce more truely in your sweete conuersation then a wanton could doe if his mistresse were to hang about his necke with deceiueable kisses and counterfeit embraces For they cōmonly resemble the Yuy running vp a tower with dangerous loosening the stones when true friendship is like Atlas and Hercules supporting of the heauen of prosperitie and life from falling yea from failing Your iustifiable Friend To his Honourable L.G. HOnourable Lord Whereas I vnderstand that you excepted against my last importunitie as if I transcended the bounds of good manners and abased your greatnesse with carrying too slight a respect toward you I hope I shall finde you so fauourable both to admit of my iustifiable excuses and to distinguish betweene presumption and necessitie Wherefore I pray you remember the story of Aurelianus the Emperour who once proclaimed a stately sequestration of his person from common intruders inhibiting all soldiers and subiects to aduance themselues in his presence for any suit whatsoeuer Yet notwithstanding when a Captain had infringed the edict and was attached by the guard to receiue a condigne punishment the Emperour stepped foorth and sayd if hee come for himselfe let him die if he determine for his friend let him be released In like manner doe I ouerthrow this obiection at the first charge besides your Lordships apprehension say plainly that if I had not bene tyed by the laws of friendship to expose vnto you the desires of another I wold not haue diuerted you frō more serious affairs by my tedious discourse and vnmannerly importunitie And thus making no doubt of your worthy and noble disposition toward a man that doth study nothing but to loue and honour you I commit my selfe to that part of your vertue which can make extention of pardon and fauour as I haue done of submission and dutie Yours as you will be mine To her ouer suspitious Friend GOod Sir I am not ignorant how the Poets haue inuented a marriage betweene Cupid and Iealousie and true loue is many times seasoned and made sweeter by prettie contradictions and softly raised suspition but to be ouer-vehement in accusation and absolutely to conclude a negatiue by fond supposes and cruell constructions are beyond my reason your faire demeanour For be it I went to the play with my sister I endured the maske I danced the measures I will not much stand vpon the commendations of such customary practise Yet was there any thing here worthy the traducing or could a Gentlewoman doe lesse considering the circumstances and commanding maiestie of the place But you will obiect that fancy now setled and the minde contented with anothers controwle it was idlely done to goe at al. I could say so too if a mothers well-wishes a sisters importunitie a solemne festiuall a time of reuels and aboue all a presumption of your noble disposition and free hearted discretion had not mustred themselues farre stronger then my weake denials wherewith at first I came so forward that they wondred at my mortification and sware it was a counterfeit retiring to more dangerous businesse Besides I was not as I take it vnder any penalty of infringing your will you not imposing such a taske on me nor would I be so absolute a slaue though the name of husband and wife had linked vs together with the Churches ceremonies Be therefore I pray you satisfied with my iustifiable excuses and beleeue it I will rather forsweare the hopes of mariage and the glory of costly ornaments before I will leaue you againe in such an hell of affrighting iealousie Yours so you be resolued To her iealous Friend SVspitious Syr I perceiue that ignorance is many times a mistrisse of quietnes and too much learning laieth the heart open to leaud example and idle instances Thus because you haue read of the Hunting which Dido prepared for Aeneas and that opportunitie and a strange accident brought them to an Amorous encounter in that solitary caue whither they retired to auoid the peril of the storme therefore must I be suspected for that at the last Hunting I met with S. G. in the thicket and not able then to indure the shower mounted vp into the stand If there were no other excuse then necessitie and the accidentall proffer of ciuill curtesie me thinkes it might carry credite with vnderstanding but least I cannot handsomely gather together my forces to satisfie you I will tell you true There came both my brother and his man to preuent any ouerflowings of a wanton tongue or idle conference so that wee were so farre from any occasion of Loues encountering that we were glad to shake our hattes and wring our cloathes for feare of catching colde yet say that the accident had preuented other company hath the opinion of his worth so ill a ground in your thoughtes that you can so quickly cast it out from any sound rooting Or am I such a truand in the schoole of modesty that you stand in doubt of my loytering or at least of my insufficiencie to proue an honest proficient But I will answer for you it is loues fault and not yours and there can be no good will where many questions arise not to contrarieties yea somtimes to distastings fallings out which if it be so I am contented to offer my Taper at the altar of his deitie and hope to finde you the faster hereafter by letting mee lose a little and giuing some small liberty to the feares of my losse and prouing counterfeit Yours in her very thoughts To his worthy Friend Sir I. D. SIR it pleased mee much that you supposed mee ouer shadowed with the high exalted fauor of such a Queen who as shee is the mirrour of all ages for her magnificent gouernmēt so is she the presidēt of all actions for her vertues maiesticall properties But withall you must
things The order of Deruices is sutable to the Capuchine friers and are called Turners They allow God the Father but denye the Trinitie They reuerence the three professors of the three religions Moyses for the Iewes Christ for the Christians Mahomet for themselues They hate in others prophanation or blasphemy and obserue naturalls mad-men and fooles They bury their dead with a singing noyse and watch ouer the graues with mourning howling Infinit other particulars may be obserued but these shall suffice till a larger discourse can bring mee within the reach of your acceptation and shewe how I haue not employed my time amisse and am willing to giue you notice of the same whome of all other men I would content in this kinde Yours with a true heart To his honorable Friend Captaine S. MY noble Companion without further complemēt when we parted from Messina you for Venice and I for Constantinople Newes came to our English Consull that the Vineyard a ship of London was surprised by the Malteses the goods confiscate and one Harris the Maister terribly threatned for transporting Munition or other prohibited merchandise to the Turks wherein the Gran-Prior is so resolute that he hath presumed to write into England to iustifie the action and added withall that the next offender shall loose ship and all For you must consider that there is a kinde of Confederacie betweene the Pope the Duke of Florence and these Malteses gainst the Turke and whereas all other Princes are now as it were vnder a protection of a peace these onely dare to proclaime a warre And what they cannot perform with the brauery of open hostilitie at land they will execute with the cunning of priuate surprises at Sea and by reason the Knights of the Rhodes abated their florishes in the losse of that Iland they are retyred to Malta to recouer their credit euer since that happy repulsing the Turkes by that miraculous defending their citie and Castle haue stood at defiance both with this enemie of Christians all such as shall support him to make him a stronger enemy then they suppose he can be of him selfe And heerein the Pope is so charitable that he blesseth their enterprises and encourageth many Gentlemen of diuers Nations to enrowle themselues vnder the Holy Banner account it a glorie to be a true Souldier for religion So that a Knight of Malta holdeth vp a countenāce of such reputation that hee supposeth his Honour to precede any temporall dignity vnder a Baron and the Gran-Prior himselfe will not abate a iote of a Princes estimation Yours for euer though we neuer meete againe To his approued Friend G. A. Esq. GOod Syr There is no one thing in the world in which I desire to haue an honorable contention with you as in curtesie and good conditions So that whether it be emulation or a naturall motion to doe well I care not but am assured you haue exposed such a pattern of true friendship that I must answer the proportion and frame my selfe to an orderly satisfaction you haue loued mee therefore I must affect you you haue visited me therfore I must not seeme strange you haue bene bountifull therefore I must be thankfull you haue written and therfore I must answer yea and that from Venice the wonder of Europe and the glorie of Italie where I haue encountered with Newes which I am proud to make you partaker of because within the memorie of man neuer was so remarkable an accident Know then that after the Pope had swelled with the repining against the Venetian contumacy Frier Paul of the order of Serui was cōdemned for an heretike burnt in his image at Rome and attēpted many times to be murthered his offence raised from certaine books against the Popes secular iurisdiction ouer Princes and free states his discourses grounded on the loue of his Countey at such time as the Venetians determined a stopping of certaine Mortmaines with pretences of money satisfaction least time and seduction should weaken their glorie by diminishing their lands giuing away their territories to monasteries his reward an annuall pention of 500. ducates and glorious Title by sound of Trumpet of Theologo designato At which the Clergie so stormed that they made it a matter of treason against God and his Angells thus to extenuate the authoritie of the Mother-Church by such presumptuous restraints against the will pleasure of the Pope and his Cardinalls Wherevpon without further disputing a seuere fulmination passed forth against them which also so vilipended them that fier sword was proclaimed and nothing but submissiō and absolution could deliuer them from the sauage stroakes of reuenge This so startled the Venetians and rowsed vp the drowsie eyes of other Princes that they al looked vp to see with what face these controuersies and accidentall displeasures would terrifie the world and not contented with verball protestations they mustred their Armies and at my comming into Italie I heard nothing else but the clamours of warre and warre against the Pope himselfe In which hurliburly a noble man of Venice of the house of Donatus now Duke hauing bene long since Bandited by the State for murthering a Gentl to whose wife loue had formerly enthralled him determined to worke out his reconciliation by prostrating his seruice to the State and attending the same if need and occasion required with 50. Horsm at his owne charge and because they should not lay imputation vpon him of formalitie and ceremonious brauerie from winde and smoake he brought them by Sea into the Citie it selfe and had licence to make a Martiall shew before the Ladies and better sort of the people And thus in a sequestred place at their fundamento nuouo he mustred 50. Horsm with reasonable equippage and proportionable discipline which was neuer seene in Venice before For there is neither horse nor cart neither fresh-water nor wholsome-ayre neither sword nor cloake for the Gentl of Venice himselfe nor any pleasant walke to passe the time with recreation more then the delicate entertainment in their Gondolas and some comicall showes on their Grand-Canal Amongst which the rarest that euer I sawe was a costly and ostentous triumphe called a Regatto presented on the Grand-Canal to entertaine the Princes of Piedmont and Mantua who came hither of purpose to see the Citie and the pleasures of the same which I must needs say for liberty of life and conscience Curtesans Mountebanks Musike and Monasticall presumption surpasseth any Citie in the world The shew it selfe was briefly thus diuers young Gentlem according to their abilitie and willingnes were selected by the order of their Balls as Capt of seuerall Barges which were decked vp in orderly representations of whales vnicornes dolphins elephants woods fountaines and such like wherein all the Marriners and attendants with seuerall warlike instruments and musicke of lower sound were placed both for ornament glorie magnificence and adapted congruity to the thing they
repent Nor hath he pardond all whom he hath shent Nor mad them happy whom he doth forbeare And so much wiser in so much mistrust They haue most hope that haue most doubt of tim the best assured hart must beare or brust Bare honesty is poore as Ballet-rime And somewhile counted for an heynous crime Yet store's no soare because the honest-wise Are feasted when they haue what will suffise Content's a royall portion for a Prince A minde at peace excelleth gouernment Hee hath abundance that hath competence Pleasde is a treasure neuer to be spent The patient man did neuer yet repent Nor hope in vaine nor yet in vaine repine For sufferance is sufferantly diuine And yet it is a hinderance to my Creede That neither sexe nor sorts in meanes or minde Neither for cause matter desert or deede Should haue a care of loue or loue of kinde Lost-labour so to seeke and such to finde Then seeke no more to finde such labours losses T is better not to liue then liue with crosses For touching life that we doe loue so much And court with such variety of fauour If that our wisedome and our grace were such To weigh our losse of time with losse of labour And iudge the mischiefe of our misbehauiour In both the courts of conscience repentance Our selues might giue both euidēce sentēce And scape the scrupule of a froward minde And clense the filth of our corrupted sence And in the molde of vanity soone sinde The foule occasions of our vilde offence Purging diseased sinnes with some pretence Wherby we liue so wretchedly so wrought on as neither GOD nor any good is thought on O wicked world growth of inconstant passions Wherein no vertue is at all abiding If now at ease streight sicke at least of fashions With whose impatience there is no desiding From whose deuises there is no diuiding Now this then that euē as the humor bread Now honor'd much aboue our small desert Anon more low then is the seruile slaue In whom ther is no hope no worke nor Art To purchase or prolong to wish or craue Oppression's humble and opinion's braue All things vncertaine yet most certaine too That what so ere Time made it shall vndoo Times past present teach vs what 's to come That fraile mortality is as fruitlesse aire Thogh much desirde honord much by some By some lesse happy in as much despaire In some most fowle in other some most faire Most fowl most fair most desprat most desird And all but with infection most inspirde So all alike the Noble and the Clowne Dye and with them their deeds as well as they For after-ages put the former downe Their murthred monumēts haue nought to say Their beauties with their bodies ayre clay Caesar and Alexander dead rotten The actors and their actions quite forgotten Dauid the Darling of th' Almighties-heart Predominant in pleasure and in power Most worthily till wickednes did thwart That heauenly Sunshine with a worldly showre The greatest winner hath a loosing hower For GOD did neuer yet make that man liue That hath not in his life some cause to grieue How trust we then to vaine abilitie The breath of howrs giddy Fortuns fauors Whose alterations worke debilitie And our loose-hopes with loosing happes mislabours time hūteth fools as fools hūt hares with tabers Beating vpon the toppe of stiles and stockes Tlll in the fire of pride they burne like blocks Sencelesse of all sence but sencelesse pleasure And that it selfe euen as it is affected Subscribing onely to the humors leisure By which alone they wholly are directed Till ill by worse be worthily detected Then car'd as little for as they haue car'de They feele the differēce to be spoyld or sparde Beauty and strength are but a vulgar blast And shape a subiect vnto euery beast Euen sence it selfe will leaue our selues at last When this shall be the subiect of the feast That vertues store will neuer be decreast Wher good men may recoūt without controule The golden reckoning of an humble soule And to dilate the matter somewhat more Let 's looke a little ore the world againe And see if that we haue not causes store to fret our selues and on our selues complaine that any worldly Soyle our soules should staine When nothing in the world is good or sure ther 's nothing good that can the world endure Princes of state the game of Fortunes wheele Are treasons subiects thralls to base despight tormented in their soules when as they feele A guilty conscience open inward sight to see how wrongs haue ouergrowne the right And how so ere theyr titles make them proud Yet must they dye like mē GOD saies aloud Nobles the breath of Kings are vaine in pride And vainer in opinion of vaine men Swelling with factious hearts gainst wind and tyde If they be crost or countermanded when The Lyon mongst the beasts coms from his den And peraduenture takes the Ape to play When Beasts of nobler kinde are chasde away Great Officers the wantons of the time Sifting theyr sences through sleight vanitie Teaching poore vertue that this durt slime Must worke our worldly base felicitie And further pleasures in iniquitie As for the soule let simple men regard it For being simple simple worths reward it Friends yet vntryde like golden hanging fruite With wordes of fauour and as smooth as oyle Smoake promises to helpe thee in thy sute But all to countnance pride and to beguile Simplicitie with many a fained smile For touch them once they crumble vnto dust like burnt cole-fruit which Tātalus did trust Acquaintance onely bubbles in the ayre Made out of sope and water by young boyes Swelling a while with pleasant shape and faire As long as our owne breath augments the ioyes but blown on burst prouing thēselues slight toyes For if that our misfortunes are espide They quickly shrink hang their heads aside Children the care of cares and harts disease In such a time of brauery and sinne Where disobedient sonnes must needs displease And daughters faire themselues to know begin Seeking a dangerous libertie to winne For what a Feuer makes the Father quake whē daughters hāds with fool or whore do take Women the torments of vnsetled hearts The very Fewell vnto burning lust Yet in themselues doe acte contrary parts Against such men as doe them truely trust For if they swell with wantonnesse vnburst They practise slye deceyts if they be good Yet oft with chafings they doe vexe thy blood Strūpets most dangerous baytes a burning fire Blacke coales consuming or for to bismeer Trothles to trust wrought vp with greater hire A foule consumption of the soule most deere Yet making boyles and botches to appeare O that fond mā wold liue with sweetned breath For their darke stincking houses lead to death Beautie a pleasing ornament to sight Ordainde to shew the Makers noble glorie But see how Pride and Nature doth delight To ouerthrow the goodnes