But for that I see you are ill conceyted at my heauinesse,Apostrophe. and of your owne good nature woulde gladlye finde meane to recouer that vnto mee,Noema. which my selfe am out of hope for euer to compasse, I am content, though ill pleasing to my remembraunce, and the rather also that by the extremitie of the euillesLiptote. your owne minde maie bee disswaded from anie further dealing in the cause, to shewe vnto you the good conditions of him you sue for, what manner a sonne hee hath alwayes beene vnto mee, what reason thereby I haue to commaunde him from mee, and howe farre wide you are, that in such sort as you declare, doe conceiue both of him, and of mee.
I neede not repeate heere vnto you,Paralepsis with what fatherlie care I haue brought him vppe to mannes estate, by what prouident foresight, I sought both with maintenaunce and conuenient place of credite, to continue him as a Gentleman, howe vnwilling I was to enter into the search of euerie small offence, but attributing the force thereof to his tyme of youth, was content to winke at that manie times, the sufferaunce whereof I doubted would turne to the ruine that it presentlie carrieth. I will but giue you an instaunce of the same, to the intent that as you shall knowe thereof, so may you in reuoluing the rest, consider the better howe vnkindlie, yea, more then vnnaturallye I maie saie, hee hath rewarded me, and therewith will come to the present estate wherein he now remaineth.
It is I iudge about three yeares sithence,Narratiō. to the intent to retaine him in some good order of life, I placed him with a right godlie and worshipfull Knight, Sir H. D. who for my sake both loued him, and I knowe tooke paines to the vttermost to reforme him, before that time I had placed him in an Inne of Courte, where with expences sufficient I kept him. In both of these places hee brought mee more then I will rehearse indebted, ranne himselfe on the rockes, durst not besides (for that priuilie hee had taken vp) to shewe his head.Merismus. Complaints were infinite against him, this man could not bee in quiet for him, that mans seruant hee misused, this partie hee deceyued, that other hee highlie wronged: what coulde I doe vnto these thinges, but as one desirous to reclaime him whom he knewe to be his owne (though with a resolute vow neuer to deale with him,) I then had cast him off, yet by intreatie of his friends, and his earnest submission I receiued him againe. Sithence which too much it is to be reuealed,Commoratiō. how stubbornlie euen in mine owne house, how iniuriously among mine owne people, he hath behaued himselfe, by reason whereof as compelled for the quiet of mine owne familie, I appoynted him to goe from hence into S. there to remaine with his Vncle. And because it was against a Christmasse, and that I woulde not dismisse him vnfurnished of that belonged vnto a Gentleman, (besides that, with a couple of good Geldings I horsed him and his man, and suted him of apparell, and what other needfull necessaries) I deliuered him twentie pounds in his purse. Hee was no sooner gone to D. beeing not past twentie myles from my house, but the verie same night hee loste all his money at dice, pawned his horses for twentie Nobles, and was faine of an honest friend of mine to borrow tenne poundes for his expences, and to redeeme his Geldings, one of my poore Tenants there refusing to supplie his wantes, hee fowlie beate, and if companie had not come in to the rescue, had like to haue slaine him.
Nay, what hath hee done more, but knowing that these his ill demeanours comming once to mine eares, I woulde neuer after repute of him, hee hath confederated with a wicked rascall that once was his man, who beeing the verye same night in his companie, the next day after came to my house and robbed me.
Are not these impieties (thinke you) verie straunge?Erotema. What Nature is in such a sonne, nay, where in him are those district lawes of Nature become, that commonlie enforceth in all other children, an awfull loue and reuerent regarde vnto their parents? Where is the feare of diuine and humane lawes,Prolepsis. the one threatning a sharpe scourge for such vndutifulnesse, and the other punishing by penall forfeytures and imprisonments, the manner of such detestable and disordered loosenesse. To what issue is the auncient right and laudable custome of our forefathers alreadie runne, that whilome by seuere directions compelled the runnagate vsage of their children to a more district imposition and farre estranged exaction then nowe vsed, of a most rare and singular obedience? Why is the common intendment earst in our predecessours tymes, of lawfull and good so accustomablie vsed, thus quite forworne, and in these our seasons (filled with all kind of carelesnes) so far forth disgraced? who is he that now recketh farther then his owne fantasie, or what sonne wil for any zeale or dutie once seeke to repell his owne appetite? Whither are ye gone yee iust and seuere iudges,Prosopopœia. by whose sentence and opinion definitiue sharpe and bitter tortures were laid downe vnto them, that durst presume by any outward shewe in the world, but once so much as to countermaund the authoritie of their fathers?
O times more iniurious then euill it selfe,Emphasis. by whose onely sufferance, mischiefe spreadeth her selfe so highly as it doth, into such manifold branches.Aporia. What would you haue me to say in these things? thinke you not that I haue alreadie receiued discontentment inough at such a ones hande? or would you wish me againe by returning him home weetinglie,Metaphora. to sucke vp mine owne misfortune, and by nourishing an expugnable wickednesse, to see a demonstration of mine owne sorrowe and destruction daylie before mine eyes? No, no, coosin, I haue (I hope) taken order sufficient for these thinges, his presence I am resolued shal no more disquiet mee, by hearing or remembrance of him, if no friend of mine doe otherwise vexe mee,Orismus. for needes a vexation must it bee, be it but the least suppose, to conceiue that I haue yet remayning vnto mee such a sonne. Take heede (good Coosen) that as hee hath deceyued a great manie others, but mee of all others most especiallie, he also doe not deceyue you. Driue him quicklie from your presence, and thinke that a greater plague can you not receyue into your familie, then a person so vile, and of all others demeaned so wickedlie.Peroratiō. This is all that I can delyuer you of my present opinion, but not the least of a thousande other accidents occasioning the same. Whereon I am determined fullie to repose my selfe. Sending in the meane time my heartiest commendations and earnest thankes for the indifferent care had of my being both to you and your bedfellow, this of, &c.
An answere purgatorie of the sonne touching matters Inuectiue
of the former Epistle.
WEre it not sir that my presenceExordium. might more offend you then I wish, or by anie action of mine owne, woulde willinglie deserue, I had (emboldened by the equitie and right of my cause) in all humble reuerence and dutie, tendered my self vnto you, but vnderstanding howe greatly the malice of mine auncient enemies haue preuailed towards mee, and that without the verie pietie of your selfe, and equall regarde had to the due information of my cause, there is no place of fauour left vnto me, I choose as the meetest to abandon for a while the yeelding vnto you (by my accesse) of anie such annoyance, and in the meane time, to frame these humble lines, pacifiers of your more then ordinarie discontentments, that as true aduertisers of the course of that wherwith I am charged, they may plead pardon of your protested mislike, and winne vnto me (as I hope) that intertainment againe, from which hitherto by the vndeserued proceedings of mine aduersaries, I haue iniuriouslie beene detained.
And albeit there is no reason whie, in the measure of all your actions,Insinuatiō. I shoulde or ought to deeme, that you doe, or enterprise anie thing vnaduisedlie: yet for so much as the secret sting of malice is such, as is able to penetrate the wisest, and that where much is feared, the least matter inducing thereunto is made occasion to question of, I doe in as lowlie manner as I maie,Paresia. beseech that but with indifferencie you will see howe and in what sort I am wronged, and giuing credite to what hereby in mine owne defence alledged, you will censure the rest, as to the respect of your fatherlie pietie appertaineth.
The weight of that,Propositiō. for which as I vnderstande you are agreeued agaynst mee, is that heretofore you haue had suggested vnto you that I am verie vnthriftie,Anaphora. that I keepe lewde companie, that I consume all at dice, that I am a quarreller, and lastlie, that you surmize you were robbed by meane of mee, or by my assent, all which to confirme, mine aduersaries seeme to haue gathered vppon me great aduantage, in that notwithstanding, beeing often forewarned the contrarie, I sithence fell into companie, played at dice, brake a mans head, and that my man that robbed you, was the night before in my companie.