Of Epistles familiar. Chap. 8.
WIth this pleasant direction I thinke meete at this present to conclude these last Letters Iudiciall, and therewith also the verie ende of all our Letters speciall, so tearmed by me as aforesaide, for the speciall matters and conueyance to them seuerallie appropriate. And nowe the next and last in turne, are those letters familiar, for the ordinarie causes and matters of handling in them likewise contained, so formerly named. Little informations néede here, more then the directions alreadie in the Chapters of the first Booke that haue beene deliuered, for their stile and methode. Seeing the common matter in them vsuallie frequented, challengeth no such districtnesse in propertie or conueiance, as was required in the others, only they for orders sake as the rest, are herein to be distinguished (the better to be found out & known by their partes) vnder their seuerall titles. The first whereof appeareth to bee Narratory and Nunciatorie, both alike in their vsage, consisting onelie in aduertisementes of affaires, from friende to friende, seruant to maister, or generallie to speake, from one person to an other, the examples whereof according to the seuerall properties do plentifullie ensue.
A Letter Nunciatorie from a sonne to his father or friends,
touching his being in seruice.
MY humble dutie remembred, good father, vnto you and my mother: These are to aduertise you, that I am, I thanke God, in good health. As touching my placing heere with my maister, I doe like verie well of the trade, but I doe not thinke the seruice fit for me, as well for that it seemeth, that more for the money that shall bee giuen with mee, then for any desire to my good, hee is willing to haue mee. Besides, for ought that I can learne, my maister is verie backeward in the worlde, so that what minde soeuer you carrie to my placing here, I doubt it will turne to verie small purpose. Neuerthelesse, as my dutie is, I doe gladly submit my selfe to your pleasure, and am willing as becommeth me, to do in all things according to your will. And euen so with my heartie commendations to my Vnkle and Aunt, with my brothers and sisters, I leaue further to trouble you: desirous, if it may seeme good vnto you, that I may verie shortlie see you. From L. this thirteenth of Februarie, &c.
A Letter Nunciatorie in another sort of the selfe
same matter.
GOod father, hauing the oportunitie of this bearer, I thought good to certifie you of my present beeing, giuing you to vnderstande that I am, I thanke God and you, in good health, and verie well placed heere in London, where I am in hope to continue my heere beeing to some profitable purpose. My maister vseth mee in verie good sort, and I lacke nothing that appertaineth vnto such a one as my selfe. I trust you shall haue ioy of mee, and ere a fewe yeares passed, I doubt not but so to behaue my selfe, that I shall well deserue this good lyking that alreadie I haue of my Maister, and further credite also at his handes, and imployment about his businesse. I hope that you and my mother, and all our friendes in the Countrey are in good health. I pray you that you will write vnto my Maister as occasion serueth, and thanke him for his good vsage: and if you can to remember him with some conuenient token from the Countrey. Thus desiring your daylie blessings, and remembring my humble dutie to you and my mother, I take leaue, From L. this of, &c.
THese presidents as they are here vsed, may be applied to any the like purpose, of what qualitie soeuer the seruant be, or the seruice, whence the same is deliuered, there néedes but change of names, and contrarie applications, according to the being of the parties to be vsed, and this onelie forme to be obserued and continued. And so will we now to the other examples.
An Epistle Narratorie containing aduertisements from one
friend to another.
MY good N. you shall vnderstande by this bearer what speeches I haue had in your behalfe, with Maister R. F. whome to tell you trueth, I found at the first time verie strange, but after wee had a while debated of the cause, and that I had enformed vnto him all those reasons, which stoode both for your benefite and his owne satisfaction, he was verie well contented. You haue much to thanke this Gentleman, who omitted no part of a friend to deliuer in your absence what he saw meetest to the purpose, and that in sooth with so deliberate and sound resolution, as my selfe for your sake must needes also thinke the better of him. I do refer the circumstance to both your leysures to be debated on. And as touching that you willed me to deale for, with your Vncle, it is, I see, to verie little profite, for that his suspicious humours are such, as will not with anie reason whatsoeuer be diuerted. I coulde tell you a Hystorie of that matter, but I leaue all to our next meeting. My brother S. desired mee heartilie to commend him vnto you, and so did your olde seruant D. You shall by the next Carrier either heare further of me, or else verie shortlie thereupon you may expect to see mee. And euen so with my heartiest commendations till then I bid you fare well, S. this fifteenth of August, &c.