A Letter of aduertisement from a sonne to his father.
MY humble duty remembred good father vnto you, and my mother. It maie please you to vnderstande, that vpon the receyte of your Letters sent mee by P. your man, I haue done your commaundement. And whereas you expected an aunswere by the carrier, for that P. went forwarde Westwardes in his iourney, I could not till this present write vnto you to anie effect. I haue receiued of Maister N. the twentie poundes which shoulde haue beene paied at Easter last, and for the continuation of my here beeing, I thinke it would turne you to some profite, so be it I may be furnished accordinglie. Wools are as yet at high rate, but I thinke shortlie they will fall, wherefore I haue not yet thought meete to laie out anie monie about them. The next weeke you shall receiue by C. the Carrier fortie poundes. And if it please you then to returne by him those parcels of wares that I last wrote vnto you of, they will now come in verie good time, respecting that the Faire at F. is nigh, and for ought I yet perceyue, they are like to bee well solde there. This is all I haue to write vnto you at this present, sauing my heartie desire of your health, and likewise of my mother, with all my brothers and sisters. It is here sayde, G. hath verie lewdlie demeaned himselfe in his maisters businesse, whereby maister L. is like to bee much indangered. Praying your daylie blessings vnto me, I humblie recommend you to the Almightie. From B. this thirtie of May.
ACcordant vnto this last Letter maie any seruant frame himselfe to aduertise his master of his affaires, altering onelie the names of directions, and the matter as occasion serueth. Neuerthelesse forsomuch as in causes of other accidents beyond the seas, both masters haue occasion to write vnto their seruants or factors, and likewise the seruant or factor to answer them againe, whereof perchance some examples in this methode might also be sought for. As néere as my little guesse in those causes will serue me, I wil set you down some directions. Noting by the way, that the infinit number of all occurrents are not herein to be satisfied, though to as many as bee néedfull examples are intended to bee giuen. Onely the learner must consider, that the true and proper intendment hereof, is but for an orderly conueiance of euery action to be prescribed, wherout one direction picked, must and may well serue for a number in that or the like degrée, vpon other occasions to be suted. Neuerthelesse, that as well in this, as the former booke, we haue omitted no trauell for the ease and better instruction of the studious to giue vnto them, of euery common or néedfull matter, as manie seuerall directions, as that the leading along of the same herein, may be wel iudged to be most plentifull. According whereunto, of these two last recited partes, wee will now sort you out some particular examples, of the first whereof from the maister to the seruant, you shall expect hereafter vnder the title Mandatorie, & of the second this example ensuing may be a president.
A Letter from a seruant or factor to his maister.
SIr, my humble dutie remembred vnto you, and my good Mistresse, you may please to vnderstand that I haue laden for your account in the good ship called the R of B. according to your remembrance sent vnto me for the same, by maister S. T. seuen Buts of Secke, which cost the first pennie seuenteene Duckats the Butte: marked with your accustomed marke in the margent. Moreouer, fiue Roues of Cochinelie, verie excellent good, and of fine colour: which cost after Duckats the Kintall. All which I hope by Gods grace shall safelie come vnto your hands, I send you also herein inclosed your bill of lading: I wrote formerlie vnto you for certaine commodities out of England by maister D. L. who came alongst in the Fleete of L. and is as I vnderstand, safely arriued from Lyons againe. Here is at this present small newes worth the writing vnto you, wherefore, praying Almightie God for the health and prosperitie of you and all yours, I humbly take my leaue. From L. this of, &c.
Your faithfull and readie seruant at command.
Of Epistles Remuneratorie. Chap. 9.
IN the writing of this last Letter, there was shewed mee by the Printer, a booke called the Marchants Auiso, helping, and in mine opinion most fully & amplie suffizing to this instruction. And for as much as the conuieance of these letters, bee rather matters priuate to Merchantes aduenturers, then resting in publique for anie other vsers, I haue determined herein for that sorte, vnder this Narratorie or Nunciatorie title to laie downe my limits, referring the desirous of further direction, vnto the writer of that Booke, whose labour for that purpose, not without his speciall desert, cannot be by me or anie other to such end better furnished or deliuered, his tearmes being most currant to those kind of dealinges, and his methode also best answering vnto the true passages thereof. For which in supplement of the residue of the required examples yet vnfitted to this my Secretorie, I will proceed vnto the next title of these familiar letters, which appeare to be Remuneratorie. This title serueth to a Remuneration or thankfull acknowledgement of benefits receiued, and to such end is by the examples thereof to be imploied. And in so much as vnto euerie one well conditioned, or of good and liberall education, it is a thing pertinent, not to omit the respect of euerie benefit without some thankefull consideration, it shall behooue that according to the estate or qualitie of the partie, from whome we receiue the same, we do frame our letters of thankes, which to our betters, equalles and inferiours are in sundrie sortes to be deliuered, and according to the dignitie and worthinesse of euerie one, excelling or going before vs, are euer to be measured, and with the more or lesse submissiue and humble acknowledgment is alike to be caried. Neuerthelesse, that according to the efficacie of speech in each of them deliuered, the greatnesse and weightie respect of euerie good turne, is by the considerate and respectiue regarde thereof, the more amplie to be perceiued.