Sociable Letters 271 



forget your patience, and make you so angry as to 

 fling this letter into the fire, and so burn all the gar- 

 mental fashions in my letter, where if all fashions 

 could be as easily consiuned as my letter, you would 

 leave the world of mankind naked, unless they would 

 cloth themselves with beasts' skins, or fig-leaves, 

 which would soon become a fashion too, if once worn : 

 wherefore lest I should be stript of your favour, I 

 will leave the repetition of fashions, and rest. Madam, 

 Your verv faithful friend and servant. 



MY MISTRESS, TRUTH 



Madam, — In your last letter you desired me to 

 write some letters of complement, as also some pane- 

 gyricks, but I must intreat you to excuse me, for my 

 style in writing is too plain and simple for such courtly 

 works; besides, give me leave to inform you, that I 

 am a servant to truth and not to flattery ; although 

 confess, I rather lose than gain in my mistress's ser- 

 vice, for she is poor and naked, and hath not those 

 means to advance her servants as flattery hath, who 

 gives plenty of words, and is prodigal of praise, and 

 is clothed in a flourishing style, imbroydered with 

 oratory. But my mistress, Truth, hath no need of 

 such adornings, neither doth she give many words, 

 and seldom any praise, so as her servants have not 

 any thing to live on or by, but mere honesty which 

 rather starves than feeds any creature; yet, howso- 

 ever, I being bred in her service from my youth, will 

 never quit her till death takes me away ; and if I can 

 serve you by serving her, command me, and I shall 

 honestly obey you, and so rest. Madam, 



Your faithful fr. and s. 



