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* 1.1IT is a greuous and straunge woorde, and suche one as is not vttred without blushynge and skant daring to looke in the face of him to whome it is spoken, to saye I praye or beseche you. The néede or cause of vsing which worde shoulde not he ge∣uen to any frind, or him whom through thy good desertes thou wouldest make thie frind. There is none but doth that plesour to late whiche he doth vpon re∣quest, let him dispatch then neuer so spe∣dilye.
Wherfore we must so néere as we can, coniecture eche mans desyer and imagine their néede: and those knowen, of our owne accord deliuer thē from that vrgent extremitie of their néede without any their request.* 1.2 For that benefyt is ac∣ceptable plesaunt, and longest will con∣tinew in the mind of him to whom it is done, whych preuenteth his asking. And if it fortune that by no meanes we can preuēt but we shalbe request••d, yet must we cut of and abridge the abiding of ma∣ny woordes at our frindes handes, and beyng longe entreated, that yet by that spéede makyng we may seme as though we had not stayed to haue bene desired. And so sone as we vnderstand ones the effecte of their mindes, we must yeld our selues with spéedye graunt to doo it. For by that hastie dispatche, we shal yet som∣what geue them to vnderstande that we hadde a will to haue done them plesour euen before any their request made. For in lyke maner as meat geuē in dew sea∣son
is able to be dygested by hym that is verye sicke, and as water geuen in time conuenient oft serueth the tourne of costlier medicine,* 1.3 ryght so the bene∣fitte be it neuer so symple, yea and com∣mon withall, yet if it be redely done and willynglye, and in the verye nicke (as a manne woulde saye) it deserueth gret∣ter thankes, and is farre more to be este∣med, then is the benefitte of gretter va∣lew lingr••d forth longe, and done with pawsyng and delaye: For dawtles who that dothe anye plesour with pawsynge, and longe deliberacion, is neuer to be sayde to doo the same with a free hart and willynglye. Agayne who that doith it gladlye, hys verye counte∣naunce will declare how willing he is to do it.
A benefit done vpō requeste cometh to late.
That benefitte most thā¦kefull yt is done without request.
A pre••ye similitu∣de.