Familiar Colloquies/Forms of Salutation

A certain person teaches, and not without reason, that we should salute freely. For a courteous and kind salutation oftentimes engages friendship, and reconciles persons at variance, and does undoubtedly nourish and increase a mutual benevolence. There are indeed some persons that are such churls, and of so clownish a disposition, that if you salute them, they will scarcely salute you again. But this vice is in some persons rather the effect of their education, than their natural disposition.

It is a piece of civility to salute those that come in your way; either such as come to us, or those that we go to speak with. And in like manner such as are about any sort of work, either at supper, or that yawn, or hiccup, or sneeze, or cough. But it is the part of a man that is civil even to an extreme, to salute one that belches or breaks wind backward. But he is uncivilly civil that salutes, one that is making water or easing nature.

God save you, father; God save you, little mother; God save you, brother; God save you, my worthy master; God save you heartily, uncle; God save you, sweet cousin.

It is courteous to make use of a, title of relation or affinity, unless when it carries something of a reflection along with it; then indeed it is better not to use such titles, though proper, but rather some that are more engaging, as when we call a mother-in-law, mother; a son-in-law, son; a father-in-law, father; a sister's husband, brother; a brother's wife, sister. And the same we should do in titles, either of age or office. For it will be more acceptable to salute an ancient man by the name of father or venerable sir, than by the surname of age; although in ancient times they used to make use of ώ γέρον as an honourable title. God save you, lieutenant; God save you, captain; but not, God save you, hosier or shoemaker. God save you, youth, or young man. Old men salute young men that are strangers to them by the name of sons, and young men again salute them by the name of fathers or sirs.

God save you, my little Cornelia, my life, my light, my delight, my sweetheart, my only pleasure, my little heart, my hope, my comfort, my glory.

As you salute, so you shall be saluted again. If you say that which is ill, you shall hear that which is worse.

God bless your holiness, your greatness, your highness, your majesty, your beatitude, your high mightiness, are salutations rather used by the vulgar, than approved by the learned.

Sapidus wishes health to his Erasmus. Sapidus salutes his Beatus, wishing him much health.

And to wish well is a sort of salutation.

God send you a good delivery, and that you may make your husband father of a fine child. May the Virgin Mother make you a happy mother. I wish that this enlarged abdomen may assuage happily. Heaven grant that this burden you carry, whatsoever it is, may have as easy an out-coming as it had an in-going. God give you a good time.

Happy be this feast. Much good may it do all the company. I wish all happiness to you all. God give you a happy banquet.

May it be lucky and happy to you. God keep you. May it be for your health. God bless it to you.

May it prove happy and prosperous for the public good. May that you are going about be an universal good. God prosper what you are about. God bless your labours. God bless your endeavours. I pray that by God's assistance you may happily finish what you have begun. May Christ in heaven prosper what is under your hand. May what you have begun end happily. May what you are set about end happily. You are about a good work, I wish you a good end of it, and that propitious Heaven may favour your pious undertaking. Christ give prosperity to your enterprise. May what you have undertaken prosper. I heartily beg of Almighty God that this design may be as successful as it is honourable. May the affair so happily begun more happily end.

I wish you a good journey to Italy, and a better return. I wish you a happy voyage, and a more happy return. I pray God that this journey being happily performed, we may in a short time have the opportunity of congratulating you upon, your happy return. May it be your good fortune to make a good voyage thither and back again. May your journey be pleasant, but your return more pleasant. I wish this journey may succeed according to your heart's desire. I wish this journey may be as pleasant to you, as the want of your good company in the meantime will be troublesome to us. May you set sail with promising presages. I wish this journey may succeed according to both our wishes. I wish this bargain may be for the good and advantage of us both. I wish this may be a happy match to us all. The blessed Jesus God keep thee. Kind Heaven return you safe. God keep thee who art one-half of my life. I wish you a safe return.