Abuses Stripped and Whipped, Book · Poem 4 – Poem
THE CONCLVSION.
THus hauehave I labour'd some Effects to show,
That doe from mens abused Passions flow;
Which from example of old ages past,
And wise-mens Sayings, I might more hauehave grac't▪
But that I am resolu'd to tie my Rimes
As much as may be to the present Times;
Also I might amongst these here hauehave told,
The bodies Passions; as Hunger, Cold,
Heat, Thirst, and such like; but their force is seene,
And most men hauehave sufficient carefull beene
For to preuent them; they last not so long,
Nor are by much so violent and strong,
Or dangerous as these: but if men knew,
Or with the eyes of Reason would o're view
These foule-bred maladies, as sure they ought,
They would with greater diligence hauehave sought
The cure of them, then of such slight diseases;
The which their bodies and no more displeases:
But now the reason men disturbed are,
For the most part with such preposterous Care
Is this; through their corrupted iudgement they,
Doe onelyonly on things seene depend and stay;
Which being most apparant to the sense,
So muffles vp the weake Intelligence,
And blinds her that she hath no power to see,
The better things that more subsisting be;
When if they could conceiue but halfe so well
The Soules Estate, they'd labour to expell
All these corruptions, that may cause her woe,
All those fell Passions that molest her so:
But some men hauehave in this opinion stood,
That eu'ry passion's naturall and good;
Indeed Philosophers the same doe call,
A Motion of the soule that's naturall;
And in some sort we may not be afraid,
For to vphold as much as they hauehave said:
But thus we must distinguish on it then,
And make a two-fold Passion in men,
Of which, one sort vntounto the best aspires,
And that alone, things meerely good, desires,
Therein reioycing; moderate, and weake
In operation; and the truth to speake;
We hauehave it rather by Gods Inspiration,
Then bred within vsus at our Generation:
The other, as th' effects thereof doe show,
Doth by our owne corrupted nature grow;
For it is head-strong, rash, insatiate,
Wondrous disordred, and immoderate,
Of which kind these are, whereof I hauehave spoken,
And they are oft the cause mens sleeps are broken;
That 'tis which makes them raue, or greeue, or ioy
So out of measure for a trifling toy;
Yea that 'tis onelyonly makes them oft so teasie,
Their friends seem troublesome, their beds vneasie,
And lastly, these are the occasions still,
Of all misfortunes, and of eueryevery ill;
Th' effects they doe produce we also see,
Contrarie to their expectations be;
For he that hopes, or lookes for to attaine,
Great Ioy & Pleasure haps on greefe and paine:
But by what meanes may men these passions kill?
Sure not by the procuring of their will,
As some imagine. For first it may be,
A thing that's not in possibilitie
For to be reacht vntounto. But say it were,
Will the Ambitious-minded-man forbeare
To be Ambitious, if he once fulfill
His longing thoughts? No; he will rather still,
Encrease that passion which first he had
Or fall into some other that's as bad;
For altring the Condition or Estate,
The soules vexation doth no more abate,
Then changing roomes or beds doth ease his paines
That hath a Feuer; since the Cause remaines
Still in himselfe: But how and which way then
May these Diseases be recur'd in men?
Why by Philosophy, Counsell, and Reason,
These being well appli'd in their due season
May do much good. Else seek the Cause whence rise,
These hurtfull and pernitious maladies.
Let them consider That, and so they may,
Cut off the 'ffect by taking it away.
But if they cannot the occasions find
Ile tell them 'tis a Basenesse of the mind:
Or els a false Opinion that's in some,
Of Good or Euill present or to come.
Respecting good things thus: They do desire
And are to yehemently set on fire▪
With coueting what seemes so; Or anoying,
Themselues with an Excessiue Ouer-ioying,
In the obtaining. In regard of ill,
They are oppressed with some sorrow still;
So that we see if men would goe about,
To change their minds, and driue that basenes out
Through Magnanimity, (And note well this,
That Passion but some false Opinion is,
Fram'd by the will, and drawne by the direction
Of Iudgement that's corrupted by affection)
Me thinkes they might by reasons help confound,
The former errors that hauehave tane such ground,
In their weake Hearts, and learne for to esteeme,
That which doth either good or euill seeme:
(And in their soules such perturbation wrought)
As things not good, nor ill, and that which ought,
(Being vnworthy) neither to molest,
Nor breed such Passions in their carefull breast.
By these and other such like meanes as these,
The wise Philosophers in elder daies
Kept out those furies, and 'twere now a shame,
If that we Christians could not doe the same:
Hauing besides those helps whereon they staid,
A certaine promise of a better ayd,
If weele but aske it: Lets demand it then,
To rid these euils from our soules agen.
If that we feele them yet not stirring in vsus,
Let vsus preuent them ere by force they win vsus:
For 'tis more easie (eu'ry one doth know)
For to keep out, then to expella foe:
If any thinke I from my purpose swarue,
Cause my intent was chiefly to obserue
And not to Teach; let them not blame me tho;
For who can see his friends lie sick, and know
Which way to cure them? But you'l say my skill,
Cannot instruct you: yet may my good-will
Be worth accepting, and the other neither,
A thing to be reiected altogether:
For, I hauehave seene when in a knowne disease
Doctors with all their Art could giuegive no ease
To their weake Patient; a Country Dame,
Hath with a home-made medicine Cur'd the same:
And why not I, in this? Yes, Ile abide it;
Being well vs'd it helps, for I hauehave tride it:
Thus much for that; but still there doth remaine
Some obseruations yet for to explaine;
I hauehave not done, for I am further task't,
And there's more Humors yet to be vnmask't,
Wherein because I will not step astray
Nor swerue from Truth a iot beside the way,
I'le say no more (least men should seeme belide)
Then what my owne experience hath espide;
And then if any frowne, (as sure they dare not)
So I speake truth, let them frowne still I care not:
But if my Muse you should so saucy finde,
Sometime to leaue her Notes, and speak her minde,
As oft she doth, when she but haps to see,
How vaine, or weake, or fickle, most men be;
Yet blame me not, 'tis out of the good-will
I beare to you, and hatred vntounto ill:
Which when I see, my purpos'd Course I breake,
Because, indeed, I am compel'd to speake:
Yet thinke not, though I some where bitter be,
I count my selfe from all those Vices free;
Rather imagine 'tis to me well knowne,
That here with others faults I tell mine owne.
The end of the first Booke.
THE SECOND BOOKE. OF THE VANITY. Inconstancie, VVeake-nesse,and Presumption of Men.
PRECATIO.
THou that Createdst all things in a weeke,
Great God: whose fauour I doe onelyonly seeke,
E'ne thou by whose sweet Inspiration,
I vndertooke this obseruation;
Oh grant, I pray, since thou hast dain'd to show,
Thy seruant that which thousands doe not know,
That this my noting of mans hum'rous Passion,
May worke within Me such an Alteration,
I may be for my past offences sorry,
And lead a life to thy eternall glorie.
Let not Ambition, nor foule Desire,
Nor Hate, nor Enuy set my heart on fire,
Reuenge, nor Choller, no nor Iealousie,
And keepe me from Despaire and Crueltie,
Fond hope expell, and I beseech thee blesse,
My soule …rom feare and too much heauines.
But giuegive me speciall grace to shun the vice,
That is so common; Beastly Auarice:
Yea grant me power I not onelyonly know,
But flye those euils that from Passion flow.
Moreouer now Inspire my soule with art,
And grant me thy assistance to impart,
The rest of mens ill Customes, yet remaining,
And his vaine humors; that by my explaining,
They may perceiue how odious I can make them,
Blush at the reading and at last forsake them:
So let my Muse in this and things to come,
Sing to thy glory, Lord, or else be dumbe.