Britains Remembrancer, Poem · Conclusion
The Conclusion.
SO now (though not so fally as I …ght)
My Vow is paid; and to an end is brought
T…is worke, for which God pleas'd my life to spare,
Whe… thousand… round about me slaughtred were.
N…w, live or dye I care rot: for I see
But little useful…esse, or need of me.
Because no…e knowes what God may call him to;
I will not say precisely what I'le doe:
But, in …his kind of muzing, to endeavor,
Or he employ'd againe, I purpose never.
For, if this …rofit not, it will be vaine
For me to strike upon this st…in… againe▪
If these doe not prevaile, I shall suppose,
Words are not wanting here so much as blowes ▪
And that the filthy will be filthy s…ill,
Till th…y the measure of their sin f…lfill:
Or, that God wil… to f…ee us from pollution,
Put some …sall Plague in execution.
Whi… …o prevent, to him I'le humbly pray,
And, whilst I live, ende…vor what I may
My Cou…t…ies welfare; se…king meanes to finde,
To spen… for her availe, my dayes behinde;
And lab…ring so, my Talent to employ,
That I may come in…o my Masters joy.
And, though (when all is done which I am able)
My service will be but unprofitable:
Yet, still I will be doing, that, wh…n he
Shall come, I be not idle found to be.
If any blame what is or shall be done;
My Conscience k…oweth I would injure none;
And that I doe not meddle further, than
Becommeth me that am a priva…e man,
Though otherwise it seeme to those who weigh not
Wh…n private men may spe…ke, and when th…y may not.
The buildin… of a Towne we doe preserre
VntoUnto the Mason and the Carpenter;
But, when it is on fire, we care no… who
Doth come to quench it, so the same he doe.
And, thoug… in setled times, the Statutes awe
The ruder sort, sometime there's Martiall Law.
Tis true indeed, that ordinary times,
And those that are but ordinary crimes,
May by the Commo… Iustice be amended,
And shoul… not be by others repre…ended;
Except it be in termes, respecting all
States▪ persons, times, and sin in g…nerall.
Yet (as King David sayes) If overthrowne
Foundations be; what then amisse i… done,
By honest men, if God to sh…w our fall,
Shall some, in extraordinary, call?
We now have those that neither stand in awe
Of ordinary Magistrate, or Law.
Nay, Law is made a mockage, and a scorne,
And, they who have appointed beene, and sworne
To j…dge us by …he Lawes, deny their pow'r,
Except, when they may serv… them to devoure.
We now have sinners, who are got above
The reach of men appoin…ed to reprove
In ordinary course. Yea, sins have we,
Which brook not, toucht, or mentioned to be:
No not so much as pray'd against, through feare
Of …ngring those that their wel willers …re.
And, this …reat impudency daily growes
So str…ng that all our freedome… we shall lose,
And Natures Lawes e're long will all be brok…n,
If none shou…d speake; and therefore I have spok…n.
And …f for this I may not live as fr…e
As I was borne (and as I ought to be)
I hope to dye, doe malice what it can,
An ho…est and a constant Englishman,
Whose fall shall be no ble…ish to his Name;
But, in…am… to those, who caus…d the same.
But, s…ffer this (will Politicians dreame)
An…, such a president will hearten them
To libellize, who wanting grace, and re…son,
D…vulge t…eir sharp-fang'd Poems out of season:
And they who Write for nothing but to show
Their spleens, or that the world may come to know
Their Facul…y, mens persons m…y abuse,
And brave it thus, their boldnesse to excuse.
But, wh…t is this to me? (If others will
Because I have done well, be doing ill)
Let them and those, whom thereby they offend,
About that matter, by themselves contend.
Tis fit for so…er men their swo…ds to weare,
Altho…gh by drunkard th…y abus…d are.
Which freedome I▪ have claim…d, and us'd you see;
And from the claime will never bea…en be.
In ev'ry Worke ▪ some passage will d…scover
To k…ow…ng men, what was the ch…ef…st mo…ver:
Which …hey who have the Spirit of d…scerning,
Should marke; for, tis a matte worth the learning.
And, when they find an Autho… should be shent,
Let him receive his worthy chastisement.
But, when his paines deserveth a rew…rd,
Affl…ct him not, though him you nought regard.
A Libeller is impudently bold,
When he hath Times, or Patrons to uphold
His biting Straines; and soone is he descry'd;
For …e, to strike all faults, is t…rrifi'd:
And feares what perills may his act attend,
If none …e knowes save God to be his Friend.
But, they who have my minde, will be so far
From feare to write, although you doe not spare
To punish me, that they will write the more;
Make up the summe that …anteth on my score;
And, reprehensions forth so loud will thunder,
That at your follies time… to come will wonder.
For, outward hopes, have not my tongue unloo…'d,
Nor can my mouth by outw…rd feares be clos'd.
What I have done is done: and I am …as…d,
And …lad, how ever others will be pleas'd.
Let t…em who shall p…ruse it, praise, or lau…h,
Revile or s…ffe, or threat, or sweare, or chase,
All's one to me; So I within be still,
Without me, let men keepe what noise they will,
For, sure I am, though th…y my flesh confound,
The soule, I seeke to save, shall still be sound▪
And this I know, that nor the br…t…sh rages
Of …his …ow p…esent, or succeeding Ages,
Shall root this Poeme out; but, that to all
Ensuing times, the same continue shall,
To be perused in this Land, as long
As here they sh…ll retaine the English tongue:
Or, while there shall be Errors, and offences,
Disorders, Discords, Plagues, or Pestilences.
And, if our evills we depar… not from,
Before the d…y of our destruction come,
This Book shall to the times that follow show,
What sin… they were which caus…d our overthrow:
And testifie to others (for their learnin…)
That Vengeance did not seize us without warning.
If they who know the state of this our Land,
Can justly say that her Affaires doe stand
In such a posture as was ordinary;
Or, th…t these Times the face d…e seeme to cary
Which t…ey have had: or, if th…y see not here,
More wants, more doubts, and ter…ors, then therewere:
Or, if …his Message (whatsoe're succedeth)
Be more (or more insisted on) t…en needeth:
Or, if it giveth any just suspition
That thence may spring o…casions of sedition;
Nay if th…t …ll my Rea…rs may not g…ther
Good mot…ves thence, to … …edition, rather▪
And such like me…nes of r…ifying that
Which is, or may be har…full to the State:
Let me be strictly ques…on…d, an… blamed,
And conf…r'd too; as one …hat hath defamed
Or inj…red his Country. Or, if they
Who sh…ll per…se this Booke, can truly say,
That I have caused this REMEMBRANCER
To spe…ke l…ke ev'ry v…lgar Messenger;
If any c…rcumstance ca… prove, I bend
My purposes to wo…ke my private end;
Or, that I persons scandalize, o… fl…tter;
Or that I in the manner, or the matter,
Resembl… s…ch a Pamphl…ter, as feares
The losing of his lib…rties, or eares:
O…, that I speak… like them who railing come,
They neither …re at what, nor yet at whom,
So they may raile; Or, if I have not sh…wed
My Messages from such a Spirit flowed,
As is well knowne unto him, and whereby
He can def…nd them, with good warrantly:
If these, or ought like th…se things may be said,
(To prove the part of an Impostor plaid)
Let him who thinks he can unmask me, strive
To do it, and as he shall doe, b…leeve.
But if they find (which doubtlesse they shall find)
Who view this Poeme with a single minde)
That I have here delivered thing… exceeding
My me…ne▪ of knowledge, or my he…ps of breeding,
So far, as that my Readers cannot chuse
B…t know some pow'r divine d…d them infuse:
If they shall find, by my confessions h…re,
That I am subject to the selfe same feare
Which others feele; and yet have dare… more
In some respects, then others heretofore:
If they …erceive, that I did oft desire
Thro…gh frailty, from this action to retire;
A…d, that I had a supernat…ll W…ll,
My naturall Desi…es resisting st…ll,
An… forcing me, ev'n in my owne despight,
That …atter of this Volume to en…ite:
If they perceive, as well per…eiue they may,
That I had ma…y lets within my way,
So cumbersome, as made the …ork a…peare
Scarce possible▪ to him that w…lling were;
And, how God made such hindrances become
More helpfull at the last, then troubl…some.
If they observe, how wh…n my fortunes all
At hazard lay (and were to stand or fall
According to their wils, who may, with me,
For this, if God forbid not a…y be)
That I, though many did the same condemne,
Did (this to finish) quite give ever them,
Which then I might have setled; had I thought
Gods kingdome ought not first to have been sought.
If they did know how we…l I know the rage,
The sottishnesse, and malice of this age;
How little conscience some doe make to kill,
Oppresse, or ruinate, to get their will;
Or what small meanes, or hope of friends I have,
My body from their violence to save:
If these, and such like things as these were heeded,
All these preventions should not now have needed:
For, they would see, this had not beene effected,
Vnlesse Gods hand had strengthned and directed▪
And they who else my person may contemne,
Would feare, that they in me would injure him.
I know, some please to say, that thus I vent
Bold words; because I seeke imprisonment:
As if to me thereby there might arise
A profit, by conceal'd G…atuities.
Thus many Schismaticks indeed have done,
And honest men and women prey'd upon,
To charities abuse: But, God doth know
That yet, with me it never hath beene so:
But that my heart both scor…es and h…tes to be
So false and base, as these d…e …ensure me.
I doe, and will confesse unto the praise
Of him, who unto me my friends did raise,
That when I did, in thrall oppressed grow,
With wants, which none but G…d and I did know;
And was mew'd up so close, that to no friend,
I might a Prayer, or Petitio… send,
But unto God: he mov'd the hearts of some
To se…d me su…cour: And, I vow, to whom,
Except to him, I should my thanks repay,
(For much there…f) I know not to thi… day.
It was enough to show me, that God will
In all extreames, provide things nee…full s…ill.
And decently, and well did it suffice
In my restraint, for all nec…ssities.
But, what soe're some thinke, I brought not forth
Into the world with we, one farthing worth
Above my charge: but, there just eaven made
Of all which from Gods bountious hand I had.
For, what was more then serv'd to set me free,
I gave to others, as he gave to me.
Which, not in boast, I mention; but, I speake
The truth, that this the more effect may take.
A foo…sh policie in me it were
(For such a base uncertain…y as here
Objected is) to venture as I doe
The …sse of th…t which I had rea…ht unto
F…re now: had this beene left, to settle that
Which doth concerne my …emp…rall estate.
The King hath showne me favour: at this houre,
I doe not know that …an, of Name, or pow'r
Whose person I envy, or disaffect,
Or whom of any malice I suspe…t
To me o… mine: with me they all are friends,
That w…re at odds; and to attaine my ends
In my …ff…ires, I never had a day
So probable as now, if I would stay
This Message: and perchance, this bring me shall
In all my outward ho…es unto a fall;
Yet, this shall first be told, that you may see,
My Hopes are greater, then my Feares can be;
And that it may be knowne, I d…e disclaime
Those ends, at which most thinke I basely aime.
These Arguments, as such like words as may
Anticipate, I here, beforehand, say;
Not that I thinke it possible, by them
To change their mindes that will this Booke contemne,
For, tis not in the pow'r of Argument,
Or words, to make the wilfull provident.
It lieth not in honest prot…stations
To overthrow malicious combinations;
No nor in Miracles, till God shall please
(Who of all hearts doth keepe the locks and keyes,
To shut and open them▪) For they that heard
And liv'd to see fulfil'd, what was declar'd
By Ieremy against Ierusalem;
His counsell they did nathelesse contemne,
When he their slight to Aegypt did oppose;
And so became of their owne overthrowes
The wilfull cause. Nay, when our Saviour spake
To Iudas, and that Band which came to take
His person; to the ground those men he strooke
Ev'n with his voice: and, on the Crosse, he shooke
The Ea…th, and rent the Temple with his cry;
Yet, that and all the rest was passed by
Of most beholders, a if they had beene
Vnsensible of what was heard and seene.
I therefore, these Preventions doe insert,
To aggravate the hardnesse of their heart
Who shall be obstinate. And here declare
What may be said or done, e're done they are;
That all may know, when such things come to passe
Nought fals on me, but what expected was;
And that the better working this may have
On those who shall Gods Messages receive
…y this Remembrancer. For, God hath sent,
Though I (unworthy) am his instrument.
Him, unadvisedly compos'd I not,
Nor was he by a miracle begot.
To fit him for this purpose; I have thrice
Imprisonment endur'd: Close-prison twice.
Much trouble I have past which thence ensu'd;
Through wants and slaunders not a few I s…ru'd;
And, being guarded by Gods Providence,
I lately walked through the Pestilen…e,
And saw, and felt, what Nature doth abhor,
To harden me, and to prepare me for
This Worke. And therefore he, who thinkes he shall
Wit… his big lookes or speeches me appall,
Must look more grim then Death; more ugly, far,
Then Vizards, or the shapes of Devils are;
Breathe ranker poison then a plague fill'd grave;
And stamp, and rore, and teare, and stare, and rave,
More dreadfully, and louder then a man
Infected with six Pestilences can:
Else; I (to play with terrors being borne)
Shall laugh both him and all he doth, to scorne.
And, though I may, perchance (as did the best
Of all …ods children when they were opprest)
Sometime bewaile my suffrings, or declare
That I doe feele them when their waight I beare;
Yet murmur will I not, at what is laid
VponUpon me, neither seeke to flesh for aid.
By what's here done, may trouble come upon me;
But, not performing it, had quite undone me:
Since, I through feare of what the world may doe,
Neglected had, what God had call'd me to.
For, of his calling me, the, meanes and wayes
Wh…reby my weaknesse he to this did raise,
Vnquestionable evidence doe give.
And, they who doe not, yet, the same beleeve,
Will think the same, perhaps, when they shall see
Themselves enclosed with new Plagues to be.
Thus I beleeving, a…d considering,
What fearlesnesse this act therewith doth bring,
(With what assurances, I doe possesse)
Me thinks it were a matchlesse wickednesse
To disobey. Yea sure, I more in that
Wrong'd God, then I shall seeme to wrong the State▪
In uttring what some few are loth to heare.
How ever divers thinke; this is my feare.
Yea, to my soule, so horrible a thing
The wilfull disobeying that great King
Appeared hath; that, n…ver should I sleepe
In peace againe, if I did silence keepe.
And therefore, neither all the royall graces
Of Kings; nor gifts, nor honourable places,
Should stop my mouth. Nor would I smother this,
Though twenty Kings had sworne that I should kis…e
The Gallowes for it: lest my Conscience should
Torment me more, then all men living could.
Yea, though this minde were but my ignorance,
Or fancy (as it will be thought, perchance)
Yet, since this Fancy may present to me
As hideous feares, as things that reall be,
I'le hazard rather twenty deaths to dye,
Then to be tortur'd by my Fantasie.
For, I had rather in a dungeon dwell
Five yeares; then in my soule to seele a hell
Five minutes: and, so God will be my friend,
I shall not care how many I offend.
And, yet, (now I remember) troubled is
My heart a little, for one thing amisse
Which I have done. This M…ssenger hath bin
Long time kept out; and I did thrust him in
Without a Licence; lest he comming late,
Might shew you a Commission out of date.
I could excuse the fact, and lay the crime
VponUpon the much disorder of the time:
For, most men know, that in a Watch or Clock…
When it is out of order once or broke,
The wheeles that are unfaul…e move awry
As well as they in whom the faults doe lye.
But, that you may not thinke I doe professe
Against the State, as wholly mercilesse,
Or that I thinke it nothing to misdoe
Against good Order, though compelld th…eto;
For this I aske forgivenesse; and submit
My selfe to them, who shall in judgement sit
VponUpon the fact. For which if I obtaine
My Pardon, I shall humbly entertaine
Their favours with my thankefullest respects,
And, hope this Message will have good effects.
If otherwise I finde; my Body shall
Be ready to subject it selfe to all
Their strictest Penalties: and when I am
Enough affl…cted for what is to blame
In this, or me: I know, God will release
By Body, or my Soule, againe in peace.
To him alone, for Patronage, I run:
Lord, let thy pleasure, and thy will be done.
The glory be to God.
THe faults escaped in the printing, wee had not such meanes to prevent as we desired; nor could we conveniently collect them, by reason of our hast, of hazard, and other interruptions: wee therefore leave them to be amended, censured, and winked at, according to the Readers courtesie or discretion.
End of the text · George Wither, Britains Remembrancer (1628)