Withers Motto, Section 1 – Section 2
Nec habeo, nec Careo, nec Curo. Nor HaueHave I, nor Want I, nor Care I.
HAh! will they storme? why let thē; who needs care?
Or who dares frown on what the Muses dare,
Who when they list, can for a tempest call,
Which thunder louder then their fury shall?
And if men causelesly their power contemne,
Will more then mortall vengeance fling on them?
With thine owne trembling spirit, thou didst view
These free-borne lines; that doubtst what may ensue:
For if thou feltst the temper of my soule
And knewst my heart, thou wouldst not feare controul.
Doe not I know, my honest thoughts are cleare
From any priuate spleene, or malice here?
Doe not I know that none will frowne at this,
But such as hauehave apparant guiltinesse;
Or such as must to shame and ruine runne,
As some, once ayming at my fall hauehave done?
And can I feare those Idle scar-crowes then?
Those bugg-beare perils, those meere shades of men?
At whose displeasure they for terror sweat,
Whose heart vponupon the worlds vaine louelove is set?
No; when this Motto first, I mine did make,
To me I tooke it, not for fashions sake:
But that it might expresse me as I am;
And keepe me mindefull to be still the same.
Which I resolue to be: For, could the eye
Of other men, within my breast espie
My Resolution, and the Cause thereof;
They durst not at this boldnesse make a skoffe.
Shall I be fearefull of my selfe to speake;
For doubt some other may exceptions take?
If this Age hold; ere long we shall goe neere
Of eu'ry word of our, to stand in feare.
And (fiue to one) if any should confesse
Those sinnes in publike, which his soule oppresse:
Some guilty fellow (moou'd thereat) would take it
VntoUnto himselfe; and so, a Libell make it.
Nay; We shall hardly be allowd to pray
Against a crying-sinne; lest great men may
Suspect, that by a figure we intend
To point out them: and how they doe offend.
As I hauehave hope to prosper; e're I'le fall
To such a bondage, I'le aduenture all:
And make the whole world madd, to heare how I
Will fearelesse write and raile at Villany.
But oh! beware (gray-hayrd discretion sayes)
The Dogge fights well that out of danger playes.
For now, these guilty Times so captious be
That such, as louelove in speaking to be free;
May for their freedome, to their cost be shent;
How harmelesse er'e they be, in their intent:
And such as of their future peace hauehave care,
VntoUnto the Times a little seruile are.
Pish; tell not me of Times, or danger thus:
To doe a villany is dangerous;
But in an honest action, my heart knowes
No more of feares, then dead-men doe of blowes.
And to be slaue to Times, is worse to me
Then to be that, which most men feare to be.
I tell thee Critike; whatsoeuer Thou,
Or any man, of me shall censure now:
They, who for ought here written doe accuse,
Or with a mind malicious, taxe my Muse;
Shall nor by day awake, nor sleepe by night,
With more contentment, in their glories height;
Then I will doe, though they should lay me where
I must in darkenesse, bolts of Iron weare.
For, I am not so ignorant, but that
I partly know what things I may relate:
And what an honest man should still conceale,
I know as well, as what he may reueale.
If they be poore and base, that feare my straine:
These poore base fellowes are afraid in vaine.
I scorne to spurne a dogge, or strike a flye,
Or with such Groomes to soile my Poesie.
If great they were, and fallen; let them know,
I doe abhor to touch a wounded foe.
If on the top of honour, yet they be:
Tis poore weake honour, if ought done by me
May blot, or shake the same: yea, whatsoere
Their Titles cost, or they would faine appear…,
They are ignoble, and beneath me farre;
If with these measures they distempered are.
For, if they had true Greatnesse, they would know,
The spight of all the World, were farre below
The seate of Noblest Honor; and that He,
In whom true worth, and reall Vertues be,
So well is arm'd: as that he feares no wrong
From any Tyrants hand; or Villaines tongue.
Much lesse be startled at those Numbers would;
Where Uertue's praised and proud Uice contrould.
Is any man the worse if I expresse
My Wants, my Riches, or my Carelesnesse?
Or can my honest thoughts, or my content,
Be turn'd to any mans disparagement,
If he be honest? Nay, those men will finde,
A pleasure in this D…re of my Minde,
Who honour Vertue, and instead of blame,
Will (as they hauehave done) louelove me for the same.
You are decein'd, if the Bohemian State
You thinke I touch; or the Palatinate:
Or that this ought of Eighty-eight containes;
The Powder-plot, or any thing of Spaines:
That their Ambassador neede question me,
Or bring me iustly for it on my knee.
The state of those Occurrences I know
Too well; my Raptures that way to bestow.
Nor neede you doubt, but any friend you hauehave,
May play the foole, and if he list the knaue,
For ought here written: For it is not such
As you suppose; nor what you feare so much.
If I had beene dispos'd to Satyrize,
Would I hauehave tam'd my Numbers in this wise?
No: I hauehave Furies that lye ty'de in chaines.
Bold (English-mastiue-like) aduentrons Straines:
Who fearelesse dare on any Monster flye,
That weares a body of Mortality.
And I had let them loose, if I had list,
To play againe the sharpe-fangd Satyrist.
That therefore you no more mis-title This,
I say, it is my Motto; and it is.
I'le hauehave it so: For, if it please not me;
It shall not be a Satyr, though it be.
What is't to you (or any man) if I,
This little Poem terme as foolishly,
As some doe their children? Is it not,
Mine owne Minerua, of my braines begot?
For ought I know, I neuer did intrude,
To name your Whelps; and if you be so rude,
To meddle with my Kitling (though in sport)
'Tis odds, but shee'l goe neere to scratch you for't.
Play with your Monkey then, and let it lye:
Or (if you be not angry) take it pray,
And read it ouer.—
—So; the Critick's gone,
Who at these Numbers carpt; and We alone:
Proceede we to the matter.—
Nec Habeo, nec Careo, nec Curo.
SOme hauing seene, where I this Motto w…it
Beneath my Picture; askt, what meaned it.
And many in my absence, doe assay,
What by these words, they best coniecture may:
Some hauehave supposed, that it doth expresse,
An vnaduised, desperate Carelesnesse.
Some others doe imagine, that I meant
In little, to set forth a great Content.
Some, on each member of the Sentence dwell:
And (first) will, what I hauehave not, seeme to tell:
What things I want not, they will next declare:
And then they gesse, for what I doe not care.
But that they might not from my meaning err,
I'le now become my owne Interpreter.
Some things I hauehave, which here I will not show;
Some things I want, which you shall neuer know:
And sometime I (perchance) doe Carefull grow;
But we, with that, will nothing hauehave to doe.
If good occasion be thereof to speake;
Another time, we may the pleasure take.
That, which to treat of, I now purpose (therefor,)
Is what I neither hauehave, nor want, nor care for.