The Poets Recantation, Text
THE POETS RECANTATION, having ſuffered in the Pillory. the 2. of Aprill 1642.
With a penitent ſubmiſſion of all things, that have beene written againſt the King and State.
In an humble Petitionary deſcription, obſequiouſly commended to the Honorable and High Court of PARLIAMENT.
IOHN BOND.
Scribimus, & ſcriptus conſumitur igne Libellus.
London Printed for T. A. and Ioſeph Wren. 1642.
THE Poets Recantation, having ſuffered on the Pillorie.
THe inumerable multitude of Pamphlets, which have beene ſurreptitiouſly inſerted above this twelve months and halfe to the ignominious ſcandall of the State, did not only exaſperate his Majeſties juſt indignation againſt them, but alſo highly incenſed his Parliament againſt the ſame. Who to give plenary ſatisfaction as well to the whole kingdome in generall, as alſo to his Majeſtie in particular, intended to inflict an exemplary puniſhment on the Authors thereof. And it being my hard fortune, or rather misfortune to bee found culpable in one peculiar Letter; (though thouſand more ſcandalous Libils, and more invective againſt the State have beene publiſhed, whereof I am innocent) yet I was expoſed publico dedecore, to the publike ſhame of the world; as the ſole contriver of them all. I confeſſe impartially, I acknowledge the ſublimity of my crime, and errour, without which there is noe man living: for according to the grave, and prudent (I had almoſt ſaid oraculous) ſentence of Cato, Neme ſine crimine vivit. It was not withſtanding no voluntary Act of criminall offence in me, but rather an aſtimulation, and inducement of impendent, and urgent neceſſitie, et ingens telum necesſitas eſt. Moreover I ſpeake before God, and the whole world, I was ſuggeſted to write the ſame by a calumnious inſtigator. In all which, my cogitations in the compoſiting thereof may perſpicuouſly bee conceived to bee innocent though it is not innocence that I muſt plead now ſo much as penitence.
Artificis ſcelus eſt, arte perire ſuâ.
Thus Perillus invented and made a brazen Bull, which was the ſole cauſe of his owne deſtruction, thus Daedalus haveing framed an irremiable Laborynth, was firſt expoſed thither himſelfe. So that which was extracted out of mine owne braine, (as Minerva was from Ioves, though ſhe was more divinely guided, and inſpired) was the prime cauſe of my miſerie, whereupon I am involved in that Condoleable Laborynth of durance, that unleſſe I be reduced by the Ariadnaean thread of Compaſſisonate mercy, and Commiſeration Actum eſt de me et de fortunis meis, would I had bene Pythagoras his Schollar, for then et labiorum oſtia stricto ſilentii obdideram peſſulo, et ſimul effrenatam Calami licentiam cohibuiſſem, et tum in catenatis hiſce miſeriarum voraginibus nunquam illapſus eſſem. But ſero ſapium Phryges, we are wiſe, when 'tis too late: and had I maturely Conſidered, and preſuppoſed the ſubſequent caſualities, which were incident, I might have prevented that danger wherin I am now involved. But I wonder with a repercuſſive amazement, that the Muſes, and Graces did not diſcend their auxiliary aſiſtance unto me, whom I will invocate reſpectively, to know really whither or no they have divorced themſelves aſonte Pegaſaeo from the pegaſean fountaine.
Where are thoſe Dames, from Aganippe's Spring,
That to their lovers a Protection bring,
Gainſt inauſpicious fate; where are the Peeres,
Of all Poetck wits; who hearks? or heares?
Where is Pol'ymnia, or Appollo gon?
What have they all forſaken Helicon?
Poore helpeleſſe I muſt then expoſed be
In publick ſhame unto the Pillorie.
But ſtay, retract that word my Muſe, my Pen,
Let it not paſſe, but call it backe agen.
The Pillorie? Prodigious word! Have I
Treſpaſſ'd, offended, or tranſgreſſ'd ſo high?
Let me plough through my workes, if I can find
What can be artickled againſt my mind.
Now I perceive the Cauſe, hence doth diſtill,
That I have beene too ſawcy in my Quill.
'Tis not expedient that a Vulgar eye,
Should gaze upon ſuperiour Maieſtie.
'Twas that, which dazled my dull Muſe, I ſee,
'Twas that involv'd her in this miſerie.
Was Phaeton too bold, into the ayre
Whoſe thoughts aſpir'd, to ſit in Phoebus Chayre?
As raſh, as temerarious then was I
Who touched Charles his Wayne too loftily.
'T was not for periurie, that I have beene
Thy Captive, Pillorie, nor was there ſeene
Hereticke thoughts in me: oh then forbeare
Or to diſſect my noſe or geld mine eare.
Thy oſtentation moſt ſublime may be,
Which boaſt of That: A Poet honour'd Thee.
Since I perceive that the Muſes have all forſaken me henceforth I will never dip my pen in Helicon to embroyder my words with Poeticall elocutions: I will rather ſoake my Quill in Acharon, that all thinges (what ſoever I have written either dependent, haveing any reference, or againſt the ſtate) may be obliterated with oblivion. But it is very ſtupendious, that thoſe thinges, which naturally diſcend from any man, ſhould oppreſſe him with miſery. Thus a Viper Produceth young, and ſhe is macerated and ſometimes killed by thoſe, which ſhe did once bare in her owne wombe. Thus Casſiodora was betrayed by the Crying of her owne Child: And thus I was both introduced into this deplorable eſtate by the crying of my owne Poetick babe, promulgated by the ſtreet-cantors, and alſo wrapt up in this indigence by the ſame. The Capitolium was delivered, and ſecured from conſpirative machinations by the irregular, and tumultuous noyſe of Geeſe, that frequented there: but in a meere antipathy and Contradictory Mytholagie I was betrayed by a Gooſe quill, ſo that both fortune, time, and example did all conſpire againſt me. Firſt fortune was mine enemy, that I ſhould be induced to do that by the palpable, and Paraſiticall incitements of others, which now is like to ſubvert both me and my fortunes alſo. Secondly time was malevolent, in regard it was done in the period of things, when they were all queſtionable, and amongſt the the reſt, that this eſpetially ſhould reflect on mine owne detriment. Thirdly example conſpired againſt me, for in reſpect ſuch a multitude of Libels being publiſhed, whereof there were many Authors, that my fate eſpetially ſhould be ſo diſaſtrous to ſuffer exemplarily for all. And now I do moſt ſubmiſſively recant in all humility, and what I have offended in I am heartily ſory, and penitent for the ſame. Yet I was never invective either againſt the ſtate or diſtreſſed Delinquents: only I confeſſe ſome times I was converſant in innocent things: and I hope the apprehenſive eye of the world will not miſ-interpretate what I have don. And I doe with all obſequious devotion implore forgiveneſſe and abſolution of the whole world, for what I am reputed culpable in, and peccant: but more eſpetially I moſt humbly ſupplicate the propitious reflection of the high Court of Parliaments mercy, and Commiſeration, promiſing hereafter before God, and their Honours an abſolute Reformation in my pen hereafter.
FINIS
End of the text · John Bond, The Poets Recantation (1642)