The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 66
Upon a Kite kild by a Fowler eating his prey.
66. Med.
WHen I obſerved a kite, that bird of prey, how fiercely he ſtruck at a trembling partrich, carrying her away in her griping talons, rending her in pieces in an inſtant, when the poor innocent creature could make no reſiſtance, and none came to her reſcue, and devouring her yet alive, all reaking in her blood, and intombed her in his cruel devouring maw; Methought it was as bloudy a ſpectacle as ever I beheld, to ſee an innocent thus uſed, that had never injured him; but while I conſidered of the act, behold, a fowler undiſcerned, ſhot him dead upon the place, in the height of his cruelty, with the meat in his mouth, ſo that he had ſowr ſauce to his ſweet meat: When I had awhile conſidered the matter, I thought I had ſeen ſome ſuch dealing in the world, yea, amongſt men, where one makes a prey upon another, and like the fiſhes in the ſea, the great ones ſwallow up the leſſer, and feeds upon them as theſe birds of prey do upon thoſe that cannot reſiſt them: The great ones of the world are like this kite, good for nothing, unprofitable burthens of the earth, feeding upon the brains of their innocent neighbours: how many cruel griping Landlords, wring ſo many tears from their Tenants eyes in their life time, that at their death they have not one more to ſhed? how unreaſonably do they rack their rents, and extort unreaſonable fines? how do they oppreſs them by unreaſonable impoſitions, ſervice, and other covenants, force them to do their work, keep their dogs, horſes, and ſuch like, when all this time they pay to the utmoſt farthing for what they have, that were it not for their liberty, it were as good for them live in Turky as where they do? they cark and care, and moil, and toil, and riſe early and ly down late, and eat the bread of carefulneſs: they fare hard, and work hard, and deny themſelves even neceſſaries, yea, can ſcarce get cloathes for their backs, or meat for their bellies, but moil like ſlaves or horſes, and yet all too little to ſatisfy their greedy Landlord, who at length ſtrips them of all they have, ſeizeth upon their eſtates, turns them out of houſe and harbour, perhaps throws them into priſons where they end their miſery, while their families depend upon the courteſy of the pariſh: In their poverty the Landlord deals with them, as men do by their horſes, when one is tired they call for another, and ſhew them not ſo much favour as they do their dogs, for when they be wearied in their ſervice, they feed them, and make proviſion for them; Now all this cruelty is uſed to ſatisfy their inſatiable avarice, or to maintain their hawks and hounds, and whores, and other like debaucheries, and all too little: they ſuck their brains, drink their tears, and ſuck their bloud; and if their Tenants or poor neighbours are wronged by them, they may expect no more juſtice, then the fox and aſs in the fable, that were to divide the prey with the lion, they muſt give away their right for peace-ſake, part with all, and think they ſpeed well if they meet with no further miſchief; the laws themſelves prove often like cobwebs, they hold little flys but the great ones break through; But the time is coming that the fowler death will ſtrike theſe birds of prey to the heart, and long it will not be before it be done, and an impartial judge will make them vomit up the blood they have ſo greedily drunk, and pluck the prey from between their teeth, and make them know, that they were the ſole proprietors of what they enjoyed, but that he lent it for other ends then they employed it in; and now their condition will be worſe then their poor Tenants, and their accounts greater: remember the ſtory of Dives and Lazarus, both in their life, and in their death; oh how good is it for men to live ſo as not to be aſhamed to live, nor afraid to dye, and to keep a conſcience void of guilt that it cannot accuſe them of any unjuſt or uncivil act, leſt the ſergeant death put them into the devils hands, and they be caſt into priſon: th…ſe that will not now abate their fellow-ſervants a penny, ſhall themſelves pay the utmoſt farthing: he that will ſhew no mercy, ſhall finde none when they ſtand in need, and thoſe that now feed upon others, death ſhall ere long feed ſweetly on them, Job. 24.20. yea, the never-dying worm ſhall feed upon them, as it is fabled, the vulture did upon Prometheus his liver: oh my ſoul, live ſo holily towards God, and ſo uprightly towards man, that thy greateſt enemies may have nothing to object againſt thee but concerning the law of thy God: Improve thoſe talents God hath lent thee to his glory, leſt thou have the doom of the unfaithful ſervant: conſider, thou art but a ſteward of what thou enjoyeſt: and what is under thy hands, thou haſt but the diſpoſe of it, for thy maſters uſe, and he will require an account; take heed of getting any thing unjuſtly, keeping it unlawfully, or parting with it ſinfully; put not the poors part in any childes portion, this will be a canker to conſume the reſt, and bring a curſe upon thy poſterity: grinde not the faces of the poor, for their redeemer is mighty, and will not bear it; do as thou wouldſt be done by; ſhew mercy or thou wilt miſs of it when thou ſtandſt in need; if thou wilt not forgive others, God will not forgive thee: Oh my God, I have this ſin of cruelty in my nature alſo, oh curſe and blaſt this bitter root, that it may not ſpring up in me: incline my heart to lenity and mercy, yea, to forgive mine enemies, that I may reſemble thee my father, that doſt good both to the good and to the bad.