Echos from the Sixth Trumpet, Part 15 – Part 17
The Tired PETITIONER.
THis being a ſingle ſheet, was imprinted without a date, about the ſame time with what laſt precedes; and offers to remembrance ſome neglects not inconſiderable. But it may be thought by many, that this Author hath in theſe, and the Verſes next foregoing, inſiſted too much in particulars relating to himſelf; therefore this ſhort excuſe was added. He was (as he believeth) providentially engaged by Publick Services interwoven with his private Affairs, that he might have means and opportunities to gain a perſonal Experience of the chief Tranſactions in thoſe times; which if he had taken up on truſt, and by report onelyonly, he could not have been ſo aſſured of, as by being made ſenſible how thoſe perſons, were qualifi'd, by whom the Work then in hand was carried on; nor what Occaſions were from time to time juſtly offer'd, to proſecute that which he thought pertinent to his duty in relation to GOD and his Countrey, as he did, and might do by knowing, and being known to moſt perſons of Quality then active in thoſe Publick Affairs, with which his private Concernments were linked throughout the progreſs of that Parliament, from the ſtrange and unexpected beginning thereof, to the no leſs ſtrange end of it. For by his perſonal ſufferings under that Power above twenty years, with little intermiſſion, (notwithſtanding his faithfulneſs thereunto) it did the better appear how great many of their Grievances were, who had neither that likely means either to proſecute Remedies, or to make them ſo well known; to prevent the like heedleſneſs and want of compaſſionating private mens Oppreſſions hereafter; This he hopes will ſufficiently Apologize for him to all rational men; and therefore here ſhall be added ſome part of that which he offered upon the forementioned occaſion, to thoſe Members of Parliament whom he thought his Friends.
Sirs, if this Paper find you (who to me
Are not ſo fully known as you ſhould be)
It comes to move, that my Petitions may
Obtain your Anſwer without more delay;
Leſt by attendance (as my Neighbours do)
With my Eſtate, I loſe my Patience too.
For, I have waited, and endur'd ſo long,
That no Reſult can do me greater wrong
Then lingring hopes; and were I quite undone,
I poſſibly another courſe might run
To be repair'd again, ere I obtain
That Benefit which I had hope to gain:
Or, elſe might find ſome other likely way
To fit me for the part I have to play.
Some ſay my Friends are more then I do know;
And I am hopeful that it may be ſo:
For, if kind language and much complement
Are ſigns thereof, nor Chriſtendom nor Kent
Knows any man who may himſelf apply
Unto your Houſe with better hopes then I:
But, if by real deeds it muſt be known
What Friends I have, their number ſmall is grown:
Or, elſe their Pow'r attaineth not unto
Thoſe friendly offices they wiſh to do:
And peradventure they obſtructed be
In their endeavours, by defects in me.
It may be 'tis obſerv'd I want Relations,
Gifts-qualifying, or thoſe Commendations
That ſhould advance my Suits; & which might make
Thoſe active who mens Cauſes undertake;
And I half think it ſo; for ere this day,
Some one or other elſe had gotten way
For my Petitions; or appeared able
To make my Suits and me conſiderable:
Since others who have neither loſt nor ſpent,
Nor for the Publick hazarded or lent
Life, Limb or Money, find means to be heard
With expedition, and with good regard.
But hitherto my hopes do not ſucceed
According to my ſuffrings and my need.
Two Months upon one Suit I have beſtown;
Upon a former, thrice three Months and one;
Upon another, four times three, and nine;
Yet ſtill ſome other Cauſe out-juſtles mine:
And ev'n by favours hitherto obtain'd,
More Miſchiefs then Advantages are gain'd;
Becauſe in th' execution they have wanted
That influence whereby they firſt were granted.
This, with uncrazed patience I can bear
So long as my deſires delay'd appear,
By thoſe Affairs which profitable be
Unto the Publick, though they hinder me;
Since whilſt that thrives, I cannot be bereft
Of all my hopes, nor comfortleſs be left.
But, if I ſtill perceive my Suit delay'd,
Or croſt, for private ends, I am afraid
My Grievances will make my Plaints outroar
The Cries of all the Women at your door.
Preſerve I would, according to my might,
My Private Freedoms with our Publick Right;
And, wiſe men will conſider, that unleſs
They heed ſome time, a ſingle mans diſtreſs,
(At leaſt in his extreams) that one by one,
The Generality may be undone:
And that a bruiſe upon the ſmalleſt toe
May gangreen to the bodies overthrow.
In me (although my Suffrings are deſpis'd)
The Common Grievance is epitomis'd;
And, as this day the Kingdoms Cauſe doth lye
Diſtreſt between two Factions, ſo do I:
For, what ſome would have granted for my ſake,
Is croſt for their ſakes who the motion make;
Becauſe but few men are by thoſe made ſtrong,
With whom they ſide not both in Right and wrong.
But whatſoever ſhall to me betide,
Whether my Suits be granted or deni'de,
By your endeavourings; it ſhall not wreſt
My thoughts for any private Intereſt,
To murmur at it; ſo you will befriend
My Suit ſo much, to bring it to an end:
That from your Labyrinths I may retire,
And be again at leiſure to enquire
What will become of me; and what of Them
Who take the Courſes which good men condemn:
For to retreat, and gotten ground to yeild.
Is otherwhile the means to win the field;
And he that would turn Floods another way,
Muſt dig his Drain before he builds the Bay.
He that hath Money to promote his Ends,
Needs neither ſtrain his Wits nor tire his Friends.
He that hath Friends his Matters to contrive,
May (though he have nor Wit nor Mony) live.
He that hath Wit, and wants the other twain,
May live, but not without ſome want and pain.
He that hath two of theſe, and wanteth one,
Cannot be very rich, or quite undone.
He that hath all of theſe, might be a King,
Were he ambitious to be ſuch a thing;
And he that is depriv'd of all theſe three,
May be as happy as I ſeem to be.
SE DEFENDENDO. Imprinted without Date.
THis was an Apology written by the Author in Proſe, to vindicate himſelf from ſuch Aſperſions as had been injuriouſly, and without any probable Cauſe caſt upon him by Malicious Detractors, as well to hide the unjuſt dealing with him, as to diſparage his Endeavours relating to the Publick Service. It contains many particulars, which being timely well heeded, might have prevented ſuch miſchiefs and diſadvantages as afterward befel, and continue to this day. The date is not mentioned in the Imprinted Copies: But the time may be well enough known by the Contents. The matter is ſuch as cannot be abreviated without diſmembring and making the whole invalid; and therefore the Book is referred to their peruſal unto whoſe hands it may come.
JUSTITIARIUS JUSTIFICATUS, Imprinted without Date.
THis is alſo an Apologetical Diſcourſe, the imprinting whereof is very well known to ſome; For, it was burnt by the hand of the Common Hangman; and the Author (though he neither publiſhed it, nor intended the diſtributing thereof to any but Members of Parliament, to whom cognizance of the Cauſe moſt properly pertained) was both fined and confined for it, neither being called to anſwer for himſelf, nor having knowledg of his Impeachment, until ſentence was paſt againſt him. But this Innocency was ſo well known to the greateſt number of the moſt conſciencious Members of that Parliament, whereby he was cenſured, that (though the Accuſation was brought in early in the morning, upon a day ſet apart for debating a Cauſe relating to the Scots) ſo many of the ſaid Members then preſent, ſo abominated what they perceived to be then intruded; that the whole day was ſpent before the Authors Enemies could prevail againſt him: So many of them alſo, had been ear and eye-witneſſes, of an impudent injuſtice, whereby he was oppreſſed by their Committee of Examinations in another Cauſe; that it occaſioned the Voting down of that Committee, within a day or two afterward: And the ſame Parliament, upon better Conſideration, having alſo made trial of the Authors patience in ſuffring, about the ſpace of a whole year, diſcharged him both from the ſaid Fine and Impriſonment, without his Petitioning or Mediation for it: For, at that time his Friends by Gods Providence, had a ſeaſonable Opportunity to move on his behalf, there being a conſiderable number then preſent, who were jealous to do Juſtice, and diſcharge the Truſt repoſed in them by their Electors.
This is all that ſhall be inſerted touching the contents of that Book; becauſe, there are perſons therein mentioned by Name, whoſe failings he deſireth may be forgotten, in hope they are as truly to him reconciled, as he is to them.