Improvement of Imprisonment, Poem 10
A ſhort Excuſe, rendering ſome Reaſons why this Priſoner makes no Adreſſes for his Releaſe, to great Perſons for their Favour in his Cauſe.
I Am inform'd, by men of good report,
That, there are Noble Perſ'nages in Court
Who hate Injuſtice, and, are of their Tribe,
Who love not baſeneſs, flattery, or a Bribe;
And, that, ſhould I my ſelf to theſe Adreſſe,
I might perhaps obtain a quick releaſe.
'Tis poſſible; But, I may much indanger
Their Quiet; and, am now grown ſuch a ſtranger
To Courtſhip, that I cannot Complement,
Or, act effectually, to that intent;
Nor think it prudence (were I mov'd that way)
To ſeek a Needle, in a Truſſe of Hay.
'Tis not my Principle (though other while
I have been over-ruled, to beguile
My underſtanding) that courſe to endeavour;
And, having found it unſucesful ever
Reſolve now (be it for my gain or loſs)
To ſignifie my Cauſe, to them in groſſe,
In open Courts, to whom it doth belong,
To be my Judges of what's right or wrong:
For, if impartially, they will not hear
My cauſe at large, and do me Juſtice there,
I will not be oblig'd to any one
To do for private ends, what ſhould be done,
For Juſtice-ſake; becauſe, where one man ſhall
Be ſo corrupt, it may corrupt them all;
And in each Caſe, by turns, for unjuſt ends,
They may Bribe one another for their Friends,
As heretofore they did, and, as they may
Hereafter, whatſoever I do or ſay.
Not much eſteem of any thing I make,
Which other men, can either give or take.
Nor Safety, Wealth, or Honour pleaſeth me
But that which will inſeparable be
From me; and which I may attain unto,
And, alſo keep, whether men will or no.
Vertue's the Fountain whence true honour ſprings;
Not Popes, Grand Segniors, Emperors or Kings,
For, what they give to make men Honourable,
To me appears to be ſo diſpicable
That, though moſt men, do their chief darling, make it
If they would give it me, I would not take it:
What, is there likely for me to be done,
By thoſe, who ſuch-like Baubles dote upon?
I, never hitherto, a kindneſs had
By any Friend, which I my ſelf have made;
But, by ſuch onelyonly, as God had inclin'd
(Without a by-reſpect in any kind)
To do me Juſtice, or to ſhew compaſſion,
Mov'd by their own Heroick inclination:
And, to that end, GOD, often heretofore,
Hath from among meer ſtrangers, rais'd me more
True Friends at need, my cauſe to undertake,
Then I deſerved, or had pow'r to make;
And, as it me contented much the better
So, thereby, was their honour made the greater▪
Moſt ſeek the Judge; but, I believe his word,
Who ſaid, The Judgement cometh from the LORD;
And, unto me, it ſeems an indirect
Aſperſion, or a Symptom of ſuſpect,
A Judge, in private to preoccupate,
And, him by Friends, or Gifts to captivate;
For, in great Counſels, men ſhould nothing do
In love to Friends, or hatred to a Foe.
I have obſerved, that, Judicial Courts
Whether they be of good or bad reports,
(Or, whether, what is actually there done,
Seem juſt, or to the wrong of any one)
Are guided by a Spirit, which directs
To what is alwayes Righteous, in reſpects
Unto GOD's Justice, though perhaps it may
A Humane Righteouſneſs infringe ſome way;
Or, though they, to whom Judgement is refer'd,
Through Ignorance, or Wickedneſs, have err'd.
Ile therefore, make no Friend, nor fear a Foe,
But, when the COMMONS call me I will go
To hear their Charge, for which I have begun
To ſuffer, er'e 'tis known what I have done;
That, leaſt I break or die before the time
In which I muſt make payment for my crime,
(If crime it prove) they, rather, overweight
May lay; then, that, which is a Dram too light;
For, puniſhments are uſually well paid,
Though other debts till Dooms Day are delay'd:
And, Innocence, is oft purſued further
Upon ſuſpect, then real Theft or Murther.
In that, for which unheard, ſome precondemn
My Perſon hither; I, TO GOD and them
Whom it may moſt concern, Appeals have made
Whereon, I ought a Tryal to have had
Before I ſuff'red. My Appeal prefer'd
To GOD, hath betwixt him, and me, been heard
Within his Court of Conſcience in my heart;
And, there am quit of what may on his part
Be brought againſt me for what I have writ.
He ſees it, though the world concealeth it;
And, read it muſt be by the Commons too,
Ev'n quite throughout (if Juſtice they will do)
Before they cenſure it; Needleſs it were,
If juſt and conſcientious men they are,
To Court them to their Duties; and ſo ſtrong
No Charm of mine can be, whereby a wrong
May be prevented, if to take that ill
They be reſolv'd, which flowed from Good-will.
At all aduenture, wholly to the Laws,
And to their Conſcience, Ile refer my Cauſe;
Alleage for my defence, what I can ſay,
And bear that, which will follow, as I may.