A Memorandum to London, Part 1 – Poem 2
A further Ingagement.
MAny years after that Grand Peſtilence, in 1625, during which I wrote my Book called BRITANS REMEMBRANCER, and after publication thereof; ſome eminent perſons, having reſpect thereunto; endeavoured of their own accord, (without my ſeeking) that the Office of their City Remembrancer, then void, might have been conferred upon me; which motion, though it took not effect, was by me as thankfully taken as it was by them lovingly intended. Had it been ſucceſsful, I ſhould then perhaps have been more obliged upon outward conſiderations, then I am now, to continue my abode here during this Viſitation, then I was in that aforementioned. Nevertheleſs, I yet reſolve to partake with this City in GOD's diſpenſation, at this time alſo, unleſs I ſhall be conſtrained by Neceſſity, to ſeek place of abode, and means of ſubſiſtance elſewhere.
Yet, I have little external incouragement thereto; for, to mee, it appears by many Symtoms, that ſome here, are malitiouſly affected towards me, (who have no diſaffection to any perſon) as appears in particular, by their declaring already, that my houſe is infected with the Peſtilence and Shut up; whereas (God be praiſed) not ſo much as one hath been there ſick of any diſeaſe, ſince that Plague laſt begun; nor is it, to my knowledge, near my habitation. What was deſigned by the publiſhers of that Report, I cannot imagine, unleſs it were becauſe, they knowing, I had no means of livelihood left (ſave what was ſupplied by the Charity of my Chriſtian friends onelyonly) they hoped, I being deſerted of all, might be the ſooner expoſed to deſtruction; as I hear ſome are, whoſe condition is more to be conſidered and pitied, if it be ſo. But this troubles me not in reſpect of my ſelf; For, GOD cannot be kept from me, who is my onelyonly All-ſufficient Refuge and Protection: And if this Peſtilence, and Famine, alſo, Viſite my Dwelling, (into which her Siſter Poverty is already come) they ſhall be welcome; for, they are Angels of GOD, and it is better to fall into his hands, then into the hands of men.
Written in June 1665.
A Warning-Piece to London, Diſcharged out of a Loophole in the Tower during the Authors cloſe impriſonment there.
It was meditated upon the deplorable conſuming of an eminent Citizen with his whole Family, in the night, by a ſad and ſuddain Fire, at the beginning of our moſt Joyful Feſtival, in Decemb. 1652.
The Author conceived, that it would better ſtir up the hearts of ſome, by being ſung, then Read: Therefore, he compoſed it in Lyrick Verſe, fitted to the Tune of the Lamentation, at the end of the ſinging Pſalms, if the laſt Strain of that Tune ſhall be repeated with the two laſt lines in every Stanza.
WAke London wake, Faſt, watch, and pray,
Well heed likewiſe this Warning-ſong;
To eat and drink, riſe up and play,
Hath been thy daily practiſe long:
Oh! from henceforth, remember more,
Thy Brethren, whom oppreſſors grieve;
Refreſh the ſick, relieve the poor;
For none without good works believe.
If hardly ſav'd the Righteous are
Ah! how ſhall wilful ſinners fare?
2. The Rich man, heedleſly diſcerns
The near approaching day of wrath,
To fill his Warehouſe and his Barne,
Is all the preſent care he hath.
At large, he preparation makes
For offerings to his Belly God,
Till Juſtice an occaſion takes
To mixe thoſe offrings with his blood;
When fools in folly moſt delight,
They, often, looſe their Souls that night.
3. Our Love is cold, nigh ripe our ſin,
And, in their march, GOD's Judgments be;
At his own houſe they do begin;
Then, from them, who ſhall now be free?
To make us thereof take more heed,
One houſe they ſingled out of late,
And, in a bright flame-colour'd weed,
Upon the top thereof they ſate
And when to ſleep they laid their heads,
Conſum'd her dwellers in their beds.
4. Why ſhould not each man to whoſe ear
This news was in the morning brought,
Upon himſelf reflect with fear,
Thus, thereon muſing, in his thought?
LORD, this unlook'd for ſtroke of thine,
Hath often been deſerved by me;
This ſad miſhap might have been mine
This night, had it ſo pleaſed thee;
But, (praiſed be thy holy name)
Here, yet alive, and ſafe I am.
5. Oh with what terrors, were they ſtroke
How ſadly were they diſcompos'd,
To find themſelves when they awoke
With ſtifling fumes, and flames inclos'd
It made their terror much the more,
If to remembrance they did call
What they had done, awhile before,
And, what ſo quickly did befal.
More dreadful it appears to me,
Then Dungeons, Racks, and Halters be.
6. Thus will they fare, when his laſt Doome
To paſs on ſinners, Christ appears;
Thus, in a moment, he will come,
When leaſt the world his coming fears.
Thus whether then her heedleſs heart
Is either ſleeping or awake,
Surprized with a ſuddain ſtart,
They ſhall with horrid terrors quake,
When they behold with ſad amaze,
All things about them in a blaze.
7. Unleſs my thoughts miſdictate me,
A ſecret Judgment, in this Act,
May doubtleſly diſcerned be
To ſhew GOD's hand was in the fact.
For, though his waies are in the dark,
Forth from the Cloud, a flaſhing breaks
To ſhew us, (if we ſuch things mark)
His purpoſe, by the Courſe he takes.
In darkneſs he hath perfect Light,
And all mens deeds are in his ſight.
8. But, though this Judgment be ſevere,
Let not us who eſcape it, ween
Them, greater ſinners then we are;
But, judg what our deſerts have been.
Chriſt doom'd not thoſe whom P…at ſlew
As more to blame, then other men,
Though with their blood he did imbrew,
That, which they ſacrifized then;
And of thoſe perſons judg'd as well,
On whom the Towre of Silo fell.
9. Hereof, ſmall ſenſe have carnal men;
This, for ſad news, at Noon they tell,
Return unto their ſins agen,
And ſleep next night at brink of hell:
That, which concerns their ſafety moſt,
As quickly ſlips out of their mind
As letters written in the duſt,
Blown out with ev'ry puff of wind.
Of others harms, how ſenſeleſs grown
Are they, who do not mind their own?
10. This came to paſs within thy walls
That, thou mightſt thereof take good heed,
Mind, who thereby upon thee calls,
And think, what further may ſucceed:
It was not from thoſe places far,
Where much to be, thou doſt delight,
That thou ſhouldſt heed thy dealing there;
And, it befel there in the night,
That, thou, a ſtricter watch maiſt keep:
For Sathan wakes when men do ſleep.
11. Hereof, likewiſe, let heed be took,
That, when thy heart was moſt ſupine,
This Judgment, in upon thee broke,
Amidſt thy Muſick, mirth and wine;
And, that, unleſs for ſin thou mourn,
Relieve and comfort men diſtreſt,
Thy Feaſts, to Faſtings GOD will turn,
And, ſmite thee when thou fearſt it leaſt.
When Sodom ſinned without ſhame,
Down thereon, Fire and Brimſtone came.
12. The Drowned world, was warn'd of old
Of what would in ſhort time befal,
By Words and Doeeds it was foretold,
Yet unregarded ſtill by all.
They married and in marriage gave,
Did eat and drink, as we do now,
Did ſo, the wrath of GOD outbrave,
And, as we, liv'd they car'd not how:
But, lo, when in leaſt awe they ſtood,
Out break the Deeps, in came the Flood
13. Thou, LONDON, whoſoe re doth weep,
Doſt, on thy Viol, play and ſing;
Thy Children▪ daily revel keep,
Ev'n when their Paſſing bells do ring.
Themſelves on coſtly Beds they ſtreach,
Regarding not how Joſeph fares;
To them, who of Repentance preach
They liſten, but with Adders ears.
And, well he ſpeeds, who ſhall be heard,
If miſchiefs be not his reward.
14 In ſixteen hundred ten and one,
I, notice took of publick Crimes,
With mine own faults, I firſt begun;
Obſerv'd the Changes of the Times:
And, what GOD had on me beſtown
Employed for the Common good;
Therein, I ſought to find mine own,
Which, was ſo oft miſunderſtood,
That I, for being ſo employd,
Have been three times, nigh quite deſtroyd.
15. In ſixteen hundred twenty five,
When thou wert ſick, I watcht by thee;
Then, did my First Forewarning give,
And, this perhaps, my laſt muſt be.
For, now, my Tools away are took,
Some things half wrought, ſome but begun;
Quite being rob'd of alll my ſtock,
Concludes my work, before tis done;
And that Fleſh Rugg, by me yet worn,
May ſoon drop off, or, off be torn.
16. Here, I yet live, where, what me grieves,
But few of thine, have heeded much;
Nor Mayors, Aldermen, or Sheriffs
Or any noble, great or rich;
But, in Long-ſuffrings being old,
(If not relived by the poor)
By ſickness, hunger, or by cold
Death had ere now, unlockt my door.
Leſt thou as much neglected be,
Think more on GOD, though leſs on me.
17. My Publick warnings, are ſuppreſt,
As once, was Jeremiahs Roll;
Which GOD, will when he ſees it beſt,
Revive, with an inlarged Skroll:
Meanwhile, by ſtifled muſings tir'd,
The flames within me cloſly pent,
Like powder in Granado's fir'd,
Do tear my heart, through want of vent,
And crack my earthen veſſel more
Then all my ſuffrings heretofore.
18. Within thy Weſt and Eaſtern Jail.
Now twice ten months confind I've lain,
Denied both Relief, and Bail,
Which Law allows, and Rogues obtain:
To tell, what others did, or ſaid,
Is thought in me a grand miſdeed,
Though being of their harms afraid,
I did but bid my friends take heed:
If this be falls for words well ment,
Woe to ill deeds, with ill intent.
19. Alas! how apt are we to fear,
Or fancy danger, where is none?
Yet how unapt, how loth to hear,
What may prevent a certain one?
Except propounded in their mode,
Who, in their own conceit are wiſe,
The Counſels both of Men and GOD
They, either fruſtrate, or diſpiſe:
Which being well weigh'd, is a ſigne,
That, to deſtruction they decline.
20. Seaven daies before the late ſad night,
Thy Praetor, ſeized in my hands
What GOD inclined me to write,
For timely warnings to theſe Lands;
So, that, which to their weal conduc'd,
Hath hitherto been fruitleſs made;
And, I more ſtrictly have been us'd,
Though, I before, hard meaſure had.
But, GOD, by whom it was begun,
Will gard me, till my work is done.
21. No more ſeems now within my powre,
But, down to lie, beneath my Lode,
Attending my Redemption hour,
With patient waiting on my GOD.
Yet, there is hope, that Prayers may
To what is feared ſtoppage put;
And, ſince, to Heaven ther's open way,
(Though from the world, I cloſe am ſhut)
As Jonas did (when in a Whale;
Cloſe priſoner kept) to God ile call.
22. Correct us LORD, but not in wrath,
Purge rather, what miſdone hath been,
By any temporary Death,
Then by correcting ſin with ſin,
For all the blood that hath been ſpilt,
Let us, who think our ſelves moſt clear,
In private, ſearch out our own guilt,
And, wherein elſe, we faulty are,
That, by a ſelf-condemning Doom,
We may eſcape the wrath to come.
23 Preſerve thy Church, Lord, bleſs the King
And, ſeeing thou haſt him reſtor'd,
Him, out of all his troubles bring,
And, make his will, with thine, accord,
That under his Protection here,
We, without faction, hate or ſtrife,
(In all uprightneſs, without fear)
May live a ſanctified life,
And, he indulge the conſcience tender,
As beſt becomes, the Faiths Defender.
Thus, on what lately did befal,
I ſung my Muſings, to the wall,
Which gave thereto, as much regard
As moſt will, when abroad tis heard:
For, little have ſuch lines as theſe,
Which may a Carnal pallat pleaſe.
The wanton huggs a wanton ſtrain,
The miſer, that which treats of Gain;
Ambitious men give moſt applauſe
To that, which their, Ambition claws;
In lies and follies, fools delight,
And, if this ever come to ſight,
It will by none, be reliſh'd well
Save thoſe, with whom the Graces dwell.
The more Precautions are in ſeaſon.
(The more agreeable to Reaſon)
Their Rage it will the more increaſe,
Who are inclined to oppreſs;
And, if I die not in this place,
It will be meerly of GOD's grace,
To make it known, the Rage of man,
Is bounded, do the worſt he can.
Theſe Muſings, and ſome other too,
Eſcap'd ſurprize, with much ado,
And, that whereof I was bereft
Me, for awhile, in ſadneſs left;
Yet, much more ſorrowful am grown
For others ſakes, then for mine own,
Becauſe, the world ſo misbefriends,
What to her own well being tends.
God, never any Place bereaves
Of ſaving means, till him it leaves,
Nor is their any man quite loſt,
Till he reſiſts the holy Ghoſt.
He, helpleſs leaves no willing one
In acting what he would have done;
But, when to ſelfneſs, man adheres
Then, as he worketh, ſo he fares
GOD, gives firſt motion to each wheol,
In motion alſo, keeps it ſtill,
If he with him Compliance feel,
Elſe let's it go which way it will.
Thus he will do, and thus hath done,
Ev'n ever ſince the world begun.
That, men his works and mind might mark,
He preach'd by Noah and his Ark,
And, to prevent their threatned doom
Allow'd them ſix…one years to come.
That, Sodom timely might repent,
He, Lot to be exemplar ſent;
When Balam miſaffected was
He made a Preacher of his Ass;
And by a Whale, he Jonas ſent
To bid the Ninevites repent,
Who, more thereto inclined were
Though heathens, then moſt Chriſtians are.
What did to Iſraels weal belong,
He gave by Moſes in a ſong,
That, when Records could not be had,
They, thereof mindful might be made.
When their Tranſgreſſions were nigh full,
To Babel they were ſent to ſchool;
Since which time, they ſtill growing worſe
(Till they incur'd Cains dreadful Curſe,
For ſhedding of their brothers blood,
Who died zealous of their good)
Them, out of their good land, GOD hurl'd,
To rovee like him about the world;
Depriv'd (now ſixteen hundred years)
Of Prophets and Remembrancers:
And, in this mode, with ev'ry Nation
God deals, e're final Reprobation.
LORD! from their wandrings call them home;
Into thy fold, back let them come.
We got advantage by their fall
Let it increaſe by their Recall,
Since they, and we in ev'ry ſin,
Have Paralels, a long time been,
Let our joint force, henceforth be ſpent
To move each other to repent,
That, they and we may in that Place,
Become Partakers of thy Grace,
Where Jews and Gentiles ſhall be ſaved,
By our Redeemer, and thy David,
By wiſer men, in times of old,
Much was expreſt, which I have told,
And, they have both in Proſe and Rimes,
Forewarnings given in their times;
Declar'd in ſeaſon, how GOD deals
With wicked Realms and Common-weals.
Our own Records likewiſe declare
GOD's frequent diſpenſations here;
How conſtantly, avenging wrath
In ev'ry Age purſued, hath
The greateſt Tyrants in their turns,
Though ſometimes, he their doom adjourns,
But, that, no juſt excuſe will be
Either, to other men, or me,
If we ſhall negligently do
What, GOD inclines our hearts unto,
And may, now, or in future daies
Advance mans welfare, and praiſe.
For, on us lieth Obligations,
To bring forth in our Generations,
VVhat needful ſeems to be expreſt;
In ſuch a manner alſo dreſt
As beſt that Ages temper fits
In which we live, and beſt begets
A timely heed, in thoſe to whome
VVe ſerviceable would become:
Yea, we to them muſt hand it too;
Elſe, lamely, we our duties do.
Thus, I according to my powre
Have done, and therefore kiſs the Towre
From whence, I ſend this Warning-ſhot
By Ammunition hardly got.
LONDON, as Moſes gave a ſong to be
Iſraels MEMENTO, I give this to thee;
To ſhew, that (though the world doth me deprive
Of what was hers) I ſomewhat have to give
Which I by GOD's free grace, may call mine own,
And, is not needleſly on thee beſtown.
But, e're ſome change, the means thereof bereave,
Now, both of Friends and Foes, Ile take my leave;
Adue my Foes; for often, by event,
You did me good, though none to me you ment.
To pray for you, I know, I am your debter,
And, therefore ſo I do; GOD, make you better,
And ſo to mark and mind what he intends,
That, we may in his Love, henceforth be friends.
My friends, farewel; and no whit grieved be
Though you ſhould me no more in Babel ſee,
For, at the Holy Lambe, we fafe ſhall meet,
E're long, in New Jeruſalems high ſtreet.
Written in the Towre 1662.
The meek, and humble to adviſe
I write; but not to teach the wiſe.
You muſt not therefore, here expect,
Such Strains as theſe times beſt affect
For, you may have enough of thoſe
By others writ, in verſe and proſe.