A Timely Caution, Poem – Postscript
A TIMELIE CAVTION Comprehended in thirty ſeven Double Trimeters, occaſioned by a late Rumour of an Intention, ſuddenly to Adjourn this Parliament: And Superſcribed, to thoſe whome it moſt concernes; September 10. 1652.
Amicj Legite; Veridicum Credite, Veritatem Diligite.
By G. W. A faithfull ſervant to this Republik.
IT made a Dumbe Child ſpeake, to ſee,
His Fathers life, in Ieopardy:
And, ſuch a Paſſion ſwells in me.
To vent it, therefore, leave I crave;
For, dread of ſadder things I have,
Then ſingle Murthers, or a Grave.
I find moſt men regardleſs grown,
Of Publicke dangers, and their owne,
Yet, my Conjecture ſhall be ſhown,
That, when my words are proved trve,
It may appear, I ſome things knew,
Which might have been of uſe, to you.
Birth's, then unborn, are eight years old,
Since in Aenigmas, one foretold,
What, many, do fulfil'd behold;
And at that time, ſome Hints had we,
Of things, that would attempted be,
In Fifty two, and Fifty three.
Now harken, therefore, and give Creed,
To him, who biddeth you take heed,
How, other men, and You, proceed;
That, You, together may abide,
Till we expedients can provide,
For what is likely to betide.
Elſe, they who ſeeme to be your Friends,
May proſecute, for private ends,
What, your apparant Foe intends;
And, when diſperſt abroad you are,
Accompliſh that, which many fear,
And prove as falſe as they appear.
For, we, who ſearch the depths to finde:
Of what is ſecretly deſign'd,
Perceive Old miſchiefs, new refin'd;
Which, if no powre the ſame prevent,
Will from each other, ſhortly rent,
Each Member of this Parliament.
T'is thought, that ſome are gone away,
To that intent; and, that ſome ſtay,
To winne the reſt, their Game to play:
So, when you are ſeduc'd become,
To leave your Charge, and ſtragle home,
None ſhall to them be troubleſome.
It is confeſſed to be trve,
That, of your Shippe, there are but few,
To whom her Pilotage is due;
And, ſo longe time upon the Seas,
It hath been toſt, that, now, to theſe
There ſhould allowance be of, Eaſe.
Yet, ſince the Veſſell (bruiz'd and torn)
A Tempeſt, of twelue years hath borne,
And promiſeth a rich Returne;
Beare up; and ſtoutly perſevere:
For, your wiſh'd Harbour, now is neere;
And, you, may ſpeedily be there.
As Paul, ſaid once, to thoſe who ſaild,
With him (when each mans courage faild,
And their endeavours nought availd)
So, ſay I now; Continve, ſtill,
Within the Shipp and, waite his will:
Who can your honeſt hopes fullfill.
For, if your ſelves you ſhall betake,
To that Retreat, which ſome would make;
You hazzard all, unto a Wrack:
And, where you Safetie think to find,
They will …o you prove more unkind,
Then Rocks, or Wherlpools, Waves, or Wind.
Although yourſelves you muſt renew,
Before thoſe wiſhes will enſue,
Which, your endeavours do purſue;
Yet, in your Weakneſs doth remaine,
That Strength, whereby, God will ſuſtaine,
And build up, what he doth Ordaine.
Wee, therefore, juſtly may ſuſpect,
That, they who zealouſly project,
A Change; will find no good effect;
Till God hath ripend you, and them,
To joyne more ſeriouſly with him,
In building New Jeruſalem.
Or, till a dotage on thoſe things,
Which brought deſtruction on our Kings,
On us, the ſame Correction brings.
For, then, of this event be ſu…;
Diſoraer, ſhall Diſorder cure,
Till none remaines, that is impure.
Be therefore warned, and be wiſe;
And, what theſe Trimeters adviſe,
Do not, diſdainfully, deſpiſe:
Nor think, I, from good manners erre,
Though, I thus venture, to prefer,
Theſe Lines, for your Remembrancer.
On your well-being, mine depends;
And, though you are not all my Frinds,
My love, to all of you extends:
And, whil'ſt I have abiding heere,
You, now and then, are like to heare,
What I beleive, thinke, hope, and fear.
You better know, then I can tell,
Amid'ſt what Enemies you dwell;
And, what they feare, who wiſh you well.
Your Prudence alſo, may ſurmize,
What miſchieves, might this Land ſurprize,
If, at this Juncture, you ſhould riſe.
Not without Cauſe, wee have, of late,
Provok'd a Foe, which to this State,
Expreſſeth an unequal'd hate:
And (truth to ſay) there could not be,
Accord twixt us, till They and Wee,
Had meane, each others Powre to ſee.
For, ſelfe eſteeme, on tother ſide,
Had puft them up, with ſo much pride,
That, till by ſome Euents we tride,
What miſchievs, from our Emnities,
VntoUnto each, other, might ariſe;
We could have had no long-liv'd Peace:
But, They and Wee, ſhall now perchance,
Know ſhortly, what will moſt advance,
Our Weales; and foot a better Dance:
Meane-while, it will concern us neer,
That, you ſhould keep together, heere,
And, in a well-fill'd Houſe appeare.
For, ſuch a Breach, with ſuch a Foe,
And, other things, requiring ſo
Invite a ſpeedy calling in
Of thoſe, that longe have abſent bin,
And, make you, dayly, fit ſo thin.
Then, hence depart, not, yet, a way;
Nor looſe an hower, whilſt heere you ſtay;
But, doe your duties, whilſt you may.
For, your ſhort time, doth ſwiftly runn,
And many, things are to be done,
E're you, with ſafetie, can be gone.
Who can be ſure (if you Adjorne,
He ſhall not drop in to his Vrn,
Before this Parliament returne?
Nay, who can tell us, that it ſhall,
Return? Or, what ſad-thing, to all
This Nation, may meanewhile befall?
Eſtabliſh therefore, e're you go,
Some Settlement; that, we may know,
What, in Immergencies, to do.
Remember, too, what heretofore,
Was Promiſ'd; And, when you give o're,
Leave no man crying, at your doore.
I meane, leave none, who, juſtly there
May make Complaint; or, whom to hear,
O… to relieve, oblig'd you are.
At leaſt wiſe, leave them ſo, that, they
Acknowledge your Compaſſion may,
And, bleſſe you, when they go away.
Your Mercy, to your Foes, extends.
Do Juſtice, alſo, to your Friends,
On whoſe well-being, yours depends:
For, you can neither Sit, nor Riſe
In ſafe or honourable wiſe,
Whil'ſt their Complaint, neglected lies.
But, who both Friends, and Foes can pleaſe?
Or, hope, to bring to paſſe, with eaſe,
Such difficult-effects, as theſe?
YOV may; for, my good Angle ſings,
The probable Accompliſhings,
Of theſe, and of much harder things.
There is a day, now rear at hand,
Injoyned by your owne Command,
To crave GOD'S bleſſing, on this Land:
And, hee, yet, gives both Time, and Place,
To ſeek the favour of his Face:
Yea, ſeemes to offer, his embrace.
Then, in your hearts, your ſelves prepare,
(As ſoone as you this Warning heare)
Within his preſence, to appear.
And, as one Perſon, let us all,
That day, before his Fooſtoole fall,
VponUpon his holy name, to call.
So, hee, ſhall help, and teach us, too,
What to beleeve, what things to do;
How long to ſtay; what time to goe;
And, gard our Coaſt, much better, than▪
Our fleets, and our three Armies, can,
O…, all the ſtrength, and wit, of man.
But, tis a hundred, tho, to one,
If my Adviſe be thought upon,
Till Opportunities are gone:
For though this Age doth much approve,
Of Revla tons from above,
And, what the Spirit ſeemes to move,
Yet, moſt are ſo in love with Lies,
And, Pride, ſelfe-ends, and vanities
So deafs their Eare, ſo dimms their Eyes;
That, ſuch are credited by fewe,
who alwayes tell them what is true:
And, what this may protend; Judge you.
And, judge aright of his Intent,
Who, Publick damage to prevent,
Thus ventures, private detriment:
For, They, whom you moſt ought to fear,
As ſoone as they, this CAVTION heare,
Will either Frowne, or Carpe, or Jeer.
And, hope, to pick occaſion hence,
So to prevaricat the ſenſe,
That, ſome in Power, may take offence;
To, bring upon him, back againe,
(Like Clouds returning after Raine)
The Troubles, he did late ſuſtaine.
But, hee, now Forty yeares, and more,
Diſpights, without Deſpaire, hath bore;
And, if he live another Score,
Shall ſee his Foes, as he hath done.
Drop, yearly, hence, by One and One,
Till, all, who malice him, are gone.
And, as their Number groweth leſſe,
So, ſhall they, every day increaſe,
Who truly ſeeke, the Publick Peace:
And, He, or his; And you, or your,
ſhall ſee Oppreſſions fatall hour,
And, JVSTICE, gaine the Soveraigne powr… ▪
LORD! be it thus; and give thy Grace,
To all that are in Publick place,
To joyne in bringing this to paſs:
Uouchſafe them Patience, too, to bear,
Their Tryalls; who, muſt ſuffer, here,
Vntill thy Kingdome ſhall appear.
A POSTCRIPT▪
Twas ſayd (ſince forth theſe Lines were ſent)
The lately Rumored Intent,
Of an ADIOVRNE, was not approov'd
By many; nor, in Publik, moov'd:
And, hee, from whome this Caution came,
Is glad, it was a Lying-Fame:
And, theſe Expreſſions had forbore,
Might he have heard ſo much before.
Yet, ſince, Juſt cauſe, that Rumovr gave,
Of what, in theſe fewe Leaves, you have;
Since, alſo, there be Various Vſes,
Of all, that Providence produces;
Some uſe of theſe, there may be, too
Among you, therefore, let them goe.
For, when leaves fall from every Tree,
Ev…n, WITHER'D Leaves, in ſeaſon be;
And, (at the worſt) will ſerve the turne,
To make dull-Fires, more apt to burne.
Some things, do Seeme; And, are not, ſo:
Some, Are; and, thereof, make no ſhowe.
London, Printed by John Clowes, and are to be ſould by the Booke ſellers in Weſtminiſter-Hall, and Elſe-where
FINIS.
End of the text · George Wither, A Timely Caution (1652)