The Tired Petitioner, Poem
The tired Petitioner, TO His noble Friends, who are Members of the honourable Houſe of Commons.
SIRS, if this Paper find you (who, to me
Are not ſo fully knowne, as you ſhould be)
It comes to move, that, my Petitions may
Obtaine 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 doe me greater wrong
Then lingring hopes; And, were I quite undone,
I, poſſibly, another courſe might run
To be repair'd again, ere I obtaine
That Benefit, which I, had hope to gaine:
Or, els, might find ſome other likely way
To fit me for the part I have to play.
Some ſay my Friends are moe then I do know:
And, I am hopefull that it may be ſo;
For, if kind language, and much complement
Are ſignes thereof; nor Chriſtendome, nor Kent
Knowes any man who may himſelfe apply
Unto your Houſe, with better hopes then I:
But, if by reall-deeds, it muſt be known
What Friends I have, their number ſmall is grown:
Or, els, 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,
Guifts-qualifying, or thoſe Commendations
That ſhould advance my Suites; and, which do make
Thoſe active, who, mens Cauſes undertake;
And I halfe think it ſo: For, e're this day,
Some one or other had, els, gotten way
For my Petitions; or appeared able
To make my ſuites and me conſiderable;
Since, others, who have neither loſt, nor ſpent,
Nor for the Publike, hazzarded or lent
Life, Limb, or money; (yea, though they, before,
Had profitable places) meet with more
Succeſſe then I; and, daily can be heard
With expedition, and with good regard.
But, (whatſoe're the other cauſes are
Why thus it comes to paſſe) this, doth appear,
That, they who now are my Competitors,
Have ſo o'rematched my Solicitors,
That, if I ſpeed, your Houſe, will prove, to me,
A better Friend then Individuals be.
I find, that, many who, a while agoe,
Appear'd for me, do now (Gradatim) grow
Elſewhere ingag'd. I find, that, they begin
To reckon, how the place hath valued been;
And, to expoſtulate, and to admire
How, I, to an Employment dar'd aſpire
Of Truſt or Worth; who, am diſpoil'd of that,
Which (in their judgment) ſhould ſecure the State:
As if, a known unblamed-Converſation
Were no Security; or, out of faſhion:
As if, my portion, in the publike hand,
Might not, aſwell, for good-aſſurance ſtand,
As if it were in mine: Or, as if he
Who, for his Country, prodigall could be
Of all he had, deſerv'd not to be thought
As truſty, as they are, who, never, ought
Adventur'd; nor had ought, but what they got
By gaining Truſt, where they deſerv'd it not.
If all were weigh'd, admire they rather may
That, I my paines dare venture in a way
Wherein, I have ſo often ſought in vain,
Thoſe things, which unto me, of right, pertain.
They might admire, that I, who have not bin
A Servant, nor, am known to be, of kin
To Peer or Commoner; nor have the skill
To make a Partie; nor, thereto, a Will:
That, I who follow Suites, as if I thought,
That Juſtice, ſhould be neither ſold nor bought,
Or got by importunities; ſave, where
The Judge doth neither GOD, nor Mortal fear:
That, I, ſhould ever hope to compaſſe that,
Which any other thinkes worth aiming at;
Since, cauſe, perhaps enough, is found, why none
Thus minded, ſhould preſume to think upon
A Place of profit; and, conceive to get
His hopes, by merit, honeſty, or wit:
For, I do find that, in this undertaking
Great rubs are made (and many other making)
So troubleſome to paſſe, that, I am tir'd:
And, had I but that competence acquir'd,
Which I have loſt; this life, I would not live,
For all, the King and Parliament could give.
One, of your Order, told me, at your dore
Since my laſt-ſuite was tendred (and, before
He had peruſed it) that, I deſerved
No Favour: (Oh! how ſtrangely have I ſwerved!)
But, as, I to his face, made anſwer, then,
So, now, I ſay, (and I will ſay't agen)
Let me receive but Juſtice, and I'le wave
All humane-MercieMercy; and, yet hope to have
A happier condition by the ſame
Then that, whereto, I now expoſed am.
Another of them tells me, that, in vain,
I ſeek, what I make ſuit for, in the maine,
Whil'ſt I am in Confinement: As if, you
Could but one Bleſſing, at one time, allow.
Or els, as if, becauſe I now have had
(Like one, of whom the ſlight'ſt account is made)
Nine Months Reſtraint (and, thereby am become
A Bond-man, without either formall-doome
Or, Breach of Law,) I, therefore, muſt expect,
My chiefe deſire, will find the leſſe effect:
Which ſeemes to me, as if a man ſhould ſay,
The more he owes, the leſſe he means to pay.
A third man intimates; becauſe, he ſees
I wear not, yet Sheeps-leather, or Welch-freeze;
(But, by GOD'S bleſſing, hitherto have borne
My uſuall Port, to put aſide the ſcorne
Of Knaves and Fooles) that I am not undone
Sufficiently, to be ſo thought upon
As I deſire: But, ſuch as theſe prolong
The publike Judgements, and our private wrong,
Through want of reall feeling what we bear
Whoſe plaints they pocket, and whoſe cries they heare
Without regard: For, when we moſt are griev'd,
So little of our ſuffrings is believ'd,
As if men had nor heart nor power to think,
That ought we ayl'e, till we be dead and ſtink.
A fifth, doth much perſwade me to forbeare
My preſent Suite; becauſe he ſeemes to fear
My late bold-numbers have incenſt ſo many,
That, I ſhall hardly find regard from any,
When I expect it: which, to be believed,
(Where I have hope with grace to be received)
Is ſo abominable; that, I truſt
To find their Generall-Concluſions juſt,
(Though I in perſon, goods, and reputation,
Have lately ſuffered by miſinformation:)
For (thought I otherwiſe) I would diſdain
To them, for Grace or Juſtice to complain;
Though I were plung'd, into a worſe condition,
Then ſeems approaching, by my laſt Petition.
I cannot fear that they who true-men be,
Will for true-ſpeaking be diſpleas'd with me,
But, rather, by vouchſafing what I crave
Be glad the Kingdome may occaſion have
To ſee their Juſtice, by repairing him,
Who gave himſelfe, to be undone for them:
For them, who buy leſſe honour, at the price,
Then may be purchaſed by this device.
But, hitherto, my hopes, do not ſucceed
According to my ſuffrings, and my need.
Two Monthes, upon one Suite, I have beſtowne;
Upon a former, thrice three Monthes, and one;
Upon another, foure times three, and nine;
Yet, ſtill, ſome other Cauſe out-juſtles mine:
And, ev'n by favours hitherto obtained,
More Miſchiefes, then Advantages, are gained;
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 affaires, which profitable bee
Unto the Publike, though they hinder mee;
Since, whilſt that thrives, I cannot be bereft
Of all my hopes, nor comfortleſſe be left,
But, if I ſtill perceive my Suites delay'd,
Or croſt, for Private-ends; I am afraid
My Greevances, will make my Plaints outroare
The Cries, of all the Women at your dore.
Preſerve I would, according to my might,
My Private-Freedomes, with our Publike-Right;
And, Wiſe-men will conſider, that, unleſſe
They heed, ſometime, a ſingle-mans diſtreſſe,
(At leaſt in his extreames) that, one by one,
The Generality may be undone;
And, that, a bruiſe upon the ſmalleſt-toe
May cauſe the bodies totall overthrow.
In me (although my ſufferings are deſpis'd)
The Common-Greevance, is epitomis'd;
And, as, this day, the Kingdomes 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;
And, that man, by no party groweth ſtrong,
Who ſides not with it, both in Right, and Wrong.
In all things which, undoubtedly appeare,
Unto my Conſcience, I, to both adhere;
And, do from neither, purpoſely diſſent,
To make a Schiſme, or nouriſh diſcontent.
I have in both, profeſſed Foes and Friends;
In both, I have ſome hopes, on both, ſome ends;
But, without all deſignments upon either,
Save, how I may unite them, both together,
In ſuch a Poſture, as may free this Land
From thoſe diſtructions, that ſeeme neer at hand;
And, wooe them to be juſt, in every Action,
Without reſpect to Friend, to Foe or Faction.
Who e're, among you, ſhall thus minded be,
Whether he ſeem to love or malice me,
Whether he be of th'one to'ther ſide,
Whether my Suites be granted or denide,
By his endeavourings; it ſhall not wreſt
My thoughts, for any private intereſt,
To murmur at him; ſo, he will befriend
My Suite 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 I moſt contemn.
For, to retreat, and gotten ground to yeeld,
Is, otherwhile, the meanes to win a field;
And, he that would turne Floods another way,
Muſt dig his Draine, before he builds his Bay.
Heu; Temporum, praevaricati Mores!
Quis, delegabit Miſero favores?
Quis, auſcultabit Populi Clamores?
Vel, quis penſabit Pauperum Dolores?
Nemo, fert Opem, viro perituro;
Sic ERAT, EST, ac ERIT in futuro;
Vt olim, tamen, in haec Verba juro,
Nec Habeo, nec Careo, nec Curo.
Nec Habeo, quod viſus ſum habere;
Nec Careo, quod multi caruêre,
Nec Curo, quamvis devoratus ferè;
Nam, Deo Vero, ſpem repono, verè.
Which is in Engliſh to this effect.
Oh! how corrupt this Age in manners growes!
Who, to the Miſerable, mercy ſhowes?
Who, on the Peoples cries, an ear beſtowes?
Or, who compaſſionates the Poore-mans woes?
To ſuccour the Diſtreſſed, none appear;
Thus 'twas, thus 'tis; and thus I'me like to fare:
Yet, as of old, this Motto, ſtill, I bear;
I neither have, nor want, nor do I care.
I have not, what I had a while agoe;
I want not, that, which many others do;
Nor care I, though I quite neglected grow;
For, I in GOD confide, and will do ſo.
A Poſt-ſcript.
He, that hath Money to procure his ends,
Needs neither ſtrain his wits, nor tire his Friends.
He, that hath Friends, his matters to contrive,
May (though he hath nor Wit, nor Money) live.
He, that hath Wit, and wants the former two,
May live more richly, then he ſeemes to do.
He, that hath two of theſe, und wants but one,
Can neither happy be, nor quite undone▪
He, that hath all of theſe, might be a King,
If he could wiſh, to be ſo poore a thing:
And, he that is depriv'd of all the three,
May be an Engliſh-man, for ought I ſee.
FINIS
End of the text · George Wither, The Tired Petitioner (1648)