Collection of Poems, To the reader 2
To thoſe Honoured, Noble, and right Vertuous Friends, my Viſitants in the Marſhalſey: And to all other my vnknowne Fauourers, who either priuately, or publikely wiſhed me well in my impriſonment.
NOble Friends; you whoſe vertues made me firſt in louelove with Vertue; and whoſe worths made mee be thought worthy of your loues: I hauehave now at laſt (you ſee) by Gods aſsiſtance, and your encouragement, run through the Purgatorie of impriſonment; and by the worthy fauour of a iuſt Prince, ſtand free againe, without the leaſt touch of deiected baſeneſſe. Seeing therefore I was growne beyond my Hope ſo fortunate (after acknowledgement of my Creators louelove, together with the vnequall'd Clemencie of ſo gracious a Soueraigne) I was troubled to thinke, by what meanes I might expreſſe my thankefulnes to ſo many well-deſeruing friends: No way I found to my deſire, neither yet ability to performe when I found it. But at length conſidering with my ſelfe what you were (that is) ſuch, who fauour honeſty for no ſecond reaſon, but becauſe you your ſelues are good; and ayme at no other reward, but the witneſſe of a ſound conſcience that you doe well, I found, that thankfulneſſe would proue the acceptableſt preſent to ſute with your diſpoſitions; and that I imagined could be no way better expreſſed, then in manifeſting your courteſies, and giuing conſent to your reaſonable demaunds. For the firſt, I confeſſe (with thankes to the diſpoſer of all things, and a true gratefull heart towards you) ſo many were the vnexpected Viſitations, and vnhoped kindneſſes receyued, both from ſome among you of my Acquaintance, and many other vnknowne Well-willers of my Cauſe, that I was perſwaded to entertaine a much better conceit of the Times, then I lately conceyued, and aſſured my ſelfe, that Vertue had far more followers then I ſuppoſed.
Somewhat it diſturbed me to behold our ages Fauourites, whilſt they frowned on my honest enterpriſes, to take vntounto their protections the egregiouſts fopperies: yet much more was my contentment, in that I was reſpected by ſo many of You, amongst whō there are ſome, who can and may as much diſ-eſteeme theſe, as they neglect me: nor could I feare their Malice or Contempt, whilst I enioyed your fauours, who (howſoeuer you are vnderunder-valued by Fooles for a time) ſhall leaue vntounto your poſterity ſo noble a memory, that your names ſhall be reuerenced by Kings, when many of theſe who now flouriſh with a ſhew of vſurped Greatneſſe, ſhall eyther weare out of being, or diſpoyled of all their patched reputation, grow contemptible in the eyes of their beloued Miſtris the World. Your LoueLove it is that (enabling me with patience to endure what is already paſt) hath made me alſo carefull better to prepare my ſelfe for all future miſaduentures, by bringing to my conſideration, what the paſsion of my iust diſcontentments had almost quite baniſhed from my remembrance.
Further, to declare my thankefulneſſe, in making apparant my willing minde to be commanded in any ſeruices of louelove, which you ſhal thinke fit (though I want abilitie to performe great matters) yet I hauehave according to ſome of your requeſts, been contented to giuegive way to the printing of theſe Eglogues; which though it to many ſeeme a ſleight matter, yet being well conſidered of, may proue a ſtrong argument of my readineſſe to giuegive you content in a greater matter: for they being (as you well know) begotten with little care, and preſerued with leſſe reſpect, gaue ſufficient euidence, that I meant (rather then any way to deceiue your truſt) to giuegive the world occaſion of calling my diſcretion in queſtion, as I now aſſure my ſelfe this will: and the ſooner, becauſe ſuch expectations (I perceiue) there are (of I know not what Inuentions) as would have been fruſtrated, though I had employed the vtmost and very best of my endeauours.
Notwithſtanding for your ſakes, I hauehave heere aduentured once againe to make tryall of the Worlds cenſures: and what hath receyued beeing from your Loues, I here re-dedicated to your Worths, which if your noble diſpoſitions will like well of; or if you will but reaſonably reſpect what your ſelues drew mee vntounto, I ſhall be nothing diſpleaſed at others cauils, but reſting my ſelfe contented with your good opinions, ſcorne all the rabble of vncharitable detractors: For none, I know, will maligne it, except thoſe, who eyther particularly malice my perſon, or profeſſe themſelues enemies to my former Bookes; who (ſauing thoſe that were incenſed on others ſpeeches) as diuers of you (according to your proteſtations) hauehave obſerued, are eyther open enemies of our Church; men notoriouſly guilty of ſome particular Abuſes therein taxt, ſuch malicious Critickes who hauehave the repute of being iudicious, by detracting from others; or at beſt, ſuch Guls, as neuer approue any thing good, or learned, but eyther that which their ſhallow apprehenſions can apply to the ſoothing of their owne opinions, or what (indeed rather) they vnderſtand not.
Truſt me, how ill ſoeuer it hath been rewarded, my louelove to my Country is inuiolate: my thankefulneſſe to you vnfained, my endeauour to doe eueryevery man good; all my ayme, content with honeſtie: and this my paines (if it may be ſo tearmed) more to auoid idleneſſe, then for affectation of praiſe: and if notwithstanding all this, I muſt yet not onelyonly reſt my ſelfe content that my innocencie hath eſcaped with ſtrict impriſonment (to the impayring of my ſtate, and hinderance of my fortunes) but alſo be conſtrayned to ſee my guiltleſſe lines, ſuffer the deſpight of ill tongues: yet for my further encouragement, let mee intreate the continuance of your firſt reſpect, wherein I ſhall find that comfort as will be ſufficient to make mee ſet light, and ſo much contemne all the malice of my aduerſaries, that readie to burſt with the venome of their owne hearts, they ſhall ſee
My Minde enamoured on faire Vertues light,
Tranſcends the limits of their bleared ſight,
And plac'd aboue their Enuy doth contemne,
Nay, ſit and laugh at, their diſdaine, and them.
But Noble Friends, I make queſtion neyther of yours, nor any honeſt mans reſpect, and therefore will no further vrge it, nor trouble your patience: onelyonly this Ile ſay, that you may not think me too well conceited of my ſelfe; though the Time were to blame, in ill requiting my honest endeauours, which in the eyes of the World deſerued better; yet ſome what I am aſſured there was in me worthy that puniſhment, which when God ſhall giuegive me grace to ſee and amend, I doubt not but to finde that regard as will be fitting for ſo much merit as my endeauors may iuſtly challenge. Meane while, the better to hold my ſelfe in eſteeme with you, and amend the worlds opinion of Vertue, I will ſtudy to amend my ſelfe, that I may be yet more worthy to be called
Your Friend, GEO: WITHER.