Collection of Poems, Postscript to the reader – Title page 4
A Poſtſcript.
To the Reader.
IF you hauehave read this, and receiued any content, I am glad, (though it bee not ſo much as I could wiſh you) if you thinke it idle, why then I ſee wee are not likely to fall out; for I am iuſt of your minds; yet weigh it well before you runne too farre in your cenſures, leſt this proue leſſe barren of Wit, then you of courteſie. It is very true (I know not by what chance) that I hauehave of late been ſo highly beholding to Opinion, that I wonder how I crept ſo much into her fauour, and if I did thinke it worthie the fearing) I ſhould be afraid that ſhe hauing ſo vndeſeruedly befriended mee beyond my Hope or expectation, will, vponupon as little cauſe, ere long, againe picke ſome quarrell againſt mee; and it may bee, meanes to make vſe of this, which I know muſt needes come farre ſhort of their expectation, who by their earneſt deſire of it, ſeem'd to be fore-poſſeſt with a farre better conceite, then I can beleeue it prooues worthy of. So much at leaſt I doubted, and therefore loth to deceiue the world (though it often beguile me) I kept it to my ſelfe, indeed, not dreaming euer to ſee it publiſhed: But now, by the ouermuch perſwaſion of ſome friends, I hauehave been conſtrained to expoſe it to the generall view. Which ſeeing I hauehave done, ſomethings I deſire thee to take notice of. Firſt, that I am Hee, who to pleaſure my friend, hauehave fram'd my ſelfe a content out of that which would otherwiſe diſcontent mee. Secondly, that I hauehave coueted more to effect what I thinke truely honeſt in it ſelfe, then by a ſeeming ſhew of Art, to catch the vaine blaſtes of vncertaine Opinion. This that I hauehave here written, was no part of my ſtudie, but onelyonly a recreation in impriſonment: and a trifle, neither in my conceit fitting, nor by me intended to bee made common; yet ſome, who it ſhould ſeeme eſteemed it worthy more reſpect then I did, tooke paines to coppy it out, vnknowne to mee, and in my abſence got it both Authorized and prepared for the Preſſe; ſo that if I had not hindred it, laſt Michaelmas-Tearme had beene troubled with it. I was much blamed by ſome Friends for withſtanding it, to whoſe requeſt I ſhould more eaſily hauehave conſented, but that I thought (as indeed I yet doe) I ſhould thereby more diſparage my ſelfe, then content them. For I doubt J ſhall bee ſuppoſed one of thoſe, who out of their arrogant deſire of a little prepoſterous Fame, thruſt into the world eueryevery vnſeaſoned trifle that drops out of their vnſetled braines; whoſe baſeneſſe how much I hate, thoſe that know mee can witneſſe, for if I were ſo affected, I might perhaps preſent the World with as many ſeuerall Poems, as I hauehave ſeene yeeres; and iuſtly make my ſelfe appeare to bee the Author of ſome things that others hauehave ſhamefully vſurped and made vſe of as their owne. But I will be content other men ſhould owne ſome of thoſe Iſſues of the Braine, for J would be loath to confeſſe all that might in that kinde call me Father. Neither ſhall any more of them, by my conſent, in haſt againe trouble the world, vnleſſe I know which way to benefit it with leſſe preiudice to my owne eſtate. And therefore if any of thoſe leſſe ſerious Poems which are already diſperſt into my friends hands, come amongst you, let not their publication be imputed to me, nor their lightneſſe be any diſparagement to what hath been ſince more ſerious written, ſeeing it is but ſuch ſtuffe as riper iudgements hauehave in their farre elder yeeres been much more guilty of.
I know an indifferent Crittick may finde many faults, as well in the ſlightneſſe of this preſent Subiect, as in the erring from the true nature of an Eglogue: moreouer, it altogether concernes my ſelf, which diuers may diſlike. But neither can bee done on iuſt cauſe: The firſt hath bin anſwered already: The laſt might conſider that I was there where my owne estate was chiefly to bee looked vntounto, and all the comfort I could miniſter vntounto my ſelfe, little enough.
If any man deeme it worthy his reading I ſhall bee glad: if hee thinke his paines ill beſtow'd, let him blame himſelfe for medling with that concerned him not: I neither commended it to him, neither cared whether he read it or no; becauſe I know thoſe that were deſirous of it, will eſteeme the ſame as much as I expect they ſhould.
But it is not vnlikely, ſome wil thinke I hauehave in diuers places been more wanton (as they take it) then befitting a Satirict; yet their ſeuerity I feare not, becauſe J am aſſured all that I euer yet did, was free from Obſcaenity: neyther am I ſo Cynical, but that I thinke a modeſt expreſsion of ſuch amorous conceits as ſute with Reaſon, will yet very well become my yeeres; in which not to hauehave feeling of the power of LoueLove, were as great an argument of much ſtupidity, as an ouerſottiſh affection were of extreame folly. Laſtly, if you thinke it hath not well anſwered the Title of the Shepheards Hunting, goe quarrell with the Stationer, who bid himſelfe God-Father, and impoſed the Name according to his owne liking; and if you, or hee, finde any faults, pray mend them.
Valete.
FINIS.
FIDELIA: BY GEORGE WITHER. GENT:
LONDON, Printed by T. S. for Iohn Budge, dwelling in Pauls-Church-yard, at the ſigne of the Greene Dragon, 1622.