The Discoverer Part 2, Dedication 2
TO His EXCELLENCY the Lord FAIRFAX, &c. AND To the Right Honourable, LEIVT: GENERALL CROMWEL, &c.
My Lords,
THE reaſon why wee have here mentioned Your Honourable Names, is in regard the matter contained in Our DISCOVERER, is your deſerved Vindication, from many vile aſperſions rayſed up againſt you by ſome malitious and seditious tongues. You hnow in War, the Generall and cheife Commanders are ſought after by every one, more then the common Souldiers. Envy is like certaine Flyes called Cantharides, who light ſpecially upon the faireſt Wheat, and moſt blown roſes. That you are ſingled out by ſome men, and made now the ſubject of their falſehood and ſlander, it is no marvaile; for it hath been ſo from the beginning; men evermore of beſt deſerving, and greateſt worth, have moſt felt the ſcourge of tongues. M. Cato Major a Pop. Rom. prudens vppellatus maximis Roma…rum odijs exercitus eſt. Quadragies enim ſeries reus cauſam dixit, ſemperque abſol… tus eſt. Sabel l. 1. c. 6.
Elias layd this downe as a reaſon, why he was willing to die, I am no better then my Fathers. The like reaſon may move you to be patient, contented, comforted: you are not worſe uſed then David was, yea Chriſt himſelfe, your Lord and Maſter was ſerv'd ſo. When an Artificer hath before his eyes a famous patterne of his worke, on which he looketh, he perfecteth his owne much the better. Tak… the Prophets which were before you for an example of ſuffering, men eminent for grace, gifts and Office. Quis emim paulo majori anime non mal…t in bello cum peric…lo cum his proficiſci, qui in precio ſunt, quam domi cum i…s in ocio deſidere qui contempti habentur; maxime ſi rex ipſe ad Pralium eat? Cartwright: hiſtoria Chriſti. Lib. 1. p 375.
Beſides it muſt needs be a matter of ſingular joy unto you, to conſider, how the godly every where love you, honour you, carrie you in their Boſome, and on their hearts, as the Jewels, and Treaſure of the people. So that as light is loved (and men will love it) though Batts and Owles reject it: ſo are you under God, eſteemed as two great lights of the Nation; neither doth the ſplendour and brightneſſe of your perſons appeare the leſſe lovely, ſweet and beautifull to them, for that ſome Night-birds cannot without vexation and envy looke thereon:
And to ſay the truth, the godly every where have the more cauſe to love and honour you, conſidering it is for their ſake, and the truths ſake, and for the advancement thereof, that you are aſpers'd; and ſo much we have in this Treatiſe manifeſted.
And howſoever for your owne particulars, there needed not this Vindication: for inward peace and a good conſcience is enough for a mans owne ſatisfaction. ſuperat conſcientia, quicquid ma… finxerit lingua as Seneca ſaith, Epiſt: lib: de mor: and as Tiberius ſayd to Rh…scuporis; ſi frans abeſſes, poſſ… eam innocentiae fider…. T… Annal: 2. Nevertheleſſe finding their accuſation to be falſe, ſcandalous, and ſeditious, we thought it our dutie to ſtep in and ſo to manifeſt as much reſpect and love unto your perſons, in maintaining the honour and inocencie of your names, and juſtneſſe of your cauſe; as others ſhew their malignitie and hatred, in ſeeking by calumniation and ſlander, to blaſt you, and your righteous proceedings.
Charles the fift had for his deviſe a Ball with two Balloones, with this motto, percuſſus clevor, the harder I am ſtricken the higher I mount. Hitherto you have made this true, and we hope it ſhall ſtill be ſo, as that in after Generations it ſhall be ſayd, the enemies rayſd you and by their ſtroaks you won honour and fame. The ſearcher of all hearts knowes, how deſirouſly we deſire; that as the Lord hath wonderfully bleſt your undertakings and Crown'd you with many glorious victories; ſo you, even you (we ſay) may be THE MEN and the Inſtruments in Gods hand to make England and Ireland fully happy, and of you that may be ſayd, and fulfilled in you, foreign. And likewiſe that,
Nec tarda ſenectus
Debilitet vires animi, mutetque virorem.
Neither have we taken this worke in hand, without ſitting down firſt and counting the coſt: we have indeed conſidered the charge, and doe expect Bitter words, but we are not thereby diſcouraged at all: you have often been in the mid'ſt of Swords, Speares, and other Inſtruments of death, for us, and therefore it's the leaſt we can doe, to ſuffer the Speares, Swords and Arrowes of evill Tongues for ſo juſt and Honourable a cauſe as this is. Therefore according to our engagement, ſo we ſhall (God willing) goe forward to ſtop the mouth of abſurd and unreaſonable men.