An English Balm Lately Pressed out of a Shrub, Printer to the reader
The Printer to the Reader.
Readers;
THe Authour of the Receipt preſcribed in this Poem, deſired me, for the better operation thereof, to intreat you to make uſe of it without prejudicacy; and with a belief that he aimeth ſincerely at the publike-cure, without any private reſpects, but ſuch as may ſtand with the common-intereſt; as will appeare to thoſe, who know what hazzards he ſhall run, if this be diſtaſtfull to them who have both him, and his eſtate in their power: and how poſsible it is, that there may be more who have tongues to vote againſt him, then of thoſe who have underſtanding to judge the reaſonableneſſe of his undertaking, in this time of corruption; wherein, ſomthing muſt be attempted to remove our inſufferable preſſures: and, doubtleſſe it is better that ſomewhat ſhould be irregularly done, then all of us undone; eſpecially when nothing is purpoſely miſ-done, or maliciouſly intended, by him.
He proteſteth he is neither for, or againſt the Presbyterians, Independents, Scots, Engliſh, King, Parliament, Members, or People, more or leſſe, then according as he (in his judgment and conſcience) thinks it may conduce to the wrong or right way, from, or toward the truth of GOD, and the peace of the Kingdom; with a charitable reſpect (ſo farre as is poſsible) to the remedy of our generall diſtemperatures, without the wrong, or diſquiet of any perſon, who wilfully draweth it not upon himſelfe. And this impartiality (as he conceiveth) ought to make his words, the more conſiderable, and the more acceptable to all thoſe, who deſire the ſame peace, which he endeavoureth to promote, and eſtabliſh, between the Nations, and betweene the Engliſh themſelves; whoſe proſperity can be no way ſecured, but, by our counterworking to this Jeſuiticall principle, Divide & impera: OnelyOnly thus much partiality (if it be a partiality) he confeſſeth himſelfe inclinable unto, that he cannot chuſe but believe, that party to be moſt juſt and honeſt, which is moſt favourable unto an honeſt man in honeſt cauſes, though it may be over-voted by halfe a ſcore voices; eſpecially, when it is in a Cauſe ſeemingly repugnant to their owne Intereſt, and on the behalfe of a ſtranger who neither ſolicited any one of them to befriend him, nor had liberty to uſe the meanes of his Juſtification. What, he means, hereby, perhaps ſome of you, better underſtand, then I doe; if not, I believe you will better underſtand him hereafter, when he hath raiſed the vindication of his late cenſure out of the aſhes of his burned papers; which, if he have life and liberty, he bids you confidently expect; and to be as confident, that it ſhall be done (if the good party may prevaile) with the preſervation of the honour of the Houſe of Commons, of every worthy Member thereof, and of the whole Parliament. And ſo I humbly take my leave.
Your Servant, Benevol. Typographus.
End of the text · George Wither, An English Balm Lately Pressed out of a Shrub (1646)