The Protector, Title page – Dedication
The Protector. A POEM Briefly illuſtrating the Supereminency of that Dignity; AND, Rationally demonſtrating, that the Title of PROTECTOR, providentially conferred upon the Supreme Governour of the Britiſh Republike, is the moſt Honorable of all Titles, and, that, which, probably, promiſeth moſt Propitiouſneſs to theſe Nations; if our Sins and Diviſions prevent it not.
Compoſed by George Wither, Eſq;
Take theſe Hints at the Threſhold.
The uſe of moſt things, which GOD frames,
He ſtamps upon them, by their Names.
The truest Honour, always, lies
In that, which Worldlings, most deſpiſe.
The greateſt Pow'r, not kept upright,
Soon ſwerves, and falls, by its own Weight.
The beſt Effects, Mankinde enjoys,
By that, which their own work, deſtroys.
The gladdeſt Tidings, have been brought,
By means, and perſons, ſet at Nought.
And ſaddest Danger, thoſe attends,
Who court their Foes, and ſleight their Friends.
LONDON, Printed by J.C. and are to be ſold at the Angel in Paul's Church-yard. 1655.
To the High and Mighty, OLIVER, By the grace of God, of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, with the Iſles and Dominions thereof, Imperial PROTECTOR; as alſo, Catholike Defender of the oppreſſed Saints, throughout the World: GEO. WITHER humbly offers, this Illuſtration of that ſupereminent TITLE.
I Know, that Malice will impute to me
The guilt of Flatt'ry in a high degree:
Yet, with a conſcience blameleſs of that ſin,
Thus, in deſpight of Envie, I begin:
LORD, of the noblest of all Soveraign Stiles,
Of BRITAN's Empire, Provinces, and Iſles:
Bright Load-ſtar of the North; who (for Director
As well, through future times, as for PROTECTOR
Of us who now ſurvive) haſt raiſed bin
By Providence, that Great Work to begin,
Which hath been long in hope; and which, hence forth
Shall ſpread ſuch Influences from the North
Throughout the earth, as will their ſouls amaze,
Who, on thy late Aſcention, ſtand at gaze:
Deſcend a little, and caſt down thine eyes
On this, which at thy feet diſplayed lyes;
And, let thy great Humility, dispence
With what, may ſeem in me a Confidence
Above my Sphere: for, to the higheſt things,
The loweſt, otherwhiles, additions brings,
If not obſtructed by thoſe dire Aſpects,
Which menace, now, malevolent Effects.
Some days, before that PARLIAMENT was past,
Which, may, yet, called be, your firſt, and laſt;
This Poeme, (and the Lines which next enſue,
To uſher it) was fitted for your view,
And, their peruſal; who, might then have bin
(As I ſuppoſed) much concern'd therein.
But, ſomewhat intervening, which did ſeem
To make it out of ſeaſon, at that time,
It was ſix months delay'd, to wait upon
That ſubſequence which would enſue thereon;
And, now, a better Oportunity
Appearing, This, in all humility,
Moves toward you again, in ev'ry thing
The ſame it was, except this prefacing,
Which here concludes. Let the Contents be weigh'd,
As they deſerve: for, this, was that I ſaid.
I Finde among the beſt Antiquities,
That, they who rul'd the worlds chief Monarchies
Gave thoſe, whom they moſt favor'd, ſome New name:
And, GOD himſelf, hath ſometime done the ſame
To his choice Favourites, when he begun
Great Changes, and when ſignal acts were done,
In order to a ſeas'nable proceed,
With what, had been eternally decreed.
Now, in like maner, for the ſame intent,
He, by a New name, makes thee eminent,
Above all other Princes, to bring on
That Kingdom, which he promis'd long agon.
And, to that end, YOU, (of whom no man thought
In that way) from Obſcurity are brought,
To ſhew the world, That, he, ev'n to this day,
Proceeds, with his own works, in his own way;
Neither, her Pow'rs, in his Deſignments needing,
Nor thoſe great Perſons, or that means, much heeding
Which humane prudence, thinks, conducing to
That, which eternal Wiſdom means to do.
And, he, perhaps, hath call'd me, from among
The Vulgar, and moſt deſpicable Throng,
To help rough-hew their hearts, who by diſſentions,
Are Foes to their own Peace, and his intentions:
As alſo, to illuſtrate ſo to you,
And, unto them, the Name conferred now;
That, by obſerving it, both You, and They
(Before it be too late) conſider may
How You, and They, are thereby priviledg'd;
Whereto, you, joyntly, ſeem to be oblig'd;
Whereto, apart; what, will ſucceed upon
That, which ſhall well, or wickedly be done:
And, that the time is come, or neer at hand,
Which offers us, the means, to fall or ſtand.
At leaſt, I do believe, that I was born
To act this Part; and will, till I return
To him that ſent me; leaving the ſucceſs
To Providence, which gets advantages
By diſadvantage; and, oft, makes our gains
Then greateſt, when moſt think, we loſe our pains.
I was about to tell you, what I hear;
What, ſome ſuſpect; what, many ſeem to fear;
And, what moſt men repine at: But, your Sun
Wants not my Candle, nor needs this be done:
For, you have ev'rywhere, both Ears, and Eyes,
To finde where Danger, or Advantage lyes;
And, I can bring you, but a Gloworms light,
Which rarely ſhines, except to them, whoſe Night
Affliction darkens: And, it ſeems, ev'n then,
An Ignis Fatuus, to ſome Prudent men.
Till therefore, I ſhall finde my ſelf more able,
In your Concernments to be ſerviceable,
I will in humble ſilence, wait upon
What ſhall, by GOD, by You, and Thoſe, be done
Who repreſent theſe Nations; and, who be
Objects of Contemplation now, to me,
Whereby, I Calculate what may ſucceed,
When, joyn'd together, I your Actings read:
For, Truths, to me, your Trine-aſpect more clears,
Then all the Conſtellations of the Sphears:
Yea, thoſe Three ſhew me, what things will be done,
Better, then all the Stars, the Moon, and Sun.
There are ſome Clouds which trouble ſo my ſight,
That I diſcern not things, which elſe I might:
But this I plainly view, that, much is left
Unto Contingencis, to be bereſt,
Or elſe enjoy'd, according as you prove
Who, in the two Inferiour Orbs, do move:
And, if I know you, or, by what proceeds
Either from Circumſtances, Words, or Deeds,
May know, what you unfeignedly deſire,
(And whereunto you chiefly do aſpire)
You aim at nothing more, then, to poſſeſs
A Throne eſtabliſhed by Righteouſneſs:
And that thoſe Heſitations, and that Doubt,
In which you let theſe Nations ravel out
So many Months, is, neither ill Deſigne,
Nor Evidence, that you from them decline:
But, an Expedient, which, your wiſdom tries
To work by, in your late Emergencies.
Unleſs, I be deceiv'd (which, God forbid)
In what you do, and what you lately did,
You, take no pleaſure in delays, or troubles,
Which needleſly, their coſt or labour doubles;
But, onelyonly, leave it to themſelves, to ſtate
Their Queſtions, and, their heats to moderate,
By their own Prudence, (without interpoſing
Your judgement, or their purpoſes oppoſing)
That, by a free debate, they fully may
Know their own temper; and, you finde the way
To ſuch Reſolvings, as may beſt aſſure
A ſettlement of Peace, which will endure;
And, that, when you, by their Conteſts have found
Which Members rotten be, and which are ſound;
Who gives good counſel, who bad things infuſes;
Who ſpeaks his Conſcience, who his Truſt abuſes;
Who ſtrives to build up Truth, who pulls it down;
Who neither ſtoops to ſmiles, nor fears a frown:
Who merits to be ſtripped of his power,
Who ſeeks his own ends, by pretending your;
Who flatters, who is fickle, who is ſtout;
Who fitteſt for the Work you are about;
With other ſuch diſcov'ries, that, from thence
You may extract Reſults of Conſequence
For Common benefit: I do preſume
You will, at laſt, to that Concluſion come,
Which all Good-men expect: and, act, what beſt
Conduceth to the Publike Interest,
Much better, then you either could have done,
By interrupting, what ſeem'd carried on;
Or, by poſſeſſing them with hopes, to have
Whatever, they ſhould pleaſed be, to crave:
For, Full-fed Steeds grow wanton, if their Guiders
Neglect the Rein; and, ſpoil themſelves, and Riders.
Theſe are the thoughts, to which my heart inclines,
Without a dictate of your own Deſignes
From any hand: which thoughts, if you approve,
I have, at this time, nothing more to move,
But, that you will be pleaſed to peruſe
What of your Sov'raign Title now enſues;
That, it may minde you of his love who gave it;
Shew, on what terms, to what intent you have it;
And keep you careful, that it be not changed;
Leſt, ſomewhat, from you, therewith be eſtranged,
Which you are loth to loſe, and, muſt forgo,
When you grow diſaffected thereunto:
For, you will finde it ſo, when 't is too late
To ſeek th' effects, which may be aimed at,
By ſuch an Innovation; and, will ſee
Ill Conſequences, which, yet hidden be,
If (as I think you are not) I ſhould finde
Your Highneſs, to be mutably inclinde.
I aim at nothing, but to make you ſtrong
For that Work, whereto ſeemeth to belong
This, your advancement; and ſhall not deſiſt
Therein, although my private Intereſt
You ſhould neglect; or, value me no more
Then they, who have oppreſt me heretofore.
Believe this, SIR: for, from a heart it came,
Which prompts no guile: and, be aſſur'd, I am
(As unto him, who bears next under GOD
Our Staff Protecting, or Correcting ROD)
To your Highneſs, both faithfully, and conſcientiouſly devoted, GEO. WITHER,