A Sudden Flash, Addendum 1 – Postscript
A Cauſe Allegorically Stated,
With an Appeal therein, to all that are wiſe and honeſt, from an injurious cenſure, lately paſſed.
A Goodly Ship, with precious lading fraught,
Late, in a dark night, near to land was brought.
Through many dangers, and much Bluſtering weather,
The Providence of God, had brought her thither;
And, by the Waters motions, and ſome Humming
Among the Shrowds, another ſtorm ſeem'd coming.
The place ariv'd at, was a dangerous Bay,
From which, into the Port, two Channells lay,
Divided by a Quicksand, with great ſtore
Of Shelvs, and Sharp-rocks, upon either Shore:
She had a brave Commander, Marchants many;
Stout Seamen, Pilots too, as good as any,
With Paſſengers of all ſorts; among whom
Some could (had need been) have ſuppli'd the room
Of well experiens'd Sea-men, and advis'd
Such things, as Prudence would not have diſpis'd.
But, theſe among themſelvs, divided were,
Through which of theſe two Channels, they ſhould ſteer,
One party, thinking that the ſafeſt way,
In which the other, thought moſt danger lay:
And in the dark, it could not well be ſeen,
In which, the greateſt Hazzard would have been.
There was a poor Old man, that time, a board,
To whom, God, had been pleaſed to afford
A faculty, to ſee things in the dark,
Which others could not view, or, did not mark;
He, ſeeing what great ſtraights the Ship was in,
And what their loſs was likely to have been,
Call'd out to thoſe, who there had Chief Commmand;
And ſaid; there ſtands a Rock; here lies a ſand,
Another yonder, and, a Whirlpool there;
Be carefull therefore, thither not to ſteer;
Bear up a little while into the Wind,
(Although a ſhew of danger there you find)
And take heed, that a cauſleſs fear or doubt,
Prevails not now, to make you Tack-about:
Leſt all be loſt, and, you, upon a ſteep
Ridge ſtrike; and, over-ſet into the deep.
Now, by the Starbordſide a compaſs fe…ch,
Halfe way to you point, to avoyd that Beach;
And then, upon the Larbordſide again
Wheel off, and you the Harbor ſhall attain.
Thus ſpake the Old man: for although 'twere night,
He ſaw as well, as when the Sun gives light;
And then, all they who had a will to ſee,
Saw how to find the way, as well as hee.
The greater part, not heeding what they heard,
(Nor knowing their own danger) grinn'd and jeer'd;
Suppos'd him mad, to talk, and make a ſhew
Of Demonſtrations, which they could not view;
Crept from the hatches, down into the hold,
And let them look unto the Ship that would.
But, they, who more ſought their own will to have,
Then to be counſel'd, or, the Ship to ſave;
Diſdaining that an aged doting fool,
Should put their Wiſedom, as it were, to ſchool;
(And, ſeeing his Relations tend unto,
That, which their Captain had reſolv'd to do)
Grew angry, Therefore, though he neither fears
Their wrath, nor much for their disfavour cares;
Hereby, he hath appealed unto you,
Who, are known honeſt, wiſe, goodmen, and true;
And, praies you, to be Judges, how he hath,
Or wherein, any way deſerv'd their Wrath:
For, here in brief, his Cauſe is plainly ſhow'n,
And, 'tis to ſome among you, ſo well known,
That, if you ſhall condemne him, hee'l ſubmit
To make what Satisfaction, you think fit.
If this comes forth too late to take effect,
My Conſcience knows, it was not my neglect:
For I, my utmoſt labour, had beſtown,
To make it, in a timely-ſeaſon known.
If, therefore, ought amiſſe thereby enſue,
There lay the Fault, to whom the Blame is due.
Here being vacant Pages, the Author hath filled them with a Copie of certain Verſes, wherewith he lately incloſed two Petitions to the PARLAMENT, and laid them within their Threſhold; hoping by that Expedient, they might have been preſented to the Houſe; The Paper was thus Superſcribed; To that Member of PARLAMENT, who takes up this Paper, with the Petition incloſed.
The Verſes are theſe:
SIR, if you are not of this PARLAMENT,
Herewith to greet you, 'tis not my intent;
But, if a Member of this Houſe you are,
Your taking up this Paper (as it were)
By Lot, ingageth you to manage thoſe
Petitions, which, therewith I did incloſe,
As, you would have another, uſe his pow'r,
Therein, for your avail, were my caſe your:
Whereof take this Account; and, why I play
My Cards refus'd, in this unuſual way.
Three Parlaments (the eldeſt of which three,
Might, had it pleaſed our LORD, have out-liv'd me)
Are dead and gone, ſince firſt I did complain
Of Grievances, which hitherto remain
Without Redreſs. I, alſo have ſurviv'd
To ſee a Fourth, which hath it ſelf out-liv'd,
And may continue, till it hath ſuppli'd
What, Providence, is thereby to provide
For needful ſupplements, to carry on
Thoſe Works, which in theſe Nations are begun.
God grant it Pow'r, and Will, and Time, to do
What, they by Duty, are oblig'd unto,
That, they from wrongs, the wronged may releaſe;
Proceed with Honour, and conclude in Peace.
To ſuch Atchievments, there's a middle-way,
'Twixt This, and That; 'twixt haſt, and long-delay:
Which, if miſtaken, or not timely found,
May (as it hath done) lead into a Round,
(Or Labyrinth) whereby, we may be brought
To pits and ſnares, which have no paſſage out;
And multiply diſtractions, till our prai'rs
Are turn'd to indignation, or diſpairs:
Which, is their drift (and not their leaſt deſigne)
Who, ſeek this Common-wealth, to undermine.
When publick wants, require to be ſuppl'd,
A private plaint may then be laid aſide,
But, not too long deferr'd, leſt it become
A feſtring-ſoar, not meanly perilſome:
For, ſince an Univerſal-weal conſiſts
Of many Individual Intereſts,
A perfect Body cannot be injoi'd,
Where, One by One, the Members are deſtroi'd;
And, when the Eie or Ear, unheedful grows
Of what, afflicts the fingers, and the Toes;
Much leſſe, when it neglects what appertains
To keep it, from an Ulcer in the Brains.
The cures therefore, of private wants, betwixt
Publick tranſactions, ſhould be intermixt;
(At leaſt ſomtimes) in thoſe immergent things,
Wherein, delay of Juſtice, loſſes brings
Beyond repair; or where the State at laſt
Muſt bear the dammage, when the cure is paſt;
Or elſe, in point of honour, ſuffer more
Then all the publick treaſure will reſtore.
I grudg not, when GOD's glory is at ſtake,
That they, who conſcience of their Votes do make,
Should take the freedom to debate at large,
What, may their duties in their place diſcharge;
Or, when the Common-ſafety doth appear
In hazard, though my life in danger were:
But, when thoſe brunts are over, if men pleaſe,
For their meer pleaſure, profit, or their eaſe,
To leave us in a periſhing condition,
It, of their faithfulneſs, may give ſuſpition;
And, I more grieve, for what I thereby ſee
May on the publick fall, then falls on mee.
There's time enough in all ſtreights whatſoe're,
For all things, if it well divided were:
And, for our not apportioning aright
The time we have (as wiſemen ſee we might)
GOD, cuts off half the daies we ſhould have had,
And our deſignments are abortive made.
As wee from week to week, from day to day
Do put off thoſe, who for our ſuccours pray;
So likewiſe, are our ſuits and hopes put by,
By him, on whoſe aſſiſtance we rely.
An hour therefore, ſhould otherwhile be ſpent,
To give Reward, as well as Puniſhment;
To think on them who help us in our ſorrow;
As well to make repaiments, as to borrow;
And, like the Tree that's planted by a ſpring,
Expected fruits, in ſeaſon, we ſhould bring;
Not nine or ten years after they are dead,
(Who, by our timely fruit ſhould have been ſed)
Leſt we be felled by the Wood-mans hand,
Or, like the Fig-tree, wither where we ſtand.
One day, is as well ſpar'd ſometime, to ſave
An honeſt-man, as nine to doom a knave;
And, of an uſeful Plant to take due care,
As, from the good-corn, to weed out a Tare.
Some private acts of Juſtice, with our zeal
To Piety, and to the Publick-weal,
(Or works of mercy) ſprinkled here and there
Among them, like embroid'ries would appear,
Or flowers of gold and ſilver interwove,
And helpful be, devotion to improve:
For, where few private grievances are heard,
God, gives their publick praiers ſmall regard:
And, few are in that Common-wealth much joi'd,
By which, their own well-being is deſtroi'd;
Or, which is ſenſleſs, of their ſad eſtate,
Who did help ſave it, from a ſadder fate.
Among ſuch ſuff'rers, I my ſelf am One,
Who, gladly would be better thought upon,
For your own ſakes; who, peradventure, may
Have by my loſſe, twice mine, another way.
As many years as are equivalent
To two men's lives, I have already ſpent
To ſeek for Juſtice, with ſuch coſt, ſuch trouble,
And loſſe of time, as make my loſſes double:
So that if many ſuits, here, at this rate,
I had depending, three times my eſtate,
And three mens lives, would ſcarce afford me time,
And means enough, whereby to finiſh them:
For, my Petitions, either were deferr'd
From mouth to mouth, from year to year, unheard,
Or anſwer'd ſo, that when my ſuit ſeemd, done,
My Caſe prov'd worſe, then when it firſt begun;
And, to obſtruct the Juſtice I emplore,
They, voice me to be rich, who make me poor.
With mock-ſhews of relief, I have been fed;
With ſtones, In my diſtreſs, inſtead of bread;
Which, had ere this day ſtarv'd me, but that GOD,
Turns many of them, into wholſome food;
And rais'd me a ſubſiſtance, out of that
Which was deſign'd to ruine my eſtate.
His Highneſs, alſo ſtor'd me with a Diſh,
Which hath converted Scorpions, into Fiſh:
Elſe, that ſmall portion, which I yet poſſeſſe,
(And ſome Envie) had long ago been leſſe,
(It may be nothing); for, that Act of Grace,
Is made leſſe valuable, then it was
By him intended, of whoſe free donation
It was conferr'd, beyond my expectation.
Oh! if that I, who have ſome friends, thus far'd,
How ſpeed poor men, whom no man doth regard?
And, who, from none, can claime an obligation,
Either by Friendſhip, Faction, or Relation?
But, now, new-miſadventures me beſet,
Which, by delay of Juſtice, do beget
Increaſing miſchiefs, that admit no cure,
Save, what muſt from a Legiſlative pow'r,
Derived be: And, this befalls me ſo,
Perhaps, that I, in every Change, may know,
The gen'ral temper, by the pulſe that beats
Both in Superiour, and Inferiour ſeats;
That, I, thereby may calculate the length
Of our oppreſſions, and improve my ſtrenth
To bear them: mark, how well our publick Acts,
Ingagements, Orders, Bargains, and Contracts
Will be perform'd; and, that, as by preſage,
Of things that ſince befell, I told this Age
Before they came; ſo, I, might likewiſe tell
The next Age, what I ſaw done ill, or well.
… many have beſought to entertain,
And offer my petitions, but, in vain.
Now therefore, having with ſome patience ſtayd
Six months at door, to get my ſuites convayd
…nto this Houſe, where, ſeeing ev'ry day,
New ſuitors more and more ſtop up the way,
And ſmall ſigne, that, with any I ſhould meet,
To hand them in, I laid them at their feet
Who paſs in thither; hopeful, that it may,
For my inclos'd Petitions make free way,
Through thoſe Obstructions, which have ſhut the gate
Againſt them, till they come almoſt too late.
He, who ſhall take them up, and get them read,
Where, with effect, they may be anſwered;
A Favour ſhall confer, by doing ſo,
On me, and likewiſe upon many moe.
For, if my ſuits, obtain reſpective heed,
Some other men, wil hope, as well to ſpeed;
And of my wrongs, if no redreſs I have,
Both I, and they much future coſt may ſave.
GOD ſpeed it well: for, I, with what event
He gives it, am reſolv'd, to be content;
And, am aſſur'd, that though I be neglected,
By men, I ſhall of him, be ſtill reſpected.
Britans Remembrancer.
A Poſtſcript to the Preceding Verſes.
THey, who to neither Side, nor Back, nor Further
Can turn, or paſs, need no Reſtraints by Order.
Nor greatly be afraid what next will come,
Their, juſt reſolvings, to divert them from;
And, that, whereto neceſſities compell,
Is done excuſably, though not done well.
If much oppreſſion, cracks a wiſeman's brain,
Who knows, whereto, it may a fool conſtrain?
They, whom delay of Juſtice doth make poor,
Do loſe but their eſtates, and, may get more:
If, therewithall, they are of life depriv'd,
They feel not, what to feel, they might have liv'd:
But, he who doth in life-time, thereby loſe
Both wealth and credit, ſhall to friends and foes
Become a ſcorn; whereat, if mad he be,
And, makes ten thouſands grow as mad as he,
The fault is theirs, who, without mercy, ſtretch
A weak man's patience, farther then 'twil reach;
As if, he, of his ſuff'ring ſenſe had none,
Becauſe, they no more feel it, then a ſtone.
My principle (which makes me oft abus'd)
Injoins me, when I ſcurvily am us'd
Where I expect relief, to ſhew my wrongs;
And, vengeance leave, to whom the ſame belongs;
But, ſome men, cannot be content to ſtay
GOD's leiſure, or, for Juſtice, in his way;
And, what, their wants, neglects, and indignation
May tempt them to, is worth conſideration.
There is to all things, an appointed date;
And, they are unwiſe, who are wiſe too late.
Neceſſitas, & indignatio quid non poſſunt
FINIS.
End of the text · George Wither, A Sudden Flash (1657)