 | Miscellaneous works of George Wither |  |
123
The Authors Dream, the night before the Imprinting of this Book, and (as he believes) the true Interpretation thereof.
I am
awake: GOD's blessed Name be prais'd,
That, he to see the Light, my eyes hath rais'd:
For, sleep, I see, which we repute the best
Of Temporal things pertaining to mans Rest,
(Next to a quiet Conscience) may become
A Torment, very near as troublesome,
If he, that giveth his Beloved sleep,
Did not, within a Bound, nights terrours keep.
That, he to see the Light, my eyes hath rais'd:
For, sleep, I see, which we repute the best
Of Temporal things pertaining to mans Rest,
(Next to a quiet Conscience) may become
A Torment, very near as troublesome,
If he, that giveth his Beloved sleep,
Did not, within a Bound, nights terrours keep.
My Soul, so toyl'd, and tired out, hath been
With what, this night, in Dreamings I have seen,
That, peradventure, if I waking, had
Been so opprest, it might have made me mad:
For, from the twelfth hour, to the fourth, well nigh,
I have been strugling, in an Agonie,
With such Confusions, that, if I would tell
How, I have been turmoyl'd, I, might aswell
Another World endeavour to Create
Out of a Chaos, as the same relate:
And, not a littie troubled is my mind,
Now I am waking, how, I forth may find
What it presignifies: For, I believe
Those Notions, I did not in vain receive:
And, therefore, (since no Daniel I do know,
Who, either can to me my Vision show,
Or, what it means) Ile, by GOD's Grace, assay
To make the best use of it, that I may;
Not doubting, but, that he will condescend
To shew some glimpse, of what, he doth intend.
With what, this night, in Dreamings I have seen,
That, peradventure, if I waking, had
Been so opprest, it might have made me mad:
For, from the twelfth hour, to the fourth, well nigh,
I have been strugling, in an Agonie,
With such Confusions, that, if I would tell
How, I have been turmoyl'd, I, might aswell
Another World endeavour to Create
Out of a Chaos, as the same relate:
And, not a littie troubled is my mind,
Now I am waking, how, I forth may find
What it presignifies: For, I believe
Those Notions, I did not in vain receive:
And, therefore, (since no Daniel I do know,
Who, either can to me my Vision show,
124
To make the best use of it, that I may;
Not doubting, but, that he will condescend
To shew some glimpse, of what, he doth intend.
It hapned (which, forget not to remember)
The day before the Kalend's of November,
The first year (and may be the last) wherein
I had infranchised in Newgate been,
For off'ring to Record, what I have heard
By common Fame, and, was by me declar'd
To no worse end, then, that, prevent it might
Such like Confusions, as me thought, this night
To me were represented. And, who knowes
But, that, this Dream, a Consequent foreshowes
To that relating, which, fulfill'd will be
Either, upon these Nations, or on me,
Or both of us, if God, averts not from
The best of us, that, which is like to come;
And, as dreadful our waking Dreams may be
As this was in my sleep, last night to me.
The day before the Kalend's of November,
The first year (and may be the last) wherein
I had infranchised in Newgate been,
For off'ring to Record, what I have heard
By common Fame, and, was by me declar'd
To no worse end, then, that, prevent it might
Such like Confusions, as me thought, this night
To me were represented. And, who knowes
But, that, this Dream, a Consequent foreshowes
To that relating, which, fulfill'd will be
Either, upon these Nations, or on me,
Or both of us, if God, averts not from
The best of us, that, which is like to come;
And, as dreadful our waking Dreams may be
As this was in my sleep, last night to me.
This very day, moreover, (as I hear)
Those Musings, which by me composed were
Since my Commitment hither, pass the Presse;
And, our Confusions, will be more or less,
As they shall take effect. GOD's Will be done,
(What ere, he pleaseth shall succeed thereon)
For, he, who wak'd me out of this sad Dream,
Will, when, at their worst, raise me out of them;
Or, when the Resurrection morning comes,
Save, me, at least, from all destructive Dooms,
This, (though my Dream admits no explanation)
I take to be a true Interpretation.
But if, that any finds me out a better
I will approve it, and remain his debter.
Those Musings, which by me composed were
Since my Commitment hither, pass the Presse;
And, our Confusions, will be more or less,
As they shall take effect. GOD's Will be done,
(What ere, he pleaseth shall succeed thereon)
For, he, who wak'd me out of this sad Dream,
Will, when, at their worst, raise me out of them;
Or, when the Resurrection morning comes,
Save, me, at least, from all destructive Dooms,
This, (though my Dream admits no explanation)
I take to be a true Interpretation.
But if, that any finds me out a better
I will approve it, and remain his debter.
| Miscellaneous works of George Wither | |