Miscellaneous works of George Wither

Occasion from a trifling Object springs,
Once more, to offer heed of serious Things,
For, by perusing some late printed Rimes,
That, which may much concern the present Times,
Was tender'd to my Thought; and what to me
Was offer'd, shall to you now offer'd be.

When I began to know the World, and Men,
I made Records of what I found them then,
Continuing ever since, to take good heed,
How they stood still, went back, or did proceed,
Till of my Scale of Time, ascending Heav'n,
The Round I stand on, maketh ten times Seven;
And, being likely, now, ere long to leave them,
A Memorandum, I intend to give them,
Of what, this day, they do appear to me,
As also, what they may hereafter be;
(According as they shall direct their Course)
That, whether they are better grown, or worse,
It may be to GOD's Honour seen and read,
(What ere befals) when they and I, am dead.

When in this Isle my Muses first were known,
The heads of VICE were not so Monstrous grown,
(Nor then so numerous) as now they be;
For, Cerberus in those dayes had but three,
And Hydra seven: At present, they are more
In Number, and more Large, then heretofore:
So that these Monsters, for whose overthrow
I was ingag'd, nigh fifty yeers ago,
Are grown so formidable, that, they make
The Fortresses of Moral Vertue shake,
And, yield at present, work enough to do,
For Hercules, and Mighty Sampson too.
Yet I have lost no Ground, but kept the Field;
And will, till I have Conquer'd, or am Kild:
For, though some daily fall off, who pretended
Adherence to the Cause which we defended,
(And though my Elder Brethren do but flout me)
I find an Unseen Army, pitch'd about me,
Which takes my Part, and will effect at length,
That, which is far beyond my single strength:
And, he, who dies, in making good his Place,
Though he prevails not, dies without Disgrace.

The List, I enter not, with guileful Charms,
Of Humane Eloquence, nor with such Arms
Defensive, or offensive, as were brought
By them, who have of late, our Battails fought;
But onely with a Sling, Stones, and a Staff,
At which my Friends jeer, and my Foes do laugh;
Yet (mark the Sequel) for, a day will come,
That shall place Justice in the highest Room;

That, they who by their Brethren were envide,
(Or by their Masters wronged) shall be tride;
That those Poor People, who oppressed be,
In Body, or in Conscience, shall be free;
And, that, though this be scorn'd, it shall be sed
Whilst I am Living, or, when I am Dead,
That, by those, now-contemned Pebble-stones,
Which I have flung, there will be Broken-Bones,
And Bruised Braines, which did to some of those
Prove Mortal, who have been my Countries Foes.

Mean while, I'll prosecute what I intend,
Not much regarding what a Foe, or Friend,
Shall either Counter-act, or Counter-say,
But, bear their Spights, and Censures as I may.
Nor to my Theam will I so close be tide,
As not, sometimes, to make a step aside,
To take in that, which may conduce unto
The Work, which I in chief, intend to do;
But, act as my INSPIRER, moveth me:
For, I'm by Him inspir'd, not He by Me.
And therefore, here, before I take my leave,
I'll warn you, (lest your thoughts I may deceive)
That Method not to look for, which by those
Is used, who express their Mindes in Prose;
For, Things, not in pre-meditated Thought,
(To me upon a sudden, being brought)
I took in, as they came; and what they were
Oft knew not, till in Words, they did appear:
Which having signifi'd, you may thereby
Guess, what to judge of them, as well, as I;

And, whether, that should not your hearts incline
To think, there's somewhat in them more then Mine.

Last Year, I sent a FLASH, which is let pass,
Unheeded, as a Thing that never was:
Now follows the Report, or Clap of Thunder,
Which have been seen and heard, thus far asunder,
To give the longer Warning; for the SHOT
And THUNDER-BOLTS, (if Grace prevent them not)
Will next year fly among you: GOD amend us,
And, then, I am assur'd, He will defend us.

Your Servant and Remembrancer, GEORGE WITHER.

University of Virginia Library

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