 | Miscellaneous works of George Wither |  |
47
A Postscript to Mr. R. Hamon, Merchant.
SIR,
That
Letter, which to you I lately sent,
On second Rupture of this Parliament,
I am inform'd, by some, this censure had,
That, doubtless, when I wrote it, I was mad:
(As I, perhaps, might have been long ago,
Had, I their wit, whom troubles maketh so.)
They know not what it aimes at, I hear say;
But, were they not more mad than I, they may:
For, from the whole Contents, they may collect
What, of their hopes, will be the sad effect;
And, draw forth also from it, this Conclusion,
That, they, and I, and all are in confusion;
That, neither Army, Parliament, or King,
Or any other sub-celestial thing,
Can have a self-sufficiency to cure
Our present Ruptures, and distemperature,
As we are now distemper'd; till a Pow'r
Therewith concur, transcending their, and our:
Till Righteousness with Mercy is inthron'd;
Till selfness, and self-ends are more disown'd:
Till ev'ry single person shall apart
Reform his Will, his Actions, Words, and Heart;
Or, so endeavours it, that one by one,
We, may do that, which yet by none is done,
Untill to Numbers, Vnites do encrease,
And make at last, those Numbers numberless.
On second Rupture of this Parliament,
I am inform'd, by some, this censure had,
That, doubtless, when I wrote it, I was mad:
(As I, perhaps, might have been long ago,
Had, I their wit, whom troubles maketh so.)
They know not what it aimes at, I hear say;
But, were they not more mad than I, they may:
For, from the whole Contents, they may collect
What, of their hopes, will be the sad effect;
And, draw forth also from it, this Conclusion,
That, they, and I, and all are in confusion;
That, neither Army, Parliament, or King,
Or any other sub-celestial thing,
Can have a self-sufficiency to cure
Our present Ruptures, and distemperature,
As we are now distemper'd; till a Pow'r
Therewith concur, transcending their, and our:
Till Righteousness with Mercy is inthron'd;
Till selfness, and self-ends are more disown'd:
Till ev'ry single person shall apart
Reform his Will, his Actions, Words, and Heart;
48
We, may do that, which yet by none is done,
Untill to Numbers, Vnites do encrease,
And make at last, those Numbers numberless.
Such Ends, as these, I aim'd at; and perchance,
If they, had more Wit and less Ignorance,
Who censur'd me, their prudence had discern'd
My purpose, or more soberness had learn'd,
Or, peradventure, they had understood,
That, should I then have written in a mood
More absolute, of things concerning those
Who were of diff'ring Judgements, friends, and, foes,
It might have added fewel, to encrease
Those flamings, which did then infringe our peace;
And wholly have made void that honest end
Which, I did in simplicity intend.
For, had I magisterially exprest
What I dislik'd, or own'd, or judged best
To be resolv'd on; I should have appear'd
A Party, and by neither side been heard
Without suspect, that I would have acquir'd,
Not what was best, but, what I most desir'd.
If they, had more Wit and less Ignorance,
Who censur'd me, their prudence had discern'd
My purpose, or more soberness had learn'd,
Or, peradventure, they had understood,
That, should I then have written in a mood
More absolute, of things concerning those
Who were of diff'ring Judgements, friends, and, foes,
It might have added fewel, to encrease
Those flamings, which did then infringe our peace;
And wholly have made void that honest end
Which, I did in simplicity intend.
For, had I magisterially exprest
What I dislik'd, or own'd, or judged best
To be resolv'd on; I should have appear'd
A Party, and by neither side been heard
Without suspect, that I would have acquir'd,
Not what was best, but, what I most desir'd.
Much, therefore, positively to declare
I purpos'd not; but somewhat to prepare
All Parties, without frowardness of heart
To weigh those things, which joyntly, or apart,
Would most concern them; and, then, make that use,
Which an Atonement soonest might produce.
I purpos'd not; but somewhat to prepare
All Parties, without frowardness of heart
To weigh those things, which joyntly, or apart,
Would most concern them; and, then, make that use,
Which an Atonement soonest might produce.
I, somewhat further, might Apologize;
But, this, on my behalf, may well suffice,
Who, more for others sakes, than for mine own,
These words and Lines, have thus together thrown.
But, this, on my behalf, may well suffice,
Who, more for others sakes, than for mine own,
These words and Lines, have thus together thrown.
| Miscellaneous works of George Wither | |