Miscellaneous works of George Wither

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 fed)
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 month to month, 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 strength
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.
I 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
Into 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.

University of Virginia Library

To that Member of Parlament, who takes up this Paper, with the Petitions inclosed.

The Verses are these:

A Postscript to the Preceding Verses.