 | Miscellaneous works of George Wither |  |
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Another Meditation in Newgate, somewhat alluding to this old verse in Seneca, Nunquam non Potest, esse Virtuti locus. Which implies, that no Place, or Time can disadvantage an Honest-man.
There's diff'rence in the self same Times and Places,
As GOD conferreth, or withdraws his Graces;
Or, as our Cause is; or, as we shall find
Our hearts, to be ought more or less inclin'd,
To bring the Flesh into a due subjection,
Unto the Spirits Dictates and direction.
For, this Place, I perceive to be the same
To me, which I unto my self, now am,
And, not that, which it is to most of them
Who are with me confined at this time.
My Burthens (though as great) are made more light,
Then theirs are unto them; The day or night,
Are no whit tedious; nor unpleasing make
My sleep, nor Cares renew, when I awake:
But, I as well contented am become,
In all respects, as ev'r I was at home;
Although, as well by my Intelligence,
I, my Afflictions feel, as by my Sense:
For, ev'n those things, which in themselves are bitter,
To cure Distempers, prove not onely fitter,
But sweeter too, then that which in times past
Was more desir'd, and did most please my taste.
The want of sleep here, and of such like things
As else where, and at other Seasons, brings
Pain to the Flesh, and to the Soul vexations,
Are eithet made to me sweet Recreations,
Or give Instruction, in another mode,
And more effectually, then things abroad.
As GOD conferreth, or withdraws his Graces;
Or, as our Cause is; or, as we shall find
Our hearts, to be ought more or less inclin'd,
To bring the Flesh into a due subjection,
Unto the Spirits Dictates and direction.
For, this Place, I perceive to be the same
To me, which I unto my self, now am,
And, not that, which it is to most of them
Who are with me confined at this time.
My Burthens (though as great) are made more light,
Then theirs are unto them; The day or night,
Are no whit tedious; nor unpleasing make
My sleep, nor Cares renew, when I awake:
But, I as well contented am become,
In all respects, as ev'r I was at home;
Although, as well by my Intelligence,
I, my Afflictions feel, as by my Sense:
For, ev'n those things, which in themselves are bitter,
To cure Distempers, prove not onely fitter,
But sweeter too, then that which in times past
Was more desir'd, and did most please my taste.
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As else where, and at other Seasons, brings
Pain to the Flesh, and to the Soul vexations,
Are eithet made to me sweet Recreations,
Or give Instruction, in another mode,
And more effectually, then things abroad.
Last night, as in my Bed I musing lay
How Time and Life, and all things pass away;
How needlesly our selves we vex and pother,
Destroy, afflict, and persecute each other;
What cost, and pains, and time, we spend to build
That, which will in a little while be spoil'd;
And, how, the quiet of our lives we trouble
About our structures of wood, straw and stubble;
Which, when our several Fiery Tryals come,
Will into smoke and Ashes, quite consume;
It made me take into consideration
What I had Built, and upon what Foundation,
That, I my self, might therein be secure
Although my Works, the flame should not endure.
And, thereof, having an assurance got
The loss of all my Works disturb me not:
For, I, a thousand times more pleas'd am grown
With his on whom I Build, then with mine own.
How Time and Life, and all things pass away;
How needlesly our selves we vex and pother,
Destroy, afflict, and persecute each other;
What cost, and pains, and time, we spend to build
That, which will in a little while be spoil'd;
And, how, the quiet of our lives we trouble
About our structures of wood, straw and stubble;
Which, when our several Fiery Tryals come,
Will into smoke and Ashes, quite consume;
It made me take into consideration
What I had Built, and upon what Foundation,
That, I my self, might therein be secure
Although my Works, the flame should not endure.
And, thereof, having an assurance got
The loss of all my Works disturb me not:
For, I, a thousand times more pleas'd am grown
With his on whom I Build, then with mine own.
My Soul then, (which in her complantings,
Flies like an Eagle mounted on her wings
Through wayes, which to no othet can appear)
To various Objects, scatter'd here and there,
Her Flights directing; at the last descri'd
That Flame, whereby the works of men are try'd;
To which, mine Eye of Contemplation turning,
To see each single humane structure burning,
It was to me, a much more pleasing sight
Then Bon-fires on a Solemn Day at night
When young and old men round them in a Ring
Do sit and hear a Fidler play and sing;
And, 'mongst all things, which to the Fire then yielded,
The Paper works which have been lately builded
Did make the greatest Blaze; and to mine eyes
Appear'd to be the best Burnt-sacrifice
That had been off'red in this Age by men,
By, at the least, nine and a half in ten;
Because, they have a prime occasion been
Both of our present Plagues, and of much Sin:
And, griev'd I was not, that, some of mine own
Must into that refining fire be thrown,
For, though that useful they might be some way,
Much of them, have (I fear) too much alay.
Flies like an Eagle mounted on her wings
Through wayes, which to no othet can appear)
To various Objects, scatter'd here and there,
Her Flights directing; at the last descri'd
That Flame, whereby the works of men are try'd;
To which, mine Eye of Contemplation turning,
To see each single humane structure burning,
It was to me, a much more pleasing sight
Then Bon-fires on a Solemn Day at night
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Do sit and hear a Fidler play and sing;
And, 'mongst all things, which to the Fire then yielded,
The Paper works which have been lately builded
Did make the greatest Blaze; and to mine eyes
Appear'd to be the best Burnt-sacrifice
That had been off'red in this Age by men,
By, at the least, nine and a half in ten;
Because, they have a prime occasion been
Both of our present Plagues, and of much Sin:
And, griev'd I was not, that, some of mine own
Must into that refining fire be thrown,
For, though that useful they might be some way,
Much of them, have (I fear) too much alay.
There are among our Papers-Edifices,
Some useful, sanctifi'd, and harmless Peeces
Which may be helpful to preserve those Notions
Whereby, our Faith, our manners and Devotions
May be improved, and likewise to clear
The Lanthorn, which the saving Light doth bear,
From those bedaubings, which the Foggs of Time,
And mists of Ignorance, have made so dim,
That, many things, it very dubious makes
And doth occasion manifold mistakes:
But, they are buried so in heaps of trash,
So choakt, with intermixed Balderdash,
And, so supprest by them who hate the Light,
(Or, persecute the Authors with despight)
That, they are but like here and there a spark,
Which lies at Bopeep, twinckling in the dark;
And, would be quite quencht, if not oft reviv'd.
By him, from whom, they were at first deriv'd.
Yet (like the Fire which in a Wat'ry-Pit,
Was hid) although such sparks be clouded, yet
They will break forth; and kindled by the blast
Of GOD's out-breathings, raise a flame at last,
That shall quite burn up, those huge Piles of vain
And Pestilent contrivements of the Brain.
Some useful, sanctifi'd, and harmless Peeces
Which may be helpful to preserve those Notions
Whereby, our Faith, our manners and Devotions
May be improved, and likewise to clear
The Lanthorn, which the saving Light doth bear,
From those bedaubings, which the Foggs of Time,
And mists of Ignorance, have made so dim,
That, many things, it very dubious makes
And doth occasion manifold mistakes:
But, they are buried so in heaps of trash,
So choakt, with intermixed Balderdash,
And, so supprest by them who hate the Light,
(Or, persecute the Authors with despight)
That, they are but like here and there a spark,
Which lies at Bopeep, twinckling in the dark;
And, would be quite quencht, if not oft reviv'd.
By him, from whom, they were at first deriv'd.
Yet (like the Fire which in a Wat'ry-Pit,
Was hid) although such sparks be clouded, yet
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Of GOD's out-breathings, raise a flame at last,
That shall quite burn up, those huge Piles of vain
And Pestilent contrivements of the Brain.
For, they are, and have long time, been the Tinder
Of Pride and Lust, and Discord. They, do hinder
The Publick Peace; The growth of Truth and Love
They do obstruct; All wickedness promove,
And all Prophaness; Ignoranee they cherish,
Destructive Animosites they nourish:
Yea, have so fill'd the world with Books of lies,
Patcht up with forged probabilities,
That, 'tis impossible the Time succeeding
Should know the Truth of any thing by reading,
Without a more then common Intellect
Or, some Divine Assistance to direct.
For, they have put on most things, such disguises,
That, Vertues, hardly can be known from Vices,
Or Truths from Heresies, or wit from folly,
Or things prophane discern'd from what is holy;
Nor cheating Sophistries, from soundest Reason,
Nor Right from wrong, nor Loyalty from Treason;
Nor Reprobates from Saints; nor Saints from Devils,
Nor saving Doctrines from destroying Evils,
Except some help which hath vouchsafed been
From GGD, shall much improve the Light within.
Of Pride and Lust, and Discord. They, do hinder
The Publick Peace; The growth of Truth and Love
They do obstruct; All wickedness promove,
And all Prophaness; Ignoranee they cherish,
Destructive Animosites they nourish:
Yea, have so fill'd the world with Books of lies,
Patcht up with forged probabilities,
That, 'tis impossible the Time succeeding
Should know the Truth of any thing by reading,
Without a more then common Intellect
Or, some Divine Assistance to direct.
For, they have put on most things, such disguises,
That, Vertues, hardly can be known from Vices,
Or Truths from Heresies, or wit from folly,
Or things prophane discern'd from what is holy;
Nor cheating Sophistries, from soundest Reason,
Nor Right from wrong, nor Loyalty from Treason;
Nor Reprobates from Saints; nor Saints from Devils,
Nor saving Doctrines from destroying Evils,
Except some help which hath vouchsafed been
From GGD, shall much improve the Light within.
This notwithstanding, pleased be to know,
(Although there is to them pronounc'd a Woe
By whom offences come) it fitting were
That, if an Evil be, it should appear:
And, (since GOD doth permit it for Probation
That good and evil in each Generation
Sholdu manifest it self) that by the Crimes
Of others, men Approv'd may know the Times,
We with a sanctified heart should heed them
And, to those ends improve them when we read them
For which they were permitted. Thus, from Acts
That evil are, the prudent man extracts
Good uses, as Physitians when it needs,
Extract good Physick out of poysonous Weeds.
(Although there is to them pronounc'd a Woe
By whom offences come) it fitting were
That, if an Evil be, it should appear:
And, (since GOD doth permit it for Probation
That good and evil in each Generation
Sholdu manifest it self) that by the Crimes
Of others, men Approv'd may know the Times,
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And, to those ends improve them when we read them
For which they were permitted. Thus, from Acts
That evil are, the prudent man extracts
Good uses, as Physitians when it needs,
Extract good Physick out of poysonous Weeds.
Thus far, my Muse before I was aware
Had rambled; But, Ile cast the Lure up, here.
Had rambled; But, Ile cast the Lure up, here.
These, & such thoughts as these, me waking kept
Whilst, many Dream'd of other things, and slept.
This, of the last nights Musings, portion was;
(Which, if you please, may for a Vision passe)
And, when the morning came, thus, into words
I put, as much as memory affords.
Whilst, many Dream'd of other things, and slept.
This, of the last nights Musings, portion was;
(Which, if you please, may for a Vision passe)
And, when the morning came, thus, into words
I put, as much as memory affords.
Newgate, the 27th. day of the 7. Moneth, 1661.
| Miscellaneous works of George Wither | |