neither rich nor poor And mee within that Grace would comprehend Which he to some of those doth yet extend Who both by their Examples and Command First drew mee with his Opposites to stand And who if I mis-acted did thereby Contract ten times a greater guilt than I. But so the publick Peace advanc'd may be Hereby let what GOD will befall to mee To make their merits and demerits even They should love much to whom much is forgiven Yet some to whom he hath forgiven least May love as well as they who love him best And better too perhaps when they behold He executes that Justice which he should With constancy pursuing what more tends To publick Welfare than to serve his ends How these things may concern him he best knows Next GOD who will I hope his heart dispose To chuse the way proposed at this time And to pursue the same enable him Because unless at this time that probation For which GOD hath vouchsaf'd his Restoration Produceth what with those ends may accord For which he was by Providence restor'd He 'll turn the wheel which hath so oft gone round Till men according to his heart be found To rule his People to direct his Sheep To act his Will and their own Vows to keep Herein hath been much failing and I fear Ev'n for that Covenants breach which many jeer And impudently sleight GOD from this Land Will not remove his now correcting hand Till to a true repentance he shall bring For that sin People Parliament and King A Judgement at this present is begun Which will extend to all ere it be done Ev'n unto those who execute his doom On them on whom it is already come Yea signally in some respect or other To persons or estates to friend or brother If they whom it concerns do not amend What is mis-done wave what they mis-intend And hearken to GOD's Voice in this their day Of Tryal and as if they will they may For GOD though much provokt still giveth space 'Twixt ev'ry Judgement for preventing-grace And now to be a Cautional to him As his Corrections lately were to them Who reigned last this King shall see them scourg'd Who scourged him until their sins be purg'd God having cast his Predecessors out For their and also for our sins no doubt Them with an Iron Rod begins to strike To shew that sin he hates in all alike And make it known that he will no man spare Though one of his own Houshold he appear If he shall scandalously give offence In any kinde without true penitence A dreadful Judgement he hath brought on those Who made of Piety the fairest shows And they as traytors to their King are now By those pursued whom they did pursue As traytors to their Country and their Laws Yea their own Swords turn Foes unto their Cause And they who lately nor to friend nor foe But for by-ends would either Justice do Or Mercy show shall finde in their distress That others will to them be merciless They who were called Saints and may be such Although their failing hath been very much Seem now the chief mark of GOD's indignation And censur'd are as sons of Reprobation Because they often had fore-warned been Twice were cast out of grace and twice took in Are now depriv'd a third time of that pow'r Which they abus'd to their own harm and our They are expos'd to such extream disgraces Such hazards of their goods lands lives and places And to such scorns that never was there more Contempt cast upon any heretofore For they who as their Chiefs acknowledg'd them To their own shame their persons did contemn And far beyond all presidents revile Th' Authority they owned ev'n the while It was in being though they did in that Make as it were a Close-stool of their Hat Of all esteem they are now quite bereft And in so sad a plight have thousands left Who trusted them with ev'ry thing they had That their own selves alone they have not made Thereby contemptible to Foes and Friends Lost their estates their safeties and their ends And such confusions brought that few or none Are sure they shall not thereby be undone Or damnified but given cause likewise To this and times to come so to despise An English Parliament that if it get No better credit than it hath as yet It is in hazard to become a thing As much abhorred as the name of King Was once in Rome for their prevarications Their self-ends falshoods and dissimulations With King and People so destructive were And both to Round-head and to Cavalier As then distinguish'd that if there be any Few names are left whereof there be not many Undone or at least damnified either In credit or estate or both together And by those many thousands now undone That mischief so from man to man doth run That it infects three times as many more And may bring beggery to ev'ry door Besides those quarrels which it may beget Whose sad effects lye unperceived yet Some who had been most faithful to their side They much opprest whilst they were dignifi'd And often when they did pretend a course To cure their Grievances they made them worse Then what by such oppressed men from those Can lookt for be whom they pursu'd as foes But to be kickt out of the world or trod Into the dirt Except our gracious GOD Hath now brought home the King to be a friend To all men who did honestly intend And who though in some things they did amiss Sin'd not with malice or with wilfulness The Kings work will be now both to relieve And to correct as cause he shall perceive Without respect to persons or wrongs done Before a Reconcilement was begun Except so far forth onely in relieving In recompencing honouring or giving As he 's to those men who with him ingaged In charity and gratitude obliged Without destroying any in these Nations Who were submissive to GOD's Dispensations And who were mov'd to that which they have done By Conscience or by Ignorance alone Without malicious purpose or design Against a known Law Moral or Divine And therefore where respect is to be had To suff'rers and to satisfaction made The best expedient to prevent debates And ruining of many mens estates Will either be if we had such Trustees Who by this change life nor estates do leese And by confederating long together With publick spoils inriched one another Or may be proved guilty of a Cheat Which formerly did friend or foe defeat Of his estate or to the publick wrong More power assum'd than did to them belong To cause that they to whom these gave offence May out of their estates have recompence For why should great Revenues be injoy'd By them whose guilt hath guiltless men destroy'd Or rather since that many among these Were intermixt who their miscarriages Opposed to their power whom none knows how From persons guilty to distinguish now Why should not for the
Portended and attended in strange wise With Ominous Events and Prodigies VVe shall see Gown-men tread on Men of War High Courts of Justice called to the Bar Those of whom no man lately stood in dread Arraign the Living and condemn the Dead Make Martyrs Saints and Reprobates of those VVhose good or bad conditon no man knows And act such things as never yet were done VVithin this Clymate since the world begun Yet heed this you who with a sober mind Seek peace and are not factiously inclin'd And you whose principle is to repair VVhat is decay'd with no worse Tools than Prayer VVith Christian patience bear the Visitation VVhich is allotted to this Generation And know that as now Nature runs the race By her designed so shall also Grace Pursue her course to purge us in these fires For that perfection whereto Faith aspires Strive by renewing of your self-denials To bear with constancy your fiery trials Which must be undergone for they appear In shew more painful than in proof they are As their experience found who in times past Have into Babels Fornaces been cast When they were seven times heated and as wee May peradventure find ere long 't will be Be not afraid of your own sins for they On your repentance will be done away Nor be discouraged though your Foes at large Shall sum them up and lay unto your charge False imputations also for with ease Both Saints and Reprobates of whom they please The Vulgar make and if prophane men shall Be Judges betwixt David and King Saul The sins of David might be made appear As many and much greater than Sants were And He upon whose side GOD sentence gave Amongst most men the least esteem would have But GOD observ'd his heart purg'd what did slow From humane frailty as he purgeth now VVith sharp corrections the late crying crimes Of Saints prevaricating in these times Judgement in our days at GOD's house begins Who takes such notice of our many sins That since we would not mend when we were chidden He will no longer now let them be hidden Or go unpunish'd but we that each other Provok'd to sin shall punish one another Me blame not then if I touch here and there Those failings on all sides which causes were Of what we suffer for GOD will be known By doing Justice and we ought to own Our great Transgressions and not seek to hide Those Crimes for which he laies ev'n Kings aside As well as other men that all may know He giveth equal dooms to high and low Though therefore we sometimes a vail may cast O'er faulty Rulers whilst their pow'r doth last To keep them from contempt lest their disgrace May cause infringement of the Common Peace We must not counter-act what GOD will do When he reproves them and removes them too But suff'ring with them by commiseration As being worthy of like condemnation Give GOD the glory with our Pens and Breath For what 's intended by their shame or death A sickness which is Epidemical In some degree hath seized upon all And ease we cannot have till that hath wrought Which to procure a remedy is brought When Cures are to distempers first appli'd We must expect more torments to abide Than if we felt our Maladies alone Without a Medicine working thereupon Of our malignant humours to be eas'd To take some poys'nous Drugs we must be pleas'd For our Physician who doth truly know Their and our Natures hath prescribed so Diseases otherwhile need letting bloud Though with what is corrupt that which is good Seems also lost Gangrenes require sometimes To save the Whole by cutting off of Limbs Yea otherwhile a welfare doth redound In common when that suffers which is sound And once when sick to death the Body lay 'T was cur'd by taking of the Head away GOD who of evil things can make good uses And by what is unwholsome Health produces Vouchsafeth to make passage now and then To signal Blessings by the sins of men As when the sons of Jacob who inslaved Their Brother were thereby from Famine saved VVhich teacheth us to be contented still To let him act both when and how he will To search into our own corruptions nearly And not to censure any too severely Since unto every one it may be known That no mans fault so harms him as his own Let over bitter Censures be suspended VVhen you perceive a Brother hath offended By rashness or through frailty though in that VVhich to our Common Welfare doth relate Spare not the sin a jot but spare the man VVhoe'er as much as possibly you can Till some Concomitancies or th' Event Assures that malice was in his intent And though that may appear assume not then A pow'r to judge belonging not to men Because for ought you know God might bereave him Of counsel or unto himself then leave him For our Transgressions past and to let in A publick mercy by his private sin Thereby to humble us and make us know That all our Weal from his meer Grace doth flow And that the sins of others to our peace As helpful were as our own Righteousness In former times and causes it was so Th' Aegyptian Mid-wives Rahab Jael too Did things which in their nature sinful are Yet not alone by GOD made useful were To save his people but he also saith That ev'n those actions were products of Faith And in these times perhaps here have been such Whereon if I with modesty shall touch Let me be blameless for with good intent What GOD permits for our experiment I here will mention and to make it known That there is nothing meerly of our own Or which is in us either good or evil By Nature or suggestions of the Devil That stops or furthers ought which GOD will do Though our concurrence he requires thereto So far as with his VVill he us acquaints Or bounds by unresistable restraints For when we are enjoyn'd to that or this It is for our advantage not for his Of us requir'd yea though we bounded be By Precepts Rules or Laws so is not he As he himself shall please he can effect His Ends whatere we do or shall neglect And when against us any Foe prevails It is because we not because he fails In all our late contests 't is hard to say Whether our Vice or Vertues made best way To that Design whereby to pass were brought Those which our best Aschievements have been thoughts Or whether led'by Folly or sound Reason By Fraud or Force by Faithfulness or Treason We prospered most and 't is not yet agreed By all men who our prosecutions heed Whether that which befel us at the first Or at the last will prove the best or worst The Louse or Lion Black Doggs or the white Most mischievously either fawn or bite Which Party most needs pardon for their Sin Upon which side there hath most Traycors been Or whether their Deserts are worst or best Who shall
thereon For you will finde it a true Lydian-stone And if you bide the Touch WORDS are too poor To celebrate your Worth who can say more Your Majesties Loyal Subject GEO. WITHER In stead of a Dedication or an Epistle to the Reader this Expostulation of the Author with Himself is here inserted GEORGE were 't not fit ere from thy hands it pass To dress thy self by thy Considering-Glass It hath now six months been expos'd to show And some say Forth in publick let it go Some cry Conceal it for it may undo thee Or at the best bring outward mischief to thee Say shall or shall I not divulge the same Shall it be spar'd or given to the flame Quickly resolve before it bee too late And Cautions needful grow quite out of date Dost thou beleeve that many men will read it Or if they do that any much will heed it Except it be to seek how to abuse thee Or finde out somewhat whereof to accuse thee What ever thou shalt write Self-interest No more will entertain then shall consist With her own Principles Thou to the SOT Writ'st Greek the worldly-wise regard it not And if among Swine thou thy pearls dost cast They 'l tear thee or defile thee at the least Yet if thy Conscience doth incline thee to it More fear thou to neglect it than to do it For from thy Duties thou art not excus'd Although thy pains be sleighted and abus'd And it were better mischief should befall Unto one single person than to all He perishing with an ill Conscience too Because hee did not what hee ought to do To make this and transcribe it I confess Much pains requir'd not and the cost is less In Ink and Paper yet perhaps it may Be better worth than to be thrown away And though to my particular offence It may redound a tenfold Recompence It will repay thy Country by return And for thy self alone thou art not born My Country Why perhaps my Country-men Think they need not my service and what then Am I oblig'd if they be minded so To serve them still whether they will or no I fifty years have serv'd them in my turn To that end for which I think I was born For no reward but injuries and scorn They my Good Meanings have repay'd with ill And can it be expected I should still Serve them on such hard terms Then so I will Hast thou composed without fear or wit What may mens discontented humours fit Scribled enough since here the Scoene did alter To purchase Newgate or to win a Halter If so and that which is deserved follows That will perhaps attend thee to the Gallows There either rail upon thee or else say Thou wert a bold fool and so go their way And if thou writ'st but sober Truth and Reason Or that which wise men think to bee in season They will be all the world will give thee for 't Shee 'l say that Thou not worth the hanging art Not worth the hanging Hah that 's somewhat tho And may be worth as much for ought I know As to be made a Viscount or an Earl A Marquess or a Duke For great my Earthly Expectations are not And if they come to nothing much I care not I know which way to make mine honour greater Than that for which I must become a Debter To other men and can augment the same By that which some do think will do mee shame But hark in policy a while delay To publish this thou hast a Game to play For Prelates Lands which lately purchas'd were Thy Claims thereto now in great hazard are And thou wilt both to borrow and to pay Disabled bee if they bee took away Thy other Lands by Cheaters were bereft And if thou lose these too there 's nothing left Their Temp'ralties must be restor'd again And thou concerning them writ'st here such plain Such down-right Truths that if there should bee found Surviving or new made on English Ground A Bishop who will then thy cause befriend It may presage that all the rest will mend And that here constituted wee shall see Such Bishops as Saint Paul said they should bee Which our Scotch-Brethren I suppose will grant To bee within our Solemn Covenant But that is in great hazard therefore try Their Holiness and their Humility And if as may be wish'd thou shalt not speed Then with what thou intendest streight proceed Out Out Upon 't this Motion is so evil That 't is a meer suggestion of the Devil This is that foolish policy that brings Destruction upon Nations and their Kings 'T is in effect as if my heart should say Do as most Worldlings do and when that way Thou proved hast and thereby reap'st no good From thenceforth put thy trust alone in GOD. No no I bought those Lands without offending My Conscience or a wrong to them intending And either still mine by GOD's help I 'll make them Or let the Prelates if it must be take them Although I know them no Appurtenance To them belonging by GOD's Ordinance A Covenant within his sight I took Which though by some it sleighted be and broke I dare not sleight it so but to this hour Have kept it and will keep it to my pow'r Art thou then thus resolv'd Yes and till death Resolved am whilst I have Pen or Breath Thus to be still resolv'd unless GOD leaves mee Or else to change my mind his warrant gives mee I 'll trust GOD in the first place not the last Alone and when all other hopes are past If Prelates Parliaments and Kings bereave mee Of all I have Hee helpless will not leave mee But probable it seems that if hereby Imprisonment or extreme Poverty Befalls now thou art old that they who most Thy hazard urge will leave thee to be lost What if they do thou hast a better hold GOD leaveth no man because hee is old And never had hee firm Dependences On him that 's frighted with such Toyes as these Recall to mind that many years ago When such Adventures thou wert urg'd unto It fell out otherwise But there is yet Another fear Therefore consider it Thou hast Relations who to thee are dear May these not suffer more than they can bear By what may come Alas I 'll not dissemble My fears for them do make my flesh to tremble And when I minde their hazards and their fears ' Spight of Philosophy I let fall tears But why my Soul art thou dejected so My Heart why sad within mee dos◠〈◊〉 grow Still trust in GOD for hee will bee thâ—â—â— aid Of these vain Bug-bears be thou not afraid For they are GOD's much more than they are thine To him therefore the charge of them resign This needless care is but for Three at most And to the Father Son and Holy Ghost If thou commit them bee will raise up Friends To make for all their losses large amends But they have said and so do many
out And that cost may no longer be bestown On fruitless plants which he did never own Such is the Prelacy which did proceed From mixture both of good and evil seed As may declar'd by their Etraction be For this appears to be their Pedigree Not very long time ofter Noahs Flood When old Idolatries began to brood The forenam'd DRUIDES who from the Oak Which they much rev'renced their name first took In these Parts of the world usurp'd upon Mens Consciences as many since have done Ev'n in this Isle if that which may be read In old Records be true and being spread Into the neighb'ring Continent from hence In France next settling their chief residence Did there an uncontrouled power retain Until the days of Claudius Caesar's reign The Flamin-Prelacy which did begin Before that time then by degrees did win Pre-eminence and reverenced was Till Pontifical-Prelacy took place From that the papal prelacy deriv'd Their being and a Hierarchy contriv'd Accommodated with a Discipline From Gentiles Jews and Christians hetrogene For though compos'd of pieces patch'd together From all these taken it was like to neither For that the Christian worship might not seem To be inglorious in the worlds esteem Or rather that themselves advance they might Unto a princely and a pompous height In temporal enjoyments they took in Such Pageantries as had affected been By carnal Worshippers by alteration In some things and in some by imitation So by degrees they totally threw off That soberness and meekness with a scoff Which was in true sincerity profest Before the birth and reign of Antichrist The Spouse of CHRIST because she did appear In out-side poor though rich her Linings were With dis-respect they turned out of dore And in her stead trimm'd up a painted Whore So meer will-worship was set up at last And in the Throne of GOD an Idol plac'd From those the prelates came when these Nations Intended to reform their Innovations A carnal prudence dreaming that if they With their External pomp was took away Whereby some thought God's worship was adornd Religion and Devotion should be scorn'd The Prelacy upon that vain surmise Was here continu'd in a new Disguise Till that imposture was by Providence Made manifest and then it was from hence By GOD expel'd as both dishonourable To him and to his Church disserviceable To those intending no affront at all Whose Function simply is Episcopal But this Expulsion being for our sin Revers'd and Prelates now again brought in That and a Sacra-fames in Excess Not thirst and hunger after righteousness Hath so inrag'd them that they all devour Who fall within their new-restored pow'r With high contempt at last without regard Of what the KING hath graciously declar'd And those whom they of their Estates despoil With insolent upbraidings they revile As meriting nor livelihood nor place With them and as uncapable of Grace From GOD or men But cry are not these they Who lately took from Holy Church away Her Dowry spoil'd GOD'S Houses in the Land On sacred things laid sacrilegious hand And vilifide his Servants Thus they crow But they injurious are in doing so And have as much in their blasphemings fail'd On Hezekiah for GOD did not own Those Altars or High-places overthrown And then mis-called his nor owneth he For Bishops those who now so termed be Nor those impertinent Appurtenances Which Prelates please to term GOD'S Ordinances And though they should when they see Babel's fall Their dreadful howlings and their weepings call The Churches sighs and tears no whit availing To them would be their howling and bewailing And though some think this constitution brings Advantage to the Thrones of lawful Kings 'T will prove when thereinto they better look It strengthens them as Ivy doth an Oak And that of Men no one sort under Heaven Cause and Occasions have so often given Of private Quarrels Discords and Debates And Wars 'twixt Realms Nations Kings States The Shepherd therefore hopes this will by those Who can distinguish between Doves and Crows Consider'd be and manifest it then That greatest Clerks are not the wisest men Or that wise men through Avarice and Pride By wealth and honour may be led aside And though this hope should fail him in the main It will not altogether be in vain But for the present shall at least suffice To feed that part which upon Smoke relies Till with essential nourishment suppli'd By that which GOD hereafter will provide Yea though this charming should not prove so strong To fetch back that which doth to him belong Thenceforth content his Ewe and Lambs and he To live upon the Commons then will be However other hopes may have success His best hopes will be rather more then less For they are built on him who best can judge 'Twixt what is and what is not Sacrilege And if his Judges partially shall deal From them to that great Judge he will appeal Who cannot be deceiv'd But no distrust Hath he of their Uprightness who here must Be Judges in his Cause for they have seen What did befal them who unjust have been And hereby now though he be much pre-judg'd May know what on his part may be alleag'd That which is claim'd GOD will perhaps divide Betwixt both Parties when their Claims are tride For out of that which they erewhile possest The Prelates for their sins were justly cast The Shepherd was for his expelled too By him whose just doom he submits unto As therefore GOD shall please he is content To share in Mercy and in Chastisement Till he under that Heritage is brought Which at anothers cost for him was bought And whereto he vouchsafes him by his Grace A better Title in a better place If all be judg'd which he hath purchas'd here The Prelates due he 'll take his portion there For though it be a little while delaid 'T will prove the better share and be will paid This is the Shepherds Case and this the Course He means to take pray use him ne'er the worse For he had not exprest it in this mode But that the Cov'nant PRELATES to explode He conscientiously adheres unto And dares not slight the same as others do Because he can discern Truths from Delusions And knows their late Re-entries are Intrusions FINIS
be honour'd most or most disgrac'd For though we know what Causes men did own With what heart they did act them 't is unknown Prodigious Fruits in these times have been born Crabs on the Vine and Grapes upon the Thorn And Men and Causes whether good or bad Of Weal and Woe by turns like shares have had To teach that our late Changes have succeeded For some ends which ought better to be needed By one Irregularity we see That here in two months more progressions be In order to the Temporary peace VVhich most men are desirous to possess Then all our Pow'rs and Vertues Wit and Cost Had brought to pass in twenty years almost And we according to late promisings See creeping Motions toward some such things As are expected but they to and fro Forward and backward in their motion go So doubtfully that 't is as yet uncertain What resolutions are behind the Curtain As doubtful 't is whether more praise or blame To them belong who first contriv'd the same Whether the Consequence or that which first Thereto made pasage will prove best or worst And whether want of pre-conditioning VVill bring at length most damage to the King And his Old Party or else unto those VVho did his Entrance heretofore oppose For Acts unjust are oftwell carried on And many righteous things unjustly done Some things likewise there be resmebling Sand Which he that graspeth with an open hand May therewith lode his palm but if he gripe Too hard 't will all between his fingers slip Concerning that proceed which brought to pass The Change which lately here effected was Some scruplings have been made But on the Fact Or upon them who put the same in Act I 'll nothing peremptorily declare Though therein an Obliquity there were Because means fail'd me whereby to inspect Ought further than into the single Act That by the Circumstances I might see What Motives to their hearts propos'd might be What Spirit led them and what straits they past To that which was resolved on at last For in such Cases what they ought to do Wise men are oft to seek and good men too If they who were chief Instruments in that VVhich wrought the Change that we have seen of late Sought only and unfeignedly that end VVhereto all Trusts and Actions ought to tend And were but Circumstantially to blame In plotting or pursuing of the same Their fault if any is a Venial Crime For which there may be made another time Amends to Sufferers that perhaps may more Secure them than they were secur'd before Their Fault was but the errour of a man VVhich well the King may pardon for I can Because I know what ere they did intend GOD will have glory by it in the end And all these Nations future welfare too If they neglect not what is yet to do But they whose Trust these Trustees did abuse Them cannot peradventure so excuse And I beleeve more wise than heretofore Will henceforth never trust Good Fellow more Nor Peasant Peer Priest Prince or Parliament With that which may produce a Detriment To common Int'rest till by some condition To them secur'd they shall secure fruition Of such Concernments if once more they may Recover that which they did fool away But that 's impossible as things now stand And should GOD take the pow'r out of his hand Who grasps it now they who shall next injoy it No better peradventure would employ it Than others did GOd therefore keep us from Another Change until his Kingdome come Except a change of hearts and at this time Or his probation let his Grace in him Be so effectual that he may endeavour To settle here a righteous Throne for ever For ev'ry man that lives at first or last Before a Final Doom on him is past Hath in his life-time once at least an hour Wherein our gracious God vouchsafes him pow'r To ask and have and to elect that path Which leads to weal or woe to life or death Yea alwaies at such times GOD who first loves The soul of ev'ry humane-creature proves And those who then by giving him their heart Though with much failing do perform their part Hee will enable and assist them still By his preventing Grace to do his will For they as often as they go astray Shall either hear a VOICE within them say Or else behinde them Of that course beware Return or thou art lost thy way lyes there Which leads to safety Thus the Spirit preacheth And by means extraordinary teacheth Where common means fail and till men contemn His Holy Spirit God forsakes not them But afterward indeed although the same Hee sometime speaks 't is to encrease their shame Or others to instruct for then such Voices Are so drown'd by the Whisperings and Noises Of carnal things that all is spoke in vain Which to their weal or safety may pertain The King by such temptations and so many Beleagur'd seems as never were by any With constancy and without foil withstood Save by him who was GOD with Flesh and Blood For hee stands now expos'd to ev'ry evil Ev'n in the Front whereby World Flesh or Devil May him assault and with him 't will go hard Unless GOD sends him in an Angel-guard Which if it be his pleasure that he may My heart unfeignedly doth often pray And that at this time hee submit his will The mind of God sincerely to fulfil For I beleeve that as it did with Saul On his probation-day long since befall These Kingdomes will establish'd be to him As hee with GOD complyeth at this time Fair Opportunities this present day Are offer'd which if he let slip away Wee have but hitherto a course begun Whereby we may at last be more undone And though he should become ten times as strong In things which to a carnal strength belong It will to settle him prevail no more Than such pow'rs have prevailed heretofore Nor will it when most mighty he appears To others from his own heart keep out fears Of things not to be feared but at length Make him perhaps afraid of his own strength And that which by a Trifle hath been lost Will be recover'd with as little cost As when 't was won assoon as their despight Their sins and insolencies are at height Who shall by petulant exasperations Beyond the common patience of these Nations Abuse his Grace and turn their late success Into oppression pride and wantonness This seems by some endeavour'd having ends Repugnant unto what the King intends Who do proceed as if that for the nonce To make all Suff'rers desperate at once By gelding and delaying of the Grace For wihch the King spontaneously did pass His Royal Word And this may an Event Produce at last whereof some will repent When 't is too late since Mastives brook it worse To be o're-much provokt than Fawning Curs All vengeance doth to GOD alone belong But few remember this when they have wrong An English temper