another word to write Or tell you what I purpose to indite Or thinke out halfe a thought before my death But by the leaue of him that gaue me breath I haue no natiue goodnesse in my soul But I was ouer all corrupt and foul And till another cleans'd me I had nought That was not stain'd within me not a thought I haue no propper merrit neither will Or to resolue or act but what is ill I haue no meanes of safety or content In ought which mine owne wisedome can inuent Nor haue I reason to be desperate tho Because for this a remedy I know I haue no portion in the world like this That I may breath that ayre which common is Nor haue I seene within this spacious Round What I haue worth my Ioy or sorrow found Except it hath for these that follow binn The Loue of my Redeemer and my sinn I none of those great Priuiledges haue Which make the Minions of the Time so braue I haue no sumpteous Pallaces or Bowers That ouertop my neighbours with their Towrs I haue no large Demeanes or Princely Rents Like those Heroes nor their discontents I haue no glories from mine Auncesters For want of reall worth to bragg of theirs Nor haue I basenes in my pedigree For it is noble though obscure it be I haue no gold those honours to obtaine Which men might heretofore by Vertue gaine Nor haue I witt if wealth were giuen me To thinke bought Place or Title honour'd me I yet haue no beliefe that they are wise Who for base ends can basely temporise Or that it will at length be ill for me That I liu'd poore to keepe my Spirit free I haue no Causes in our Pleading Courts Nor start I at our Chancery Reports No fearefull Bill hath yet affrighted me No Motion Order Iudgement or Decree Nor haue I forced beene to tedious Iourneys Betwixt my Counsellors and my Attorneys â—e no neede of those long-gowned warriers Who play at Westminster vnarm'd at Barriers Nor gamster for those Common-pleas am I Whose sport is marred by the Chancery I haue no iuggling hand no double tongue Nor any minde to take or doe a wrong I haue no shifts or cunning fleights on which I feed my selfe with hope of being rich Nor haue I one of these to make me poore Hounds Humors running horses Haukes or VVhore I haue no pleasure in acquaintance where The Rules of State and Ceremony are Obseru'd so seriously that I must dance And act o're all the Complements of France And Spaine and Italy before I can Be taken for a well bred Englishman And euery time we meet be forc't agen To put in action that most idle Sceane Mong these much precious time vnto my cost And much true-hearty meaning haue I lost VVhich hauing found I doe resolue therefore To lose my Time and Friendship so no more I haue no Complements but what may show That I doe manners and good breeding know For much I hate the forced Apish tricks Of those our home-disdaining Politicks VVho to the Forraine guise are so affected That English Honesty is quite reiected And in the stead thereof they fuâ—isht home VVith shaddowes of Humanity doe come Oh! how iudicious in their owne esteeme And how compleatly Trauelled they seeme If in the place of reall kindnesses VVhich Nature could haue taught them to expresse They can with gestures lookes and â—guage sweet Fawne like a Curtezan on all they meet And vie in humble and kind speaches when They doe most proudly and most falsely meane On this too many falsely set their face Of Courtship and of wisedome but t is base For seruile vnto me it doth appeare When we descend to sooth and flatter where We want affection yea I hate it more Then to be borne a slaue or to be poore I haue no pleasure or delight in ought That by dissembling must to passe be brought If I dislike I 'ld sooner tell them so Then hide my face beneath a friendly show For he who to be iust hath an intent Needs nor dissemble nor a lye inuent I rather wish to faile with honesty Then to pâ—euaile in ought by treachery And with this minde I 'le safer sleepe then all Our Machauillian Pollititians shall I haue no Minde to flâ—tter though I might Be made some Lords companion or a Knight Not shall my Verse for me on begging goe Though I might starue vnlesse it did doe so I haue no Muses that will serue the turne At euery Triumph and reioyce or mourne Vpon a minutes warning for their hire If with old Sherry they themselues inspire I am not of a temper like to those That can prouide an houres sad talke in Prose For any Funerall and then goe Dine And choke my griefe with Sugar-plums and Wine I cannot at the Claret sic and laugh And then halfe tipsie write an Epitaph Or howle an Epicoedium for each Groome That is by Fraud or Nigardize become A wealthy Alderman Nor for each Gull That hath acquir'd the stile of Worshipfull I cannot for reward adorne the Hearse Of some old rotten Miser with my Verse Nor like the Poetasters of the Time Goe howle a dolefull Elegie in Ryme For euery Lord or Ladiship that dyes And then perplex their Heires to Patronize That muddy Poesie Oh! how I scorne Those Raptures which are free and nobly borne Should Fidler-like for entertainment scrape At strangers windowes and goe play the Ape In counterfeiting Passion when there 's none Or in good earnest foolishly bemâ—ane In hope of cursed bounty their iust death Who liuing merrit not a minutes breath To keepe their Fame aliue vnles to blow Some Trumpet which their blacke disgrace may show I cannot for my life my Pen compell Vpon the praise of any man to dwell Vnlesse I know or thinke at least his worth To be the same which I haue blazed forth Had I some honest Suite the gaine of which Would make me noble eminent and rich And that to compasse it no meanes there were Vnlesse I basely flatter'd some great Peere Would with that Suite my ruine I might get If on those termes I would endeauour it I haue not bin to their condition borne Who are inclined to respect and scorne As men in their estates doe rise or fall Or rich or poore I Uertue loue in all And where I finde it not I doe despise To fawne on them how high so e're they rise For where proud Greatnesse without worth I see Old Mordecay had not a stiffer knee I cannot giue a Plaudit I protest When as his Lordship thinkes he breakes aieast Vnles it moue me neither can I grin When he a causeles laughter doth begin I cannot sweare him truely honourable Because he once receiu'd me to his table And talk't as if the Mases glad might be That he vouchsased such a grace to me His slender worth I could not blaze on so By strange Hyporboles as some would do Or wonder at it as if none had
And with what mighty burthâ—ns of vnrest Their poore distemperd soules will be opprest How much they will repent I doe foresee How much confused and asham'd they 'l be And as I praise their doome eu'n so I pray Their shame and sorrow worke their comfort may I want not much experiment to show That all is good God pleaseth to bestow What shape soeuer he doth maske it in For all my former cares my ioyes haue bin And I haue trust that all my woes to come Will bring my Soule eternall comforts home I doe not finde within me other feares Then what to men of all degrres appeares I haue a conscience that is cleane within For though I guilty am of many a sinne A kinde redeemer I haue found and he His Righteousnes imputeth vnto me The Greatest haue no Greatnes more then I In bearing out a Want or Misery I can aswell to passion set a bound I brooke aswell the smarting of a wound Aswell endure I to be hunger-bit Aswell can wrestle with an ague-fit My eyes can wake as long as their I 'me sure And as much cold or heat I can endure Yea let my dearest friends excused be From heaping scorne or iniuries on me Come all the world and I my heart can make To brooke as much before it shrinke or breake As theirs that doe the noblest Titles were And slight as much their frown that might'st are For if in me at any time appeare A bashfulnes which some mistitle feare It is in doubt least I through folly may Some things vnfitting me or doe or say But not that I am fearefull to be shent For dread of Men or feare of punishment And yet no faults I want nor want in me Affections which in other men there be Asmuch I hate an inciuility Asmuch am taken with a Courtesie Asmuch abhorr I brutish Vanities Asmuch allow I Christian Liberties Assoone an iniury I can perceiue And with as free a heart I can forgiue My hand in Anger I as well can stay And I dare strike as stout a man as they And when I know that I amisse haue done I am as much asham'd as any one If my afflictions more then others be I haue more comforts to keepe heart in me I haue a Faith will carry me on high Vntill it lift me to Eternity I haue a Hope that neither want nor spight Nor grim Aduersity shall stop this flight But that vndaunted I my course shall hold Though twenty thousand Deuils crosse me should Yet I confesse in this my Pilgrimage I like some Infant am of tender age For as the Childe who from his Father hath Strai'd in some Groue through many a crooked path Is sometime hopefull that he findes the way And sometime doubtfull he runs more astray Sometime with faire and easie paths doth meet Sometime with rougher tracts that stay his feet Here runnes there goes and you amazed stayes Now cryes and straight for gets his care and playes Then hearing where his louing Father calls Makes haste but through a zeale il-guided fallâ— Or runnes some other way Vntill that He Who 's loue is more then his endeauours be To seeke this Wanderer foorth himselfe doth come And take him in his armes and beare him home So in this Life this Groue of ignorance As to my homeward I my selfe aduance Sometime aright and sometime wrong I goe Sometime my pace is speedy sometime slow Sometime I stagger and sometime I fall Sometime I sing sometime for helpe I call One while my wayes are pleasant vnto me Another while as full of Cares they be Now I haue Courage and doe nothing feare Anon my Spirits halfe deiected are I doubt and hope and doubt and hope againe And many a change of Passions I sustaine In this my Iourney So that now and then I lost may seeme perhaps to other men Yea to my selfe a while when sinnes impure Doe my Redeemers loue from me obscure But whatsoe're betide I know full well My Father who aboue the Cloudes doe dwell An eye vpon his wandring Childe doth cast And He will fetch me to my home at last For of Gods loue a Witnesse want not I And whom He loues He loues eternally I haue within my breast a little Heart Which seemes to be composed of a part Of all my Friends For truly whensoe're They suffer any thing I feele it there And they no sooner a Complaint doe make But presently it falls to pant and ake I haue a Loue that is as strong as Fate And such as cannot be impair'd by Hate And whatsoeuer the successe may proue I want not yet the comforts of my Loue. These are the Iewels that doe make me rich These while I doe possesse I want not much And I so happy am that still I beare These Riches with me and so safe they are Thâ—t Pyrats Robbers no deuice of man Or Tyrants powre depriue me of them can And were I naked forced to exile More Treasure I should carry from this Ile Then should be sold though for it I might gaine The wealth of all America and Spaine For this makes sweet my life and when I dye Will bring the sleepe of Deaâ—h on quietly Yea such as greatest pompe in life time haue Shall finde no warmer lodging in their Graue Besides I want not many things they need Who Me in outward Fortunes doe exceed I want no Guard or Coate of Musket proofe My Innocence is guardian strong enough I want no Title for to be the Sonne Of the Almighty is a glorious one I want no Followers for through Faith I see A troup of Angels still attending me Through want of Friendship need I not repine For God and Goodmen are still friends of mine And when I iourney to the North the East The pleasant South or to the fertile West I cannot want for profferd Courtesies As farre as our Great-Britaines Empire lies In euery Shire and Corner of the Land To welcome me doe Houses open stand Of best esteeme And Strangers to my face Haue thought me worth the Feasting more gracâ— Then I will boast of lest you may suspect That I those glories which I scorne affect Of my acquaintance were a thousand glad And sought it though not wealth nor Place I had For their aduantage And if some more high Who on the multitudes of friends relye Had but a Fortune equall vnto me Their troupe of Followers would as slender be And those mong whom they now esteeme haue woâ— Would scarsely thinke them worth the looking on I want no Office for though none be voyde A Christian findes he may be still employd I want no Pleasures for I pleasures make What euer God is pleasd I vndertake Companions want I not For know that I Am one of that renown'd Societie Which by the Name we carry first was knowne At Antioch so many yeares agone And greatest Kings themselues haue happy thought Thoâ—â—o this noble Order they were brought I want not Armes to sit
me for the Field My Prayers are my Sword my Faith my Shield By which how ere you prize them I haue got Vnwounded â—horow twenty thousand Shot And with these Armes I Heauen thinke to skale Though Hell the Ditch were more high the Wall A thousand other Priuiledges more I doe possesse in which the world is poore Yea I so long could reckon you would grant That though I nothing haue I nothing want And did the King but know how rich I were I durst to pawne my Fortunes he would sweare That were he not the King I had beene Hee Whom he of all men would haue wisht to be Nec Curo THen to vouchsafe me yet more fauour here He that supplies my Want hath tooke my Care And when to barre me ought he sees it fit He doth infuse a Minde to sleight at it Why if He all thinges needfull doth bestow Should I for what I haue not carefull grow Low place I keepe yet to a Greatnesse borne Which doth the Worlds affected Greatnesse scorne I doe disdaine her glories and contemne Those muddy spirits that deligâ—t in them I care for no mans Countenance or grace Vnlesse he be as good as great in place For no mans spight or enuie doe I care For none haue spight at me that honest are I care not for that baser wealth in which Vice may become as well as Vertue rich I care not for their friendship who haue spent Loues best expressions in meere Complement Nor for those Fauors though a Queenes they were In which I thought another had a share I care not for their Prayse who doe not show That in their liues which they in words allow A rush I care not who condemneth me That sees not what my Soules intentions bee I care not though to all men knowne it were Both whom I loue or hate For none I feare I care not though some Couâ—tiers still preferre The Parasite and smooth-tongu'd Flatterer Before my bold truth speaking Lines And here If these should anger them I doe not care I care not for that goodly Precious Stone Which Chymists haue so fondly dored on Nor would I giue a rotâ—en Chip that I Were of the Rosie-Crosse Fraternity For I the world too well haue vnderstood As to be gall'd with such a Brother-hood I care for no more knowledge then to know What I to God and to my Neighbour owe. For outward Beauties I doe nothing care So I within my faire to God appeare No other liberty I care to winne But to be wholy free-ed from my sinne Nor more Abilitie whilst I haue breath Then strength to beare my Crosses to my death Nor can the Earth affoord a happinesse That shall be greater then this Carelesnesse For such a Life I soone should Careles grow In which I had not leasure more to know Nor care I in a knowledge paines to take Which doth not those who get it wiser make Nor for that Wisdome doe I greatly care Which would not make me somewhat honester Nor for that morall Honestie that shall Refuse to ioyne Religion therewithall Nor for that zealous seeming Piety Which wanteth loue and morrall Honesty Nor for their Loues whose base affections be More for their lust then for ought good in me Nor for ought good within me should I care But that they sprincklings of Gods goodnesse are For many Bookes I care not and my store Might now suffice me though I had no more Then Gods two Testaments and therewithall That mighty Uolume which the World we call For these well lookt on well in mind preseru'd The present Ages passages obseru'd My priuate Actions seriously oreview'd My thoughts recald and what of them ensu'd Are Bookes which better farre instruct me can Then all the other Paper-workes of Man And some of These I may be reading to Where e're I come or whatsoe're I do I care not though a sight of Idle Guls With lauish tongues and euer-empty skulls Doe let my better temperd Labours lye And since I Termely make not Pamphlets flie Say I am Idle and doe nothing now As if that I were bound to let Them know What I were doing Or to cast away My breath and Studies on such fooles as They. I much disdaine it For these Blockes be Those That vse to read my Verse like ragged Prose And such as so their Bookes be new ne're care Of what esteeme nor of what vse they are I care not though a vaine and spungy crew Of shallow Critickes in each Tauerne spew Their drunken censures on my Poesie Vntill among their Cupps they sprawling lye These poore betattered Rimers now and then With Wine and Impudence inspired can Some fustian language vtter which doth seeme Among their base admirers worth esteeme But those base Iuie-Poets neuer knew Which way a sprightly honest Rapture flew Nor can they relish any straine of wit But what was in some drunken fury writ Those needy Poetasters to preferr Their nasty stuffe to some dull Stationer With Impudence extoll it and will tell him The very Title of their booke shall sell him As many thousands of them wholly told As euer of my Satyrs haue been sold Yet e're a tweluemoneth by the walls it lies Or to the Kitchin or the Pastry hies Sometime that these mens Rymes may heeded be They giue forsooth a secret Ierke at me But so obscurely that no man may know Who there was meant vntill they tell them so For fearing me They dare not to be plaine And yet my vengeance they suspect in vaine For I can keepe my way and carelesse be Though twenty snarling Curres doe barke at me And while my Fame those fooles doe murmur at And vex themselues with laughing I am fat I am not much inquisitiue to know For what braue Action our last Fleet did go What men abroad performe or what at home Who shall be Emperour or Pope of Rome What newes from France or Spaine or Turkey are Whether of Merchandize of Peace or Warre Whether Mogul the Sophy Prester-Iohn The Duke of China or the I le Iaphan The mightier be for things impertinent To my particular or my Content I little heede though much thereof I know Nor care I whether it be true or no. Not for because I carelesse am become Of the neglected State of Christendome But cause I am assur'd what euer shall Vnto the Church or Common-wealth befall Through Sathans spight or humane Trechery Or our relying on weake Policy Gods promise to his glory shall preuaile Yea when the fond attempts of men doe fayle And they lye smoaking in thâ—infernall Pit Then Truth and Vertue shall in Glory sit Those who in loue to things that wicked are And those who through Cowardize and feare Became the damned Instruments whereby To set vp Vice and falsehoods Tyranny Eu'n those shall perish by their owne offence And they who loued Truth and Innocence Out of oppression shall aduance their head And on the ruinâ—s of those Tyrants tread Oh! let