Now I come to rubbe over my work, I finde five or six things like
faults, which would be mended or commended, I know not well which, nor
greatly care.
1. For _Levity_, read, _Lepidity_, ---- and that a very little, and that
very necessary, if not unavoydable.
_Misce stultitiam Consiliis brevem
--Dulce est desipere in loco._ Horat.
To speak to light heads with heavy words, were to break their necks: to
cloathe Summer matter, with Winter Rugge, would make the Reader sweat.
It is musick to me, to heare every Dity speak its spirit in its apt
tune: every breast, to sing its proper part, and every creature, to
expresse it self in its naturall note: should I heare a Mouse roare like
a Beare, a Cat lowgh like an Oxe, or a Horse whistle like a Red-breast,
it would scare ---- mee.
_The world's a well strung fidle, mans tongue the quill,
That fills the world with fumble for want of skill,
When things and words in tune and tone doe meet,
The universall song goes smooth and sweet._
2. For _audacity_, read, _veracity_, or _Verum Gallice non libenter
audis_. Mart. Flattery never doth well, but when it is whispered through
a paire of lisping teeth; Truth best, when it is spoken out, through a
paire of open lips. Ye make such a noyse there, with Drums and Trumpets,
that if I should not speak loud, ye could not hear me: Ye talke one to
another, with whole Culvering and Canon; give us leave to talk Squibs
and Pistoletto's charged with nothing but powder of Love and shot of
Reason: if you will cut such deep gashes in one anothers flesh, we must
sow them up with deep stitches, else ye may bleed to death: ye were
better let us, your tender Countrymen doe it, than forraine Surgeons,
who will handle you more cruelly, and take no other pay, but your Lives
and Lands.
---- ---- _Aspice vultus,
Ecce meos, utinamque oculos in pectore posses
Inserere: & patrias intus deprendere Curas._
(Ovid. Ph[oe]b.
_He that to tall men speakes, must lift up 's head,
And when h' hath done, must set it where he did:
He that to proud men talkes, must put on pride;
And when h' hath done, 'tis good to lay 't aside._
3. For, _Yes, but you speak at three thousand miles distance, which
every Coward dare doe_, read, _if my heart deceives me not, I would
speak thus, in the Presence Chamber or House of Commons_; hoping _Homer_
will speak a good word for me.
[Gr: Tharsaleos gar aner en pasin ameinon
Ergoisi.] ----
Omnibus in rebus potior vir fortis & audax
Sit licet hospes, & e longinquis venerit oris.
When Kings are lost, and Subjects cast away,
A faithfull heart should speak what tongue can say:
It skils not where this faithfull heart doth dwell,
His faithfull dealing should be taken well.
4. For, _affected termes_, read, _I hope not_ ---- If I affect termes,
it is my feeblenesse; friends that know me, thinke I doe not: I
confesse, I see I have here and there taken a few finish stitches, which
may haply please a few Velvet eares; but I cannot now well pull them
out, unlesse I should seame-rend all. It seemes it is in fashion with
you to sugar your papers with Carnation phrases, and spangle your
speeches with new quodled words. Ermins in Minifer is every mans Coat:
Yet we heare some are raking in old musty Charnel books, for old mouldy
monosyllables; I wish they were all banisht to _Monmouthshire_, to
returne when they had more wit.
_Multa renascentur quae jam cecidere, cadentque
Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula, si volet usus._
(Hor.
I honour them with my heart, that can expresse more than ordinary matter
in ordinary words: it is a pleasing eloquence; them more, that study
wisely and soberly to inhance their native language; them most of all,
that esteeme the late significant speech, the third great blessing of
the Land; it being so enriched, that a man may speak in many tongues in
his Mothers mouth; and an uplandish Rusticke, more in one word than
himselfe and all the Parish understands. Affected termes are unaffecting
things to solid hearers; yet I hold him prudent, that in these
fastidious times, will helpe disedged appetites with convenient
condiments, and bangled ears, with pretty quicke pluckes. I speake the
rather because, not long since, I met with a book, the best to mee I
ever saw, but the Bible; yet under favour, it was somewhat underclad,
especially by him who can both excogitate and expresse what hee
undertakes, as well as any man I know.
_The world is growne so fine in words and wit,
That pens must now Sir =Edward Nich'las= it.
He that much matter speaks, speaks ne'r a whit,
If 's tongue doth not career 't above his wit._
5. For, _You verse it simply, what need have we of your thin Poetry_;
read, _I confesse I wonder at it my self, that I should turne Poet_: I
can impute it to nothing, but to the flatuousnesse of our diet: they are
but sadden raptures soone up, soone downe.
--_Deductum dicere Carmen_, is highly commended by _Macrobius_.
_Virgil_ himselfe said, _Agrestem tenui meditabor arundine musam_.
_Poetry's a gift wherein but few excell;
He doth very ill, that doth not passing well.
But he doth passing well, that doth his best,
And he doth best, that passeth all the rest._
6. For _tediousnesse_, read, _I am sorry for it_ ---- Wee have a strong
weaknesse in N. E. that when wee are speaking, we know not how to
conclude: wee make many ends, before we make an end: the fault is in the
Climate; we cannot helpe it though we can, which is the Arch infirmity
in all morality: We are so near the West pole, that our Longitudes are
as long, as any wise man would wish, and somewhat longer. I scarce know
any Adage more gratefull, than _Grata brevitas_.
_Verba confer maxime ad compendium._ Plaut.
_Coblers will mend, but some will never mend,
But end, and end, and end, and never end.
A well-girt houre gives every man content,
Sixe ribs of beefe, are worth sixe weeks of Lent._
For, _all my other faults, which may bee more and greater than I see_,
read, _I am heartily sorry for them, before I know them, lest I should
forget it after_; and humbly crave pardon at adventure, having nothing
that I can think of, to plead but this,
_Quisquis inops peccat, minor est reus._ Petron.
_Poore Coblers well may fault it now and then,
They'r ever mending faults for other men.
And if I worke for nought, why is it said,
This bungling Cobler would be soundly paid?_
_So farewell England old
If evill times ensue,
Let good men come to us,
Wee'l welcome them to New.
And farewell Honor'd Friends,
If happy dayes ensue,
You'l have some Guests from hence,
Pray welcome us to you.
And farewell simple world,
If thou'lt thy Cranium mend,
There is my Last and All,
And a Shoem-Akers_
END.
Postscript.
_This honest Cobler has done what he might:
That Statesmen in their Shoes might walk upright.
But rotten Shoes of Spannish running-leather:
No Coblers skill, can stitch them strong together.
It were best to cast such rotten stuff away:
And look for that, that never will decay.
If all were shod with Gospel's lasting Peace;
Hatred abroad, and Wars at home would cease._
Jerome Bellamie.
_FINIS._