The tired petitioner to his noble friends who are members of the honourable House of Commons Wither, George, 1588-1667. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A66789 of text R26390 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing W3200). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 15 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 4 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A66789 Wing W3200 ESTC R26390 09448184 ocm 09448184 43137 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66789) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 43137) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1321:6) The tired petitioner to his noble friends who are members of the honourable House of Commons Wither, George, 1588-1667. England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. 7 p. s.n., [London : 1648] Caption title. Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library. eng Wither, George, 1588-1667. A66789 R26390 (Wing W3200). civilwar no The tired petitioner, to his noble friends, who are Members of the honourable House of Commons. Wither, George 1648 2450 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 B The rate of 4 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-01 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-02 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2006-02 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The tired Petitioner , TO His noble Friends , who are Members of the honourable House of Commons . SIRS , if this Paper find you ( who , to me Are not so fully knowne , as you should be ) It comes to move , that , my Petitions may Obtaine your Answer without more delay ; Lest by Attendance ( as my Neighbours do ) With my Estate , I lose my Patience too . For , I have waited , and endur'd so long , That , no Result can doe me greater wrong Then lingring hopes ; And , were I quite undone , I , possibly , another course might run To be repair'd again , ere I obtaine That Benefit , which I , had hope to gaine : Or , els , might find some other likely way To fit me for the part I have to play . Some say my Friends are moe then I do know : And , I am hopefull that it may be so ; For , if kind language , and much complement Are signes thereof ; nor Christendome , nor Kent Knowes any man who may himselfe apply Unto your House , with better hopes then I : But , if by reall-deeds , it must be known What Friends I have , their number small is grown : Or , els , their Pow'r attaineth not unto Those Friendly Offices they wish to do ; And , peradventure , they obstructed be In their endeavours , by defects in me . It may be 't is observ'd , I want Relations , Guifts-qualifying , or those Commendations That should advance my Suites ; and , which do make Those active , who , mens Causes undertake ; And I halfe think it so : For , e're this day , Some one or other had , els , gotten way For my Petitions ; or appeared able To make my suites and me considerable ; Since , others , who have neither lost , nor spent , Nor for the Publike , hazzarded or lent Life , Limb , or money ; ( yea , though they , before , Had profitable places ) meet with more Successe then I ; and , daily can be heard With expedition , and with good regard . But , ( whatsoe're the other causes are Why thus it comes to passe ) this , doth appear , That , they who now are my Competitors , Have so o'rematched my Solicitors , That , if I speed , your House , will prove , to me , A better Friend then Individuals be . I find , that , many who , a while agoe , Appear'd for me , do now ( Gradatim ) grow Elsewhere ingag'd . I find , that , they begin To reckon , how the place hath valued been ; And , to expostulate , and to admire How , I , to an Employment dar'd aspire Of Trust or Worth ; who , am dispoil'd of that , Which ( in their judgment ) should secure the State : As if , a known unblamed-Conversation Were no Security ; or , out of fashion : As if , my portion , in the publike hand , Might not , aswell , for good-assurance stand , As if it were in mine : Or , as if he Who , for his Country , prodigall could be Of all he had , deserv'd not to be thought As trusty , as they are , who , never , ought Adventur'd ; nor had ought , but what they got By gaining Trust , where they deserv'd it not . If all were weigh'd , admire they rather may That , I my paines dare venture in a way Wherein , I have so often sought in vain , Those things , which unto me , of right , pertain . They might admire , that I , who have not bin A Servant , nor , am known to be , of kin To Peer or Commoner ; nor have the skill To make a Partie ; nor , thereto , a Will : That , I who follow Suites , as if I thought , That Justice , should be neither sold nor bought , Or got by importunities ; save , where The Judge doth neither GOD , nor Mortal fear : That , I , should ever hope to compasse that , Which any other thinkes worth aiming at ; Since , cause , perhaps enough , is found , why none Thus minded , should presume to think upon A Place of profit ; and , conceive to get His hopes , by merit , honesty , or wit : For , I do find that , in this undertaking Great rubs are made ( and many other making ) So troublesome to passe , that , I am tir'd : And , had I but that competence acquir'd , Which I have lost ; this life , I would not live , For all , the King and Parliament could give . One , of your Order , told me , at your dore Since my last-suite was tendred ( and , before He had perused it ) that , I deserved No Favour : ( Oh! how strangely have I swerved ! ) But , as , I to his face , made answer , then , So , now , I say , ( and I will say 't agen ) Let me receive but Justice , and I 'le wave All humane-Mercie ; and , yet hope to have A happier condition by the same Then that , whereto , I now exposed am . Another of them tells me , that , in vain , I seek , what I make suit for , in the maine , Whil'st I am in Confinement : As if , you Could but one Blessing , at one time , allow . Or els , as if , because I now have had ( Like one , of whom the slight'st account is made ) Nine Months Restraint ( and , thereby am become A Bond-man , without either formall-doome Or , Breach of Law , ) I , therefore , must expect , My chiefe desire , will find the lesse effect : Which seemes to me , as if a man should say , The more he owes , the lesse he means to pay . A third man intimates ; because , he sees I wear not , yet Sheeps-leather , or Welch-freeze ; ( But , by GOD'S blessing , hitherto have borne My usuall Port , to put aside the scorne Of Knaves and Fooles ) that I am not undone Sufficiently , to be so thought upon As I desire : But , such as these prolong The publike Judgements , and our private wrong , Through want of reall feeling what we bear Whose plaints they pocket , and whose cries they heare Without regard : For , when we most are griev'd , So little of our suffrings is believ'd , As if men had nor heart nor power to think , That ought we ayl'e , till we be dead and stink . A fifth , doth much perswade me to forbeare My present Suite ; because he seemes to fear My late bold-numbers have incenst so many , That , I shall hardly find regard from any , When I expect it : which , to be believed , ( Where I have hope with grace to be received ) Is so abominable ; that , I trust To find their Generall-Conclusions just , ( Though I in person , goods , and reputation , Have lately suffered by misinformation : ) For ( thought I otherwise ) I would disdain To them , for Grace or Justice to complain ; Though I were plung'd , into a worse condition , Then seems approaching , by my last Petition . I cannot fear that they who true-men be , Will for true-speaking be displeas'd with me , But , rather , by vouchsafing what I crave Be glad the Kingdome may occasion have To see their Justice , by repairing him , Who gave himselfe , to be undone for them : For them , who buy lesse honour , at the price , Then may be purchased by this device . But , hitherto , my hopes , do not succeed According to my suffrings , and my need . Two Monthes , upon one Suite , I have bestowne ; Upon a former , thrice three Monthes , and one ; Upon another , foure times three , and nine ; Yet , still , some other Cause out-justles mine : And , ev'n by favours hitherto obtained , More Mischiefes , then Advantages , are gained ; Because , in th'execution , they have wanted That influence , whereby they first were granted . This , with uncrazed patience I can bear , So long as my desires delay'd appear , By those affaires , which profitable bee Unto the Publike , though they hinder mee ; Since , whilst that thrives , I cannot be bereft Of all my hopes , nor comfortlesse be left , But , if I still perceive my Suites delay'd , Or crost , for Private-ends ; I am afraid My Greevances , will make my Plaints outroare The Cries , of all the Women at your dore . Preserve I would , according to my might , My Private-Freedomes , with our Publike-Right ; And , Wise-men will consider , that , unlesse They heed , sometime , a single-mans distresse , ( At least in his extreames ) that , one by one , The Generality may be undone ; And , that , a bruise upon the smallest-toe May cause the bodies totall overthrow . In me ( although my sufferings are despis'd ) The Common-Greevance , is epitomis'd ; And , as , this day , the Kingdomes Cause doth lye Distrest between two Factions , so do I ; For , what some would have granted for my sake , Is crost , for their sakes , who the motion make ; And , that man , by no party groweth strong , Who sides not with it , both in Right , and Wrong . In all things which , undoubtedly appeare , Unto my Conscience , I , to both adhere ; And , do from neither , purposely dissent , To make a Schisme , or nourish discontent . I have in both , professed Foes and Friends ; In both , I have some hopes , on both , some ends ; But , without all designments upon either , Save , how I may unite them , both together , In such a Posture , as may free this Land From those distructions , that seeme neer at hand ; And , wooe them to be just , in every Action , Without respect to Friend , to Foe or Faction . Who e're , among you , shall thus minded be , Whether he seem to love or malice me , Whether he be of th'one to'ther side , Whether my Suites be granted or denide , By his endeavourings ; it shall not wrest My thoughts , for any private interest , To murmur at him ; so , he will befriend My Suite so much , to bring it to an end : That , from your Labyrinths , I may retire ; And , be again at leisure to enquire What will become of Me ; and , what of Them , Who take the Courses , which I most contemn . For , to retreat , and gotten ground to yeeld , Is , otherwhile , the meanes to win a field ; And , he that would turne Floods another way , Must dig his Draine , before he builds his Bay . Heu ; Temporum , praevaricati Mores ! Quis , delegabit Misero favores ? Quis , auscultabit Populi Clamores ? Vel , quis pensabit Pauperum Dolores ? Nemo , fert Opem , viro perituro ; Sic ERAT , EST , ac ERIT in futuro ; Vt olim , tamen , in haec Verba juro , Nec Habeo , nec Careo , nec Curo . Nec Habeo , quod visus sum habere ; Nec Careo , quod multi caruêre , Nec Curo , quamvis devoratus ferè ; Nam , Deo Vero , spem repono , verè . Which is in English to this effect . Oh! how corrupt this Age in manners growes ! Who , to the Miserable , mercy showes ? Who , on the Peoples cries , an ear bestowes ? Or , who compassionates the Poore-mans woes ? To succour the Distressed , none appear ; Thus 't was , thus 't is ; and thus I 'me like to fare : Yet , as of old , this Motto , still , I bear ; I neither have , nor want , nor do I care . I have not , what I had a while agoe ; I want not , that , which many others do ; Nor care I , though I quite neglected grow ; For , I in GOD confide , and will do so . A Post-script . He , that hath Money to procure his ends , Needs neither strain his wits , nor tire his Friends . He , that hath Friends , his matters to contrive , May ( though he hath nor Wit , nor Money ) live . He , that hath Wit , and wants the former two , May live more richly , then he seemes to do . He , that hath two of these , und wants but one , Can neither happy be , nor quite undone ▪ He , that hath all of these , might be a King , If he could wish , to be so poore a thing : And , he that is depriv'd of all the three , May be an English-man , for ought I see . FINIS