Chronological List of the Works, in verse and [CONTINUED FROM P. 332.] prose, 68. "Furor Poeticus, (i. e.) Propheticus: a postick phrensie. Some (probably) will call it so: It is the result of a private musing, occasioned by a publike report in the Country, of the Parliament's restauration by General George Moncke, in February 1659: and meditated soon after the said General's arrival in London, In dorso pagi, recubans sub tegmine fagi: By G. W. Esq." Ver. 8vo. 1660. The place of rural retirement whence Wither dates this production, is "Hambledon, Feb. 19, 1659," the day before the republicans advised Monck to take the government upon himself, and thereby preclude the King's restoration. An advertisement declares-" It is the great mercy of God that the author of this Furor Poeticus (all things considered) fell not into Furorem Bethlemeticum long since. For besides three addresses in manuscript, [see N° 51, 62, 63, of this list] presented to the two Protectors, and many hundreds of other poems, papers, and petitions, printed and written, published and privately preferred, during almost eighteen years' sollicitation for publike and private justice and mercy; it will be partly demonstrated what experience he, the said author, had of these latter times to all those who shall have patience to peruse those few poems, preparatories, and epistolary discourses only, which have been divulged within the compass of the last year, or not long before.' Wither in this tract urges Monck to become, and to continue, the champion and the guardian angel VOL. I. angel of the republic, which he tells him, will more endear "His name of George, than Dick, or Oliver!—, And this George will henceforward, by the nation, Than either he, † or any one of those On whose new Saintships we did trust repose, And few, at last, trust either us or them." Monck, it is well known, regarded not the voice of Wither and his partisans, hut proceeded to reestablish a King, and was himself created a Peer. 66 69. Speculum Speculativum: or a Considering- Glass. Being an inspection into the present and late sad con He earnestly recommends self-denial, conscientious dealing to others, and reparation of the national faith; without which, he observes, it is not the putting this man out and that man in; "Nor our prudentials, though they did excell The plots and counsels of Achitophel, That will procure our safety; or succeed Much better at this present, than his did.” + Our legendary St. George; alias St. George of Cappadocia. In another place he says of Monck, rather unprophetically: "This General hath been a royalist, Engag'd against the publike interest, And therefore some suspicions are become, But that's improbable.” His indifference as to the form of government he thus avows; "My chief well-being totally consists With that wind which blows when and where it lists: dition of these nations: with some cautional expressions made thereupon by George Wither, immediately after his Majestie's Restauration: to preserve in himself and others a Christian obedience to God's various dispensations. Hereby also are some glimmerings discovered, of what will probably ensue hereafter. London, written June 13, 1660, and there imprinted the same year." Ver. 8vo. A dedication to the King's Majesty (Charles II.) welcomes his return to England, and restoration to the throne, with apparent cordiality: though at the same time it declares, that not a page in the book is marked by his praise. After this follows an Expostulation of the Author with himself, dated December 13, 1660, whence it appears that his "Considering Glass" was shewn to his friends six months before; some of whom advised him to conceal it from the public eye. His predominant propensity, as usual, got the better of his prudence. The visionary conceit of being gifted to serve his country, made him encounter every hazard in the attempt, even while he anticipated his former recompense of injuries and scorn. He had recently purchased some prelates' lands, he says, without intending them wrong, or offending his own conscience; and those were likely now to be reclaimed. Of other possessions he had been defrauded by cheaters: * and he foreboded to meet, in his advanced He states his income to have been 700l. per annum, and afterwards insinuates "My poverty is without precedent, For I am poo-by acts of parliament. Till they who crackt my credit, lost their own: And though it is an old adjudged case His recipe for contentation, as bishop Hall would call it, is worthy of that prelate's probatum est. "Life is preserved with a little matter: And he that with coarse cloth, and bread and water advanced age, extreme poverty or imprisonment. From these he shrinks, as a husband and a father: and, in spite of his stoical philosophy as a politician, sheds tears. Still however, at the close of this reverie, he resolves to run all risks, and put his volume forth. The consequence was perilous: because the speculum of Wither, like all his mirrors of mankind, was more calculated to reflect the blemishes than beauties of the Commonweal. Much of this tract however images himself. After a P. S. in answer to some cavilling objections against the author, he superadds "The Shepherd of Bledonham, his case, who was lately ejected out of his possessions, by the Flamins and arch Flamins," &c. This looks like a personal allegory: or as Wither designates it, "a pastoral prosopopeia.' 70. "Fides-Anglicana. Or a plea for the publick faith of these nations: lately pawned, forfeited, and violated, by some of their former Trustees; to the rendring it as infamous as Fides-Punica was heretofore. It is humbly offered to consideration, in a petitionary remonstrance to all in authority, on the behalf of many thousands, to whom securities were given upon the said publick faith; and was prepared to have been put forth during the sitting of the last parliament. It comprehends likewise an expedient, whereby the honour of the King and nations may be preserved in redeeming the same, without oppressing private persons, or overburthening the Publick. And thereto are added two or three exemplary narratives out of Antiquity, evidencing that neglect of Justice is dangerous, and that the freedom of expression assumed by the Author, is neither Content remaineth, neither can be poor Wither considered this as his last public work: but so it did not prove. In one of his musings he says— "At first to Wither I was born, needless needless in such cases, nor unjustifiable by warrantable precedents. Veritas non quærit angulos." Pr. 8vo. 1660. This strong remonstrance must have been penned near the close of the year 1665, "about eight or nine months after the royal declaration, &c." had been issued, which was at Breda in the month of April. Wither had been a purchaser of church lands, which now it seems were resumed by the prelacy upon forcible entry, and arbitrarily seized before the King's Commissioners had time to take the contracts of the ejected parties into consideration. "This remonstrant in particular (he tells us) lost about eight years 300l. per annum, in a purchase of their lands who were heretofore called delinquents; which lands cost him almost twenty years purchase in ready money. Also 16811. 158 8d. charged by ordinance upon the excise in course, which, with the interest thereof, hath been eighteen years almost, unpaid. And now he is in danger to lose totally between 5 and 600l. per ann, more, in prelates lands in possession and reversions. The remainder of his stock and goods were, by attachments out of the said prelates own court, illegally, and some of them (as he thinks) feloniously taken in the night, and carried away by the said prelates officers or agents, without any known lawful officer."* And it would seem while his own person was in durance. Against these and other outrages he remonstrates, as might be expected, with warmth and sturdily asserts" He knows how far the just bounds of a free expression extends by the laws of God and nature: and though his body may be enslaved, and kept from the exercise thereof by the cruelty of others, his mind cannot be enthralled, but by his own baseness or pusillanimity; and if he must perish, he is resolved to perish like a man, not like a beast, or like one who cuts his own throat for fear of death." lie argues in this, as in some other writings, that "the powers in being are to be the object of our obedience while they Wither states, that some of these prelatic agents were so shameless, as to make answer, (when the legality of their proceedings was questioned) “that the remonstrant should not be left able to prosecute his remedy at law," or words to that effect, which they very effectually, he assures us, made good. I E 3 continue, |