Kitabı oku: «The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America», sayfa 6
A Word of IRELAND:
Not of the Nation universally, nor of any man in
it, that hath so much as one haire of Christianity
or Humanity growing on his head or beard,
but onely of the truculent Cut-throats,
and such as shall take up Armes
in their Defence
These Irish anciently called Antropophagi, man-eaters: Have a Tradition among them, That when the Devill shewed our Saviour all the kingdomes of the Earth and their glory, that he would not shew him Ireland, but reserved it for himselfe: it is probably true, for he hath kept it ever since for his own peculiar; the old Fox foresaw it would eclipse the glory of all the rest: he thought it wisdome to keep the land for a Boggards for his unclean spirits imployed in this Hemisphere, and the people, to doe his Son and Heire, I mean the Pope, that service for which Lewis the eleventh kept his Barbor Oliver, which makes them so blood-thirsty. They are the very Offall of men, Dregges of Mankind, Reproach of Christendome, the Bots that crawle on the Beast taile, I wonder Rome it self is not ashamed of them.
I begge upon my hands and knees, that the Expedition against them may be undertaken while the hearts and hands of our Souldiery are hot, to whom I will be bold to say briefly: Happy is he that shall reward them as they have served us, and Cursed be he that shall do that work of the Lord negligently, Cursed be he that holdeth back his Sword from blood; yea, Cursed be he that maketh not his Sword starke drunk with Irish blood, that doth not recompense them double for their hellish treachery to the English, that maketh them not heaps upon heaps, and their Country a dwelling place for Dragons, an Astonishment to Nations: Let not that eye look for pity, nor that hand to be spared, that pities or spares them, and let him be accursed, that curseth not them bitterly.
A Word of Love to the Common People of England
It is, your, now or never, to muster up puissant Armies of Prayers to the Mercy Seate; your Body Representative, is now to take in hand, as intricate a piece of worke, as ever fell into the hands of any Parliament in the world, to tye an indissoluble knot upon that webb which hath been woven with so much cost and bloud, wherein if they happen to make one false maske, it may re-imbarque themselves and you all into a deadly relapse of scorne and calamity. It is the worke of God not of man, pray speedily therefore, and speedingly, give him no rest till your rest be throughly re-established, Your God is a God whose Name is All-sufficient, abundant in Goodnesse and Truth, on whom the Sonnes of Iacob never did, nor shall call in vaine, you have a Throne of Grace wherto you may goe boldly; a Christ to give you a leading by the hand and liberty of speech, an Intercessor in Heaven to offer up your Prayers wrapp'd in his own; a large Charter aske and have, a Spirit to helpe all your infirmities in that duty, a sure Covenant that you shall be heard, and such late incouragement as may strengthen your feeble hands for ever. If you who may command God concerning the work of his hand, shall faile to demand the workemanship of his hand in this worke, your children will proclaime you un-thrifts with bitter teares to the worlds end.
If you see no cause to pray, read Jer. 18. 1.-10.
Be also intreated to have a continuall and conscientious care not to impeach the Parliament in the hearts one of another by whispering complaints, easilier told then tryed or trued. Great bodyes move but slowely, especially when they move on three leggs and are over-loden with weighty occasions. They have now sate full six years without intermission to continue your being, many of their heads are growne gray with your cares, they are the High Councell of the Kingdome, the great Gilead of your Balme, the Phisitians of all your sicknesse; if any of them doe amisse, blame yourselves, you chose them, be wiser hereafter; you cannot doe the State, your selves, your posterity a more ungratefull office then to impaire them with disparagements and discoragements who are so studious to repaire your almost irreparable ruines.
Be likewise beseeched, not to slight good ministers, whom you were wont to reverence much, they are Gods Embassadours, your Ephods, your Starres, your Horse-men & Chariots, your Watchmen, & under Christ your Salvation, I know no deadlier Symptome of a dying People than to undervalue godly Ministers, whosoever despiseth them shall certainly be despised of God and men at one time or other.
A most humble heel-piece. To the Most Honourable Head-piece the Parliament of England
I Might excuse my selfe in Part, with a speech Lycurgus used in the like exigent of State, senectute fio audacior, publica necessitate loquacior, but it much better becomes mee with all lowlinesse and uprightnesse, wherein I have failed to pray pardon on both my knees, which I most humbly and willingly doe; only, before I rise, I crave leave to present this six-fold Petition.
That you would be pleased
To preserve the Sacred reputation of Parliaments, or, wee shall have no Common-wealth.
To uphold the due estimation of good Ministers, else, we shall have no Church.
To heale the sad dislocation of our Head, throughly, perfectly, or, wee shall have no King.
To oppugne the bold violation of divine Truths, else wee shall have no God.
To proceed with what zeale you began, or what you began can come to little end.
To expedite worke with what speede you safely may, else ignorant people will feare they shall have no end at all.
Hee that is great in Counsell, and Wonderfull in Working, guide and helpe you in All things, that doing All things in Him, by Him, and for Him, you may doe All things like Him.
So be it.
A respective word to the Ministers of ENGLAND
Farre bee it from mee, while I dehort others to slight you my selfe, or to despise any man but myselfe, whom I can never despise enough: I rather humbly intreate you to forgive my boldnesse, who have most just cause to judge my selfe lesse and lesse faithfull than the least of you all, yet I dare not but bee so faithfull to you and my selfe, as to say
They are the Ministers of England, that have lost the Land; for Christs sake, put on His bowels, His wisdome, His zeale, and recover it.
I pray let me drive in half a dozen plaine honest Country Hobnailes, such as the Martyrs were wont to weare; to make my work hold the surer; and I have done.
1
There, lives cannot be good,
There, Faith cannot be sure,
Where Truth cannot be quiet,
Nor Ordinances pure.
2
No King can King it right,
Nor rightly sway his Rod;
Who truely loves not Christ,
And truely fears not God.
3
He cannot rule a Land,
As Lands should ruled been,
That lets himself be rul'd
By a ruling Romane Queen.
4
No earthly man can be
True Subject to this State;
Who makes the Pope his Christ,
An Heretique his Mate.
5
There Peace will goe to War,
And Silence make a noise:
Where upper things will not
With nether equipoyse.
6
The upper world shall Rule,
While Stars will run their race:
The nether world obey,
While People keep their place.
The Clench
If any of these come out
So long 's the world doe last:
Then credit not a word
Of what is said and past.
ERRATA
AT NON
CORRIGENDA
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. Phœb.
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.
ΕργοισιΘαρσαλεος γαρ ανηρ εν πασιν αμενων
Εργοισι. –
Omnibus in rebus potior vir fortis & audax
Sit licet hospes, & è 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 quæ jam cecidere, cadentque
Quæ 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-AkersEND.
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
APPENDIX
The following Letters, (from Hutchinson's History and Collections,) &c., and Deed from Essex Registry of Deeds, Salem, (Lib. I., Ipswich,) are supposed to possess sufficient interest to justify their insertion here.
Boston, 1843.
LETTER TO REV. JOHN COTTON
Salutem in Xto nostro
Reverend and dear friend,
I was yesterday convented before the bishop, I mean to his court, and am adjourned to the next term. I see such giants turn their backs, that I dare not trust my own weak heart. I expect measure hard enough and must furnish apace with proportionable armour. I lacke a friend to help buckle it on. I know none but Christ himself in all our coast fitt to help me, and my acquaintance with him is hardly enough to hope for that assistance my weak spirit will want, and the assaults of tentation call for. I pray therefore forget me not and believe for me also if there be such a piece of neighbourhood among Christians. And so blessing God with my whole heart for my knowledge of you and immerited interest in you, and thanking you entirely for that faithful love I have found from you in many expressions of the best nature, I commit you to the unchangeable love of God our Father in his son Jesus Christ, in whom I hope to rest for ever.
Your's in all truth of heart
Nath'L. Warde.
Stondon Mercy,
Dec. 13. 1631.
[Extracts from Johnson's Wonder-Working Providence, printed in London, 1658.]
"Of the Ninth Church of Christ gathered at Ipswitch
"This year [1634] came over a farther supply of Eminent instruments for furthering this admirable Worke of his, amongst whom the Reverend and judicious servant of Christ Mr. Nathaniel Ward, who tooke up his station at the Towne of Ipswich," "scituated on a faire and delightfull River," "in the Saggamooreship, or Earldom of Aggawam." "The peopling of this Towne is by men of good ranke and quality, many of them having the yearly Revenue of large Lands in England before they came to this Wildernesse, but their Estates being imployed for Christ, and left in banke as you have formerly heard, they are well content till Christ shall be pleased to restore it againe to them or theirs.
"Their meeting-house is a very good prospect to a great part of the Towne, and beautifully built, the Church of Christ here consists of about one hundred and sixty soules, being exact in their conversation, and free from the Epidemicall Disease of all Reforming Churches, which under Christ is procured by their pious Learned and Orthodox Ministery, as in due place (God willing) shall be declared, in the meane time, look on the following Meeters concerning that Souldier of Christ Master Nathaniel Ward.
Thou ancient Sage, come Ward among
Christs folfe, 4 take part in this great worke of his,
Why do'st thou stand and gaze about so long;
Do'st war in jest, why, Christ in earnest is,
And hath thee arm'd with weapons for that end,
To wound and heale his enemies submitting,
Not carnally, then to this worke attend;
Thou hast prevail'd the hearts of many hitting.
Although the Presbytery unpleasant jar,
And errors daily in their braines new coyne:
Despayer not, Christs truth they shall not mar;
But with his helpe such drosse from Gold refine.
What Man do'st meane to lay thy Trumpet downe?
Because thy son like Warrier is become,
Hold out or sure lesse bright will be thy crowne,
Till death Christs servants labour is not done."
LETTER FROM GYLES FYRMIN TO GOV. WINTHROP
Much honoured and deare Sir,
But that I thinke it needlesse (God havinge more than ordinarye fitted you for such trials) my letter might tell you with what griefe of spirit I received the news of that sad affliction which is lately happened to your worship, by means of that unfaithful wretch; I hope God will find a shoulder to helpe you beare so great a burthen. But the little time there is allotted me to write I must spend in requesting your worships counsel and favour. My father in law Ward, since his sonne came over, is varey desirous that wee might sett down together, and so that he might leave us together if God should remove him from hence. Because that it cannot be accomplished in this town, is verey desirous to get mee to remove with him to a new plantation. After much perswasion used, consideringe my want of accommodation here (the ground the town having given mee lying 5 miles from mee or more) and that the gaines of physick will not finde mee with bread, but, besides, apprehendinge that it might bee a way to free him from some temptations, and make him more cheereful and serviceable to the country or church, have yeelded to him. Herein, as I desire your counsel, so I humbly request your favour, that you would be pleased to give us the libertye of choosinge a plantation; wee thinke it will be at Pentuckett, or Quichichchek, by Shawshin: So soon as the season will give us leave to goe, wee shall informe your worship which we desire: And if that, by the court of election, we cannot gather a company to beegine it, wee will let it fall. Wee desire you would not graunt any of them to any before wee have seene them. If your worship have heard any relation of the places, wee should remaine thankful to you, if you would bee pleased to counsel us to any of them. Further, I would entreate for advise in this: The towne gave mee the ground (100 acres) upon this condition, that I should stay in the towne 3 yeeres, or else I could not sell it: Now my father supposes it being my first heritage (my father having none in the land) that it is more than they canne doe to hinder mee thus, when as others have no business, but range from place to place, on purpose to live upon the countrey. I would entreate your counsel whither or noe I canne sell it. Further: I am strongly sett upon to studye divinitie, my studyes else must be lost: for physick is but a meene helpe. In these cases I humbly referre to your worship, as my father, for your counsel, and so in much haste, with my best services presented to your worship, wishinge you a strong support in your affliction, and a good and comfortable issue, I rest
Your worships in what he canne to his power,
Ipswich, 26. 10th 1639. Gyles Fyrmin.
Wee humbly entreate your secrecye in our desires.
November 25º 1646./
This prsent writing wittnesseth that I, Nathaniel Ward of Ipswich in New England have bargained & sould to John Eaton of Salsbury Coo[per] all the land ground meadow & Com̅onage wth their apprtincs which I have or ought to have at this prsent Day in Haverhill or Pentuckett in New England to have and to hold the said prmisses to the said John Eaton his heires & assignes paying for the same vnto the said Nathaniel Ward his executors administrs or assignes the full sum̅e of twelve pounds of wheate & pipe-staves six pounds worth of one & six pounds worth of the other to be deli[ver]ed to mr Richard Russell or Maior Sedgwick at Charles Towne before the end of September Next ensuying the Dat hereof; such as shalbe good & merchantable at the currant price at that tyme & place
In witness whereof I have set to my hand & seale.
Nath Ward Wittnes
Thomas Howlett
Edman Bridges
