CAMPO-MUSAE OR THE FIELD-MUSINGS OF Captain GEORGE VVITHER touching his Military Ingagement for the KING ann PARLIAMENT THE Justnesse of the same and the present distractions of these Islands DEUS dabit his quoque finem LONDON Printed by R. Austin 1643. To the ENGLISH AM not I now in England Is not this The Thames Is not that London Sure it is Me thinks that vast and ancient structure there Looks just like Pauls and that like Westminster Loe yon is High-gate you is Hamsted-mill There Bansted-downes there Kent there Shooters-hill This doubtlesse is that Countrey but why then Are here now living so few English-men Are all those English-men which now I see All true-bred English-men the Devill they be Indeed I finde there are a few among them And for their sakes I will not so much wrong them To say that Land hath none within whose veines The blood of our old Worthies yet remaines But out of question if the greatest part Were not a mungrell brood and without heart They could not lie so tamely in their beds And see what Plagues their Countrey over-spreads Yea seem content to be inslav'd to slaves And carry guilt and curses to their graves Perhaps they are asleep Ho! Englishmen Awake and be your selves yet once agen Heark how the Trumpet sounds heark how the Drum Beats up and calls in English Come Come Come Heark how the ghosts of your poore Brethren slaine And massacred in Ireland doe complaine And call for vengeance heark how loud they cry And threaten if you passe their murthers by Heark how the countrey round about you mournes See in how many parts it flames and burnes Marke what a delolation in one yeare Is broken in among us and how neare Our just and everlasting ruine drawes If we become no warmer in this Cause And that your cooled zeale may re-inflame Take up these Papers and new light the same To his EXCELLENCE the Earle of ESSEX Lord Generall of the Army raised for defence of the KING Parliament and Kingdome SIR UNtill my Troupe was disabled I served faithfully with my SWORD under your Command an eye-witnesse of your noble Patience Constancy and Valour and shall againe when my Troupe is recruted In the meane time being ingaged thereto by that emblematicall device which I beare in my Cornet I have endeavoured to be serviceable with my PEN that I might imploy every faculty which God hath given me for the King and Parliament to whom I am obliged by a double duty and I hope not impertinently to the glory of the Almighty who when most honourable teachers are not regarded sends men to learn of Pismires and despicable creatures and who for that cause is now pleased to make use of such a Vanity as I am and it may be shall by this Engine more strengthen your Army then a full Regiment of horse I have not here prefixed your Name or tendred this to your perusall meerly for a private advantage for what can I hope to obtain who am but Terrae filius a child of contempt and whose best endeavours have beene hitherto in outward respects for upon other considerations I have no reason to complaine rather mischievous then profitable unto him Neither presume I to add any thing hereby to your Honour that being farre above the dificiency needing such meane Additions but I being yet within the list of your Army it seems reasonable that some Account should be given of the time spent during my absence from it and I having no better fruit ripe thus to present this held it the duty SIR of Your EXCELLENCIES most humble Servant Geo. Wither CAMPO-MUSAE OR The FIELD-MUSINGS of Captaine GEORGE WITHER The Contents A Question presuppos'd the Muse Replyeth and her freedome shewes Tels with what heart with what intent This Warre her POET under-went Averros that Reason and the Lawes Will justifie him in his Cause The publike woe she doth expresse Lamenteth and implores redresse Fights Combats with Delusive-Reason Her Partie to acquit from Treason Their hearts incourageth to doe What GOD and Nature calls them to And many matters here and there Inserteth which we touch not here Then mentioneth a Voice of PEACE That she hath heard and there doth cease Intending ere She will proceed To make some proofe how this may speed YES now I 'le write againe and neither care Though nor Apollo aid me nor the NINE Nor whether Mars or Mercury appeare Crosse or in Sextile Quadrine or in Trine Nor carefull am I whether HEE or SHEE Be pleased or displeased with my Muse For none to sooth or vexe my Musings be But now I write because I cannot chuse To answer each man curious expectation Who asks why thus I said why this I do Is not the scope of my determination Though somewhat here conduces thereunto The Sword hath had his turne and now the Pen Advanced is to play her part agen The naked SVVORD and PEN my Cornet beares Pro REGE LEGE GREGE thereupon To be my Motto for the Field it weares And shewes for whom this Warfare we begun But Rymes and Reason growing out of date And Pens lesse modest now then heretofore Such lies and railings have divulg'd of late That I once thought to touch my Pen no more Besides with griefe I have observ'd in those Whose judgements have most need of Reformation That there is left no pow'r in Verse or Prose To make them wise or move to reformation For Wisedomes Charmes and Reasons best conclusions Beget but Furies and inlarge Confusions Yet since my musings when I shall be dead And lie unactive in a loanly roome May peradventure to good use be read By men reserv'd for better times to come And since it will not onely be an ease To mine owne heart my numerous thoughts to vent But also may some honest Readers please Ev'n in these times of gen'rall discontent Yea lest malignant censures passed on My late ingagement for the publike peace Should if I silent to my grave had gone Have caused false-opinion to increase My Per I re-assum'd in hope to shew My practice never prov'd my words untrue My Pen I re-assum'd and full of matter Sate downe to write but ere I ought exprest The Trumpet sounding all my thoughts did scatter And gave me since that houre but little rest Destructive times distractive muzings yeeld Expect not therefore method now of me But such as fits Minerva in the Field Where Interruptions and Confusions be Like or dislike I somwhat now shall say Which must be heard and heard to purpose too At least in gaining heed or making way For what if need require is yet to do When sin and self-conceit befools the wise They must be taught by those whom they despise For let not these Field-muzings be suppos'd The fruitlesse flashings of a Giddie-wit Because in measur'd-words they are compos'd Which many judge for serious works unfit Nor let them counted be a sleight invention Though souldier-like blunt complements I
House almost in ev'rie place With Cries and Teares and Loud-complaints we meet And each one thinks his own the saddest case But what are private Losses while we view Three famous Kingdoms wofully expos'd To miserable Ruine and so few Lament that plague wherewith we are inclos'd My self and my estate I shall contemne Till we in freedome sing our Syon-Songs Till we have peace in our Ierusalem And Church and State have what to them belongs For what to these are Oxen Sheep and Kine Or any losse that is but your or mine But how should we have Peace or Consolation Whence can it come whilst each of us neglects The meanes of such a blessed expectation And from bad Causes looks for good effects Who yet repents who all alone bewailes His private sins Or since this Tempest rose Hath taken down one furle of his proud failes That we the publike Vessell might not lose Few of us yet have truely laid aside Our Self-conceit our Envies or our Spleene Our Avarice our Wilfulnesse or Pride And doubtlesse whilst among us these are seene In vaine we hope our miseries will cease In vaine we look for Comfort Truth or Peace Give me Oh God! give me those moving teares Those deep-fet sighes and those prevailing groanes Which may have powre to pierce through all the Spheres And fetch downe Pitie for distressed-ones Give me enough for one that would deplore The sins of three great Nations and lament For his own share a little world-full more Which he too long deferred to repent Give me those Teares that acceptable be Such as on Syons evil day were shed Such as in bottles are preserv'd by thee Such as were dropt when Lazarus was dead Such as if Teares might so much virtue have May three great Kingdoms from destruction save Help us to that Peace-Offring whence may fume Into thy nostrils that sweet-smelling savour Whereby thy Majestie may re-assume These Kingdoms once again into thy favour With holy Charmes thou hast delighted bin For when in mournfull Elegies to thee The Son of Iesse did bewaile his sin From all his guilt thy grace did set him free Why may not then to me for whose example Thy Spirit hath his piety recorded Having within my heart thy Inner-Temple Compos'd a Song like mercie be afforded In hope it shall to thee O Gracious-God My Spirit groaneth forth this mournfull Ode ALas how darkesome be How gloomy and how dim Thy Privic-lodgings LORD in me Which Ioy was wont to trim What Ghosts are they that haunt The Chambers of my breast And when I sleep or comfort want Will give my heart no rest Me thinks the sound of grones Are ever in mine eare Deepe-graves Deaths-heads and Charnel-bones Before me still appear And when a sleep I fall In hope to finde some ease My dreames to me are worst of all And fright me more then these Ah me why was I borne So late or why soone To see so bright so cleare a Morne So black an Afternoone What in my youth I fear'd What was long since foretold And oft with scornes and sleightings heard Fulfild I now behold The Queene of Europes Iles The Princesse of her Lands Late happy in thy loving smiles Now neer to ruine stands For by their Crying-sins Prince Peers and People too Have brought their feet into those Gins Which no man can undoe Our Cunningst-wits have tride To help untwist the Snare But when they thought the cords would slide They more insnarled were And since it is not words That can our Peace restore We now betake us to our Swords And make the mischief more How great is our distresse How grievous is our sin That eve'ry thing doth more increase The Plague that we are in There is yet LORD in thee A meanes of ease and aid Whereby we sav'd from that might be Whereof we are afraid O God! thy helpe command For humane helpes are vaine And in compassion to this Land Returne thou once again And if so much regard May to my suit be showne Let me behold this Tempest clear'd Before my Sun go down O LORD return with mercy to these Lands Give not thy Glory over to the Foe Leave not thy Churches in their bloodie hands Who seek in this thy Kingdoms overthrow Returne before our Spoilers hand have laid On ev'rie pleasant ev'ry pretious thing Before the Lyons on thy Lambs have preyd Before they shall thy Flocks to ruine bring Before our habitations do appeare Like heaps of Rubbish or the ploughed earth Before our pleasant fields and gardens are Like Fornace-Fels or Highlands in the North And e're our palaces late neat and trim Are made the walks and haunts of Zim and Iim Once more once more oh GOD in mercie heare These miserable Pleas of whose neare fall Their neighb'ring Foes in expectation are And to behold it on each other call Thy foes they are oh LORD as well as our Oh! give not therefore way to their despight Let not their malice nor our sins have powre Upon our Tombes to build up their delight Though they Divide permit them not to Raigne But let our Head and Bodie so accord That we the stronger may be knit againe And in their bosome sheath our angrie Sword For our blest reconcilement further shall Thy Churches triumphs and their Babels fall Their date is neare if I aright have hit The meaning of that Number which by thee Was left to trie the strength of everie wit Which longs the fall of Antichrist to see To Them I turn my speech and thus dare say His Friends and Helpers are now moving on The cunningst plot that they have left to play And when that 's past their game will quite be done Some SAINTS their policie will so beguile That they to their Design shall furth'rance bring Yea they shall help it forward for a while Who favour not the Persons nor the Thing But lest your hearts may faile through long delay Give ear and heed what now my Muse will say That yeer in which ROMES long-liv'd Empeire Shall from the day wherein it was at height Sum up M D C L X V and I In order as these Letters here I write That Yeare that Day that Houre will be the date Of her continuance preserving neither Top Root or Branch of that accursed State Nor Head nor Bodie Limb Horne Claw or Feather For here are all the Numerals of ROME In order as they are in valuation Which cannot make a lesse or greater sum Without Disorder Want or Iteration Nor can she longer stand or sooner fall If I mistake not Him who governs all By Number Weight and Measure worketh He Allotting to each thing the Bound and Season Which may both correspond with his Decree And somewhat also suit with Humane-Reason In AEgypt thus a certain time of stay Was to the seed of Iacob there assign'd Thus likewise to a fore-appointed day The raigne of Baltashazar was confin'd Thus from the time of Daniels supplication Till CHRIST
at these times come forth in shape of men But from such insolencies I am free And ev'ry way so cleer that though our Foes Of * all I had have quite despoyled me And though I was authorized by those Who pow'r might give my losses to redresse On them who robbed me I have not sought Without compassion or with greedinesse To mend my Fortunes as I heare t is thought But only taken what the present need Requir'd my self and Family to Feed Yea save when we from home had marched far And thither where perforce we did endure The hard and strong necessities of war Through want of means things needfull to procure We nothing took without a recompence Nor to my knowledge either then or there But with good words and without violence And nought but what did need them might spare Nor did I or my Troopers leave unpaid Our Quarters anywhere whilst we had pay And since our entertainments were delaid They have my word for payment when I may And By thus taking Souldiers grieve men lesse In times of War then Courtiers did in Peace We take not as Monopolizers do And begger Many to enrich but One Nor take we from both poor and wealthy too As Tyrants that our pleasure might be done Nor as the damn'd-self damming Gavalleer Who for his lust and to the Kingdoms harm From good and bad from friend and so doth teare What ever may be reached with his arme The Parliament a Body representing The Kingdome takes from none but of her own Takes part for furtherance or for preventing Of good or evill either fear'd or known And if this be unjust or lawlesse taking It is not by a Law of Reasons making For as the Body-naturall may take From hands or feet or any other part To wrap about the head when it shall ake Or warm to keep the stomack or the heart When life is else in danger right so may The Body-politike without reproof From any of her Members take away For it own preservation or behoof Yea doubtlesse if a man his goods may spend His body to redeem or give consent Some Blood to lose or Member to this end That he the losse of life might so prevent Much more may that Great-Bodie do the same Without the brand of injury or blame The taxes which our Parliament impose Are not to grieve the people but to aid And strengthen them against the powre of those By whom uneasie burthens have been laid If they be greater now then heretofore It is because necessities are greater And now require we should bestow the more To make hereafter our assurance better And pittie were it but he should be father To none but slaves or to a generation Who should not dare old rotten rags to gather Without a Patent and a Proclamation Who for his Country thinks his goods too much Or would his life in this adventure grutch As for their loyall offers to the King They ready were and are as ready still Their wealth and power and all they have to bring To serve him if his part he shall fulfill They would be loth his treasure to increase To purchase instruments wherewith to slay them Or raise an Army to disturb their peace Or to corrupt their Captains to betray them They should be loth to give him Rents and Lands Buffoones and men unworthy to advance That they might weaken us and arm his hands To make us Subjects A la mod de FRANCE But for his Guard and for the publike-peace Our Goods our Lives and all we have is his If his Revenues in their hands they stay It is not without reason as is thought But to secure his Crown and to defray The charge of War which he on us hath brought If they from his disposure now withdraw Some things by Him dispos'd of heretofore It is because their right it is by Law And ought to be neglected so no more When things permitted out of good respects Are challenged as customary rights And when good meanings bring forth ill effects T is time to take more need of oversights And that by having erred heretofore We may not be undone for evermore Ships Forts and Arms belong unto the Prince Not for himself but for the publike use They therefore keeping them for his defence And for the Kingdoms good what needs excuse Or if they ceazed on them with intent To prepossesse them that they might in time Their foes inhumane purposes prevent It was no fault or else a veniall Crime They made their Ordinances not for Laws But for the present need to be in force Lest Law-proceedings being at a pause The mischiefs over-great grow daily worse And none denyes the Parliament this powre But they who seek their freedoms to devoure Though Libellous Detractors and that Rabble Whom thy deluding Sophistries deceive Pretend their purpose is dishonourable And of his dues our Sovereign to bereave Your sland'rous Allegations are untrue And rais'd by those who hate the Parliament Because a Reformation they pursue And that which may their purposes prevent Far is it either from their thought or our The King of his just profits to defeat Or to deprive him of that Kingly powre Whose want may make his honour incompleat By taking or by clipping to his wrong Those Rights which to his Office do belong When ought they take it is to take away That mischief which may take him from his Throne When they deny it is not to gainsay But that his lawfull pleasute may be done When they disarm him t is but that his foes Might not with his own weapons him destroy When they his Rents with-hold it is that those Should not his wealth to his own losse employ Have they restrain'd his power they did it not To limit him but that his Parasites Should not to his dishonour him beset And make that Pander to their appetites Till by their wicked practices first We Are to their wils inslaved and than He. The worst condition they would bring him to Is onely this that if he or his Sonne By ill advisement would themselves undoe No innocent should thereby be undone Nor they if during life Manasseth-like They could repent This brave Prerogative This Priviledge for him and his we seek That nothing of his Throne might him deprive We labour that it gloriously might stand By Righteousnesse upheld and that his Line May bear the Royall-Seepter in this Land As long as either Sun or Moon shall shine By being made true Homagers to Him That wears the universall Diadem They would not have him or his child hereafter Suppose that an advantage can be had By bringing to his bed King Pharaohs daughter Or any with whom GOD the Banes forbad We would not have him Rehoboam-like Advance his Throne by tyrannous oppression Or led by foolish Counsell Shadows seek Till he had lost the Substance in possession They would not have him set up golden-Calves With Ieroboam and suppose to save By policy
us to oppose T were no discretion to commit my Sword To him who straight would give it to my foe Nor were it wisely done to take his word Who knowes not what he shall have powre to doe For oft from Reason other men estrange us And other while our own corruptions change us Thou saist the King hath vowed and protests Our Lawes and our Religion to defend We ask no more unlesse as in the breasts Of private men they are he shall intend Or shall conceive that he the Law doth carie Within himselfe For that doth plainly show The government he seeks is Arbitrarie Which humbly we denie to be his due I say the Law now armes me He sayes no And calls me traitor for what I have done The Parliament affirmes I faile to doe My dutie if another course I run And how the King in Law more skil'd can grow Then they that made it I would gladly know It were a fancie to affirme he gained A knowledge of our Lawes by Revelation Or that he studied them then he obtained His notions of them by meere information And who are his informers now but those That are the chiefe transgressors of the Law They who essentially the same oppose Who from it their obedience quite withdraw They whose delinquencie had made them feare â—o let the Lawes true powre or sense be knowne Because if their true vigour should appeare These and their Structures would be overthrowne Yes they from whom he learn'd his chiefest skill Are they who tell him Law is What he will If thou shalt say his Informations are From those that in our Lawes most skilfull be And men unblam'd admitting such they were Though that is nor beleev'd nor knowne of me This I am certaine of my undertaking Was by no such meane counsell undergone Nor by a warrant of that private making But by a stronger by a publike one Ev'n by that Senate whence our Law doth spring By that great Court which is by all confest Chiefe-Counsell to the Kingdome and the King The Ladie and Commandresse of the rest By those from whom the Lawes that binde this nation Receive both being and interpretation Should I the judgement of that Court despise For their whom yet I neither heard nor saw Because a few did other waies advise More blam'd for arrogance then fam'd for Law And is it not of dangerous consequence That to his rev'rend Parliaments disgrace The King in doubtfull points should leave their sense For judgements which from private spirits passe For if a private spirit vouch'd may be Against that Court for Him why may it not Against Him be as well a vouch'd for me If to contend I powre enough had got Grant this and every man as well may hope To damne a Generall-Councell as the Pope Grant this and none can doubt the Kings intent The Protestant-Religion to maintaine And all the Freedomes of the Parliament For they are in his Bosome and his Braine And what he will yea sometime what his Groome Shall make him to beleeve or understand Though all his dictates be receiv'd from Rome Is then the Law and Gospel of the Land Most Prelates and most Iudges were the Creatures Of Princes and their Minions therefore these Make for them as their Vassals and their Debters Religion and the Lawes ev'n when they please And hence our strifes and all divisions spring Twixt GOD and us the People and the King We would not bar our Sov'raignes any powre Which fortifies or dignifies the Crowne Nor lose one lawfull Priviledge that 's our When we are well inform'd what is our owne The People did first make both Lawes and Kings And for their owne securitie did make them Then he that shall repute them to be things Ordain'd for other ends doth much mistake them Now for themselves if Lawes and Kings they made The makers had been madmen to intend They should a meaning or a Powre have had To make them uselesse to their chiefest End And give Prerogatives or meanings to them That should in stead of saving helpe undoe them True Reason therefore warrants me to say That when we see the Law a sense doth give Which taketh any publike right away Or stretcheth so the Kings Prerogative As that the Kingdome is opprest thereby Or of the publike safety brought in feare Or doubtfull of approaching tyrannie Or liable to mischiefes may appeare That sense of Law is false usurped be All such Prerogatives And nor by time Or frequent presidents oblig'd are we To let our Freedomes be infring'd by them But we should claime and take what proveth our As oft as GOD shall give us means and powre Though some Historians and the flattring Pen Have stil'd the Norman CONQVEROR nor he Nor any one before him or since then Can say that we a conquer'd Nation be For by a Composition and on termes Becomming Free-men we remain'd possest Of Liberty and WILLIAM threw downe armes Accepting of that share we valued least And had we not as well by Oath as Word Been reinvested in our Native-right That which we lost unjustly by the Sword At all times by the Sword attempt we might To re-possesse when GOD makes warrantable That enterprize by making of us able For this I partly fight not with the King But with those Miscreants who seek our harme And his abused Name and Person bring Vnwarie people by faire showes to charme And ere they shall accomplish their intent By slaving Him their projects to be friend Or by dishon'ring of the Parliament My life time in this Quarrell I will spend Or if I must unhappily survive To see our English-Honour overthrowne I will not if I may avoid it live To be a slave where I did freedome owne Nor willingly in any Land remaine In which a Tyrant call'd a King shall raigne This Quarrell above thirtie yeares before The Sword was drawne I fought in with my Pen Till I by Tyrannie was made so poore As that they thought I ne're should rise agen Without an Armie or a Parliament To side withall without one able friend Without reward without encouragement To further that which I did well intend Nay strugling through much envie and despight That Warfare I continue to this houre And in this warfare am resolv'd to fight Whilst I to hold a Sword or Pen have powre Till I have compast what in hope I have Or brought my tired bodie to the Grave For peradventure we are growne so bad So false to GOD so false in ev'rie thing Both to our selves and others and have had So many Mercies whence no fruits doe spring That God will give this present Generation To be what most deserve and some desire Ev'n to be slaves to that Abomination With which their lives are doomed to expire If so then am I called to this fight But onely that my dutie might be done And in this manner have been mov'd to write That for our sin excuse we may have none And GOD's great