The honest ghost, or, A voice from the vault

For the Right Honorable CHARLES HOVVARD, Commander in chiefe over Cumberland, Westmerland, and Northumberland, Upon the Decimation.

DEign Sir, in your perusall of these lines, "To cleare their Score, who'r cleare of all Designes: "Which crowns your Honor; when those Shires that beare "Your fair Commands, are only now found cleare. Though change of State, no doubt, some level'd at, Twixt hopes & feares: But husht! no more of that. Assess'd afresh! what have we done or said That this new Taxe should on our States be laid? Deare Goldsmiths Hall six tedious yeares ago Brought the Revenues of our State so low`

As with Rent-Charges, we may safe aver, Some of our Lands ly now in Lavender. Such is the Burthen our condition feeles, As we can scarcely keepe our Cart oth' Wheeles. Weigh our calme temper too, how all our time We made the Muses Ward-robe our designe: And those who were not qualifide that way, For Grazing or for Culture made assay. No Project nor State-action plundg, our braine, "To know God and our selves was our sole aime. And merits this a Censure, pray you say! Must our Retirement this Assesment pay? To th' world we appeale!—where we doe live, Our precious Minutes are contemplative. Our thoughts act not for Changes: our content Is to dispose our Soules to th' government Of their affections: They that have arriv'd And seene as many yeeres as we have liv'd, Should make 't their onely taske their souls to save: And in e'ch pace to measure out his Grave. This, is our Warfare: if 't be held unfit Teach us some other Trade, weel practise it. But to finde out a safer way then this Trace Heaven and Earth, we know not where it is. This all Saints us'd, where were we joyn'd in one, Wee 'd hold our Passage happy to be gone. Weake be our nerves and arteries to fight, "Heav'ns Ord'nance is the Shot gives us delight: And in these aged-deafned Eares sound louder Then any Shot that takes his Charge from Pouder.

From the first Warre some have not struck astroke But from the Campe betook them to their booke. Or if their profit did not that way look, They plide the Plough-share or the Sheepheards Crooke, For we collected by our Conquering Foes, What Heav'n decreed 't was folly to oppose.

For this, our Composition has beene payd, Wherein his GRACE afforded One such ayd, That even in Gold-smiths Hall He did apply His hand, and sought their fine to qualify: Had not a Ridge of Hasles stood ith' way And with a rough obstruction rais'd his pay. "Burn't Child fire dreads: Our pennance has beene such, We acted little, but wee suffer'd much. Had no mans hand beene Conscious of more guilt, Much blood had beene preserv'd, that has been spilt. Some of us may be Hermits for our yeares, There 's no occasion then from us of feares. Besides, SOME Justices were call'd of late, Which would sound harshly to a ruin'd State. Doe not Assesse us then, vnlesse 't be showne; That we enjoy more fortunes then our owne; Much lesse, I'me sure, then we might justly claime: "Heav'ns steere our Bark in this tempestuous Maine.

`Your self 's the North-Starre y^t directs our Saile, Geere our Land-voyage with a prosperous Gale. Pensions, Debts, Portions have our States so reft, Like Banbery Cheese, there 's nought save pairings left: And if we must both Crum and Crust forgo Wee'l welcome want, because heav'n order'd so; In hope, when you these Golden Mines obtaine, These Taxes shall be paide us back againe▪

But Grace appeares!—th' Instructions give consent That those who entertaine this Government With a Compòsed and Submissive will Should be exempt from this Assessing Bill: And, sure, Experience taught us so much wit To know what Soveraignty is, and to submit. Wee'r now become Good Boyes (thanks be to God) First take correction, after kisse the Rod. "They who intend t'improve their Means at Court "Must take a wrong and give a Congie for 't. Tender the favour these instructions shew, "So yours prey not on us, wee 'l pray for you: Wishing with all our hearts, Heav'n would decre Our Purse as full, as wee'r of Charitie. If all this will not doe, we hope our Zeale Unto the State will grant us an Appeale; Wherein by plea if we appeare not free, May this same Grand Assesse re-doubled bee. But rather then offend, wee'l meekly fall Under your Doome, without Appeale at all. —This renders no disgust; So you reprive us, Wee'l try what benefit the Law may give us;

Wherein if we unfortunately slip, Wee'l hold th' Adventure worse then HAMDENS Ship. Should none of all these Arrows hit the marks, But like Tiresias Shafts be shot ith' darke;

Our onely way to cement this Division Is to officiate and take th' Commission. Which, if it may with your affection sute, To th' Tenure of that Writ, wee'l execute: And doe as justly too, or wee'd be sory, As wee were dealt withall,—so ends the story▪

Notes

• Nonne major nobis concedenda est gratia, amplior Cle∣mentia primo a Bello cessantibus & pacificè degenti∣bus, quam iis, qui in Castris assidue fuerunt versati us∣que ad ultimum Worcestriae certaminis exitum?
• Prickt, though not personally summon•…•…d.
• Should a Case of Necessity he urged; the like was in that Argument of Ship-money pretended: and by some of our judicioust and sincerest Judges evinced and held illegall.