The honest ghost, or, A voice from the vault

After his Assesse at Penrith; Addressed to his Honour.

January 31. 1655.

HOw now! Mount I to twenty pounds Assesse, When my Rint-charges rise to such a rate As no inferiour Judgement could hold lesse Then free indulgence to my squiezed State? You doom, I melt; shall I the Cause impart? Your Honours civill usage won my heart.

Yet that those Grounds were good I stood upon, Peruse these Reasons, Sir, and I have don.

What's twenty pounds Assesse to him that may Improve the State more by his Pen then Pay; When He to forraine Nations shall make knowne The Bounty and great Pity you have showne To State-Delinquents! when with face to face They 'r look'd upon like Children of Grace. As th' late Act of Oblivion seem'd to approve, That we were all One Familie of love. Thrice Sacred Cement! when Revenge must cease; And Patience smile on forepast Injuries. By which your Fame might to Successions ring; "To have Power and not to doe, 's a noble thing: A Princely-Lyon Ire: when hostile force Puts off the Roabs of Rage, and donns Remorce. No Marble, Topaz, Ivory, Thracian Stone Could reare you Shrines more to be look't upon; Nor more admir'd: Statues are works of time, True worth admits no period nor decline.

Now to my selfe;—Should I in briefe relate The forme of th' Spartan or the Theban State In their necessitous times; you might perceive What Priviledges they to Pen-men gave: For by their* 1.1 Annals I shall make 't appeare From all Assessments They exempted were.

First, that their Writings might disperse their Fame; Next, that their Penns more gingerly might blame The Errors of those times: and Palliate In a smooth Style th' Abuses of the State: Seeking by artfull secret mists to smother The Soile of Sinne, but to display the Other.

Sometimes have I extoll'd you in this sort, And if too much, pray God forgive me for't. Nor did I onely in that Land-skip show State-virtues, but emergent vices too. "Good faces are with* 1.2 Moals much beautifide; "Venus seem'd fair'st, when Nais sat beside. "Vice setts off Vertue best:—No 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spread "Their Lustre more, then when they 'r set in Lead. There's none that ever knew me One of those That for a* 1.3 Diadem could learn to gloze. For had I practised the Art to Flatter "Th' increase of Fortune had deprav'd my Nature. Yet had I prov'd Proficient in that Art, I'le tell you, Sir, the secrets of my Heart, (For I dare venture to unrivet it To one of Honour, Judgement, Worth and Wit,) I'm confident, I had not so long waited On your Commission to be Decimated.

Since SELDAN that Authentick Instrument And constant Servant to the Parlament, Directly prov'd no Tenths at all were due Unto the Clergy; then much lesse to you. Whom though our* 1.4 Rabbies labour'd to confute, They might have Silence kept with more repute: For such Antiquity and Reason met As his Assertions were not answer'd yet.

BESIDES all this; the Spartan State decree'd That all such Parents as their Children breed In Arts and Studies of Philosophie From all Assessments should exempted be: And by deductions from Rint-charges granted Supply those Tacklings Education wanted. Which Law one day when Cleon did oppose, Tyrtaeus in defence oth' Edict rose, Saying; "If these so neare us might not share "In our Provision and Parentall care; "May this strict opposition be obey'd "And al Male-children henceforth Eunuchs made. Which smart Reply drove th'Court to such a laugh∣ter As the like Motion ne're was heard of after. To those object, "'Tis folly to delay "This Grand Assesse, our Souldiers must have pay; My answer is; "I'm Natures deepest debter; "I love a Souldier well, but Children better. But since I must their Benefactor prove, Their prayers, me thinks, should gratify my love.

But though I pay them more then does become me. They pray not for me, but they prey upon me.

When aged Priam or'e Sackt Troy did reigne, Never had he more Children to maintaine; Must I dis-owne whom Nature bids me owne, To furnish Those, to whom I am unknowne? The case is Ours: let Application draw From th' Spartan Act, life to an English Law: For if such Masters worse then Ethnicks be Provide not for a private Familie; Those Fathers, surely, should be held unfit To live, who take no care of those they git. "Those wild Oats youth has sowne, Old age must reap thē. "And what we got, an other must not keepe them.

Deare Sir give eare; what Native Love alledges Concerns us all; the tender of our Pledges. But you 'r so truly Noble; as no feare Of your just Care dares put in Anchor heere.

Your most devotionall decimated Servan•…•… R. B.

With your HON. Certificate, let me partake this noble favour from your approved Goodnesse: To have my Assesse (after the merit of my Cause) respited, till my repair to London, which I purpose (God wil∣ling) early next Month. Where I hope by application and your HON. assistance, to mitigate, if not whol∣ly mediate my Assesse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Panorm. de Jure Civili. C. X. Conrad. de Magi∣strali discip. C. 5. Palud. de Antiq. Leg. L. 3. C. 6. Carnead. de Princip. Regim. C. 8. Paragraph. 7. Pelarg. in Quaest. Aristocrat. fol. 30. Camerar. de Gest. Orient. Li. Z. C. 6.
• * 1.2

  Choicest Perfections art best discovered by their Opposites.
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 Places of Corresponsive esteeme and benefit prose•…•…d me if my •…•…etired Condition would have en∣tertai•…•… any such Remo•…•…a's to Privacy and Con•…•…em∣plation: or could have stoop'd to that servile lure of Assentation.
• * 1.4

  B. Mountagu•…•…. B. White. Dr. Helyn. Mr. Wotten. Mr. Burton, &c.