Omnibus in rebus potior vir fortis & audax When Kings are loft, and Subjects caft away, If 4. For, affected termes, read, I hope not I affect termes, it is my feebleneffe; friends that know me, think I doe not: I confeffe, I fee 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, unleffe I should feame-rend all. It feemes it is in fashion with you to fugar your papers with Carnation phrafes, and fpangle your fpeeches with new quodled words. Ermins in Minifer is every mans Coat. Yet we heare fome are raking in old mufty Charnel books, for old mouldy monefyllables; I wish they were all banifht to Monmouthshire, to return when they had more wit. Multa renafcentur quæ jam cecidere, cadentque I honour them with my heart, that can expreffe more than ordinary matter in ordinary words: it is a pleasing eloquence; them more that study wifely and foberly to inhance their native language; them most of all, that esteem the late fignificant fpeech, the third great blessing of the Land; it being fo enriched, that a man may speak many Tongues in his Mothers mouth mouth and an uplandish Ruftick, more in one word than himselfe and all the Parish understands. Affected termes are unaffecting things to folid hearers; yet I hold him prudent, that in these fastidious times, will helpe difedged appetites with convenient condiments, and bangled ears, with pretty quicke pluckes. I speak the rather because, not long fince, I met with a book, the best to me I ever faw, but the Bible, yet under favour, it was fomewhat underclad, efpecially by him who can both excogitate and expreffe what hee undertakes, as well as any man I know. The world is growne fo fine in words and wit, 5. For, You verfe it fimply, what need have we of your thin Poetry; read, I confeffe I wonder at it my self, that I should turne Poet: I can impute it to nothing, but to the flatuoufneffe of our diet: they are but sudden raptures foone up, foone downe. --Deductum dicere Carmen, is highly commended by Macrobius. Virgil himself said, Agreftem tenui meditabor arundine mufam. Poetry's a gift wherein but few excell; He doth very ill, that doth not paffing well. But he doth paffing well, that doth his beft, And he doth beft, that paffeth all the reft. M 3 6. For 6. For, tediousneffe, read, I am forry for it—We have a strong weakneffe 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 fo near the Weft pole, that our Longitudes are as long, as any wife man would wifh, and fomewhat longer. I fcarce know any Adage more gratefull: than Grata brevitas. Verba confer maxime ad compendium. Plaut. Coblers will mend, but fome will never mend, Sixe ribs of beefe, are worth fixe weeks of Lent. For, all my other faults, which may bee more and greater than I fee, read, I am heartily forry for them, before I know them, eaft I fhould forget it after; and humbly crave pardon at adventure, having nothing that I can think of, to plead but this, Quifquis inops peccat, minor eft reus. Petron. Poore Coblers well may fault it now and then, So So farewell England old Let good men come to us, Wee'l welcome them to New. And farewell Honor'd Friends, And farewell fimple world, If thou'lt thy Cranium mend, There is my Laft and All, And a Shoem-Akers END. |