A single si quis

P R

2392

S5

1840

MAIN

25E 7 hi

SINGLE SIQUIS.

BY

GEORGE WITHER.

PRINTED IN THE YEAR MDCXLVIII.

REPRINTED
1840.

66-

PREFACE.

THE original of this little Tract is in quarto, and of rare occurrence*
It was written in consequence of the neglect which one of the Author's
Petitions met with from the Puritan Parliament. Wither states his
losses in the Civil Wars to have been great ; such assertions must, how-
ever, be received with suspicion, not being corroborated by facts on re^
cord. When first seized with the rebellious fever, he was merely lease-
holder of a Farm at Wanborough, near Farnham, in Surrey ; not having,
(as he admits in his " Justiciarius Justificatus,") any land of his own*
The loss he sustained, was a portion of the Stock of this Farm 5 and
according to the evidence of his neighbours, before a committee for the
county of Surrey, it did not exceed Three Hundred Pounds ; having sold
great part of the property, and received money for it, prior to his house
being entered by the Royalists. There is likewise a discrepancy in his
own version of the affair ; the first edition of " Campo Musae," in 1643,
states the sum to be One Thousand ; and subsequent editions, Two
Thousand Pounds. Be this as it may, he represents himself, after this
loss, to be worth nothing :

« Foes

" Of all I had have quite despoiled me."

The following computation will shew, that Wither quickly contrived,
ex nihil, to finger the property of others, to the tune, altogether, of more
than Ten Thousand Pounds.

Without reckoning upwards of £.2000, ordered to be paid him at
different times previous to 1648 ; or £.1300, the amount of his joint
purchase of two Manors in Hampshire ; and also omitting his profits out of
the ad valorem allowance made by Parliament, in 1649 ; to Colonel
Humphreys, George Wither, and seven others ; as Trustees, appointed to
ferret out — secure — value — and sell — the jewels, wearing apparel, and
other effects, of the unfortunate King Charles and his family ; Wither's
accompt of loss and gain, during the Usurpation, is shown (in round
numbers) at tke ensuing page.

M580914:

PREFACE.

LOSS.

Stock from the Farm at Wan-
borough ; as stated in Wither's
first edition of " Campo Musae." 1000

GAIN.

Money said to have beeii bor-
rowed for the service of the
State, [vide Commons' Journals,
1 f>50- 1, and the Petition printed
with his " Epistle at Random",
1650.]

TOTAL £.1700

£.

By plunder of Royalists, in 1643 ;
as admitted by Wither in his
" Petition and Narrative,"
1658-9 200

The Manor of Bently, with the
Farm called Berry Court. All
the Borough and Privileges of
Goxport, in the parish of A l-
verstoke, with the gift of the
Parsonage ; the Mills ; the Roy-
alties, &c. bought by Wither
and hisjWife in 1648. [Vide
the Will of Elizabeth Wither.] 1100

Hantden (Hambledon) Manor
bought by Wither, 1650-1.
[Vide Gale's Hist, of Win-
chester Cathedral.] 3700

Grant by Parliament in 1650-1
out of Denham's Estate,
[Horksley Hall in Essex] and
accepted by Wither in lieu of
c£.2200, of his claim on the
State. [Vide Commons' Jour-
nals, 1650-1, and " Petition and
Narrative," 1658-9] 2200

Residue of the said Estate,
bought by Wither at the same
time. .

1600

Cash received by Privy Seal

out of the Exchequer, in 165C. 300

TOTAL £.9100

The above statement renders the truth of Wither's eternal com-
plaints of poverty, during the Commonwealth, somewhat more than
questionable. His Bishop's lands (sold by the Puritans for £.4800)
remained in his possession, from the years 1648, and 1651, to the
Restoration in 1660 ; and no allusion whatever is made to their value,
until the just claim of the rightful Owner compels him to anticipate the
loss of them ; then, by way of making out a strong case of distress,
he confesses, (in his " Fides Anglicana") that he is " in danger to lose
totally between five and six hundred pounds per annum, in Prelates'
Lands." Wither was a strange compound of religion and roguery.
Like his fellow Saints, or Dissenters, (the words are synonymous,) his
pious zeal consisted in attacking the Church ; talking much of the Lord;
:iinl thinking more of Himself.

London, 1840.

B. P.

A Single SI QUIS and a Quadruple
QUERE, with the Occasions of them,
presented to the Members of the honor-
able House of Commons, touching a
Petition, with certain Verses annexed,
and lately laid at their feet in the said
House of Commons, by Major G. W.

THE SI QUIS, AND THE OCCASION OF IT.

THAT day,*1 in which victorious Cromwell sent
His first express, (to your great wonderment)
Of Hamilton's defeat ; which, whilst a Scot
Shall be remember'd, will not be forgot ;
Ev'n on that day, before your feet I spread,
A sad petition, humbly prefaced,
By these ensuing lines ;

' He that is prostrate on the floor,
Lies there, whence he can fall no lower :
So does this Orator of your.

' Petitions, he, hath oft' convey'd
Into your hands, yet finds no aid;
These, therefore, at your feet are laid,

* J Wednesday, August 23rd, 1648 — ' This day came a full
relation to the House under Lt. Gen. Cromwell's owne hands,
of the great victory against the fteots.'

"Perfect Diurnal," No.lGS.

A SINGLE SI QUIS.

' Where, let them not neglected lie,
Nor, unregarded, throw them by,
But view them with a gracious eye,

1 And let our parents not provoke
Their children, till offence be took,
By which, their patience may be broke.

1 Consider those who lie below ;
For you shall reap what you do sow ;
And find such mercy, as you show.

1 Refresh their spirits, who are sad,
As God, this day, hath made you glad,
By those good tidings you have had.

' Among the rest, this Beadsman here,
That feels the wants, which they but fear,
Who dread th' effects of this moist year.

' And blame him not, that thus he shows
His cause, as well in verse as prose,
And in a path untrodden goes.

' For scarce earth, water, air, or fire
Enjoys he; or, wherewith to hire,
That pittance*2 nature doth require.

*2 In July, 1648, [just prior to this doleful tale,] Wither
was joint purchaser, with Thomas Allen, of the Manor of
North Waltham, in Hampshire, for £. 964 ; and shortly after
[Sept. 1648] we find him coupled with Nicholas Love, as buyer
of the Manor of Itchinswell in the same county for £. 1756.
Both these worthies appear to have been notorious characters ;
the name of Thomas Allen occurs amongst those who tried
the Royalist Peers, and that of Nicholas Love will be found
in the list of Regicides, 1648-9, but more particularly noticed
in the Act of Attainder, [xii. Charles II.] as one of the "wicked
and active instruments in the murder of the King." — He made
a timely escape out of England; to avoid the unpleasant opera-
tion of losing his head.

The Poet's uncle, John Wither, of Manydown Farm, near
Wootton St. Lawrence, married J vatic "Love, of Basing, Hants.

A SINGLE SI QUIS.

f And, men in danger to be drown'd,
Lay hold on any trifle found,
To re-convey them safe aground.

' But his annexed paper view,
And let him favor'd be of you,
As that which it avers, is true.

' And, if for that, which he prefers
His suit, there stand Competitors,
Let it be neither his, nor theirs,
But, as most equitable, it appears/

These (to my prayer fixed) for your view,

I left upon the pavement, and withdrew ;

In hope some kind hand, would have been

extended

To raise it, that my cause might be commended
To free debate. But, six days now are gone,
And, God, since then, the favor late bestown
Doubles and triples upon you ; yet, I
Still at your door, unheard, unheeded, lie ;
And find not so much as a friend, by whom
To learn, what of those Papers is become.
Of private searches, therefore, being weary,
I set up now, a Si Quis,*3 and a Quere,
And, thus, it follows here : ' IF ANY MAN,
' Who sits, within your walls, instruct me can,
' How I may know, what hand convey'd away
' My Prayer from your sight, upon the day

Si Quis, — An obsolete term for a hand bill, usually com-

A SINGLE SI QUIS.

' Of your glad tidings : or, if he that seiz'd
' Those humbled papers, will be nobly pleas' d
' So to produce them, that I may obtain
' Due remedy, for what they do complain ;
' It shall beget a servant, who will strive
' To merit those occasions it may give
' Of that obligement : and, for his reward,
' Shall gain him prayers too; which will be

heard
' For him, and his, perchance, when feel they

may,
' What 'tis to be neglected, when we pray. '

But whatsoe're effect vouchsafed be ;

God bless the King,*4 the Parliament and Me.

THE QUADRUPLE QUERE, AND THE OCCASION
OF IT.

Your House receiving notice, twelve months

since,

Of my long-sufferings, and known indigence,
(Occasion' d by your service,) thought it fit,
To some selected Members, to commit

*4 King Charles the First, at this period, it was thought,
might be reconciled to the Puritans.— So [with Wither] it was
" God bless the King" and Parliament — Afterwards he dedi-
cated hymns of thanksgiving, for the anniversary of the
Monarch's death, to John Bradshaw, [aptly termed the
" devil's masterpiece"] and, at the restoration of Charles the
Second, solemnly vowed he never intended aught against
the "person or dignity" of the murdered King! although

" God's Justice,

" Power, and Mercy, all were manifest,

" When of his throne the King he dispossest,

" And took away both Crown and Life."

Wither'* " British Appeals," p. 22.

A SINGLE SI QUIS.

The finding an employment, to supply
Subsistence, till my great necessity
Might be removed, by discharging, that
Which is yet owing to me, by the State:*5
And, having long, without success attended,
I now, at last, by them, am recommended
To serve as one of those Commissioner sJG
By whom, supreme authority confers
Wine Licenses. Wherein, since, there appears,
With me, nor few, nor mean Competitors ;
And that the place, hath been aspersed by
Some, lately, as a Grand Monopoly,
I humbly make these Queries.

' FIRST, whether he, that hath suspected been,
' To hate that Cause, which you engage us in,

*5 The State, on the 9th of February, 1642-3, permitted
Captain Wither to plunder the Royalists ad libitum; which he
turned to such good account, that his gain is said to have " far
exceeded his loss." — Although very minute on most points
connected with himself; Wither does not favour his readers
with the details of this burglarious carte blanche ; but merely
says, after being called to account by Parliament, that he got
£.200 " or thereabout."

t6 These Commissioners were created by letters patent under
the Great Seal ; and the power vested in them was that of
granting Licenses [according to certain pecuniary regulations]
for selling Wines by retail. — King Charles the Second, on his
restoration, appointed a new set of Commissioners by Act of
Parliament ; which induced several persons to petition for a
confirmation of the previous appointments made by his father,
or to be allowed some remuneration for their loss. The Peti-
tioners stated, that the " Usurping Powers did not annul their
letters patent ;" that some of the old Commissioners had com-
pounded with the Commonwealth for the same ; that during
the disorders " all, who would, sold wine without license ;"
and that " no grants had been made since the year 1643."

According to this account, neither Wither or his Competi-
tors were made Commissioners; and the " Grand Monopoly"
was not officially, [although virtually] abolished by the
Puritans.

A SINGLE SI QUIS.

' Standing Competitor with him that's known
' To hazard for it, more than all his own ;
' Can be prefer'd, without a wrong, to you,
' And an encroachment, on the others due 1

' NEXT whether, a Competitor defam'd
1 For breach of trust, (by whomsoever nam'd,)
' Ought rather, by your votes, to be befriended,
' Than he, that to your House is recommended
' By your own Members 1 and, 'gainst whom,

no man
' Exhibit, justly, an Impeachment can.

' THEN, whether, he your grace deserveth

best,

' Who hath for you, lost all his interest,
' In outward things 1 or they, whose wealth is

more
' Since these Distractions, then it was before 1

1 AND LASTLY whether ought may be compriz'd
' Among things, judg'd, to be Monopoliz'd,
' When all the profits, which from thence arise,
' Are brought into the public Treasuries 1
' And, whereof, neither one alone, nor few,
' But ev'ry man receives his proper due.'

Consider, I beseech you, but of these
Few Queries, and then do as you shall please :

For, though my hopes in these poor suits may

fail,

Yet, in my noblest aim, I shall prevail.
Yea, ere this land hath rest, a day will be,
In which there shall be some regard of me ;
And, wherein, that which is perus'd with jeers,
Shall fill their scornful readers full of fears.

FIAT VOLUNTAS DEI.

G. WITHER.

YB 77074

U.C.BERKELEY LIBRARIES