The
PRISONERS Observation by way of
Complaint.
Stay gentle Passenger and take a view,
perhaps of passages you never knew:
Hoh, looke about you, and pray please to heare,
see something like a Prison very neere.
What say you so? now I will looke agen,
what makes thus peeping all these honest men?
Pray, whats the matter that you here are staid,
In these sad Times; for Debts, will they be paid
With being so restrain'd? No, for this way,
will bring Men, Wives, and Children to decay:
Kinde Friend be not displeas'd, 'tis for no ill
I speak, Reade this, and then doe what you will.
ARe not those men compos'd of cruelty,
that crow'd us Debtors up in misery;
Starving us quite, as much as in them lies,
not minding either wife or childrens cries,
Our Times, our Money, Persons, and Estates,
wasted unmanly, coopt in iron grates;
Our liberty infring'd our Trades decay,
we lockt in prison yet they still crie Pay,
A thing so farre beyond mans reach or care,
as is to build a Castle in the ayre,
And to performe it, pris'ners are so farre
disabled, as from Heaven to pull a starre,
Can men make this Religion thus to doe,
which guides them as they would be done unto?
No such beleife have I, for doubtlesse then,
their actions would expresse them milder men.
But by firce mallice, mischeifes cursed broode,
which hath dependance on the devill shoode,
So farre transports them, that the evill brought,
against some others, their owne losse hath wrought,
For such as some mens fortunes have withstood,
oft in conclusion doe themselves no good,
And that such men are crost it is no wonder,
which strive to rend mens livelihoods assunder,
But walke they ne're so close, the supreame power,
can bring to light their hatred everie houre,
And so unmaske them, that at distance farre,
men may discrie
Grym Gripe the Vserer.
Harke how the Beagle barkes at those that Hayle,
this helplesse sonne of
Adam to the Iayle,
Vnmonefi'd and freindlesse stuft with greife,
not knowing when or where to have releife,
His cloke, his hatt, and band, are drove astray,
and all his wit at once another way,
His wife and children now must seeke their bread,
and everie one whereon to rest his head,
Caus'd by hard-hearted men, nay, Monsters which,
forsake all goodnesse to be worldly rich,
The Officer stands fitted at the doore,
to shop him where he never was before,
Thus being hous'd his adversarie then,
may in one quarter wish him forth agen,
For why? his money spends his house lies wast,
and now to pay, no meanes, no time, no hast,
If this can raise a Force, or force a way,
to strengthen debters their iust debts to pay,
I'le leave it to the Creditors to thinke,
whose coine must passe for lodging meat and drinke,
Empting our purses fills our hearts with paines,
ruines our stocks, and brings the prison gaines,
All debts unsatisfied, men made so poore,
they cannot pay a part, though all before;
Marke what imprisonment doth still produce,
some greatly pine with greife, some are profuse,
For sparkie spirits spend at first most brave,
no thought of any future want they have,
some doe revive from dulnesse, and say, lets,
be merrie, sorrow never paid mens debts:
Thus are whole families brought low and poore,
being curb'd within a noisome prison doore,
Which have liv'd bravely, and might doe so still,
might not hard-hearted men have all their will,
Of force the creditor must greatly leese,
for
Ned and
Dick and
Will must have their fees,
Then all is spent the poore man made a slave,
guarded with troopes of vermine to his grave,
Now may his foes whose hearts are hard as stones,
for debts receive some dice and all his bones.
Which if such men as are restrain'd for debt,
had but large time and daies of paiment set,
Their freinds, their means, and all they muster could,
to gaine their freedome thus Eclipst they would,
And might obtaine it too, and in effect,
give brave content, as creditors expect,
And might with valour truly serve the State,
in these sad daies our Rights to propagate,
Not fearing might set forth by fleshly aide,
but serving God, why should we be afraide,
Who will protect his people that indeed,
seeke him for succour in a day of need,
Whose promises are iust, and will indure,
in spite of opposition firme and sure,
Why should we then despaire though here kept in,
as men quite dead, in trespasses and sin;
I tell you faint not, for God hath in store,
for those that love him, mercie evermore,
FINIS.
Printed Feb. 4. 1645.