Clinton, Purser & Arnold, to their Countrymen wheresoever. Wherein is described by their own hands their unfeigned penitence for their offences past: their patience in welcoming their Death, & their dutiful minds towards her most excellent Majesty. LONDON Imprinted by john Wolf and are to be sold at the middle shop in the Poultry, joining to S. Mildredes Church. Lordings that list to hear a dreary tale, where every Comma shows a corrosive: Set mirth apart, and strike your pleasant sail, my sighs may serve your loaden barks to drive, alongst the shore where sorrows Ships arrive: Whose case is such as when you shall have scanned Say as you see, and set my sighs on land. Not long since then, I held a hapless Ship, precisely rigged, and furnished for the nonce: Whom nothing crazed, till Fortune 'gan to trip, and dashed my state so stiffly 'gainst the stones, as broke my Bark, and bruised all my bones: But if I say, my sin deserved the same, In telling truth I merit meaner blame. When red as blood the Horizon appeared, about the door, which letteth forth the day, And when the morn, the mist had scarce ycleerd, amidst the Seas, we furrowed forth our way with hope before that harboured our decay. But who too late prevents alluring charms, With us too soon shall sorrow for his harms. Two lofty sail, from out the lovely East it was our hap unhaply to descry: I wish they had been further in the West, when graceless we to greet them came so nigh. But who fares well, whom Fortune doth defy. We stooped, we strake, and veiled, when we had seen, The Arms of England, and our noble Queen. We knew the Lion would not hurt the Lamb, it was not fear, that forced us to be faint, From hotter broils, too late we Victors came, to know our friends we never made it acquaint, when we 'gan yield, there needed no constraint, For both my conscience, and my God can tell I ever wished my Queen and country well. But yet eftsoons, we at her mercy are, for Life, or Death: as God and She shall please▪ These be the Notes, that make my Music jar, these be the Cliffs, to wit, my want of ease: these be the sorrows, which succeed the Seas: This is the Comma and the corrosive too That urge me more than some suppose they do. And therefore sith you see our case is such, it shall not hurt to lend us your lament: Though evil tongues abuse us ner so much, imagining untruths of our intent, there is a God can their despite prevent. What though the weak be driven to the wall, 'tis foul to triumph in an others fall. I holp the helpless, but it was my worst, good countrymen, with conscience way my case: In deed I shot, but they discharged first how could I choose but take it in disgrace, when they so fierce, defied me to my face. Admit I slew a merchant by my shot, Good friends forgive me for I wished it not. For if I had I might have harmed them more, than I or did or deigned to desire But th'English still I loved on Sea and shore, though they returned me hatred for my hire. when I am dead they have what they require. Yet I forget, forgive and pardon those, Whom I befriended to become my foes. But some could say, as secret as they seem, through our supports some perils they had passed: But strooken down, who dares of us esteem? they fly not now, but they have faund as fast, when foreign foes had made them all aghast: When they have crept, and crouched to us for aid, Like harmless birds, whom Falcones make afraid. When even the Purser, with his piece on Poop, in steed of Captain, carefully hath stood: In their defence, to make the Stallants stoop, but his reward is wandered to the wood, and they forget that ere he did them good. But were they now as weak, as erst they were, Then would they wish the silly Purser there. Some faithless French are pleased to see perhaps, that his good will hath wrought him this reward: Clapping their hands to hear of his mishaps, which had his Realm and rights in such regard, and bet them back, that else your Martes had marred. But look abroad, have care unto your Roads, And cleanse your Coasts, of such unseemly Toads. As for myself, I own a due to Death, and I respect it not, in that I die: Only the manner of my loss of breath, is cause that I for some compassion cry, My soul is saved, where ere my body lie. This makes me sigh, that faith unto my friend, Hath brought me thus, to this untimely end. Thomas Walton alias Purser. NE in furore, oh my sovereign God, reprove me not in wrath I thee desire: Let it suffice that with thy gracious rod, I meekly take my death (of sin the hire) no flesh may stand in thy consuming ire. I ask no more so thou my sins forgive, 'tis one to me if I do die or live. What else is life but as a sonny day, which every cloud discoloureth and o'rcastes What else is life but as we use to say. the more aggrieved the longer that it lasts, what else is life but like to sudden blasts. What else is life but being good or ill, The very means our souls to save or spill. Then lovely friends and such whose hap shallbe, to hear or read the tenor of my tale As you have cause conjecture so of me, whose blissless life was never free from bale, 'twere vain thus late to set myself to sale. I'll say the sooth as God shall make me able, For condemned men have little cause to fable. First then suppose that you in presence see, an aged man of no great parsonage Yet of a mind as many others be more nobly bend then seemed by mine age, who 'mongst the thickest thrust unto the Stage. To breathe abroad from my constrained breast, The smoky reeks of mine extreme unrest. Arnold I height by birth a gentleman▪ of honest parents and in Hamshire borne Well left to live when hapless I began, in Th'Irish bogs a Soldier to be sworn, howbeit a Priest was cause of all my scorn. A worthless Priest a Priest of such despite, As shadoweth that which should have given us light. This spiteful Priest too rough in his revenge, as one that sought to keep me under awe My scarcefull purse not prelatelike did clang by busy suit wherein I was too raw, as seemed by the lirch I got by law. Whose lewd demurs to lengthen out their fees Consumed my furs and clapped me up in freeze. This made me first to set my farms to sale, this drove poor Arnall out of house and home When I as rich as he that begs his ale, amongst my friends enforced was to roam, but friends are fiends when friendship should be shone. For when my cause they thoroughly understood, They said they grieved but could not do me good. What rested then when this outrageous Priest had wracked me thus that never did him wrong What rested then when fees my coin had fleecd, that reft my friends in whom I hoped so long nought as I saw but even to sing this song. From such bad Priests, law bribes, and friends Sanz faith, Deliver all good men poor Arnold saith. After a while though band, with bell and book by God and mine endeavour I obtained A silly Bark and to the Seas betook the crazed bones wherein such sorrow reigned but soon I lost what I so slightly gained. My Bark was spoiled and I on shore was set. For spiteful hap to plague me better yet. Strife, sorrow, cold, and many a care 'gan urge me now as fiercely as before But as the subtle slily slick their ware in hope to prise their merchandise the more, not recking wrong so they increase their store. So Fortune chose to use her finest charm, When sooth to say, she sought my greatest harm. For after this, upon our English Coast, from Frenchmen there, a Pinnace Purser took Of whose brave courage Britain well might boast, if so they list in his exploits to look but idle ease can no adventures brook. Purser on me this Pinnase strait bestowed, Which wrought my pain and yet his pity showed. Hence grew my grief here 'gan my bale abound, this was the path that led me forth to pain There ran the Sea which my decay did sound, thence came the cause that quelled me once again, and yet of Purser can I not complain He frankly gave what I too freely used Then blame not him for I his gifts abused. On Seas I met a sort of faithless French, that through a leak their ship had wellnigh lost But I in pity sought the same to stench, for which good deed they bade me far well frost, a tun of coals nought else my labour cost. These coals by law the jury did convert, To such a case as cools me at the heart. Short tale to make of force I must confess my God my life no longer would defer My Prince displeased that I did so digress, to warn the rest that otherwise might err to cut me off, it also pleased her. Yet lives he not that can in conscience say, Purser or Arnold made one English pray. But we abused our Prince's league and law, through which in deed we did deserve to die For if we live not under sovereign awe but senseless seek our own security the public weal would perish presently. As for myself as bitter as it is, Welcome sweet Death for I have done amiss. This only rests that my example charm all other men hereafter to beware For fear themselves incur as great a harm, as we whose proofs of such importance are, let rage and rigour 'mongst divines be rare, For God he knows that his extremity was only cause of my first misery. He brought my bale but his abode in laws consumed myself and soakte my substance dry No other like when men will strive for straws, which (though he caused) yet I forgive him I and quietly I am content to die. Far well vain world with thine alluring shows, And welcome Death the end of all my woes. FINIS Arnold. Clinton to his Country men AMongst the most not lest in his laments, give Clinton leave to wail his inward woes Whose sore mishap whose sharp and hard events sufficient method for his matter shows but who can alter what the heavens dispose. Let mortal men determine what they list, The heavenly powers their purpose can resist. Then mourn with me the stay of vain estate, whose brickle steps are slippery and unsure What though proud Fortune puffed up with hate, untimely thus my timeless end procure, I reck her not her rage can not endure. Her greatest triumph I esteem as toys, For why my hope disharbours mine annoys. Though not my power yet may my piteous plaints without offence be thrust amongst the rest Alas my Lordings what? they are not saints, is sin unseen because it is suppressed? no, God doth search the secrets of the breast. And surely such are more than most unwise. That think sin safe, not seen with mortal eyes. The bushy wood, the grove, th'obscured hur'st, the secret cave, the surging furrowed Seas Whereon to venture I too venturous durst as now I feel unto my want of ease lie plain as plaits when th'heavenly power shall please. No ship so swift their speedy passage make But with a trice he can them over take. Wealth, worldly wit, Ambition or Renown, nor ought on earth so permanent abides But fickle Fortune sometime pulls them down, so vain we are, so soon our honour slides, so trustless she, whose mirth to mischief glides. Our pains endure our pleasures are but short, But what avails the heedless to exhort. Myself sometime not lest in Fortune's love may best give instance of her great disgrace Which whilom lived amidst the heave and shove. and 'mongst the proudest gained the chiefest place, till trustless she 'gan turn away her face. Till she (too sharp) returned me check and mate And topside-turvy turned mine estate. Besides myself who bore so brave a sway, who reigned more than I that ruled the roast? Who durst resist if I did him gainsay? and boldly be it spoke withouten boast, who more than Clinton scowrd in every coast who holp the helpless more, (say what they shall) Then Clinton did that came at every call. A world to see how wretched tongues are bend, to thunder forth the fables which they feign who with their lewd illusions so content, they blaze abroad what cometh in their brain, when (God he knows) they wots not what they say Condemning Clinton for the cruellest Rover, That eversaild Sea, and yet their mouths run over Yet such they are, as work my present woe as unacquainted with my better deeds And I have rescue many as they know, but my good works are choked up with weeds, such kankered malice their supposes feeds. The Londoners whereof I need not boast Regard me lest whom I have favoured most. But who can cure so venomous a sly, as slanders forge in credulous conceits My nommed heart that frozen was before, for thought of this amidst my sorrows sweats. their false report like rust my credit eats. Their double tongues although they do me wrong, Are only cause I sing this Swan-like song. Poor I that sought to pleasure each oppressed, pdore I that sought to cure another's pain Poor I that watched when others took their rest, poor I that did my country's cause maintain poor I that saved, must now myself be slain. Poor I that wished my Queen and country's wealth Am now suppressed, but hope upholds my health. Then give me leave to breath abroad my moans, whose life or death my Prince may take or give And though they stand like stocks & senseless stones whom I have holp whilst I in hap did live, and sooner might have filled an empty siue. The time hath been when they to please me priest, But now they dare not cause, I am distressed. who more my foes then whom I pleasured most who seek my life, but such as plain of peace who dig my grave, who persecute my ghost, who to procure my ruin sooner press, Then hate and slander coupled in a lease? But God is just and he in mercy will, Forgive my sins and plague them for their ill. Lo Lordings thus I leave my last adieu for you to scan what ere of me become 'Twere vain for me to tell that were untrue, you may believe what I herein have done my pain is past though yet my glass doth run. This grieves me most that many a poor man lacks The gelt that I have given the Sea by sacks. FINIS. Clinton.