The prisoner's Observation by way of Complaint.  
 

Stay gentle Passenger and take a view,  
perhaps of passages you never knew:  
Hoh, look about you, and pray please to hear,  
see something like a Prison very near.  
What say you so? now I will look again,  
what makes thus peeping all these honest men?  
Pray, what's the matter that you here are stayed,  
In these sad Times; for Debts, will they be paid  
With being so restrained? No, for this way,  
will bring Men, Wives, and Children to decay:  
Kind Friend be not displeased, 'tis for no ill  
I speak, read this, and then do what you will.   
ARe not those men composed of cruelty,  
that crowed us Debtors up in misery;  
Starving us quite, as much as in them lies,  
not minding either wife or children's cries,  
Our Times, our Money, Persons, and Estates,  
wasted unmanly, cooped in iron grates;  
Our liberty infringed our Trades decay,  
we locked in prison yet they still cry Pay,  
A thing so far beyond man's reach or care,  
as is to build a Castle in the air,  
And to perform it, prisoners are so far  
disabled, as from Heaven to pull a star,  
Can men make this Religion thus to do,  
which guides them as they would be done unto?  
No such belief have I, for doubtless then,  
their actions would express them milder men.  
But by fierce malice, mischiefs cursed brood,  
which hath dependence on the devil shoode,  
So far transports them, that the evil brought,  
against some others, their own loss hath wrought,  
For such as some men's fortunes have withstood,  
oft in conclusion do themselves no good,  
And that such men are crossed it is no wonder,  
which strive to rend men's livelihoods asunder,  
But walk they ne'er so close, the supreme power,  
can bring to light their hatred every hour,  
And so unmask them, that at distance far,  
men may descry grim Gripe the usurer.  
Hark how the Beagle barks at those that hail,  
this helpless son of Adam to the jail,  
Vnmonefied and freindlesse stuffed with grief,  
not knowing when or where to have relief,  
His cloak, his hat, and band, are drove astray,  
and all his wit at once another way,  
His wife and children now must seek their bread,  
and every one whereon to rest his head,  
Caused by hard-hearted men, nay, Monsters which,  
forsake all goodness to be worldly rich,  
The Officer stands fitted at the door,  
to shop him where he never was before,  
Thus being housed his adversary then,  
may in one quarter wish him forth again,  
For why? his money spends his house lies wast,  
and now to pay, no means, no time, no haste,  
If this can raise a Force, or force a way,  
to strengthen debtors their just debts to pay,  
I'll leave it to the Creditors to think,  
whose coin must pass for lodging meat and drink,  
Empting our purses fills our hearts with pains,  
Ruins our stocks, and brings the prison gains,  
All debts unsatisfied, men made so poor,  
they cannot pay a part, though all before;  
Mark what imprisonment doth still produce,  
some greatly pine with grief, some are profuse,  
For sparkie spirits spend at first most brave,  
no thought of any future want they have,  
some do revive from dulness, and say, let's,  
be merry, sorrow never paid men's debts:  
Thus are whole families brought low and poor,  
being curbed within a noisome prison door,  
Which have lived bravely, and might do so still,  
might not hard-hearted men have all their will,  
Of force the creditor must greatly lose,  
for Ned and Dick and Will must have their fees,  
Than all is spent the poor man made a slave,  
guarded with troops of vermin 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 restrained for debt,  
had but large time and days of payment set,  
Their friends, their means, and all they muster could,  
to gain their freedom thus eclipsed they would,  
And might obtain it too, and in effect,  
give brave content, as creditors expect,  
And might with valour truly serve the State,  
in these sad days our Rights to propagate,  
Not fearing might set forth by fleshly aid,  
but serving God, why should we be afraid,  
Who will protect his people that indeed,  
Seek him for succour in a day of need,  
Whose promises are just, and will endure,  
in spite of opposition firm and sure,  
Why should we then despair 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, mercy evermore,  By Francis mussel. 
FINIS.   

Printed Feb. 4. 1645.