The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America

The Clench

If any of these come out
So long 's the world doe last:
Then credit not a word
Of what is said and past.

ERRATA

AT NON

CORRIGENDA

Now I come to rubbe over my work, I finde five or six things like faults, which would be mended or commended, I know not well which, nor greatly care.

1. For Levity, read, Lepidity, – and that a very little, and that very necessary, if not unavoydable.

Misce stultitiam Consiliis brevem

—Dulce est desipere in loco. Horat.

To speak to light heads with heavy words, were to break their necks: to cloathe Summer matter, with Winter Rugge, would make the Reader sweat. It is musick to me, to heare every Dity speak its spirit in its apt tune: every breast, to sing its proper part, and every creature, to expresse it self in its naturall note: should I heare a Mouse roare like a Beare, a Cat lowgh like an Oxe, or a Horse whistle like a Red-breast, it would scare – mee.

The world's a well strung fidle, mans tongue the quill,
That fills the world with fumble for want of skill,
When things and words in tune and tone doe meet,
The universall song goes smooth and sweet.

2. For audacity, read, veracity, or Verum Gallice non libenter audis. Mart. Flattery never doth well, but when it is whispered through a paire of lisping teeth; Truth best, when it is spoken out, through a paire of open lips. Ye make such a noyse there, with Drums and Trumpets, that if I should not speak loud, ye could not hear me: Ye talke one to another, with whole Culvering and Canon; give us leave to talk Squibs and Pistoletto's charged with nothing but powder of Love and shot of Reason: if you will cut such deep gashes in one anothers flesh, we must sow them up with deep stitches, else ye may bleed to death: ye were better let us, your tender Countrymen doe it, than forraine Surgeons, who will handle you more cruelly, and take no other pay, but your Lives and Lands.

—– – Aspice vultus,
Ecce meos, utinamque oculos in pectore posses
Inserere: & patrias intus deprendere Curas.

    (Ovid. Phœb.
He that to tall men speakes, must lift up 's head,
And when h' hath done, must set it where he did:
He that to proud men talkes, must put on pride;
And when h' hath done, 'tis good to lay 't aside.

3. For, Yes, but you speak at three thousand miles distance, which every Coward dare doe, read, if my heart deceives me not, I would speak thus, in the Presence Chamber or House of Commons; hoping Homer will speak a good word for me.

ΕργοισιΘαρσαλεος γαρ ανηρ εν πασιν αμενων
Εργοισι. –

Omnibus in rebus potior vir fortis & audax
Sit licet hospes, & è longinquis venerit oris.

When Kings are lost, and Subjects cast away,
A faithfull heart should speak what tongue can say:
It skils not where this faithfull heart doth dwell,
His faithfull dealing should be taken well.

4. For, affected termes, read, I hope not – If I affect termes, it is my feeblenesse; friends that know me, thinke I doe not: I confesse, I see 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, unlesse I should seame-rend all. It seemes it is in fashion with you to sugar your papers with Carnation phrases, and spangle your speeches with new quodled words. Ermins in Minifer is every mans Coat: Yet we heare some are raking in old musty Charnel books, for old mouldy monosyllables; I wish they were all banisht to Monmouthshire, to returne when they had more wit.

Multa renascentur quæ jam cecidere, cadentque
Quæ nunc sunt in honore vocabula, si volet usus.

    (Hor.
I honour them with my heart, that can expresse more than ordinary matter in ordinary words: it is a pleasing eloquence; them more, that study wisely and soberly to inhance their native language; them most of all, that esteeme the late significant speech, the third great blessing of the Land; it being so enriched, that a man may speak in many tongues in his Mothers mouth; and an uplandish Rusticke, more in one word than himselfe and all the Parish understands. Affected termes are unaffecting things to solid hearers; yet I hold him prudent, that in these fastidious times, will helpe disedged appetites with convenient condiments, and bangled ears, with pretty quicke pluckes. I speake the rather because, not long since, I met with a book, the best to mee I ever saw, but the Bible; yet under favour, it was somewhat underclad, especially by him who can both excogitate and expresse what hee undertakes, as well as any man I know.

The world is growne so fine in words and wit,
That pens must now Sir Edward Nich'las it.
He that much matter speaks, speaks ne'r a whit,
If 's tongue doth not career 't above his wit.

5. For, You verse it simply, what need have we of your thin Poetry; read, I confesse I wonder at it my self, that I should turne Poet: I can impute it to nothing, but to the flatuousnesse of our diet: they are but sadden raptures soone up, soone downe.

—Deductum dicere Carmen, is highly commended by Macrobius.

Virgil himselfe said, Agrestem tenui meditabor arundine musam.

Poetry's a gift wherein but few excell;
He doth very ill, that doth not passing well.
But he doth passing well, that doth his best,
And he doth best, that passeth all the rest.

6. For tediousnesse, read, I am sorry for it – Wee have a strong weaknesse 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 so near the West pole, that our Longitudes are as long, as any wise man would wish, and somewhat longer. I scarce know any Adage more gratefull, than Grata brevitas.

Verba confer maxime ad compendium. Plaut.

Coblers will mend, but some will never mend,
But end, and end, and end, and never end.
A well-girt houre gives every man content,
Sixe ribs of beefe, are worth sixe weeks of Lent.

For, all my other faults, which may bee more and greater than I see, read, I am heartily sorry for them, before I know them, lest I should forget it after; and humbly crave pardon at adventure, having nothing that I can think of, to plead but this,

Quisquis inops peccat, minor est reus. Petron.

Poore Coblers well may fault it now and then,
They'r ever mending faults for other men.
And if I worke for nought, why is it said,
This bungling Cobler would be soundly paid?

So farewell England old
If evill times ensue,
Let good men come to us,
Wee'l welcome them to New.