IUDGE BARKELY HIS PENITENTIALL COMPLAINT: Wherein he laments the Condition of his present Imprisonment, and the late Corruptions of violated and inforced IUSTICE.
WHat wonder's this, to heare a Terme should be
Gone off, and yet Vacation still with me?
That I should owne the leasure to rehearse
My Cause to'th Stones, and plead my Griefes in Verse:
That I who ballanc'd Right, and in her Scale
Did raise or sinke her to make Wrong prevaile,
Should now lye lost to Justice, and inferre
My selfe an Exile to her Hall and her;
Should feare her sentence, and should hide my face
(Where once I sate) from her Tribunall place.
Judgement proves then most happy, when the Law
Of Truth and Goodnesse doth the Conscience awe.
Nor can he quickly into danger fall,
Who to himselfe lives a law rationall.
But when the showes of Honour or of Gaine
Grow on the heart, and doe corrupt the braine,
Reason doth startle, and th'affections straight
Prove conquer'd Captives to that golden bair.
Why should those thicke and glittering spangles, that
Doe dance in glory on the robes of State,
Trouble the knowing minde to gaze upon
Their flattering splendors, or to put them on?
But that's not all; for when that fatall Vice
(That Turke 'mongst Christians) sordid Avarice,
Leads her blacke Army up, and doth begin
To make the heart and Usurer to Sin;
Then Peace, Religion, Safety, Justice, all
Who owne to Grace or Honour, humbled fall
Before that tyrant Fiend whose irefull doome
Breaches nought but ruine, rage, and martyrdome,
Who bribes the Law, and what was made so strong
To speake our Right, makes Law to speake it Wrong.
These were my faults, made happy did they guest
But in one Inne, or lodg'd but in my Brest:
But when that Justice on her knees shall fall
To beg the Judge to doe her right, and call
Her spotlesse Ermines to his eye, and wrong'd,
Desire that grace to have her Cause prolong'd
Untill some happy Parliament should raise
New strength to her unnerved hand, and praise
Her faint and labouring pulses, make her know
Holds she the Ballance in her hand, or no,
To lend her eyes, and from their gracious tongues
Infuse new breath to her despairing lungs,
When Life and Honour lay upon the stake,
And Justice dumbe, while Falshoods tongue did ake,
My sadded bloud sickens to whay, and while
That Right now laughes, I gratulate her smile.
That Hand of Justice which I downe did beare,
Strikes now repentance through me, which no eare
Can heare and spare no griefes, nor passing by
Can any see but with a bleeding eye.
Let all my Lawes he broken, let the wheele
Of Fortune split, and her Atturneyes reele.
It is a glad and happy sinne would prove
It selfe reform'd to every good mans love:
Thus much my penitence can doe, but this
Is good begotten from too much amisse.
Though cold my hopes, and my more sad affaires
Doe pull more winter on my snow-touch'd haires,
I now learne Justice, patient I learne more
Then ere her Agent I perform'd before:
And shall decree what ever way she's bent,
Just is my fate, as just the Parliament.
Printed in the yeare 1641.