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957 GeorgeWither1 Hallelujah:or Britain’s second remembrancer 1641 To the thrice honorable, the high courts of Parliament, now assembled in the triple empire of the British Isles, Geo. Wither humbly tenders this his Hallelujah, or second remembrancer Fifteen years now past, I was in some things of moment a remembrancer to these Islands, which have in many particulars so punctually and so evidently succeeded according to my predictions, that not a few have acknowledged they were not published so long before they came to pass without the special providence and mercy of God to these kingdoms.2 . . . For though it were but a bush which burned, God was the inflamer of that shrub; and, as it now seemeth, it was a beacon warrantably fired to give true alarms to prevent those dangers and innovations which then to me appeared near at hand. . . . I arrogate no more than Balaam’s ass might have done: God opened mine eyes to see dangers which neither my most prudent masters nor men as cunning as Balaam seemed to behold. God opened my mouth also and compelled me, beyond my natural abilities, to speak of that which I foresaw would come to pass. . . . For the better performance of which duty, I do now execute the office of a remembrancer in another manner than heretofore; and have directed unto you, the most honorable representative bodies of these kingdoms, the sweet perfume of pious praises, compounded according to the art of the spiritual apothecary, to further the performance of thankful devotions; hoping that by your authorities they shall, if they so merit, be recommended unto them for whose use they are prepared. And there will be need both of God’s extraordinary blessing and of your grave assistance herein. 1 {For the overview of Wither’s life and work, see the introduction prefacing his 1623 Hymns and songs of the Church .} 2 {Wither here refers to his dire prophecies of divine chastisement in the 1628 Britain’s remembrancer.} Religion in Early Stuart England, 1603–1638 958 For so innumerable are the foolish and profane songs now delighted in, to the dishonor of our language and religion, that hallelujahs and pious meditations are almost out of use and fashion; yea, not in private only, but at our public feasts and civil meetings also, scurrilous and obscene songs are impudently sung without respecting the reverend presence of matrons, virgins, magistrates, or divines. Nay, sometimes in their despite they are called for, sung, and acted with such abominable gesticulations as are very offensive to all modest hearers and beholders, and fitting only to be exhibited at the diabolical solemnities of Bacchus, Venus, or Priapus. For prevention whereof, I am an humble petitioner that some order may be provided by the wisdom and piety of your assemblies, seeing, upon due examination of this abuse, it may soon be discovered that as well censores canticorum as librorum will be necessary in these times;3 and I am confident your zeal and prudence will provide as you see cause, and accept these endeavors of your humble suppliant and servant, who submitting himself and his remembrances to your grave censures, submissively takes his leave and beseecheth God’s blessing upon your honorable designs and consultations. TO THE READER . . . I have observed three sorts of poesy now in fashion. One consisteth merely of rhymes, clinches {puns}, anagrammatical fancies, or such like verbal or literal conceits as delight schoolboys and pedantical wits; having nothing in them either to better the understanding or stir up good affections. These rattles of the brain are much admired by those who, being men in years, continue children in understanding, and those chats4 of wit may well be resembled to the fantastical suits made of taffeties and sarcenets, cut out in slashes, which are neither comely nor commodious for sober men to wear, nor very useful for anything, being out of fashion , but to be cast on the dunghill. Another sort of poesy is the delivery of necessary truths and wholesome documents, couched in significant parables and illustrated by such flowers of rhetoric as are helpful to work upon the affections and to insinuate into apprehensive readers a liking of those truths and instructions which they express. These inventions are most acceptable to those who have ascended the middle region of knowledge; for though the wisest men make use of them in their writings, yet they are not the wisest men for whose sake they are used. This poesy is...

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