Logopandecteision: The Design of Cleronomaporia III

Sir Thomas Urquhart (1653) Logopandecteision. Book III: Cleronomaporia: The Design, 4 unnumbered pp.

The Designe

Of the third BOOK, entituled

C L E R O N O M A P O R I A.

As in the Book immediately foregoing, the Author very plainly hath pointed at the main block, which lyeth in the way, as a hindrance to the progress of his brain-itineraries : so in this, the third of his Introduction, doth he, with great perspicacity, educe most peremptory reasons out of the clearest springs of both modern, and ancient, divine, and humane Law, why it should be removed. In the mean while, the better to prepare the Reader towards a matter of so prime concernment, he begins the purpose with a peculiar, and domestick Narrative of the manner, how those impediments were cast in, to the end that the more unjustly he was dealt with by the persons, who did inject them, the greater justice may appear, in his relief from their oppressions, to have mentioned such particulars, and unfolded them to the view of the publick, did very much damp the Genius of the Author, who, could he have otherways done, would undoubtedly have manifested a most cordial dislike of any motion, tending to approve the offring unto Pan, the sacrifice of the houshold gods or disclosing to all the mysteries of penatal rites. But the thread of the discourse hanging thereupon, without a gap in its contexture, it could not be avoyded ; especially, that generous and worthie Knight, the Authors Father, having been unparalleledly wronged by false, wicked, and covetous, men, himself being of all men living, the justest, equallest, and most honest in his dealings ; his humor was rather than to break his word, to lose all he had, and stand to his most undeliberate promises what ever they might cost, which too strict adherence to the austerest principles of veracity, proved oftentimes dammageable to him, in his negotiations with many cunning sharks, who knew with what profitable odds, they could serve themselves in upon the windings of so good a nature. He in all the (neer upon) sixtie years that he lived, never injured any man voluntarily, though by protecting, and seconding of some unthanksfull men, he did much prejudge himself : he never refused to be surety for any, so cordial he was towards his acquaintance ; yet (contrary to all expectations) his kindnesse therein was attended by so much good luck, that he never payed above two hundred pounds English, for all his vadimonial favors. By the unfaithfulnes on the one side, of some of his menial servants in filching from him much of his personal Estate, and falshood of several chamberlains, and Bayliffs, to whom he had intrusted the managing of his Rents, in the inconscionable discharge of their Receits, by giving up one account thrice, and of such accounts many : And, on the other part, by the frequency of disadvantagious bargains, which the slieness of the subtil Merchant did involve him in, his Loss came unawares upon him, and irresistibly, like an armed man ; too great trust to the one, and facility in behalf of the other, occasioning so grievous a misfortune : which nevertheless, did not proceed from want of Knowledge, or Abilitie in Natural parts : for in the business of other men, he would have given a very sound advice, and was surpassing dextrous in Arbitrements, upon any reference submitted to him, but that hee thought it did derogate from the Nobility of his house, and reputation of his person, to look to petty things in matter of his own affairs. Whereupon, after forty years custom, being habituated thereunto, he found himself at last (to his great regret) insensibly plunged into inextricable difficulties, in the large field whereof, the insatiable Creditor to make his harvest, by the ruine of that Family, struck in with his sickle, and by masking himselfe with a vizard, composed of the rags of Scotish Law, in its severest sense, claims the same right to the whole inheritance, that Robinhood did to Frankindals money, for being master of the purse wherein it was. Those wretched, and unequitable courses, indefatigably prosecuted by merciless men, to the utter undoing of the Author, and extermination of his name, have induced him, out of his respect to antiquity, his piety to succession, and that intim regard of himself, which by divine injunction ought to be the rule, and measure of his love towards his neighbour, to set down in this parcel of his Introduction, the cruel usage, wherewith he hath been served these many years past, by that inexorable race, the lamentable preparatives, which, by granting their desires, would ensue to the extirpation of worthie pedigrees, and the unexemplifyable injustice thereby redounding to him, who never was in any thing obliged to them. The premisses he enlargeth with divers quaint, and pertinent Similies, and after a neat apparelling of Usury, in its holiday garments, he deduceth from the Laws, and customs of all Nations, the tender care that ought to be had in the preservation of antient Families : the particulars whereof, in matter of Ordonance, he evidenceth by the acts of Solon, the Decrees of the Decemvirs, and statutes of the Twelve Tables : and for its executional part, in the persons of Q. Fabius, Tiberius the Emperor, and the Israelitish observers of the sacred institution of Jubilees. By which enarration, nothing is more clearly inferred, then that seeing both Jews, and Gentiles, Painims, and Christians, in their both Monarchical and Polyarchical Governments, have been so zealous in their obsequiousness to so pious a mandate, that the present age being no less concerned in the happy fruits thereof, then the good dayes of old, the splendid Authority of this Isle should be pleased, not to eclipse their commendation, by innovating any thing in the Authors case. Who decyphering the implacability of Flagitators, by shewing by shewing how they throw in obstacles, retarding their own payment, thereby tacitly to hasten his destruction ; and hinting at the unnatural breach of some of his Fiduciaries, he particularizeth the candor of his own endeavours, and nixuriencie¹ to give all men contentment, the discourse whereof, in all its periods, very well deserveth the serious animadversion of the ingenious Reader.

Scotia quam vidit sublimi in sede superbam,
    Præq; aliis unam sæpe tulisse caput ;
Eheu prisca domus generoso stemmate foelix
    Urcharti diro foenore pressa jacet.
Commodat æra viris usuræ subdolus author,
    (Æra sed in turpem conduplicanda sinum)
Hinc erosus ager vastus, victique penates,
    Et lex conspicuos turbat iniqua lares
At vos ô patres, legum queis summa potestas.
    Quique, datis populis jura benigna tribus,
Ne sinite indigno ruat ut domus optima lapsu,
    Terraque, ut immeritum rapta relinquat herum :
Ille sacer Musis lotus parnasside lympha,
    Vivat, & Aonii gloria prima chori :
Primus Hyperboreum musas qui duxit ad axem,
    Cum stupuit dominum barbara terra suum.
Ponè lyram Pataræe tuam, tu barbiton Orpheu,
    Sint licet & carmen saxa secuta tuum :
Ille rudem populum primus feritate remota,
    Jusserat Aonios edidicisse modes.
Nunc querulæ lugent sylvæ, collesque nivosæ,
    Gens viduata dolet, monticolæque gemunt.
Nec Pan Arcadiæ sylvis tam sæpè vocatur,
    Quam nunc Urchartum terra relicta sonat.
Patres bellorum primi, pacisque columnæ,
    Ferte ô, nam meritam ferre potestis opem,
Creditor heu totas sylvas est, flumina potat,
    Et centena avido jugera ventre premit.
Ut Scylla in medio fertur latrare profundo,
    Sorbet & æquoreas dira Charibdis aquas.
Utque rates avidis claudit Godwinus arenis,
    Gazaque cum domino non reditura suo.
Sed neque pulsæ fames, det tandem Jupiter ut sit
    Carne vorax propria visceribusque satur.

1. Nixuriencie: i.e., exertion. It is Latin(ate). The word (like many of Urquhart's coinages, including his favorite "flagitator") is not to be found in the OED.