Thereby to please my neighbour; no, not I;
I did it mine own self to gratify.
Neither did I but vacant seasons spend
In this my scribble; nor did I intend
But to divert myself, in doing this,
From worser thoughts, which make me do amiss.
Thus I set pen to paper with delight,
And quickly had my thoughts in black and white.
For having now my method by the end,
Still as I pull'd, it came; and so I penn'd
It down; until at last it came to be,
For length and breadth, the bigness which you see.
Well, when I had put my ends together
I show'd them others, that I might see whether
They would condemn them, or them justify;
And some said, Let them live; some, Let them die:
Some said John, print it; others said, Not so:
Some said, do good; others said, No.
Now was I in a strait, and did not see
Which was the best thing to be done by me:
At last I thought, Since you are thus divided,
I print it will; and so the case decided.
For thought, some I see would have it done,
Though other in that channel do not run:
To prove them, who advised for the best,
Thus I thought fit to put it to the test.
I further thought, if now did deny
Those that would have it, thus to gratify,
I did not know but hinder them I might
Of that which would to them be great delight.
