Selected quad for the lemma: act_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A41263
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Fidelis Achates, or, An Historical account of the most remarkable actions in the late reigns and the present revolution in heroick verse.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing F847; ESTC R29825
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50,814
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178
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Actions to unfold And to review the Managements of old In sev'ral Reigns what various Turns were found How King People danc'd the wond'rous Round Th' Employment of our present Thoughts is how We find the State and rightly that to know How in these Days it is transmitted down How Subjects are engag'd and how the Crown Few Propositions will explain the Thing And true and regulated Notions bring The Legislative Pow'r we 'll first enquire who 't is to this Dominion does aspire That first disclos'd will other Heads display And tell what it 's to Govern what Obey Why it 's allow'd Three sev'ral Ranks are found That give to Law its Reins and fix it s bound Not any Two of these distinct can frame An Act Coercive or give Law a Name But when all Three Unite with joint Consent We 're all oblig'd it 's Act of Parliament Nor any of these Orders can make void What was before establish'd and allow'd Well then the King and People both are bound And neither ought to pass this Sacred Mound The King 's beyond the Peoples Rage secure They neither can a Yoke from each endure This Privilege we find is thus entail'd And it won'd be Our Fault if now it fail'd It 's plain What 's Humane possible may err And from this Gen'ral then we thus infer Whoe'er's the first Transgressor of this Rule Without a Law he lives without Controul Till he within due Compass is compell'd And to the Laws preceding forc'd to yield Since only Two Transgressors are the All Or Prince or People must be Criminal We too too many Instances do find Of Popular Commissions in this kind Whilst each Offender hurries on his Fate And falls a Victim to th' incensed State And if a Prince will beyond Compass fly And own no Obligations to this Tie He moves excentrick and defies all Pow'r Till Fate and Fortune press his hasty Hour This granted then Why shou'd we farther in Debate proceed Important Bus'ness urges on our Speed We must not long in this Affair sit still But with a Prince the vacant Throne must fill He stopp'd the Nobles with consenting Voice Concur and on Augustus fix their Choice Britannia now exerts a splendid Scene Augustus King and Fair Augusta Queen If ever Souls of pure Angelick Flames Cou'd actuate below an Humane Frame They sure are center'd here and both the same For sure those bless'd unbody'd Minds above Are not compos'd of softer Seeds of Love Their Thoughts and their Intentions were but one No jarring Feuds clash or disturb the Throne Their mutual Sway extended o'er the Land The People know in Both but one Command But when rough Wars her Heroe calls to Arms To meet with equal Pow'rs his Foes Alarms At home Augusta does alone reside And in her Conduct all secure confide She did the Glory of her Sex maintain And shew'd a true Heroick Female Reign What cou'd a Kingdom more of Fate desire Can they to greater Happiness aspire Like Israel's Sons from Pagan Bondage free They 've pass'd by Wonder thro' the Scarlet Sea But sure some angry Stars disturb our Isle And in new Jars Britannia's Race embroil Some surly Comet hovers o'er our Shore And strives to dye the Plains again with Gore In furious moody Heats we now divide Augustus some some for Caesario's Side In Discontents new Factions they foment Albion of its own Woe th' establish'd Instrument Let 's dive my Muse into this wild Abyss And search where the contagious Venom lies Doubtless the dark Retreats we may disclose And prove the Strength of our presuming Foes Let 's backwards look with an impartial Eye T' unfold the Volumes of this Mystery In Times preceding these when Winds blew high And mounting Billows emulate the Sky High on these Waves our Sacred Druids bore Beyond the very Spheres of Reason soar Upon these swelling Tides aloft they ride The honest Layman's left without a Guide Beyond his Sight to distant Orbs they go And leave him grov'ling in strange Paths below This surely was the Error of the Times It cannot wholly be alledg'd their Crimes It 's plain Mistakes on either Side are found For many took it at the first Rebound Espous'd the Words and lost the genuine Sense Of what the Learned Druids did dispense 'T was certain some advanc'd too high the Theme Press'd it indeed to an abus'd Extreme But where a wilful Error was the Fault Regard them now as Foes not worthy thought For by a strict Implicite Awe is meant As far as Law is known in just Extent Or otherwise all Order we displace And launch into a vast unbounded Space We must our Reason and our Sense let fly Sink lower than a dull Democracy If by Obedience Passive was design'd Each Subject to his Sovereign's Will to bind And from his sole Decrees to wait his Doom Protection then by Law is overcome Our very Fundamentals are o'erthrown We stand like senseless Herds around the Throne And then allow our Prince wou'd Mahomet Adore and Mecha make the Holy Seat Or that he strain'd so far Imperial Awe As we to Monkeys Onions Calves must bow Which blind Obedience distant Nations pay We must submit or fall a suff'ring Prey Suppose this true Why then we 're conquer'd at Discretion are Like vanquish'd Soldiers Prisoners of War The boundless Sword becomes Coercive Law To keep submissive Slaves in servile awe But they object Our Sacred Oaths to strict Observance bind An Oath is as a Sacrament design'd And we this great Solemnity address'd Unto the King in artless Words express'd It 's true But unto Albion's King we swore King as the Laws had made him so before If in another Sense we take the Thing We 're Traytors and erect another King We cease as Subjects and we break the Law Hence many fatal Consequences draw No more with weak Amusements let our Foes These Trifles and their Impotence impose Our Muster'd Forces for the Field prepare And Great Augustus Heads them on for War He like an old experienc'd Lion knows Each Gin and ev'ry Covert of the Foes They in their Native Heat and furious Rage Like untaught Youth precipitate engage He like a Sun thro' the whole Mass does shine Instructs them with unerring Discipline Distress'd Hybernia calls for speedy Aid A cruel Carnage there and Ruine's made The British Int'rest all was overcome It fell a plunder'd Sacrifice to Rome To th' utmost North Caesario's Forces gone All but one Corner of the Isle's their own These servile Souls that meer Obedience knew Assume th' Ascendant and their Lords subdue Like antick Mimicks clad in awkerd Dress Their Pride and Native Ignorance confess The spurious Offspring of the God of War They Gibeonites and lab'ring Vassals are They not for Empire fashion'd but the Spade Shou'd ne'er attempt Fames Glories to invade A speedy Succour is dispatch'd away The Transport-Vessels burden'd cross the Sea At Anchor now within the Lough they ride In spite of Forts and Booms the