man's fortune but his fault And renders men of Honor less Than all th' Adversity of Success And only unto such this Shew Of Horns and Petticoats is due There is a lesser Profanation Like that the Romans call'd Ovation For as Ovation was allow'd For Conquest purchas'd without blood So men decree those lesser Shows For Vict'ry gotten without blows By dint of sharp hard words which some Give Battle with and overcome These mounted in a Chair Curule VVhich Moderns call a Cucking-stool March proudly to the River's side And o'er the VVaves in Triumph ride Like Dukes of Venice who are sed The Adriatique Sea to wed And have a gentler Wife than those For whom the State decrees those Shows But both are Heathenish and come From th' Whores of Babylon and Rome And by the Saints should be withstood As Antichristian and Lewd And we as such should now contribute Our utmost struglings to prohibite This said they both advanc'd and rod A Dog-trot through the bawling Crowd T' attack the Leader and still prest Till they approach'd him breast to breast Then Hudibras with face and hand Made signs for Silence which obtain'd What means quoth he this dev'ls Procession With men of Orthodox profession 'T is Ethnique and Idolatrous From Heathenism deriv'd to us Does not the Whore of Babylon ride Upon her Horned Beast astride Like this proud Dame who either is A Type of her or she of this Are things of Superstitious function Fit to be us'd in Gospel Sunshine It is an Antichristian Opera Much us'd in midnight times of Popery A running after self-inventions Of wicked and profane Intentions To scandalize that Sex for scolding To whom the Saints are so beholding Women who were our first Apostles Without whose aid w' had all been lost else Women that left no stone unturn'd In which the Cause might be concern'd Brought in their Childrens Spoons and Whistles To purchase Swords Carbines and Pistols Their Husbands Cullies and Sweet-hearts To take the Saints and Churches parts Drew several gifted Brethren in That for the Bishops would have been And fix'd them constant to the Party With motives pow'rful and hearty Their Husbands rob'd and made hard shifts T' administer unto their Guifts All they could rap and run and pilfer To scraps and ends of Gold and Silver Rub'd down the Teachers tir'd and spent With holding forth for Parliament Pamper'd and edify'd their Zeal With Marrow-puddings many a Meal Enabled them with store of meat On controverted Points to eat And cram'd them till their guts did ake With Cawdle Custard and Plum-cake What have they done or what left undone That might advance the Cause at London March'd rank and file with Drum and Ensign T' entrench the City for defence in Rais'd Rampiers with their own soft hands To put the Enemy to stands From Ladies down to Oyster-Wenches Labour'd like Pioneers in Trenches Fell to their Pick-Axes and Tools And help'd the men to dig like Moles Have not the Handmaids of the City Chosen o' their Members a Committee For raising of a Common-Purse Out of their Wages to raise Horse And do they not as Triers sit To judge what Officers are fit Have they At that at an Egg let fly Hit him directly o'er the eye And running down his Cheek besmear'd With Orange-tawny-slime his Beard But Beard and slime being of one Hue The wound the less appear'd in view Then he that on the Panniers rode Let fly o' th' other side a load And quickly charg'd again gave fully In Ralpho's face another Volley The Knight was startl'd with the smell And for his Sword began to feel And Ralpho smother'd with the stink Grasp'd his when one that bore a Link O' th' sudden clap'd his flaming Cudgel Like Linstock to the Horse's touch-hole And streight another with his Flambeaux Gave Ralpho's o'er the eyes a damn'd blow The Beasts began to kick and fling And forc'd the Rout to make a Ring Through which they quickly broke their way And brought them off from further fray And though disorder'd in Retreat Each of them stoutly kept his seat For quitting both their Swords and Rains They grasp'd with all their strength the manes And to avoid the foes pursuit With spurring put their Cattle to 't And till all four were out of wind And danger too ne'r look't behind After th' had paus'd a while supplying Their spirits spent with fight and flying And Hudibras recruited force Of Lungs for action or discourse Quoth he that man is sure to lose That fouls his hands with durty foes For where no honor 's to be gain'd T is thrown away in being maintain'd 'T was ill for us we had to do With so dishonorable a Foe For though the Law of Arms does bar The use of venom'd shot in War Yet by the nauseous smell and noisom Their Case-shot favours strong of poison And doubtless have been chew'd with teeth Of some that had a stinking breath Else when we put it to the push They had not giv'n us such a brush But as those Pultroons that fling durt Do but defile but cannot hurt So all the Honor they have won Or we have lost is much at one 'T was well we made so resolute A brave Retreat without pursuit For if we had not we had sped Much worse to be in Triumph led Than which the Ancients held no state Of Man's life more unfortunate But if this bold Adventure e'er Do chance to reach the Widows ear It may b'ing destin'd to assert Her Sex's Honor reach her heart And as such homely Treats they say Portend good Fortune so this may Vespasian being dawb'd with durt Was destin'd to the Empire for 't And from a Scavinger did come To be a mighty Prince in Rome And why may not this foul Address Presage in Love the same success Then let us streight to cleanse our wounds Advance in quest of nearest Ponds And after as we first design'd Swear I 've perform'd what she enjoin'd CANTO III. THE ARGUMENT The Knight with various doubts possest To win the Lady goes in Quest Of Sidrophel the Rosy-crucian To know the Dest'nies Resolution With whom being met they both chop Logick About the Science Astrologick Till falling from Dispute to Fight The Conjurer's worsted by the Knight DOubtless the pleasure is as great Of being cheated as to cheat As lookers-on feel most delight That least perceive a Juglers slight And still the less they understand The more th' admire his slight of hand Some with a noise and greasie light Are snapt as men catch Larks by night Ensnar'd and hamper'd by the Soul As Noozes by the legs catch Foul. Some with a Med'cine and Receipt Are drawn to nibble at the Bait And though it be a two-foot Trout 'T is with a single hair pull'd out Others believe no Voice t' an Organ So sweet as Lawyer in his Bar-gown Until with subtle Cobweb-cheats Th' are catch'd in knotted Law like Nets In which when once they are imbrangled The
Mysterious Veil of brightness made That 's both her lustre and her shade And in the Night as freely shon As if her Rays had been her own For Darkness is the proper Sphere Where all false Glories use t' appear The twinkling Stars began to muster And glitter with their borrow'd luster While Sleep the weary'd VVorld reliev'd By counterfeiting Death reviv'd Our Vot'ry thought it best t' adjourn His VVhipping-pennance till the morn And not to carry on a VVork Of such importance in the Dark With erring haste but rather stay And do 't i' th' open face of Day And in the mean time go in quest Of next Retreat to take his Rest CANTO II. THE ARGUMENT The Knight and Squire in hot Dispute Within an Ace of falling out Are parted with a sudden fright Of strange Alarm and stranger Sight With which adventuring to stickle They 're sent away in nasty pickle T Is strange how some men's Tempers suit Like Bawd and Brandee with Dispute That for their own Opinions stand fast Only to have them claw'd and canvast That kept their Consciences in Cases As Fidlers do their Crowds and Bases Ne'er to be us'd but when they 're bent To play a fit for Argument Make true and false unjust and just Of no use but to be discust Dispute and set a Paradox Like a strait Boot upon the Stocks And stretch it more unmercifully Than Helmont Mountaign VVhite or Tully So th' antient Stoicks in their Porch With sierce dispute maintain'd their Church Beat out their Brains in sight and study To prove that Vertue is a Body That Bonum is an Animal Made good with stout Polemique Braul In which some hundreds on the place Were slain outright and many a face Retrench'd of Nose and Eyes and Beard To maintain what their Sect averr'd All which the Knight and Squire in wrath Had like t' have suffer'd for their faith Each striving to make good his own As by the sequel shall be shown The Sun had long since in the Lap Of Thetis taken out his Nap And like a Lobster boyl'd the Morn From black to red began to turn When Hudibras whom thoughts and aking Twixt sleeping kept all night and waking Began to rouse his drousie eyes And from his Couch prepar'd to rise Resolving to dispatch the Deed He vow'd to do with trusty speed But first with knocking loud and bauling He rous'd the Squire in Truckle lolling And after many Circumstances Which vulgar Authors in Romances Do use to spend their time and wits on To make impertinent Description They got with much ado to Horse And to the Castle bent their Course In which he to the Dame before To suffer whipping Duty swore VVhere now arriv'd and half unharnest To carry on the work in earnest He stopp'd and paus'd upon the sudden And with a serious forehead plodding Sprung a new Scruple in his head VVhich first he scratch'd and after sed VVhether it be direct infringing An Oath if I should wave this swinging And what I 've sworn to bear forbear And so b' Equivocation swear Or whether 't be a lesser Sin To be forsworn than act the thing Are deep and subtle points which must T' inform my Conscience be discust In which to err a little may To errors infinite make way And therefore I desire to know Thy Judgment ere we farther go Quoth Ralpho since you do enjoyn't I shall enlarge upon the Point And for my own part do not doubt Th' Affirmative may be made out But first to state the Case aright For best advantage of our light And thus 't is VVhether't be a Sin To claw and curry your own skin Greater or less than to forbear And that you are forsworn forswear But first o' th' first The Inward man And Outward like a Clan and Clan Have always been at Daggers-drawing And one another Clapper-clawing Not that they really cuff or fence But in a Spiritual Mystique sence Which to mistake and make 'em squabble In literal fray 's abhominable 'T is Heathenish in frequent use With Pagans and Apostate Jews To offer Sacrifice of Bridewels Like modern Indians to their Idols And mungrel Christians of our times That expiate less with greater Crimes And call the foul Abhomination Contrition and Mortification Is 't not enough w 're bruis'd and kicked With sinful members of the wicked Our Vessels that are sanctifi'd Profan'd and curri'd back and side But we must claw our selves with shameful And Heathen stripes by their example Which were there nothing to forbid it Is impious because they did it This therefore may be justly reckon'd A henious sin Now to the second That Saints may claim a Dispensation To swear and forswear on occasion I doubt not but it will appear With pregnant light The point is clear Oaths are but words and words but wind Too feeble implements to bind And hold with deeds proportion so As shadows to a substance do Then when they strive for place 't is fit The weaker Vessel should submit Although your Church be opposite To ours as Black Friers are to VVhite In Rule and Order Yet I grant You are a Reformado Saint And what the Saints do claim as due You may pretend a Title to But Saints whom Oaths or Vows oblige Know little of their Priviledge Farther I mean than carrying on Some self-advantage of their own For if the Dev'l to serve his turn Can tell Truth why the Saints should scorn When it serves theirs to swear and lie I think there 's little reason why Else h' has a greater pow'r than they Which 't were impiety to say W' are not commanded to forbear Indefinitely at all to swear But to swear idly and in vain Without self-interest or gain For breaking of an Oath and Lying Is but a kind of Self-denying A Saint-like vertue and from hence Some have broke Oaths by Providence Some to the Glory of the Lord Perjur'd themselves and broke their word And this the constant Rule and Practise Of all our late Apostles Acts is Was not the Cause at first begun With Perjury and carry'd on Was there an Oath the Godly took But in due time and place they broke Did we not bring our Oaths in first Before our plate to have them burst And cast in fitter Models for The present use of Church and VVar Did not our Worthies of the House Before they broke the Peace break Vows For having freed us first from both Th' Allegiance and Supremacy Oath Did they not next compell the Nation To â—ake and break the Protestation To swear and after to recant The Solemn League and Covenant To take th' Engagement and disclaim it Enforc'd by those who first did frame it Did they not swear at first to fight For the KING's Safety and his Right And after march'd to find him out And charg'd him home with Horse and Foot And yet still had the confidence To swear it was in his defence Did they not swear to live and die With
what design what interest Can Beast have to encounter Beast They fight for no espoused Cause Frail Priviledge Fundemental Laws Nor for a thorough Reformation Nor Covenant nor Protestation Nor Liberty of Consciences Nor Lords and Commons Ordinances Nor for the Church nor for Church-Lands To get them in their own no Hands Nor evil Counsellors to bring To Justice that seduce the King Nor for the worship of us men Though we have done as much for them Th' Egyptians worshiped Dogs and for Their faith made fierce and zealous War Others ador'd a Rat and some For that Church suffer'd martyrdome The Indians fought for the truth Of th' Elephent and Monkey's Tooth And many to defend that faith Fought it out mordicus to death But no Beasts ever was so slight For Man as for his God to fight They have more wit alas and know Themselves and us better than so But we we only do infuse The Rage in them like Boute-feus 'T is our example that instills In them th' infection of our ills For as some late Philosphers Have well observ'd Beasts that converse With Man take after him as Hogs Get Pigs all th' year and Bitches Dogs Just so by our example Cattle Learn to give one another Battel We read in Nero's time the Heathen When they destroy'd the Christian Brethren They sow'd them in the skins of Bears And then set Dogs about their Ears From whence no doubt th' invention came Of this lewd Antichristian Game To this quoth Ralpho Verily The Point seems very plain to be It is an Antichristian Game Unlawful both in thing and name First for the name The word Bear-baiting Is carnal and of man's creating For certainly there 's no such word In all the Scripture on record Therefore unlawful and a sin And so is secondly the thing A vile Assembly 't is that can No more be prov'd by Scripture than Provincial Classick National Mere humane Creature-Cobwebs all Thirdly it is Idolatrous For when men run a-whoring thus With their Inventions whatsoe'r The thing be whether Dog or Bear 〈◊〉 Idolatrous and Pagan No less than worshiping of Dagon Quoth Hudibras I smell a Rat Ralpho thou dost prevaricate For though the Thesis which thou lay'st Be true ad amussim as thou say'st For that Bear-baiting should appear Jure Divino lawfuller Than Synods are thou dost deny Totidem verbis so do I Yet there 's a fallacy in this For if by fly Homoeosis Thou wouldst Sophistically imply Both are unlawful I deny And I quoth Ralpho do not doubt But Bear-baiting may be made out In Gospel-times as lawful as is Provincial or Parochial Classis And that both are so near of kin And like in all as well as sin That put them in a bag and shake 'em Your self o' th' sudden would mistake 'em And not know which is which unless You measure by their Wickedness For 't is not hard t' imagine whether O' th' two is worst though I name neither Quoth Hudibras Thou offer'st much But art not able to keep touch Mira de lente as 't is i' th' Adage Id est to make a Leek a Cabbage Thou canst at best but overstrain A Paradox and th' own hot brain For what can Synods have at all With Bears that 's analogical Or what relation has debating Of Church-Affairs with Bear-baiting A just comparison still is Of things ejusdem generis And then what Genus rightly doth Include and comprehend them both If Animal both of us may As justly pass for Bears as they For we are Animals no less Although of different Specieses But Ralpho this is no fit place Nor time to argue out the Case For now the Field is not far off Where we must give the world a proof Of Deeds not Words and such as suit Another manner of Dispute A Controversy that affords Actions for Arguments â—ot Words Which we must manage at a rate Of Prowess and Conduct adaequate To what our place and fame doth promise And all the godly expect from us Nor shall they be deceiv'd unless W' are slurr'd and outed by success Success the mark no mortal wit Or surest hand can always hit For whatsoe're we perpetrate We do but row w' are steer'd by Fate Which in sâ—ccess oft disinherits For spurious causes noblest merits Great Actions are not always true Sons Of great and mighty Resolutions Nor do the bold'st attempts bring forth Events still equal to their worth But sometimes fail and in their stead Fortune and Cowardise succeed Yet we have no great cause to doubt Our actions still have born us out Which though th' are known to be so ample We need no copy from example We ' are not the only person durst Attempt this Province nor the first In Northern Clime a valorous Knight Did whilom kill his Bear in fight And wound a Fidler we have both Of these the objects of our wroth And equal Fame and Glory from Th' Attempt or Victory to come 'T is sung There is a valiant Mamaluke In forreign Land yclep'd To whom we have been oft compar'd For Person Parts Address and Beard Both equally reputed stout And in the same Cause both have fought He oft in such Attempts as these Came off with glory and success Nor will we fail in th' execution For want of equal Resolution Honor is like a Widow won With brisk Attempt and putting on With entring manfully and urging Not slow approaches like a Virgin This said as once the Phrygian Knight So ours with rusty steel did smite His Trojan Horse and just as much He mended pace upon the touch But from his empty stomach groan'd Just as that hollow Beast did sound And angry answer'd from behind With brandish'd Tail and blast of Wind. So have I seen with armed heel A Wight bestride a Common-weal While still the more he kick'd and spurr'd The less the sullen Jade has stirr'd The ARGUMENT of The SECOND CANTO The Catalogue and Character Of th' Enemies best Men of War Whom in a bold Harangue the Knight Defy's and challenges to fight H' incounters Talgol routs the Bear And takes the Fidler Prisoner Conveys him to enchanted Castle There shuts him fast in Wooden Bastile CANTO II. THere was an ancient sage Philosopher That had read Alexander Ross over And swore the World as he could prove Was made of Fighting and of Love Just so Romances are for what else Is in them all but Love and Battles O' th' first of these w' have no great matter To treat of but a World o' th' latter In which to do the injur'd Right We mean in what concerns just fight Certes our Authors are to blame For to make some well sounding name A Pattern fit for modern Knights To copy out in Frays and Fights Like those that a whole streat do raze To build a Palace in the place They never care how many others They kill without regard of Mothers Or Wives or Children so they can Make up some fierce dead-doing
'T is true quoth he that intercourse Has past between your Friends and ours That as you trust us in our way To raise your Members and to lay We send you others of our own Denounc'd to Hang themselves or Drown Or frighted with our Oratory To leap down headlong many a story Have us'd all means to propagate Your mighty interests of State Laid out our Spiritual Gifts to further Your great designs of Rage and Murther For if the Saints are nam'd from Blood We onel ' have made that Title good And if it were but in our power We should not scruple to do more And not be half a Soul behind Of all Dissenters of Mankind Right quoth the Voice and as I scorn To be ungratefull in return Of all those kind good Offices I 'll free you out of this Distress And set you down in safety where It is no time to tell you here The Cock crows and the Morn draws on When 't is decreed I must be gone And if I leave you here till day You 'l find it hard to get away With that the Spirit grop'd about To find th' inchanted Hero out And try'd with haste to lift him up But found his Forlorn Hope his Croop Unserviceable with Kicks and Blows Receiv'd from hardned-hearted Foes He thought to drag him by the Heels Like Gresham Carts with Legs for Wheels But Fear that soonest cures those Sores In danger of Relapse to worse Came in t' assist him with its Aid And up his sinking Vessel weigh'd No sooner was he fit to trudge But both made ready to dislodge The Spirit hors'd him like a Sack Upon the Vehicle his Back And bore him headlong into th' Hall With some few Rubs against the Wall Where finding out the Postern lock'd And th' Avenues as strongly block'd H'attack'd the Window storm'd the Glass And in a moment gain'd the Pass Through which he dragg'd the worsted Souldiers Fore-quarters out by th' Head and Shoulders And cautiously began to scout To find their Fellow-Cattel out Nor was it half a Minute's Quest E're he retriev'd the Champion's Beast Ty'd to a Pale in stead of Rack But ne'r a Saddle on his Back Nor Pistols at the Saddle-bow Convey'd away the Lord knows how He thought it was no time to stay And let the Night too steal away But in a trice advanc'd the Knight Upon the Bare Ridge bolt upright And groping out for Ralpho 's Jade He found the Saddle too was straid And in the place a Lump of Sope On which he speedily leap'd up And turning to the Gate the Rein He Kick'd and Cudgell'd on amain While Hudibras with equal haste On both sides laid about as fast And spurr'd as Jockies use to break Or Padders to secure a Neck Where let us leave them for a time And to their Churches turn our Rhyme To hold forth their declining State Which now come near an Even Rate THE ARGUMENT OF THE SECOND CANTO Of the Third Part. The Saints engage in fierce Contests About their Carnal Interests To share their Sacrilegious Preys According to their Rates of Grace Their various Frenzies to Reform When Cromwel left them in a Storm Till in th' Effigie of RUMPS the Rabble Burns all their Grandees of the Cabal CANTO II. THE Learned write An Insect Breeze Is but a Mungrel Prince of Bees That falls before a Storm on Cows And stings the Founders of his House From whose corrupted Flesh that Breed Of Vermine did at first proceed So e'r the Storm of War broke out Religion spawn'd a various Rout Of Petulant Capricious Sects The Maggots of Corrupted Texts That first run all Religion down And after every Swarm its own For as the Persian Magi once Upon their Mothers got their Sons Who were incapable t' injoy That Empire any other way So Presbyter begot the other Upon the Good Old Cause his Mother That bore them like the Devil's Dam Whose Son and Husband are the same And yet no nat'ral Tie of Blood Nor Intr'est for their common good Could when their Profits interfear'd Get Quater for each other's Beard For when they thriv'd they never fadg'd But onely by the ears engag'd Like Dogs that snarl about a Bone And play together when th' have none As by their truest Characters Their constant Actions plainly appears Rebellion now began for lack Of Zeal and Plunder to grow slack The Cause and Covenant to lessen And Providence to b' out of Season For now there was no more to purchase O' th' Kings Revenue and the Churche's But all divided shar'd and gone That us'd to urge the Brethren on Which forc'd the Stubborn'st for the Cause To cross the Cudgels to the Laws That what by breaking them 't had gain'd By their Support might be maintain'd Like Thieves that in a Hemp-plot lie Secur'd against the Hue-and-Cry For Presbyter and Independent Were now turn'd Plaintiff Defendant Laid out their Apostolick Functions On Carnal Orders and Injunctions And all their Precious Gifts and Graces On Out-lawries and Scire facias At Michael ' s Term had many a Trial Worse than the Dragon and St. Michael Where thousands fell in shape of Fees Into the Bottomless Abyss For when like Brethren and Friends They came to share their Dividends And ev'ry part'ner to possess His Church and State Joynt-Purchases In which the Ablest Saint and Best Was nam'd in Trust by all the rest To pay their Money and instead Of ev'ry Brother pass the Deed He straight converted all his Gifts To pious Frauds and holy Shifts And settled all the others Shares Upon his outward Man and 's Heirs Held all they claim'd as Forfeit Lands Deliver'd up into his hands And past upon his Conscience By Pre-intail of Providence Impeach'd the rest for Reprobates That had no Titles to Estates But by their Spiritual Attaints Degraded from the Right of Saints This being reveal'd they now begun With Law and Conscience to fall on And laid about as hot and Brain-sick As th'Vtter Barrister of Swanswick Ingag'd with Money-bags as bold As men with Sand-bags did of old That brought the Lawyers in more Fees Than all unsanctifi'd Trustees Till he who had no more to show I' th' Case receiv'd the overthrow Or both sides having had the worst They parted as they met at first Poor Presbyter was now Reduc'd Secluded and Cashier'd and Chews'd Turn'd out and Excommunicate From all Affairs of Church and State Reform'd t' a Reformado Saint And glad to turn Itinerant To strowl and teach from Town to Town And those he had taught up Teach down And make those Uses serve agen Against the New-inlight'ned men As fit as when at first they were Reveal'd against the Cavalier Damn Anabaptist and Fanatick As pat as Popish and Prelatick And with as little variation To serve for any Sect i' th' Nation The Good Old Cause which some believe To be the Dev'l that tempted Eve With Knowledge and does still invite The World to Mischief with New Light Had store of
drawn together And threaten sudden change of Weather Feel Pangs and Aches of State-turns And Revolutions in their Corns And since our Workings-out are crost Throw up the Cause before tis ' lost Was it to run away we meant When takeing of the Covenant The lamest Cripples of the Brothers Took Oaths to run before all others But in their own sense onely swore To strive to run away before And now would prove the Words and Oath Ingage us to renounce them both 'T is true the Cause is in the lurch Between a right and Mungrel Church The Presbyter and Independent That stickle which shall make an end on 't And 't was made out to us the last Expedient I mean Margret's Fast When Providence had been suborn'd What answer was to be return'd Else why should Tumults fright us now We have so many times gone through And understand as well to tame As when they serve our turns t' inflame Have prov'd how inconsiderable Are all Engagements of the Rabble Whose Frenzies must be reconcil'd With Drums and Rattles like a Child But never prov'd so prosperous As when they were led on by us For all our Scouring of Religion Began with Tumults and Sedition When Hurricanes of fierce Commotion Became strong Motives to Devotion As Carnal Sea-men in a Storm Turn pious Converts and reform When rusty Weapons with chalk'd Edges Maintain'd our feeble Priviledges And brown Bills levied in the City Made Bills to pass the Grand Committee When Zeal with aged Clubs and Gleaves Gave chase to Rochets and White Sleeves And made the Church and State and Laws Submit t' old Iron and the Cause And as we thriv'd by Tumults then So might we better now agen If we know how as then we did To use them rightly in our need Tumults by which the Mutinous Betray themselves in stead of us The Hollow-hearted Disaffected And Close Malignant are detected Who lay their Lives and Fortunes down For Pledges to secure our own And freely sacrifice their Ears T' appease our Jealousies and Fears And yet for all these Providences W' are offer'd if we had our senses We idly sit like stupid Block-heads Our hands committed to our Pockets And nothing but our Tongues at large To get the Wretches a discharge Like men condemn'd to Thunderbolts Who e'r the blow become meer Dolts Or Fools besotted with their Crimes That know not how to shift betimes And neither have they hearts to stay Nor wit enough to run away Who if we could resolve on either Might stand or fall at least together No mean nor trivial solaces To Partners in extream distress Who use to lessen their Despairs By parting them in t ' equal shares As if the more there were to bear They felt the weight the easier And ev'ry one the gentler hung The more he took his turn among But 't is not come to that as yet If we had Courage left or Wit Who when our Fate can be no worse Are fitted for the bravest course Have time to Rally and prepare Our last and best defence Despair Despair by which the gallant'st Feats Have been atchiev'd in greatest streights And horrid'st dangers safely wav'd By b'ing courageously out-brav'd As Wounds by wider wounds are heal'd And Poisons by themselves expell'd And so they might be now agen If we were what we should be Men And not so dully desperate To side against our selves with Fate As Criminals condemn'd to suffer Are blinded first and then turn'd over This comes of Breaking Covenants And setting up Exauns of Saints That Fine like Aldermen for Grace To be excus'd the Efficace For Spiritual men are too Transcendent That mount their Banks for Independent To hang like Mahomet in th' Air Or St. Ignatius at his Prayer By pure Geometry and hate Dependency on Church or State Disdain the Pedantry o' th' Letter And since Obedience is better The Scripture says than Sacrifice Presume the less on 't will suffice And scorn to have the moderat'st stints Prescrib'd their peremptory Hints Or any Opinion true or false Declar'd as such in Doctrinals But lest at large to make their best on Without b'ing call'd t' account or question Interpret all the Spleen reveals As Whittington explain'd the Bells And bid themselves turn back agen Lord May'rs of New Jerusalem But look so big and overgrown They scorn their Edifiers t' own Who taught them all their sprinkling Lessons Their Tones and sanctify'd expressions Bestow'd their Gifts upon a Saint Like Charity on those that want And learn'd th' Apocryphal Bigots T' inspire themselves with Short-hand Notes For which they scorn and hate them worse Than Dogs and Cats do Sowgelders For who first bred them up to pray And teach the House of Commons way Where had they all their Gifted Phrases But from our Calamies and Cases Without whose Sprinkling and Sowing Who e'r had heard of Nye or Owen Their dispensations had been stifled But for our Adoniram Bifield And had They not begun the War Th' had ne'r been Sainted as they are For Saints in Peace degenerate And dwindle down to Reprobate Their Zeal corrupts like standing Water In th' Intervals of War and slaughter Abates the sharpness of its Edge Without the Pow'r of Sacriledge And though th' have Tricks to cast their Sins As easie as Serpents do their Skins That in a while grow out agen In Peace they turn meer Carnal men And from the most Refin'd of Saints As naturally grow Miscreants As Barnacles turn Soland-Geese In th' Islands of the Orcades Their Dispensation's but a Ticket For their conforming to the Wicked With whom their greatest difference Lies more in words and shew than sense For as the Pope that keeps the Gate Of Heaven wears three Crowns in state So he that keeps the Gate of Hell Proud Cerberus wears three Heads as well And if the World has any troth Some have been Canoniz'd in both But that which does them greatest harm Their Spiritual Gizzards are too warm Which puts the over-heated Sots In Fever still like other Goats For though the Whore bends Hereticks With Flames of Fire like crooked Sticks Our Schismaticks so vastly differ Th' hotter th' are they grow the stiffer Still setting off their spirituâ—l goods With fierce and pertinacious fewds For Zeal's a dreadful Tarmagant That teaches Saints to tear and rant And Independents to profess The Doctrine of Dependences Turns meek and sneaking Secret ones To Raw-heads fierce and bloody Bones And not content with endless quarrels Against the Wicked and their Morals The Gibellins for want of Guelfs Divert their rage upon themselves For now the War is not between The Brethren and the Men of sin But Saint and Saint to spill the Blood Of one another's Brotherhood Where neither side can lay pretence To Liberty of Conscience Or zealous suff'ring for the Cause To gain one Groats-worth of Applause For though endur'd with Resolution â—Twill ne'r amount to Persecution Shall Precious Saints and Secret ones Break one another's outward
your Native Insolences That to your own Imperious Wills Laid Law and Gospel Neck and Heels Corrupted the Old Testament To serve the New for Precedent T' amend its Errors and Defects With Murther and Rebellion-Texts Of which there is not any one In all the Book to sow upon And therefore from your Tribe the Jews Held Christian Doctrine forth and Vse As Mahomet your Chief began To mix them in the Alchoran Denounc'd and pray'd with Fierce Devotion And bended Elbows on the Cushion Stole from the Beggars all your Tones And Gifted Mortifying Groans Had Lights where better Eyes were blind As Pigs are said to see the Wind Fill'd Bedlam with Predestination And Knights-Bridge with Illumination Made Children with your Tones to run for 't As bad as Bloody Bones or Lunsford While Women Great with Child miscarri'd For being to Malignants marri'd Transform'd all Wives to Dalilahs Whose Husbands were not for the Cause And turn'd the Men to Ten-Horn'd Cattel Because they came not out to Battel Made Taylors Prentices turn Heroes For fear of being transform'd to Meroz And rather forfeit their Indentures Than not espouse the Saints Adventures Could Transubstantiate Metamorphose And charm whole Herds of Beasts like Orpheus Inchant the King's and Churches Lands T' obey and follow your Commands And settle on a New Free-hold As Marcly-Hill had done of Old Could turn the Covenant and translate The Gospel into Spoons and Plate Expound upon all Merchants Cashes And open th' intricatest Places Could Catechise a Mony Box And prove all Powches Orthodox Vntil the Cause became a Damon And Pythias the wicked Mammon And yet in spight of all your Charms To conjure Legion up in Arms And raise more Devils in the Rout Than e'er ywere able to cast out Y' have been reduc'd and by those Fools Bred up you say in your own Schools Who though but gifted at your feet Have made it plain they have more Wit By whom you have been so oft trepan'd And held forth out of all Command Out-gifted Out-impuls'd Out-done And Out-reveal'd at Carryings on Of all your Dispensations Worm'd Out-providenc'd and Out-reform'd Ejected out of Church and State And all things but the People's Hate And spirited out of th' Enjoyments Of precious edifying Employments By those who lodg'd their Gifts and Graces Like better Bowlers in your Places All which you bore with Resolution Charg'd on th' Account of Persecution And though most Righteously opprest Against your Wills still acquiest And never Hum'd and Hah'd Sedition Nor snuffled Treason nor Misprision That is because you never durst For had you preach'd and pray'd your worst Alas you were no longer able To raise your Posse of the Rabble One single Red-Coat Sentinel Out-charm'd the Magick of the Spell And with his Squirt-fire could disperse Whole Troops with Chapter rais'd and Verse We knew too well those tricks of yours To leave it ever in your Powers Or trust our Safeties or Vndoings To your disposing of Out-goings Or to your Ordering Providence One Farthings-worth of Consequence For had you Pow'r to undermine Or Wit to carry a Design Or Correspondence to trepan Inveagle or betray one Man There 's nothing else that intervenes And bars your Zeal to use the means And therefore wondrous like no doubt To bring in Kings or keep them out Brave undertakers to restore That could not keep your selves in pow'r T' advance the Intersts of the Crown That wanted Wit to keep your own 'T is true you have for I 'ld be loth To wrong ye done your Parts in Both To keep him out and bring him in As Grace is introduc'd by Sin For 't was your zealous want of Sense And sanctifi'd Impertinence Your carrying business in a Huddle That forc'd our Rulers to New-Modle Oblig'd the State to tack about And turn you Root and Branch all out To Reformado One and All T' your Great Croysado General Your greedy slav'ring to devour Before 't was in your Clutches Pow'r That sprung the Game you were to set Before y' had time to draw the Net Your spight to see the Churches Lands Divided into other Hands And all your Sacrilegious Ventures Laid out on Tickets and Debentures Your Envy to be sprinkled down By Vnder Churches in the Town And no Course us'd to stop their Mouths Nor th' Independants spreading Growths All which consider'd 't is most true None bring him in so much as you Who have prevail'd beyond their Plots Their Midnight Junto's and seal'd Knots That thrive more by your Zealous Piques Than all their own rash Politicks And thâ—s way you may claim a share In carrying as you brag th' Affair Else Frogs and Toads that croak'd the Jews From Pharo and his Brick-kills-loose And Flies and Mange that set them free From Task-Masters and Slavery Were likelier to do the Feat In any indifferent Man's Conceit For who e'er heard of Restoratian Vntill your thorough Reformation That is the King 's and Churches Lands Were sequestred in t ' other Hands For only then and not before Your Eyes were opened to restore And when the Work was carrying on Who crost it but your selves alone As by a World of Hints appears All plain and extant as your Ears But first o' th' first the Isle of Wight Will rise up if you should deny 't Where Hinderson and th' other Masses Were sent to cap Texts and put Cases To pass for Deep and Learned Scholars Although but Paltry Ob-and-Sollers As if th' unseasonable Fools Had been a Cursing in the Schools Vntil th' had prov'd the Devil Author O' th' Covenant and the Cause his Daughter For when they charg'd him with the Guilt Of all the Blood that had been spilt They did not mean he wrought th' Effusion In Person like Sir Pride or Hughson But only those who first begun The Quarrel were by him set on And who could those be but the Saints Those Reformation-Termegants But e'er this past the wise Debate Spent so much time it grew too late For Oliver had gotten Ground T' enclose them with his Warriers round Had brought his Providence about And turn'd the untimely Sophists out Nor had the Uxbridge bus'ness less Of Non-sence in 't and sottishness When from a Scoundrel Holder-forth The Scum as well as Son o' th' Earth Your mighty Senators took Law At his Command were forc'd t' withdraw And sacrifice the Peace o' th' Nation To Doctrine Vse and Application So when the Scots your constant Cronies Th' Espousers of your Cause and Monies Who had so often in your Aid So many ways been soundly paid Came in at last for better Ends To prove themselves your trusty Friends You basely left them and the Church Th' had train'd you up to in the Lurch And suffer'd your own Tribe of Christians To fall before as true Philistines This shews what Vtensils y' have been To bring the King's Concernments in Which is so far from being true That none but He can bring in You. And if he take you into