And teach my tongue, that ever did confine
Its faculties in truth's feraphick line,
To track the treasons of thy foes and mine.

Nature and law, by thy divine decree, (The only foot of righteous royaltie) With this dim diadem invefted me:

With it, the facred fcepter, purple robe,
The holy unction, and the royal globe:
Yet am I levell❜d with the life of Job.

10

The fierceft furies, that do daily tread

Upon my grief, my gray difcrowned head,

Are those that owe my bounty for their bread.

15

They raise a war, and christen it THE CAUSE,
While facrilegious hands have best applause,
Plunder and murder are the kingdom's laws;

Tyranny bears the title of taxation,
Revenge and robbery are reformation,
Oppreffion gains the name of fequeftration.

20,

My loyal fubjects, who in this bad feafon
Attend me (by the law of God and reason), ¡
They dare impeach, and punish for high treason.

Next

Next at the clergy do their furies frown,

Pious epifcopacy must go down,

They will destroy the crofier and the crown.

Churchmen are chain'd, and fchifmaticks are freed, Mechanicks preach, and holy fathers bleed,

The crown is crucified with the creed.

The church of England doth all factions fofter,
The pulpit is ufurpt by each impoftor,
Extempore excludes the Pater-nofter.

The Presbyter, and Independent feed

25

30

Springs with broad blades. To make the religion bleed 35 Herod and Pontius Pilate are agreed.

The corner ftone's misplac'd by every pavier:
With fuch a bloody method and behaviour
Their ancestors did crucifie our Saviour.

My royal confort, from whofe fruitful womb
So many princes legally have come,

40

With my own power my majesty they wound,

In the king's name the king himself's uncrown'd:
So doth the duft deftroy the diamond.

With propofitions daily they enchant

My people's ears, fuch as do reafon daunt,
And the Almighty will not let me grant

They promise to erect my royal stem,
To make me great, t' advance my diadem,

If I will first fall down, and worship them!

But for refufal they devour my thrones,
Diftrefs my children, and deftroy my bones;
I fear they'll force me to make bread of ftones.

50

55

My life they prize at fuch a slender rate,

That in my abfence they draw bills of hate,
To prove the king a traytor to the state.

60

Felons obtain more privilege than I,

They are allow'd to answer ere they die; 'Tis death for me to ask the reason, why.

But, facred Saviour, with thy words I woo

Thee to forgive, and not be bitter to

65

Such, as thou know'st do not know what they do.

For

For fince they from their lord are fo disjointed,
As to contemn thofe edicts he appointed,
How can they prize the power of his anointed?

Augment my patience, nullifie my hate,
Preferve my iffue, and infpire my mate,

70

Yet though we perish, BLESS THIS CHURCH and STATE.

XIV.

THE SALE OF REBELLIOUS HOUSHOLD-STUFF

This farcaftic exultation of triumphant loyalty, is printed from an old black-letter copy in the Pepys collection, corrected by two others, one of which is preferved in "A choice collection of 120 loyal Jongs, &c." 1684. 12mo.-To the tune of Old Simon the king.

R

Ebellion hath broken up house,

And hath left me old lumber to fell;
Come hither, and take your choice,

I'll promife to use you well:
Will you buy the old fpeaker's chair?
Which was warm and eafie to fit in,
And oft hath been clean'd I declare,
When as it was fouler than fitting.
Says old Simon the king, &c.

Will

Will you buy any bacon-flitches,

The fatteft, that ever were spent ?
They're the fides of the old committees,
Fed up in the long parliament.
Here's a pair of bellows, and tongs,

And for a fmall matter I'll fell

10

ye

'um ;

15

They are made of the prefbyters lungs,
To blow up the coals of rebellion.
Says old Simon, &c.

I had thought to have given them once
To fome black-fmith for his forge,
But now I have confidered on't,

They are confecrate to the church:
So I'll give them unto fome quire,
They will make the big organs roar,
And the little pipes to fqueeke higher,
Than ever they could before.

Says old Simon, &c.

Here's a couple of ftools for fale,
One's fquare, and t'other is round;
Betwixt them both the tail

Of the RUMP fell down to the ground.

Will you buy the ftates council-table,

Which was made of the good wain Scot?
The frame was a tottering Babel

To uphold the Independent plot.
Says old Simon, &c.