No fooner got the start, to lurch

Both difciplines of War and Church,

And Providence enough to run

120

The chief commanders of them down,
But carry'd on the war against

The common enemy o' th' Saints,

And

"meant more than one: he bids us "be subject to "the higher powers," that is, the Council of State, "the Houfe of Commons, and the Army." Ib. p. 3.

When in the Humble Petition there was inferted an article against public preachers being members of Parliament, Oliver Cromwell excepted against it exprefsly; "Because he (he faid) was one, and divers officers of "the army, by whom much good had been done"and therefore defired they would explain their ar"ticle." (Heath's Chronicle, p. 408.)

Tb.] Sir Roger L'Eftrange obferves (Reflection upon Poggius's Fable of the Hufband, Wife, and Ghoftly Father, part I. fab. 357.) upon the pretended faints of thofe times, "That they did not fet one ftep, in the "whole tract of this iniquity, without feeking the "Lord first, and going up to enquire of the Lord,

according to the cant of those days; which was no "other than to make God the author of fin, and to "impute the blackest practices of hell to the infpira"tion of the Holy Ghost."

It was with this pretext, of feeking the Lord in prayer, that Cromwell, Ireton, Harrifon, and others of the Regicides, cajoled General Fairfax, who was determined to rescue the King from execution, giving orders to have it speedily done: and, when they had notice that it was over, they perfuaded the General that this was a full return of prayer; and, God having fo manifefted his pleasure, they ought to acquiefce in it. (Perenchief's Life of King Charles I.)

And in a while prevail'd fo far,

To win of them the game of war,

And be at liberty once more

T'attack themselves as they 'ad before.

For now there was no foe in arms T' unite their factions with alarms,

125

130

But all reduc'd and overcome,

Except their worst, themselves, at home,

Who 'ad compass'd all they pray'd, and swore,

And fought, and preach'd, and plunder'd for,
Subdued the Nation, Church, and State,
And all things but their laws and hate;
But when they came to treat and tranfact,
And fhare the fpoil of all they 'ad ranfackt,

135

To botch up what they 'ad torn and rent,

For as two cheats, that play one game,

155

Becomes the furer way to ruin.

This when the Royalifts perceiv'd,
(Who to their faith as firmly cleav'd,
And own'd the right they had paid down
So dearly for, the Church and Crown)
They' united conftanter, and fided
The more, the more their foes divided:
For though out-number'd, overthrown,
And by the fate of war run down,
Their duty never was defeated,

Nor from their oaths and faith retreated;

For loyalty is ftill the fame,

Whether it win or lose the game;

True as the dial to the fun,

Although it be not shin'd upon.

165

170

*175

But

Ver. 163.] What a lafting monument of fame has our Poet raised to the Royalifts! What merited praifes does he bestow on their unfhaken faith and loyalty! How happily does he applaud their conftancy and fufferings! If any thing can be a compenfation to those of that party, who met with unworthy difregard and neglect after the Reftoration, it must be this never dying eulogy. Butler, alas! was one of that unfortunate number.

But when thefe Brethren in evil,
Their adverfaries, and the devil,
Began once more to fhew them play,
And hopes, at least, to have a day,
They rally'd in parades of woods,
And unfrequented folitudes;
Conven'd at midnight in outhouses,
T'appoint new-rifing rendezvouses,
And, with a pertinacy' unmatch'd,
For new recruits of danger watch'd.
No fooner was one blow diverted,
But up another party started;
And, as if Nature, too, in hafte

180

185

Whom neither chains, nor transportation,
Profcription, fale, or confifcation,

Nor all the defperate events

Of former try'd experiments,

Nor wounds, could terrify, nor mangling,
To leave off loyalty and dangling,

200

Nor

Ver. 201, 202.] The brave fpirit of loyalty was not to be fuppreffed by the moft barbarous and inhuman ufage. There are feveral remarkable inftances upon

record

Nor Death (with all his bones) affright
From venturing to maintain the right,
From staking life and fortune down
'Gainft all together, for the Crown;

205

But

record; as that of the gallant Marquis of Montrofe, the loyal Mr. Gerrard, and Mr. Vowel, in 1654; of Mr. Penruddock, Grove, and others, who fuffered for their loyalty at Exeter, 1654-5; of Capt. Reynolds, who had been of the King's party, and, when he was going to be turned off the ladder, cried, God bless King Charles; Vive le Roy; of Dalgelly, one of Montrofe's party, who being fentenced to be beheaded, and being brought to the fcaffold, ran and kiffed it; and, without any fpeech or ceremony, laid down his head upon the block, and was beheaded; of the brave Sir Robert Spotifwood; of Mr. Courtney, and Mr. Portman, who were committed to the Tower the beginning of February 1657, for difperfing among the foldiers what were then called feditious books and pamphlets.

Nor ought the loyalty of the fix counties of North Wales to be paffed over in filence, who never addressed or petitioned during the Ufurpation; nor the common foldier mentioned in the Oxford Diurnal, firk Week, p. 6. See more in the ftory of the Impertinent Sheriff, L'Eftrange's Fables, part II. fab. 265. Mr. Butler, or Mr. Prynne, fpeaking of the gallant behaviour of the Loyalifts, fays, "Other nations would have cano"nized for martyrs, and erected ftatues after their "death, to the memory of fome of our compatriots, "whom ye have barbarously defaced and mangled, "yet alive, for no other motive than their undaunted "zeal."