This indulgence being granted to all the fects, it ought in reason to be expected, that they should both receive it, and receive it thankfully. For, at this time of day, to refuse the benefit, and adhere to those whom they have esteemed their perfecutors, what is it else, but publicly to own, that they fuffered not before for conscience-fake, but only out of pride and obstinacy, to separate from a church for thofe impofitions, which they now judge may be lawfully obeyed? After they have so long contended for their claffical ordination (not to speak of rites and ceremonies), will they at length fubmit to an epifcopal? If they can go so far out of complaifance to their old enemies, methinks a little reafon should perfuade them to take another step, and fee whither that would lead them.

Of the receiving this toleration thankfully I fhall fay no more, than that they ought, and I doubt not they will confider from what hand they received it. It is not from a Cyrus, a heathen prince, and a foreigner, but from a chriftian king, their native sovereign; who expects a return in fpecie from them, that the kindness, which he has graciously shewn them, may be retaliated on those of his own perfuafion.

As for the poem in general, I will only thus far fatisfy the reader, that it was neither impofed on me, nor fo much as the fubject given me by any man. It was written during the laft winter, and the beginning of this fpring; though with long interruptions of ill health and other hindrances. About a fortnight before I had finished it, his majefty's declaration for liberty of

confcience came abroad: which if I had fo foon expected, I might have spared myself the labour of writing many things which are contained in the third part of it. But I was always in fome hope, that the church of England might have been perfuaded to have taken off the penal laws and the teft, which was one design of the poem, when I propofed to myfelf the writing of it.

It is evident that fome part of it was only occafional, and not first intended: I mean that defence of myself, to which every honest man is bound, when he is injuriously attacked in print: and I refer myself to the judgment of thofe, who have read the Answer to the defence of the late king's papers, and that of the dutchefs (in which last I was concerned) how charitably I have been reprefented there. I am now informed both of the author and supervisors of this pamphlet, and will reply, when I think he can affront me: for I am of Socrates's opinion, that all creatures cannot. In the mean time let him confider whether he deferved not a more fevere reprehenfion, than I gave him formerly, for using fo little respect to the memory of thofe, whom he pretended to anfwer; and at his leifure, look out for fome original treatife of humility, written by any Proteftant in English; I believe I may fay in any other tongue for the magnified piece of Duncomb on that fubject, which either he must mean, or none, and with which another of his fellows has upbraided me, was tranflated from the Spanish of Rodriguez; though with the omiffion of the feventeenth, the twenty-fourth, the

twenty-fifth, and the last chapter, which will be found in comparing of the books.

He would have infinuated to the world, that her late highnefs died not a Roman Catholic. He declares himself to be now fatisfied to the contrary, in which he has given up the caufe: for matter of fact was the principal debate betwixt us. In the mean time, he would difpute the motives of her change; how prepofterously, let all men judge, when he feemed to deny the fubject of the controverfy, the change itfelf. And becaufe I would not take up this ridiculous challenge, he tells the world I cannot argue: but he may as well infer, that a Catholic cannot faft, because he will not take up the cudgels against Mrs. James, to confute the Proteftant religion.

I have but one word more to fay concerning the poem as fuch, and abftracted from the matters, either religious or civil, which are handled in it. The firft part, confifting moft in general characters and narration, I have endeavoured to raise, and give it the majeftic turn of heroic poefy. The fecond, being matter of difpute, and chiefly concerning church authority, I was obliged to make as plain and perfpicuous as poffibly I could; yet not wholly neglecting the numbers, though I had not frequent occafions for the magnificence of verfe. The third, which has more of the nature of domeftic converfation, is, or ought to be, more free and familiar than the two former.

There are in it two epifodes, or fables, which are interwoven with the main defign; fo that they are pro

B 4

perly

perly parts of it, though they are alfo diftinct ftories of themselves. In both of thefe I have made use of the common-places of fatire, whether true or falfe, which are urged by the members of the one church against the other: at which I hope no reader of either party will be fcandalized, because they are not of my invention, but as old, to my knowledge, as the times of Boccace and Chaucer on the one fide, and as those of the Reformation on the other.

THE HIND AND THE PANTHER.

A Milk-white Hind, immortal and unchanged,

Fed on the lawns, and in the forest rang'd; Without unfpotted, innocent within,

She fear'd no danger, for she knew no fin.

Yet had fhe oft been chas'd with horns and hounds,
And Scythian shafts; and many winged wounds
Aim'd at her heart; was often forc'd to fly,
And doom'd to death though fated not to die.
Not fo her young; for their unequal line
Was hero's make, half human, half divine.
Their earthly mold obnoxious was to fate,
Th' immortal part affum'd immortal state.
Of thefe a flaughter'd army lay in blood,
Extended o'er the Caledonian wood,
Their native walk; whofe vocal blood arose,
And cry'd for pardon on their perjur'd foes.
Their fate was fruitful, and the fanguine feed,
Endued with fouls, increas'd the facred breed.

So captive Ifrael multiply'd in chains,

A numerous exile, and enjoy'd her pains.

With grief and gladness mix'd, the mother view'd
Her martyr'd offspring, and their race renew'd;
Their corps to perish, but their kind to last,

So much the deathlefs plant the dying fruit furpafs'd.
Panting and pensive now she rang`d alone,
And wander'd in the kingdoms, once her own.
The common hunt, though from their rage reftrain'd
By fovereign power her company difdain'd;
Grinn'd as they pass'd, and with a glaring eye
Gave gloomy figns of fecret enmity.

'Tis true, the bounded by, and trip'd fo light,
They had not time to take a steady fight.
For truth has fuch a face and fuch a mien,
As to be lov'd needs only to be seen.

The bloody bear, an independent beast,
Unlick'd to form, in groans her hate expreft.
Among the timorous kind the quaking hare
Profess'd neutrality, but would not swear.
Next her the buffoon ape, as atheists use,
Mimick'd all fects, and had his own to chufe:
Still when the lion lock'd, his knees he bent,
And paid at church a courtier's compliment.
The briftled baptift boar, impure as he,
But whiten'd with the foam of fanctity,
With fat pollutions fill'd the facred place,
And mountains level'd in his furious race:
So first rebellion founded was in grace,

}

But