And blood was ready to be broach'd,
When Hudibras in haste approach'd,

With Squire and weapons to attack them;
But firft thus from his horfe befpake them.
What rage, O Citizens! what fury
Doth you to thefe dire actions hurry?
What oftrum, what phrenetic mood
Makes you thus lavish of your blood,
While the proud Vies your trophies boast
And unreveng'd walks Waller's ghost?
What towns, what garrifons, might you,
With hazard of this blood, fubdue,
Which now y' are bent to throw away
In vain untriumphable fray?

Shall faints in civil bloodfhed wallow

490

495

500

Of faints, and let the Caufe lie fallow?

The Caufe, for which we fought and swore
So boldly, fhall we now give o'er ?

505

Then becaufe quarrels still are seen
With oaths and fwearings to begin,
The Solemn League and Covenant
Will feem a mere God-dam-me rant,

510

And

Ver. 495.] Oeftrum fignifies the gad-bee or horfe-fly. Ver. 497.] Sir W. Waller was defeated at the Devifes.

Ver. 503, 504.] Mr. Walker obferves, "That all "the cheating, covetous, ambitious perfons of the "land, were united together under the title of the "Godly, the Saints, and fhared the fat of the land "between them;" and he calls them the Saints who were canonized no where but in the Devil's Calendar.

And we that took it, and have fought,
As lewd as drunkards that fall out:
For as we make war for the King
Against himself, the felf-fame thing,
Some will not stick to fwear, we do
For God and for Religion too;

515

For if Bear-baiting we allow,

What good can Reformation do?

The blood and treasure that 's laid out

Is thrown away, and goes for nought.

520

Are these the fruits o' th' Protestation,

The prototype of Reformation,

Which all the faints, and fome, fince martyrs,

Wore in their hats like wedding-garters,

When 'twas refolv'd by either House

525

Six Members' quarrel to efpouse ?

Did they, for this, draw down the rabble,

With zeal and noifes formidable,

And make all cries about the Town

Join throats to cry the Bishops down?

530

Who

Ver. 513, 514.] The Prefbyterians, in all their wars against the King, maintained ftill, That they fought for him; for they pretended to diftinguifh his political perfon from his natural one; his political perfon, they faid, must be, and was, with the Parliament, though. his natural perfon was at war with them.

Ver. 530.] Good Lord (fays the True Informer, p. 12.) "what a deal of dirt was thrown in the Bifhops' faces !-what infamous ballads were fung! "what a thick cloud of epidemical hatred hung fud"denly over them! fo far, that a dog with a black "and white face was called a Bishop."

Who having round begirt the palace
(As once a month they do the gallows)
As Members gave the sign about,
Set up their throats with hideous fhout.
When tinkers bawl'd aloud to settle
Church-Difcipline, for patching kettle;
No fow-gelder did blow his horn
To geld a cat, but cry'd Reform;
The oyster-women lock'd their fish up,
And trudg'd away, to cry No Bishop;
The mouse-trap-men laid fave-alls by,
And 'gainst Ev'l Counsellors did cry;

535

540

Botchers left old cloaths in the lurch,

And fell to turn and patch the Church ;

Some cry'd the Covenant, instead

545

Of pudding-pies and ginger-bread;

And fome for brooms, old boots, and fhoes,

Bawl'd out to purge the Common-House :
Instead of kitchen-stuff, fome cry

A Gofpel-preaching Ministry;

550

And fome for old fuits, coats, or cloak,

No Surplices nor Service-book :

A ftrange harmonious inclination

Of all degrees to Reformation.

And

Ver. 553, 554.1 Thofe flights, which seem most extravagant in our Poet, were really excelled by matter of fact. The Scots (in their Large Declaration, 1637, p. 41.) begin their petition against the Common Prayer-book thus:-"We men, women, and children, and fervants, having confidered, &c." Foulis's Hift. of Wicked Plats,

And is this all? Is this the end

To which these Carryings-on did tend?

5.55.

Hath Public Faith, like a young heir,
For this tak'n up all forts of ware,
And run int' every tradefman's book,
Till both turn'd bankrupts, and are broke?
Did Saints, for this, bring in their plate,
And crowd as if they came too late?

For when they thought the Cause had need on't,
Happy was he that cou'd be rid on't.

560

Did they coin pifs-pots, bowls, and flaggons,

565

Int' officers of horse and dragoons ?
And into pikes and musqueteers
Stamp beakers, cups, and porringers?
A thimble, bodkin, and a spoon,
Did ftart up living men, as foon
As in the furnace they were thrown,

579,

Juft like the dragon's teeth being fown.

Then was the Cause of gold and plate,

The Brethrens' offerings, confecrate,

Like th' Hebrew calf, and down before it

575

The Saints fell proftrate, to adore it :

So fay the Wicked-and will you
Make that farcafmous fcandal true,

By running after Dogs and Bears,

Beasts more unclean than calves or steers?
Have powerful Preachers ply'd their tongues,
And laid themselves out and their lungs ;
Us'd all means, both direct and fin'ster,
I' th' power of Gofpel-preaching Min'fter?

5.80

The men, as Indians with a female
Tame elephant inveigle the male?

Have they told Prov'dence what it must do,
Whom to avoid, and whom to trust to?

Ver. 589.] It was a common practice to inform God of the tranfactions of the times. "Oh, my good Lord "God (fays Mr. G. Swathe, Prayers, p. 12.) I hear "the King hath fet up his ftandard at York against "the Parliament and city of London.-Look thou sc upon them, take their caufe into thine own hand; appear thou in the caufe of thy Saints, the caufe in hand-It is thy caufe, Lord. We know that the "King is mifled, deluded, and deceived by his Popish, "Arminian, and temporizing, rebellious malignant

faction and party, &c."-"They would (fays Dr. "Echard) in their prayers and fermons tell God, that "they would be willing to be at any charge or trouble "for him, and to do, as it were, any kindness for the "Lord; the Lord might now trust them, and rely upon "them, they fhould not fail him: they fhould not be "unmindful of his bufinefs; his work fhould not stand "ftill, nor his defigns be neglected. They muft needs "fay, that they had formerly received fome favours "from God, and have been, as it were, beholden to "the Almighty; but they did not much queftion_but "they should find fome opportunity of making fome "amends for the many good things, and (as I may "fo fay) civilities which they had received from him. "Indeed, as for those that are weak in the Faith, and "are yet but babes in Chrift, it is fit that they should "keep at fome diftance from God, fhould kneel before "him, and stand (as I may fay) cap in hand to the "Almighty :

3