ON THE KING'S RETURN.

LONG have we waited for a happy end
Of all our miseries and strife;
But still in vain the swordmen did intend
To make them hold for term of life,
That our distempers might be made
Their everlasting livelihood and trade,
They entail their swords and guns,
And pay, which wounded more ;
Upon their daughters and their sons,
Thereby to keep us ever poor.
And when the civil wars were past,

They civil government invade;

To make our taxes and our slavery last,
Both to their titles and their trade.
But now we are redeem'd from all,

By our indulgent king;

Whose coming does prevent our fall,
With loyal and with joyful hearts we'll sing.

CHORUS.

Welcome, welcome, royal May,
Welcome, long-desired Spring!
Many springs and Mays we've seen

Have brought forth what's gay and green; But none is like this glorious day,

Which brings forth our gracious king.

FOR GENERAL MONK HIS ENTERTAINMENT AT CLOTH-
WORKER'S HALL,

RING, bells! and let bonfires outblaze the Sun!
Let echoes contribute their voice!

Since now a happy settlement's begun,

Let all things tell how all good men rejoice.
If these sad lands by this

Can but obtain the bliss

Of their desired, though abused peace;
We'll never, never more

Run mad, as we've heretofore,

To buy our ruin; but all strife shall cease.

The cobler shall edify us no mcre,

Nor shall in divinity set any stitches;

The women we will no more hear and adore,
That preach with their husbands for the breeches,
The fanatical tribe,

That will not subscribe

To the orders of church and of state,
Shall be smother'd with the zeal
Of their new commonweal,

And no man will mind what they prate.

again :

Men venture their quiet and safety for gold, When they won't stir a foot their rights to maintain.

This doctors createth of dunces; and those
Commanders, that use to pollute their hose,
This buys the spruce gallant his verse and his prose.

This marriages makes, 'tis the centre of love,

It draws on the man, and it pricks up the woman; Birth, virtue, and parts, no affection can move, While this makes lords bow to the brat of a broom-man.

Gives virtue and beauty to the lass that you woo, Makes women of all sorts and ages to do; 'Tis the soul of the world, and the worldling too.

This horses procures you, and hawks, hounds, and hares, [your gelding: 'Tis this keeps your groom, and your groom keeps It buys citizens' wives as well as their wares,

Should be apprehended: and after the same, With an humble petition, the king they request He'd be pleas'd to return, and be serv'd like the A message from Oxford, conducing to peace, [rest. Came next to their hands, that armes might cease. They voted and voted, and still they did vary, Till at last the whole sense of the house was contrary [gain To reason; they knew by their arms they might What neither true reason nor law can maintain. Cessation was voted a dangerous plot; [not. Because the king would have it, both houses would But when they resolv'd, it abroad must be blown, (To baffle the world) that the king would have none. And carefully muzzled the mouth of the press, Lest the truth should peep through their juggling dress. [harms, For they knew a cessation would work them more Than Essex could do the cavaliers with his arms. While they keep the ships and the forts in their hand,

They may be traitors by sea, as well as by land.

[spring;

ing. This buys us good sack, which revives like the This gives the poetical fancies their wing; This makes you as merry as we that do sing.

ON Monday both houses fell into debate,
And were likely to fall by the ears as they sat;
Yet would they not have the business decided,
That they (as the kingdom is) might be divided.
They had an intention to prayers to go,
But extempore prayers are now common too.
To voting they fall; and the key of the work
Was the raising of money for the state and the
kirk.

'Tis only free loan: yet this order they make, That what men would not lend, they should plunder

and take.

Upon this, the word plunder came into their mind, And all of them did labour a new one to find: They call'd it distraining: yet thought it no shame To persist in the act, which they blush'd for to name.

And the ships carry them and their plunder away. They have therefore good reason to account war the better,

For the law will prove to them but a killing letter.

TUESDAY.

A POST from his excellence came blowing his horn,
For money to advance, and this spun out the morn;
And straight to the city some went for relief,
The rest made an ordinance to carry powder-beef.
Thus up go the Round-heads, and Essex advances,
But only to lead his soldiers new dances.
To Reading he goes; for at Oxford (they say)
His wife has made bulwarks to keep him away.
Prince Rupert, for fear that the name be confounded,
Will saw off his horns, and make him a Round-
head.

That Reading was taken ere ever he came.
The news was returned with general fame,

Then away rode our captains, and soldiers did run, To show themselves valiant, when the battle was done,

Preparing to plunder, but as soon as they came,
They quickly perceiv'd it was but a flam:
An ordinance of parliament Essex brought down,
But that would not serve him to batter the town.
More money was rais'd, more men and ammunition,
Carts loaded with turnips, and other provision.
His excellence had chines and rams-heads for a

That reason and privilege in it did grow,
'Twas a breach of his crown and dignity too.
Then came in the women with a long long petition,
To settle militia and damn the commission.
For if fighting continue, they say they did fear,
That men would be scarce, and husbands be dear.
So plainly the speaker the business untics,
That presently all the members did rise.
They had hardly the leisure all things to lay ope,
But some felt in their bellies if they had not a pope.
Some strictly stood to them, and others did fear,
Each carried about them a fierce cavalier.
This business was handled by the close-committee,
That privately met at a place in the city.
So closely to voting the members did fall,
That the humble sisters were overthrown all.
But they and their helpers came short at the last,
Till at length the whole work on prince Griffith was
And he with his troop did handle the matter, [cast.
He pleased every woman, as soon as he came at her.
The business had like to have gone on their side,
Had not Pym persuaded them not to confide;
For rather than peace, to fill the common-wealth,
He said he'd do them every uight himself.

THURSDAY.

THIS day a great fart in the house they did hear, Which made all the members make buttons for fear; And one makes nine speeches while the business was hot,

[plot. And spake through the nose that he smelt out the He takes it to task, and the articles draws, As a breach of their own fundamental laws. Now letters were read which did fully relate A victory against New-castle of late; That hundreds were slain, and hundreds did run, And all this was got ere the battle begun. This then they resolv'd to make the best on; And next they resolved upon the question, That bonfires and praises, the pulpit and steeple, Must all be suborned to cousen the people. But the policy was more money to get, For the conquests dear bought and far enough fet, Such victories in Ireland, although it be known They strive to make that land as bad as our own. No sooner the money for this was brought hither, But a croud of true letters came flocking together, How Hotham and's army and others were heaten, This made the blue members to startle and threaten. And these by all means must be kept from the city, And only referred to the privy-committee. And they presently with an extempore vote, Which they had used so long, that they learned by [turn them, They stil'd them malignant, and to lies they did Then Corbet in stead of the hangman, must burn them.

rote,

And he after that an ordinance draws, [cause.
That none should tell truth that disparag❜d the
Then Pym like a Pegasus trots up and down,
And takes up an angel to throw down a crown.
He stands like a centaur and makes a long speech,
That came from his mouth, and part from his breech.
He moves for more horse, that the army may be
Part man's flesh and horse flesh, as well as he;
And he'll be a colonel as well as another, [mother.
But durst not ride a horse, 'cause a horse rid his

FRIDAY.

SIR Hugh Chulmley for being no longer a traitor, Was accus'd of treason in the highest nature;

Cause he (as they bade him) his soldiers did bring,
fo turn from rebellion and fight for the king.
They voted him out, but, nor they nor their men
Could vote him into the house again.

[charge

Sir David's remonstrance next to them was read,
From the city's round body and Isaac's the head.
'Twas approv'd; but one cause produc'd a denial,
That all traitors be brought to a legal trial.
For 'tis against reason to vote or to do
Against traitors when they are no other but so.
Because about nothing so long they sit still,
They hold it convenient diurnals to fill.
And therefore they gave their chronographer
To stuff it with orders and letters at large.
The king by's prerogative, nor by the law,
Can speak nor print nothing his people to draw.
Yet pennyless pamphleteers they do maintain,
Whose only religion is stipendary gain.
Yet cum privilegio, against king and the state,
The treason that's taught them (like parrots) they
prate.

These backnies are licens'd whatever they do,
As if they had parliament privilege too.
Thus then they consult, so zealous they are,
To settle the peace of the kingdom by war.
But against civil war their hatred is such, [Dutch.
They had rather the land be destroy'd in a minute,
To prevent it they'll bring in the Scots and the
Than abide any thing that has loyalty in it;
And yet their rebellion so neatly they trim,
They fight for the king, but they mean for king Pym.
These all to fight for, and maintain are sent
The laws of England, but New-England is meant.
And though such disorders are broke in of late,
They keep it the anagram still of a state.
For still they are plotting such riches to bring
To make Charles a rich and glorious king.
And by this rebellion this good they will do him,
They'll forfeit all their estates unto him.
No clergy must meddle in spiritual affairs,
But Layton ne'er heard of it, losing his ears,
For that he might be deaf to the prisoners' cries,
To a spiritual gaoler's place he must rise.
The rest have good reason for what they shall do,
For they are both clergy and laity too.
Or else at the best when the question is stated,
They are but mechanics newly translated.
They may be committees to practise their bawling,
The reason why people our martyrs adore, [more
For stealing of horse is spiritual calling.
'Cause their ears being cut off their fame sounds the
'Twas order'd the goods of malignants and lands,
Shall be shar'd among them, and took into their
hands.

They have spirits for more malignants to come,
That every one in the house may have some.
Then down to Guild-hall they return their thanks,
To the fools whom the lottery has cheated with
blanks.

SATURDAY.

THIS day there came news of the taking a ship,
(To see what strange wonders are wrought in the
That a troop of their horse ran into the sea, [deep.)
And pull'd out a ship alive to the key.

And after much prating and fighting they say,
The ropes serv'd for traces to draw her away.
Sure these were sea-horses, or else by their lying,
They'd make them as famous for swimming as fly.

ing,

The rest of the day they spent to bemoan

Their brother the Round-head that to Tyburn was
And could not but think it a barbarous thing, [gone;
To hang him for killing a friend to the king.
He was newly baptized, and held it was good
To be washed, yet not in water, but blood.
They ordered for his honour to cut off his ears,
And make him a martyr, but a zealot appears,
And affirm'd him a martyr, for although 'twas his
fate

To be hang'd, yet he dy'd for the good of the state.
Then all fell to plotting of matters so deep,
That the silent speaker fell down fast asleep.
He recovers himself and rubs up his eyes,
Then motions his house that it was time to rise.
So home they went all, and their business referr'd
To the close-committee by them to be heard;
They took it upon them, but what they did do,
Take notice that none but themselves must know.

POSTSCRIPT.

THUS far we have gone in rhyme to disclose,
What never was utter'd by any in prose.
If any be wanting, 'twas by a mishap,
Because we forgot to weigh't by the map.
For over the kingdom their orders were spread,
They have made the whole body as bad as the head.
And now made such work that all they do,
Is but to read letters and answer them too.
We thought to make finis the end of the story,
But that we shall have no more business for you.
For (as their proceedings do) so shall our pen,
Run roundly from Monday to Monday again.
And since we have begun, our Muse doth intend,
To have (like their votes) no beginning nor end.

ON THE DEMOLISHING THE FORTS.

Is this the end of all the toil,

And labour of the town?

And did our bulwarks rise so high,
Thus low to tumble down?

All things go by contraries now,

We fight to still the nation,

Who build forts to pull down popery,
Pull down for edification.

These independents' tenets, and
Their ways so pleasing be,
Our city won't be bound about,

But stands for liberty.

The popish doctrine shall no more

Prevail within our nation; For now we see that by our works, There is no justification.

What an almighty army's this,

How worthy of our praising,

That with one vote can blow down that

All we so long were raising!

Yet let's not wonder at this change,
For thus 'twill be withall,

These works did lift themselves too high,
And pride must have a fall.

And when both houses vote again,
The cavies to be gone,

Nor dare to come witin the lines,
Of communication.

They must reserve the sense or else,
Refer't to the divines,

And they that need sit seven years more
E're they can read those lines.

They went to make a Gotham on't,

For now they did begin
To build these mighty banks about,
To keep the cuckoos in.

Alas what need they take such pains!
For why a cuckoo here,
Might find so many of his mates,

He'll sing here all the year.

Has Isaac our L. Mayor, L. Mayor,
With tradesmen and his wenches,
Spent so much time, and cakes and beer,
To edify these trenches!

All trades did show their skill in this,
Each wife an engineer:
The mayoress took the tool in hand,
The maids the stones did bear.

These bulwarks stood for popery,

And yet we never fear'd 'em,
And now they worship and fall down,
Before those calves that rear'd 'em.

But though for superstition,

The crosses have been down'd,
Who'ld think these works would popish turn,
That ever have been round?

This spoils our palmistry; for when
We'll read the city's fate,

We find nor lines nor crosses now,
As it hath had of late.

No wonder that the aldermen,

Will no more money lend,
When they that in these seven years,
Such learned works have penn'd,

Now to debase their lofty lines,

In which the wits delighted, 'Tis thought they'll ne'er turn poets more, Because their works are slighted.

These to a doleful tune are set,

For they that in the town,
Did every where cry l'p go we,
Now they must sing Down, down.
But if that Tyburn do remain,
When t'other slighted be,
The cits will thither flock and sing,
Hay, hay, then up go we.

THE CLOWN.

Аn surra, is't a come to this?
That all our weeze-men do zo miss ?
Eslid think zo much avore,
Have we kept vighting here zo long,
To zell our kingdome vor a zɔng,
O that ever chwor a bore!

Echave a be a cavaliero,

Like most weeze-men that escood heaor, And shoor sdid wish 'um well, But within sdid zee how the did go To cheat the king and country too, Esbid 'um all vorwell.