And still the maddeft, and most crackt,

Were found the bufieft to tranfact;

260

For, though most hands dispatch apace
And make light work (the proverb says)

Yet many different intellects

Are found t' have contrary effects;

And many heads t' obstruct intrigues,

265

As floweft infects have moft legs.
Some were for setting up a king,
But all the reft for no fuch thing,
Unless King Jefus : others tamper'd

For Fleetwood, Desborough, and Lambert :

270 Some

Ver. 267, 268.] Harry Martyn, in his fpeech, in the debate Whether a King, or no King, faid, "That "if they must have a King, they had rather have had "the last than any gentleman in England. He found "no fault in his perfon, but office."

Ver. 269.] Alluding to the Fifth Monarchy-men, who had formed a plot to dethrone Cromwell, and fet up King Jefus.

Ver. 269, 270. Others tamper'd-For Fleetwood, Defborough, and Lambert.] Fleetwood was a lieutenantgeneral : he married Ireton's widow, Oliver Cromwell's eldest daughter; was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland by Cromwell, Major-general of divers counties, one of Oliver's upper houfe: his falary fuppofed to be 6600l. a year.—Desborough, a yeoman of 60 or 701. per annum; fome say a plowman. Bennet, fpeaking to Defborough, fays, "When your Lordship was a "plowman, and wore high fhoon-Ha! how the Lord "raifeth fome men, and depreffeth others."-Defborough married Cromwell's fifter, caft away his spade,

C 2

and

Some for the Rump; and some, more crafty,

For Agitators, and the Safety:

Some for the Gospel, and maffacres
Of spiritual Affidavit-makers,
That fwore to any human regence
Oaths of fupremacy and allegiance;
Yea, though the ableft fwearing Saint,
That vouch'd the bulls o' th' Covenant:
Others for pulling down th' high-places
Of Synods and Provincial Claffes,

275

280

That

and took up a fword, and was made a colonel; was inftrumental in raifing Cromwell to the Protectorship; upon which he was made one of his council, a General at fea, and Major-general of divers counties of the weft; and was one of Oliver's upper house. His annual income was 3236 l. 135. 4 d.

Ibid. Lambert.] Lambard, in the first edition 1678 Altered 1684. He was one of the Rump Generals, and a principal oppofer of General Monk in the Reftoration of King Charles II. The writer of the Narrative of the late Parliament fo called, 1657, p. 9. obferves, "That Major general Lambert, as one of Oliver's "council, had 1000l. per annum, which, with his "other places, in all amounted to 6512/. 35. 4d."

Ver. 272. Agitators.] In 1647, the Army made choice of a fet number of officers, which they called the General Council of Officers; and the common foldiers made choice of three or four of each regiment, moftly corporals and ferjeants, who were called by the name of Agitators, and were to be a Houfe of Commons to the council of officers: thefe drew up a Declaration, that they would not be disbanded till their arrears were paid, and a full provifion made for liberty of confcience.

1

That us'd to make fuch hoftile inroads
Upon the Saints, like bloody Nimrods :
Some for fulfilling Prophecies,
And th' extirpation of th' Excife;
And some against th' Egyptian bondage
Of Holy-days, and paying Poundage:
Some for the cutting down of Groves,
And rectifying bakers' Loaves;
And fome for finding out expedients
Against the flavery of Obedience:
Some were for Gospel-ministers,
And fome for Red-coat feculars,

285

290

As men most fit t' hold-forth the Word,
And wield the one and th' other fword:

Some were for carrying on the Work

295

Against the Pope, and fome the Turk:
Some for engaging to suppress

The camifado of Surplices,

That Gifts and Dispensations hinder'd,

And turn'd to th' outward man the inward;

300

That us'd to break up ground, and dig);

The

Ver. 308. That us'd to.] That is to, edition 1678.

The bride to nothing but her will,
That nulls the after-marriage still :
Some were for th' utter extirpation
Of Linfey-woolfey in the nation;
And fome against all idolising

-310

The Cross in shop-books, or Baptifing:

Others, to make all things recant

315

The Chriftian or furname of Saint,

And force all churches, ftreets, and towns,

The holy title to renounce :

Some 'gainst a third estate of Souls,

And bringing down the price of Coals :

320

Some for abolishing Black-pudding,

And eating nothing with the blood in ;
To abrogate them roots and branches;
While others were for eating Haunches
Of warriors, and, now and then,
The Flesh of kings and mighty men :

325

And

That ufes to, editions 1684, 1689, 1694, 1700, 1704. Altered 1710, as it ftands here.

Ver. 317, 318.] The mayor of Colchester banished one of that town for a malignant and a cavalier, in the year 1643, whofe name was Parfons; and gave this learned reafon for this exemplary piece of justice, that

it was an ominous name.

Ver. 323.] This was the fpirit of the times. There was a propofal to carry twenty Royalists in front of Sir Thomas Fairfax's army, to expole them to the fire of the enemy; and one Gourdon moved, "That the "Lady Capel, and her children, and the Lady Nor

And some for breaking of their Bones

With rods of iron, by fecret ones;

For

"wich, might be fent to the General with the fame "directions, faying, their husbands would be careful "of their safety; and when divers oppofed fo barbarous a motion, and alleged that Lady Capel was great with child, near her time, Gourdon pressed it "the more eagerly, as if he had taken the General for "a man-midwife." Nay, it was debated at a council "of war, to maffacre and put to the fword all the "King's party: the queftion put was carried in the negative but by two votes." Their endeavour 66 was, how to diminish the number of their oppofites, "the Royalifts and Prefbyterians, by a massacre; for "which purpofe many dark-lanterns were provided "laft winter, 1649; which coming to the common ru"mour of the Town, put them in danger of the infa16 my and hatred that would overwhelm them; fo this "was laid aside." A bill was brought in, 1656, for decimating the Royalists, but thrown out. And this spirit was but too much encouraged by their clergy. Mr. Caryl, in a Thanksgiving Sermon before the Commons, April 23, 1644, p. 46. fays, "If Chrift will "fet up his kingdom upon the carcafes of the flain, it "well becomes all elders to rejoice and give thanks. "Cut them down with the fword of juftice, root them "out, and confume them as with fire, that no root may fpring up again."

Of this fpirit was Mr. George Swathe, minister of Denham in Suffolk, who, in a prayer, July 13, 1641, or 1642, has the following remarkable words; "Lord, "if no compofition will end the controversy between "the King and the Parliament, but the King and his party will have blood, let them drink of their own