But whether that be fo or not,

We 've done enough to have it thought,

And that 's as good as if we 'ad done 't,

And eafier pafs'd upon account:

For if it be but half deny'd,

'Tis half as good as justify'd.

The world is naturally averfe
To all the truth it fees or hears,
But fwallows nonfenfe, and a lye,

With greediness and gluttony;

800

805

And though it have the pique, and long,

'Tis ftill for fomething in the wrong;

810

As women long, when they 're with child,

For things extravagant and wild ;

For meats ridiculous and fulfome,

But feldom any thing that 's wholefome;
And, like the world, men's jobbernoles

815

And, when of nothing 'twas begun,

Rais'd funds, as ftrange, to carry 't on;

830

Trepann'd the state, and fac'd it down,

With plots and projects of our own ;

And if we did fuch feats at first,

What can we, now we 're better verft?

In just so many years of blood,
That, multiply'd by Six, expreft
The perfect number of the Beast,
And prov'd that we must be the men
To bring this work about again;

845

And those who laid the first foundation,
Complete the thorough Reformation :
For who have gifts to carry on

850

So great a work, but we alone?

What Churches have such able pastors,

And precious, powerful, preaching Masters ?

Poffefs'd

Ver. 841] Burton, Prynne, and Baftwick, three notorious ringleaders of the factions, just at the be ginning of the late horrid Rebellion.

;

Poffefs'd with abfolute dominions
O'er Brethren's purfes and opinions?
And, trusted with the double keys
Of heaven, and their warehouses
Who, when the Caufe is in distress,
Can furnish out what fums they please,
That brooding lie in bankers' hands,
To be difpos'd at their commands,
And daily' increase and multiply
With Doctrine, Ufe, and Ufury;
Can fetch-in parties (as, in war,
All other heads of cattle are)

855

860

865

From th' enemy of all religions,

As well as high and low conditions,

And share them, from blue ribbands, down

To all blue aprons in the town:

870

From ladies hurried in calleches,

With cornets at their footmen's breeches,

875

fide

To bawds as fat as Mother Nab,
All guts and belly, like a crab.
Our party's great, and better ty'd
With oaths, and trade, than any
Has one confiderable improvement
To double fortify the Covenant;
I mean our Covenant to purchase
Delinquents' titles, and the Church's,
That pass in sale, from hand to hand,
Among ourselves, for current land,
And rife or fall, like Indian actions,
According to the rate of factions;

880

Our

Our best reserve for Reformation,

885

When new Outgoings give occafion
That keeps the loins of Brethren girt,

The Covenant (their creed) t' assert ;

890

And, when they 've pack'd a Parliament,
Will once more try th' expedient :
Who can already mufter friends
To ferve for members to our ends,
That represent no part o' th' nation,
But Fisher's-folly congregation;
Are only tools to our intrigues,
And fit like geese to hatch our eggs;
Who, by their precedents of wit,
T'outfaft, outloiter, and outfit,
Can order matters under hand,

895

900

Unless it be the bulls of Lenthal,
That always pafs'd for fundamental;

910

Can

Ver. 909.] Mr. Lenthal was Speaker to that House of Commons which begun the Rebellion, murdered the King, becoming then but the Rump, or fag-end

of

Can fet up grandee againft grandee,

To fquander time away and bandy;
Make Lords and Commoners lay fieges
To one another's privileges;

And, rather than compound the quarrel,
Engage, to th' inevitable peril

Of both their ruins, th' only scope

And confolation of our hope;

Who, though we do not play the game,
Affift as much by giving aim;

920

For heads of factions, t' act their parts;
Know what a leading voice is worth,

That found it out, get into th' Houses.

Thefe

of a House, and was turned out by Oliver Cromwell; reftored after Richard was outed, and at laft diffolved themselves at General Monk's command: and as his name was fet to the ordinances of this House, thefe ordinances are here called the Bulls of Lenthal, in allufion to the Pope's bulls, which are humorously defcribed by the author of A Tale of a Tub.