THE Loyal Apprentices PROTESTATION.
ALas! What Times are those we're like to see,
When Men are stigmatiz'd for LOYALTY;
And called Tivies, Tories, and what not,
And worse abus'd than those concern'd I'th' PLOT?
And we Poor 'Prentices, how we're abus'd,
Because to side with Faction we refus'd:
Had we with Clubs and Staves run to Whitehall,
And there demanded Things Irrational:
Run into Churches, and tore Common-Prayers,
Pull'd out the Good old Bishops by the Ears,
And rent the Surplices, those decent Wares;
Reviv'd but Forty One again; O then,
Instead of VERMIN, we'd been Gentlemen!
But hold Impartial, We are not so mad
For to displease our KING, to make thee glad,
I know full well that's it thou'dst have Us do,
But know dull Ass, we'll not be advis'd by you.
Thou simple Sot, the very worst of Fools,
Dost think to make of Us Forty One Tools;
By Publishing thy damn'd fallacious Stories,
To asperse those Loyal Men, whom thou call'st Tories?
Who can expect peaceable Times to see,
Whilst thou art thus fomenting Enmity?
And is this the way t' Extirpate the Pope▪
Judge now thy self if thou do'nt merit R
But on, thou damn'd Incendiary, Print what you will,
We London APPRENTICES will be Loyal still:
We ever lov'd our KING, and ever shall;
And for his Service, our Lives and Fortunes all
Doth lye prepar'd, whilst he has need to call.
In the mean time We Apprentices will Sing,
And clap our Hands, and say, God save our King.
Printed by A. B. and sold by Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall, 1681.