A Loyal CONGRATULATION To the Right Honourable, Anthony, Earl of Shaftsbury: Upon the Disappointment of his, the King and Kingdoms Enemies, By the Loyal Grand Juries Finding the Bill against him IGNORAMƲS.
In a short POEM.
SIR, as I in a Melancholly Mood,
Upon the Bank of our Fam'd River, stood,
Seeing the Wherries passing too and fro,
And marking how the Tides did Ebb and Flow;
How flowing high, the Waters wash't the Wall
Of our Dread Sovereigns Royal Court, White-Hall:
How, when they Ebb'd and left the Kingly House,
They naked left the Strand, the Mud and Ouse;
What pains men took who Row'd against the Tide,
How easily the Boats did with it glide.
Methought I saw within this Wat'ry Glass,
The Image of our Times oft-Changing Face,
Which did my Melancholy Thoughts relieve,
And that Times Tide would turn, some Hopes did give.
My Lord, The World and I do see it now,
The swelling Tide begins to turn with You;
The God who flowing Waters doth Command,
Sets them a Period, and then bids them Stand,
Doth with his Power the Tydes of Malice bound,
Lest men with Waters or with Rage be Drown'd.
Your Foes, whose Rage but now swell'd to the Brink,
With Shame return, discovering as they sink,
The Filthy Bottom and the Stinking Mud
That lay unseen under the Rolling Flood.
What Horrid Arts do Politicians use?
For Int'rest Law and Gospel will abuse;
How they can Traytors Hug, and Villains Love,
When Malice would some Obstacle remove!
They care not if their Instruments be Damn'd,
The King, and all the World besides, be Shamm'd,
When their Design to bring about they hope,
A Popish Successor, with him a Pope,
For you my Lord they'd laid a desperate Snare,
With Malice, Wicked Industry and Care;
VVith Cunning Arts of a Soul-Damning Sin,
They thought they for your Life had laid their Gin,
Their Trap's Discover'd, and themselves fall in.
Fools not to know, there can be no Defence
Against a Righteous God and Innocence.
But Sir, they aim'd not at your Life alone,
More must have fallen when that you were gone,
They'd first remove the Nations Prop and Stay,
Then take Religion and our Laws away;
Bring in the Pope and Arbitrary Sway.
But God look't down and saw the deep Design.
And by Good Angels broke their Snares like twine:
A Jury which upon Record shall stand,
As worthy Patriots who had sav'd their Land;
Who by False Oaths would never be Trapann'd.
O! Let their Names for e'r Recorded be,
And let them shine bright to Posterity:
For Precedents hereafter they'l be shown,
For Wisdom and their upright Justice known,
A long time after we are dead and gone.
Who by your Fall alone did think to Lame us.
Will Curse, Da [...] and cry out on IGNORAMUS.
Let their black Mouths be with damn'd Curses fill'd,
And let them still on false Foundations Build;
Let them with Ballads, and with Pamphlets fill
The Town, e're they reach You, your Fame to Kill;
Let them with their Poetick Malice swell,
Falsly apply the Story, known so well,
Of Absalom, and of Achitophel;
You need not care, for Heav'n has turned the Tyde,
And he himself appeared on your side:
For which, I fear, some Wretch, whose Mouth is bigg
With Blasphemy, will boldly call him WHIGG;
And if it were within their impious Power,
Swear him from Heav'n, and hold him in the TOWER.
All that with you, do for Religion stand,
VVho wish that Peace, may still flow in this Land,
VVho truly Love the King, and Government,
Tho' they stand up for Rights of PARLIAMENT,
VVho spawn no PLOTS, whom no Affronts can move,
VVho tho' much urg'd, will never Rebels prove,
VVho do no Loyalty or Duty want,
And every true unbiass'd PROTESTANT,
Have by the Factious Scriblers of the Times,
Been still accus'd of Black and Traytrous Crimes;
And if a Man speak Sence, or Law, or Reason,
They call him VVhigg, and to his Charge lay TREASON.
Methinks the Factious now their Tricks should cease,
VVho by all ways, strive to disturb our Peace,
Tho' 'tis in Vain, and they discover'd have been,
Yet will they try their old Shams o're agen;
Almighty Mony, Justice doth invade,
And PERJURY becomes a gainful Trade:
They Loose their End, and can't the people move,
VVho Love the KING, and will not Rebels prove,
They hop'd you Loyal, and did it believe,
The Pope's Masqu'd Creatures, could not all deceive:
That you are Lov'd, you now may well perceive,
So many Joyful Fires, shew'd their Content,
That you have Loyal prov'd and Innocent,
For which great Sir, great in your Vertue now,
All Loyal Hearts with Me, rejoyce for You,
And if you could converse them, You would find
In these few Lines, the numerous Loyal's Mind.
They Love You only, because You prove good,
And that your Loyalty they understood:
Therefore all those who Mourn'd the Doleful Fate,
Do your Deliverance now Congratulate,
Finding you a Sound Member of the State.
And may the King to 's Favour you restore,
And 's Royal Beams upon you Shine once more,
May Envy fly, your Enemies be Sham'd
And no more PLOTS of State be ever fram'd;
May CHARLES long Reign with Glory and Renown,
Peace and Religion our Blest Nation Crown,
That we once more ma [...] see those Days again
VVhen CHARLES restor'd, first over us did Reign.
FINIS.
LONDON, Printed for Charles Leigh, 1681.