A VOTE FOR Moderate Counsels; AS THE Readyest Way to Heal Our BREACHES, And bring Happiness to the KING AND PEOPLE.
An ODE, By a Barrister at LAW.
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London, Printed for James Vade at the Cock and Sugar-Loaf in Fleet-Street, 1681.
A VOTE FOR Moderate Counsels, &c.
HAil Sacred Council! Quintesence of Souls!
Strength of the Common-Wealth, which Chains the Fates,
And every danger, ere it comes, Controlles;
The Anchor of all Realms and stay of States.
A sure Foundation, which hath still withstood,
All open Force, and the far worse Designs,
Of such as Ruin Plot by Undermines.
The Rock which braves Envies impetuous Flood,
On which most Glorious Seats do firmly stand,
Thou the true Bacon Walling in the Land.
Whereon the Polititian may Erect,
(If he on Loyal Rules doth still reflect)
A Fabrick, many stories high with Ease,
And never fear the Storms of Envious Fate▪
Which things at highest does Precipitate.
[Page 4] A Fabrick which Ambitions self may please,
And shew the Grandeur of the Architect.
The golden-Ball, which does so proudly rise,
Like a Celestial Globe, into the Skies,
That second Woolsey' had'st Thou plac'd it there,
Had left his Name, as lasting as the Sphear.
II.
GReat Empress, of this Universal Frame!
The Atlas on whose shoulders states are stai'd,
Who holdst the Reines, and Wilder Man dost tame,
And mak'st those good, that are in Furrs Array'd,
Those who no God but Mammon e're Obey'd.
To Justice thou, the double use, hast taught,
Both of the Ballance and the Sword;
Her Laws she takes from thy Diviner Word,
And by that Test she try's who e're are brought.
There ne're was greater need than now,
In a ranck Age where Vices only grow,
To have her Sword kept keen,
That the Luxurious Branches may,
E'r they draw out the Vital Sap, be lopt away.
No matter tho' they look so fresh and Green.
[Page 5] The Roman Hydra too she must oppose,
And many Labours more sustain,
Than ever Hercules himself could do,
Hee's but for Twelve Renown'd; for each of those,
She hath a Thousand Labours to run thro,
Whole Heards of Lyons and Worse Foxes to Subdue.
III.
IF ought Succeed while we despise Thy Care,
And on the cast-off Chance alone Depend;
The Bait Success, but draws us in a Snare,
And so betrays our Fortune in the End:
Like the deluded Fish we leap at Flyes,
Altho a Hook i'th gawdy Entrails lies.
When by thy Compass We our Course do Steer,
We make safe way thro' all the shelves of Fate.
Thou at the Helm, of this great Ship of State,
The safe and well experienc'd Pilot art.
And dost thy Stowage still in safety bear,
Both in the Calms of Peace and storms of War,
Thou art not only Pilot, but the Chart.
Since Inundations threaten us again,
Wee'r swept away, unless we straight Embark,
To all its tops of Power, we Climb in vain,
Although it self do seem some larger Boat,
That hath so long and proudly brav'd the Main,
And does like Delos, on the Ocean Float.
That Xerxes-like, Chains the unruly Deeps,
Lodging the Winds, within her Canvas Sheets.
And does with greater State the Captive Woo,
Then the Venetian-Duke, could ever do.
True Neptune, Thou.
The Tritons do no other Know,
When Thou dost shake thy Trident o're the Waves,
Making the Watry-Gods thy Slaves.
This very Isle, [which seems to be,
Another Venus, born o'th' Sea.]
The fairest Mistress, Neptune do's embrace,
Who took the Name of Albion, from her face.
This Warlike-Queen, whom in the Ages past,
No Forreign nor Domestick force cou'd quell,
Nor Fires consume enflam'd by Rome or Hell,
Wou'd but for thee, be swallow'd up at last,
By Seine and Tyber, whose polluted Streames,
If once they mingle with the Purer Thames,
Will never Ebb unto the Ocean more,
And if Corrupted once with Forraign Crimes,
We let in Judgments due unto those Climes:
This more Destructive Flood would leave behind,
Scarce a Deucalion to restore Mankind.
IV.
Thou from Confusion All things hast Redeem'd,
For all our Sessions without Thee were Vain,
And all those Senates which were most esteem'd,
By Thee it was, their Counsels Crown'd remain.
For all those Law's had but dead Letters seem'd,
Which Solon or Lycurgus did Ordain,
Those Times had been as much with Law perplext,
A [...] now this Modern Age,
Is with its Dark and Mystick Riddles Vext,
Hadst Thou not been the Comment to the Text.
Whilst the Poor Client hath one drop to bleed,
He but Consults a Horse-Leach for his Sage,
Who stoo's him on, and doth his Money take,
Having a Bear to engage him at the Stake,
But does this while no Chain of Concord make.
V.
NOt without Cause the Wiser Antients did,
Paint Magistrates, (plac'd to Explain the Laws)
Without their hands; thus Bribery did forbid,
Which from the doing Right too oft with-draws,
And with a Veile, the Judges Eyes were hid,
Who should not see the Party, but the Cause.
For those who should the Seats of Justice fill,
Her Deputies (as she does lead the Race)
Should move; and as she bends, should still Encline,
And hand in hand with Her keep Pace and Time.
Whom neither Gold nor Favour can betray,
Altho' they pave the Malefactors Way.
Or make the servil Judge so base,
For shining Dirt, to sell a cast on's Place.
He that would prove thus Dissolute,
And be the Pander of this Chaster Dame,
No doubt he would his Daughter Prostitute,
He that his Conscience sells, will cast in Fame.
VI.
JUstice, though less than Mercy, is Divine;
This should be still Constrein'd, but Mercy Free.
They both must take their Measures still from Thine;
And make their Course, as they are Steer'd by Thee:
Though the Luxurious Nation stands in need
Rather of Pruning, than to be Manur'd,
For where the Soil does only Briars breed,
Those Brambles must no longer be endur'd,
That would the Soberaign Plant (if suffer'd) Choak;
Ivie, that would Destroy the Sacred Oak:
(Sacred to Jove, the Druids made it so,
And We unto A God, more great below.
Here did the Royal Forester abide,
Whilst Treason sought in Vain, what Heaven did hide.)
Ivie, Which does with feeble Fibres Climb,
And with gay Treacherous Arms Embrace;
But would draw all the Strength from th' Oak, in time:
And when they've drawn the Nation into Ill,
They've Leaves, to Keep the Issue Running still.
VII.
'TWas Thou, that didst in the First Council Sit,
When this Vast Ball of Earth was made,
Thou didst prescribe the Rule and Form of it,
[Page 10] From Thee it both its Form and Beauty had.
The Naked thing was by thy Mirrour drest;
Thy Wisdom in the Workman-ships exprest,
And 'Twas thy Wardrope her with Various Dresses clad.
'Tis Thou that Teachest Monarchs all their parts;
From Thee they Learn the Use of Armes and Arts:
The true Minerva Thou,
Descended from the Brain of Jove.
By Thee alone it is, they Know,
When they should Rule by Fear and when by Love.
When they by peaceful Arts should gain Renown,
When by the Sword they must assure their Place,
VVhich gains a Prince Subjection from his own,
And makes his Neighbours fear to lose his Grace;
As 'twere the Book of Fate, they read his face:
For all do fear that Prince who dare Attempt,
VVhilst want of Courage, brings Him in Contempt;
And gives a Boldness to each sawcy Frog,
For to Insult and leap upon their King,
Useing the Royal-Power like a Log,
Crying it down, 'till they've Ingrost the thing,
And when his Subjects once become too bold,
Of the Advantage Foreign-States take hold,
And work their Iron, ere it waxes Cold.
VIII.
MAy none but such, of Councils Number boast,
VVhose Lives have long with many Vertues shin'd!
Rome still Respected the Patricians most,
Nobles are best for Use, if best enclin'd.
Yet so, as unto others seem not lost
Fair hopes to rise; for else, when hopes resign'd,
Industrious Vertue in her Course would tire,
If not expecting Honour for her Hire.
Such as have still been Loyal to the Crown,
And by supporting that, preserv'd their own.
VVise Men, that Know as well the honest lines,
VVhich should direct themselves in Wisdoms way,
As they can smell Phanatical Designs,
And find out Hypocrites, even when they Pray▪
Yet Men, that won't be driven back by Awe,
But speak their Minds by Reason and by Law.
Useing much Courage Falshood to Convince
Yet humbly yield to Reason and their Prince.
VVho the Successors: Right will not Debate,
So as still t' obstruct the way,
[Page 12] By this one stumbling-block of State,
Both to the Nations Happiness,
To VVearied Tangiers and the Oceans Peace:
Such Men as These now King and People want,
And only such, may Heaven next time to Caesar grant.
IX.
THat formal Don that undertook to prove
The Ignoramus Bill, an Act of Love,
From his Law-Logick might have drawn
As well this weighty Inference,
The loss of Tangier too, when gone,
Will be to th' Merchants of good Consequence.
And since the Duke and that must both be Lost,
Since He the Jonas is, that rais'd the Storm,
Fling Him o're-Board, that some Officious Whale,
May the kind Office once again perform,
And Spew Him out upon the Affrick-Coast.
VVith two unhappy things we only part,
That to the Sea, this to the Common-Weal,
Thus spake the Oracle! the Flammins smil'd;
As many as did think the Sentence mild:
Others, more Honest, did the Brow Contract,
And hop'd they mean not, as they Talk, to Act;
[Page 13] Crying it argu'd Childish peevishness,
Since both the pieces might not be their own,
To cast away the Good, they might possess,
And in the sullen Mode be pleas'd with none,
That it did seem, most insolently bold,
And like a Second Giants-War with Heaven;
On God and Natures Law's for to lay hold,
As if to Check their own our Power from them were given.
From those Just Rights which God and Nature give,
If once Ty'd up, there's none would wish to Live.
X.
THrice happy is that KING, whom Heaven doth Grace
With Parliaments whereon He may relye,
Who Honour Him, and do respect his Place;
And like to Aristides can cast by,
All Private Grudge, and publick Cares Embrace,
Whom no Ambition, nor base Thoughts can tye,
And that they be not, to betray their Seates,
The Partial Pentioners of Forraign States.
Good God-Fathers, that when so e're they please,
Make Us Beg Blessings on our Knees;
And if but once, th' untoward Child Offends,
Ungracious Children that pretend the way
Of Duty, Piously to Disobey
That Forty-One and Forty-Eight, resent,
And yet are growing into th' same Disease,
Troubling with needless Jealousies the Peace.
And unaware (Full Cry!) are running on the Scent.
Who Arbitrary Power do cry down,
Making the Best of Princes Cheap,
That they themselves may into th' Saddle leap,
And have the Loud and Rude Hosannah's of the Town.
Who should They once the Reins of Power Command,
And get (as Heaven forbid!) the Whipping Hand,
Would soon to Ruin Ride, the Asses of the Land.
FINIS.
An Advertisement.
THere have been Newly Published by James Dave, at the Cock and Sugar-Loaf, near St. Dunstans Church in Fleet-Street, several small Treatises, Relating to the Times, that are generally pronounced worthy the Perusal of all True English-men, Good Protestants, and Loyal Subjects; and bear the Titles following.
THe Field of Blood: Or, Rebellion Blazoned in all its▪Colours, in a Lively Representation (grounded upon Fact) of Inhability in a Prince, Exorbitant Ambition in the Nobility, and Licentious Insolence in the Commons.
The Keepers of the English Liberties drawn to the Life, in the Qualifications of Persons by Them declar'd capable to Serve in Parliament.
An Answer to a Popish Libel, Entitled, A Vindication of the English Catholick, discovering the Chief Falsities and Contradictions in the Narrative of Titus Oats.
A Paradox against Liberty. An Heroick Poem, By the Lords in the Tower.
Sentiments: A Poem to the Earl of Danby.
The Popes Third Breve, threatning to Excommunicate the most Christian King, together with the French Clergyes Reply upon the Subject of that Breve.
A Seasonable Memento both to King and People, upon This Critical Juncture of Affairs.
The Nations Interest, with Relation to the Pretensions of his. R. H. Duke of York, Discuss'd and Asserted.
The Grand Inquest: Or, A Full and Perfect Answer to several Reasons, by which it is pretended His Royal Highness the Duke of York may be proved to be a Roman Catholick.
The Mystery and Method of His Majesty's Happy Restauration, laid Open to Publick View; by John Price, D. D.
A Paradox against Life. An Heroick Poem. By the Lords in the Tower.
The Imposter Expos'd, in a Dissection of a Villanous Libel, entitled, A Letter to a Person of Honour, concerning the Black Box.
A Vote for Moderate Counsels; as the Readiest way to Heal our Breaches, and bring Happyness to King and People. By a Barrister of Grays-Inn.