HUGH PETERS last WILL and TESTAMENT: OR, The Haltering of the Divell.
To the tune of, the guelding of the Divel.
A Joyful story I will you tell
Of the haltering of the Divel of hell,
Old Nick, who lurkt this many a year
In Calvins Stool and Luthers Chair,
At Amsterdam in forty one
Did hold a Convocation,
And resolved to crosse the brine,
And enter a Herd of English Swine:
Belzebub that Angel of Light
(And Darknesse too) could hit it right;
The zealous wives he enters then,
And fits them for their bretheren,
The lesser Divels he bids them go
Into Millenaries, Anabaptists, Quakers too,
Divide but the Kingdome, the spoile was his own,
For then would he plunder the Church and the Thorne;
Rond round round as a Juglers box
The Divel walkt his round with the pox;
The great boss Bible under his arm
For all his mischiefs was the Charm,
And the Pulpit he soon deseries
The fittest place where to play his prise.
In pantaloons and powdred haire
There the Mountebank commends his ware;
Come buy of my Balsome approved to be
An Antedote 'gainst Episcopacie.
Sing this through the nose.
And here is that most precious thing
Frees all my Saints from the thrall of a King,
And you of all humane Laws doth free,
And from all manner of jeopardie▪
The Germans it cost ten millions or mo,
But you shall have't for a thimble or two▪
Thus he set up in the Preachers stall,
But soon 'larg'd his shop into Goldsmiths Hall,
If he cou'd but sheere the brethren there,
He knew where to pick the Cavaleere,
And there his voteries in did bring
Their thimbles, and bodkins, their plate and their rings,
And the sooner to bring their good Cause to an end,
No brother but his wife for a Hackny would lend;
Thus by the sisters a bank was made
(For t [...]e Divel and's wench) had a thriving trade)
The guelding Earl then doth he bestride,
For now he's resolv'd to get up and ride,
But [...]o body living was able to discern
Ess [...]x from the Divel, so like was their horn,
Thus jealous ambition soon did send
His Favourite unto a merciful end.
Thomas next at his service was,
(For the Divel nere wanted a Mule nor an Ass)
With William and Arthur a coursing he went,
And his Lurcher Noll still follow'd the scent,
The Royal STAG they run so hard
That He was forc't to leave the Herd
And singled him unto London town
Where the Divel and's Band dogs tore him down:
Hogon Mogon Divel now
To whom all the world doth hail and bow!
His house of Commons next he bestrides
Where like George on horse-back he rides?
Through Church and Crown he now makes speed
(Though he need not have spur'd so forward a Steed)
And still all our Coin runs away by stealth
As the Divel had been in Common-wealth.
But here the Common-wealth had a rub
For they would be greater then Belze bub▪
But that the Divel never could like,
And bids Beedle Noll to give them a kick;
Presto begon, away then they went,
And left behind them a damnable scent;
Thus Belsebub in discontent
Parted with his Fundament:
Now he's advanced from the Peake
To the Pallace of an ample beake,
Whose roof of Copper shineth so
It excells Saint Peters Cupello,
And he likes his habitation well
For 'twas no one mantion but all hell,
And of furniture there was such store
The Deele nere met with the like before:
Noll and the Deele cop'd many a year,
Till the date of's Indenture now grew near;
Sick sick sick and the pains of hel
Upon old Noll as a Mortal fel
Though his Augurers told him he nere should dye,
Yet there his Prophet Goodwin did lye;
The dearest friends they say must part
So did Noll and the Divel with a heavy heart:
Then silly Dick laid claim to the Throne,
But's Nuncles said 'twas theirs by adoption;
And now the Divel was put to his trump
And once more resolves to set up with the Rump,
But there the Varlet did stink so sore
England resolv'd to endure't no more,
And so th'infernal Merchant broke,
Hel never before receiv'd such a stroke.
Hews and Cryes runs up and down,
In every Burrough, City and Town;
The Trayterous murderers is descried
And now he knows not where to hide,
Under the Lawyers gown he stole,
But thence he was fetcht out by the pole,
And now not knowing where to be
In Hugh Peters he took sanctuarie:
But there's no fence against a flaile
Hugh Peters could not be his Baile,
For all his thefts and Regicide
In Hugh Peters he must be tride,
And is condemned to the Gallow Tree
Where he paid the Hangman his fee,
That's Executor in trust should be content
To fulfil his Will and Testament:
Unto his Sisters he gave his Bable
Which stood in their service as long as 'twas able,
And unto the Kirk his brains and eyes,
And unto the Queen of Morocco his thighs;
(But the Mayor brok, s word last tuesday night)
And so the Divel parted withs train
Who a thousand years hence means to see you again.
FINIS,