Or, as they over the new level rang'd
For pickled herring, pickled herring chang'd.
Nature, it seem'd, asham'd of her mistake,

Would throw their land away at duck and drake,
Therefore necessity that first made kings,
Something like government among them brings.
For, as with pigmies, who best kills the crane,
Among the hungry he that treasures grain,
Among the blind the one-ey'd blinkard reigns,
So rules among the drowned he that drains.
Not who first see the rising sun commands:
But who could first discern the rising lands.
Who best could know to pump an earth so leak,
Him they their Lord, and Country's father, speak.
To make a bank, was a great plot of state;
Invent a shov❜l, and be a magistrate.
Hence some small dike grave, unperceiv'd, invades
The pow'r, and grows, as 'twere, a king of spades;
But, for less envy some join'd states endures,
Who look like a commission of the sewers:
For these Half-anders, half wet, and half dry,
Nor bear strict service, nor pure liberty.
'Tis probable religion, after this,

Came next in order; which they could not miss.
How could the Dutch but be converted, when
Th' Apostles were so many fishermen ;
Besides, the waters of themselves did rise,
And, as their land, so them did re-baptise;
Tho' herring for their God few voices miss'd,
And Poor-John to have been th' Evangelist.
Faith, that could never twins conceive before,
Never so fertile, spawn'd upon this shore
More pregnant than their Margret, that lay'd down
For Hans-in-Kelder of a whole Hans-Town.

Sure when Religion did itself embark,

And from the east would westward steer its ark, It struck, and splitting on this unknown ground, Each one thence pillag'd the first piece he found : Hence Amsterdam, Turk-Christian-Pagan-Jew, Staple of sects, and mint of schism grew;

That bank of conscience, where not one so strange
Opinion but finds credit, and exchange.
In vain for Catholics ourselves we bear;
The universal church is only there.
Nor can civility there want for tillage,

Where wisely for their court they chose a village.
How fit a title cloaths their governors,
Themselves the hogs, as all their subjects boars!

Let it suffice to give their country fame,
That it had one Civilis call'd by name,
Some fifteen hundred and more years ago;
But surely never any that was so.

See but their mermaids, with their tails of fish,
Reeking at church over the chasing-dish.
A vestal turf, enshrin'd in earthenware,
Fumes thro' the loop-holes of a wooden square.
Each to the temple with these altars tend,
But still does place it at her western end;
While the fat steam of female sacrifice
Fills the priest's nostrils, and puts out his eyes.

*

And now again our armed Bucentore
Doth yearly their sea nuptials restore;
And now the Hydra of seven provinces
Is strangled by our infant Hercules.
Their tortoise wants it vainly stretched neck;
Their navy, all our conquest, or our wreck;
Or, what is left, their Carthage overcome,
Would render fain unto our better Rome;
Unless our senate, lest their youth disuse
The war, (but who would) peace, if beg'd, refuse.
For now of nothing may our state despair,

Darling of heaven, and of men the care;
Provided that they be what they have been,
Watchful abroad, and honest still within;
For while our Neptune doth a trident shake,

Steel'd with those piercing heads, Dean, Monck, and Blake,
And while Jove governs in the highest sphere,
Vainly in hell let Pluto domineer,

BRITANNIA AND RALEIGH.

BRITANNIA.

Ah! Raleigh, when thou didst thy breath resign
To trembling JAMES, would I had quitted mine!
"Cubs," didst thou call them? Had'st thou seen this brood
Of Earls and Dukes, and Princes of the blood;
No more of Scottish race thou would'st complain,
Those would be blessings in this spurious reign.
Awake, arise, from thy long bless'd repose,
Once more with me partake of mortal woes.

RALEIGH.

What mighty power has forced me from my rest?
Oh! mighty queen, why so untimely dress'd?

BRITANNIA.

Favour'd by night, conceal'd in this disguise,
Whilst the lewd court in drunken slumber lies,
I stole away, and never will return,
Till England knows who did her city burn;
Till Cavaliers shall favourites be deem'd,
And loyal sufferers by the court esteem'd ;
Till LEIGH and GALLOWAY* shall bribes reject;
Thus OSBORNE's golden cheat I shall detect:
Tillatheist LAUDERDALE shall leave this land,
And Commons' votes shall cut-nose guards disband;
Till Kate a happy mother shall become;

Till CHARLES loves Parliaments, and JAMES hates Rome.

RALEIGH.

What fatal crimes make you for ever fly

Your once loved court, and Martyr's progeny?

BRITANNIA.

A colony of French possess'd the court; Pimps, priests, buffoons, in privy-chamber sport. Such slimy monsters ne'er approach'd a throne Since Pharaoh's days, nor so defiled a crown.

* Leigh and Galloway were suspected to be bribed by the Earl of Danby, to vote with the Court.

In sacred ear tyrannic arts they croak,

Pervert his mind, and good intentions choak;
Tell him of golden India's fairy lands,
Leviathan, and absolute commands.

Thus, fairy-like, they steal the King away,
And in his room a changeling Louis lay.
How oft have I him to himself restored,

In's left the scale, in's right hand placed the sword!
Taught him their use, what dangers would ensue
To them who strive to separate these two;
The bloody Scottish chronicle read o'er,
Show'd him how many Kings in purple gore
Were hurl'd to hell by cruel tyrant Lore?

The other day famed SPENSER I did bring,
In lofty notes Tudor's bless'd race to sing;
How Spain's proud powers her virgin arms controll❜d,
And golden days in peaceful order roll'd;

How like ripe fruit she dropp'd from off her throne,
Full of grey hairs, good deeds, and great renown.
As the Jessean hero did appease

Saul's stormy rage, and stopp'd his black disease,
So the learn'd bard, with artful song, suppress'd
The swelling passion of his canker'd breast,
And in his heart kind influences shed
Of country's love, by truth and justice bred.
Then to perform the care so well begun,
To him I show'd this glorious setting sun;
How, by her people's looks pursued from far,
She mounted on a bright celestial car,

Outshining Virgo or the Julian star.

Whilst in truth's mirror this good scene he spied,
Enter'd a dame bedeck'd with spotted pride:
Fair flower-de-luce within an azure field
Her left hand bears, the ancient Gallic shield
By her usurp'd; her right a bloody sword,
Inscribed "Leviathan our Sovereign Lord;"
Her towery front a fiery meteor bears,
An exhalation bred of blood and tears.
Around her Jove's lewd ravenous curs complain,
Pale death, lust, tortures fill her pompous train;

She from the easy King truth's mirror took,
And on the ground in spiteful fall it broke;

Then frowning thus, with proud disdain she spoke :
"Are thread-bare virtues ornaments for Kings?
Such poor pedantic toys teach underlings.
Do monarchs rise by virtue, or by sword?
Who e'er grew great by keeping of his word?
Virtue's a faint green-sickness to brave souls,
Dastards their hearts, their active heat controls.
The rival gods, monarchs of t'other world,
This mortal poison among princes hurl'd;
Fearing the mighty projects of the great
Should drive them from their proud celestial seat,
If not o'erawed by this new holy cheat.
These pious frauds, too slight t'ensnare the brave,
Are proper arts the long-ear'd rout t'enslave.
Bribe hungry priests to deify your might,

To teach your will's your only rule to right,
And sound damnation to all dare deny't.

Thus heaven's designs against heaven you shall turn,
And make them feel those powers they once did scorn.
When all the gobbling interest of mankind,

By hirelings sold, to you shall be resign'd:
And by impostures God and man betray'd,
The church and state you safely may invade ;
So boundless Louis in full glory shines,
Whilst your starved power in legal fetters pines.
Shake off those baby-bands from your strong arms,
Henceforth be deaf to that old witch's charms.
Taste the delicious sweets of sovereign power,
'Tis royal game whole kingdoms to deflower.
Three spotless virgins to your bed I'll bring,
A sacrifice to you, their God, and King.
As these grow stale, we'll harass human kind,
Rack nature, till new pleasures you shall find,
Strong as your reign, and beauteous as your mind."
When she had spoke, a confused murmur rose,
Of French, Scotch, Irish, all my mortal foes;
Some English too! O shame! disguised I spied
Led all by the wise Son-in-law of Hyde.

L