Some, to the Glory of the Lord,

Perjur'd themselves, and broke their Word:

And this the conftant Rule and Practice

140 Of all our late Apostles Acts is.

Was not the Cause at first begun
With Perjury, and carried on?

I well remember, Food and Firing,
Some Years before I went a Squiring,
Were both fo dear, to fave the Life
Of my own felf, my Child, and Wife:
I was conftrain'd to make bold
With Landlord's Hedges, and his Fold.
God's Goodness more than my Defert
Did then, Sir, put into my heart
To chufe this Tree, this blessed Tree,
To be in need my Sanctuary.

(To hide his ftolen Goods.)

John Taylor the Water Poet, fneers fuch wicked Wretches, in the following lines. (Superbia Flagellum, pag. 35.)

'Tis all one if a Thief, a Bawd, a Witch
Or a Bride-Taker, bould grow damned Rich,
And with their Trab got with their bellish Pranks,
The bypocritic Slaves will give God thanks :)
No, Let the Litter of fuch Hell-bound Whelps
Give Thanks to th' Devil (Author of their Helps :)
To give God Thanks, it is almost all one
To make bim Partner of Extortion.

Thus if Men get their Wealth by Means that's Evil,.
Let them not give God Thanks, but thank the Devil.

. 141, 142. Was not the Caufe at firft begun,-With Perjury; and carried on?] The Scots in 1639, were a little troubled, that Epifcopacy was not abfolutely abjured in their former Oaths, which many thought binding to them. The Covenanters thinking to take away that Rub, that all Men might with the more freenefs embrace their Covenant, declare Publickly to the World, (Large Declaration, pag. 347.) "That the Swearer is neither obliged to the

Meaning of the Prescriber of the Oath, nor his own meaning, "but as the Authority fhall afterwards interpret it." (Foulis's Hiftory of wicked Plots. &c. p. 240. 2d. edit.) Since many Men (fays the Writer of A Letter without Superfcription, intercepted in the way to London, printed 1643, p. 7. by way of fneer.) are > "troubled at the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, which they "took fo long fince, when they had no hope the Truth would

66

Was there an Oath the Godly took,
But in due Time and Place they broke?
145 Did we not bring our Oaths in first,
Before our Plate, to have them burst,
And caft in fitter Models, for

The prefent Ufe of Church and War?
Did not our Worthies of the House
150 Before they broke the Peace, break Vows?
For having freed us, firft from both
Th' Allegiance, and Supremacy Oath :
Did they not next, compel the Nation,
To take, and break the Proteftation?

:

*have been manifefted thus clearly to them; and upon which our "Enemies feem to have fuch Advantage upon their Conscience "whether it be not fit, first by the Refolution of fome godly Mi"nifters, to abfolve them, as has been profitably done in the Bufi"nefs of Brainceford, by thofe two Lamps of our Religion, the Rev. Downing, and Marshall.”

. 143, 144. Was there an Oath the Godly took,-But in due time and place they broke? JA Sneer upon many of the Sanctfy'd Members of the Affembly of Divines; who had taken two feveral Oaths to maintain that Church Government, which the Covenant obliged them to extirpate: namely, when they took their Degrees in the Univerfity, and when they entered into Holy Orders: and some of them a Third time, when they became Members of Cathedral Churches. And 'tis Dr. Heylin's Remark, (Hiftory of the Presbyterians, book 3. pag. 451.) That it was no Wonder the Prefby "terians fhould impofe new Oaths, when they had broke all the "Old."

66

I took fo many Oaths before,

That now without remorse ;
1 take all Oaths the State can make,
As merely Things of Course.

(Mr. Butler's Tale of the Cobler, and Vicar of Bray. Remains p. 143. These Gentlemen would not have boggled at the contradictory Oaths of Fidelity, the Governour of Menin takes to the Archduchefs, the Emperour, and States General. (see Memoirs of Baron Pollintz. vol. 2. pag. 314.)

VOL. I.

B b

*. 159,

1

155 To fwear, and after to recant
The Solemn League and Covenant?
To take th' Engagement, and disclaim it,
Enforc'd by thofe, who firft did frame it?
Did they not fwear at firft, to fight
160 For the KING'S Safety, and his Right?
And after march'd to find him out,

And charg'd him home with Horfe and Foot:
But yet still had the Confidence

To fwear, it was in his Defence?

165 Did they not fwear to live and die

With Effex, and straight laid him by?

. 155, 156.] To fwear, and after to recant-The Solemn League and Covenant] Sir R. L'Eftrange (Moral to Fable 50. part 2.) mentions a Trimming Clergyman, in the Days of the Solemn League and Covenant; who faid, "The Oath went against his Confcience, "but yet if he did not fwear, fome Varlet or other would swear " and get into his Living." I have heard of another, who declar⚫ ed to all his Friends, That he would not conform upon the Bartholmew A&t, 1662, and yet did comply; and when taxed with his Declaration, brought himself off with this Salvo, I did indeed declare that I would not comply, but afterwards heard that fuch a one, who was my Enemy, wore he would have my Living: upon this, God forgive me! I swore he should not; and to fave my Oath, I thought I was in Confcience bound to conform.

. 157. To take th' Engagement.] By the Engagement every Man was to fwear, to be true and faithful to the Government establish'd, without a King, or House of Peers. (fee Walker's Hiftory of Independency, part 3. pag. 12. Lord Clarendon's Hiftory of the Rebellion, vol. 3. pag. 204. Echard's Hiftory of England, vol. 2. pag. 653.) Jack Freeman's way of taking it, was by making it into a Suppofitory, having ferved the Covenant fo before. (Sir J. Birkenhead's Paul's Church-Yard, cent. 3. pag. 18.) which was as good a way, as Teague's taking the Covenant, by knocking down the Hawker who cry'd it about the Streets, and taking one for his Mafter, and an other for himself: (fee Committee, or Faithful Irishman, a&t 2. fc. z.)

. 165, 166. Did they not fwear to live and die-With Effex, and Braight laid him by ?] "July the 12th, the pretended Two "Houfes voted, That the Earl of Effex fhould be General of their Army, and that they would live and die with him." (Memorable ** Ocembrences, 1642.) Mørch the 24th 1645, the Lower Members

66

If that were all, for fome have swore
As falfe as they, if th' did no more.
Did they not fwear to maintain Law,
170 In which that fwearing made a Flaw?
For Proteftant Religion vow,

That did that Vowing difallow?
For Privilege of Parliament,

In which that fwearing made a Rent?
175 And fince, of all the three not one
Is left in Being, 'tis well known.
Did they not fwear in exprefs Words,
To prop, and back the House of Lords?

« at Westminster, vote the Claufe for the Preservation of his Ma"jefty's Perfon, to be left out in Sir Thomas Fairfax's Commiffion;

thus do the Rebels, 1ft, fwear to live and die with their own Ge*neral Essex, yet upon second thoughts, they difoblige themselves " from that Oath, and cashier him of his Command. 2aly, Covenant sto preserve His Majefty's Perfon, and Authority, and yet after"wards authorize Sir Thomas Fairfax, to kill him if he can." (Memorable Occurrences in 1645. Hiftory of Independency, part 2. pag. 201.)

Now harden'd in Revolt, you next proceed
By Pacts to ftrengthen each rebellious Deed:
New Oaths, and Vows, and Covenants advance,
All contradicting your Allegiance:

Whofe facred Knot you plainly did untye,

When

you with Effex favore to live and die. (Elegy on King Charles.)

. 167. 168. If that were all, for fome have fwore-As falle as they, if th' did no more.] No more than lay him by. "Of whom "it was loudly faid by many of his Friends, That he was poyson'd.” (fee Lord Clarendon's Hiftory of the Rebellion, vol. 3. pag. 33.)

.173 For Privilege of Parliament.] See the Privilege of the House of Commons truly ftated, (Lord Clarendon's Hiftory of the Rebellion, vol. 1. pag. 310, 311, 312. Bishop Bramhall's Works, pag. 571. Foulis's Hiftory of Wicked Plots, &c. book 1. chap. 6. pag. 38. Pryn's Parliamentary Writs, paffim.)

350

And after turn'd out the whole House-ful
180 Of Peers, as dang'rous, and unuseful?
So Cromwel with deep Oaths, and Vows
Swore all the Commons out o' th' House,
Vow'd that the Red-Coats would disband,
Ay marry wou'd they, at their Command;
185 And troll'd them on, and swore, and swore,
Till th' Army turn'd them out of Door:

. 179. And after turn'd out the whole Houfe-ful.] This they literally did, after they had cut off the King's Head: though fome. few of the Lords condefcended to fit with the Rump, namely, the Earls of Pembroke, and Salisbury, and Lord Howard of Efcrigg. Mr. Whitelock obferves, (Memorials, 2a edit. pag. 396.) “That, "the Earl of Pembroke was return'd Knight of the Shire for Berks, "prima impreffionis." and (pag. 439.) That his Son fate in the "Houfe after his Death." "And for an Honour (fays he, p. 426.) to the Earls of Pembroke, and of Salisbury, and Lord Howard of Efcrigg, Members of the House of Commons, it was ordered, "That they might fit in all Committees, of which they were, be66 fore the Houfe was diffolved."

. 181, 182, 183, 184. So Cromwell with deep Oaths and Vows -Swore all the Commons out o' th' Houfe,-Vow'd, that the Red Coats would disband,-Ay marry wou'd they, at their Command.] (I marry-in the four first editions.) The truth of this is confirm'd by Mr. Walker, (Hiflory of Independency, part 1. pag. 31.) who mentions, Cromwell's Proteftation in the Houfe, with his Hand "upon his Breaft, in the prefence of Almighty God, before whom he

food, That he knew the Army would disband, and lay down their "Arms at their door: whenfoever they should command them." See likewife a Tract, intitled, The Army brought to the Barr, 1647. pag. 8. Publick Library, Cambridge, x1x. 9. 3. Preface to a Tract, intitled, Works of Darkness brought to Light, 1647. pag. 4. Pub. Libr. Cambr. xIx. 9. 3. and a Tract, intitled, Hampton Court Confpiracy, 1647. pag. 4. Pub Libr. Cambridge. XIX. 9. 3. And the Author of Works of Darkness brought to Light, pag. 5. makes the following Remark. This I fear will be a prevailing Temptation upon you "to make you unwilling to difband: knowing, that you must then return to your obfcure Dwellings and Callings, to be Tinkers, Tapiters, Taylers, Tankard-Bearers, Porters, Coblers, Bakers, " and other fuch mean Trades, upon which you could not fubfift 66 before thefe Wars."

. 185, 186. And troll'd them on, and favore and fwore,-Till th' Army turn'd them out of Door.] Alluding to the Seclufion of the

greatest