And crowd as if they came too late?
For when they thought the Cause had need on't,
Happy was he that could be rid on't.
Did they coyn Piss-pots, Bowls, and Flaggons,
Int' Officers of Horse and Dragoons;
And into Pikes and Musqueteers
Stamp Beakers, Cups, and Porringers?
A Thimble, Bodkin, and a Spoon
Did start up living men as soon
As in the Furnace they were thrown,
Just like the Dragons teeth being sown.
Then was the Cause all Gold and Plate,
The Brethrens off'rings, consecrate
Like th' Hebrew-calf, and down before it
The Saints fell prostrate, to adore it.
So say the Wicked-and will you
Make that Sarcasmous Scandal true,
By running after Dogs and Bears,

Beasts more unclean than Calves and Steers?
Have pow'rful Preachers ply'd their tongues,
And laid themselves out and their Lungs ;
Us'd all means both direct and sinister

I' th' power of Gospel-Preaching Minister?
Have they invented Tones, to win
The Women, and make them draw in
The Men, as Indians with a Female
Tame Elephant inveigle the Male?
Have they told Prov'dence what it must do,
Whom to avoid, and whom to trust to?
Discover'd th' Enemy's design,

And which way best to countermine ;
Prescrib'd what ways he hath to work,
Or it will ne'r advance the Kirk,
Told it the News o' th' last express,
And after good or bad success
Made Prayers, not so like Petitions,
As Overtures and Propositions,
(Such as the Army did present
To their Creator th' Parliament)
In which they freely will confess,

They will not, cannot acquiesce,
Unless the Work be carry'd on
In the same way they have begun,
By setting Church and Common-weal,
All on a flame bright as their zeal,
On which the Saints were all-a-gog.
And all this for a Bear and Dog.

The Parliament drew up Petitions
To 't self, and sent them, like Commissions,
To Well-affected Persons down,
In ev'ry City and great Town;
With pow'r to levy Horse and Men,
Only to bring them back agen:
For this did many, many a mile,
Ride manfully in Rank and File,
With Papers in their Hats, that show'd
As if they to th' Pillory rode,

Have all these courses, these efforts, .
Been try'd by people of all sorts,
Velis&Remis, omnibus Nervis,

And all t' advance the Cause's service:
And shall all now be thrown away
In petulant intestine fray:

Shall we that in the Cov'nant swore,
Each man of us to run before
Another still in Reformation,
Give Dogs and Bears a Dispensation?
How will dissenting Brethren relish it?
What will Malignants say? Videlicet,
That each man swore to do his best,
To damn and perjure all the rest:
And bid the Devil take the hin'most,
Which at this Race is like to win most.
They'll say our bus'ness to reform
The Church and State is but a worm;
For to subscribe unsight, unseen,
T'an unknown Churches Discipline:
What is it else, but before-hand,
T' ingage, and after understand?

For when we swore to carry on
The present Reformation,
According to the Purest mode

Of Churches, best Reform'd abroad,
What did we else but make a vow
To do we know not what, nor how?
For no three of us will agree

Where, or what Churches these should be.
And is indeed the self-same case
With theirs that swore Et cæteras;
Or the French League, in which men vow'd
To fight to the last drop of bloud.
These slanders will be thrown upon
The Cause and Work we carry on,
If we permit men to run headlong
T'exorbitancies fit for Bedlam,
Rather then Gospel-walking times,
When slighted Sins are greatest Crimes.
But we the matter so shall handle,
As to remove that odious scandal
In name of King and Parliament,
I charge ye all, no more foment
This feud, but keep the Peace between
Your Brethren and your Countrey-men;
And to those places straight repair
Where your respective dwellings are.
But to that purpose first surrender,
The Fidler, as the prime offender,
Th' Incendiary vile, that is the chief
Author and Enginier of mischief;
That makes division between friends,
For prophane and malignant ends.
He and that Engine of vile noise,
On which illegally he plays,
Shall (dictum factum) both be brought
To condigne Punishment as th'y ought.

This must be done, and I would fain see
Mortal so sturdy as to gain-say :
For then [I]'ll take another course,
And son Reduce you all by force.

This said, he clapt his hand on Sword,
To shew he meant to keep his word.

But Talgol, who had long supprest
Enflamed wrath in glowing breast,
Which now began to rage and burn as
Implacably as flame in Furnace,

Thus answer'd him. Thou Vermin wretched,
As e'er in Meazel'd Pork was hatched;
Thou Tail of Worship, that dost grow
On Rump of Justice as of Cow;

How dar'st thou with that sullen Luggage
[O'] thy self, old I'rn and other Baggage,
With which thy Steed of Bones and Leather
Has broke his wind in halting hither;
How durst th', I say, adventure thus
T'oppose thy Lumber against us?
Could thine Impertinence find out
No work t'employ it self about,

Where thou secure from Wooden blow
Thy busy vanity might'st show?

Was no dispute afoot between

The Catterwauling Brethren?

No subtle Question rais'd among

Those out-o'-their wits and those i' th' wrong?
No prize between those Combatants

O' th' times, the Land and Water-Saints;
Where thou might'st stickle without hazard
Of outrage to thy hide and mazard,

And not for want of bus'ness come
To us to be thus troublesome,
To interrupt our better sort
Of Disputants, and spoil our sport?
Was there no Felony, no Bawd,
Cut-purse, nor Burglary abroad?
No Stolen Pig, nor Plunder'd Goose,
To tye thee up from breaking loose?
No Ále unlicenc'd, broken hedge,
For which thou Statute might'st alledge,
To keep thee busie from foul evil,

And shame due to thee from the Devil?
Did no Committee sit, where he
Might cut out journy-work for thee;
And set th' a task, with subornation,
To stitch up sale and sequestration;
To cheat with Holiness and Zeal
All Parties, and the Common-weal?
Much better had it been for thee,
H'had kept thee where th'art us'd to be;
Or sent th❜on bus'ness any whither,
So he had never brought thee hither.
But if th'hast Brain enough in Sk[u]ll
To keep within it's lodging whole.
And not provoke the rage of Stones
And Cudgels to thy Hide and Bones;
Tremble, and vanish while thou may'st
Which I'll not promise if thou stay'st.
At this the Knight grew high in wroth,
And lifting hands and eyes up both,
Three times [he] smote on stomach stout,
From whence at length these words broke out.
Was I for this entitled Sir,

And girt with trusty Sword and Spur,
For Fame and Honor to wage Battel,
Thus to be brav'd by Foe to Cattel?
Not all that Pride that makes thee swell
As big as thou dost blown-up Veal;
Nor all thy tricks and slights to cheat,
And sell thy Carrion for good Meat;
Not all thy Magick to repair
Decay'd old age in tough lean ware,
Make Natural Death appear thy work,
And stop the Gangreen in stale Pork;
Not all that force that makes thee proud,
Because by Bullock ne'er withstood;
Though arm'd with all thy Clevers, Knives,
And Axes made to hew down lives;
Shall save or help thee to evade
The hand of Justice, or this blade
Which I her Sword-bearer do carry,