The Honest JURY
OR,
CALEB TRIUMPHANT.
To the Tune of Packingtoun Pond
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I.
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REJOYCE, ye good Writers, your Pens are set free,
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Your Thoughts and the Press are at full Liberty;
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For your King and your Country you safely may write,
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You may say Black is Black, and prove White is White.
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Let no Pamphleteers,
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Be concernd for their Ears,
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For every Man now shall be tryd by his Peers.
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Twelve good honest Men shall decide in each Cause,
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And be Judges of Facts, tho not Judges of Laws.
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II.
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Tis said Master Caleb a Paper did print,
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Which sometimes at some Folks lookd slyly a-squint,
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He weekly held forth of no Peace, and no War,
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So was forcd from his Trade to appear at the Bar:
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Thus for talking too free,
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Master Att--y
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Straind his Lungs for to set him in the Pillory;
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But Pillories now shall be raisd for the Shame
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Of some Rogues as yet tis not proper to name.
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III.
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You may call the Man Fool, who Treaties dos blunder,
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And stile him a Knave, who his Country doth plunder;
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If the Peace be not good, it can neer be a Crime,
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To wish it were better, in Prose or in Rhime.
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For Sir Philip well knows,
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That Innuen--does,
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Will serve him no longer in Verse or in Prose,
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For Twelve honest Men have decided the Cause,
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And were Judges of Facts, tho not Judges of Laws.
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IV.
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Twelve Judges there are, and twice Twelve Aldermen;
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Many Lords, many Members and Bishops, --- what then?
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Although you shoud travel all England around,
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Amongst them Twelve honester cnanot be found,
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Than this same Jury,
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Which set Caleb free,
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And brought in their Verdict, He was not Guiltie.
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Then let these honest Men, who do pay Scot and Lot,
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While Ballads are Ballads, be never forgot.
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V.
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This Jury so trusty, and Proof against RHINO
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I am apt to believe to be Jure Divino,
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But tis true in this Nation (oh! why is it so?)
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Men the Honester are as the lower you go;
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So a Fish when tis dead,
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I have often heard said,
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May be sweet at the Tail, tho it stinks at the Head.
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Oh! may Honesty rise and confound the base Tribe,
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Will be corrupted by Pension or Bribe.
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VI.
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A Jury there was when the Pope was in Power,
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That brought our seven Bishops alive from the Tower.
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They savd our Religion from Jacobite Fury,
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Both that and King GEORGE we owe to a Jury;
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So those that brought out
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The Bishops ----no Doubt
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Brought in our King George, whos so gallant and st[out]
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Then sure tis the Interest of Country and King,
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That Juries should never be led in a String.
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VII.
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Thus far honest Duncan hath prophesyd right,
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And provd himself blessd with true Second Sight,
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Who tho Deaf and Dumb, in Astrology famous,
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As Partridge, poor Robin, or old Nostradamus,
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Did lately Divine,
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That Caleb should shine,
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And prevail oer his Foes in the Year Twenty nine,
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For Twelve honest Men have determind his Cause,
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And rescued from Quibles our old English Laws.
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VIII.
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But one Thing remains his Predictions to crown,
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And that is to see the LEVIATHAN down:
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Nor let us despair, the Year is not out,
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And a Month or two more may bring it about.
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Then in Chorus lets sing,
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And say, GOD bless the King.
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And grant that all those who deserve it may swing.
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If Twelve honest Men were to judge in this Cause,
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One good Verdict more might secure all our Laws.
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