A Loyal
CONGRATULATION
To the Right Honourable,
Anthony, Earl of Shaftsbury:
Upon the Disappointment of his, the King and Kingdoms Enemies,
By the Loyal Grand Juries Finding the Bill against him IGNORAMUS.
In a short POEM.
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SIR, as I in a Melancholly Mood,
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Upon the Bank of our Famd River, stood,
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Seeing the Wherries passing too and fro,
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And marking how the Tides did Ebb and Flow;
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How flowing high, the Waters washt the Wall
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Of our Dread Sovereigns Royal Court, White-Hall:
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How, when they Ebbd and left the Kingly House,
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They naked left the Strand, the Mud and Ouse;
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What pains men took who Rowd against the Tide,
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How easily the Boats did with it glide.
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Methought I saw within this Watry Glass,
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The Image of our Times oft-Changing Face,
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Which did my Melancholy Thoughts relieve,
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And that Times Tide would turn, some Hopes did give.
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My Lord, The World and I do see it now,
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The swelling Tide begins to turn with You;
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The God who flowing Waters doth Command,
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Sets them a Period, and then bids them Stand,
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Doth with his Power the Tydes of Malice bound,
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Lest men with Waters or with Rage be Drownd.
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Your Foes, whose Rage but now swelld to the Brink,
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With Shame return, discovering as they sink,
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The Filthy Bottom and the Stinking Mud
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That lay unseen under the Rolling Flood.
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What Horrid Arts do Politicians use?
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For Intrest Law and Gospel will abuse;
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How they can Traytors Hug, and Villains Love,
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When Malice would some Obstacle remove!
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They care not if their Instruments be Damnd,
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The King, and all the World besides, be Shammd,
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When their Design to bring about they hope,
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A Popish Successor, with him a Pope,
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For you my Lord theyd laid a desperate Snare,
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With Malice, Wicked Industry and Care;
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With Cunning Arts of a Soul-Damning Sin,
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They thought they for your Life had laid their Gin,
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Their Traps Discoverd, and themselves fall in.
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Fools not to know, there can be no Defence
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Against a Righteous God and Innocence.
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But Sir, they aimd not at your Life alone,
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More must have fallen when that you were gone,
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Theyd first remove the Nations Prop and Stay,
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Then take Religion and our Laws away;
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Bring in the Pope and Arbitrary Sway.
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But God lookt down and saw the deep Design,
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And by Good Angels broke their Snares like twine:
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A Jury which upon Record shall stand,
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As worthy Patriots who had savd their Land;
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Who by False Oaths would never be Trapannd.
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O! Let their Names for er Recorded be,
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And let them shine bright to Posterity:
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For Precedents hereafter theyl be shown,
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For Wisdom and their upright Justice known,
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A long time after we are dead and gone.
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Who by your Fall alone did think to Lame us,
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Will Curse, Damn and cry out on IGNORAMUS.
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Let their black Mouths be with damnd Curses filld,
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And let them still on false Foundations Build;
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Let them with Ballads, and with Pamphlets fill
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The Town, ere they reach You, your Fame to Kill;
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Let them with their Poetick Malice swell,
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Falsly apply the Story, known so well,
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Of Absalom, and of Achitophel;
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You need not care, for Heavn has turned the Tyde,
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And he himself appeared on your side:
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For which, I fear, some Wretch, whose Mouth is bigg
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With Blasphemy, will boldly call him WHIGG;
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And if it were within their impious Power,
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Swear him from Heavn, and hold him in the TOWER.
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All that with you, do for Religion stand,
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Who wish that Peace, may still flow in this Land,
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Who truly Love the King, and Government,
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Tho they stand up for Rights of PARLIAMENT,
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Who spawn no PLOTS, whom no Affronts can move,
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Who tho much urgd, will never Rebels prove,
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Who do no Loyalty or Duty want,
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And every true unbiassd PROTESTANT,
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Have by the Factious Scriblers of the Times,
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Been still accusd of Black and Traytrous Crimes;
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And if a Man speak Sence, or Law, or Reason,
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They call him Whigg, and to his Charge lay TREASON.
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Methinks the Factious now their Tricks should cease,
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Who by all ways, strive to disturb our Peace,
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Tho tis in Vain, and they discoverd have been,
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Yet will they try their old Shams ore agen;
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Almighty Mony, Justice doth invade,
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And PERJURY becomes a gainful Trade:
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They Loose their End, and cant the people move,
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Who Love the KING, and will not Rebels prove,
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They hopd you Loyal, and did it believe,
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The Popes Masqud Creatures, could not all deceive:
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That you are Lovd, you now may well perceive,
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So many Joyful Fires, shewd their Content,
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That you have Loyal provd and Innocent,
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For which great Sir, great in your Vertue now,
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All Loyal Hearts with Me, rejoyce for You,
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And if you could converse them, You would find
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In these few Lines, the numerous Loyals Mind.
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They Love You only, because You prove good,
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And that your Loyalty they understood:
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Therefore all those who Mournd the Doleful Fate,
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Do your Deliverance now Congratulate,
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Finding you a Sound Member of the State.
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And may the King to s Favour you restore,
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And s Royal Beams upon you Shine once more,
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May Envy fly, your Enemies be Shamd
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And no more PLOTS of State be ever framd;
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May CHARLES long Reign with Glory and Renown,
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Peace and Religion our Blest Nation Crown,
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That we once more may see those Days again
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When CHARLES restord, first over us did Reign.
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