A
SPEECH
MADE TO THE
Lord General MONCK,
AT
Clotheworkers Hall in London
The 13. of March, 1659. at which time he was there entertained
by that Worthie Companie.
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NAy, then let me come too with my Addresse,
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Why mayn't a Rustick promise, or professe
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His good Affection t' you? Why not declare
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His Wants? How many, and how great they are?
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And how you may supply them? Since you may
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See our Hearts mourn, although our Clothes be gray.
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Great Hero of three Nations! Whose Bloud springs
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From pious and from pow'rfull Grandsire Kings;
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With whose Bloud-Royal you've enrich'd your veyns,
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And by continu'd Policy and Pains
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Have equall'd all their Glory; So that now
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Three Kingless Scepters to your Feet do bow,
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And court Protection, and Allyance too;
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And what Great men still reach'd at stoups to you.
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But you're too truly Noble to aspire
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By Fraud or Force to Greatness; or t'acquire
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Scepters and Crowns by Robbery, or base
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And wilfull breach of Trusts, and Oaths, nor place
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Your Happinesse in ravished Dominion,
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Whose Glory's only founded in opinion;
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Attended still with danger, fear, and doubt,
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And fears within, worse than all those without.
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You must still watch and fear, and think, and must
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Lose all Content to gratifie one Lust,
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Should you invade the Throne, or aym at Pelf,
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Throw down three Nations to set up yourself;
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Kings are but royal Slaves, and Prisoners too,
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They alwaies toyl, and alwaies guarded go.
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You are for making Princes, and can find
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No work proportion'd to your Pow'r, and mind,
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But Atlas-like to bear the World, and be
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The great Restorer of the Liberty
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Of three long captiv'd Kingdoms who were thrown
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By others strong Delusions, and their own
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Misguided zeal, to do and suffer what
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Their very Souls now grieve and tremble at,
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D bauch'd by those they thought would teach & rule'um,
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Who now, they find did ruine and befool'um.
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Our meanings still were honest, for alas!
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We never dream't of what's since come to pass;
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'Twas never our intent to violate
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The setled Orders of the Church or State,
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To throw down Rulers from their lawfull Seat,
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Merely to make ambitious small things great,
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Or to subvert the Laws; but we thought then
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The Laws were good if manag'd by good men;
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And so we do think still, and find it true,
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Old Laws did more good, and less harm than New;
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And 'twas the Plague of Countries and of Cities,
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When that great-belly'd House did spawn Committees.
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We fought not for Religion, for 'tis known,
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Poor men have little, and some great Ones none;
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Those few that love it truly, do well know,
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None can take 't from us, where we will or no.
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Nor did we fight for Laws, nor had we need,
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For if we had but Gold enough to feed
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Our taking Lawyers, we had Laws enough,
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Without addressing to the Sword, or Buff.
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Nor yet for Liberties; for those are things
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Have cost us more in Keepers, than in Kings.
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Nor yet for Peace; for if we had done so,
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The Souldiers would have beat us long ago;
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Yet we did fight, and now we see for what,
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To shufle mens Estates; those Owners that
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Before these wars, could call Estates their own,
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Are beaten out by others, that had none.
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Both Law and Gospel overthrown together,
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By those who ne're believ'd in, or lov'd either.
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Our truth, our trade, our peace, our wealth, our freedom,
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And our full Parliaments, that did get, and breed 'um,
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Are all devour'd, and by a Monster fell,
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Whom none, but you, could satisfie, or quell.
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You're great, you're good, you're valiant, & you're wise.
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You have Briarius hands, and Argus eyes;
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You are our English Champion, you're the true
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St. George for England, and for Scotland too.
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And though his Stories question'd much by some,
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Where true, or false, this Age, and those to come,
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Shall for the future find it so far true,
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That all was but a Prophecy of you;
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And all his great and high Atchievements be
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Explain'd by you in this Mythologie.
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Herein you've far outdone him, he did fight
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But with one single Dragon: but by your might
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A Legion have been tam'd, and made to serve
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The People, whom they meant t' undo and starve.
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In this you may do higher, and make fame,
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Immortalize your celebrated name,
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This Ages glory, wonder of all after,
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If you would free the Son, as he the Daughter.
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