THE States-Mans Almanack: Being an Excellent New BALLAD, in which, the Qualities of each MONTH are Considerd; whereby it appears, that a PARLIAMENT cannot meet in any of the Old MONTHS: With a Proposal for mending the KALENDAR, Humbly offered to the Packers of the next PARLIAMENT. To the Tune of Cold and Raw, the North did blow, etc.
|
I.
|
THE Talk up and down,
|
In Country and Town,
|
Has been long of Parliaments Sitting:
|
But well make it cleer,
|
Ner a Month in the Year,
|
Is proper for such a Meeting.
|
II.
|
The Judges declare it,
|
The Ministers swear it,
|
And the Town as a Tale receives it:
|
Let em say what they can,
|
Theres never a Man,
|
Except Gods Vicegerent believes it.
|
III.
|
If the Criticks in spight,
|
Our Arguments slight;
|
And think em too light for the Master:
|
It has often been known,
|
That Men on a Throne,
|
Has Harrangd the whole Realm with no better.
|
IV.
|
For in times of old,
|
When Kings were less bold,
|
And made for their faults Excuses:
|
Such Topicks as these,
|
The Commons to please,
|
Did serve for most Excellent Uses.
|
V.
|
Either Christmas came on,
|
Or Harvest begun,
|
And all must repair to their Station:
|
Twas too dry, or too wet,
|
For the Houses to Sit,
|
And Hey for a Prorogation.
|
VI.
|
Then, Sir, if you please,
|
With such Reasons as these,
|
Lets see how each Moon is appointed.
|
For tho it be strange
|
In all her Change,
|
She Favours not Gods Anointed.
|
January.
|
I.
|
THE first is to cold,
|
For Popery to hold,
|
Since Southern Climates Improve it:
|
And therefore in Frost,
|
Tis Odds but its lost,
|
If they offer to remove it.
|
February.
|
II.
|
The next dos betide,
|
(Tho then the King dyd)
|
Ill luck, and they must not be tampring:
|
For had not Providence quick,
|
Coold his Head ith Nick,
|
Fore God they were all a scampring.
|
March.
|
III.
|
The Month of Old Rome,
|
Has an Omen with some;
|
But the sleeping Wind then Rouzes,
|
And trust not the crowd,
|
When Storms are so lowd,
|
Least their Breath infect the Houses.
|
April.
|
IV.
|
In this by Mishap.
|
Southask had a clap,
|
Which pepperd our Gracious Master:
|
And therefore ith Spring,
|
He must Physick his Thing,
|
And venture no new Disaster.
|
May.
|
V.
|
This Month is too good,
|
And too lusty his Blood,
|
To be for Business at leasure,
|
With his Confessors leave,
|
Honest Bridget may give,
|
The Fumbler Royal his Pleasure.
|
June.
|
VI.
|
The Brains of the State,
|
Have been too hot of late,
|
They have managd all Business in rapture:
|
And to call us in June,
|
Is much to the same Tune,
|
Being mad to the end of the Chapter.
|
July
|
VII.
|
This Season was made,
|
For Camp, and Parade,
|
Where with the Expence of his Treasures,
|
Of much Sweat and Pains,
|
Discreetly he Trains,
|
Such Men, as will break all his Measures.
|
August.
|
VIII.
|
This Month did advance
|
Our Projects in France,
|
As Bartholomew Remembers,
|
But alas they want force,
|
To take the same Course,
|
With Our Heretical Members.
|
September.
|
IX.
|
They cannot now meet,
|
For the Progress was set,
|
But they find it a scurvy Fashion:
|
To ride, and to ride,
|
To be snubd and denyd,
|
By every good man in the Nation.
|
October.
|
X.
|
Now Hunting comes in,
|
That Liscence for Sin,
|
That dos with a Cloak befriend him,
|
For if the Queen knows,
|
What at Grahams he dos,
|
His Divine Right can hardly defend him,
|
November.
|
XI.
|
November might do,
|
For ought that we know:
|
But that the King promisd by chance Sirs,
|
And his word before;
|
Was pawnd for much more,
|
Then ere twill be able to Answer.
|
December.
|
XII.
|
The last of the year,
|
Resemblance does bear,
|
To their hopes and fortune declining:
|
Neer hope for success,
|
Day grows less and less,
|
And the Sun once so high has done shining.
|
I.
|
You Gypsies of Rome,
|
That run up and down,
|
And with Miracles people Cozen:
|
By the help of some Saint,
|
Get the Month that you want,
|
And make Thirteen of the Dozen.
|
II.
|
You see the old Year
|
Wont help yea, tis clear,
|
And therefore to save your honour:
|
Get a New Sun and Moon,
|
And the work is half done,
|
And Faith I think not sooner,
|
|
|
|
|
|