A Riddle of STATE;
OR, THE
Parliament Triumphant.
To the Tune of, The Pink Petticoat lac'd Round.
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O Brave Parliament!
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That Antidotes our Fate;
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And cures all our Maladies,
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In Church, as well as State:
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The Terrour of the Catholicks,
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The Overthrow of Rome;
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The Guardian of Protestants,
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And all Christendom.
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In came Bob-tail,
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The Boast of the Town;
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And she was clad with Midnight,
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And mask'd with the Moon.
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She looked like a Mair-Maid,
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And squinted with her Eye:
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But would not pass a Complement,
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Nor tell the Reason why.
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Then came Charity,
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(A sober lovely Lass)
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And Pleaded much for Conscience,
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That She might have a Pass.
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But up 'rose Discord,
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And gave her the lye;
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Pray, Madam, come another time,
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But now stand by.
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Then came Jealousie,
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(The Mother of Mischief)
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And, impudently, termed
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State-Policy a Thief.
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"She gave a Beggar Sixpence,
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yet on Tryal found,
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"That She had pick'd his Pockets
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full Five Pound.
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Then came N.------,
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Patch'd with her Crimes;
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And She had on a Petticoat,
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Was turn'd ten times.
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Her Limbs were made of Laziness;
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Her Pockets full of Gold.
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She picked up the Parliament,
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For all the Whore was old.
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Then came Presbytery,
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Whom everyone did Mock;
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For she had pinn'd unto her britch
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The Whore of Babels Smock.
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The Parliament did pity her,
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Because they saw her Poor;
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But up 'rose Bob-tail,
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And kick'd her to the Door.
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Next came Popery,
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Her Face painted fair;
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But when she turn'd about her Tail,
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They saw her Buttocks bare:
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Her Smock was of Conspiracy,
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She wore a Scarlet Gown;
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But, e're she ty'd her Top-knot,
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They whipt her out of Town.
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Then came Cynosure,
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And humbly did pray,
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To dissipate her Darkness
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By one Bright Ray:
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But Aries the Club-man
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Ecclipsed the Sun:
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And Phoebus could not shine, for
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The Devil upon Dun.
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Then came Gemini,
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And fell upon their Knees;
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And humbly accosted
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The Noble King of Bees:
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But, with a starn look,
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He thus did reply,
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cannot take Wings,
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the Parliament fly.
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O Happy is that Subject,
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That eats his Honey-comb;
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Ne'r troubl'd with the Publick,
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But lives in Peace at home:
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He's happy that can rule himself,
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A Monarch in his Mind.
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Contentment is a Treasure, which
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High Spirits seldom find.
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