A TURN-COAT of the TIMES
Enter'd in the Stamp-Office according to Act of Parliament.
|
AS I was a walking throw,
|
Hide-park, as I us'd to do
|
Some two or three months ago
|
I laid me all along
|
Without any fear or wrong,
|
And listen'd unto a song,
|
It came from a powder'd thing,
|
As fine as a Lord or a King,
|
he knew not that I,
|
was got so nigh,
|
And thus began to sing,
|
I am a turn-Coat knave,
|
Altho I do bear it brave,
|
and I do not show all I have,
|
I can with tongue and pen
|
Court every sort of Men,
|
and Kill them fast again:
|
With zealots I can pray,
|
With cavileers I can play,
|
With shopkeepers I,
|
can cog and lye,
|
And cuzen as fast as they.
|
When first the wars began,
|
And prentices lead the van,
|
It was I that did set them on,
|
When they crye'd bishops down
|
In country court and town.
|
Quoth I and have at the crown
|
The covenant I did take,
|
For forms and fashion's sake
|
but when it would not
|
support my plot,
|
It was like an old almaneck.
|
When Independency,
|
Had superiority,
|
I was of the same degree:
|
When keepers did command:
|
I then had a holy land
|
In deans and in chapters land
|
But when I began to spy,
|
Protector ship drew nigh,
|
and keepers were,
|
thrown over the bar,
|
OId Oliver then cry'd I.
|
When sectaris got the day,
|
I used my yea and nay,
|
to flatter them and betray,
|
In parliament I go.
|
And there a member sat
|
To tumble down church and state
|
For I was a trusty trout
|
In all that I went about,
|
and there we did vow,
|
to sit till now
|
But Oliver turn'd us out,
|
We put down the house of peers
|
We killed the cavileers,
|
and tipple'd the widows tears
|
We sequested mens estates,
|
and made them pay monthly rates
|
To trumpers and their mates,
|
Rebellion we did print,
|
and alter'd all the mint,
|
no knavery then.
|
was done by men,
|
But I had a finger in it.
|
When Charles was put to flight,
|
Then I was at worster fight
|
and I got a good booty by it,
|
at that most fattal fall
|
I kill'd and plunder'd all
|
The weakest went to the wall,
|
Whilst my merry men fell on,
|
To pillaging I was gon,
|
there is many thought I,
|
will come by and by.
|
and why should not I be one.
|
We triumphed like the turk,
|
We crippled the scottish kirk,
|
that sets us first to work,
|
When cromwell did but frown
|
They yielded every town:
|
St. andrew's cross went down,
|
But when old Noll did die,
|
and Richard his son put by,
|
I knew not how,
|
to guide my plough,
|
Where now shall I be? thought.
|
I must confess the taump,
|
did put me in a dump,
|
I knew not what would be trump
|
When dick had loct the day,
|
My gaming was at a stay,
|
I could not tell what to play;
|
When Monk was upon that score
|
I thought I would play no more,
|
I did not think what,
|
He would be at,
|
I never was so mumpt before,
|
But now I am at court.
|
With men of better sort,
|
to purchase a good report,
|
I have the eyes and ears,
|
of many brave noble peers,
|
and fright the cavileers,
|
Poor knaves they know not how
|
To fluter, cringe and bow,
|
for he that is wise,
|
and means to rise
|
He must be a turn-coat too.
|
|
|
|
|
|