The Ghost of the late House of Common[s]
To the New one appointed to meet at
OXFORD.
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FRom deepest Dungeons of Eternal Night,
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The seats of Horror, Sorrow, Pains & spight,
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I have been sent to tell your tender Youth
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A seasonable and Important Truth!
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I feel, (but Oh too late,) that no Disease
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Is like a Surfeit of Luxurious Ease,
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And of all other, the most tempting things,
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Are too much Wealth, and too Indulgent Kings.
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None ever was superlatively ill,
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But by Degrees, with Industry and Skill:
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And some, whose Meaning hath at first been fair,
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Grow Knaves by Use, and Rebels by Despair.
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My time is past, and Yours will soon begin,
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Keep the first Blossoms from the blast of Sin;
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And by the Fate of my Tumultuous ways,
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Preserve yourself, and bring serener Days.
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The buisie subtile Serpents of the Law,
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Did first my Mind from true Obedience draw;
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While I did Limits to the King prescribe,
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And took for Oracles that Canting Tribe,
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I chang'd True Freedom for the Name of Free,
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And grew Seditious for Variety;
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All that oppos'd me were to be accus'd;
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And, by the Laws I Legally abus'd.
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The Robe was summon'd, M------d in the head,
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In Legal Murder none so deeply read:
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I brought him to the Bar, where once he stood,
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Stain'd with (the yet un-expiated) Blood
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Of the Brave Strafford, when 3 Kingdoms rung
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With his accumulative Hackney Tongue;
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Prisoners, and Witnesses were waiting by;
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These had been taught to Swear, and those to dy,
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And to expect Their Arbitrary Fates,
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Some for ill Faces, some for good Estates.
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To fright the People, and Alarm the Town
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B------ and O------ imploy'd the Reverend Gow[n]
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But while the Triple Mitre bore the blame,
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The Kings & Crowns were their Rebellious [aim]
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I seem'd, (and did but seem) to fear the Gua[?]
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And took for mine the B------ and the W---[?]
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Anti-monarchick Hereticks of State,
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Immoral Atheists, Rich, and Reprobate:
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But above all, I got a little Guide,
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Who every Foard of Villany had try'd;
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None knew so well the old Pernicious way
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To Ruine Subjects, and make Kings obey;
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And my small Jehu at a Furious Rate,
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Was driving Eighty back to Forty Eight.
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This the King knew, and was Resolv'd to b[?]
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But I mistook his Patience for his Fear:
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All that this happy Island could afford,
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Was Sacrific'd to my Voluptuous Board.
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In his whole Paradice one only Tree
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He had expected by a strict Decree;
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A Sacred Tree which Royal Fruit did bear,
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Yet in It pieces I Conspir'd to tear;
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Beware my Child! Divinity is there.
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This so out-did all I had done before,
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I could attempt, and He endure no more.
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My Un-prepar'd and Un-repenting breath,
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Was snatch'd away by the swift Hand of Dea[th,]
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And I (with all my Sins about me) hurl'd,
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To th'utter Darkness of the lower World;
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A dreadful place which you too soon will see,
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If You believe Seducers more than Me.
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