A TURN-COAT of the TIMES.
Who doth by Experience, profess and protect,
That of all profession a Turn-coat's the best.
To a pleasant Tune, much in Request.
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AS I was walking through,
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Hide-park, as I us'd to do,
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some two or three months ago,
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I laid me all along,
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Without any fear or wrong,
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And listen'd unto a song:
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It came from a powder'd thing,
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As fine as a Lord or a King,
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he knew not that I
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was got so nigh,
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And thus began to sing.
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I am a turncoat knave,
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Although I do bear it brave,
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and do not shew all I have:
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I can with tongue and pen,
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Court ev[']ry sort of men,
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And kill 'em fast agen:
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With zealots I can pray,
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With cavileers I can play,
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with shop-keepers I,
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can cog and lye,
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And cozen as fast as they.
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When first the wars began,
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And prentices lead the van,
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I that did set them on:
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When they cryed bishops down
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In councry, court and town.
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Quoth i, and have at the crown.
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The covenant I did take,
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For forms and fashion's sake:
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but when it would not
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support my plot,
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'Twas like an old almanack.
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When independency
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Had superiority,
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I was of the same degree:
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When keepers did command:
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I then had a holy land
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In deans and in chapters land,
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But when I began to spy
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Protectorship drew nigh,
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and keepers were,
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thrown o're the bar,
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Old Oliver then cry'd I.
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When sectaris got the day;
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I used my yea and nay,
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to flatter them and betray,
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In parliament I gat.
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And there a member sat
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To tumble down church and state,
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For I was a trusty trout,
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In all that I went about,
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and there we did vow,
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to sit till now,
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But Oliver turn'd us out.
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We put down the house of peers,
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We killed the cavileers,
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and tippled the widows tears:
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We sequested mens estates,
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And made 'em pay monthly rates,
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To trumpeters and their mates;
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Rebellion we did print,
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And alter'd all the mint,
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no knavery then
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was done by men,
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But I had a finger in't.
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When Charles was put to flight,
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Then I was at worster fight,
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and got a good booty by't,
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At that most fatal fall,
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I kill'd and plunder'd all,
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The weakest went to the wall,
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Whilst my merry men fell on,
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To pillaging I was gon,
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there is many thought I,
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will come by and by,
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And why should not I be one.
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We triumphed like the turk,
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We crippled the scottish kirk,
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that sets us first to work:
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When Cromwell did but frown,
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They yielded every town,
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St. Andrew's cross went down:
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But when old Noll did die,
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And Richard his son put by,
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I knew not how,
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to guide my plough,
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Where now shall I be? thought I.
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I must confess the rump,
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Did put me in a dump,
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I knew not what would be trump,
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When Dick had lost the day,
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My gaming was at a stay,
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I could not tell what to play;
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When Monk was upon that score,
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I thought I would play no more,
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I did not think what
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he would be at,
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I ne'er was so mumpt before.
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But now I am at court,
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With men of better sort,
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to purchase a good report;
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I have the eyes and ears
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Of many brave noble peers,
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And fright the cavileers.
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Poor knaves they know not how,
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To flatter, cringe and bow.
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for he that is wise,
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and means to rise,
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He must be a turn-coat too.
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