The Cavalier Songs and Ballads of England from 1642 to 1684. Various

      What wholesome laws you have ordain’d,

       Whereby our property’s maintain’d,

       ’Gainst those would us undo;

       So that our fortunes and our lives,

       Nay, what is dearer, our own wives,

       Are wholly kept by you.

      Oh! what a flourishing Church and State

       Have we enjoy’d e’er since you sate,

       With a glorious King (God save him!):

       Have you not made his Majesty,

       Had he the grace but to comply,

       And do as you would have him!

      Your Directory how to pray By the spirit shows the perfect way; In real you have abolisht The Dagon of the Common Prayer, And next we see you will take care That churches be demolisht.

      A multitude in every trade

       Of painful preachers you have made,

       Learned by revelation;

       Cambridge and Oxford made poor preachers,

       Each shop affordeth better teachers—

       O blessed reformation!

      Your godly wisdom hath found out

       The true religion, without doubt;

       For sure among so many

       We have five hundred at the least;

       Is not the gospel much increast?

       All must be pure, if any.

      Could you have done more piously

       Than sell church lands the King to buy,

       And stop the city’s plaints?

       Paying the Scots church-militant,

       That the new gospel helpt to plant;

       God knows they are poor saints!

      Because th’ Apostles’ Creed is lame,

       Th’ Assembly doth a better frame,

       Which saves us all with ease;

       Provided still we have the grace

       To believe th’ House in the first place,

       Our works be what they please.

      ’Tis strange your power and holiness

       Can’t the Irish devils dispossess,

       His end is very stout:

       But tho’ you do so often pray,

       And ev’ry month keep fasting-day,

       You cannot cast them out.