 | Poems on Affairs of State |  |
The State-Holder:
Or, the Prince's Almanack, Calculated for the Meridian of London, and Calling of a Protestant Parliament; being a Counterpart of the States-Man's Almanack.
PROLOGUE.
I
The Talk about went,That a Free Parliament,
Should never more Sit in this Nation:
But I'll make it clear,
There's no Month in the year,
But is proper on this occasion.
II
Tho some did deceive us,You may now believe us,
Since the Royal Assent made his Exit:
Say what e'er you can,
There's never a man,
cepting Lord Wem that suspects it.
97
III
If the Graves of the Laws,Our Topicks oppose,
We'll prove 'tis the Sense of the Nation;
The readiest way,
To make the Slaves pay,
For their Nibbling with Dispensation.
IV
In times on Record,When Kings kept their Word,
And people were in their Senses:
So poor an Excuse,
Was such an Abuse,
No Monarch e'er made such Pret eces,
V
The King is withdrawn,The Prince come to Town,
The timely Redeemer o'th' Nation:
The Lords are all Set,
And the old Members met,
Then hey! for a Convocation.
VI
For tho to our loss,Things ever went cross,
Whilst Petre was chief Director:
There is not a Sun,
Or a Change in the Moon,
But favours our Great Protector.
98
The ALMANACK.
January.
Tho the First be too cold,For Popery to hold,
Yet fear not a Dissolution:
For tho it be Frost,
And the Jesuists Crost,
It agrees with a Dutch Constitution.
February.
Though next came a thing,Brought Popery in,
With all the fine Relicks and Crosses:
Tho then the King dy'd,
We have One on our side,
This Month will repair all our Losses.
March.
The Month of Old Rome,Will bring 'em all home,
The Authors of all our Evil;
This Month the Wind blows,
And the Breath of the House
Will send 'em all going to the Devil.
April.
In this the Old WhoreOf Babel came o're,
Which was a sore Clap to the Nation;
And therefore i'th' Spring,
We must manage the thing,
To make a full Reformation.
99
May.
The Prince is too good,And too near to the Blood,
To allow to the House any leisure;
The Lords and High Powers,
Must gather new Flowers,
To stock the Exhausted Treasure.
June.
This Month brought in Grist,To the Hot-headed Priest,
Who over-rul'd the Ruler,
And therefore the House,
By way of a Doze,
Must Sit to prepare 'em a Cooler.
July.
This Month of late made,For Camp and Parade,
In which were exhausted our Treasures,
Will better be spent
By a wise Parliament,
Enacting and making new Measures.
August.
This finished a League,With Monsieur and Teague,
For a total Extirpation
Of the Hereticks Cause:
And therefore the House
Must sit to Establish the Nation.
September.
The Colleges fool'd,This month over-rul'd,
And therefore each Protestant Member,
Must sit and Debate,
Of matters of State,
To set all things right in September.
100
October.
This Season was spent,By Burton and Brent,
To manage each Corporation;
And therefore 'tis fit,
The Houses should sit,
To Vote it a Combination:
November.
Above all the rest,Will be in request,
The Auspicious Month of November;
When Orange our Cause,
Restored with the Laws,
Recorded by every Member.
December.
Tho this be the last,And all danger past,
Yet are we resolv'd every Member,
Both Common and Peer,
To sit all the Year,
From January to December.
EPILOGUE.
I
You Gypsies of Rome,That hence are withdrawn,
In the Name of the State, we beseech you,
To the dozen before,
Find out a Month more,
And we'll sit out that month to oblige you.
101
II
You see ne're a closeDoes favour your Cause,
Since England's so well protected:
When there's no more Moon,
You may sit on this Throne;
For sooner you cannot expect it.
| Poems on Affairs of State | |