University of Virginia Library

The Hue and Cry after Sir John Presbyter.

With hair in Characters, and lugs in text,
With a splay mouth, and a nose circumflect;
With a set ruff of Musket bore, that wears
Like Cartrages or linnen bandileers,
Exhausted of their sulphurous contents:
In Pulpet fire-workes, Which that bomball vents,
The Negative and covenanting Oath,
Like two Mustachoes, issuing from his mouth;
The bush upon his chin (like a carv'd story,
In a box knot (cut by the Directory;
Madams confession hanging at his ear,
White-drawn through all the questions, How and Where
Each circumstance so in the hearing felt,
That when his ears are cropt he'l count them gelt;
The weeping Cassock scar'd into a Jump,
A signe the Prisbyter's worn to the stump:
The Presbiter, though charm'd against mischance,
With the Divine right of an Ordinance.
If you meet any that do thus attire'em,
Stay them, they are the tribe of Adoniram.
What zealous frenzie did the Senate seize,
That tare the Rotchet to such rags as these?
Episcopacy minc'd, reforming Tweed
Hath sent us Runts even of her Churches breed;
Lay-interling Clergy, a divice
That's nick-name to the stuff call'd Lops and Lice.
The beast at wrong end branded, you may trace
The Devils foot-steps in his cloven face.
A face of severall Parishes and sorts,
Like to a Sergant shav'd at In's of Court.
What mean the Elders else, those Kirk Dragoons,
Made up of Ears and Ruffs like Ducations?
That Hierarchy of Handicrafts begun?
Those new Exchange-men of Religion?
Sure they're the Antick heads which plac'd without
The Church, do gape and disembogue a spout:
Like them above the Commons house have been
So long without, now both are gotten in;
Then, what Imperious in the Bishop sounds,
The same the Scotch Executor rebounds.
This stating Prelacy, the classick rout,
That spake it often, e're it spake it out;
So by an Abbies Scheleton of late,
I heard an Echo supererrogate.
Through imperfection, and the voice restore,
As if she had the Hiccop o're and o're.
Since they our mixt Diocesans combine
Thus to ride double in their Discipline,
That Pauls shall to the Consistory call
A Dean and Chapter out of Weavers-Hall:
Each at the Ordinance for to assist
With the five thumbs of his great-changing fist.
Down Dagon Synod with thy motley ware,
Whilst we do swagger for the Common-Prayer,
That Dove like Embassie, that wings our sence
To heavens gate in shape of innocence.
Pray for the Miter'd Authors, and defie
These Demicasters of Divinity.
For when Sir John with Jack-of-all trades joynes,
His Finger's thicker than the Prelates Loyns.