Pictures of passions, fancies, & affections Poetically Deciphered in variety of Characters [by Thomas Jordan] |
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The Parliament of England. |
 | Pictures of passions, fancies, & affections |  |
The Parliament of England.
INVOCATION.
Great Genius of my Country, whose bright eys,Are macerated with our miseries;
Whose unrefisted royalty convinces,
The power of Prelacy, and pride of Princes;
Great Secretary to the Fate of Thrones;
That turn'st the wheel of Revolutions:
And crownest Conquerours with Diadems:
Beneath the steps of whose immortal station,
Sits (the selected safety of our Nation)
The supream Power: Oh! pardon my intrusion,
If on bent knees, I beg the sweet infusion
Of thy cleer Spirit; which in sacred slumbers,
May fill my soul with matter, phrase, and numbers
Pregnant and perfect: Let my impartial pen,
Picture the proper praises of those men,
Whom Providence, by a decree of Fate,
Hath made the succours of our suffering State.
The Character.
A parliament, conveneth by the voyceOf the best Natives, fitted for free choise;
In which no private Passion or Affection,
Should sway the equal ballance of Election;
Where every man is just, and doth not waver
For future fear, nor yet for former favour:
They do not chuse Old folly, nor Young neatness
Unrighteous Riches, nor ungodly Greatness;
But their Election to discretion yeilding,
They finde fit timber for the famous building.
The grand Conjunction of the Nation signes,
To this Convention; where each man enclines
To actuate his Countries good, which he,
Prefers above his life, or liberty:
How he may meliorate the Common hive;
Where (as he led his life) he shines a Star
In Councel; or a Meteor at the Bar:
Here, men (like Surgeons) boldly do propound
Lancets and Salvo's, for the Publike wound.
Some Members are cut off, others are bound
Up, that they may preserve the body sound;
Nothing is unattempted to gain health,
When as the Patient proves the Commonwealth.
Here (without wrath) one Neighbour cals another
To strict accompt; the words, Father and Brother,
Are useless; for who ever doth intend
Ill to the State, is voted no mans Friend:
Here all do take a relish from one Cup,
The poor man sinks not, whil'st my Lord gets up:
It is not strength shall break the publike Hedge,
But all enjoy an equal priviledge;
HEE that respects no persons, bids us be
In point of Justice, Holy even as HE.
The Parliament of England are indu'd,
With power to Constitute, Transact, Conclude,
To Make, Enlarge, to Alter, to Diminish;
To Nullifie, Revive, Repeal, Replenish,
In Church, or State; with purpose to advance,
By Law, by Statute, Act, or Ordinance:
All matters Civil, Common, Capital,
Criminal, Martial, and Municipal,
With Maritine affairs: It is indeed,
Our Nations Soul, and Body, the decreed
To Right the wronged, and suppress Abuses;
Where sight-less Justice, is not set to sale,
Or forc'd, by th'weight of gold, to turn her scale:
Where the impartial, wel-enacted Laws,
Countenance nothing but an honest Cause:
To rectifie the wretched from such wrongs,
As may arise from Bribes, or Pleaders tongues:
It is a Sacred, and transcendent Session,
Where the unblemish'd Purple, daunts oppression:
The Poor mans refuge, and the Just mans care,
The True mans triall, and the False mans fear:
The Good man's Sanctuary, Bad man's grief,
The Weak man's prop, the Wretched man's relief;
The Patient man's reward, the scourge of Pride,
The Simple's safety, and the Nation's guide.
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