Poems on Affairs of State

The mighty Monarch of this British Isle,
Disturb'd to hear his Subjects prate and smile,
That he is so content to own a Son,
For to inherit th'Imperial Throne,
To please his Queen, and put by both his own:
But finding England not so credulous,
And clear-ey'd Orange more suspect than us,
By Instigation of the Q. and P.
He summons all together as you see,
And there declares his own Sufficiency.

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He says his Subjects Minds so poison'd are,
They'll not believe God bless'd him with an Heir:
But to convince them they are in the wrong,
In comes the Swearers, and depose as long
A Narrative, as perjur'd O---es could do;
What these propose unquestionably's true,
Our King says so, who dare say other now?

There's Lords, Knights, Ladies, Squires, Quacks, and all
The Papal Locusts that infect Whitehall;
They swear what King would have, to gain their Ends,
Since he's a Prince that ne'er forgets his Friends.
But Witness Bishops, for your Loyalty
He makes you great, he did bestow on ye,
To keep you safe, his strongest, greatest Fort;
While ye were there, the Tower was the Court.
All fled from James, to you for Blessing came;
Imprisonment immortaliz'd your Name:
Bishops of England's Church were Men of Fame.
And since his dire Designs in Law have fail'd,
He seems to smile, you are to Council call'd,
To hear the Worthy Loyal Swearers swear,
That at the Birth of Wales's Prince they were.

And first begins Old England's barren Q.

Q. D**ger.

That at her Sister's Labour was not seen
Till all was past; yet for the Holy Cause
She'll do whate'er she can to blind the Laws
Of England, and doth there declare, and say,
She hasten'd to the Queen that very Day,
And never stirr'd till this great Prince was born,
For th'Nation's Glory, but he proves their Scorn;
Except of these that on him daily wait,
Whose Loyal Love is only to be great.

Next comes Old P---is, who a Story feigns
Of Riff-raff Stuff, to fill the Peoples Brains,
Of what she saw, and knew about the thing;
And in a modest Circumstance doth bring,

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Of something which into the World he brought,
And by the Doctors gave him, as she thought.
Now as a Governess she tends his Grace,
And would not for all Heaven quit her Place;
So sweet a Babe, so fine a hopeful Lad,
The forward'st Son the Father ever had.

Then A---n's Countess with her Oath comes in,
That at the Prince's Birth her self has been,
And how she heard Complainings from the Queen
Of little Pains, and then the Child was seen:
But, Oh! He did not cry; the Queen baul'd out
For fear 'twas dead, but Granny clear'd the Doubt.
And further Honour this great Lady had;
She saw Smock spoil'd with Milk (the Sign was bad.)

And P---gh could not be beguil'd,
Knowing the Father's Strength (at thought she smil'd)
She saw Queen's Smock, and swears she was with Child.

While pious Sun---nd to Chappel went
On purpose to receive the Sacrament;
Devotion was so great, she disobey'd
Her Majesty; and said, When she had pray'd
She'd wait on her: But hearing that the Prince
Was hastning to the World, this, this Pretence
Soon brought our Saint-like Lady quick from thence.
And from her bended Knees flew to the Queen,
And there saw all the Sight was to be seen.
The Bed was warm'd, and into it she went,
And ask'd the King if for the Guests he'd sent;
And lingring Pain she had, and seem'd to fear
'Twould not be born, till all the Fools were there:
But by her Midwife was assur'd, one Pain
Would bring the Prince into the World amain.
But faithless Queen! The Child did lie so high,
She'd not believe but Judith told a Lye;
And such an Honour to this Deponent granted,
'Tis hardly more by th'Pope for to be sainted.

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R---mon swears she stood by Sun---land,
Near the Queen's Bed, just by the Midwife's Hand,
And saw His Highness taken out of Bed,
Fit for a Crown t'adorn his Princely Head.

F---gal depos'd, that in the Queen's Distress
She stood at the Beds Feet, just by M---ss;
And saw the Prince into the World did come,
And by D---dy carried from the Room.

Then painted B---ley early in the morn
Came to St. James's, to see his Highness born:
With all the haste she could, she up did rise,
Soon dress'd, she came by Nine a Clock precise,
And found her Majesty was in the Bed,
And groaning dismally, she further said,
Cry'd to the Midwife, Do not the Child part:
Old Granny crav'd her leave: with all her heart
She granted what the Beldame did desire,
And certain 'tis there was no danger nigh her:
Crying, O King, where are you fled?
He said, I'm kneeling, Madam, on your Bed.
This plain Deponent bellows Baudy forth
To be expos'd both East, West, South and North,
Without e'er Fear or Shame; bars Modesty
For to out-face the World with such a Lye.

Then Pocky B---sis the next comes in,
And says she saw the Cast of Charles's Queen;
And hearing that the Q---n in Labour was,
She hurry'd in without a Call or Pass.
With this Excuse (she knew she was forgot)
Where she talks Baudy, shews Impudence, what not?
Expose her self in Print to shew her Love;
Exalted by the King and one above:
She'll lye and swear, forswear, to prop the Cause,
That baffles England's sound and wholesom Laws.

Then Lady W---grave, who was there before
This Royal Babe was launched from the Shore,
And heard her Majesty cry out full sore.

Then C---ne and sottish Went---th say the same,
With S---yer, Wal**ve, D**son, that they came

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And saw this Wonder which the World won't own,
And blame their little Faith; to think this Son
Is Spurious, and not in truth proceeding
From Majesty, when they all saw him Bleeding;
Nay, gave him of his Blood (squeez'd from the string)
That did the Royal Babe into the World bring.

Then Br---ley, T---ni, and Nan C---ry too,
Swear they saw all the work that was to do,
And more by half is sworn, than they'l prove true.

Then comes Delabady the Great Nurse,
Who with the Queen is all in all in trust;
And swears that Dan---rs, Maid to Princess Anne,
Was joy'd to see this little Royal Man,
With former Mark on Eye, which us'd to be
On all Queen Mary's Royal Progeny.
James seem'd to doubt that which before he knew,
And fear'd this treacherous Nurse not told him true:
But he must peep and see the Royal Elf,
And joy'd as if he got him his own self,

For Mrs. W---ks, who doubts but she would say,
She brought the Prince to Town that very day;
And told the King the trembling Queen did fear
'Twould be hard Labour (tho no Child was there:)
Explains most impudently those Concerns,
That follow Women when they cast their Barns.
And what cares she, the Hereticks she'l blind,
And then we fear the King will prove most kind
To all those Wretches which swear to his mind.

Then comes the Washer-woman Mrs. P---ce,
Who says that to the Queen she's Laundress;
And there declares a Story of Hot-Linen,
That us'd to come just from Child-bearing Women.

Rich***nd and Li---d, and brave Ma---all,
Tho not at Labour, they believe it all;
And fain would be believed, if these Tools
By swearing faslly could make us such Fools:
They give such Demonstrations, that do lie
As much aside, as they do Modesty.

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Then comes Great George of England, Chancellor,
Who was with Expedition call'd to th'Labour:
The Queen cry'd out as Women us'd to do,
And he believes the Prince is real too,
But not so certain, nor 'tis fear'd so true
As he wears Horns, that were by M---fort made;
Them and his noise makes all the Fools afraid:
Tongue runs at random, and Horns pushes those,
That are so Learn'd his Lordship to oppose.
He fears to act no wretched Villanies,
He dreads no Torments for inventing Lyes,
For he of Heaven is sure whene'er he dies:
Thanks to the care of fond indulgent Wife,
To make atonement for his wicked Life;
Damns her own Soul, and whores with all she cou'd,
To allay th'impetuous Sallies of her Blood.

Lord P---dent comes next, that's now cashier'd,
For only speaking of the Truth 'tis fear'd;
Yet he for to be great again at Court,
Would be forsworn tho he be damned for't.

Then A---del of W---dour, Privy Seal,
Was so concern'd that he her Pains did feel;
And 'tis believ'd this tender-hearted Man
Did feel as much as Majesty did then;
He shew'd indeed concern to mighty W---m,
Who knew too much, to have concern for him:
But satisfy'd the Fool it would be past,
And wonder'd much her Pain so long did last.

Then comes my Lord All-Pride with Modesty,
And seems unwilling to affirm a Lye;
With stately gesture he did himself excuse,
But setting Hand to Paper can't refuse.

Then Foolish C---n comes and doth depose,
A Mark he hath, that he the Prince well knows;
If't be his Lordship's Mark, he ne'er must rule,
For Europe knows that he's mark'd for a Fool.

Then in comes F---sham, that haughty Beau,
And tells a tale of den, and dat, and how:

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Tho he's no more believ'd than all the rest,
Only, poor Man, he fain would do his best;
And be rewarded as when come from West.

Earl of M---ray, that Alexander Great,
Believes it was the King that did the feat;
And that this Son is true, and not a Cheat.
Then M---ton and M---ford both explain'd
The business which they from the King had gain'd;
As knowing Men, his Majesty did trust
His Consort's Secrets, hoping they'd be just
To his Endeared Son our Mighty Prince,
That as he thought would hide his Impotence:
G---n too, with confidence pretends
It is true born, but 'tis for his own Ends.

And F---x a Story tells of God knows what,
To fool the Nation's all he would be at;
He keeps in Favour with his Princely Grace,
He fawns and flatters for to keep his place.

Then famous Sca---ugh and Wi---ly,
With W---ve, B---dy, and A---nd do lye;
And bring their Circumstances to convince
The World that 'tis a real High-born-Prince:
Thus they stick out at nothing that will do
The Nation wrong, and bring to England woe.
Base mercenary Slaves, for a King's Smile
Would Spurious Issue rear, and us beguile;
That fawn on him, and more observe a Nod
Than fear the Vengeance of an angry God:
And on the turn o'th' times would all fly back,
And let his Highness' Interest go to wreck.

Two Depositions more to Council sent,
Asham'd t'appear to farther the Intent
Of Popish Principles, and Perjuries;
None but the Devil could invent such Lyes.

Then after this the King himself declares,
He don't design with England to make Wars;
But he such Aggravations hath of late,
That he must needs be angry with the State:

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A specious Prologue he concludes withal;
But ah! the Protestants he vows shall fall
A Sacrifice to Rome, and his Revenge:
Then Soldiers fear not Fools, but scorn to cringe;
Be resolute and stout, and scorn to sell
Your Souls to Rome, but send the Pope to Hell.

University of Virginia Library

The Deponents.