Poems or, A Miscellany of Sonnets, Satyrs, Drollery, Panegyricks, Elegies, &c. At the Instance, and Request of Several Friends, Times, and Occasions, Composed; and now at their command Collected, and Committed to the Press. By the Author, M. Stevenson |
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The Quakers Wedding.
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 | Poems |  |
The Quakers Wedding.
O Times! O Manners! whither's Levi fled,
That Law and Gospel are abolished?
The Red-Nos'd Dragon with his Complices,
To Fundamental Truths Antipodes,
That Coccatrice this cursed Egg has hatcht,
And taught us worse than ever to be matcht.
They publisht then at Whipping-Posts the Banes,
And well I think deserv'd 'um for their pains.
But we can marry now, hand over head,
And not have so much as a forme to plead:
We are not now unto the Justice packt,
(Though then there was small Justice in the Act.)
But we can marry of our own accord,
Like Jack and Gill, but leaping cross a Sword;
But against Parties coupled on this wise,
Westminster Weddings will in Judgment rise.
That they should stumble, and pretend such light!
They marry wrong, and call't a Marriage Rite.
The Libertine comes in the Levites room,
And is at once the Parson and the Groom.
He babbles like a Bruit, and by, and by;
He takes the Bride, and goes to multiply:
The Bride? I do recall what I have se'd,
'Tis not a Bridal, but a Brothel-bed.
They for Conjunction copulative would pass,
When the Conjunction a Disjunctive was:
For having lain together all their Life,
They are, but as they met, not Man and Wife.
And for a mitigation of their Cares,
They may have many Children, but no Heirs.
And, what a marry'd Man lov'd never yet,
He may a Bastard of his Wife beget.
For wanting Licence and Certificate,
He leaves his Issue Illegitimate.
Te Sons and Daughters of the common Earth,
An off-spring outlaw'd in their very birth.
That Law and Gospel are abolished?
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To Fundamental Truths Antipodes,
That Coccatrice this cursed Egg has hatcht,
And taught us worse than ever to be matcht.
They publisht then at Whipping-Posts the Banes,
And well I think deserv'd 'um for their pains.
But we can marry now, hand over head,
And not have so much as a forme to plead:
We are not now unto the Justice packt,
(Though then there was small Justice in the Act.)
But we can marry of our own accord,
Like Jack and Gill, but leaping cross a Sword;
But against Parties coupled on this wise,
Westminster Weddings will in Judgment rise.
That they should stumble, and pretend such light!
They marry wrong, and call't a Marriage Rite.
The Libertine comes in the Levites room,
And is at once the Parson and the Groom.
He babbles like a Bruit, and by, and by;
He takes the Bride, and goes to multiply:
The Bride? I do recall what I have se'd,
'Tis not a Bridal, but a Brothel-bed.
They for Conjunction copulative would pass,
When the Conjunction a Disjunctive was:
For having lain together all their Life,
They are, but as they met, not Man and Wife.
And for a mitigation of their Cares,
They may have many Children, but no Heirs.
80
He may a Bastard of his Wife beget.
For wanting Licence and Certificate,
He leaves his Issue Illegitimate.
Te Sons and Daughters of the common Earth,
An off-spring outlaw'd in their very birth.
What made them Jews and Gentiles to invite?
Sure they could never hope a Proselite.
How Heaven approv'd the juggle you may tell,
When Thunder, Lightning, and a Tempest fell:
So dreadful too, though at one clap it stopt,
As if the Heavens into Earth's lap had dropt.
Confusion waited on both Men, and Meat;
Their Marriage and their Feast were both a cheat.
A wedding and no wedding brought before ye,
The Devil doubtless was the Directorie.
Some Hellebor restore 'um to recant,
This sordid League, and sens-less Covenant.
O that such vileness should affront the Sun!
VVould make a Corner blush to see it done!
VVhilst almost mad as they, the People ran,
To see a Sinner take a Publican.
Sure they could never hope a Proselite.
How Heaven approv'd the juggle you may tell,
When Thunder, Lightning, and a Tempest fell:
So dreadful too, though at one clap it stopt,
As if the Heavens into Earth's lap had dropt.
Confusion waited on both Men, and Meat;
Their Marriage and their Feast were both a cheat.
A wedding and no wedding brought before ye,
The Devil doubtless was the Directorie.
Some Hellebor restore 'um to recant,
This sordid League, and sens-less Covenant.
O that such vileness should affront the Sun!
VVould make a Corner blush to see it done!
VVhilst almost mad as they, the People ran,
To see a Sinner take a Publican.
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