University of Virginia Library

On the Report of King James's sending a Plenipotentiary to the Treaty of Ryswick.

King James, say the Jacks, as other Kings do,
To the Treaty must send an Ambassador too.
But where can we find a Person so wise,
As is fit to take on him an Office so nice;
To act from a Prince whom no body owns,
But those whose Advice before lost him his Thrones;
To beg that the Princes would grant him a share
In a Treaty of Peace, who had none in the War?
And since for Religion he quitted his Throne,
And foster'd a Bastard instead of a Son,
To pray they'd consider his Losses at home,
And send him with Passports to Warsaw or Rome,
For a Crown, or a Cap, or some such like thing,
That since he can't live, he may look like a King:
For the Kingdoms he lost t'allow him another,
And make him a Monarch of some thing or other:
For truly (an't please you) the Envoy must say,
Our Protestant Friends are hang'd out of the way,
Our Servants forsake us, our Allies deny us;
And if the good Catholicks will not stand by us,
Our Queen will run mad, our self will want Bread,
Our Heir too, in spite of the Bargain we made,
Must home to his Father and work at his Trade.