 | The Poetical Works of Walter C. Smith |  |
THE SECTARY
Corporal Hogswash of Grimsby,
One of “The Brazen wall,”
Could fight and exhort,
Réposte and retort
With the Word, or the sword, or a ball;
He was equally handy with all.
One of “The Brazen wall,”
Could fight and exhort,
Réposte and retort
With the Word, or the sword, or a ball;
He was equally handy with all.
He was fain to lord it supreme
O'er the weavers and cottars of Fife,
As he led on his troop,
With a halloo and whoop,
Ever foremost in fray and in strife,
And kept folk in fear of their life.
O'er the weavers and cottars of Fife,
As he led on his troop,
With a halloo and whoop,
Ever foremost in fray and in strife,
And kept folk in fear of their life.
One day, in the kirk, he sat down
On the stool of repentance, for choice,
With a laugh and a wink—
Sign of shrewd morning drink—
And his soul it did greatly rejoice,
In this manner, to lift up his voice.
On the stool of repentance, for choice,
With a laugh and a wink—
Sign of shrewd morning drink—
And his soul it did greatly rejoice,
In this manner, to lift up his voice.
He called himself “Seeker” or “Waiter,”
Though he ne'er stayed to listen or learn;
And loudly he swore
At the open kirk-door
That sinners should now have their turn,
Whose hearts in them hotly did burn.
Though he ne'er stayed to listen or learn;
And loudly he swore
At the open kirk-door
That sinners should now have their turn,
Whose hearts in them hotly did burn.
“Lo! you now, up there in the box,
Sir Presbyter Priest,” he began,
“We poor sinful folk,
The black sheep of the flock,
Will hear your rebuke, as we can,
If you will but hit fair, like a man.
Sir Presbyter Priest,” he began,
“We poor sinful folk,
The black sheep of the flock,
Will hear your rebuke, as we can,
If you will but hit fair, like a man.
“I am ready our sins to confess,
Mostly sins of the flesh, I admit;
We are given to strong liquors
In flagons or beakers,
And to handsome young maids that are fit
On the knee of a soldier to sit.
Mostly sins of the flesh, I admit;
We are given to strong liquors
In flagons or beakers,
And to handsome young maids that are fit
On the knee of a soldier to sit.
“That's the worst can be said about us,
And for that you have set up this stool,
And ring your cracked bell,
And stand there and tell
Of your Kirk, and its good godly rule,
And Tophet ordained for the fool.
And for that you have set up this stool,
And ring your cracked bell,
And stand there and tell
Of your Kirk, and its good godly rule,
And Tophet ordained for the fool.
“Now, spare not; his seat likes me well;
But when you have spoken your word,
I have somewhat to say,
In my own homely way,
To you who are serving the Lord
With your sins, which He ever abhorred.
But when you have spoken your word,
I have somewhat to say,
In my own homely way,
To you who are serving the Lord
With your sins, which He ever abhorred.
“Oh, you're silent, are you, to-day?
You leave all the talking to me:
Very well, I am ready;
You just stand up there steady,
My dear, erring brother, and see
What other folk know you to be.
You leave all the talking to me:
Very well, I am ready;
You just stand up there steady,
My dear, erring brother, and see
What other folk know you to be.
“What of your envy and pride,
Hypocrisy, lies, and deceit,
Your high Sabbath-keeping,
With the shepherds all sleeping,
And the wolf at the door, and the feet
That are swift to shed blood in the street?
Hypocrisy, lies, and deceit,
Your high Sabbath-keeping,
With the shepherds all sleeping,
And the wolf at the door, and the feet
That are swift to shed blood in the street?
594
“Lo! the violence, strife, and
Contention; (See Habakkuk, 1st and 3rd),
Your nest may be high,
But the stone shall cry
From the wall, and its voice shall be heard,
Like the hoot of an ill-omened bird.
Contention; (See Habakkuk, 1st and 3rd),
Your nest may be high,
But the stone shall cry
From the wall, and its voice shall be heard,
Like the hoot of an ill-omened bird.
“I sit on the Penitent's stool,
Where many poor souls have been shamed
With heads bowed like willows
For small peccadilloes;
Meanwhile your worse vices, untamed,
Have thriven unrebuked and unblamed.
Where many poor souls have been shamed
With heads bowed like willows
For small peccadilloes;
Meanwhile your worse vices, untamed,
Have thriven unrebuked and unblamed.
“Yea, I sit on the Penitent's stool,
Though 'tis fitter for you than for me;
Go build up a creed,
Not of word, but of deed,
And meanwhile come down here, and be
Rebuked by the sinful and free.
Though 'tis fitter for you than for me;
Go build up a creed,
Not of word, but of deed,
And meanwhile come down here, and be
Rebuked by the sinful and free.
“We have broken the yoke of the King,
We have cast off the bonds of the Pope,
And we will not submit
To the rein and the bit
Of the Presbyter Priestlings, that hope
With Noll and his army to cope.
We have cast off the bonds of the Pope,
And we will not submit
To the rein and the bit
Of the Presbyter Priestlings, that hope
With Noll and his army to cope.
“For the work we have done God has sealed
With victory everywhere
In great feats of war;
As late at Dunbar,
So at Worcester His arm was laid bare,
In the great crowning mercy wrought there.
With victory everywhere
In great feats of war;
As late at Dunbar,
So at Worcester His arm was laid bare,
In the great crowning mercy wrought there.
“And we're free from the bondage of Law,
For the Spirit has made us free;
The Command is not meant
For the latter-day saint,
But for those who will still bend the knee
Where the Priest and the steeplehouse be.”
For the Spirit has made us free;
The Command is not meant
For the latter-day saint,
But for those who will still bend the knee
Where the Priest and the steeplehouse be.”
Then he strode up the high pulpit stair,
While the minister said with a groan,
“Ho! my people depart
With God's peace in your heart;
For bread he will give you a stone,
Let him do his blaspheming alone.”
While the minister said with a groan,
“Ho! my people depart
With God's peace in your heart;
For bread he will give you a stone,
Let him do his blaspheming alone.”
The flock with mixed feelings were stirred,
Some groaned, and some laughed, and some wept,
Some loudly shouted,
Some mocked and flouted,
But the more part silence kept,
And sorrowful homeward crept.
Some groaned, and some laughed, and some wept,
Some loudly shouted,
Some mocked and flouted,
But the more part silence kept,
And sorrowful homeward crept.
The Corporal preached for an hour
About Oliver's power and trust,
About vials and trumps,
And Parliament rumps,
And the sword of the Lord, and its rust,
Till his throat was as dry as March dust.
About Oliver's power and trust,
About vials and trumps,
And Parliament rumps,
And the sword of the Lord, and its rust,
Till his throat was as dry as March dust.
| The Poetical Works of Walter C. Smith | |