Classic Poem

D R aw near you factious Citizens; prepare
To hear from me what hideous Fools you are;
What lumps of sordid Earth; in which we find
Not any least Resemblance of a Mind;
Unlesse to Baseness and Rebellion bent
Against the King, to ayde the Parliament;
That Parliament, whose Insolence will undoe
Your Cities Wealth, your Lives, and Safety too:
Are you so stupid, dull, you cannot see
How your best Vertues now are Treachery?
Apparent Treason, Murder, and the like:
How with unhallowed hands you strive to strike
Him, whom you should your Loyalty afford,
( Great Charles ) the blest Anointed of the Lord?
How you do daily contribute, and pay
Mony, your Truths and Honours to betray?
Bigg with Phanatique thoughts, and wilde desire:
'Tis you, that blew up the increasing Fire
Of foul Rebellion, you that only bring
Armies into the Field against your King ;
For were't not for supportment from your Baggs,
That Great and Highest Court that only braggs
Of your vain folly, long ere this had bin
Punish'd for their bold Sacrilegious sin,
Of Actual Treason , there had never come
Upon this Kingdom such a Martyrdom .
Armes hang'd up as uselesse, and the State
Retain'd his freedom; had you kept your Plate,
No Keinton-Battails had with Mothers curse,
Made Childless there the Treason of your Purse;
The Publick Purse o'th City ; which must be
Esteem'd the Cause of Publick Misery ;
No Drums had frighted silken Peace from out
The Neighbouring Countries , nor need you about
Your City with your guilded Musquets goe
Trayning, not for good Service, but for Shew;
That the whole Town may see your Feathers spread
Over your Hatts , as th' Hornes doe o're your Head ;
The Humble Parliament had never dar'd
To have prescrib'd Laws to their King , but spar'd
Their Zeal in bringing Innovations , and
Distractions o're the beautious face oth' Land ,
They would not then have so Supreamly brought
Their Votes, to bring the Kingdomes Peace to nought;
Nor with so sleight a value lookt on Him,
King Charles , and only doted on King Pym;
Nor for Authentick doctrine, have allow'd
As Law, the Precepts of Ingenuous Stroud ;
Hampden nor Martyn had not then lookt bigge
Upon their King , nor Arthur Haslerigge;
Nor yet K — — on whom we now confer
The style of Trayterous Earle of M — —
Secur'd by you, the Patrons of the Cause,
Condemn'd his Loyalty , and the Kingdoms Laws ;
Nor mis-led Essex , had not you been, nere
Had acted on this Kingdoms Theater
So many Tragedies ; nor Warwick sought
T' ingrosse the Naval Honours, no nor thought
On any Action so unjust, unmeet,
As keeping from his Majesty his Fleet;
Tis you have done all this, y'ave been the Head,
The very Spring from whence this River spread
The streams of foul Rebellion; which we know
At last will drown'd you with its over-flow;
You the Arch-Traytors are, you, those that slew
The Kingdoms happinesse, and th' Allegiance due
Unto his Sacred Majesty: you, you that have
Betray'd this Nations Honour to the Grave
Of lasting Obloquy; you that have destroy'd
The smiling wealth of th' City , and made void
The good Opinion, which the King before
Had of your Loyalties, and th' Faith you bore
To th' Royal Stem ; which still has to your great
Advantage made this City their Chief Seat .
Fond and seditious Fools, d'ye think, yee
Are wiser than Times numerous Progeny?
That have Ador'd your City , when did They
Your harmlesse Ancestors , strive to give away
Their Wealth, and Duty from their Sovereigne Lord ,
To make themselves Traytors upon Record ?
When did they their Plate and Coine bring in?
To be the Cause of their own Ruyning ?
They never us'd to fright their King , nor draw
Tumults together, to affront the Law .
No, nor good Houses , their Corslets slept, and all
The Armes they us'd hung up in each mans Hall.
They did not then enamel'd Musquets carry
To Train in Moor-fields , and in Finsbury ;
But did in Comely Archery excell ,
Like honest grave Children of Adam Bell ,
And Climme oth' Clough , now each of you will be
More than a furious William Cloudeslee ;
And trace the Streets with terror, as if Ven ,
With Fulk and Mannwaring , were the only Men
Whom you did owe Allegiance to; as if They
Could give you priviledge to disobey
The Royal Mandate , which does them proclaim
Guilty of Treason , and you of the same ;
As deeply stand Impeacht, and will at last
Pay dearly for't, when your vain hopes are past.
All succours , which you credit for your Merit ,
Will be afforded you, by the help oth' Spirit ,
That is the Devil ; sure the Heavenly Powers ,
Will never Patronize such Acts as yours .
Poor baffl'd City ! baffled by a Crue
Of Men, which are as arrant Fools as you;
Surely your Brains can never be so dull
As not conceive this , which each empty Skull
Must needs resent ; how that their only Ayme
Is, to create your City all one Flame ,
And as the Smoak and Sparks do up aspire ,
They'le sit and laugh (like Nero ) at the Fire
Themselves have made ; unlesse your Heads be all
Horns and no Flesh , you needs must see the Fall
That threatens you , like Lightning : To eschew
Which Ruine , 'twould be Wisedome to renue
Your lost Allegiance , and Repentance bring,
As a fresh Victim , to appease your King ;
For be assur'd, Who to the King's untrue ,
Must in their Nature needs be false to you.