Classic Poem

To the Tune of " A Begging We Will Go "
1.

What think you of this age now
When popery's in request,
And he's the loyalest subject
Slights not the laws the least?
When a-Torying they do go, do go, do go,
When a-Torying they all go.

2.

What think you of a Whiggish plot
And of their evidence,
When all the laws cannot protect
The people's innocence?
When a-swearing they do go, do go, do go,
When a-swearing they do go.

3.

What think you of a general
That did betray his lord,
For which he does deserve to swing
In Ketch's hempen cord?
Such a rogue you ne'er did know, did know, did know,
Such a rogue you ne'er did know.

4.

What think you to be tried, sir,
By proclamation laws,
And zealously destroy a prince
T'advance the popish cause?
And to mass to make us go, us go, us go,
And to mass to make us go.

5.

What think you of the chancellor,
Be sure he'll do the work,
Establish a religion
Although it were the Turk?
And for int'rest he'll do so, do so, do so,
And for int'rest he'll do so.

6.

In Lime Street now we do say mass
T'advance the popish cause
And set the mayor to guard it
Against his oath and laws.
To the court you must bow low, bow low, bow low,
To the court you must bow low.

7.

And what think you of proving
A popish army awful
And bant'ring the church with
Arguments unlawful?
But a-fiddling let him go, him go, him go,
But a-fiddling let him go.

8.

What would you give to be, sir,
In contrite Prance's place
And sentenced to a pillory
For one small mite of grace?
When recanting he did go, did go, did go,
When recanting he did go.

9.

What think you of our penal laws
That made the pope to bow?
If damned rogues had not betrayed us
They'd been as penal now.
But their opinions were not so, not so, not so,
Their opinions were not so.

10.

Yet fear we not that bugg'ring dog
That sits in the porph'ry chair,
That swears he is infallible
'Cause he's St. Peter's heir,
'Tis a lie we all do know, do know, do know,
'Tis a lie we all do know.