THE CAVALEERS LITANY.
(March 25th, 1660.)—From the King’s Pamphlets, British Museum.
From pardons which extend to woods,
Entitle thieves to keep our goods,
Forgive our rents as well as bloods,
God bless, etc.
From judges who award that none
Of our oppressours should attone
(The losses sure were not their own),
God bless, etc.
From Christians which can soon forget
Our injuries, but not one bit
Of self-concernment would remit,
God bless, etc.
From duresse, and their dolefull tale,
Who, famisht by a lawless sale,
Compounded it for cakes and ale,
God bless, etc.
From persons still to tread the stage,
Who did the drudgeries of our age
(Such counsells are, I fear, too sage),
God bless, etc.
From maximes which (to make all sure)
With great rewards the bad allure,
’Cause of the good they are secure,
God bless, etc.
From cunning gamesters, who, they say,
Are sure to winne, what-e’re they play;
In April Lambert, Charles in May,
God bless, etc.
From neuters and their leven’d lump,
Who name the King and mean the Rump,
Or care not much what card is trump,
God bless, etc.
From midnight-birds, who lye at catch
Some plume from monarchy to snatch,
And from fond youths that cannot watch,
God bless, etc.
From brethren who must still dissent,
Whose froward gospell brooks no Lent,
And who recant, but ne’er repent,
God bless, etc.
From Levites void of truth and shame,
Who to the time their pulpits frame,
And keep the style but change the name,
God bless, etc.
From men by heynous crimes made rich,
Who (though their hopes are in the ditch)
Have still th’ old fornicatours itch,
God bless, etc.
From such as freely paid th’ arrears
Of the State-troops for many years,
But grudge one tax for Cavaleers,
God bless, etc.