In March, 1715, Bishop Burnet, the man more hated by the Jacobites than any other, died. These perhaps further indulged their hatred of the very name, by attributing to his youngest son, Thomas Burnet, the authorship of a famous Tory ballad, which was long praised, condemned, quoted or sung in London coffee-houses,—it was named
BISHOP BURNET’S DESCENT INTO HELL.
The devils were brawling at Burnet’s descending,
But at his arrival they left off contending;
Old Lucifer ran his dear Bishop to meet,
And thus the Archdevil, th’ Apostate did greet:—
‘My dear Bishop Burnet I’m glad beyond measure,
This visit, unlook’d for, gives infinite pleasure.
And, oh! my dear Sarum, how go things above?
Does George hate the Tories, and Whigs only love?’