And makes a man a swine;
But hee’s a temperate man indeed
That with a leafe can dine.
Hee needes no napkin for his handes,
His fingers for to wipe;
He hath his kitchin in a box,
His roast meate in a pipe.
When the war spread itself over the country, many of these Roaring Boys became soldiers, and disgraced the profession by rapacity and cruelty. The pamphlets of the parliamentarians abound with complaints of the outrages perpetrated by the Cavaliers, and the evil appears to have been increased by the ill-conduct of the auxiliaries brought over from Ireland to serve the king, who were especially objects of hatred to the Puritans. A broadside among the king’s pamphlets is adorned by a satirical picture of “The English Irish Souldier, with his new discipline, new armes, old stomacke, and new taken pillage; who had rather eat than fight.” It was published in 1642. The English Irish soldier is, as may be supposed, heavily laden with plunder. In 1646 appeared another caricature, which is copied in our cut No. 180. It represents “England’s Wolfe with Eagles clawes: the cruell impieties of bloud-thirsty royalists and blasphemous anti-parliamentarians, under the command of that inhumane prince Rupert, Digby, and the rest, wherein the barbarous crueltie of our civill uncivill warres is briefly discovered.” England’s wolf, as will be seen, is dressed in the high fashion of the gay courtiers of the time.
No. 180. “England’s Wolf.”