Cromwell, though he so much had won,
Yet he had an unlucky son;
He sits still, and not regards,
Whilst cunning gamesters set the cards;
And thus, alas! poor silly Dick,
He play’d awhile, and lost his trick.
The Rumpers that had won whole towns,
The spoils of martyrs and of crowns,
Were not contented, but grew rough,
As though they had not won enough;
They kept the cards still in their hands,
To play for tithes and college lands.
The Presbyters began to fret
That they were like to lose the sett;
Unto the Rump they did appeal,
And said it was their turn to deal;
Then dealt with Presbyterians, but
The army swore that they would cut.
The foreign lands began to wonder,
To see what gallants we lived under,
That they, which Christians did forswear,
Should follow gaming all the year,—
Nay more, which was the strangest thing,
To play so long without a king.
The bold phanatics present were,
Like butlers with their boxes there,
Not doubting but that every game
Some profit would redound to them;
Because they were the gamesters’ minions,
And every day broach’d new opinions.
But Cheshire men (as stories say)
Began to show them gamester’s play;
Brave Booth and all his army strives
To save the stakes, or lose their lives;
But, oh sad fate! they were undone
By playing of their cards too soon.
Thus all the while a club was trump,
There’s none could ever beat the Rump,
Until a noble general came,
And gave the cheaters a clear slam;
His finger did outwit their noddy,
And screw’d up poor Jack Lambert’s body.
Then Haslerigg began to scowl,
And said the general play’d foul.
Look to him, partners, for I tell ye,
This Monk has got a king in’s belly.
Not so, quoth Monk, but I believe
Sir Arthur has a knave in’s sleeve.
When General Monk did understand
The Rump were peeping into’s hand,
He wisely kept his cards from sight,
Which put the Rump into a fright;
He saw how many were betray’d
That show’d their cards before they play’d.
At length, quoth he, some cards we lack,
I will not play with half a pack;
What you cast out I will bring in,
And a new game we will begin:
With that the standers-by did say
They never yet saw fairer play.