222 Whig "swims on the land, and crawls on the water."

If anything beyond their former overbearing tyranny, whilst possessing a civic majority and command of mob virulence, were necessary to complete the condemnation of the party led by Shaftesbury, it would be found in their pusillanimity after defeat had fallen on them. Their victors were certainly not always generous, and the pamphleteers were quite as ready to calumniate or satirize them, in their downfall, as formerly to do their bidding against the Jesuits and Catholic Lords. Indeed, there was much more hearty detestation and humour expressed against them than had ever been displayed on their behalf. Here is one burst of satire :

The Character of a Whig.

Whigg is a vermin of monstrous nature,

A "Tis the Spawn of Sedition, the Devil of a Creature,

That swims on the Land, and crawls on the Water.

Whose conscience is still at defiance with Law,
Though he cringes to those that keep him in awe;
Yet for King, or for Country he cares not a straw.
He makes it his business new brawls to create;
Like powder, still upwards to fly in his face,
And ne're in affection to jump with the State.
Three kingdoms already he once has undone,
He murder'd the Father, and struck at the Son;
And he'l ever drive on the designs he has begun.
When once he's engag'd in behalf of the Kirk,
No villainy spares he, to drive on his work:
He lives like a Traytor, and dyes like a Turk.
His Religious Rebellion, daub'd over and painted,
Neither better nor worse than a Devil be-sainted;
The Gallows and he should be better acquainted.
He's hot for Religion, though his be to choose;
For Property bawler, having nothing to loose:
We shall never be well, till his Neck's in a Noose.
Which no body can deny!

3

6

12

15

18

21

(see

Undated, as usual, we suppose the following ballad to belong to the same time of issue as 66 Religion a Cloak for Villainy Vol. IV. p. 250), to which the last verse but one bears reference. It appeared, in white-letter, after the reaction set in, when the Plot-Evidences no longer found judicial support. Possibly it was after the discovery of the Rye-House Plot in June, 1683, but this is improbable. We incline to the date 1681. The allusion to the Habeas Corpus Act, passed in 1679, of itself might indicate that the ballad appeared not long afterwards.

On next page, line 34, " Priscian's a little scratched." The meaning is clearly, "Our present men are grown to be like old President Bradshaw of the evil days, 1641 to 1648." A quibble on precedent. We should have preferred to find, Now our Presidents are grown Like him of Forty-Eight,

The Evil race of Forty-One: Ours balance them in weight, etc.

Our Magistrates do well pursue
And execute the Laws:

Those Rascals, who do always rail

Against all Law with spight, Would make a Law against the Law:

Great York should lose his Right.

To perfect which, they made their choice,
Of Parliaments of late,

Of Members that had nought but Voice,
And Megrims in their Pate.

Wi. Williams he the Speaker was,

And is 't not wondrous strange?

The Reason 's plain, he told it was

8

Because they "would not change." [Cf. Epigram, next p.

He told you Truth, nor think it strange;

He knew well their intent,

They never meant themselves to change,

But change the Government:

For now, cry they, "The King 's so poor,
He dares not with us part;
And therefore we most Loyally
Will break his Royal Heart.

"The Habeas Corpus Act is past,
Then so far we are safe;
He can't imprison us so fast,
But strait we have Relief:
He can't deny us ought we ask,
In so much need he stands;

And before that we do Money give,
We 'l tye up both his Hands.

"The President of Forty-One,

Which were till Forty-Eight,
Now our Presidents are grown:
For why? they had their weight.
So weighty were they, they cut off
Our Royal Monarch's Head;
The self-same reason bids us now
To act the self-same deed.

24

32

[See opposite p.

40

224

1

Whig Williams's Downfall and Uprise.

"And when we have a Martyr made

Of anoth'r Gracious King,

Then all the Traitorous Plots we've laid
We'll to perfection bring:

And, to protect our wicked Deeds,
Religion shall go down:

We'll rout out all the Royal Seed,
Pretenders to the Crown.

"Thus, having Monarchy destroy'd,

We'll govern by Free-Will;

The Light of th' Spirit shall be our Guide,
Then what can Man do ill?

Religion is the surest Cloak

To hide our Treachery;

The Rabble we 'll confine to th' Yoak,
Pretending to be free."

48

56

Therefore, my Country-men, trust not
Where Religion 's the pretence;

For if you do, you 'll find a Plot
To destroy your Innocence.
For those who lead you to Rebel,

You 'l find i' th' close to be

Pure Instruments were sent from Hell,

To foment Treachery.

64

We add the Epigram. Sir Trevor Williams, of Monmouthshire, and John Arnold, were fined £10,000, Nov. 1683, for slander. Also Barnardiston. Cf. p. 79.

On Wi. Williams.

WIlliams, this tame submission suits the more.

Than the mean payment of thy Fine before.
Poor Wretch who after taking down thy arms,
Has a Court-smile such over-ruling Charms?
Bankrupt in Honour, now art tumbled down
Below the abject'st creature of a Crown.
Is this the Man the wiser World did wait on?
Unworthy now the very [rod] of Peyton.
What will Sir Trevor Williams, Barnardiston,
And Arnold say, but that he should be [h]iss'd on?
Is this Wi: Williams, who made such a noise,
Dreadful to all the lewd "Abhorring" Boys?
Is this Wi Williams, Spark of Resolution,
Who was so fierce for Bill of puшep Exclusion?
Is this Wi: Williams, spoke the thing so strange?
"Great Sir, your Commons are not given to change!"
Is this Wi Williams, now at last set right?
Is't so? Then, Drawer, light me down to[-night].

The Loyall Sheriffs of London.

DEMAGOGU

"No more shall Shrieves Whig-Juries blind,

And Loyalists shall Justice find;

Nor Ignoramus Law prevail,

A curse o' th' Nation to entail."

-A New Year's Gift to the Templars. 1683.1

EMAGOGUES revel in a theme that gives such opportunities for rant about Liberty, "the encroachments of Tyranny on chartered rights," and the venal corruption of everybody who does not worship King Mob; but we are unable ourselves to feel much excitement over the contested election of July to September, 1682, in which the Court-party managed to secure the triumph of the two nominees desired, whom the sharp practices of the predecessor Sheriffs had vainly tried to overthrow. Dudley North accepted the distinction thrust upon him, but Ralph Box timidly shrank from the trouble and insults which threatened him, while party-spite was so unscrupulous and fanatical. Declining to serve, he in September paid the exemption fine (£400; in those days a heavy sum), and retreated into the seclusion which he better loved. Peter Rich took his place. Although beaten in contest for the shrievalty by legal wiles, the favourers of Papillion and Dubois refused to accept defeat without another struggle. In this they were biassed by Shute and Pilkington (who was afterwards to be thrice Lord Mayor, and a zealous Orangeite: see Bagford Ballads, pp. 485, 486). Charges and counter-charges were freely bandied. For irregularly continuing or resuming the election of Sheriffs, after the Lord Mayor had adjourned the assembly, there was a committal of Shute and Pilkington, the penalty for contempt. Then followed a spiteful and ridiculous arrest of the Lord Mayor, on shallow pretences. This event forms the subject of another but later Loyal Song, entitled "Ryot upon Ryot; or, A Cant upon the Arresting the Loyal Lord Mayor and Sheriffs; sung to the tune of Burton Hall, Ignoramus, or London's Loyalty (by Tom D'Urfey, a song beginning, "Rowze up, great Genius of this Potent Land," see p. 246). It thus commences:

Rowze up, great Monarch in the Royal Cause,
The great Defender of our Faith and Laws!
Now, now, or never, crush the Serpent's Head,
Or else the poyson through the Land will spread.
The noble Mayor and his two Loyal Shrieves,
Bearing the Sword, 's assaulted by usurping Thieves;
Who their rebellious Ryots would maintain by Law:
Oh, London! London! where's thy Justice now?

1 See note on this ditty, of date January, 1683, on p. 231, before "Dagon's Fall."

VOL. V.

Q

226

The riotous Arrest of the Lord-Mayor, 1682.

Was this the way your Ryots to repair,

In spight o' th' Charter to arrest the Mayor?
And 'gainst the Sheriffs your sham Actions bring,
'Cause justly chosen, and approv'd by th' King?
What call you this but Treason? whilst the Fool,
That did arrest the Mayor, expects to rule;

And, save his own, no other power would allow :

Oh, London! London! Where's thy Charter now?

Another was entitled "Loyalty Tryumphant; on the Confirmation of Mr. North and Mr. Rich, Sheriffs of London and Middlesex," to the tune of, Joy to the Bridegroom and the Bride. It begins

Fill up the Bowl, and set it round,
The day is won, the Sheriffs crown'd,
The Rabble flies, the tumults yield,
And Loyalty maintains the Field.

Saint George for England then amain,
To Royal Healths the ocean drain.

The following ditty was sung to the tune called The Riddle of the Roundhead, so named from the ballad which commenced thus:

Now at last the Riddle is expounded,

Which so long the Nation has confounded,
For the Roundhead

Begins the game again

Which so well they play'd in Forty-four;
Now with greater hope:

For the fine Sham-Plots will ne'r give o'er,
Till they piously have routed King and Pope.

The Loyal Song entitled London's Lamentation for the Loss of her Charter, belonging to 1683, is necessarily separated from this ballad, which it logically follows. Before coming to it, we must consider the effects of all these defeats upon the prospects and the health of Anthony, Earl of Shaftesbury, now growing desperate at defections, pusillanimity, and divided counsels, where he had been hitherto the almost undisputed leader in all sedition.

Immediately preceding it, on p. 229, we give some of those promised transcripts from State-Papers, mentioned on p. 650 of our Vol. IV., which help to instruct us in the knowledge of the great cobweb which was catching so many small flies. Anticipating its own proper place (which is after the discovery of the Rye-House Plot), we give on p. 250 London's Lamentation for the Loss of the City Charter." The Jenkins of our p. 230 is not Sir Leoline, but a fanatic minister, William, who with Dr. Owen was proceeded against on the Five Mile Act, in December 1681; with Dr. Doolittle was carried to prison in October, 1684, and died in Newgate on the following January 29th. From Jenkins's Homilies drawn through the nose," is one of the clauses in "A Loyal Litany from Geneva," 168, demanding the emphatic Libera nos, Domine! (See p. 197, where it is given complete.)