THE CITY.
DRaw neere you factious
Citizens, prepare
To heare from me, what hideous fooles you are,
What lumps of sordid earth; in which we finde
Not any least resemblance of a minde
Ʋnlesse to basenesse, and Rebellion bent,
Against the King to ayd the Parliament.
That Parliament whose insolence will undoe
Your Cities wealth, your lives and safeties too.
Are you so stupid dull you cannot see
How your best virtues, now are treachery:
Apparent treason Murther, and the like,
How with unhallowed hands you strive to strike
Him whom you should your Loyalty afford
(Great
CHARLES) the blest anoynted of the Lord;
How you do daily contribute and pay
Money, your truths and honors to betray.
Bigge with fanaticke thoughts, and wild desire,
'I is you that blew up the increasing fire
Of foule Rebellion, you that only bring
Armies into the field against your King,
For were't not for supportment from your bags,
That great and highest Court that onely brags
Of your vaine folly, long e're this had bin
Punnished for their bold sacrilegious sine
Of actuall treason, there had never come
Ʋpon this Kingdome such a Martirdom.
Armes had hang'd up as uselesse, and the State
Retain'd its freedom, had you kept your Plate:
No
Keinton Battailes had made Mothers curse,
Made childlesse there the treason of your Purse,
The Publicke purse o'th
City, which must be
Esteem'd the cause o'th publicke misery.
No Drums had frighted silken Peace from out
The Neighbouring Countries, nor neede you about
Your
City with your guilded Musket goe,
Trayning not for good service, but for show,
That the whole towne may see your fethers spred
Over your Hatts, as the Hornes do o're your Head,
The Humble Parliament had never dar'd
To have prescrib'd Lawes to their King but spar'd
Their Zeale in bringing Innovations and
Distractions, o're the butious face o'th Land.
They would not then have so supreamely brought
Their Votes, to bring the Kingdoms peace to nought.
Nor with so slight a value lookt on him
King
Charles, and only doted on King
Pim,
Nor for Authenticke Doctrine have allow'd
As Law, the precepts of ingenious
Stroud,
Hambden, nor
Martin, had not then lookt bigg
Vpon their King, nor
Arthur Haslerigge;
Nor yet
Kimbolton, on whom we now conferre
The stile of trayterous Earle of
Manchester:
Secur'd by you the patrons of the cause
Contemn'd his Loyallty, and the Kingdoms Lawes
Nor misled
Essex, had not you beene, nere
Had acted on this Kingdoms theater
So many tragedyes, nor
Warwicke sought
To ingrosse the Navall honors, no nor thought
Vpon any action, so unjust unmeete
As keeping from his Majesty his Fleete.
Tis you have done all this, y'ave been the head,
The very spring, from whence this River spread
The streames of foule Rebellion, which we knows
At last will drown'd you with it's overflow.
You the arch traytors are, you those that stew
The Kingdoms happinesse, and the aleagance du
[...]
To his sacred Majesty, you you that have
Betrayd this Nations honour to the grave
Of lasting obloquye, you that have destroyed
The smiling wealth of th'
Ci
[...]y, and made voyd
The good opinion which the King before
Had of your Loyaltyes, of the faith you bore
To'th Royall steeme, which still has to your great
Advantage made this City their Chiefe Seate,
Fond and and seditious fooles, do you thinke you be
Wiser then all times numerous progenye,
That have adorn'd your City, when did they
Your harmelesse ancesters strive to give away
Their wealth. and duty from their Soveraine Lord,
To make themselves Traytors upon Record,
When did they their Plate and Coyne bring in,
To be the cause of their owne running ruining,
They never vs'd to fright their King, nor draw
Tumults together to affront the Law,
No nor good houses, their Corslets slept and all
The Armes they vs'd hung up in each mans hall,
They did not then Ennamel'd Muskets carry,
To trayne in More fields, and at Finsbury,
But did in comely Archery Excell,
Like honest grave Children of
Adam Bell
And
Climme o'th
Clough, now each of you will be,
More then a furious
William Cloudes-
[...]ee.
And trace the Streets with teror as if
Ven,
With
Fulk, and
Manwaring, were the onely men
Whome you did owe allegience to, as if they
Could give you priviledg to disobey.
The Royall Mandate, which doe's them Proclaime,
Guilty of Treason, and you of the same,
As deeply stand Impeach't, and will at last
Pay derely for't, when your vaine hopes are past
All Succors, which you credit for your merit,
will be afforded you by the helpe o'th spirit,
That is the devill you serve, for heavenly powers
Can never Patronize such acts as yours,
Poore basled City, but bafled by a crue
Of men, which are as arrant fooles as you,
Surely your braines can never be so dull
As not conceive this, which each empty Skull
Must needs resent, how that their onely ayme,
Is to create your City all on flame,
And as the smoake and sparkes up aspire,
They'le sit and Laugh like
Nero at the fire,
Themselves have made, vnlesse your heads be all
Hornes and no flesh, you needs must see the fall:
That threatens you, like Lightening to Eschue,
VVhich Ruine 'twould be wisedome to renue,
Your lost alleagiance, and Repentance bring,
As a fresh victim, to appease your King,
For be assured who to the King's untrue,
Must in their nature needs be false to you.
OXFORD, Printed for Ʋ Ʋilliam Ʋ Ʋeb. 1643.