THE PROTESTANTS CONGRATULATION To the CITY For their Excellent CHOICE of MEMBERS To Serve in PARLIAMENT, October 7, 1679.

VIZ.

• The Right Honourable Sir Robert Clayton, Lord Mayor Elect. , • Wiliiam Love, Esq , • Sir. Thomas Player, Chamberlain of London, And , and • Thomas Pilkington, Merchant. 
Who all Served for that Honourable CITY in the last ever-memorable PARLIAMENT.

HAil Worthy Citizens! For what this Day
You 've done so Well, not only Wee Repay
Deserved Thanks, but the Next Age shall Learn
By your firm Steps their Duty to Discern.
When Romes slie Factors with their usual Arts
And private Lures thought to Divide your Hearts;
And Mints of Slaunder in Cabals had Coyn'd,
Stale foolish Lies, Which Impudence Design'd
You should take Currant; and then Fright you so
As to Contribute to your own Or'ethrow.
You Fadom'd strait their Plot, and with one Voice
Agreed upon a Sound and well-try'd Choice.
Heaven which er'e-while in Sympathizing Tears
And Sable Weeds bewail'd our needless Fears
On this Presaging Morn, more Bright appears:
The Sky look'd Clear as were our Joyes; The Sun
Himself being Proud to View what you had done.
Be gone you private Panders for the Whore,
With Forty One you Bubble us no more.
We now know how your then concealed Springs
Mov'd Faction; and Murder'd the best of Kings.
Those Arts you still Pursue, To play your Game
Would fain Engage us in a second Flame.
And your Confounded Popish Plot to hide,
Would gladly cast it clear on t'other side.
The Eagle once from her own Pinions found
That Arrow Feather'd, which gave her a Wound:
So England's Church was like to be Betray'd
By false pretended Sons in Masquerade.
But Thanks, brave City, which well Understands,
To Judge 'twixt Jacob's Voice and Esau's Hands.
You Scorn'd to Gratifie their Factious Pride,
Who onely studyed how they might Divide.
Vain are Romes Plots, in vain does Haughty France
To Ʋniversal Tyranny advance
And think to Ridd the World of Protestants
Whilst CHARLES Survives, and Mighty Britain stands
Defying all their Heads, and all their Hands.
And London firm in Loyalty and Zeal
Gives such Blest Voices for the Publique Weal.
London! That shall in after-times become
Fatal (beyond what Carthage wish'd) to Rome.
Me-thinks I see an Universal Smile,
And Beams of Joy spread through our Tripple Isle:
Me-thinks I see with what a Generous Scorn
The Wheadling Make-bates hopes were over-born,
Whilst General Echo's through the Hall did sound
For Clayton, Player, Love, and Pilkington.
The Thames with nimble Ebbs hastens to bear
The News to Neptune's Court, who with due care
Sends some bold English Tributary Wave,
That with the Tydings Tybur shall Out-brave.
Hush then, dull Libellers! whose Croaking Noise
Proclaims you Egypt's Vermine by your Voice:
That Atheist Ruffian, with his Hue and Cry,
Drunk, as he's wont, in his Old Goal may lye;
Whilst Peter Dulman shakes his empty Skull,
And Vomits Slanders a whole Green-Bag full.
Forgive me, Worthies! That I here should Name
These viler Insects nibbling at your Fame.
To do well, and Hear Ill is Vertues Fate;
You now are call'd to a Sublimer State,
Push on their Envy, and disdain their Hate.
In that Great Senate where you are to go,
No Interest but your King's and Nations know.
Act like your selves, Act as your selves have done,
Fear not the Malice of a Sawey Tongue
Set, like some Clocks, on purpose to go wrong.
Think on your Charge, which under God, controuls
The Fate of many hundred thousand Souls.
Act so for King and Countrey, that you may
Be ever thought as Worthy as to Day.
FINIS.

London, Printed for Benjamin Harris in the Piazza under the Royal Exchange in Cornhill, 1679.

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