Some thought it a knightly and generous deed,
    Obliging the city with a King and a steed;
    When with honour he might from his word have gone back;
    He that vows in a calm is absolved by a wrack.

    But now it appears, from the first to the last,
    To be a revenge and a malice forecast;
    Upon the King’s birthday to set up a thing
    That shows him a monkey much more than a King.

    When each one that passes finds fault with the horse,
    Yet all do affirm that the King is much worse;
    And some by the likeness Sir Robert suspect
    That he did for the King his own statue erect.

    Thus to see him disfigured—­the herb-women chid,
    Who up on their panniers more gracefully rid;
    And so loose in his seat—­that all persons agree,
    E’en Sir William Peak[215:1] sits much firmer than he.

    But Sir Robert affirms that we do him much wrong;
    ’Tis the ’graver at work, to reform him, so long;
    But, alas! he will never arrive at his end,
    For it is such a King as no chisel can mend.

    But with all his errors restore us our King,
    If ever you hope in December for spring;
    For though all the world cannot show such another,
    Yet we’d rather have him than his bigoted brother.”

Of a more exalted vein of satire the following extract may serve as an example:—­

BRITANNIA AND RALEIGH

“Brit. Ah!  Raleigh, when thou didst thy breath resign
To trembling James, would I had quitted mine. 
Cubs didst thou call them?  Hadst thou seen this brood
Of earls, and dukes, and princes of the blood,
No more of Scottish race thou would’st complain,
Those would be blessings in this spurious reign. 
Awake, arise from thy long blessed repose,
Once more with me partake of mortal woes!

Ral. What mighty power has forced me from my rest? 
Oh! mighty queen, why so untimely dressed?

Brit. Favoured by night, concealed in this disguise,
Whilst the lewd court in drunken slumber lies,
I stole away, and never will return,
Till England knows who did her city burn;
Till cavaliers shall favourites be deemed,
And loyal sufferers by the court esteemed;
Till Leigh and Galloway shall bribes reject;
Thus Osborne’s golden cheat I shall detect: 
Till atheist Lauderdale shall leave this land,
And Commons’ votes shall cut-nose guards disband: 
Till Kate a happy mother shall become,
Till Charles loves parliaments, and James hates Rome.

Ral. What fatal crimes make you for ever fly
Your once loved court, and martyr’s progeny?

Brit. A colony of French possess the Court,
Pimps, priests, buffoons, i’ the privy-chamber sport. 
Such slimy monsters ne’er approached the throne
Since Pharaoh’s reign, nor so defiled a crown.