The Independents (whose first station
Was in the rear of reformation,
A mungrel kind of church-dragoons,
That serv’d for horse and foot at once;
And in the saddle of one steed 115
The Saracen and Christian rid;
Were free of ev’ry spiritual order,
To preach, and fight, and pray, and murder)
No sooner got the start to lurch
Both disciplines, of War and Church 120
And Providence enough to run
The chief commanders of ’em down,
But carry’d on the war against
The common enemy o’ th’ Saints,
And in a while prevail’d so far, 125
To win of them the game of war,
And be at liberty once more
T’ attack themselves, as th’ had before.

For now there was no foe in arms,
T’ unite their factions with alarms, 130
But all reduc’d and overcome,
Except their worst, themselves at home,
Wh’ had compass’d all they pray’d, and swore,
And fought, and preach’d, and plunder’d for;
Subdu’d the Nation, Church, and State, 135
And all things, but their laws and hate: 
But when they came to treat and transact,
And share the spoil of all th’ had ransackt,
To botch up what th’ had torn and rent,
Religion and the Government, 140
They met no sooner, but prepar’d
To pull down all the war had spar’d
Agreed in nothing, but t’ abolish,
Subvert, extirpate, and demolish. 
For knaves and fools b’ing near of kin 145
As Dutch Boors are t’ a Sooterkin,
Both parties join’d to do their best
To damn the publick interest,
And herded only in consults,
To put by one another’s bolts; 150
T’ out-cant the Babylonian labourers,
At all their dialects of jabberers,
And tug at both ends of the saw,
To tear down Government and Law. 
For as two cheats, that play one game, 155
Are both defeated of their aim;
So those who play a game of state,
And only cavil in debate,
Although there’s nothing lost or won,
The publick bus’ness is undone; 160
Which still the longer ’tis in doing,
Becomes the surer way to ruin.

This, when the royalists perceiv’d,
(Who to their faith as firmly cleav’d,
And own’d the right they had paid down 165
So dearly for, the Church and Crown,)
Th’ united constanter, and sided
The more, the more their foes divided. 
For though out-number’d, overthrown
And by the fate of war run down) 170
Their duty never was defeated,
Nor from their oaths and faith retreated;
For loyalty is still the same,
Whether it win or lose the game;
True as the dial to the sun, 175