But when these brethren in evil,
Their adversaries, and the Devil,
Began once more to shew them play,
And hopes, at least, to have a day, 180
They rally’d in parades of woods,
And unfrequented solitudes;
Conven’d at midnight in out-houses,
T’ appoint new-rising rendezvouzes,
And with a pertinacy unmatch’d, 185
For new recruits of danger watch’d.
No sooner was one blow diverted,
But up another party started;
And, as if nature too, in haste
To furnish out supplies as fast, 190
Before her time, had turn’d destruction
T’ a new and numerous production,
No sooner those were overcome,
But up rose others in their room,
That, like the Christian faith, increast 195
The more, the more they were supprest
Whom neither chains, nor transportation,
Proscription, sale, or confiscation,
Nor all the desperate events
Of former try’d experiments 200
Nor wounds cou’d terrify, nor mangling,
To leave off loyalty and dangling;
Nor death (with all his bones) affright
From vent’ring to maintain the right,
From staking life and fortune down 205
’Gainst all together, for the Crown;
But kept the title of their cause
From forfeiture, like claims in laws
And prov’d no prosp’rous usurpation
Can ever settle in the nation; 210
Until, in spight of force and treason,
They put their loyalty in possession;
And by their constancy and faith,
Destroy ’d the mighty men of Gath.
Toss’d in a furious hurricane,
215 was seen before Next him his
Did Oliver give up his reign;
And was believ’d, as well by Saints,
As mortal men and miscreants,
To founder in the Stygian Ferry;
Until he was retriev’d by Sterry,
220
Who, in a faise erroneous dream,
Mistook the New Jerusalem
Prophanely for the apocryphal
Whither it was decreed by Fate
225
His precious reliques to translate.
So Romulus
B’ as orthodox a Senator;
From whose divine illumination
He stole the Pagan revelation.
230 Son and Heir Apparent
Succeeded, though a lame vicegerent;
Who first laid by the Parliament,
The only crutch on which he leant;
And then sunk underneath the State,
235
That rode him above horseman’s weight.