your interpreter; and not to take them for Irifh witneffes. After all, perhaps you will tell me, that you retained him only for the opening of your caufe, and that your main lawyer is yet behind. Now if it fo happen he meet with no more reply than his predeceffors, you may either conclude that I trust to the goodness of my caufe, or fear my adverfary, or difdain him, or what you please, for the fhort of it is, it is indifferent to your humble fervant, whatever your party fays or thinks of him.

*

THE

LÆTAMVR.

24.NOV.1681.

THE

MÉ DA L.

A SATIRE against SEDITION.

F all our antick fights and pageantry,
Which English ideots run in crouds to fee,
The Polish Medal bears the prize alone:
A monfter, more the favourite of the town
Than either fairs or theatres have shown.
Never did art fo well with nature ftrive;
Nor ever idol feem'd fo much alive:

So like the man; fo golden to the fight,
So base within, fo counterfeit and light.
One fide is fill'd with title and with face;
And, left the king fhould want a legal place,
On the reverse, a tower the town furveys;
O'er which our mounting fun his beams difplays.

The

The word, pronounc'd aloud by fhrieval voice,
Lætamur, which, in Polish, is rejoice.

The day, month, year, to the great act are join'd:
And a new canting holiday defign'd.

Five days he fat, for every cast and look;
Four more than God to finish Adam took.
But who can tell what effence angels are,
Or how long heaven was making Lucifer?
Oh, could the ftile that copy'd every grace,
And plough'd fuch furrows for an eunuch face,
Could it have form'd his ever-changing will,
The various piece had tir'd the graver's skill!
A martial hero firft, with early care,
Blown, like a pigmy by the winds, to war.
A beardless chief, a rebel, e'er a man:
So young his hatred to his prince began.
Next this, how wildly will ambition steer!
A vermin wriggling in the ufurper's ear.
Bartering his venal wit for fums of gold,
He caft himself into the faint-like mould;
Groan'd, figh'd and pray'd, while godlinefs was gain,
The loudest bagpipe of the fqueaking train.
But, as 'tis hard to cheat a juggler's eyes,
His open lewdness he cou'd ne'er disguise.
There fplit the faint; for hypocritick zeal
Allows no fins but those it can conceal.
Whoring to scandal gives too large a scope :
Saints must not trade; but they may interlope.
The ungodly principle was all the fame;
But a grofs cheat betrays his partner's game
Befides their pace was formal, grave, and flack;
His nimble wit outran the heavy pack.

Yet ftill he found his fortune at a stay;
Whole droves of blockheads choaking up his way
They took, but not rewarded, his advice;
Villain and wit exact a double price.

VOL. I.

Power

Power was his aim: but thrown from that pretence,
The wretch turn'd loyal in his own defence;
And malice reconcil'd him to his prince.
Him, in the anguish of his foul he serv'd;
Rewarded fafter ftill than he deferv'd.
Behold him now exalted into trust;
His counfel's oft convenient, feldom juft.
Even in the moft fincere advice he gave
He had a grudging ftill to be a knave.
The frauds he learn'd in his fanatick years
Made him uneafy in his lawful gears.
At beft as little honeft as he could,
And like white witches mifchievously good.
To his first bias longingly he leans;

And rather would be great by wicked means.
Thus fram'd for ill,- he loos'd our triple hold ;
Advice unfafe, precipitous, and bold.

From hence thofe tears! that ilium of our woe!
Who helps a powerful friend, fore-arms a foe.
What wonder if the waves prevail so far
When he cut down the banks that made the bar?
Seas follow but their nature to invade;
But he by art our native ftrength betray'd.
So Sampson to his foe his force confeft;
And to be fhorn, lay flumbering on her breast.
But when this fatal counfel, found too late,
Expos'd its author to the publick hate;
When his juft fovereign, by no impious way
Could be feduc'd to arbitrary fway;
Forfaken of that hope he fhifts his fail,
Drives down the current with a pop'lar gale;
And fhews the fiend confefs'd without a veil.
He preaches to the croud that power is lent,
But not convey'd to kingly government;

1 Our breaking the alliance with Holland and Sweden, was owing to the earl of Shaftesbury's advice.

That

That claims fucceffive bear no binding force,
That coronation oaths are things of courfe;
Maintains the multitude can never err;
And fets the people in the papal chair.
The reafon's obvious; intereft never lies;
The most have ftill their intereft in their eyes;
The power is always theirs, and power is ever wife.
Almighty croud, thou fhorteneft all difpute,

Power is thy effence; wit thy attribute!
Nor faith nor reafon make thee at a stay,

Thou leap'ft o'er all eternal truths in thy pindarick way!
Athens no doubt did righteously decide,

When Phocion and when Socrates were try'd:
As righteously they did thofe dooms repent;
Still they were wife whatever way they went,
Crouds err not, tho' to both extremes they run;
To kill the father, and recal the fon.

Some think the fools were moft as times went then,
But now the world's o'erftock'd with prudent men.
The common cry is even religion's test,
The Turk's is at Conftantinople beft;

Idols in India; popery at Rome;

And our own worship only true at home.

And true, but for the time 'tis hard to know
How long we please it fhall continue fo.
This fide to-day, and that to-morrow burns;
So all are God.a'mighties in their turns,
A tempting doctrine, plaufible and new;
What fools our fathers were, if this be true!
Who to deftroy the feeds of civil war,
Inherent right in monarchs did declare
And that a lawful power might never cease,
Secur'd fucceffion to fecure our peace.
Thus property and fovereign fway, at last
In equal balances were juftly caft: