A jolly god, that paffes hours too well
To promise heaven, or threaten us with hell.
That unconcern'd can at rebellion fit,

281

And wink at crimes he did himself commit. A tyrant their's; the heaven their priesthood paints

A conventicle of gloomy fullen faints ;

A heaven like Bedlam, flovenly and fad ; 285 Fore-doom'd for fouls, with false religion mad.

289

Without a vision poets can foreshow What all but fools by common fense may know: If true fucceffion from our ifle fhould fail, And crowds profane with impious arms prevail, Not thou, nor thofe thy factious arts engage, Shall that harveft of rebellious rage,

reap

With which thou flattereft thy decrepid age.
The fwelling poison of the feveral fects,
Which, wanting vent, the nation's health in-

fects,

Ver. 293.

295

thy decrepid age.] This appearance of Shaftesbury, who however was now little more than fixty, is alfo defcribed in "Tony's Lamentation," published about the fame time as "The Medal" was.

"Alas! poor unfortunate Tony,

"Where now muft thou hide thy old head? "That has not fo much as one crony

"Dares own the great things thou haft said.

"Ungrateful, unfenfible cullies,

"To leave your decrepid patroon "To the merciless rage of the bullies "And tories in every lampoon!"

TODD.

way,

Shall burft its bag; and fighting out their
The various venoms on each other prey.
The presbyter puff'd up with spiritual pride,
Shall on the necks of the lewd nobles ride:
His brethren damn, the civil power defy; 300
And parcel out republic prelacy.

But short shall be his reign: his rigid yoke
And tyrant power will puny fects provoke ;
And frogs and toads, and all the tadpole train,
Will croak to heaven for help, from this devour-
ing crane.

305

The cut-throat fword and clamorous gown fhall

jar,

In fharing their ill-gotten fpoils of war: Chiefs fhall be grudg'd the part which theypretend ;

Lords envy lords, and friends with every friend
About their impious merit fhall contend. 310
The furly commons fhall refpect deny,
And juftle peerage out with property.
Their general either shall his truft betray,
And force the crowd to arbitrary sway ;
Or they, fufpecting his ambitious aim,
In hate of kings shall caft anew the frame;
And thruft out Collatine that bore their name.
Thus inborn broils the factions would en-

gage,

315

Or wars of exil❜d heirs, or foreign rage,
Till halting vengeance overtook our age: 320

And our wild labours wearied into rest, Reclin❜d us on a rightful monarch's breast.

Pudet hæc opprobria, vobis

Et dici potuiffe, & non potuiffe refelli.

VOL. I.

RELIGIO LAICI;

OR,

A LAYMAN'S FAITH.

BB