The Publick Faith.
SOme t
[...]ll of
Affrick Monsters, which of old
Vaine superstition did for Godheads hold.
How the
Egyptians, who first knowledge spred
Ador'd their
Apis with the white Buls head:
Apis still fed with
Serpents that do hisse,
Hamon, Osyris,
Monster Anubis.
But sun burnt
Affrick never had nor hath
A Monster like our English
publicke Faith.
Those fed on snakes and satisfied did rest,
This like the
Curtian gulfe will have the best
Thing in the City, to appease its still
Increasing hunger, gluiting its lewd will
With families, whose substance it devours,
Perverting
Iustice and the
higher powers
Contemning, without sear of any law,
Preying on all to fill its ravenous maw;
Whose
Estridge stomack which no steel can sate
Has swallowed down
Indies of
gold and
plate:
This is the
publick Faith which being fed
Byth
City's wealth, has in this Kingdome bred
Such various mischiefes with its viperous breath,
Blastings its peace and happinesse to death:
And yet this
Idol which out world adores
Has made men prostitute their truth like whores
To its foule lust; which surely may as well
And soon be satisfied as the grave or hell:
This preys on
Horses, yet that will not do,
Unlesse it may devoure the
Riderstoo:
This takes up all the riches of the land,
Not by intreaty, but
unjust command;
Borrowing extortively, without any day
But the
Greek Calends, then it means to pay.
This 'gainst the law of Nations does surprise
The goods of
strangers, Kings, and in its wise
Discretion, (thinks though its not worth their note)
They'r bound to take the
publick Faiths trim
vote
For their security, when this
publick Faith
Has broke more
Merchants then ere riot hath:
And yet, good men oth' City, you are proud
To have this bankerupt
publick Faith alowd
More credit then your
King: to this youl lend
More willingly then ever you did spend
Money to buy your wives and children bread;
By such a strange inchantment being misled
To your undoings, you (who upon bond)
Nay scarsly upon morgage of that land
Treble your money's value, would not part
With your lov'd coine vanquished by th'powerful art.
Of this Magitian
pubiick Faith justly install
Him master of your bags, the Divell and all
That taught you get them by deceitfull wares,
And sucking in (like mornings draughts) young heirs:
Well certainly if this fine humour hold
Your
Aldermen will have no other gold
But whats in
thumb rings for their pondrous
chaines,
They'l be the
publick Faiths just lawfull gains;
And have the honour afterwards to be
Hang'd in them for its
publick treachery.
What will become of you then, grave and wirty
Inhabitants of this inchanted City?
Who is't shall those vast sums to you repay
When master
publick Faith is run away?
Or who shall those prodigious heaps renew
Which were so prodigally decreas'd by you?
Whom the whole world imagin'd men of thrift▪
What will your
Orphants do, how will they
[...]
Whose whole estates ith' City chamber hath
Been given a spoile to ruin'd
publick Faith:
Perhaps you'l pawne your
Charter to supply
The worthy wants of your
necess
[...]ty:
Who is't will tak't when all (but men misled
Like you) know 'tis already forfeited?
Who is't will then into now coin translate
Such monstrous cupbords of huge anticke plate
To
publick Faiths vast treasury, bringing in
From the
guilt goblet, to the
silver pin.
All that was coinable and what to do
Even to create you
knaves and
traitors too.
Faith if you chance to come off with your lives,
Your way will be to live upon you
wives:
Their trading will be good when fortune weares
Your colours in the caps oth'
Cavaliers;
Whose
Cuckcolds you'l be then, and on your bier
Weare their
horns, as you
publick Faiths do no
[...]
Then then you'l howle when you shall clearly
[...]
That
publick Faith was publick treachery:
Then you'l confesse your selves to've bin undone
By publick Faithsman Isaack Pennington:
Then you'l repent that ever you did fling
Such monstrous sums away against your
King.
When he in triumph with his warlike traine
Shall to your terror view your Town again.
Unlesse his mercy mittigate his wrath
Justly conceiv'd 'gainst you and
publick Faith.
That reverent
Alderman which did defile
His breeches at the mustering, ere while
Shall then againe those
volvet slops bewray
Cause
publick Faith did make him goe astray
Pauls shall be open'd then, and you conspire
No more against the
Organs in the quire:
Nor threat the
Saints ith'windows, nor repai
In troops to kill the booke of
Common Prayer
Nor drunk with zeale endeavour to engrosse
To your owne use the stones of
Che
[...]pside Crosse:
Then then you'l bow your heads your
horns and all
That so exalted were to save from thrall
Your ruin'd liberties; and humbly pray
For mercy more then upon each
Fast day.
(When your seditious
Preachers to the thro
[...]g
Make prayers
extempore of five houres long.)
Lest you by early penitence prevent
Your certaine danger, if not punishment;
Which you by no means may so safely do
As quitting
publick Faith and
treason too.
Then then though late you to your griefe will find
That you have walk'd (as
moles ith'earth do) blind
Of your faire reason, and obedience light,
Involv'd in mists of
blacke rebellious night.
If these instructions will not make you see
Your error, may you perish in't for me;
And to your ruine walke in death full path
That leads toth'
gallows with the
publick Faith.
FINIS.