A Description of the late
Rebellion in the WEST
A HEROICK POEM.
FROM
Belgia's shore, with a pretended claim
On
Junes eleventh in three small Vessels came,
(Though fatal to him in a fatal Time)
The Traytor
MONMOƲTH and surprized
Lyme;
I' th'
West of
England, whence o' th fourteenth day,
He marched with all his
Rebel Rout away
Part of which fell on
Bridport and their sbed
The Blood of Loyalists, but were repaid,
With tripple Deaths, there
Rebel Blood first stain'd,
The guiltless Ground there Loyalty first gain'd.
A lucky vantage, seaven were kill'd outright,
Twenty three Prisoners, made the rest by Flight,
Scatt'ring their Arms, to their main Strength retreat,
And the sad Tale of their Defeat relate.
No sooner news of this
Rebellious Crew,
To our dread Monarch and his Senate flew,
On Fames swift Wings, but an Attaindure's laid
'Gainst
MONMOƲTH and upon his
Rebel Head
Five thousand pounds to bring him alive or dead.
When worthy
Monaux on
Junes nineteenth day
With twenty Horse the
Rebels did dismay,
Killing them twelve, though in the valiant strife,
Death (still the Brave's worst Foe) surpriz'd his Life:
But unrevenged he did not long remain
Brave
Oglethorp's Commanded Troops distain
Canisham's Bridge with eighty Rebels slain
Whilst bold
Trevanion Lyme's Recovery wrought,
With th' Arms and Powder which the
Rebels brought,
And noble
Pembroke entred factious
Frome,
Scatt'ring the Rabble that were thither come;
Took the Ring-leader and made him recant
The Trayterous Declaration he durst plant,
Up in the Market-place and Traytor own,
MONMOƲTH to be who had such mischief done.
Soon after thrice renowned
Feversham
Near to the Town call'd
Phillips-Norton came
Where leading on the
Rebels flank'd the Lane.
Yet Hero like undaunted
Grafton made
A brave attempt and beat their Ambuscade,
Speaking in Thunder his unshaken sence
Of Loyalty and Justice to his Prince;
Whilst from the Hill the loud mouth'd Cannons bent
Against the Foe, their Globes of Ruin sent:
Wing'd with swift Death, which made them soon remove,
Not longer daring such destruction prove:
But fearful of approaching Fate retire,
Before those Swords that spoke a Monarchs Ire.
And passing many Towns, at last they came,
To
Wells so known for it
Cathedrals fame:
Which impiously with Sacrilegious Hands,
Fit for all horrid Mischief these black Bands
Rifl'd and such base outrages commit,
As if they had been born the Sons of Spite:
Which done to
Glassenbury strait they drew,
From thence to
Bridgwater and there make shew,
As if they meant to fortefy the Town,
But now the fatal time came swiftly on,
To which
Rebellions Punishment was due
On
Julys fifth, when the bright Sun withdrew
And o're the World sad night her Mantle threw,
In Darkness suiting with their Deeds the Rout,
From all their Quarters silently drew out,
With an inglorious purpose to surprize
The Royal Army, but those wakeful eyes,
Under so great a Charge, no slumber brook,
But instantly the hot alarum took.
And now no more but
Neptune's silver Hair,
Parting the threatning Fronts of cruel War;
The Leaden Thunderbolts on Lightnings Wing,
A swift Destruction to the
Rebels bring.
Not able to withstand those juster Arms,
Their Horse affrighted, fly the fierce Alarms:
In much Disorder before every Charge,
And o're the field disperse themselves at large:
Leaving the Foot, who faintly stood a while,
But broken by the Horse they soon Recoile.
MONMOƲTH himself,
GREY's fortune follow strait;
With thirty Horse betaking him to flight
Whilst one the plain the slaughter'd Rabble lye
And stain the Grass with a Rebellious dye.
Those that escap'd the field for safety sought,
By wretched flight but that small fafety wrought
Heav'n had decreed to punish their bold guilt
And on their Heads, revenge the Blood they spilt:
Two thousand Lives they paid upon the place
And most that fled were taken in the Chace.
So
July's happy sixth their ruin view'd,
Saw them intirely broken and subdued;
On some of them the Martial Law took place,
And made them know what 'twas the Nation Peace
In such wild lawless Tumults to molest
Whilst other Laws prepar'd to try the rest:
And now the happy Vict'ry being known,
To Troops on divers Posts their care was shown:
In seizing all suspitious Travellers,
When near
Holt-Lodge some Troopers unawars
Seiz'd on the late Lord
GREY with him his
Guide
Who vainly sought a refuge where to hide.
On
July's Eight
MONMOƲTH was likewise found
Hid in a Ditch inclosing Ferney Ground;
With him the
Brandenburg on whom a Guard,
Was strongly plac'd which instantly prepar'd;
To bring them to
Whitehall who there with
GREY,
Arriv'd secure on
July's thirteenth day;
Thence to the
Tower they in a Barge were row'd
Whilst on each shore stood the rejoycing Croud
Clapping their Hands to see the Punishment
Fall upon those that others Ruins meant.
MONMOƲTH upon Attaindure being doom'd,
His Treasons meed no more on Life presum'd:
But on the fifteenth day being brought upon
A Mourning Stage, and there his Crimes made known;
Expressing Sorrow for the wrong he did
To his dread Soveraign and the Blood he shed,
Submitted patiently and lost his Head:
Which in a Coffin with his body laid
A Hearse to their Interment them convey'd
So fell
Rebellion and so fall it still,
So fare it with all those that dare Rebel.
FINIS.
This may be printed
September the
7th 1685.
R.L.
Printed for P. Brooksby at the Golden Ball in Pye-Corner.