THE Riddle of the Roundhead. An Excellent New BALLAD.

To the Tune of, Now at last the Riddle is Expounded.
1.
NOw at last the Riddle is Expounded,
Which so long the Nation has Confounded;
For the Roundhead
Begins the Game again,
Which so well they play'd in Forty four,
Now with greater hope;
For the fine Sham-Plots will ne'er give over,
Till they piously have routed King and Pope.
2.
Anthony that Worm of Reformation,
Who of Commonwealths has laid Foundation,
Which the Nation
So hotly does pursue;
Let him be rewarded in the Tower,
For his Merits due:
By that busie Plotting head laid lower,
We may perhaps escape what might ensue.
3.
Perkin makes fine Legs to th' shouting Rabble,
Who to make him King he thinks are able;
But the Bauble
Is only shew'd for use:
The silly Idiot serves but for a Tool still,
For Knaves to work their Feats,
And will remain a dull mistaken Fool still,
For all their damn'd Cabals and Wapping Treats.
4.
The most zealous Parliament devoted,
For the Publick good devoutly Voted,
Pray note it,
That the Duke must ne'er be King;
And like honest faithful Loyal Subjects,
His Majesty implore,
To sign their pious and Religious Projects,
Or else the threaten'd King must Reign no more.
5.
The renowned Work of Reformation,
To be carry'd on throughout the Nation,
In a passion
They Vote the Canons down;
Acts and Statutes all must be confounded,
Law and Justice too,
To make way for the proud Rebellious Roundhead,
That they once more the Nation may undo.
6.
Lords and Bishops both are useless Voted,
And the Factious Crew who gravely Plotted,
Are noted.
For Lords and Commons too:
Whigs and Brumighams with Shams and Stories,
Are true Protestants▪
And Protestants are Masquerad [...]s and Tories,
The Modern Reformation of the Saints.
7.
Old Queen Bess that made the best Indentures,
Good King Jemmy too against Dissenters,
He ventures,
To turn them out of doors;
To take in Quakers, Puritans and Ranters,
The Parliament implores,
To build a Kirk of Whigs and Covenanters,
And make a Lawful Race of Sons of Whores.
8.
Rowley now with Wisdom and grave Reason,
To prevent the swift approaching Treason,
In season
Put a period to their strife;
In Oxford all their Stratagems confounded,
The Roguish Joyner too:
And may no better Fate attend the Roundhead
That wou'd the Church and Monarchy subdue
9.
Oxford Loyal Youths who scorn to Sham us,
With a perjur'd Bill of Ignoramus,
Or name us
For Loyal, Traytors known;
Soon found a flaw i'th' bottom of the Joyner,
By Justice and the Laws,
Of Church and Commonwealth and Undermine
Who fell a Martyr in the Good Old Cause.
10.
Now for shame ye Zealots be confounded,
Boast no more Allegiance, since a Roundhead
Is grounded
Upon the Holy Sham:
How dare ye talk of Loyalty, a Hater
Of Justice, King and Laws,
Since the Whiggish Protestant is found a Trayto [...]
And dies a Martyr in the Good Old Cause.

LONDON: Printed by N. Thompson. 1681.

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