England under Charles II. from the Restoration to the Treaty of Nimeguen, 1660-1678: English History from Contemporary Writers
Taylor, W. F.
1889
Butler's Satire upon Shaftesbury.
The Court Burlesqued, Lond. , pp. 57, 58. | |
Another factious grave bellwether Whose tongue 's the devil's breeches leather, The plague and teazer of the Court, Whose chief delight 's in doing hurt, | |
130 | The head of all the factious clan, By whom our feuds were first began; The city's god, the rabble's leader, A lord, a rebel, and a trader Who keeps his changes and cabals, At public halls and festivals; An old rebellious canting wizard, Who loves the rump with all his gizzard; Hell's journeyman, our plot projector, The rebel's patriot and protector, So loose no royal smiles can win him, So base the very devil 's in him; The sower of seditious seeds, The planter of rebellious weeds, The quintessence of all that's naught, And yet too cunning to be caught; The subtle baffler of the laws, The bulwark of the good old cause, The fatal firebrand of the nation, The spring of all abomination, The Cacafugo of the age, The Samford of the public stage, The broacher of destructive schism, The very tap of devilism, Through which all sorts of treasons flow, That with his dropsic humours grow, Yet once was great in the esteem Of him that wears the diadem; But still when high in power and place, The statesman did the judge disgrace, And show his nature to be base: |
131 | Thus factious foes whom kings endeavour So oft to win by royal favour, Though honours make them less severe, Yet still the rebel will appear. |
