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<DATE>2009-01-01</DATE>
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<NAME>tcpstaff</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B090012.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B05026">
<STC T="W">r1769a</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99883237</BIBNO>
<VID>182850</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 13 -->
<HEAD>A Rod for the Fools Back: OR, An An&s;wer to a &s;currilous Libel, called the <HI>CHANGELING.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>YE learned Doctors of th' <HI>Smectymnian Creed,</HI></L>
<L>Who&s;e <HI>Rhet'rick</HI> once made Che&s;ts and Cup-boards bleed,</L>
<L>Were <HI>Lee</HI>'s <HI>Repentance,</HI> like your <HI>Faith,</HI> a Cheat</L>
<L>Only to <HI>rook</HI> the Citizens of <HI>Plate,</HI></L>
<L>All your <HI>Reproaches</HI> were as ju&s;tly due</L>
<L>To him, as ever <HI>Tyburn</HI> was to you.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But this it is which makes you <HI>Faction</HI> mad,</L>
<L>He has appeal'd to what you never had;</L>
<L>A thing call'd <HI>Charity,</HI> not hair-brain'd <HI>Zeal,</HI></L>
<L>That <HI>wounds</HI> much fa&s;ter than the <HI>King</HI> can <HI>heal.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Tell me ye poy&s;'nous <HI>Vermin</HI> of the Land,</L>
<L>That hang like <HI>Vipers</HI> on th' <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI>'s Hand,</L>
<L>Who&s;e rage will only with your lives expire:</L>
<L>Nor can you be &s;hook off, but into th' fire.</L>
<L>Is't not Enough that your <HI>Rebellious</HI> Sp'rites</L>
<L>Refu&s;e to enter where the <HI>Church</HI> invites;</L>
<L>But mu&s;t you too keep others from the <HI>Door,</HI></L>
<L>What could the <HI>Turk,</HI> what could the <HI>Dev'l</HI> do more?</L>
<L>Will you go &s;et a guard upon Heav'ns ear,</L>
<L>Can you make <HI>Votes</HI> for <HI>Non-Addre&s;&s;es</HI> there?</L>
<L>Or was't Enacted by your <HI>Parliament,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Zeal</HI> to <HI>rebel,</HI> and <HI>Trea&s;on</HI> to <HI>repent?</HI></L>
<L>Oh! 'tis a Scandal and a foul di&s;grace</L>
<L>To &s;ee how <HI>Judas</HI> flies in <HI>Peter</HI>'s face;</L>
<L>And 'cau&s;e h' has got the Pence, does proudly rant,</L>
<L>Calls <HI>Peter</HI> Traytor, but him&s;elf a Saint.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>That <HI>Man</HI> of valour who laid down his <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI></L>
<L>Fled from his Colours, Ki&s;s'd the Juncto's &mdash;</L>
<L>Renounc'd his <HI>Prince,</HI> and (Stumbling at <HI>Love</HI>'s Block)</L>
<L>Play'd not the <HI>Pillar</HI> but the <HI>Weather-cock;</HI></L>
<L>Is free from all the&s;e <HI>Libellers</HI> rude whips,</L>
<L>Becau&s;e he wears a <HI>Pad-lock</HI> on his lips,</L>
<L>While&s;t he, who frighted with the &s;ad alar'ms</L>
<L>Of guilt, comes weeping to his <HI>Mothers</HI> Arms,</L>
<L>Is made the Je&s;t, the Coffee-talk o'th' City,</L>
<L>Not hugg'd with joy, nay not with love or pity.</L>
<L>Take but the greate&s;t <HI>Kora<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> in that Pack,</L>
<L>Who by <HI>Rebellion</HI> dy'd their white Souls black;</L>
<L>They may have Wives by th' belly or the back,</L>
<L><HI>Now and anon,</HI> eat Capons, and drink <HI>Sack;</HI></L>
<L>Make Wives their Husbands cuckold and undo,</L>
<L>To make tho&s;e <HI>Lab'rers</HI> rich and lu&s;ty too.</L>
<L>If &s;ly as Foxes, impudent as Bra&s;s,</L>
<L>They &s;hall for reverend godly Pa&s;tors pa&s;s:</L>
<L>While he who&s;e tears have wa&s;h'd his black Soul white,</L>
<L>Is call'd the <HI>Changeling,</HI> not the <HI>Pro&s;elyte.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Forbear Kirk-Hectors now, and I could wi&s;h</L>
<L>Ye had not ca&s;t <HI>Church-plumb-broth</HI> in our di&s;h;</L>
<L>When your own <HI>Tribe</HI> that never could dige&s;t</L>
<L>The <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> of a <HI>Chri&s;tmas</HI> Fea&s;t,</L>
<L>Could Eat whole <HI>Churches</HI> up like <HI>Ginger-bread,</HI></L>
<L>Swallow the <HI>Stones,</HI> the <HI>Timber,</HI> and the <HI>Lead;</HI></L>
<L>Pick <HI>Praelats</HI> bones, eat fle&s;h of <HI>Cavaliers,</HI></L>
<L>And <HI>Tope</HI> whole bottles of their Widows tears;</L>
<L>And &s;wallow (to Augment the <HI>Bill of fare</HI>)</L>
<L>A Solemn <HI>League</HI> that would have choak'd a <HI>Bear:</HI></L>
<L>Forg'd at <HI>Geneva,</HI> at <HI>Edinburgh</HI> agreed,</L>
<L>By Pagan Saints on th' heathen &s;ide of <HI>Tweed:</HI></L>
<L>Bi&s;hops beware, the&s;e Pick-locks of an <HI>Oath,</HI></L>
<L>Long for your <HI>Birth-right,</HI> though they hate your <HI>Broth.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then let your Organs that were ne'r thought evil,</L>
<L>But by the <HI>Kirk of Scotland</HI> and <HI>Saul</HI>'s Devil,</L>
<L>Sound lowder yet untill they have &s;truck dumb</L>
<L>The <HI>Presbyterian</HI> Trumpet and the Drum.</L>
<L>I'd rather &s;ing tho&s;e <HI>Anthems</HI> that controul</L>
<L>The &s;ad di&s;tempers of a troubled Soul,</L>
<L>Then hear tho&s;e &s;niveling Praters <HI>Hum</HI> and <HI>Ha;</HI></L>
<L>Like tinckling <HI>Cymbals</HI> on a Lecture day:</L>
<L>Who Glo&s;s'd their matchle&s;s Villany with prai&s;e,</L>
<L>And after <HI>Murder</HI> kept <HI>Thanks-giving Days.</HI></L>
<L>When (like <HI>Lycaon</HI>) the pre&s;umptuous &s;inner,</L>
<L>Slew men and then invited <HI>Jove</HI> to dinner.</L>
<L>His <HI>Words</HI> were <HI>Swords,</HI> and his bla&s;phemous prayer,</L>
<L>Like <HI>Julian,</HI> ca&s;t up blood into the air.</L>
<L>For when the <HI>Presbyter</HI> fir&s;t tun'd his <HI>Lyre,</HI></L>
<L>He (<HI>Nero</HI> like) &s;et all the Town on fire;</L>
<L>And taught the <HI>Kirk-Herodias</HI> &s;uch a Tread,</L>
<L>It co&s;t a <HI>Kings</HI> as well as <HI>Prophets</HI> Head.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now if the <HI>Turk</HI> &s;hould foot in <HI>England</HI> &s;et,</L>
<L>Jack Presbyter will be his <HI>Mahomet?</HI></L>
<L>And will well &s;ute with that <HI>Impo&s;tors</HI> likene&s;s:</L>
<L>Both alike troubled with the <HI>Falling-&s;ickne&s;s;</HI></L>
<L>For <HI>Sabbaths,</HI> hee'l ob&s;erve their <HI>Pagan</HI> rites,</L>
<L><HI>Sundays</HI> he ne'r de&s;ign'd for <HI>Prayers,</HI> but <HI>Fights.</HI></L>
<L>But if the <HI>Sultane&s;s</HI> &s;hould chance to long</L>
<L>For <HI>Friday</HI> Faces, what a lovely throng</L>
<L>The <HI>Farewel Sermons</HI> will afford her now,</L>
<L>In ranks, with woodden heads and brazen brow!</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But now 'tis time (dull <HI>Presbyterian</HI> Jack,)</L>
<L>To take the <HI>Saddle</HI> from the Doctors Back.</L>
<L>If <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> ere was <HI>Hor&s;e,</HI> 'twas when the <HI>Rabble</HI></L>
<L>Reform'd <HI>Pauls Church</HI> and turn'd it to a <HI>Stable:</HI></L>
<L>When the <HI>A&s;&s;embly</HI> look'd &s;o like the <HI>Mews,</HI></L>
<L>And Folks frequented <HI>Sermons</HI> to hear <HI>News;</HI></L>
<L>The <HI>Prie&s;t</HI> skew'd at his <HI>Text,</HI> and flew from thence</L>
<L>Either to <HI>Trea&s;on</HI> or <HI>Intelligence:</HI></L>
<L>Kept not the <HI>Kings High-way;</HI> The foaming <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;t</HI></L>
<L>In an hours &s;pace brought News from ev'ry Coa&s;t:</L>
<L>How the fierce <HI>Guns</HI> did play, and the <HI>Drums</HI> rattle,</L>
<L>And how the <HI>Lord</HI> him&s;elf did fight their Battle.</L>
<L>For which the grateful <HI>Rump</HI> (as we are told)</L>
<L>(Like <HI>Banks</HI>) have &s;hod their <HI>Barbaries</HI> with Gold.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Or when the <HI>Cov'nant</HI> Neighs, and (which is wor&s;e)</L>
<L>In <HI>London</HI> Walls acted the <HI>Trojan</HI> Hor&s;e,</L>
<L>Or when the fiery Jades (at <HI>Cromwells</HI> word)</L>
<L>(Like <HI>Diomedes</HI> Steeds) devour'd their Lord.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Peace then ye <HI>Schi&s;maticks,</HI> and here confe&s;s</L>
<L>Your <HI>Scribling</HI> hath too long <HI>debauch'd</HI> the Pre&s;s:</L>
<L>The fair <HI>Amne&s;tia</HI> (whom ye &s;o abu&s;e)</L>
<L>Like <HI>He&s;ter,</HI> &s;av'd the lives of all you Jews:</L>
<L>Then let this Converts failings be conceal'd,</L>
<L><HI>Touch not the &s;ores which Cae&s;ars hand hath heal'd.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Crime wherewith ye charge him, were it true,</L>
<L>He <HI>acted</HI> it when he was one of you.</L>
<L>O therefore let him now (like <HI>Peters</HI> Cock)</L>
<L>Be your <HI>Example,</HI> not your <HI>Laughing-&s;tock,</HI></L>
<L>And let him take the <HI>Halter</HI> and the <HI>Cart,</HI></L>
<L>To break his neck that hates his <HI>BROKEN HEART.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And la&s;tly for your <HI>Poet</HI> wee'l provide.</L>
<L>To write with <HI>Whip-cord</HI> on his <HI>Vellam</HI> hide:</L>
<L>And give the <HI>Dabbler</HI> for his <HI>Riming</HI> &s;tuff,</L>
<L>No Crown of <HI>Laurel,</HI> but an <HI>Oaken Ruff.</HI></L>
</LG>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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