Have cut it off from all relief,

And, like a wise and valiant chief,

Made many a fierce assault

Upon all ammunition-carts,

And those that bring up cheese, or malt,
Or bacon, from remoter parts;

No convoy e'er so strong with food
Durst venture on the desperate road:
He made the' undaunted waggoner obey,
And the fierce higgler contribution pay;
The savage butcher and stout drover
Durst not to him their feeble troops discover;
And if he had but kept the field,
In time had made the City yield:

For great towns, like to crocodiles, are found
I' the' belly aptest to receive a mortal wound.

But when the fatal hour arrived

In which his stars began to frown,

And had in close cabals contrived

To pull him from his height of glory down;
And he, by numerous foes oppress'd,
Was in the' enchanted dungeon cast,
Secured with mighty guards,

Lest he by force or stratagem

Might prove too cunning for their chains and

them,

[wards,

And break through all their locks, and bolts, and

Had both his legs by charms committed

To one another's charge,

That neither might be set at large,

And all their fury and revenge outwitted.

As jewels of high value are

Kept under locks with greater care

Than those of meaner rates;

So he was in stone walls, and chains, and iron grates.
Thither came ladies from all parts,

To offer up close prisoners their hearts,
Which he received as tribute due,

And made them yield up love and honour too;
But in more brave heroic ways

Than e'er were practised yet in plays:

For those two spiteful foes, who never meet
But full of hot contest and pique

About punctilios and mere tricks,

Did all their quarrels to his doom submit,
And, far more generous and free,

In contemplation only of him did agree,
Both fully satisfied; the one,

With those fresh laurels he had won,
And all the brave renowned feats
He had perform'd in arms;

The other, with his person and his charms :

For just as larks are catch'd in nets,

By gazing on a piece of glass,

So while the ladies view'd his brighter eyes,

And smoother polish'd face,

Their gentle hearts, alas! were taken by surprise.

Never did bold knight, to relieve

Distressed dames, such dreadful feats achieve,

As feeble damsels, for his sake,

Would have been proud to undertake;
And, bravely' ambitious to redeem

The world's loss and their own,

Strove who should have the honour to lay down

And change a life with him;

But finding all their hopes in vain

To move his fix'd determined fate,
Their life itself began to hate,
As if it were an infamy

To live when he was doom'd to die;
Made loud appeals and moans,

To less hard-hearted grates and stones;
Came, swell'd with sighs, and drown'd in tears,
To yield themselves his fellow-sufferers,
And follow'd him, like prisoners of war,
Chain'd to the lofty wheels of his triumphant car.

A BALLAD'.

As close as a goose
Sat the Parliament-house,
To hatch the royal gull;
After much fiddle-faddle,

The egg proved addle,

And Oliver came forth Nol.

Yet old Queen Madge,

Though things do not fadge,

Will serve to be queen of a May-pole ;

Two princes of Wales,

For Whitsun-ales,

And her Grace Maid-Marian Clay-pole.

This Ballad refers to the Parliament which deliberated about making Oliver king, and petitioned him to accept the title; which he, out of fear of some republican zealots in his party, refused to accept; and contented himself with the power, under the name of Protector.

In a robe of cow-hide

Sat yesty Pride',

With his dagger and his sling;
He was the pertinent'st peer
Of all that were there,

To' advise with such a king.

A great philosopher3
Had a goose for his lover,

That follow'd him day and night:

If it be a true story,

Or but an allegory,

It may be both ways right.

Strickland and his son,

Both cast into one,

Were meant for a single baron;

But when they came to sit,

There was not wit

Enough in them both, to serve for one.

Wherefore 'twas thought good

To add Honeywood;

But when they came to trial,

Each one proved a fool,
Yet three knaves in the whole,

And that made up a Pair-royal.

2 Col. Pride had been a brewer, or a brewer's man. 3 Amphilochus supposed. See Pliny, Ælian, &c.

Mr. Thyer explains the wit of this to lie in the ambiguity of the word Pair-royal; which is applicable to three knaves at the game of Brag, and signifies at the same time, in French, a peer or baron.

A BALLAD,

IN TWO PARTS.

(CONJECTURED TO BE ON OLIVER CROMWELL.)

PART I.

DRAW near, good people all, draw near,

And hearken to my ditty;

A stranger thing

Than this I sing

Came never to this city.

Had you but seen this monster,
You would not give a farthing
For the lions in the grate,
Nor the mountain-cat,

Nor the bears in Paris-garden.

You would defy the pageants

Are borne before the mayor;

The strangest shape
You e'er did gape

Upon at Bart'lomy fair!

His face is round and decent,

As is your dish or platter;
On which there grows
A thing like a nose,

But, indeed, it is no such matter.

On both sides of the' aforesaid

Are eyes, but they're not matches,

On which there are

To be seen two fair

And large well-grown mustaches.