Then what can better represent,
Than this rump bone, the Parliament,
That, after several rude ejections,
And as prodigious resurrections,
With new reversions of nine lives,
Starts up, and, like a cat, revives?

'But now, alas! they're all expir'd,
And th' House, as well as members, fir'd;
Consum'd in kennels by the rout,
With which they other fires put out;
Condemn'd to' ungoverning distress,
And paltry, private wretchedness;
Worse than the devil to privation,
Beyond all hopes of restoration;
And parted, like the body' and soul,
From all dominion and control.

'We who could lately, with a look, Enact, establish, or revoke ; Whose arbitrary nods gave law, And frowns kept multitudes in awe ; Before the bluster of whose huff, All hats, as in a storm, flew off; Ador'd and bow'd to by the great, Down to the footman and valet ; Had more bent knees than chapel-mats, And prayers, than the crowns of hats, Shall now be scorn'd as wretchedly; For ruin's just as low as high; Which might be suffer'd were it all The horror that attends our fall: For some of us have scores more large Than heads and quarters can discharge; And others, who, by restless scraping, With public frauds, and private rapine,

Have mighty heaps of wealth amass'd,
Would gladly lay down all at last ;
And, to be but undone, entail
Their vessels on perpetual gaol, 67
And bless the devils to let them farms
Of forfeit soul, on no worse terms.'

68

This said, a near and louder shout
Put all the' assembly to the rout,
Who now began to' outrun their fear,
As horses do, from those they bear!
But crowded on with so much haste,
Until they 'ad block'd the passage fast,

(67) This the Regicides, in general, would have done gladly, but the ringleaders of them were executed in terrorem. Those that came in upon proclamation were brought to the bar of the House of Lords, 25th Nov. 1661, to answer what they could say for themselves why judgment should not be executed against them? They severally alleged, "That, upon His Majesty's gracious Declaration from Breda, and the votes of the Parliament, &c., they did surrender themselves, being advised that they should thereby secure their lives; and humbly craved the benefit of the proclamation,' &c. And Harry Martyn briskly added, "That he had never obeyed any proclamation before this, and hoped he should not be hanged for taking the King's word now.' bill was brought in for their execution, which was read twice, but afterwards dropt: so they were all sent to their several prisons, and little more heard of. Ludlow, and some others, escaped by flying among the Swiss Cantons.

A

(68) When Sir Martyn came to this cabal, he left the rabble at Temple Bar; but, by the time he had concluded his discourse, they were advanced near Whitehall and Westminster. This alarmed our caballers, and perhaps terrified them with the apprehension of being hanged or burned in reality, as some of them that very instant were in effigy. No wonder, therefore, they broke up so precipitately, and that each endeavoured to secure himself. The manner of it is described with a poetical licence, only to embellish this Canto with a diverting catastrophe.

And barricadoed it with haunches

Of outward men, and bulks, and paunches,
That with their shoulders strove to squeeze,
And rather save a crippled picce

Of all their crush'd and broken members
Then have them grillied on the embers;
Still pressing on with heavy packs
Of one another on their backs,
The vanguard could no longer bear
The charges of the forlorn rear,
But borne down headlong by the rout,
Were trampled sorely under foot;
Yet nothing prov'd so formidable
As the' horrid cookery of the rabble ;
And fear, that keeps all feeling out,
As lesser pains are by the gout,
Reliev'd 'em with a fresh supply
Of rallied force, enough to fly,
And beat a Tuscan running-horse,
Whose jockey-rider is all spurs.

The Knight and Squire's prodigious flight
To quit the' enchanted bow'r by night.
He plods to turn his amorous suit,
To' a plea in law, and prosecute:
Repairs to counsel, to advise
'Bout managing the enterprise;
But first resolves to try by letter,

And one more fair address, to get her.