Told it the news o' th' last express,[1]595
And after good or bad success
Made prayers, not so like petitions,
As overtures and propositions,
Such as the army did present
To their creator, th' parliament; 600
In which they freely will confess,
They will not, cannot acquiesce,[2]
Unless the work be carry 'd on
In the same way they have begun.
By setting Church and Common-weal 605
All on a flame, bright as their zeal.
On which the saints were all agog.
And all this for a bear and dog?
The parliament drew up petitions[3]
To 'tself, and sent them, like commissions, 610
To well-affected persons, down
In every city and great town,
With pow'r to levy horse and men.
Only to bring them back agen?
For this did many, many a mile, 615
Ride manfully in rank and file,
- ↑ The prayers of the Presbyterians, in those days, were very historical. Mr G. Swaithe, in his Prayers (pub. 1645), p. 12, says: "I bear the king hath set up his standard at York, against the parliament and the city of London. Look thou upon them; take their cause into thine own hand, appear thou in the cause of thy saints; the cause in hand."
"Tell them from the Holy Ghost," says Beech, "from the word of truth, that their destruction shall be terrible, it shall be timely, it shall be total.
"Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for ever.—Who remembered us at Naseby, for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who remembered us in Pembrokeshire, for his mercy, &c.
Who remembered us at Leicester, for bis mercy, &c.
Who remembered us at Taunton, for his mercy, &c.
Who remembered us at Bristol, for his mercy, &c." - ↑ Alluding probably to their saucy expostulations with God from the pulpit, such as: "What dost thou mean, Lord, to fling us into a ditch and there to leave us?" Again, "Put the Lord out of countenance; put him, as you would say, to the blush, unless we be masters of our requests."
- ↑ It was customary for active members of parliament, having special objects in view, to draw up petitions "very modest and reasonable," and send them into the country to be signed, then substituting something more suitable to their purpose. The Hertfordshire petition, at the beginning of the war, took notice of things which had occurred in parliament only the night before its delivery, although it was signed by many thousands.
