CANTO II.]
HUDIBRAS.
383
They may be ready to restore
Their own Fifth Monarchy once more.[1]
Meanwhile be better arm'd to fence 1415
Against Revolts of Providence,[2]
By watching narrowly, and snapping
All blind sides of it, as they happen:
For if success could make us saints,
Our ruin turn'd us miscreants;[3] 1420
A scandal that would fall too hard
Upon a Few, and unprepar'd.
These are the courses we must run,
Spite of our hearts, or be undone,
And not to stand on terms and freaks, 1425
Before we have secur'd our necks.
But do our work as out of sight,
As stars by day, and suns by night;
All licence of the people own,
In opposition to the crown; 1430
And for the crown as fiercely side,
The head and body to divide.
The end of all we first design'd,
And all that yet remains behind,
Be sure to spare no public rapine, 1435
On all emergencies that happen;
For 'tis as easy to supplant
Authority, as men in want;
As some of us, in trusts, have made
The one hand with the other trade; 1440
Their own Fifth Monarchy once more.[1]
Meanwhile be better arm'd to fence 1415
Against Revolts of Providence,[2]
By watching narrowly, and snapping
All blind sides of it, as they happen:
For if success could make us saints,
Our ruin turn'd us miscreants;[3] 1420
A scandal that would fall too hard
Upon a Few, and unprepar'd.
These are the courses we must run,
Spite of our hearts, or be undone,
And not to stand on terms and freaks, 1425
Before we have secur'd our necks.
But do our work as out of sight,
As stars by day, and suns by night;
All licence of the people own,
In opposition to the crown; 1430
And for the crown as fiercely side,
The head and body to divide.
The end of all we first design'd,
And all that yet remains behind,
Be sure to spare no public rapine, 1435
On all emergencies that happen;
For 'tis as easy to supplant
Authority, as men in want;
As some of us, in trusts, have made
The one hand with the other trade; 1440
- ↑ In addition to the four great monarchies which have appeared in the world, some of the enthusiasts thought that Christ was to reign temporally upon earth, and to establish a fifth monarchy. See Butler's "Character of a Fifth Monarchy man." The Book of Daniel speaks of four great earthly monarchies, and of one other, not earthly, to succeed them; hence the name "Fifth Monarchy." The Oxford divines have in recent days adopted this classification. Dr Lightfoot took a different view of the fifth monarchy, and declares in his sermon, preached Nov. 5th, 1669, that it means "the kingdom of the devil."
- ↑ The sectaries of those days talked more familiarly to Almighty God than they dared to do to a superior officer: they remonstrated with him, made him author of all their wicked machinations, and, if their projects failed, they said that Providence had revolted from them. See note at page 65.
- ↑ Turn'd here signifies "would turn."
