THE HISTORY OF THE Rook and Turkeys.  
ROyalty and Dominion, and Fealty and Obedience, are those necessary Institutions for the support and preservation of Order and Society in the World, that they seem designed for the Oeconomy of the whole Creation: And Prerogative and Subjection are not only found among Birds and Beasts, but we may trace down a Sovereign Head even to the Hive and the Hony-Comb, in the very Jurisdiction of a poor Plantation of Bees.  
As Authority and Servitude, therefore, are those Universal Bonds of Communion; our present small Treatise, tho' great Theme, is a Select and Compendious Collection of the Ethics, Politics, and Administration of some late Reigns, within the Airy Principality, the Empire of the BIRDS.  
In a certain rich and fat Northern Soil, long had there reigned a Succession of Royal EAGLES; and so reigned, with such a Constitution of Monarchy, as best aggrandized the Sovereign, and best eased the Subject: For where Love and not Fear obeys, is the Prince truly Greatest; and where the Links of Duty and Submission are Bracelets, not Fetters, is Subjection truly lightest and happiest.  
To make this Aquilinary Sovereignty thus Great, and withal, thus easy; the Grand Council of the STORKS, those ever pious Patriots, that carry their aged Sires on their Backs, were always called in as Assistants to this Supreme Administration: And thus joining in the common Sanction and Boundaries of Command and Homage, the whole Precepts and Rules of their own Duty and Obedience, nothing could more contribute to the general Felicity, than this Union and Consort of Government.  
The Eagles, whilst they thus governed, truly carried the Thunder in their Talons, being the universal Darling Majesty at h●me, and no less universal Terror abroad. But when any irregular mistaken Ambition of extending their Power too far, put 'em upon too large a stretch of Wing, the Popular Jealousy was always so wakeful and ever so dreadful to such Insults and Encroachments, that the too aspiring Soarers still failed in their Hopes. For Instance of old, when the Royal Aquilinaries fluttered too high, and preyed too sharp, how often have the Insurrections of the whole Noble Faulconry made Head against them, to many a torn Plume, bloody Beak, and broken Talons between 'em? Witness the Purchase of their Great Forest Charter, and the rest of their ample and spacious Rangeries, obtained at no less than the price of their Blood. For, indeed, to sum up the whole Genius and Souls of this Northern Colony, they could never brook either Cover or Cage-door to their Great Aviary. The free and open Air were the Birthright they challenged, and even the poorest Rustic Poultry claimed that asserted Property to chuck in their own Roofts, and crow at their own Barn-door.  
But of all our boasted Strength and Glory, the fair Effects of this great Royal Union, nothing could equal the once Illustrious VIRGIN Eagles' Reign, that Miracle of Imperial Sway, so linked in all her adoring Subjects Hearts, that all the singing Quires, the universal Music of the Fields, on every Bough chirped round her. 'Twas then, and by that influencing Ascendance, her bold Commissioned DRAKE dealt forth her flaming Vengeance, and made that glorious Conflagration, that blazing Pile of her crushed Foes, as rendered the trembling Universe her Vassal. Can any fluttering Neighbour, round her, grow too Proud or Insolent! No; the Great Virgin Terror soon clipped his Wings; more especially, if any impudent Waterfowl pretended to make the least Hover within her own sole Sovereignty, the great Fence-Moat round her Aviary.  
But, alas! this National Happiness was a Blessing too great to be Immortal: During her long happy too short Reign, indeed, it lasted. But, oh, what sudden Fall from all that Grandeur! Her too Hen-hearted Talonless Successor, so dwindled all our Native Awe and Greatness, so poorly shed his Beak, so suffered the whole crowing Neighbourhood to grow upon us, as entailed that miserable descending Patrimony to his too unhappy Heir. Unhappy indeed! for what betwixt his natural Aversion to the great Storkery, his too passionate Fondness of some bloated-feathered Favourites, and the too deep Resentments of his over-jealous Homagers, (the both sides too fatal Frailty) that violent and tremendous Irruption broke forth, as ended not till it not only dismounted, but embrued their barbarous sacriledgious Fury in the poor bleeding Eagles Veins, and drove his young pitied Eaglets into a wretched wand'ring Exile; whilst a whole Nest of croaking Ravens perched the Royal Cedar, and an usurping barbarous Griffon, that party-compound Monster, filled the Throne. 'Tis true, to give even Treason and Infidelity their due, he carried Terror, the dread of Nations, with him; but Right and Justice, those Fairest Plumes of Power, were wanting. Till Heaven, at last, in pity to our Sufferings, as he had reigned in Storms, dislodged him in a Whirlwind; summoned the roaring Elements to his Exit, and loured the gaudy Pageant; his despised, now no longer formidable Relics, reserved only to be hung up a Scarecrow on a Perch, and his Crest advanced to a Pinnacle.  
But now the too long mourning Aviary, with flagging Wings and murmuring Notes, all drooping saw their too mistaken Folly, and watching the blessed occasion (a too poor Expiation) of gathering up the Spoils of Majesty, and restoring the too long borrowed Regale Plumes, assisted by aiding Miracles, recalled the banished Eaglets. But, oh, what echoing Triumphs received them! The Dove and the Olive-branch, the Swallow and the Spring, came o'er with them. Now Royalty and her great Eagle was once more remounted; and so remounted, so met, so welcomed, those thousand thousand Chanticleers to greet him, that nothing was thought too rich to deck his shining Nest, at this more than Phoenix Resurrection; insomuch, that that profuseness of Joys carrest him, that upon all Occasions our opening Hearts never thought the plucking of our own richest golden Feathers too much to pleasure him.  
With this general Harmony in the great Aviary, never was a fairer opportunity presented, for the Royal Eagle to recover the ancient Renown and long lost Glory of his Ancestry; and by following the famous Virgin-President, have copied, if possible, beyond the Original. And, indeed, never was more Occasion for pushing for that Recovery, or patterning from that Example. For it was in this Reign that the neighbouring Tyrant WLTURE began to feed his wild Ambition, and gorge with that Spoil and Rapine as threatened the whole Western World. The Imperial remoter Eagle already felt his Pounces; and all the weaker Neighbourhood, round him, were daily cravened and dastarded before him. And though the common foreseen Danger might possibly come last to his door, yet our Weak-eyed Royal Eagle, either not able to face the Rising Sun before him, or dissolved in his supiner Ease and Luxury, looked not so far beyond him as tomorrow; instead of opposing and reducing this too formidable Incroacher, rather animated and assisted his Ambition: And though elected the common Arbiter General, so far derogated from that Trust and Character, as to promote rather than check the spreading Desolation; whilst not only scarce a young Noble Falcon among us, but either flushed his Talons, and all our young Cockeril sharpened their Spurs in the great Vultures Cause; or else by a more shameful too spreading Degeneracy, our daily debasing Breed from the once Glory of the Cockpit, now, R—s ad Exemplum, were dwindled only to Heroes at a Hen-roost.  
But above all, for the full Consummation of our Calamities (Hinc illae Lachrymae) our Royal Eagle himself moulted all his own Royalty to imp the Vulture's Wings; and all by an unaccountable Fondness and Servility to that very unhospitable Nest that once most shamefully refused his own Exiled Foot and wearied Wing a Restingplace.  
But if all these Infelicities attended this Darling Administration, what melancholy face of Confusion must the following Reign produce? Here, (meminisse horret) what too just Fears surrounded us. Now all the old Church-Daws were all upon the Flutter and the Wing for the re-building their ancient Nests again. The Owl-light Sculkers and Night-bats flew in open day; nay, Legates and Embassies were posted over to the Tripple-combed Peter's Cock, to invite him to his old Roost again among us; and already he began so to crow upon us, and his Maudlin-Harpyes Claws had fixed so fast; and a hundred other of his Porcupine-quilled Sharpers were so brooding, as gave us a fair Sample of what we must expect. And all these extravagant Irregularities acted with that hardy Crest and strutting Tail, that with a perfect Ostrich Stomach we digested even Vows, Oaths and Honour, as easy as Nails and Pebbles. And what between a Henpeckt Ascendance over him, and his own natural Infatuation, to what poor Shifts did our descending Eagle stoop? Nay, it was shrewdly to be suspected, that even a false Egg was hatched for an Inheriting Eaglet.  
But not to dwell too long on so ungrateful a Theme. 'Twas enough, that the inevitable approaching Danger so frighted the whole Aviary, that for their own Preservation they implored the Succour of a new generous CHAMPION Eagle to take Wing, and speed over for our Protection. How the whole Choristers of the Grove saluted their welcome Deliverer, is so fresh in Memory, as not to want a Repetition. Let it suffice, that what betwixt a Crest-fall and a Cropsick shame and confusion, our great Despairer poorly wheeled off for Shelter under his too long darling Vultures Wing, and left the great abandoned Cedar, the Meed and Reward from the unanimous grateful Storkery, to our young bold Eagle and his fair Royal Mate. Now all our Frights soon vanished, whilst the whole Grove were all secure of singing their own native Airs, past all the threatening Danger of being either Peter-cock'd-clawed or Vulture-co●pt Cage-birds, or having false Whistlers over us, or false Notes taught us. Liberty and Safety in their new Halcyon Flight, those now unravished Philomel's, could sing without the Thorn at their Breast. In short, the whole old Nest was all dismantled, and the great Cockatrice-Egg all addled.  
And now the whole Face of Empire changed. The too lately and too long idolled Vulture, now grown the universal Odium; with a Defiance worthy the great Aviary, from Cooing and Billing, and all our former Galless Turtle-play, reviving Glory begun to sharpen up her old rusty Gafflets, and whet her blunted Beak. Our now truly Royal and only Long-winged Eagle, led forth to foreign Fields of Honour: And though flying at a too headstrong Game, (our own only Fault, the Flight begun no sooner, and the Quarry so overgrown) yet despising Dangers, Odds and Inequality, made those impetuous Flights at the bold Vulture, that never was Clash more fierce or Grapples more terrible. Nay, there was once a Day, when had our shrinking Rear but seconded our bolder leading Front, their whole Glory had been struck down before us, and the whole Field of Prey been all our own.  
And 'twas now our Royal Eagle, by the great Virgin Example, set forth our second great Ocean DRAKE, his bold deputed Thunderer, who in that memorable Scene of deathless Glory, drove their whole flying Craven-Flock like so many dared Larks before him, shamefully skulking home, with all the Wing that Fear could make, for Covert for their Coward Heads; where in the face of the whole trembling Vultury, he put fire to the Coop, and set 'em a blazing.  
Such was the Glory of that Illustrious Day, and such the Worth and Honour that achieved it. Yet even such Worth, though solemnly congratuled by the acknowledging Storkery, however not able to tune his Airs with the Great Bull-Fi—h, was laid by: And his devested Power lodged in a Triple Succession of new chosen Favourites. These promising new Darlings, resolved to outfly their predecessor, were for carrying their Thunder even to the Vultury's own Door. But oh the sad Fatality of defeated Hopes! Alas! fallen short of all those towering Wonders, they came too late; for the Pen was empty, and the Birds were flown. But Miscarriage never wants Misfortune for a Plea; some pretended to prattle, that want of Provant might possibly retard their otherwise nimbler speed; some sticked not to say, that possibly some Canary Birds might perhaps have too much Rape in their Troughs, and yet want a little Hempseed, or so: but that Shadow vanished, and that Calumny was cleared. However, whatever impeding Obstacle hindered, as whether not unhoo●ed in good time, or not whistled off soon off, or what else, etc. so it was, that they only took a long Rovers to no purpose, only shook their wanton Bells a little, and so home again: For as we said before, the Birds were flown.  
Flown! did I say! and good reason too. For instead of dry Buffets and hard Beaks at home, they had a fatter Prey and an easier Game a little farther abroad. For about this time from our Aviary was a great Turkey Drove designed to travel that way; headed by a Leading ROOK and a small attending Rookery, (a too slender Guard against such potent Talons) that at that very Pass, with their unwieldy Bulks and wealthy Feathers must run full into their Months; For whose waited Reception these keen Expectants lay hover. I confess, this travelling Rookery and his Rich Charge, had several Months before been prepared for their Movement; but some Stop or other still kept them in their Coops, and this was the only Hour of Departure.  
No sooner were they set out and past Recall, but the whole public Outcry was wakened, and alarmed at their Danger. The affrighting dread of a Decoy raised a hundred untuneable Murmurs, even to blame both the Gosselin-poll-Coop masters and Aviary-keepers; and the modestest Reproach was, to call it a Buzardism. Their Fears, alas, were but too just. For the poor unwary Rook and his long heavy-pinioned Train fell into the Snare. 'Tis true, in this dismal Surprise, and seemingly total Prospect of Ruin, just ready for the Cormorant Gorge before us, we had a little more than Ordinary (I might say) almost miraculous Deliverance. For unless a few of our Neighbours Fellow-travelling Flock, that, by moving in the Van, were a little too near their Reach and Gripe, and so fell into their Talons, 'twas our more especial Happiness so to amuse by a false Appearance of our Strength well ranged and well managed (our Rookeries prudent Aftergame) that under the umbrage of that Amusement, and the Terror it raised, we secured our Retreat. In short, we made all that nimble Wing as to slip home; only 3 or 4 Stragglers that run into a Friend's Coop too weak for shelter, were under those hard Apprehensions, as to be forced to play the Dop-chicks, and duck under Water for their Safety: And one or two of them had the Misfortune to have some of their Upper-tire Feathers singed; and a good shift they got off so.  
But had the Vulture made a Home-swoop, and seized the whole Quarry, (as God knows he was little less than Cocksure of us) good Heaven, what a swinging High-Tory Feast would he have furnished, with so many fat well plumed Pouts, for the Great Bird of his own Feather, his own dear Brother of Prey at the Turkey-Port! Nay, the JAC-Daws round us fell a chattering at no small rate, and so tickled their Gizzards and Merry-thoughts, and hooted our Success, as is past Imagination. Nay, a more fatal Consequence attended us (for those Cacklers at home we did not so much value:) How did the Parraquets abroad, and all the tattling  Magpyes buzz this defeat to Mahomet's Pigeon, to the scandal of the Royal, and the prejudice of the Imperial Eagle; by boasting the only Vanity they wanted, viz. The Length and Strength of Their Pounces and Talons, and the Shortness and Weakness of Ours.   

LONDON: Printed for Randal Taylor, near Stationers-Hall, 1694.