A Loyal CONGRATULATION To the Right Honourable, Anthony, Earl of Shaftsbury: Upon the Disappointment of his, the King and Kingdoms Enemies, By the Loyal Grand Juries Finding the Bill against him IGNORAMUS.  
In a short POEM.  
SIR, as I in a Melancholy Mood,  
Upon the Bank of our Famed River, stood,  
Seeing the Wherries passing too and fro,  
And marking how the Tides did Ebb and Flow;  
How flowing high, the Waters washed the Wall  
Of our Dread Sovereigns Royal Court, White-Hall:  
How, when they Ebbed and left the Kingly House,  
They naked left the Strand, the Mud and Ouse;  
What pains men took who Rowed against the Tide,  
How easily the Boats did with it glide.  
Methought I saw within this Wat'ry Glass,  
The Image of our Times oft-Changing Face,  
Which did my Melancholy Thoughts relieve,  
And that Time's Tide would turn, some Hopes did give.  
My Lord, The World and I do see it now,  
The swelling Tide begins to turn with You;  
The God who flowing Waters doth Command,  
Sets them a Period, and then bids them Stand,  
Doth with his Power the Tides of Malice bound,  
Lest men with Waters or with Rage be Drowned.  
Your Foes, whose Rage but now swelled to the Brink,  
With Shame return, discovering as they sink,  
The Filthy Bottom and the Stinking Mud  
That lay unseen under the Rolling Flood.  
What Horrid Arts do Politicians use?  
For Interest Law and Gospel will abuse;  
How they can Traitors Hug, and Villains Love,  
When Malice would some Obstacle remove!  
They care not if their Instruments be Damned,  
The King, and all the World besides, be Shamm'd,  
When their Design to bring about they hope,  
A Popish Successor, with him a Pope,  
For you my Lord they'd laid a desperate Snare,  
With Malice, Wicked Industry and Care;  
With Cunning Arts of a Soul-Damning Sin,  
They thought they for your Life had laid their Gin,  
Their Traps Discovered, and themselves fall in.  
Fools not to know, there can be no Defence  
Against a Righteous God and Innocence.  
But Sir, they aimed not at your Life alone,  
More must have fallen when that you were gone,  
They'd first remove the Nations Prop and Stay,  
Then take Religion and our Laws away;  
Bring in the Pope and Arbitrary Sway.  
But God looked down and saw the deep Design.  
And by Good Angels broke their Snares like twine:  
A Jury which upon Record shall stand,  
As worthy Patriots who had saved their Land;  
Who by False Oaths would never be Trepanned.  
O! Let their Names for e'er Recorded be,  
And let them shine bright to Posterity:  
For Precedents hereafter they'll be shown,  
For Wisdom and their upright Justice known,  
A long time after we are dead and gone.  
Who by your Fall alone did think to Lame us.  
Will Curse, Da●● and cry out on IGNORAMUS.  
Let their black Mouths be with damned Curses filled,  
And let them still on false Foundations Build;  
Let them with Ballads, and with Pamphlets fill  
The Town, ere they reach You, your Fame to Kill;  
Let them with their Poetic Malice swell,  
Falsely apply the Story, known so well,  
Of Absalon, and of Achitophel;  
You need not care, for Heaven has turned the Tide,  
And he himself appeared on your side:  
For which, I fear, some Wretch, whose Mouth is big  
With Blasphemy, will boldly call him WHIGG;  
And if it were within their impious Power,  
Swear him from Heaven, and hold him in the TOWER.  
All that with you, do for Religion stand,  
Who wish that Peace, may still flow in this Land,  
Who truly Love the King, and Government,  
Tho' they stand up for Rights of PARLIAMENT,  
Who spawn no PLOTS, whom no Affronts can move,  
Who tho' much urged, will never Rebels prove,  
Who do no Loyalty or Duty want,  
And every true unbiass'd PROTESTANT,  
Have by the Factious Scribblers of the Times,  
Been still accused of Black and Traitorous Crimes;  
And if a Man speak Sense, or Law, or Reason,  
They call him Whigg, and to his Charge lay TREASON.  
Methinks the Factious now their Tricks should cease,  
Who by all ways, strive to disturb our Peace,  
Tho' 'tis in Vain, and they discovered have been,  
Yet will they try their old sham's o'er again;  
Almighty Money, Justice doth invade,  
And PERJURY becomes a gainful Trade:  
They Lose their End, and can't the people move,  
Who Love the KING, and will not Rebels prove,  
They hoped you Loyal, and did it believe,  
The Pope's Masqued Creatures, could not all deceive:  
That you are Loved, you now may well perceive,  
So many Joyful Fires, showed their Content,  
That you have Loyal proved and Innocent,  
For which great Sir, great in your Virtue now,  
All Loyal Hearts with Me, rejoice for You,  
And if you could converse them, You would find  
In these few Lines, the numerous Loyal's Mind.  
They Love You only, because You prove good,  
And that your Loyalty they understood:  
Therefore all those who Mourned the Doleful Fate,  
Do your Deliverance now Congratulate,  
Finding you a Sound Member of the State.  
And may the King to is Favour you restore,  
And 's Royal Beams upon you Shine once more,  
May Envy fly, your Enemies be Shamed  
And no more PLOTS of State be ever framed;  
May CHARLES long Reign with Glory and Renown,  
Peace and Religion our Blessed Nation Crown,  
That we once more ma● see those Days again  
When CHARLES restored, first over us did Reign.  
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed for Charles Leigh, 1681.