THE NARRATIVE.  

COme prick up your Ears, if they are not gone  
For this Deponent has lost his own;  
His Neck goes next 'tis Forty to one.  
Which no body can deny.   

Now this Deponent doth depose,  
That he was once, one of the King's Foes.  
But now, he thanks God, he's none of those,  
Sure our Deponent will lie.   

Next he swears ' there was Harry the Eight,  
Who was divorced from's first Wife Kate,  
And that he cut off another's Pate,  
Which no body can deny.   

Even so, quoth he, I can witness bring,  
That the Queen did consent to the death of the King,  
But we are informed, there was no such thing,  
Sure our Deponent will lie.   

He swears that before the Tower of Babel,  
Cain knocked on the head his brother Abel;  
Here he swears to a Truth and not to a Fable;  
Which no body can deny,   

Even so, quoth he, this bloody work,  
Was carried on by his Brother of York,  
But his Highness is neither a Jew nor a Turk,  
For our Deponent will lie.   

He swears that once in Noah's time,  
There was a great Flood which brought a great, stream  
And all were drowned that could not swim,  
Which no body can deny.   

And now, (God help us) we're all in a Fright,  
He swears we might have been ruined quite,  
Our throats should all have been cut in the night.  
Sure our Deponent will lie.   

Farther he swears, that St. Peter from Heaven  
Had such an absolute power given,  
That who he pleased were condemned or forgiven;  
Which no body can deny.   

Even so, he swears that Commissions went out  
From the Pope, to raise both Horse and Foot,  
That whom they pleased they might slash and cut,  
Sure our Deponent will lie.   

Some where or other St. Paul does aver,  
That an Oath puts an end to all bustle and strir,  
By which he confirms, that 'tis lawful to swear,  
Which no body can deny.   

There was foolish swearing in former days,  
But our Deponent hath altered the case,  
For ' has made more mischief than ever there was,  
Sure our Deponent will lie.    

LONDON: Printed for Anthony Jackson, 1681.