The WHIGS hard Hea●● The Cause of this hard FROST. An Excellent New BALLAD  
To the Tune of, Oh London! thou'dst better have built new Bordelloes, etc.  
 

I.  
YE Whigs and Dissenters, I charge you attend,  
Here is a sad story, as ever was told:  
The River of THAMES, that once was your Friend,  
Is frozen quite over with Ice very cold;  
And Fish which abounded,  
Tho' they can't be drowned,  
For lack of their Liquor, I fear, are confounded:  
Then leave your Rebellious and damned Presbytering,  
Or you may be glad of Poor-Jack and Red-herring.   

II.  
Now, had it been frozen with Brimstone and Fire,  
The wonder had been much deeper at bottom;  
Tho' some do believe your Sins do require  
A Punishment great as e'er fell upon Sodom:  
But then the poor Fish  
Had been dressed to your Dish,  
And, stead of a Plague, you had then had your wish;  
Pikes; Flounder; together with Gudgeons & Roaches,  
Had served for the Luxury of these Debauchees.   

III.  
But, alas! to instruct ye this Frost now is sent,  
As if it would show ye your Consciences hardened;  
And if each Mother's Child make not haste to repent,  
How the Devil d'ye think ye shall ever be pardoned?  
'Tis a very sad Case,  
As ever yet was,  
That the River should suffer for every Ass!  
Poor Thames! thou mayst curse the foul Lake of Geneva,  
For whose faults Thou dost penance, sans hope of Reprieve-a.   

IV.  
This Thames, (O ye Whigs!) brought ye Plenty & Pride,  
So ye hardened your hearts with your Silver and Gold:  
But if ever ye hope to redeem Time or Tide,  
Hot must your Repentance, your Zeal must be cold;  
Your damned hungry Zeal  
For rank Commonweal  
Will hurry ye headlong all down to the Deel;  
Then melt your hard hearts, & your tears spread abroad,  
As ever ye hope that your Thames shall be Thawed.   

V,  
Make haste, and be soon reconciled to the Truth,  
Or you may lament it, both old men and young;  
For, suppose every Shop should be turned to a Boot  
Oh, were it not sad to be told with a tongue!  
Should Cheapside advance  
Up to Pety-France,  
And London's Guild-hall up to Westminster's dance▪  
O, what would become of your wealthy brave Chan●●  
If it were forced so far Westward to clamber?   

VI  
Cook-shops with roast Victuals, and Taverns with 〈◊〉  
Already are seen on the River with plenty,  
Which are filled every morning before ye can dine,  
By Two's and by Three's, I may truly say Twenty▪  
Jack, Tom, Will, and Harry,  
Nan, Sue, Doll, and Mary,  
Come there to devour Plum-Cakes and Canary  
And if with their Dancing and Wine they be tired,  
For a Tester apiece there's a Coach to be hired.   

VI  
There's Gingerbread, Small-coal, and hot Pudding- 〈◊〉  
With Bread and Cheese, Brandy, and good Ale and Be●●  
Besides the Plum-Cakes too, there's large Cakes of 〈◊〉  
Enough to invite him that will to come here;  
All which does betid  
To punish your Pride;  
Y'are plagued now with Ice, 'cause ye love to back- sl●●●  
Methinks it should warn ye to alter your station,  
For y'ave hither to built on a slippery Foundation.   

VIII.  
Ye Merchants to Greenland, now leave off your sailing  
And for your train-oil yourselves never solicit;  
For there is no fear of your Merchandise failing,  
Since the Whales, I'm afraid, mean to give us a visit  
The great Leviathan  
May sail to England,  
To see a worse Monster, the PRESBYTERIAN.  
Was ever a Vengeance so wonderful shown,  
That a River so great should be turned to a Town?    

Sold at the Entrance into the Old Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross, 1683/4.