Carmen Elegiacum, ENGLAND'S ELEGY, OR Lamentation.  
Zion stretcheth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous Woman in the midst of them.  Lam. 1.17. 
Alas! Alas!  
They have heard that I sigh, there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble, they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like me.  Verse 21. 
By N. C. April 28. 1643  
Whereunto is added a reasonable Motion, and lamentation, in the behalf of such of the Clergy, as are questioned in the Parliament, for their places, &c,  
Put me (I pray thee) into one of the Priests Offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.   

CARMEN ELEGJACUM. ENGLAND'S ELEGY OR LAMENTATION.  

ALL ye my Sons that True and faithful be,  
Come and lament my woeful misery,  
Lift up your voice with me and cry amain▪  
Stand for your lives, or all is but in vain;  
In vain ye hope for to enjoy sweet peace,  
〈◊〉 that from Thrall yourselves you'll not release;  
Both I your Mother, you my Sons and all,  
Are sold for slaves, for to be kept in thrall,  
By Papists proud, in cursed insolent  
Episcopapacy for ever to relent;  
In chains of horrid darkth and ignorance,  
To lose sweet freedom this shall be your chance,  
Freedom that is Ghostly, freedom corporal,  
And whatsoever dear or near you call;  
Your Lands, Estates, confiscate all shall be,  
None buy nor sell without a Patentee;  
And all you Farmers that are rich in Land,  
Shall have ten pound per annum in your hand;  
If your Land be worth five hundred li. a year,  
None must enjoy it but a Popish Peer:  
O cursed time when this to pass shall come,  
That I and mine back to the See of Rome,  
Should captivated be! alack this is not all,  
The blood of my dear Children first must fall  
Unto the ground: and famous London that  
Must even with the ground be laid flat;  
My chiefest Garland and my darling dear,  
They're bend to spoil, and that without all fear  
O pity me all ye that be my friends,  
O help, deliver me from cursed gins—  
Of these bloodsuckers, from their dire intents,  
And from their fury yield me some defence:  
Is this matter small all ye that posse along?  
Have ye no eyes to weep? my young men stron●  
In streets do fall amain, the country's stroy'd,  
And I am left as desolate and void:  
O that my Children had been wise indeed,  
To have prevented this distress and need,  
O that they yet were wise to understand  
And mind the good of me their Mother, and  
Also of themselves and their posterity,  
Which after times and future age shall see,  
And that they would unanimously agree,  
To keep themselves and me their Mother free  
O what will come upon the following race,  
Of these my Sons inhabiting this place;  
If that cursed cure of Hellhounds should prevail  
And cause my true born Sons of life to faile●  
But senseless blocks a many of them are,  
That seek their own Ruth and destruction da●  
Of piteous men now on how few there be,  
Amongst an hundred one or two or three;  
I looked for some that should have pity taken,  
But lo my seeming friends have me forsaken.  
●ay they that should preserve me from the harm  
Of cursed Caterpillars which do swarm  
●n every place: they cruelly are bend,  
For to subvert me, and to circumvent  
My Sons, and utterly to overthrow  
Mine honour, and to bring me down full low:  
Much wrong I have already suffered▪  
〈◊〉 have been forced to drink the blo●d 〈◊〉, s●ed,  
With such injustice that He ne'er forget  
●ill blood of th'author's shall my garments w●t.  
●ill vengeance from great jupiter shall f●l  
●pon their pates and eke consume them 〈◊〉.  
What wrong have I to these Malignants done.  
That they in me this mischief have begun?  
〈◊〉 always of their welfare have been tender,  
●hough they in thankfulness are very slender;  
●nd where have I been slack in any thing,  
●hat might conduce for to content the King?  
Who is my eldest in order and degree:  
●nd whom would I advanced have but he?  
〈◊〉 have by all means always sought his good,  
●hough they for mine it seems have little stood;  
〈◊〉 did command my younger Sons also,  
●hat they as one should serve the elder though  
●or to consult about his good estate,  
●o put an end to difference and debate,  
●hat so he might have had a happy Reign,  
●nd he and I have been no longer Twain,  
●or though he be my eldst my life to me,  
〈◊〉 precious is as any Sons can be;  
●heir duty they toth' utmost have discharged,  
●●r which their honours ever be enlarged;  
Mother's blessing shall upon them light  
●hen Sons of belial may not stand in sight  
●●fore the Judge, for that they have obeyed,  
●…ntring themselves for me being not dismayed  
●ith great Goliath; let them be renowned  
●●r ever, and also their labour Crowned  
●ith glory, and although they can't prevail  
〈◊〉 Treaty with these Rebels, yet to quail  
●●eir force and strength, they haply may be able,  
●●re all my children that love Truth but stable;  
●●w ever henceforth I resolved shall be,  
●er to come in wilful slavery,  
And though to stand it out I've slender means;  
I'll fight and cry with such deplored threnes,  
That great jehovah ne'er at rest shall be,  
Till he accord justly to answer me;  
And oh that my dear children were resolved,  
To stand upon their own defence involved  
In so much doubt and fear and jealousy,  
Nay plainly desperate that yourselves may see  
Of rest and quiet peace there is no hope,  
Unless you will consent to serve the Pope:  
'Tis true, they make Apology and defence,  
And cover mischief with a fine pretence,  
As it they only stood for to uphold,  
The same Religion which they had of old  
Within their Father's days: I'll tell them this,  
A thing's well done where nothing is amiss;  
What reason is there for me to account  
That more Authentic and more to surmount  
In glory; which was wrought in Infancy  
Or riper age of knowledge, pray judge ye:  
But hark dear Children I will tell you true,  
Give ear to me your Mother lest you rue,  
Be not deceived with these false forgeries,  
Let not those murderers slay you with their lies  
For Queen Elizabeth's could not give content,  
Nor were they pleased with james his goveenment  
In matters that are called Ecclesiastic,  
Witness the practice of those soul Fantastic  
Episco-puppies, who of lare would ha'  
New Service, Cannon-bookes, Etcetera:  
But this hath been their manner aye to cover,  
And palliate their Knav'rie and to smother  
Their Treachery, with fair glozing words,  
Which hath more mischief wrought then have  
For my part I shall ever stand it out. (their swords  
Against that cursed Diabolick rout,  
And this hath been my resolution aye,  
And mine, and mine, let every true Son say.  
But haply some ill members may object.  
Let us have Peace, and Truth we not respect,  
Alas poor souls you little do consider,  
That Peace and Truth do always go together;  
Know this that they that basely seek to save  
Their lives, shall soonest of all destruction have:  
〈◊〉 safe for me myself up for to yield  
●o bondage, and for aye to lose the field  
〈◊〉 hope, of comfort, and eke of redress,  
●nd still to lay in woe remediless?  
〈◊〉 woe to you that ever you were borne,  
〈◊〉- come by that damned crew, of God forlorn;  
〈◊〉 life that languisheth is worse than death,  
Therefore my state and life I'll now bequeath  
●●●o the hands of those True Sons that be,  
●nd to all those else that shall pity me,  
●an no longer bear the injury,  
〈◊〉 bloody Tyrants cursed cruelty;  
〈◊〉 ●ong have held my peace but now amain,  
〈◊〉 cry to jove till he reply again.  
●●ood cries Edge-hill, blood Brainfords' Innocents',  
●lood cries in every place yet few relents.  
●lack how few do mind the sad condition.  
Of ●romighoms and Cicesters' descission;  
●●ack how few there be that lay to heart,  
●he great oppression on the City's part,  
●ow they beyond all measure are put to it,  
●ow many poor men grievously do rue it?  
●he charge and all the pains of Parliament,  
Which they of pity for my good have spent;  
How little is't of many now regarded,  
●nd with what slender thanks do they reward it:  
●ll those injuries beside a thousand more,  
●e put upon the Cavalier his score.  
●he cries of all the blood unjustly shed,  
And all the wrong that in the land is bred,  
Mounts up tothth' ears of great jehove to see,  
And seek revenge from him and remedy,  
Who Justice doth undoubtedly always,  
And vengeance to deserving men will pay;  
And since it is my fate with germany,  
And with my Handmaid Ireland to be  
In woeful plight, through cursed brood of hell,  
And Devil's birds in that most wicked spell,  
I'll take the Cup undauntedly and drink,  
And from a righteous cause I'll never shrink;  
But yet in this I will not wanting be,  
To tell my Sons of all my misery,  
And to implore their help ere't be too late,  
That they may not buy Time at too dear rate;  
It grieves me much to see how slow you are,  
As if you were afraid or did not dare  
For to resist your cruelest enemies,  
That think too good the worst they can devise  
Against you, stand upon your feet,  
If ever you again sweet Peace will greet;  
If ere you'll seek for to preserve the Land  
If ere for right and Truth, and Peace you'll stand,  
Now show yourselves courageous men indeed,  
That will not flinsh nor shrink in time of need.  
And valiant Scotchmen to you a word I'll now  
Speak: you your hand first put unto the Blow,  
Don't suffer these your brethren's hearts to faint,  
But yield a willing ear to their complaint,  
And lend your help and aid gratis one hour,  
Against that Antichristian force and power;  
Your weal and wealth in ours up is bound.  
If we be lost, then where will ye be found.   

And thus I leave my cause with God and you  
And spreading forth my hands for help I sue.    

A Reasonable Motion. In the behalf of such of the CLERGY as are now questioned in PARLIAMENT for their places.  
VOuchsafe (GREAT LORDS) with patience for to hear,  
Our just request, which we present you here.  
'Tis said abroad, that you the Church would free,  
Of sundry faults, which in the same there be.  
But that it's feared, and you perhaps conceive,  
A change of things, we Priests will not receive.  
But will stand out for things we former had,  
And do them still, though you shall think them bad.  
But we do hope, by this to make it clear,  
That no such thing▪ of us you need to fear.  
For we (like Scots) will not such things put by,  
As are imposed by Sovereign Majesty.  
Nor are we like the Puritanish Sects,  
Who'll do no more than what the Word directs.  
We never yet have showed ourselves so ill,  
But what the State enjoined we did it still.  
And that your Honours may be sure of this,  
We can produce the Ages passed for us.  
You know King Edward did the Mass put down,  
And set the Service Book up in the Room.  
We then the Clergy of the Land throughout,  
Forsook the old and took the newer up.  
When he was dead and Mary had the Crown,  
Then up goes Mass, and Service it comes down.  
Yet we Sir Priests as men of quiet Spirits,  
Obeyed the Prince and turned unto our vomits.  
Some few Years after Mary being dead,  
The Crown is set upon Her Sisters Head.  
Now She again puts down the Idol Mass,  
And hath the Service as before it was.  
To this our Father Priests did then submit.  
Though most perhaps did mind it was not fit.  
Yet what the Stare did think for to be best;  
They question not but do't and therein rest.  
What they have done, we mean the like to do,  
Conform ourselves, to things confirmed by you.  
If you put down our Bishops from their Chair,  
Their liturgy, and Courts, and other gear.  
What next by you, shall be enacted then;  
Shall be observed by us, the Clergy Men.  
But if you please to have them yet stand still,  
We are content, and yield to them we will.  
For Government and Worship what care we,  
Or Rites and Orders what in Church there be.  
Our care is only, for to keep from wants;  
For Conscience here, we leave to Puritants.  
And this we judge to be no wise Man's case,  
To deem his Conscience better than his place.  
The Canons late, which were on us imposed,  
By you are thought not fit for to be used.  
Yet we (Sir Priests) did stand so much in awe,  
As that we meant to yield unto their Law.  
And ere that we will leave our gainefull-Trade;  
We'll stoop to all what ere by man is made.  
Therefore brave Lords as you in Courts now fit:  
So let Religion be, as you think fit.  
We take no thought this way about God's will,  
But how to keep our Benefices still.  
And hope we do, although the better part,  
To cast us out, can find it in their heart.  
Yet there are some will speak for poor Sir john's;  
Eor lazy Dogs, old Priests, and idle Drones.  
For Pluralists, Nonresdents and such Men,  
The Clergy now consisting most of them.  
And cause there is, the matter should be so,  
For if turned out (alas) what shall we do.  
It's now so long, since we forsook the trade,  
Of Cobbling, Weaving, Thatching, and the Spade.  
That for to work our bodies are unfit:  
Nor can we bring our hearts at all to it.  
If we therefore, must let our Priesthood fall:  
This than we beg most humbly of you all.  
That still we may enjoy our belly cheer;  
And idly live, without all work or care.  
And if your Honours, will but grant us this,  
We are content, if you will us dismiss.  
For we came to the place for conscience sake,  
As to be fed, and labour none to take.  
But yet we think, much better will it be.  
That in a Priesthood, left alone be we,  
For if the Puritants, the only men,  
Who wish us out, that so they may come in,  
Do get but once into our place and Room,  
They will not do, as we (poor fools) have done.  
They are (Forsooth) so scruplous in their ways,  
That if it be against God's holy Laws,  
They will dot do it, no although it be,  
A thing required of his Majesty.  
But as for us, our carriage is not so,  
If State command, we never say it no.  
And this we dare affirm there is no where,  
A more time-serving Clergy than is here.  
When our sweet Bishops, had by Act obtained:  
To have Gods holy Day with Sports profaned.  
Although the purer sort, against it taught,  
Yet we confirmed, although we knew't was naught.  
What ever Land devised and on us cast,  
We did the same, to hold our live fast.  
And we foresaw what further was his hope,  
To bring us all in service to the Pope.  
Which things if he had once but brought to pass;  
To yield thereto our full intentment was.  
And thus we have your Honours made to see,  
Why in the Priesthood we should suffered be.  
Namely for this, and nothing else at all,  
There's nought so bad, but yield thereto we shall.  
— Quid rides? mutato nemine de te Fabula narratur.  
FINIS.