THE FROGS OF EGYPT, OR The CATERPILLARS of the COMMONWEALTH truly Dissected and laid open;  
With the Subject's Thankfulness unto GOD for their deliverance from that Nest of VERMINE.  
Printed in the year 1641.   

THE FROGS OF EGYPT, OR THE CATERPILLARS OF THE COMMONWEALTH.  
MOnopolers by their nefarious Projects, and impious exactions, have contaminated the Land with such a contagious exulceration of wicked impositions, that I may with a coequal sympathy, assimilate them to the Frogs of Egypt. First, In regard that those Frogs were the second Plague that was brought upon the Egyptians: So these Monopolers (in respect that Bishops had the priority) were the second Plague, which with disastrous aspersions, did infect our Nation. Secondly, As those Frogs came unto Pharaoes' Bedchamber, and upon his Bed: So these Diabolical Parasites, did creeep into our King's bosom, with their Phariticall Calumny. Thirdly, Those Frogs did come upon all the people in Egypt, throughout their Territories: And who is there in all our Kingdom, that have not been infected bv the contagion of their venenosive aspersions: they were a Nest of Wasps, which did Tyrannically sting the King's loyal Subjects with their exacting impositions: They were a swarm of Vermin, which did pollute sincere purity, and like the Frogs of Egypt, did over-creep the Land. They warmed themselves at other men's fires, and though the people's fingers ends were a cold, by regard of their impious Project, yet they would always remember to say with Mantuan, Optimum est aliena frui pecunia. They siped of honest men's cups, and did distend their purses in their Bacchanalian riot, for they drowned themselves in Bacchus' Fountain, while other men paid the reckoning. They did always share with the Butler in his Box, yea they grew so fat and plump with damned Projects, that it was easier for Hercules to beat the Tripleheaded Cerberous out of Hell's Stygian Portals, then for us of late, to speak against these cursed Projectors, who abused the Triple Crown. But (we thank the all-directing providence of the mighty and Almighty God) we have found the like success with Hercules, and by the inflexible justice of the Parliament, we shall with him, drag these Hellhounds upon the earth, who did eradicate the well planted branch of Plenty. They were heretofore so Epidemically strict, that they would not bate us a pin in their exactions; they have worn a Vizard a long time: But a Vizard said I? Their pride was a sufficient Vizard, for it was no marvel that no man else could know them, when they knew not themselves. But when the Parliament shall once unface these, they will prove as bad as any cards in the pack. They were Janus-like, and had two Cloaks to hid their knavery; and like the Pythagorean Monster, they did threaten to devour the whole Commons at a mouthful. In Egypt the thirsty Dog could never lap of the River Nilus, but the Crocodile would assault him immediately. Neither in our Land could any honest man, whom dry necessity by compulsive coercion required to allay his sitiating thirst, sip at the odoriferous Spring of Bacchus, but incontinently he was assailed by these cursed Crocodiles, the rubbish of Babylon, Honesty's Hangman, fomenters of Impiety, Iniquities prodigious Monsters, Plenty's execrable Foes, Envies individual Companions, detestable Enemies to loyal Subjects; and in a word, that I may fully paint them out, The Devil's Journeymen. The Romans were never in more danger of the Sabines, than we have been of these pernicious members: the Sicilians never feared the Basilisk more, nor the Cretans the Minotaur, neither the Athenians that pestiferous Serpent Epidaurus, than we have justly feared these wicked Dragons of impiety. They are like the Grecian Horse, in the midst of Troy, under pretence of safety, but at length consumed the whole city: So these firebrands of iniquity would have extirpated the flourishing plenty of the Land, but (thanks be to God and the righteous Parliament) they are now extinguished. For as a rotten member Ense recidendum est, ne pars sinceratrahatur, aught to be cut off, lest it infect, and contaminate the whole body; so ought these wicked members of the Commonwealth to be executed with the Sword of justice, who have already too fare polluted the body of the Realm. 'tis a plausible assimulation which Hypocrates observeth, that in the body natural, as it must be truly purged, before it can be truly sound: so likewise in the body politic, unless these improbous malefactors be purged out, it can never be truly sound. Their very name Monopolers doth stigmatize them under the brand of knavery, which is derived from Móroc which signifies in English, Only: so that Monopolers, are the Only Polers of the people, which have abused them by their Projects: But now (alas poor men!) they are intrussed and like to be whipped. Their very Projects themselves are set against them: Their Coals which they did aggerate are ready to consume them: The Butter, which before greased their pockets, now melts in their mouths: The Soap scorns to be projected any longer, and will invert its first Letter S. into R. and become a Rope to them rather. The Salt is ready to powder them to Tyburn: The Cards scorn that they should play the Knave any longer: The Pins could pin their Heads to the Gall-house, The Wine threatens to lay them dead— drunk: but hang them they are so crafty, that although they fall down in a Wine-cellar, yet they know how to rise up agine in a Tobacco-Shop, but I hope before they rise there, they will first rise up at the Gall-house: where I'le-leave them— By these, and the like enormities have our Land beeve too fare overspread, it hath lately flourished too luxuriously in impiety, which did accumulate such insupportable burdens to the weatherbeaten Commons of this Realm, that they were almost everted. But thanks be to the all-disposig omnipotence of immortal God, who have always preserved this Kingdom from innumerable evils, and have kept it as the apple of his eye. I say thanks be to his Supremacy, who among other evils have preserved us likewise from the Tyranny of these insulting Projectors. But we now solely depend upon the Parliaments exemplary piety and great Justice, of whom we beg with all humility, and with affectionate fervency to the truth, do supplicate that they would with expedition extinguish these cursed firebrands of the Land, who like Samsons Foxes have consumed the Lands and Possions of the Commons. Wherefore let every true hearted Subject enumerate his express thankfulness to Almigty God for the preservation of this Kingdom, and the multitude of his favours irrigated thereon with all alacrity.   

A Thanksfullnesse to GOD for his Mercy towrds this KINGDOM:  
WE bless & magnify (great God) thy Name  
Who justly dost exenterate with shame  
All Enemies to Thee, and us who dost  
Preserve this Kingdom with thy favours most.  
By Thee our base Monopolers do fall  
False Prelates, and false Papists in their Gall.  
By Thee Projectors vanish, and by Thee  
The Church has been preserved from Popery.  
By Thee our Canonists requoile, and turn  
Their Innovations to a doleful Urn.  
By Thee all Pontificians dote deplore  
Their fortune more diastruous and more.  
Thus in our Hemisphere, while the bright Sun  
Desplayes his radiant splendour, and do run  
Through the twelve Signs i'th' Zodiac, and then  
Smileth upon the face of mortal men:  
Thus while the Queen of night do beautify  
Herself, and gilds the Star-bespangled Sky:  
While liquid rivers do return again  
Wand'ring abroad into the greedy main,  
Yea, while our pious hearts remain to be,  
We yield a thankful sacrifice to Thee.  
And as we thank Thee for thy Favours past,  
So we do supplicate a blessings last.  
First, that Thou wouldst extenerate all those  
That are Monopolers, or other Foes.  
And Then (oh!) then conduct the Church aright  
For our Salvation and thy Heavenly Right.  
That we may serve Thee, serving Thee we may  
Rejoice, rejoicing triumph, in that day:  
Triumphing, then exult, exulting raise  
Glory to Thee, and serve Thee all our Days.  
FJNJS.