A SPEECH MADE TO THE Lord General MONCK, AT Clotheworkers Hall in London The 13. of March, 1659. at which time he was there entertained by that worthy company.  

NAy, then let me come too with my address,  
Why mayn't a rustic promise, or profess  
His good Affection t' you? Why not declare  
His Wants? How many, and how great they are?  
And how you may supply them? Since you may  
See our Hearts mourn, although our Clothes be grey.   

Great Hero of three Nations! Whose blood springs  
From pious and from powerful Grandsire Kings;  
With whose blood-royal you've enriched your veins,  
And by continue Policy and Pains  
Have equalled all their Glory; So that now  
Three Kingless sceptres to your Feet do bow,  
And court Protection, and alliance too;  
And what Great men still reached at stoups to you.   

But you're too truly Noble to aspire  
By Fraud or Force to Greatness; or t' acquire  
sceptres and Crowns by Robbery, or base  
And wilful breach of Trusts, and Oaths, nor place  
Your happiness in avished Dominion,  
Whose Glory's only founded in opinion;  
Attended still with danger, fear, and doubt,  
And fears within, worse than all those without.  
You must still watch and fear, and think, and must  
Lose all Content to gratify one Lust,  
Should you invade the Throne, or aim at Pelf,  
Throw down three Nations to set up yourself;  
Kings are but royal Slaves, and Prisoners too,  
They always toil, and always guarded go.   

You are for making Princes, and can find  
No work proportioned to your power, and mind,  
But Atlas-like to bear the World, and be  
The great Restorer of the Liberty  
Of three long captived Kingdoms who were thrown  
By others strong Delusions, and their own  
Misguided zeal, to do and suffer what  
Their very Souls now grieve and tremble at,  
debauched by those they thought would teach & rule 'em,  
Who now, they find did ruin and befool 'um.  
Our meanings still were honest, for alas!  
We never dreamt of what's since come to pass;  
'Twas never our intent to violate  
The settled Orders of the Church or State,  
To throw down Rulers from their lawful Seat,  
Merely to make ambitious small things great,  
Or to subvert the Laws; but we thought then   

The Laws were good if managed by good men;  
And so we do think still, and find it true,  
Old Laws did more good, and less harm than New;  
And 'twas the Plague of Countries and of Cities,  
When that great-bellied House did spawn Committees.  
We fought not for Religion, for 'tis known,  
Poor men have little, and some great Ones none;  
Those few that love it truly, do well know,  
None can take't from us, where we will or no.  
Nor did we fight for Laws, nor had we need,  
For if we had but Gold enough to feed  
Our taking Lawyers, we had Laws enough,  
Without addressing to the Sword, or Buff.  
Nor yet for Liberties; for those are things  
Have cost us more in Keepers, than in Kings.  
Nor yet for Peace; for if we had done so,  
The soldiers would have beat us long ago;  
Yet we did fight, and now we see for what,  
To shuffle men's Estates; those Owners that  
Before these wars, could call Estates their own,  
Are beaten out by others, that had none.  
Both Law and Gospel overthrown together,  
By those who ne'er believed in, or loved either.  
Our truth, our trade, our peace, our wealth, our freedom,  
And our full Parliaments, that did get, and breed 'em,  
Are all devoured, and by a Monster fell,  
Whom none, but you, could satisfy, or quell.  
You're great, you're good, you're valiant, & you're wise,  
You have Briareus hands, and Argus eyes;  
You are our English Champion, you're the true  
St. George for England, and for Scotland too.  
And though his Storie's questioned much by some.  
Where true, or false, this Age, and those to come,  
Shall for the future find it so far true,  
That all was but a Prophecy of you;  
And all his great and high achievements be  
Explained by you in this mythology.  
Herein you've far out done him, he did fight  
But with one single Dragon: but by your might  
A Legion have been tamed, and made to serve  
The People, whom they meant t' undo and starve.  
In this you may do higher, and make fame,  
Immortalize your celebrated name,  
This age's glory, wonder of all after,  
If you would free the Son, as he the Daughter.   
FINIS.