The public Faith.  
SOme t●ll of Africa Monsters, which of old  
Vain superstition did for Godheads hold.  
How the Egyptians, who first knowledge spread  
Adored their Apis with the white bull's head:  
Apis still fed with Serpents that do hiss,  
Hamon, Osiris, Monster Anubis.  
But sun burnt Africa never had nor hath  
A Monster like our English public Faith.  
Those fed on snakes and satisfied did rest,  
This like the curtain gulf will have the best  
Thing in the City, to appease its still  
Increasing hunger, gluiting its lewd will  
With families, whose substance it devours,  
Perverting justice and the higher powers  
Contemning, without fear of any law,  
Preying on all to fill its ravenous maw;  
Whose ostrich stomach which no steel can sat  
Has swallowed down Indies of gold and plate:  
This is the public Faith which being fed  
Byth' City's wealth, has in this kingdom bred  
Such various mischiefs with its viperous breath,  
Blastings its peace and happiness to death:  
And yet this Idol which out world adores  
Has made men prostitute their truth like whores  
To its foul lust; which surely may as well  
And soon be satisfied as the grave or hell:  
This preys on Horses, yet that will not do,  
Unless it may devour the Riderstoo:  
This takes up all the riches of the land,  
Not by entreaty, but unjust command;  
Borrowing extortively, without any day  
But the Greek Calends, than it means to pay.  
This 'gainst the law of Nations does surprise  
The goods of strangers, Kings, and in its wise  
Discretion, (thinks though its not worth their note)  
They're bound to take the public faith's trim vote  
For their security, when this public Faith  
Has broke more Merchants then ere riot hath:  
And yet, good men o'th' City, you are proud  
To have this bankrupt public Faith aloud  
More credit than your King: to this you'll lend  
More willingly than ever you did spend  
Money to buy your wives and children bread;  
By such a strange enchantment being misled  
To your undoings, you (who upon bond)  
Nay scarcely upon mortgage of that land  
Treble your money's value, would not part  
With your loved coin vanquished by th'powerful art.  
Of this magician pubiick Faith justly install  
Him master of your bags, the devil and all  
That taught you get them by deceitful wares,  
And sucking in (like morning's draughts) young heirs:  
Well certainly if this fine humour hold  
Your Aldermen will have no other gold  
But what's in thumb rings for their ponderous chains,  
They'll be the public Faiths just lawful gains;  
And have the honour afterwards to be  
Hanged in them for its public treachery.  
What will become of you then, grave and wirty  
Inhabitants of this enchanted City?  
Who is't shall those vast sums to you repay  
When master public Faith is run away?  
Or who shall those prodigious heaps renew  
Which were so prodigally decreased by you?  
Whom the whole world imagined men of thrift▪  
What will your orphans do, how will they 〈◊〉  
Whose whole estates i'th' City chamber hath  
Been given a spoil to ruined public Faith:  
Perhaps you'll pawn your Charter to supply  
The worthy wants of your necess●ty:  
Who is't will take't when all (but men misled  
Like you) know 'tis already forfeited?  
Who is't will then into now coin translate  
Such monstrous cupboards of huge antic plate  
To public Faiths vast treasury, bringing in  
From the guilt goblet, to the silver pin.  
All that was coinable and what to do  
Even to create you knaves and traitors too.  
Faith if you chance to come off with your lives,  
Your way will be to live upon you wives:  
Their trading will be good when fortune wears  
Your colours in the caps oth'Cavaliers;  
Whose Cuckcolds you'll be then, and on your bier  
Wear their horns, as you public Faiths do no●  
Then then you'll howl when you shall clearly 〈◊〉  
That public Faith was public treachery:  
Then you'll confess yourselves t'o've been undone  
By public Faithsman Isaac Pennington:  
Then you'll repent that ever you did fling  
Such monstrous sums away against your King.  
When he in triumph with his warlike train  
Shall to your terror view your Town again.  
Unless his mercy mitigate his wrath  
Justly conceived 'gainst you and public Faith.  
That reverent Alderman which did defile  
His breeches at the mustering, ere while  
Shall then again those volvet slops bewray  
Cause public Faith did make him go astray  
Paul's shall be opened then, and you conspire  
No more against the Organs in the choir:  
Nor threat the Saints ith'windows, nor repai  
In troops to kill the book of Common Prayer  
Nor drunk with zeal endeavour to engross  
To your own use the stones of Che●pside cross:  
Then than you'll bow your heads your horns and all  
That so exalted were to save from thrall  
Your ruined liberties; and humbly pray  
For mercy more than upon each Fast day.  
(When your seditious Preachers to the thro●g  
Make prayers extempore of five hours long.)  
Lest you by early penitence prevent  
Your certain danger, if not punishment;  
Which you by no means may so safely do  
As quitting public Faith and treason too.  
Then than though late you to your grief will find  
That you have walked (as moles ith'earth do) blind  
Of your fair reason, and obedience light,  
Involved in mists of black rebellious night.  
If these instructions will not make you see  
Your error, may you perish in't for me;  
And to your ruin walk in death full path  
That leads toth'gallows with the public Faith.  
FINIS.