THE FAIRY LEVELLER: OR, King CHARLES his Leveller descried and deciphered in Queen ELIZABETH'S days.  
By her Poet Laureate Edmond Spenser, in his unparaleld Poem, entitled, THE FAIRY QUEEN. A lively representation of our times.  
Anagram:  
Parliaments Army.  
Parity mar'sal men.  
Printed just level anens the Saints Army: in the year of their Saintships ungodly Revelling for a godly Levelling. 1648.   

A necessary Preface opening the Allegory.  
REader, thou art here presented with a resplendent Jewel, taken out of a full Cabinets but it not every one's purchase: besides, not of so special mark or regard there, in so great an heap, as here being culled out by itself, and set forth for present use: slight it not, because it is not the publishers own invention: who does esteem the Spiders web any whit the better, for that it is spun out of her own entrails? or like honey the worse, for that the industrious Bee gathers it from Flowers abroad? here is meat out of the Eater, sweet honey to be found in the carcase of a slain Lion; do thou but with Jonathan taste of it, and thou shalt have thy sight cleared in some remarkable matters, which before thou didst not discern, or observe: thou hast here plainly discovered to public view, the mischievous condition, the malicious disposition, the presumptuous erterprises, the tumultuous practices; in a word, the dangerous do of these pernicious Sectaries, the confounders of orders, the movers of Sedition, the disturbers of Peace, the subverters of well-settled States (if they be not timely met with and prevented by justice) lately risen up and now raigneing amongst us, by the name of Levellers; they were descried long ago in Queen Elizabeth's days, and then graphically described by the Prince of English Poets Edmund Spenser, whose verses then prophetical are now become historical in our days, I have now revised, and newly published them for the undeceiving of simple people, too apt to be induced into an high conceit and overweening opinion of such Deceivers, and too ready to be seduced by their specious pretences of reducing all to a just equality, and restoring all to their rights and liberty: whereas on the contrary their endeavour is evident to take away every man's propriety, and to bring all under slavery to themselves. The Book out of which this fragment is taken (called the Fairy Queen) is altogether Allegorical, and needs a little explanation: the drift and intention of the Author in it, is to set forth a complete Gentleman, accomplished with all virtues adorning a truly noble Person. The first Book contains the Legend of Justice, the most universal virtue. In the second Canto Arthegall the Champion of Justice, with the assistance of Talus his Groom betokening execution of Law, having overcome all illegal arbitrary oppressive power; under the person of Pollente, a barbarous Saracen, strengthened by his Daughter Munera importing bribes and taxes: He proceeds to suppress the Giant Ring leader to the faction of Levellers, or applying all to these times; I suppose I may briefly give you this key of the work.  

Arthegall Prince of justice. King Charles.  
Talus his Executioner with his iron slayle. The King's forces, or Gregory.  
Pollente an oppressing Saracen. The prevalent over awing Faction in the two Houses.  
Munera his assistant. The intolerable Tax-raisers, the Country Committees Sequestrators and Excize-men: These must first be apprehended and brought to justice, ere the Army be quelled.  

The Giant Leveller. Col. Oliver Cromwell, L. G. of the Sts. Army: the Letters of whose name fall into this Anagram.  
Oliver Cromewell. come our vil' Leveller.  
On the constant report of whose death, take for an Epitaph that of the Poet.— Mors Sceptra ligonibus aequat.  
Death which the Sceptre levels with the spied,  
His fellow levellers Cromwell's Grave hath made.  
So I dismiss him with that of the Traitor Judas, Act 1.25. who by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And his complices with Thomas Sternehold, version of the 10. v. of the 3. Psalm.  
Destroy their false conspiracies, that they may come to naught▪  
Subvert them in their heaps of sin, that have rebellian wrought.    
There followeth a brief introductory transition from the foregoing to the ensuing part of the Canto.   

THE FAIRY LEVELLER.  
Arthegall with his Groom Talus  
having Pollente quelled:  
And drowned his Daughter Munera,  
they on their journey weled.  

IN which they measured much weary way,  
Till that at length nigh to the Sea they drew;  
By which as they did travail on a day,  
They saw before them far as they could view,  
Full many people gathered in a crew,  
Whose great assembly they did much admire;  
For never there the like resort they knew:  
So towards them they Coasted to inquire  
What thing so many Nations met, did there desire.   

There they beheld a mighty Giant stand  
Upon a Rock, and holding forth on high  
An huge great pair of Balance in his hand;  
With which he boasted in his surquedry,  
That all the world he would weigh equally;  
If aught he had the same to counterpoys:  
For want whereof he weighed vanity;  
And filled his Balance full of idle toys:  
Yet was admired much of Fools, Women, and Boys.   

He said, that he would all the earth up take,  
And all the Sea divided each from either:  
So would he of the fire one Balance make,  
And on● of th'air, without or wind, or weather:  
Then would he Balance Heaven and Hell together,  
And all that did within them all contain,  
Of all whose weight he would not miss a feather;  
And look what surplus did of each remain,  
He would to his own part restore the same again.   

For why, he said, they all unequal were,  
And had encroached upon others share.  
Like as the Sea (which plain he shown there)  
Had worn the earth: so did the fire the Air:  
So all the rest did others parts impair.  
And so were Realms, and Nations run awry:  
All which he undertook for to repair,  
In sort as they were form anciently:  
And all things would reduce to equality.   

Therefore the vulgar did about him flock,  
And cluster thick unto his leasings vain:  
(Like foolish Flies about a honey crock)  
In hope by him great benefit to gain,  
And uncontrolled freedom to obtain.  
All which when Arthegall did see, and hear  
How he misled the simple people's train.  
In ' sdainefull wise he drew unto him near,  
And thus unto him spoke without regard, or fear.   

‛ Thou that presum'st to weigh the world anew;  
‛ And all things to an equal to restore.  
‛ Instead of right, me seems, great wrong dost show,  
‛ And far above thy forces pitch to sore;  
‛ For ere thou limit what is less or more  
‛ In every thing, thou or ghtest first to know  
‛ What was the poise of every part of yore:  
‛ And look then how much it doth overflow,  
‛ Or fail thereof; so much is more than just to trow.   

‛ For at the first they all created were  
‛ In goodly measure, by their maker's might:  
‛ And weighed out in Balances so ne'er,  
‛ That not a dram was missing of their right.  
‛ The Earth was in the middle Centre pight,  
‛ In which it doth unmoveable abide,  
‛ Hemmed in with waters, like a wall in sight:  
‛ And they with Air, that not a drop can slide:  
‛ All which the Heavens contain, and in their courses guide.   

‛ Such Heavenly justice doth among them reign,  
‛ That every one do know their certain bound,  
‛ In which they do these many years remain;  
‛ And 'mongst them all no change hath yet been found:  
‛ But if thou now shouldst weigh them new in pound,  
‛ We are not sure they would so long remain:  
‛ All change is perilous, and all chance unsound:  
‛ Therefore leave off to weigh them all again,  
Till we may be assured they shall their course retain.   

‛ Thou foolish Elf, said then the Giant wroth,  
‛ Seest not how badly all things present be?  
‛ And each estate quite out of order goeth?  
‛ The Sea itself, dost thou not plainly see,  
‛ Encroach upon the Land there under thee?  
‛ And th' Earth itself how daily it's increased  
‛ By all that dying to it turned be?  
‛ Were it not good that wrong were then surceased,  
‛ And from the most that soon were given to the least?   

‛ Therefore I will throw down those mountains high,  
‛ And make them level with the lowly plain:  
‛ These towering rocks that reach unto the sky  
‛ I will thrust down into the deepest maine;  
‛ And as they were, them equalise again:  
‛ Tyrant's that make men subject to their Law,  
‛ I will suppress that they no longer reign,  
‛ And Lordings curb that Commons over-aw:  
‛ And all the wealth of rich-men to the poor will draw.   

‛ Of things unseen how canst thou deem aright?  
‛ Then answered the righteous Arthegall.  
‛ Sith thou misdeem'st so much of things in sight,  
‛ What though the Sea with waves continual  
‛ do eat the Earth? it is no more at all:  
‛ Ne is the Earth the less, or looseth aught:  
‛ For whatsoever from one place doth fall,  
‛ Is with the tide unto another brought;  
‛ For there is nothing lost that may be found, if sought.   

‛ Likewise the Earth is not augmented more,  
‛ By all that dying into it do fade;  
‛ For of the Earth they form were of yore;  
‛ However gay their blossom or their blade  
‛ Do flourish now, they into dust shall vade:  
‛ What wrong then is it, if that when they die,  
‛ They turn to that whereof they first were made?  
‛ All in the power of their great maker lie:  
‛ All Creatures must obey the voice of the most high.   

‛ They live, they die, like as he doth ordain:  
‛ Ne ever any asketh reason why?  
‛ The hills do not the lowly Dales disdain.  
‛ The Dales do not the lofty hills envy.  
‛ He maketh Kings to sit in Sovereignty.  
‛ He maketh Subjects to their power obey.  
‛ He pulleth down, he setteth up on high.  
‛ He gives to this, from that he takes away:  
‛ For all we have is his; what he list do he may.   

‛ What ever thing is done, by him is done:  
‛ Ne any may his mighty will withstand.  
‛ Ne any may his Sovereign power shun:  
‛ Ne lose that he hath bound with steadfast band:  
‛ In vain therefore dost thou now take in hand,  
 call to count, or weigh his works anew,  
‛ Whose counsels depth thou canst not understand,  
‛ Sigh of things Subject to thy daily view,  
‛ Thou dost not know their causes nor their courses dew.   

‛ For take thy Balance, (if thou be so wise)  
‛ And weigh the wind that under Heaven doth blow;  
‛ Or weigh the light that in the East doth rise,  
‛ Or weigh the thought that from man's mind doth flow;  
‛ But if the weight of these thou canst not show,  
‛ Weigh but one word which from thy lips doth fall;  
‛ For how canst thou those greater secrets know?  
‛ That dost not know the least thing of them all:  
‛ Ill can he rule the great, that cannot reach the small.   

Therewith the Giant much abashed said,  
That he of little things made reckoning light;  
Yet the least word that ever could be laid  
Within his Balance, he could weigh aright:  
Which is, said he, more heavy than in weight,  
The right or wrong? the false or else the true?  
He answered that he would try it straight:  
So he the words into his Balance threw;  
But straight the winged words out of his Balance flew.   

Wroth waxed he then, and said that words were light;  
Ne would within his Balance well abide:  
But he could justly weigh the wrong or right:  
Well than said Arthegall let it be tried.  
First in one Balance, set the true aside:  
He did so first, and then the false he laid  
In th'other scale; but still it down did slide,  
And by no mean could in the weight be stayed,  
For by no means the false will with the true be weighed.   

Now take the right likewise said Arthegall,  
And counterpoise the same with so much wrong:  
See first the right he put into one scale;  
And then the Giant strove with puissance strong  
To fill the other scale with so much wrong;  
But all the wrongs that he therein could lay,  
Might not it poise; yet did he labour long,  
And sweat, and chafed, and proved every way;  
Yet all the wrongs could not a little right down lay.   

Which when he saw he greatly grew in rage,  
And almost would his Balances have broken:  
But Arthegall him fairly began assuage,   

‛ And said, be not upon thy Balance wroken,  
‛ For they do nought but right or wrong betoken:  
‛ But in the mind the doom of right must be;  
‛ And so likewise of words the which be spoken,  
‛ The Ear must be the Balance to decree,  
‛ And judge whether with truth or falsehood they agree.   

‛ But set the truth, and set the right aside:  
‛ (For they with wrong, or falsehood will not far)  
‛ And put two wrongs together to be tried,  
‛ Or else two falses of each equal share:  
‛ And then together do them both compare;  
‛ For truth is one, and right is ever one.   

So did he, and then plain it did appear  
Whether of them the greater were atone:  
But right set in the midst of the Beam alone.   

But he the right from thence did thrust away:  
For it was not the right which he did seek;  
But rather strove extremities to weigh,  
Th'one to diminish th'other for to eke;  
For of the mean he greatly did misseleeke;  
Whom when so lewdly-minded Talus found,  
Approaching nigh unto him cheek by cheek,  
He shouldered him from off the higher ground,  
And down the Rock him throwing, in the Sea him drowned.   

Like as a Ship which cruel tempest drives  
Upon a Rock with horrible dismay:  
Her shattered Ribs in thousand pieces rives,  
And spoiling all her gears and goodly ray,  
Does make herself misfortunes piteous prey:  
So down the Cliff the wretched Giant tumbled,  
His battered Balances in pieces lay,  
His timbered bones all broken rudely rumbled:  
So was the high aspiring with huge ruin humbled.   

That when the people who had there about  
Long waited, saw his sudden desolation;  
They 'gan to gather in tumuluous Rout,  
And mutining to stir up civil Faction;  
For certain loss of so great expectation:  
For well they hoped to have got great good,  
And wondrous riches by his innovation:  
Therefore resolving to revenge his blood,  
They risen in arms and all in battle order stood.   

Which Lawless multitude him coming to  
In warlike wise, when Arthegall did view,  
He much was troubled, ne witted what to do,  
For loath he was his noble hands t'embrew,  
In the base blood of such a Rascal crew,  
And otherwise if that he should retire,  
He feared lest they with shame would him pursue:  
Therefore he Talus to them sent t'enquire  
The cause of their array, and truce for to desire.   

But soon as they him nigh approaching spied,  
They began with all their weapons him assay,  
And rudely stroke at him on every side:  
Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought dismay:  
But when at them he with his Flail began lay,  
He like a swarm of flies them overthrew:  
Ne any of them durst come in his way,  
But here and there before his presence flew,  
And hide themselves in holes and Bushes from his view.   

As when a Falcon hath with nimble flight  
Flown at a flush of Ducks fore-by the brook:  
The trembling Fowl dismayed with dreadful sight  
Of Death the which them almost overtook,  
Do hid themselves from her astonying look,  
Amongst the Flags, and covert round about:  
When Talus saw they all the field forsook,  
And none appeared of all that Rascal Rout:  
To Arthegall he turned, and went with him throughout.   
FINIS.