LONDON'S PLAGUE FROM HOLLAND, OR Inquiries after the Natural Causes of Her Present Calamity.  

WHat's England's Metropolis become folorne?  
Europe's late Glory, now a Peasants scorn?  
The Mistress of the Seas, She that outvi'd?  
Her ranting Sister Cities, th' gallic Pride?  
Room resrrect, in her great Ela State?  
Must s 〈…〉 ckle to the Dooms of Fate  
W 〈…〉 e? 's no bold Champion sent  
To wre●●●er from the rudest Ravishment  
O'th' Rawhoned Rascal, must he triumph thus?  
And timpanize himself with blood of us  
Poor Morals? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
Then Bell and Dragon in an age could steal?  
Where's all the Quixots of our age? has none  
Th' Elixir, the long-look'd-for Stone?  
No Cure for her, whose Tenants made their boasts  
Till now, they'd rout the most victorious hosts  
Of all Diseases? Here's a Goliath stands  
And bids defiance 'gainst th' united bands  
Of Art: Then muster up your Forces, say,  
Who shall command? or who begin the Fray?  
If Seniority takes place, the Galenist's  
Obliged in honour first to enter th' Lists.  
What weapons must he use? a Weavers Beams  
Too great for him to wield, His Apozemes,  
Electuaries, Julips, Bolus, and the rest  
Are all too gross to touch this Spirituallist.  
More refined weapons (though desensive all)  
Some say may shield us from this Cannibal.  
Enter Van Helmont then, who like another  
Jacob, endeavours to supplant his Brother,  
And with more right perhaps; take but this story,  
What seats he'll do with his Elabratory;  
How he●'l unravel Nature, th' causes find  
By Chemic art what 'tis compounds the wind▪  
Yet h●s Aquafortis, Regis, and Coelestis,  
(With choicest spirit, which esteemed the best is)  
Though elevated higher than the gross  
And saeculent composure of a Does,  
Are too terrene t'encounter or contest  
With this invincible Antagonist.  
Quartans no more shall Galenists defame,  
Nor th' Altahest the Paracelsian blame.  
Here's a Disease so subtle (though impure)  
Baffles them both to find the Cause or Cure.  
Let's force Art to her Zenith then, and try  
The Virtuosoes Etymology.  
How they define, or gravely descant on  
This grand invisible Contagion.  
Malignant vagrant Atoms are the acquaint  
(say they) Compounders of this mortal taint▪  
Their 〈◊〉 and motion's yet obscure,  
Till the Dioptrics can discern th'impure,  
Though subtle exhalations that proceeds  
From the first matter, which infection breeds,  
A Quere may be urged, whether they be  
Not vivid Atoms, since we daily see  
All sulphurous Fumes, these wanderers expels,  
With other Infects to remoter Cells.  
What ere they be, extrinsique first they are,  
And Vagrant too, why suffered then so far  
T' entrench on humane nature? cannot Art  
Contrive a Statue Law, and whip this tart  
Unruly Vagabond from mortal bounds,  
Or (as the Countryman the Straggler pounds)  
Confine him? No, This Hoegan Mogan Lord,  
(Though wafted higher on a Shipwrackt board)  
Takes so much state upon him, (like his Sire,  
The Sink of Christendom, Europe's Quagmire)  
That Civil Laws this Gaderen defies,  
With Arts and Sciences as Enemies.  
Is Art then stinted? a non ultra here  
To her proceedings? Th' Question is not clear;  
The Fountain's muddy whence this taint first came  
Why then should th' English Artist soul his name  
In pudling into th' Cause, thus much I'll say,  
If sympathetick Atoms bear the sway,  
Our Calvenist with's motled Brotherhood,  
Draws Dutch Opinions, and his Country's blood.