The Maypoles Motto.  
AS concerning the first Institution of Maypoles, many are very ignorant, that most greedily have taken pleasure in reviving an old popish Custom (was well nigh consumed in this Nation) as by their folly is made manifest, in erecting it again, and Idolising and sporting themselves in the day time, with drumming, drinking, and dancing about them, by cursing, swearing, and blaspheming Gods Name, and his Tabernacle with them that cannot run amongst the base sort to this excess of Riot, to the vexing of the righteous souls of such as behold their unlawful deeds, and cursed practices, which plainly doth demonstrate, that the root and ground of this Tree (so idolised) is not good, by the fruit which is brought forth to the Planters thereof: Moreover it is credibly reported, that an old whore called Flora, sometimes inhabiting at Rome, who had at her door a long Pole with a Motto on it, for a sign to invite her lovers, and that she having by the filthiness of her fornication gained much money in her life-time, did at her death, as a Legacy, give vast sums of money unto Maids or Virgins (so called) yearly upon May day, to solemnize her Feast or Funeral by this signal testimony of a Maypole, which Priests and people adore in remembrance of the old whore, or Monument, to preserve her memorial, which hath been practised in an ignorant zeal and lewdness, by them who are the offspring of that Mother of Harlots, mentioned Rev. 17. and that be under the Prince of the air's dominion. Now if any of the abettors or promoters of this memorial of this Strumpet and old whore, or any others, that ignorantly have run to this excess of riot, desire to be satisfied farther herein, concerning this old abominable branch and whore, which this year (as in a night) hath suddenly sprung up to a very tall stature, in many Cities, Towns, and Villages in this Nation, where they do it in remembrance of her their old Love: Let them search the Histories, or inquire of such as have recourse thereunto, that they might understand, and be able to give a reason of such their practices in this particular; for it concerns them chief to know the ground, and make proof thereof to such as are unsatisfied, and not us: Nevertheless we cannot but bear our testimony against it, and we have also here transcribed something formerly composed concerning its Birth, Pedigree, State, Power, and Authority; whether by a friend unto, or a witness against, we leave the Reader to judge here as followeth.  

The Maypoles Speech to a Traveller.  
O Passenger know'st thou not me?  
Where's thy Cap? and where's thy Knee?  
Thy betters do me honour give,  
And swear they'll do it whilst they live;  
Both High and low they me respect,  
I can command them at my beck:  
I think thou art some Puritan,  
Or censuring Precisian,  
That lov'st not Maypoles, Mirth, and Plays;  
But cries, Alas! these wretched days;  
That stop your ears, and shut your eyes,  
Lest ye behold our vanities.  
But goodman Gooscap, do thou know  
I do disdain your holy show,  
Your peevish humour I do scorn,  
And hold you wretches all forlorn;  
Your censurings all I do shake off,  
And at your zeal I freely scoff:  
I will stand here in spite of such,  
And glad to hear that they do grudge.  
But prithee fellow learn of me  
My Birth, my Worth, my Pedigree,  
My Name, my Fame, my Power, my Praise,  
My State, my Acts, my honoured Days.  
I am Sir Maypole, that's my name,  
Mer, May, and Mirth gave me the same:  
Dame Flora, once Rome's famous Whore,  
Did give to Rome in days of yore  
(By her last Will) great Legacies  
My yearly Feast to solemnize  
With jovial sports and pleasantness,  
In lust-procuring wantonness;  
And surely I am near of kin  
Unto that Romish Man of sin;  
And scarce under the heaven's scope  
There's none (as I) so like the Pope.  
Hath holy Father much ado  
When he is chose? So have I too;  
There is such joy at my plantation  
As is at his Coronation:  
Men, women, children on a heap  
Do sing, and dance, yea skip, and leap;  
Yea Drum, and Drunkards on a Rout,  
Before me make a hideous shout;  
Whose loud Alarms, and bellowing cries  
Do fright the earth, and pierce the skies.  
Doth he upon men's shoulders ride?  
That honour doth to me betid.  
Hath holy Pope his noble Guard?  
So have I too, that watch and ward:  
For where 'tis noised I am come,  
My followers summoned are by Drum;  
I have a mighty retinue,  
The scum of all the Rascal crew  
Of Fiddlers, Pedlars, Jayl-scape slaves,  
Of Tinkers, Turncoats, Tosspot knaves,  
With Thiefs, and Scapethrifts many a one,  
With bouncing Bess, and jolly Joan;  
The Hobby-horse doth hither prance,  
Maid Mariam, and the Morris dance.  
The Pope doth keep his Jubilee,  
A time of mirth and jollity;  
And on such as to Rome will go,  
Great benefits he will bestow.  
I also keep my Jubilee,  
A time of yearly jollity;  
And unto such as it frequent,  
I mirth procure, and much content:  
First Music doth their passions charm,  
Then Liquor strong their lust doth warm;  
Their dancing gesture, looks, and words,  
More fuel to the fire affords:  
The old, that have scarce tooth, or eye,  
But crooked back, and lamed thigh,  
Must have a frisk, and shake the heel,  
As if not stitch, nor ache they feel;  
And sigh their works do hate the Light,  
They take the vantage of the night.  
But lest you think my stately port  
Maintained is by base sort,  
I have some else of better note,  
That jet it in a silken coat:  
I cannot boast much of their grace,  
But this I say, they're men of place;  
Whose Country Worships have great praise  
In Maypolizing now adays:  
Though cold they are in better things,  
In this they Reign as Parish kings:  
They are as light as feather in cap,  
They nothing fear the fatal hap;  
Besides, there are some learned men,  
Perhaps Divines, how say you then,  
Disputed have of me in Schools,  
I hope these are no simple fools;  
They stiffly do maintain my cause  
To be according to God's Laws;  
They make it good, were't not for me  
All love would perish speedily.  
The Pope doth challenge power divine,  
I (next to him) do say its mine;  
I can enlarge men's Conscience,  
And qualify each vile offence:  
I take away all fear of evil,  
Of sin, of death, of hell and devil;  
I tell them its a time to laugh,  
To give themselves free leave to quaff,  
To drink their health upon their knee,  
And mix therewith much Ribaldry,  
To reel, to spew, to brawl, to fight,  
To scoff and rail with all their might;  
I teach the servant disobey,  
The child to say his Parent nay;  
The poorer sort that have no coin,  
I can command them to purloyn;  
All this, and more, I warrant good,  
For this maintaineth Neighbourhood:  
Yea, when my Rogues do Vict'als want,  
When money, cloth, and all grows scant,  
Then forth a foraging they go,  
And fall upon their common foe;  
No pillage seemeth half so good,  
As what's stolen from the Brotherhood.  
O traveler, learn more grace to show,  
And see that thou thy Betters know;  
And sigh thou must part me fro,  
Then let my lesson with thee go:  
There's ne'er a Drunkard in all the Town,  
Nor swearing Courtier, nor base Clown,  
Nor swaggering Lobcock, mincing Quean,  
Nor Popish Clerk, nor Priest, nor Dean,  
Nor Knight deboist, nor Gentleman  
That follows Drabs, or Cup, or Can,  
That will give thee a friendly look,  
If thou canst not a Maypole brook.   
The Priests and their hearers may say, that they set it up in honour of their old Love, if we gather money to do the same, for the old Whore had one at her door, who gave a great Legacy that they might set it up again in honour of the old Strumpet.  
Now these things are written chief to the Maypole Planters, and the rest of their rude ranting foolish followers, for them to read and consider; and if the Verses were at first composed by one of their own Poets, or Prophets, his testimony may be very true; though he spoke lightly in many things, as if he did but make a mock at sin, yet his rude speech renders him not altogether so much a fool, as their practices do bespeak them, who are of this sinful society, and who take pleasure in such folly and vanity; for these practices are an ill savour amongst all sober minded men, and this old sin new revived, and so frequently committed in our Cities and Towns, is a very great reproach to a Christian Nation, and by the Lord's Prophets and Saints it is verily believed, that the Lord will visit for these things, and that he will avenge himself of such great abominations as are committed in the Land, both in this, and in several other things of the like nature, which is a vexation to the spirits of just men, and hereby testified against by such as truly fear the Lord, and tremble at the word of his Holiness, although in those days by that generation, are reproached by the name of fanatics.