A NEW PRESBYTERIAN BALLAD,  
To the old Tune of, The clean contrary way.  

1.  
〈…〉 whigs, our senate's gone,  
〈…〉 Our Glory's now a setting:  
〈…〉 with Plot's laid at our door,  
〈…〉 of our getting:  
〈…〉 bloody Cheats, and Shifts & Tricks,  
〈…〉 all our Devilish Play  
〈◊〉 be disclosed and we proved saints  
The clean contrary way.   

2.  
〈…〉 will discovered be,  
〈…〉 ●…ltry purjured stuff,  
〈…〉 the Hellish Plotters, that  
〈…〉 such Hell-hound-Proof:  
〈…〉 the face to gild their Vice,  
〈…〉 them like Saints display,  
〈◊〉 wheedled them to swear the Truth  
The clean contrary way.   

3.  
We made their piteous Nonsense good,  
And Contradictions true,  
〈◊〉 relished their unlikely Tales,  
So blundering like blind Hugh.  
What cared we, if they damned themselves?  
〈◊〉 we obtained the day,  
〈◊〉 meritorious make our work  
The clear contrary way.   

4.  
〈…〉 did scruple to believe  
●●ings, so absurd to Reason;  
〈◊〉 ●●●●ed Reason's Balance, and  
We still cried, Treason, Treason;  
When the Informers halted had  
Our hubbubs bore the sway,  
●●…ighting folks into their wits,  
The clean contrary way.   

5.  
〈…〉 we racked for Evidence,  
〈…〉 that search in Ditches,  
〈…〉 some holes for poisonous Toads,  
And hungry sucking Leeches:  
We gulled Fitz-harris for more guile,  
The guitless to betray:  
For which he'll reap a sweet reward  
The clean contrary way.   

6.  
〈…〉 the Papists Traitors all,  
〈…〉 none the Snare might scape,  
〈…〉 all the Royal Protestants  
〈…〉 the Tra●:  
〈…〉 be 〈…〉,  
What e'er they do or say  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wishers to the Pope  
The clean contrary way.   

7.  
The Realms Religion, that's by Law  
In its Establishment,  
We made as if afraid to lose,  
Though from it we descent;  
The Church of England in the dust  
That levelly we would lay  
To show ourselves true Protestants  
The clean contrary way.   

8.  
The long-black-rebel-Parliament  
We stood to vindicate,  
We blossomed new in th'good Old Cause  
Of Commonweath and State;  
Yet Monmouths Duke cried ●y the while  
And used him like a Toy  
A future Monarch he's designed,  
The clean contrary way.   

9  
'Twas such, as we, for Charles the first,  
With many a Prtoestati●●  
His Glory did so much pretend,  
His Weal and Preservation;  
But drew the sword against his Friends,  
And forced them all away,  
And him forlorn they did preserve,  
The clean contrary way.   

10.  
'twas such, as we, the second Charles  
Did scornfully disown,  
Called him the Common Enemy  
Debarred him from his Throne:  
Who now, but we, cry out of Plots,  
And for his safety pray,  
And stand up stout in his defence  
The clean contrary way.   

11.  
'twas such, as we, in Scotland late  
Twice actually Rebelled,  
And (Maugre all the Mercy here)  
Our English venom swelled:  
We to Oblivion's act so kind  
Unkind Oblivion pay  
Like cherished Vipers yielding thanks,  
The clean contrary way.   

12.  
Yet we assumed the confidence  
Tho conscious of what's past,  
To busy our Petitions bold,  
So frequent and so fast:  
Instead of Blessed, we Blasted are,  
Alack and well aday!  
And we henceforth shall trusted be  
The clean contrary way.    

Printed in the Year, 1681.