Law lies a Bleeding (1659)

Since the Sword hath so much prevail’d of late,What troubles and discentions do befall the State.

Lay by your Pleading,Law lies a bleeding;Burn all your Studdies down,and throw away your reading;Small power the word has,And doth afford usNot so many Priviledges,halfe as the Sword does;It fopsters your Masters,And plasters Dissasters,And makes the Servants quicklygreater then their Masters;It venters, it enters,It circles, it centers,And makes an Aprentice Freein spite of his Indenters.

This takes down tall things,And sets up small things;This masters mony too, thoughmony masters all things.It is not in seasonFor to talk of reason,Or call it Loyal, when theSword will have it Treason;It conquers the Crown, too,The Cloak and the Gown, too:This sets up a Prisbiter,and pulls him downe too.The subtle Deceiver,Turnes Bonnet into Beaver,Down drops a Bishop andup starts a Weaver.

THis makes a Lay-manTo Preach and to Pray manThis will make a Lord of himthat was but a Dray-man.Forth from the dull-pit,Of Follies full-pit,This brought an Hebrew Iron-monger into the Pulpit:Such pitifull things be,Happier than Kings be;Here comes in the Haraldrieof Thimble and Slingsby:No Gospel can guide it,No Law can decide it,Either in the Church or State,till the Sword hath Saintifi’d it.

Down go your Law-tricks,Forth from the MatrixSprung holy Hussons powerand tumbled down Saint Patrick:This Sword did prevail soMightily in Wales, too,Shinkin ap Powel cries and swearsCods-plu-ter-nails, too.

In Scotland this fasterDid breed such disaster.That they brought their money back,for which they sold their Master;They battered my Gun-dork,And so they did my Dum-sorkThat he is fled, and swearsthat the Devil is in Dunkerk.

He that can tower,Over him that is lower;Would be thought a Fooleto give away his power.Take Bokes and rent them,Who would Invent them,When as the Sword repliesNegatur argumentum:The Grand-Coledge ButlersMust hail to the Sutlers;There’s not a Library likeunto the Cutlers.The blood that was spilt sir,Is turned into guilt sir:Thus have you seen me runmy Sword up to þe hilts sir.