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companion, though they often paid too dear for their curiofity, by being made the fubject of his lampoons, if they happened to have any oddities in their temper, by the expofing of which he could humour his propensity to scandal. His pleafant extravagancies foon became the subject of general conversation; by which his vanity was at once flattered, and his turn of fatire rendered more keen, by the success it met with.

Rochefter had certainly a true talent for fatire, and he fpared neither friends nor foes, but let it loofe on all without difcrimination. Majefty itself was not fecure from it; he more than once lampooned the king, whose weaknefs and attachment to fome of his miftreffes he endeavoured to cure by feveral means; that is, either by winning them from him, in fpite of the indulgence and liberality they felt from a royal gallant, or by feverely lampooning them and him on various occafions; which the king, who was a man of wit and pleasure as well as his lordship, took for the natural fallies of his genius, and meant rather as the amufements of his fancy, than as the efforts of malice; yet, either by a too frequent repetition, or a too close and poignant virulence, the king banished him the court for a fatire made directly on him. This fatire confifts of twenty-eight ftanzas, and is entitled, The Restoration; or, The History of the Infipids: and, as it contains the keeneft reflections

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against the political conduct, and private cha racter, of that prince, and having produced the banishment of this noble lord, we shall here give it a place; by which his lordship's genius for this kind of writing will appear.

The RESTORATION; or, The History of INSIPIDS; a Lampoon.

I.

Chafte, pious, prudent, Charles the Second,
The miracle of thy restoration,
May like to that of quails be reckon'd,
Rain'd on the Ifraelitifh nation;
The wifh'd-for bleffing, from Heaven fent,
Became their curfe and punishment.

II.

The virtues in thee, Charles, inherent,
Altho' thy count'nance be an odd piece,
Prove thee as true a God's viceregent,
As e'er was Harry with his cod-piece:
For chastity, and pious deeds,

His grandfire Harry Charles exceeds, ‹

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Our Romish bondage-breaker, Harry,
Efpoufed half a dozen wives;
Charles only one refolv❜d to marry,
And other mens he never

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Yet

Yet has he fons and daughters more
Than e'er had Harry by threefcore.

Never was fuch

IV.

faith's defender;

He, like a politic prince, and pious, Gives liberty to confcience tender,

And does to no religion tie us!

Jews, Chriftians, Turks, Papifts, he'll please us With Mofes, Mahomet, or Jefus.

V.

In all affairs of church or state
He very zealous is, and able;
Devout at prayers, and fits up late
At the cabal and council- table.
His very dog, at council-board,
Sits grave and wife as any lord.

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Let Charles's policy no man flout,
The wifeft kings have all fome folly:
Nor let his piety any doubt;

Charles, like a fov'reign, wife and holy, Makes young men judges of the bench, And bishops, those that love a wench.

VII.

His father's foes he does reward,
Preferving thofe that cut off's head;
Old cavaliers, the crown's best guard,
He lets them ftarve for want of bread.

Never was any king endow'd

With fo much grace and gratitude.

VIII.

Blood, that wears treason in his face,
Villain compleat in parfon's gown,
How much is he at court in grace,
For ftealing Ormond and the crown!
Since loyalty does no man good,
Let's fteal the king, and out-do Blood.

IX.

A parliament of knaves and fots

(Members by name you must not mention). He keeps in pay, and buys their votes, Here with a place, there with a penfion : When to give money, he can't cologue 'em, He does, with fcorn, prerogue, prorogue 'em,

X.

But they, long fince, by too much giving,
Undid, betray'd, and fold the nation,
Making their memberships a living
Better than e'er was fequeftration.
God give thee, Charles, a refolution
To damn the knaves by diffolution.

XI.

Fame is not grounded on fuccefs,
Tho' victories were Cæfar's glory;
Loft battles make not Pompey lefs,
But left him ftiled great in story.

Malicious fate does oft devise

To beat the brave, and fool the wife,

XII.

Charles, in the first Dutch war, food fair
To have been fov'reign of the deep,
When Opdam blew up in the air,

Had not his highness gone to fleep:
Our fleet flack'd fails, fearing his waking,
The Dutch had elfe been in fad taking,

XIII.

The Bergen bufinefs was well laid,
Tho' we paid dear for that defign;
Had we not three days parling ftay'd

The Dutch fleet there, Charles, had been
thine;

Tho' the falfe Dane agreed to fell 'em,
He cheated us, and faved Skellum.

XIV.

Had not Charles fweetly chous'd the ftates,
By Bergen-baffle grown more wife;
And made 'em fhit as finall as rats,

By their rich Smyrna flcet's furprize:
Had haughty Holmes but call'd in Spragg,
Hans had been put into a bag.

XV. Mifts

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