Albans
straight
is sent to, to forbear.
Marvell - Poems
When marching in; a seasonable recruit
Of citizens and merchants held dispute,
And charging all their pipes, a sullen band
Of Presbyterian Switzers made a stand.
Nor could all these the field have long main*
tained.
But for the unknown reserve that still re-
mained ;
A gross of English gentry, nobly bom,
Of clear estiUes, and to no faction sworn.
Dear lovers of their king, and death to meet
For country's cause, that glorious thing and
sweet ;
To speak not forward, but in action brave,
In giving generous, but in council grave;
Candidly credulous for once, nay twice ;
But sure the devil ciinnot cheat them thrice.
The van in battle, though retiring, falls
Without disorder in their intervals.
Then closing all, in equal front, fall on.
Led by great Garraway, and great Littleton.
Lee equal to obey, or to command,
Adjutant-general was still at hand.
The marshal standard, Sands displaying, shows
St. Dunstan in it tweaking Satan's nose.
See sudden chance of war, to paint or write.
Is longer work, and liarder than to fight:
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OP MARVELL. 221
At the first charge the enemy give out,
And the excise receives a total rout.
Broken in courage, yet the men the same,
Resolve henceforth upon their other game :
Where force had failed, with stratagem to play,
And what haste lost, recover by delay.
St.
Albans straight is sent to, to forbear.
Lest the sure peace (forsooth) too soon appear.
The seamen's clamours to three ends they use.
To cheat their pay, feign want, and the house
accuse.
Each day they bring the tale and that too true.
How strong the Dutch their equipage renew ;
Meantime through all the yards their orders run.
To lay the ships up, cease tlie keels begun.
The timber rots, the useless axe does rust ;
The unpractised saw lies buried in its dust ;
The busy hammer sleeps, the ropes untwine ;
The store and wages all are mine and thine ;
Along the coasts and harbours they take care
That money lacks, nor forts be in repair.
Long thus they could against the house con-
spire.
Load them with envy, and with sitting tire ;
And the loved king, that's never yet denied.
Is brought to beg in public, and to chide :
But when this failed, and months enough were
spent.
They with the first day's proffer seem content ;
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222 THE rOEMS
And to land-tax from the excise turn round,
Bought off with eighteen hundred thousand
pound.
Thus like fair thieves, the Ck>mmons' purse thej
share.
But all the members' lives consulting spare.
Blither than hare that hath escaped the
hounds,
The house prorogued, the chancellor rebounds.
Not so decrepid .
