A counter-buff to Lysimachus Nicanor: calling himself a Jesuite. By Philopatris

A COVNTER-BVFF TO Lysimachus Nicanor . A pretended Iesuite . I Cannot now but give my grief a tongue , Since innocence , and vertue suffer wrong ; Since calumnie , and fals-hood strive to wound Our Mothers breast , and purpose to confound That Covenant , the Popish hyrelings foyle , Heavens herauld sent to blesse North-Britains soyle : A band of truth and power , the Prelats baine , Which with our dearest bloud we will maintaine , As sworne , Gods purer worship to defend , Our King to serve , our straying faults to mend . Illustrius Trajan , though a pagane prince , After much bloud of Christians , did dispence With the remainder of that Heaven-blest band . Who through a Red sea fraungh'd their long'd-for land . Whiles by proconsull Plinie he was inform'd , That Christians in their lives were more reform'd , Plinius secundus . Nor then was vented forth , by false report , And that in sober way they did resort To privat meetings , whereunto their God They sweetly sang , some divine hymne or ode , Committing nothing worthie Caesars wrath . Whence all inditements , sentences of death Were straight repeal'd , and Christians were set free , Dispenc'd to brook peace , truth , and libertie . The like our hope and trust assures us , shall Unto our native homebred Caesar fall : Whiles by some worthie Plin ' , it shall be told him , That in the armes of love we still infold him , That the pure incense of our sacred prayers , Maugre the spite and pryde of all gainsayers , Is daily for his safety powred forth , And since no earthly thing is of more worth , Nor life and fortunes , we shall both imploy , For thryce-blest Charles , the center of our joy : So that we brook in full integritie , With peace and truth , our ancient libertie . Then false Lysimachus , thou runnigate , That seems to pry into the soule of state , That personates a subtile Jesuite , And yet art known a homebred parasite , That hath belcht forth a rapsodie of lies , And 'gainst thy Countrey false coyn'd calumnies ▪ Thou by our Statutes hast deserv'd to die An ignominious death , for such a lie , As may breed discord 'twixt the King and State , Is death : here many laws I may repeat , And practicks too , M. Thomas Rosse . but these are all so clear , As need no glossing : Onely I will here Touch one for all : A Scot of ancient race , A schollar too , as thou art , liv'd a space In Englands Court , and for some privat hate , A pasquill did against his Countrey wreat , As thou hast done in fouler sort , more full Of vil'd aspersions , from thy phrantick skull . Well then King Iames of lasting memorie , Who could not brook that any calumnie Should be asperst upon his native land , After some tryall there , he gave command , The Lybeller should home go , and sustaine , Of doome unpartiall laws th' unpitied paine . And here being try'd , judg'd and adjudg'd , they fand , That he should losse his head , and faultie hand , Which straight was done in publick view ; and so I thinke the matter with thy self will go . For we do sure expect our Soveraigne Will send thee home , that here thou may'st sustaine , Due punishment : But since that thy offence Is worse nor his , the judges may dispence With headings blow ; and make thee climbe the top Of some curst tree , come down into a rope , Nor shall this one jest more in silence rote . Which carelesse I , had now almost forgot , Of a Polonian Swaine , more curious Nor wise or learn'd , call'd Stercovius . Hither he came clade all in antique sort , Where seen in streets , the subject of a sport , He soone became to childish gazers , who With skriechs and clamours hiss him to and fro , Till forc'd he was with shame and speed to pack him , And to his feet and loathsome cabin take him : Where in a furious and chollerick mood , He nothing breath'd but fire , revenge and bloud , And fondly swore , our nations overthrow , He should adventure , with a suddain blow Of his both pregnant and pernicious pen , Like to a fierce and fearfull powder traine . Thus fraught with furie , home to Pole he goes , To wreak his splen on his imagin'd foes : And there his pen he loos'd , and with more spite , Nor hell had taught him thoughts , he did indite A legend of reproaches , stuf't with lies , Was bold to print , and vent those calumnies , Against the Scots , their manners and their fame , Of purpose to obscure their splendide name , In all that Esterne clyme , and tract of ground , Where squadrons of our Nation did abound , Whence some choise men of ours , did take in hand , To supplicat the Princes of that land , Their wrong for to redresse : so with great paine , Great search , and length of time their point they gaine , For all vaste Teutons states , the Spruch , the Dan , Dispatch , and arme with power some trustie man , Stercovius to pursue in any ground , Take and arraigne him where he may be found , Which is with great turmoile and travell done , Yet things well acted are performed soone : For this slie fox , hunted from hole to hole , At length is catch't , and unresolv'd did thole His head , divorce , which from his body fell Low to the ground , his soule I cannot tell Which way it went , for most unworthie I , That should into th' Eternals secrets pry . Now since by law of Nations , forraigne Princes , Have granted patents throughout their Provinces , A slanderer thus to take and apprehend , Who did a stranger Nation vilipend , What shall our Soveraigne do ? when it be's known , How falsely thou hast lyed against thine own . But now thy piece I must anatomize , And try with Linxes sight what therein lyes ; First for the bulk though spacious to the eye , It 's pesterd with a full hydropisie , And from a liver rotten , drencht , and spent , Poyson for bloud throughout the veines are sent : The frontespiece unmaskes an hypocrite , While thou strives to play the Jesuite , Whence in egregious sort , thou lies , and fails In every point of thy false paralels : Daring compare our true reformed land , Unto the bloud-hound , hell-inspired band Of those , who still are hatching dreadfull things , And hunt the precious lives of sacred Kings . Next with what impudent and flintie face ! Thou makes the bloudy league , a leading cace To our blest Covenant the powerfull mean , God and our Kings true service to maintain . For of that league was not a monster made , A French-like body , with a Spanish head ; Which broach'd that traiterous blot by hels devise , To shake , and sack the glorious flowre de Lice . They traitours were , times stories sure relate , To God and man to Prince , and to the state : We paternes here of love , of truth , of zeal , Oppos'd right in a contrare paralell , Have vow'd , and sworne our lives and goods to spend , Gods truth , our Prince , and countrey to defend : So are thy words like flowres but sap or roote , Which onely to repeat , is to confute . Again thou say'st , we sympathize with thee , And strive t' ecclypse the rayes of Majestie , Pressing what 's proper unto God alone , A Monarchs sacred person to dethrone , Of independent power him to deprive , And call in doubt his high prerogative . To this our talion statute , we oppose , Which doth as treason hatchers judge all those , I. 6. p. 11. c. 49. Who dare accuse , and cannot prove a treason : Thus guiltie thou's be found by law and reason . For since an hundred and eight Kings have sent , To royall Charles a pierlesse monument , A Crown untoucht , since famous Fergus hand , First heald the helme of our sea-bordering land ; And that 'twixt us , and England rivall hate , Like time spent Almanacks , worne out of date , Is turn'd to peace , hatch'd in Eliza's raigne , And consummate by our blest Soveraigne , Thrice sacred Iames , that heaven-predestin'd one , Who should rule Brittaine , long dis-joyn'd alone : And that by Charles late raigne , that love knot ty'de , Should while as time doth last , unloos'd abide : We here before th' Almighty now protest , And by Him swear , that in our loyall breast So damn'd a devilish thought did never enter , But full resolv'd , shall life and all adventure , T' uphold the pillars of that Monarchie , Which destin'd was by Heaven , great Charles for Thee , Brook't by so many Kings , thy brave forbears , Now thirty lesse then twice a thousand years : Nor that against our neighbours was intend , Any invasive power or force to send , But In defence , our royall emblam'd word ; A Lyon crownd , a Scepter , and a Sword , Adorne our armes unstain'd , since Alexander Began to kythe the Eastern worlds commander : A Thistle here is seen , and seems this way , None can unpunisht me provoke to say , Of all these Motto's here unfold the sence , We take no armes but in our just defence : If England will invade , untwist that band , Which long hath keept the one and other land In peace and love , and on our bounds encroach , By sea or land , we must byde their reproach , And then our courage taught by wit and skill , And skill by courage arm'd , resolve we will The hazard of a war to under go , And set our face 'gainst our invading foe , The worlds great Judge no doubt , in whom we trust , Will be our safe-guard , as our cause is just , By him confirm'd , unmoveable we stand , And shall preserve our never conquer'd land . A multitude fit and compos'd in armes , T' invade , or to repell by force , all harmes , Under a certain law , Eips . de militia Rom. dial . 2. an armies call'd , We on this part defensive , unapal'd , Resisting force , are forc'd to take in hand This war , to brook the freedome of our land , As our ancestors old , of farre-spread name , Who trac'd in true record of endlesse fame , Have left that Jewell unstain'd libertie , To be enioy'd by their posteritie . And should not now their fair example tye us , Though all the furies were let loose to try us , The same to doe , and to our off-spring leave , What from our fathers old we did receave ; Lest they should curse these dismale dayes , and say , We did Religion and our State betray . But O His colours shine into the field , To whom we should our lives and fortunes yeeld , And not resist our answers short and plaine , Which as the law of nature all maintaine , To be eternall sure and immutable , An vniversall law , just , firme , and stable : Whence flows that source of laws , which bindeth all , Of Nations , civil , and municipall , What men intend , ( to keep this sweet soft breath Unharm'd by fierce assaults of threatning death ) Is done by law , L. 3. F. de Just. & jure . L. Scientiae 49. § 4. F. ad L. Aquil. and may in their defence , Arm'd force repell , by force and violence : And so defend we should ▪ being forc'd thereto , And in this case all 's lawfull that we do . All faire means are assay'd , our Prince to please , We bend our thoughts the Lyons wrath t' appease , And in a most obsequious Sympathie , We supplicat for peace , we call , we crie , Which if it please him flately to refuse , By this necessity , we cannot chuse But rise in lawfull armes , and not neglect Religion , Laws , and Countrey to protect . A wise man should , Terent. the Comick sooths it so , Try every way before to armes he go , For by one tempest of a civil broyle , Which riseth in a late calme settled soyle , The Prince is more prejudg'd , nor granting to them Much libertie ; yea , though he should undo them , He 's sharesman of the harme , can but obtaine , In end with certain losse , Bacon Es. say 29. uncertain gaine . A forraigne war was well compar'd of late ▪ To heat of exercise into a state , But bad distempers of intestine warre , Like to those bloud-corrupting fevers are ; Then if whole Brittaine in cumbustion be , It followeth sure , the head cannot be free : For in each symptome of a sharpe disease , The head doth with the body sympathize . O had I here the power , the place , the skill , To vent my well-set thoughts , as I have will , By truth emboldned then , I should explaine Our countreys case to my dread Soveraigne , Shew him the path-way , for his joyes encrease , To solace in the multitude of peace , To keep that band untwist , his peoples love , Which is the surest tye a prince can prove , Let pure Religion strength and vigour take , By reason of a state-confirmed act : Give way to justice , and our laws restore Unto the sence and force they were before : Banish foule gamesters flatly from the play , And chase ear-pleasing sycophants away : Unmask their face , and to a tryall bring , The source from whence these poysoned waters spring : And namelie this , and such false lybellers , Seditious sowers of mischief and jarres : Then our inlightned King with favours eye , Through clear , not gommie spectacles shall see Of loyall Subjects , here a heaven-blest brood , In faith , Religion , and alleadgeance good : Then shall Jehova shoure on him his grace , And breath to all his Kingdomes truth and peace : And whiles the sun , light to the world shall bring , A race of Kings from forth his loyns shall spring . Those mang-merd priests , Rabelais cals them so . drunk with the dregs of sin , When they a novice to confesse begin , They make him first bread-band his guiltinesse , And all his sinfull thoughts , words , deeds , expresse : This done , they tax and charge him with such crimes , As never practis'd were in former times ; Thus to that youngling sins are taught and shown , Which heretofore were neither heard nor known . So by that other paralell of thine , Thou cals in question if by power divine , Or peoples suffrage , Monarchs are inthron'd , By whom , and why uncrown'd , and how repon'd , But whiles thou seems t' unmask a veritie , Thou over-shades the royall Majestie , And in quottations hath so farre deborded , That people will beleeve what is recorded , They 'le tender all thou sayst , and not purloyne , But take these vented pieces for good coyne , Their faith is stung , they 'le surely trust these men , So Naive-lie represented by thy pen : And if these errours be , thou dost unfold them , For men cannot beleeve what s never told them . Those tender points thus prest , and other things , Shall make thee sure , a darling unto Kings : But when thy stuffe be's tryde by Lynxes eye , Thou shalt as thou deserves exalted be , As Haman was great in Assuerus Court : But as thou scoffes a Prince , thou makes a sport Of sacred Scripture , and a nose of wax , Causing her rayes on dunghills to reflex : Thus God , the King , Nobles , and people be Scorn'd , wrong'd , detract'd , and rail'd upon by thee , What this deserves , let justice to it look , There needs no ditty , but cast up thy book . Yet since thou didst divinity professe , As by those ragged rapsodies I guesse . From Davids mouth thine errours I proclaime , Unto the world , ar symbols of thy shame : First in a scorners chaire thou sits , Psal. 1. 1. and thus Thou art denyde these blessings pour'd on us , Did ever scorne flow from so foule a mouth , As his , who flouts and scoffes Gods sacred truth . And next , thou shalt not in Gods tents abide , Nor in his all o're-topping hill reside , Since thou hast loos'd the arrows of thy tongue . Psal. 15. 3. And done thy Countrey and thy neighbour wrong . King David hates a two tongu'd hypocrite , Ps. 26. 4. And these that in malicious lyes delite : Thou stiles thy self a Jesuite , and so For a diguised lyar thou must go . That Kingly prophet truely hath foretold , Pl. 31. 18. That thy sharp'd tongue , which is , and hath been bold The righteous to traduce , shall silenc'd be , Hath not this judgement justly ceas'd on thee . And of those curses thou shalt have a share , Ps. 35. 11. Which 'gainst false witnesses pronounced are , Thou art a witnesse false , and strives to move , Our Prince to quite his ancient Kingdomes love . Thou art prohibit with thy lips profane , Ps. 50. 16. Gods sacred will and precepts to explaine , Since thou hast datted flames of infamie , Against their fame , Ps. 50. 20. who brethren were to thee . But here I pause , and leaves the rest to those , Who more exact can pay thee home in prose , Who shall uncace thy waires , let all men know , That they be not upright though seeming so : I 'le onely point at some unwarrant'd places , Which 'mongst thy Paralels thou interlaces . In down right termes , in speeches plain and free , Thou dares defend that thrice damn'd Liturgie , Which had almost intoxicate our State , But is abolish'd and supprest of late , Which is in sound , in sence , in words expresse , The smooth fram'd modell of an English masse . Yet thou forsooth , must by thy pen defend it , Though King and Church , hath simply it suspendit : Thus sure thou wouldst , if urg'd thereto , maintaine The Jewish talmude , Turkish alcorane . In these fore-going theams , Paral. 2. thou proves that we Preasse to supplant a sure-fixt Monarchie , But in the following head , thou speaks beguesse , Paral. 3. And leaves the great point , brands us with the lesse , Forgetfull that a base and lying slave , A good and ready memorie should have . In this our hainous cryme thou qualifies , And looses some small shots of calumnies , Where greatest should be last ) shows our intent , To loose the raynes of Church governement , That Church affairs should not be rull'd by Kings , With many moe absurd , and futill things : So that thou seems to quite , Epanorthosis . what 's first and past , And by correcting takes thee to the last . But to that speech we answer all in one , Our King 's chief ruler of the Church alone , And hath such power in that government , J. 6. p. 18. c. 1. & p. 20. c. 6. As is explain'd by acts of Parliament , From which true Subjects never can debord , So of both states he is the Soveraigne Lord . Then with a daring boldnesse , thou reviles That sacred name , and with base skurrill stiles , ( Though in a roguish comick jesting sort ) Thou makes of it a sceane , a skuff , a sport , And calls him onely executioner Of laws , Pag. 11. and worse , a servile officer , Or H. and least that this for thine should go , Thou scoffing tells that men will say it 's so : Thus trac'd thou hast by thy pernicious pen , What never yet was said or thought by men . A fellow here was pinioned on hie , This was Ard. Cornuall a town officer . Convict for high contempt of Majestie , Whiles his Prince portrature expos'd to seal , He on a gibbet hung , fixt with a naile : And though the poore soule harbour'd no intent His King to wrong : yet his dire punishment ( So precious is the shadow of a King ) Was seal'd , that he on that curst tree should hing , And that the long-fixt tree should be o're throwne , Burnt , and its ashes in the aire be blowne ; How can our Prince then brook that round-spun speech , Whiles thou makes men compare him to an H ? Till the like doome passe on thy book and thee , As on that pannell and his fatall tree . Then thou at randome runnes in full carriers , Darting thy spite against our noble Peirs , Against our Pastours , and the common sort , Extracts the Chimick substance of a sport : And like that houling hel-hound Cerberus , Thou barks not simply at our cause , and us , But dares disgorge thy hell invenom'd splen , Against the splendor of heroick men . Shall famous Lesly now become the scope Of thy envy , or thinks thou to unprope His sure fixt worth , whose truely noble spirit , Whose wit-mixt valour , whose transcending merit , Hath imp't his vertue in the wings of fame , And rear'd eternall trophies to his name , Is tryde to be , and so styl'd in all parts , A never conquer'd , conquerour of hearts , Is woo'd by kings , who would their states assure From all disasters , so they could procure His stay with them , ( by his directive aid ) In all exploits to be their martiall head . Then here thy tainted conscience is appeal'd , If thou esteem him truely paralel'd , With damn'd Loyola , authour of that sect , Who did such hyreling as thy self infect With bloud-imbrued maximes of Estate , For that red front , thy war presaging hate , The programe of thy book , declares a will , So thou hadst power thy mothers bloud to spill : Since each draught of Loyola limn'd by thee , And thus compared , proves an arrant lie , As who would paralell this raying light , With that dark shaddow of the sable night , Or purer white with black , or good with evill , Man with a beast , an angel with a devill . It 's known our Generall is of noble birth , Of famous parents sprung , in place and worth , Excelling whiles they liv'd : but in their son , Thryce happy two , that left us such a one ; To whom the heavens their treasures did impart , A Cupids body , and a Marses heart ; Of mixt heroick gifts a sympathie , Courage with grace , valour with modestie . Then like a swinish base pedantick slave , Rachel Arnot . Thou makes thy snout dig in a Matrons grave , Snuff at her asses , though now ne're there be , Since she did change her mansion lusters three . Blinde mole taine in thy work , harsh screaching oule , Thou bankrupt chyding beast , thou envy's soule , That strives to byte heavens guest , a glorious ghost , Who in Coelestiall boures amid the host , Of glory raying angels , doth receave Such joyes as God can give or man can crave . Curst be thy pen , Levit. 19. 14. curst thy immortall hate , For envie should prove stinglesse after fate , So all thou writes are hellish calumnies , Which take their influence from the prince of lies : Curse not the deaf , ( this sacred text I finde , Nor cast a stumbling block before the blinde , The Lord forbids thee this , ( the precept 's plaine ) I 'le not obey , thou answers him again , But will offend and curse , ( thy words are clear ) The blinde and deaf , that neither see nor hear . And thus far I : the rest I leave to those Whose divine thoughts and pen can well disclose . Thy devilish caball , hell-inspired Art , And snares to trap thy mother , pierce her heart . Who thus complains of her unnaturall son , personating a Jesuite , and who hath dispersed ( under that guise ) false calumnies against the whole Estates of Scotland , and so deserves that punishment set down in Scripture , Exod. 21. 17. That pasquiller that would me thus disgrace , And with such spyte , spit in his mothers face . Gods curse attends him , threatned by his word , O then I crave , that Justice scales , and sword May weigh and punish : may my native Prince Try and revenge his guilt , and his offence . And now thou King of kings , inthron'd above , By whom Kings raigne , by whom they live and move , Inspire in my Prince breast , a sprite of peace , And shoure on him thy favours and thy grace , Command , Lord , thy Vice-gerent , tell him plain , He should thy truth , and calme of peace maintain . He cannot force belief , let him secure Thy divine worship here , as true and pure . Appease his wrath , let not my Lyon roare , Nor dart his thunder on his native shore , So we shall praise Thee , who for ever raignes , And whose transcending power all powers restraines . FINS .