The work goes bonnely on

THE WORK Goes Bonnely on .

GOd-a mercy good honest Blew-beard , for giving a Text at least ( when Funerall Sermons were not in custome ) to these glorious and illustrious Martyrs , sacrificed for their good conscience to GOD and the KING , at Glasgow , St. Andrews and Edinburgh , hurried hence in Seas of Blood , with this your plaudite , The Work goes bonnely on .

But now blessed be God , the Covenant and all belongs thereto hath catch't a fall , a fearfull fall ! and the hideous imposturs , in pretence of Reformation , being now ignominiously blasted , may change their tune , but keep the words , The Work goes bonnely on boy's .

It were cruelty to make use of the Text now , when the Covenants Champion is put to a retreat , leaving one Guthry a Remonstrator Minister , and another Giffin his ruling Elder to follow in a depending way ; and yet it 's impossible at all such occasions but you shall hear in every ones mouth , The Work goes bonnely on .

One would think ( at lest a good Protestant ) that the reading of holy Scripture , singing Psalms before Sermons , the using of the Lords Prayer , rehearsing the Apostolick Creed at Baptism , giving glory to God at the end of Psalms , and using of Prayer morning and evening in Congregations , were good and bony works , but the good Synod ( which is none of the learned'st ) where Blew-beard is a member , hath rejected such works , when tendered to them by a noble Person , for which he dissolved their Synod , and so their work went scurvily on . Now , if these who refuse such things had not need of Over-seers , any man may judge , unless you 'l say the sheep needs no Sheepherd , and that 's ill again .

May 29. ( a day by Order of Parliament , ordered to be kept as a holy Day of Thanksgiving , for the signal Mercy 's wherewith it is honoured ) the good Town of Edingurgh , after the whole morning had been spent in all the Churches of the Town , and in Scotland , in Devotion , carried on their Work merrily and cheerfully . Sermon ended in the Parliament House before His Grace , and the whole Members , preach't by that Worthy and Loyal Divine , Mr. Robert Lawrie , happy at this time , both in confirming proselyt Royalists and convincing Covenanted Fanaticks . Sir Robert Murray Lord Provost , accompanied with the other Magistrates and Common Council , conducted the Lord Commissioner with all the rest of the Parliament , to the great Hall of King JAMES His Colledge ; where at the entry he was welcomed by Mr. Lighton Principal of the place , with a Latine Speech , which with other pieces of Poetry are printed by themselves . Here was prepared by the City of Edinburgh a most sumptuous and magnificent Feast , that it was thought by many , and these witty Travellers , that all Europe could not out-do it : It 's order was admirable , without the lest of confusion , ( ordinary at such publique Solemnities ) though the number of the Sitters was very great . Not Sitters at Glory to the Father . The Lord Provost and all other the Magistrates discovered such jollity and chearfulnesse that cannot be exprest , all the Royal healths being accompanied with continual Canonado's from the Castle , and thus The work went bonnily one .

In the Banquet presented to the Lord Commissioner and the Members of Parliament , there was a most rare artificial Orange Tree placed before his Grace , and he pulling the Orange was next him , found within it this following ORATION .

Heroick Sir ,

ALbeit I am one of the most sens-satisfying creatures , which owes their birth and being to the glorious Sun , and am one of the Spaniards Rodomontade boasts , when his sarabanding fancy capers in its Zenith ; Yet Sir , I was not so vain , as to esteem my native qualities , or admired value , sufficient to recommend me to your Highness touch , without Robes of suggar : Thereby likewise intending to acknowledge , that your Royal Masters Dominions ( whose bowels are so liberal of suggar ) can highten the delicacies of Spain . I believe , Sir , the world knows , that those of my tribe , are ordinarily propogated by these rayes , who have in their Commission , to transubstantiat earth in gold ( a transubstantiation which Puritanes themselves will not challenge ) Yet finding , that in their journey , they are able to gratifie Ladies , Princes , and such Heroes as you . ( Great Sir , ) By our nativity they imbrace the earth , kisses it , and courts it hotly to concur to our generation . It is alleaged likewise , that the Sun exhals the Beauties of the Ladies both of Portugal and Spain , meerly and mostly to beautifie us . And such is the respect we have from the greatest Potentates of the world , that they are most content to admit us to their Table : And Ladies likewise rate our fellowship so highly , that they will not refuse us their hands , when they refuse them to their dearest Gallants : And such is our approven secrecy , that they will suffer us to be near them , when they are imployed most satisfyingly . I will speak nothing of our charity in going about to visit the sick , nor of our skill in healing them ; nor yet of our eloquence in perswading the queasie stomacks of green-sicknessed Ladies , nor yet how we are content to fall from the breast of our mother Trees , that we may visit you of these Countries .

Nature ( Sir ) in requital of that unparallel'd improvement you have made of her endowments , hath , to evidence her gratefull resentment , gone out of the high road of custom ; and for your Highness honour and satisfaction , hath fashioned this lovely Tree which you see , and whereof I am a depender : Heaven and Earth , albeit they have of a long time , stood at a great distance , ( the Sun looking still but coldly , cloudily and angrily upon this climat ) yet both have concurred in this complement , Heaven contributing heat , and Earth its most refined substance : And albeit Portugal be our chief mannour place , yet we are grown up here to assure the Subjects of these Dominions , that Portugal fruit may grow in this Isle , if the ground be well cultivate : providence intends to send you a Cien from thence , which , when grafted upon a good stock , will ( we hope ) both Blossome and Budde to your admiration , and posterity shall say , — Non deficit alter aureus , Et simili frondescet virga metallo .

WE may ( Sir ) pretend some interest in your Royal Master , as in the Uncle of that Noble Prince , whose Progenitors chose us for His princly Title . And in you , Sir , as one whose sword may prove the supporter of His Throne ; If the Belgick Lyon should begin to tare at it with his warlike Tusks ; And then the Sea should be an Escutcheon , which shall bear two Lyons contre-saliant . For we see that your Prince hath beautified your Shield with a Lyon rampant , to simbolize your courage , and to point at your respect to your Royal Master ; that Lyon though rampant , is willing to barrier himself within two threeds ( called by the French fillets ) of a double treasure , because they are enriched with Flower de luces , from which , as being a part of the Royall Badges , He stands at some distance . Your name doth Caballistically suit with Your Armes , for JOANNES MIDLTONVS anagrammatized , is , Leo es non imitandus . Pardon me ( Sir ) for divesting your name of it's Robes of honourable Titles ; for I did it , that it might breath a little the air of Applause . Writers alledge , that the Lyon is still in a feaver of courage ; imploy us ( Sir ) to cool a little that heat : and seing you are now in the Sun-shine , and summer of peace , quench these unnecessary , though noble flames , till the Winter of War begin to storm ; which cannot be whilst your Great Master shines like the Sun in the signs of Virgo and Leo. Your humour doth Janus-like , look with a two faced providence to Peace and Warre ; And since Janus , his Temple was closed , ye have merited moe Lawrells from the hands of Themis , 〈◊〉 the Em●●●or wrote ●●●tutes , cal●●● Novellae , ●●●ause writ●●● after all the ●●●er Laws . then Mars had to bestow upon you : and these noble Statutes which ye have touched by your Sceptered hand , shall for ever be Novellae Leonis to this Kingdom . And we wish that the Lyon of your Armes , in recompense of this service , did like the Lyon which the Venetians bear , carry a book in his claws in-signed with this inscription . GOD save the KING .

Out of an Ark of Corde-citron , flew a Dove with an Olive branch in its mouth , carrying this ensuing Scroll , with a great many more other curiosities ; invented and composed by that skilfull Artest Robert Mein .

My Lord ,

MY great Grandam was twice commission at by your Masters great Grandfather , and common Father to you all , the Soveraign of the second World . She discharged her first Commission honestly , as your Grace did yours , ( and by her I claim some affinity with you ) she did not like the Corbie Messenger that went before her ; she return'd the first time to her Master re infecta , because she found no rest for the sole of her foot , for the waters were over the face of the whole Earth : Your Grace , in like manner , was first sent out by your Master , to see if the waters of Rebellion were abated over the face of this Land , but you found no rest for your foot , though you alighted upon Mountains as high as Ararat , for the Flood had raised it self above all those too ; therefore you did very honestly return , and like my great Grandmother , gave your Master a perfect accompt . But Noah stayed yet other seven dayes , and then again sent my Grandmother out of the Ark , who finding the waters abated , and the Earth ready to receive her Masters Commands , returned with an Olive leaf in her mouth , the true Emblem of Peace and Tranquility .

My Lord , even just so , after other seven dayes , counting according to the Prophets , a year for a day , as if by a Platonick revolution , our times re-acted these of the great Deludge . Your Glorious King , whom , like another Noah , God had marvelously preserv'd as in an Ark , from the universal inundation of these Lands , sent out your Grace the second time with the like Commission as my Grandmother had ; and indeed she did as much as was possible for any that could not speak , the Olive leaf spake fully for her : But your Grace , I must confess , hath out-gone her wonderfully , you have made the Earth to shout , and the Aire to resound the glad tydings of Peace and Prosperity ; you have sent His Majesty before your own return , several Branches of the Olive , you stay a little longer your self , till you levell the Mountains and make the Valies flourish like the Gardens of Hesperiades , and having subdued the watchfull Dragon of Rebellion , you command the golden apples of due obedience to lawfull Authority : So may Jerusalem again have Peace within her walls , and Prosperity within her gates ; and so may your Royal Master with the permission of His greater Affairs , desire in better times to revisit the mansions , where one hundred and nine of His Progenitors have been born , and transmitted a Monarchicall Crown to him through the decursion of twenty Centuries .

GOD save your KING .

Nothing was wanting in the Good Town at this splendid Solemnity , whereby they might witness their Loyal Affections : for after the Entertainment , then begun the breaking of Glasses about Bonfires , which were so great , that a Whigumire Elder in going alongst the Streets was cured of a French Scruby , which he had purchased at a Family Exercise , with a Remonstratrix ; and so his Work went Bonnily on .

WE carry not on the work alone , for our Loyal Brethren in England performes their part , as may be seen by this following extract , out of their publick Intelligencer , after he had at large descrybed the Order of the Great Montrose his Funerall .

And here we cannot but minde you ( and we cannot forbear ) that the same day that the bloody Covenanters condemned the immortal James Marquess of Montrose to that bloody Execution ( viz. May 20. ) was the same day , that the most honourable House of Peers ordered the Solemn League and Covenant it self to be burned by the hand of the common Hangman ; the Order it self is in haec verba

Die Lunae , 20. Maii , 1661.

THe Lords in Parliament Assembled , having considered of a Paper sent unto them from the House of Commons , for Burning of the Instrument or Writing , called , The Solemn League or Covenant by the hands of the common Hangman ; Do Order that the said Instrument or Writing , called , The Solemn League and Covenant , be Burned by the hand of the Common hangman in the New Palace at Westminster , in Cheapside , and before the Old Exchange , on Wednesday the twenty second of this instant May. And that the said Covenant be forthwith taken off the Record in the House of Peers , and in all other Courts and places where the same is Recorded ; And that all Copies thereof be taken down out of all Churches , Chappels , and other publick places in England and Wales , and in the Town of Barwick upon Tweed , where the same are set up .

May , 22.

This day ( according to Order of both Lords and Commons ) tha● pernicious Oath , called the Solemn League and Covenant was burned by the hand of the Common hangman in the New Palace Westminster , in Cheapside , and at the Old Exchange : The executioner ( to give the hangman his due ) did his part perfectly well ; for having kindled his fire , he tore that Solemn League into very many pieces : first burn'd the Preface , and then cast each parcel solemnly into the fire ; lifting up his hands and eyes , not leaving the least shread , but burn'd it root and branch ( what a damnable wicked Covenant was this , that makes us applaud the very hangman for burning it ) This is that fatal Oath born in Scotland , and fed in both Kingdoms with the blood and lively hood of more thousand Christians then this Oath had words ; for you formerly were told that this Covenant consists of that Beastly number of 666 words , neither more nor lesse .

And while we speak of Bonfires ( happy for Great Britain if this Fire had been kindled in 1643. ) We must remember that this day seven-night ( May 29. ) is the Anniversary of the Birth of our most gracious Soveraign King CHARLES the Second , which by Act of Parliament is to be set apart and solemnized through his Majesties Dominions ; a Proclamation for that purpose is already in the Press ; and let us add one Faggot to the Bonfire , that the 29. of May was the day ( 1549. ) that the Book of Common Prayer was first established , as sure as on that day His Majesty this time twelvemonth ( after nineteen years absence ) came in triumph to Whitehall , whom God in mercy to these unhappy happy Kingdoms , grant long to reign over us , and a Blister on that tongue that will not say , AMEN .

And to put a greater lustre on the Bonny Work , some Loyal and Ingenious spirit hath composed this Madrigal , which I could wish were apted to the tun of , The Work goes bonnily on : In time our reverend Hang-man Jocky Dunmoor may have such another divertisement by its mother , and then the Work , without doubt , will go bonnely on .