Page:Poetical Works of John Oldham.djvu/115

Rh The faithful band, whom I and Home have chose, The last support of our declining cause; Whose conquering troops I with success have led 'Gainst all opposers of our Church and Head; Who e'er to the mad German owe their rise, Greneva's rebels, or the hot-brained Swiss; Revolted heretic!, who late have broke And durst throw off the long-worn sacred yoke; You, by whose happy influence Rome can boast A greater empire than by Luther lost: By whom wide nature's far-fetched limits now, And utmost Indies to its crosier bow.
 * 'Go on, ye mighty champions of our cause,

Maintain our party, and subdue our foes; Kill heresy, that rank and poisonous weed, Which threatens now the church to overspread; Fire Calvin, and his nest of upstarts out, Who tread our sacred mitre under foot; Strayed Germany reduce; let it no more The incestuous monk of Wittemberg adore; Make stubborn England once more stoop its crown, And fealty to our priestly sovereign own; Regain our church's rights, the island clear From all remaining dregs of Wickliffe there. Plot, enterprize, contrive, endeavour; spare No toil nor pains; no death, nor danger fear; Restless your aims pursue; let no defeat Your sprightly courage, and attempts rebate, But urge to fresh, and bolder, ne'er to end Till the whole world to our great Caliph bend; Till he through every nation everywhere Bear sway, and reign as absolute as here; Till Rome without control or contest be The universal ghostly monarchy.
 * ’Oh! that kind Heaven a longer thread would give,

And let me to that happy juncture live: But 'tis decreed!'at this he paused and wept, The rest alike time with his sorrow kept: