Page:The works of Anne Bradstreet in prose and verse.djvu/421

 Old Efigland and New. 335

Whatfalfe reports, what nick-names did they take [196]

Not for their own, but for their Mailers fake /

And thou poor foul, wert jeer'd among the reft,

Thy flying for the truth w^as " made a jeft.

For Sabbath-breaking, and for drunkennefs,

Did ever land profanefs more exprefs ?

From crying blood yet cleanfed am not I,

Martyres and others, dying caufelefly.

How many princely heads on blocks laid down

For nought but title to a fading crown ?

'Mongft all the crueltyes by great ones done^

Of Edwards youths, ^ and Clarejice haplefs fon,

Jajie why didft thou dye in flowring prime ? Becaufe of royal ftem, that was thy crime. For bribery Adultery and lyes,''

Where is the nation, I can't parallize.

With ufury, extortion and oppreflion,

Thefe be the Hydraes of my ftout tranfgrefllon.

Thefe be the bitter fountains, heads and roots.

Whence flow'd the fource,the fprigs,the boughs & fruits

Of more then thou canft hear or I relate.

That with high hand I ftill did perpetrate:

For thefe were threatned the wofull day,

1 mockt the Preachers, put it far away; The Sermons yet upon Record do ftand That cri'd deftru6tion to my wicked land :

o \. p which I have done, l Oh, Edxvards Babes,

r For Bribery, Adultery, for Thefts, and Lyes,

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