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[Ye true-born Englishmen proceed]

1.
1 YE True-Born Englishmen proceed,
2 Our trifling Crimes detect,
3 Let the Poor starve, Religion bleed,
4 The Dutch be damn'd, the French succeed,
5 And all by your Neglect.
2.
6 Your actions all the World disgust,
7 The French are only glad,
8 Your friends your honesty distrust,
9 And while you think you're wise and just,
10 The Nation thinks you mad.
3.
11 Are these the ways your wisdom take,
12 To raise our reputation?
13 To quarrel at a few mistakes,
14 Whilst France their own advantage makes,
15 And Laughs at all the Nation.
4.
16 You are the People who of old
17 The Nations Troops disbanded,
18 And now you should your Friends uphold,
19 Your Friends and you are bought and sold,
20 As always was intended.
5.
21 There's none but Fools in time to come,
22 Will Trust the English Nation;
23 For if they do, they know their doome,
24 That we'l be falling out at home,
25 And baulk their Expectation.
6.
26 You are the Nations grand defence,
27 Against Illegal power,
28 And yet against both Law and Sence,
29 And sometimes too without pretence,
30 You send folk to the Tower.
7.
31 Some Lords your anger have incurr'd,
32 For Treaty of Partition,
33 But if you'l take the Nations word,
34 Most People think it was absurd,
35 And empty of discretion.
8.
36 For if that Treaty as 'tis fam'd,
37 Gave part of Spain to Gaul,
38 Why should those Gentlemen be blam'd,
39 When you your selves are not asham'd,
40 To let them take it all.
9.
41 Bribes and ill practices you found,
42 And some few felt your power,
43 But soon you run your selves aground,
44 For had you push'd the matter round,
45 You all had gone to th' Tower.
10.
46 Some Reformation hath from you,
47 In vain been long expected,
48 But when you shou'd the business do,
49 Your private quarrels you pursue,
50 And th' Nation lies neglelcted.
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11.
51 Long has the Kingdom born the weight
52 Of your deficient Funds,
53 That Parliamentary publique cheat,
54 Pray where's the difference of that
55 And Plundering with Dragoons?
12.
56 Are you the People that complain
57 Of Arbitrary Power?
58 Then shew the Nation if you can,
59 Where Kings have been since Kings began,
60 Such Tyrants as you are.
13.
61 When Kings with right and Law dispence,
62 And set up Power despotick,
63 It has been counted Law and sence
64 To take up Arms against our Prince,
65 And call in aids Exotick.
14.
66 But you, although your Powers depend
67 On every Plowman's Vote,
68 Beyond the Law that Power extend,
69 To ruine those you should defend,
70 And sell the Power you bought.
15.
71 The King Religion did Commend
72 To you his Law-Explainors,
73 We know not what you may intend,
74 Nor how you should Religion mend,
75 Unless you will your Manners.
16.
76 You are the Nations darling Sons,
77 The abstract of our Mobb,
78 For City Knights and Wealthy Clowns,
79 Stock Jobbers, Statesmen and Buffoons,
80 You may defye the Globe.
17.
81 Toland insults the Holy Ghost,
82 Brib'd S—r bribes accuses,
83 Good Manners and Religion's lost,
84 The King who was your Lord of Host,
85 The Raskal H—w abuses.
18.
86 Your Statesman G—lle with intent
87 To Cultivate with care,
88 The dignity of Parliament
89 Plyes closely at the Dancing tent,
90 And manages May-Fair.
19.
91 The True-Born Heroes diligence
92 For publique good appears,
93 There he refines his Wit and Sense,
94 That the next day in our defence
95 May fill Committee Chairs.
20.
96 The limitation of the Crown
97 Is your Immediate care,
98 If your Wise Articles go down,
99 Your Power will be so Lawless grown,
100 'Tis no matter who's the Heir.
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21.
101 Did we for this depose our Prince,
102 And Liberty assume,
103 That you should with our Laws dispense,
104 Commit Mankind without Offence,
105 And Govern in his room?
22.
106 You shou'd find out some other word
107 To give the Crowns Accepter,
108 To call him King wou'd be absurd,
109 For tho' he'l seem to wear the Sword,
110 'Tis You have got the Scepter.
23.
111 And now your wrath is smoaking hot
112 Against the Kent Petition,
113 No man alive can tell for what
114 But telling Truths which pleas'd you not,
115 And taxing your Discretion.
24.
116 If you those Gentlemen detain
117 By your unbounded Power,
118 'Tis hop'd you'l never more complain
119 Of Bishops in King James's Reign,
120 Sent blindly to the Tower.
25.
121 A strange Memorial too there came,
122 Your Members to affront,
123 Which told you Truths you dare not name,
124 And so the Paper scap'd the Flame,
125 Or else it had been burnt.
26.
126 Some said the Language was severe,
127 And into Passion flew,
128 Some too began to curse and swear,
129 And call'd the Author Mutineere,
130 But all men said 'Twas True.
27.
131 But oh! the Consternation now
132 In which you all appear!
133 'Tis plain from whence your terrours flew,
134 For had your guilt been less you knew,
135 So would have been your fear.
28.
136 In Fifteen Articles you're told
137 You have our Rights betray'd,
138 Banter'd the Nation, bought and sold
139 The Liberties you shou'd uphold;
140 No wonder you're afraid.
29.
141 And now to make your selves appear
142 The more Impertinent,
143 A wise Address you do prepare,
144 To have his Majesty take care
145 Rebellion to prevent.
30.
146 No doubt his Majesty will please
147 To take your Cause in hand,
148 Besides the work is done with ease,
149 Full Seven Thousand Men he has
150 The Nation to defend.
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31.
151 One hundred Thousand Heroes more
152 Do our Train'd Bands compose,
153 If foraign Forces shou'd come or're,
154 Plant them and you upon the Shoar,
155 How bravely you'l oppose.
32.
156 Then blush ye Senators to see
157 How all men stand dismay'd,
158 The Nation shou'd so patient be,
159 To bear with all your Villany,
160 And see themselves betray'd.
33.
161 It was our Freedom to defend,
162 That We the People chose you,
163 And We the People do pretend
164 Our power of Choosing may extend
165 To punish and depose you.
34.
166 For since in vain our Hopes and Fears,
167 Petitions too are vain,
168 No Remedy but this appears,
169 To pull the House about your Ears,
170 And send you home again.
35.
171 These are the Nations Discontents,
172 The Causes are too true,
173 The Ploughman now his Choice repents,
174 For tho he values Parliaments,
175 He's out of Love with You.
36.
176 When to be chose with Caps in hand
177 You courted every Voice,
178 You were our Servants at command,
179 By which it seems you understand,
180 Untill we made our Choice.
37.
181 If that be True, we let you know
182 Upon that very score,
183 You'd best your present Hours bestow
184 In all the Mischiefs you can do,
185 For We'l ne're choose you more.
FINIS.

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Title (in Source Edition): [Ye true-born Englishmen proceed]
Author: Daniel Defoe
Themes: glory of the British nation; other countries
Genres:

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Source edition

Defoe, Daniel, 1661?-1731. Ye true-born Englishmen proceed: Our trifling crimes detect, ... London: , 1701, pp. 1-4. 4p.; 4⁰. (ESTC T71763; Foxon Y10; OTA K060836.000)

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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.