A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering 14
“What! Still _ye Whigs_ uneasie!
Will nothing cool your brain,
Unless Great _Charles_, to please ye,
Will let _ye_ drive his Wain?
That _Peer-less_ House of Commons,
So zealous for the Lord,
Meant (piously) with some on’s
To flesh the Godly sword.”
(_A Tory in a Whig’s Coat._)
One of the most popular “counter-blasts” to the Whig pretensions is
embodied in the following parody, which enjoyed considerable favour,
though not equal to Andrew Marvell’s diatribes “on the other side:”--
“A LITANY FROM GENEVA,
IN ANSWER TO A LITANY FROM ST. OMER.
“From the force and the fire of th’ Insolent Rabble
That would hurl the Government into a Babel,
And from the nice fare of the Mouse-starver’s table,
_Libera nos Domine_.
“From a surfeit occasion’d by Protestant feasts
From Sedition for sauce, and Republicks for guests,
With Treason for Grace-cup, or Faction at least,
_Libera nos_.
“From the blind Zeal of all Democratical tools,
From Whigland, and all its Anarchical rules,
Devisèd by knaves and imposèd by fools.
_Libera nos._
“From Parliamentarians, that out of their Love
And care for his Majesty’s safety, would prove
The securest way were his Guards to remove.
_Libera nos._
“From a Protestant Church where a Papist must reign,
From an Oxford Parliament call’d in vain,
Who because Fitz-Harris the plot would make plain,
Was dissolv’d in a fit and sent home again.
_Libera nos._”
The newly elected parliament, the materials of which were equally
unpalatable to the Court party, was summoned to meet in October, 1679,
but, prorogued during the royal pleasure, it did not actually meet
until October 21, 1680. The interval was marked by the presentation of
loyal addresses and petitions for its reassembling. Further prorogued
on the 10th of January, it was dissolved on the 18th, to be followed by
the “Oxford Parliament” of eight days, which was dissolved on March 28,
1681. The nation saw itself on the verge of civil war, and, remembering
what it had suffered--while opposing the encroachments of the Crown
and autocratic exactions--from the opposite extremes of anarchy and
fanaticism, the people were resigned to temporize, and thus Charles was
allowed to rule without a parliament until his death.
The following satire is well-founded, and pertinent to the prevalent
state of affairs:--
“THE STATESMAN’S ALMANACK.
Being an excellent new Ballad, in which the qualities of each
month are considered, whereby it appears that a parliament
cannot meet in any of the old months; with a proposal for
mending the Calendar. Humbly offered to the packers of the next
parliament,”
--which, as it fell out, never reassembled during the reign of the
Merry Monarch. The rhymster, after rehearsing the sufficient reasons
why every month, from January to December, is unfitted, according to
the royal inclinations, for the assembling of a parliament, concludes
with a prayer by way of--
EPILOGUE.
“Ye Gypsies of Rome
That run up and down,
And with miracles the people cozen,
By the help of some saint
Get the month which you want
And make up a baker’s dozen.
“You see the old Year
Won’t help you ’tis clear,
And therefore to save your Honour,
Get a new Sun and Moon,
And the work may be done,
And ’fore _George_ it will never be sooner.”
The political squibs of this time are chiefly written by Cavaliers,
and give a one-sided view, from which, however, much may be gathered.
Though not actually election addresses, they refer to the claims which
the electors of the kingdom found themselves constrained to address to
the throne.
Among the collection of “Bagford Ballads,” so capably edited and
illustrated by J. W. Ebsworth, M.A.,[12] is a group of parliamentary
election ballads, apparently of the date 1679-80, and relating to
Essex, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire, and the Universities. The Titus
Oates plot; the Duke of York and his threatened exclusion from the
succession; the impeachment by the Commons of a secretary of State, of
Lord Danby, lord-treasurer; with the opposing designs of the Papists
and the rabid Dissenters; and, above all, the petitions and the
counter-petitions, seem the leading topics of these satires: but they
do not contain much enlightenment upon elections, pure and simple.
“The Essex Ballad,” humorously explains the _modus operandi_ of the
“abhorred” petitions.
“In Essex, much renowned for Calves,
And giving verdicts in by halves,
For Oysters, Agues, and for Knaves
Of Faction,
One Peer, and men of worship four,
With gentlemen some half a score,
Did draw in ten Dutch Ells of Bore
To Action.[13]
The Squire, whose name does famous grow
As Marcus Tullius Cicero,
And keeps true time with Sir A. Carew
And Ashley.[14]
As freely gave himself his hand,
As once his voice to rule the Land
By such as should not understand
Too rashly.
The Rout, that erst did roar so loud,
A Mildmay and a Honeywood,[15]
Are of their choice now grown so proud
You’d wonder:
And these State-Tinkers must be sent
To stop the leaks of Government,
Grown crazy now, and almost rent
In sunder.
His Honour first set all his hands,
Each member next in order stands;
The rabble, without ‘ifs and ands,’
Sub-scratch it.
The Cause, not obsolete, though old,
Like Insects lay in winter cold,
And warm Petitions (they were told)
Would hatch it.
Corn bore a price in Cromwell’s days,
Nor did we want a vent for bays;
Nay, even calves were several ways
Advanced.
And then we fear’d not wicked plots,--
The Godly serv’d to cut our throats,
Though agents for the Pope, as Oates
And Prance[16] said.
Those reasons did so much prevail,
That they petition’d tooth and nail,
To have the Sovereign strike sail,
And stand by:
While th’ Parliament had sate some years,
To drive out Pope with Presbyteers,
And try the Babylonish Peers
And Danby.”[17]
The grievances of the petitioning constituencies are farcically
rehearsed, the king is prayed that he will not “quite forget the
Senate,” and the writer goes on to describe the signatories of this
“Anti-Popish Bull.” When all hands had been set to the roll, it was
found that--
“Several yards of fist,
Were wanting to complete the list
_Sans scruple_.
Those scholars that could write, they bribe
To prompt and proxy every side;
And these did personally subscribe
_Centuple_.
But now the time draws on apace,
And member itches for his place,
The knights and gentlemen five brace
Assemble;
And brought the muster-roll to Court
Tho’ Charles did hardly thank ’em for’t;
But made ’em with a sharp retort
To tremble.
Now God preserve our King and Queen
From Pyebald Coats and ribbons green,
Let neither knave nor fool be seen
About ’em.
And those that will not say _Amen_,
Let ’em petition once again,
For every one, the Shire has ten
To rout ’em.”
“Ribbons green,” were the badges of the Protestant Association, at the
head of which was Shaftesbury, “the popular favourite,” or “Sejanus,”
as his enemies designated him. _Vide_ “A Litany from Geneva:”--
“From Saucy Petitions that serve to inflame us,
From all who for th’ Association are famous,
From the _Devil_, the _Doctor_, and the d----d _Ignoramus_,
_Libera nos Domine_.”
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