MacLean, Gerald, editor. The Return of the King : An Anthology of English Poems Commemorating the Restoration
of Charles II / edited by Gerald MacLean
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library
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Giles Duncombe
A Counter-Blast to the Phanaticks
after 24 December
Check the "Gulielmus Duncombe" who wrote Latin verses to Charles in the Cambridge volume at sigs. G2v-G3, signing himself as of "Coll. Regal. Soc." ie Kings College
Since Duncombe's poem was composed after the deaths of both Prince Henry (13 September) and Mary, Charles's sister (24 December, 1660), the "phanaticks" of the title are, presumably, those involved in the conspiracy that came to be known as "White's Plot" of December: see C. H. Hells Master-piece discovered.
Duncombe has some claims upon being considered an early Augustan. The English Augustan style often found its early models in the religious satires and political poetry written during the first Civil War (Doody 198?). See the headnote to Scutum Regale.
These disorganized couplets recall Cowley's "Satire Against the Separatists" and the anti-sectarian passages of The Civil War.
A
COUNTER-BLAST
TO THE
PHANATICKS,
Those Prodigious Catter-pillers, Hatcht by the Jesuits, whose Father is the DEVIL,
and God-Father the POPE.
On their last Insurrection against the Life of his most Sacred MAJESTY, CHARLES the
Second, KING of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
HOw? the Phanaticks sway? they stab the King!
Dam'nd fools! could they imagine such a thing?
Then, sprats shall conquer whales, the guilty Owle,
The Eagles, and the Mice shall Lyons rule.
5: Courage my friends, Phanaticks, like Venus mole,
Doe add a lustre to a Loyall soule.
Like Wisps, which scoure better Vessels, They
Doe brush our sinns, and then are cast away.
They are but sauce to sweeter meat; by their
10: Vices, more pleasing our Virtues are:
Spawned by Belzebub, brought up from Hell,
In Christ his Name, Christianity to Quell:
King Jesus they are for, (so th'damned Crew,
That Murther'd him, was for King Jesus too)
15: Fond Bedlams! what! could they think that Heaven,
Would taint the world with Phanatick leaven?
That Christ would be Crown'd, King, and Soveraigne,
By'th'wicked, silly, base Phanatick Traine?
Are these St. John's, to cry, make straight the way,
20: And in the mean time Murther, Kill and Slay?
Think they, that God, his servant Charles would save
From Tyrant Oliver's, and grander Rebels grave?
To give him up, to such poor Mirmydons, as these,
Whose very looks would breed a new Disease.
25: Away, vile brood of Hereticks, go tell,
Your master Jesuits (those Imps of Hell)
That force of Gun-powder 1 could not destroy,
Nor hurt, the sacred line of Charles le Roy:
Much less such Schismaticks, as you; whose race
30: Is unto Dunn?, and Tyburne a disgrace. 2
But, why should I blurr paper with such blots
Of impudence, the Kingdoms pest, and spots;
Dreggs of the baser sort, whose only fame,
Is to act wickedness, in God's good Name?
35: My Muse, abjure such Dunghill birds, as they,
And leave them to infernal Hawkes a prey.
Behold! your gracious King! whom I am sent,
To give all honest Israelites content:
The Royal line! and their mirac'lous fate!
40: These, these, are best for thee to Celebrate.
'Tis true, two branches of the Royal Oake,
Are past 3 to Heaven by the Fatall stroak
But three remaine; thus God doth grace,
Both Men and Angels with the Royal race.
45: Phanaticks judge their death a curse for sin, why?
Because for sin 'tis that Phanaticks dye,
Yet sure, if none but sinners dye, why fade
Phanatick Saints? for what was heaven made?
But cease my daring Muse; the very word
50: Phanatick, makes a true man draw his sword:
'Tis able to hatch Witches, nay make Pluto
Doubt where he's the greatest divel, or no:
He's a single Devil, but in this one,
Phanaticks, dwell more then a Legion.
55: 'Tis sins Epitome, of ignorance the summe
Of Evils genus generallissimum.
Like Sampsons Forces by the tail, All sin,
And sects do joyn in a Phanatick's skin:
Phanatick, and not be poysomned, to quote,
60: A man had need first drink an Antidote.
But since such Vermin hang, and Charles doth Reign,
I'le sing the praise of my Dread Soveraigne:
Who thought a Prince disguis'd, or sun 'ith clouds,
He sojourned a while with forreign Crouds:
65: Yet now his Own have Owned him their King,
All Nations to his grace shall homage bring.
Kings, nay victory it self, shall deem it pride,
To be made subject unto such a guide:
His presence is a heaven, in him's the summe,
70: Of all our hopes, past, present, and to come:
Comparisons by him get a degree,
For he is greater then, he greatest, He
Hath made the Gods seem impotent, for they
Can't give us greater blisse, then Charls his ray:
75: Nor Rider's words, 4 nor Tulli's Eloquence,
Can half expresse his grand magnificence,
Hee's more then Men or Angels can rehearse,
The face and Pha/enix of the universe.
In briefe.
He doth as farre Excell all men in Piety,
80: As the Phanaticks doe in Villany.
Giles Duncombe of the Inner Temple Gent.
Author of Scutum Regale, the Royall
Buckler. Or, Vox Legis, a Lecture
to Traytors.
London, Printed Anno Dom. 1660.
[1] Gunpowder treason.
[2] see TR. The Royall Subjects Warning-piece to all Traytors: "You must to Squire Dun / except [?] repent."
[3] Since the Restauration
[4].úúPresumably a reference to Thomas Rider's, The Black Remembrancer For the Year of our Lord God, 1661. Containing divers remarkable Things, profitable and necessary to be known by all sorts of persons (London, Printed by Tho, Johnson, in the Year of Restauration). Thomason dated his copy on Monday, 8 October [LT 669.f.26(18)]. It lists the judges at the trial of Charles I, those who gave evidence, the various lord mayors of London and the Major Generals, Cromwell's privy council and those exempted from pardon by the Act of Indempnity, together with various astrological dates.