Alexander Brome

For General Monk, His Entertainment at Clothworkers' Hall

Ring, bells! and let bonfires outblaze the sun!
Let echoes contribute their voices!
Since now a happy settlement's begun,
Let all things tell how all good men rejoice.
If these sad lands by this
Can but obtain the bliss
Of their desired, though abusëd peace,
We'll never, nevermore
Run mad, as we've heretofore,
To buy our ruin, but all strife shall cease.

The cobbler shall edify us no more,
Nor shall in divinity set any stitches,
The women we will no more hear and adore,
That preach with their husbands for the breeches.
The fanatical tribe
That will not subscribe
To the orders of church and of state,
Shall be smothered with the zeal
Of their new commonweal,
And no man will mind what they prate.

Chorus.
We'll eat and we'll drink, we'll dance and we'll sing,
The Roundheads and Cavs, no more shall be named;
But all join together to made up the ring,
And rejoice that the many-headed dragon is tamed.
'Tis friendship and love that can save us and arm us,
And while we all agree, there is nothing can harm us.