In a vision, it seem’d that the chariot of time
Was roll’d back till I stood in the ages of erime,
When the king was a despot, who deem'd with his nod
He would cancel the bond, bound a nation to God.
The religion of Christ, like a lamb took its flight,
As the horns of the Mitre wax’d powerful in might,
And the prelates with priesteraft men’s spirits enchain’d,
Till they fear’d to complain when their heart s blood was drain’d.
Stern law made religion no longer a link
The soul to sustain on eternity’s brink;
But the gold of the gospel was ehanged to a chain,
The spirit of Scotland to eurb and restrain:
A political bridle the people to cheek,
When the priest or the prince ehose to ride on their neek;
For churchmen a chariot in splendour who roll'd,
At the poor man’s expense, whose salvation they sold.
From the eourt, over Seotland went forth a decree—
“Let the Kirk of the north to the king bend the knee:
To the prince and his priesthood divine right is given,
A seeptre to sway both in earth and in heaven.
“Let no one presume from the pulpit to read
The Scriptures, save eurates by courtiers decreed;
At their peril, let parents give precepts to youth,
Till prelates and prayer-books put words in their mouth.
And none ’mong the hills of the heather shall dare
To meet in the moorlands for praises and prayer;
Nor to Heaven in private prefer their request,
Except as the prince shall appoint by the priest.”
The nation of Knox held the mandate accurs’d:
(He the fetters of popery and priestcraft had burst-
With the stamp of his foot brought their towers to the ground,
Till royalty trembling shrunk back when he frown d.
And Melville, the fiery, had fearlessly dar’d,
In a prince’s own presence his priesthood to beard.
On the archbishop’s head made his mitre to shake.
And the circle of courtiers around him to quake.)
So Scotland’s Assemblies in council sat down,
God’s word well to weigh with decrees of the crown:
