55. F. Engels. The Vicar of Bray
In good King Charles's golden days
When loyalty no harm meant, A zealous high-church man I was,
And so I got preferment: To teach my flock I never miss'd,
Kings are by God appointed, And damn'd are those that do resist.
Or touch The Lord's Anointed, And this is law I will maintain,
Until my dying day, Sir, That whatsoever king shall reign,
I'll be the vicar of Bray, Sir.
When royal James obtain'd the crown,
And popery came in fashion, The penal laws I hooted down,
And read the Declaration: The church of Rome I found would fit
Full well my constitution; And had become a Jesuit,
But for the Revolution. And this is law, &c.
When William was our King declar'd,
To ease the nation's grievance; With this new wind about I steer'd,
And swore to him allegiance: Old principles I did revoke,
Set conscience at a distance; Passive obedience was a joke,
A jest was non-resistance. And this is law, &c.
When gracious Ann became our queen,
The Church of England's glory, Another face of things was seen,
And I became a Tory: Occasional conformists base,
I damn'd their moderation; And thought the church in danger was,
By such prevarication. And this is law, &c.
When George in pudding-time came o'er,
And moderate men look'd big, Sir, I turn'd a cat-in-pan once more,
And so became a Whig, Sir; And thus preferment I procur'd
From our new faith's-defender; And almost ev'ry day abjur'd
The Pope and the Pretender. And this is law, &c.
Th'illustrious house of Hanover,
And Protestant succession; To these I do allegiance swear—
While they can keep possession: For in my faith and loyalty,
I never more will falter, And George my lawful king shall be—
Until the times do alter. And this is law I will maintain,
Until my dying day, Sir, That whatsoever king shall reign,
I'll be the vicar of Bray, Sir!(1)
The above song is probably the only political folk song to have remained in favour in England for more than 160 years. This is largely attributable to its fine tune, which is still sung everywhere today. Moreover, the song is far from outdated, even with regard to present-day conditions in Germany. Though, in the meantime, as is only fit and proper, we have made some progress. The good vicar of the original had only to turn his coat at every change of monarch. But we Germans have, above our many political vicars of Bray, a true Pope of Bray,(2) who demonstrates his infallibility by himself radically overturning the entire political doctrine at ever decreasing intervals. Yesterday free trade, today protective tariffs[492]; yesterday freedom of craft, today compulsory guilds; yesterday Kulturkampf,[493] today off to Canossa ^ with flying colours — and why not? Omnia in majorem Dei gloriam (All for the greater glory of God), which in German means: everything in order to extract more taxes and more soldiers. And the poor little vicars have to go along with it; they have to "jump through the hoops", as they themselves put it again and again, and often, at that, without compensation. With what scorn our stern old vicar would look down on these puny successors of his — he, who was genuinely proud of the courage with which he maintained his position through every storm!
Fr. Engels(3)
Endnotes
[492] See Note 337.
[493] 4i» See Note 27.