The vicar of Bray

1. In good king Charles’s golden days,
 when loyaltȳ* no harm meant,
A furious high church man I was,
 and so I gained prefėrment.
Unto my flock I dailȳ preached
 kings are by God appointed,
And damned are those who dare resist,
 or touch the Lord’s anointed.

Chorus:
And this is law, I will maintain
Unto my dying day, sir,
That whatsoever king shall reign,
I will be vicar of Bray, sir!

2. When royal James possessed the crown,
 and pop’rȳ grew in fāshion,
The penal law I hooted down,
 and read the declaration:
The Church of Rome I found would fit
 full well my constitution,
And I had been a Jesuit
 but for the revolution.

Chorus

3. When William our deliv’rer came
 to heal the nation’s grievance,
I turned the cat in pan again,
 and swore to him allegiance.
Old principles I did revoke;
 set conscience at a distance;
Passive obedience is a joke;
 a jest is nonresistance.

Chorus

4. When glorious Anne became our queen,
 the Church of England’s glorȳ,
Another face of things was seen,
 and I became a Torȳ.
Occasional conformists base
 I damned and moderation,
And thought the church in danger was
 from such prevarication.

Chorus

5. When George in pudding time came o’er,
 and moderate men looked big, sir,
My principles I changed ōnce more,
 and so became a Whig, sir.
And thus prefėrment I procured
 from our faith’s gre͞at defender,
And almost every day abjured
 the pope and the pretender.

Chorus

6. The illustrious House of Hanover
 and protestant succession,
To these I lustilȳ will swear
 whilst they can keep possession.
For in my faith and loyaltȳ
 I never ōnce will falter,
But George, my lawful king shall be,
 except the times should alter.

Chorus