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, 
Ill 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. 

The Vicar of Bray 437 

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 evry 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! # 

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 Moreover, the song is far from outdated, even 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 

a The English poem is cited from Joseph Ritson, A Select Collection of English 
Songs, in three volumes, 2nd ed., Vol. II, London, 1813, pp. 141-43, For Engels’ 
German translation of this poem see Note 491.— Ed. 

change of monarch. But we Germans have, above our many 
political vicars of Bray, a true Pope of Bray,’ who demonstrates his 
infallibility by himself radically overturning the entire political 
doctrine at ever decreasing intervals. Yesterday free trade, today 
protective tariffs*”; yesterday freedom of craft, today compulsory 
guilds; yesterday Kulturkampf,*” 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”