So like the man; so golden to the sight,
So base within, so counterfeit and light.
This quote from the first stanza, taken out of the description of the medal itself contains the main message of the poem. The narrator is no friend of the recipient of the medal whose face it depicts, describing him as base and treacherous. While this is part of the main description of the medal, the content foreshadows the harsh critique found in the later parts of the poem.
The man who laughed but once, to see an ass
Mumbling to make the cross-grained thistles pass,
Might laugh again to see a jury chaw
The prickles of unpalatable law.
The start of the second stanza describes the stance of the narrator towards the judgement made by the high court. With a colorful metaphor he clearly states that the judgement was morally wrong, as only someone who enjoys seeing something in pain can enjoy watching the judges misinterpret the law.
Thy nobler parts are from infection free.
Of Israel's tribes thou hast a numerous band,
But still the Canaanite is in the land.
This section of the third stanza uses biblical historical groups to describe the situation of the great city of London. It is clear that the narrator sees a clear distinction between those parts that are clean (faithful to the king) and those that are infested with treachery. Using this metaphor, with the intended, educated and Christian audience in mind, the comparison to the Canaanites hits hard. The narrator cleanly divides London up into two distinct sections, namely those that are true believers and therefore faithful to the king and those that follow their more base desires in treachery.
