Miscellaneous Poems, with some Remarks on the Death of King Charles the II And the Happy Succession of King James the II. In a Poem to the Magistracy of England. By John Whitehall |
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To the Honourable Magistracy of England, Short Remarks on the Death of King CHARLES II. and the happy Succession of King JAMES II.
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 | Miscellaneous Poems, with some Remarks on the Death of King Charles the II |  |
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To the Honourable Magistracy of England, Short Remarks on the Death of King CHARLES II. and the happy Succession of King JAMES II.
[I.]
Ye Wise, ye Great, ye Valiant Worthies, Hail!Hail to the Gown and Sword!
True Friends and Servants of our breathless Lord
Why do ye look so drooping and so pale?
Why do ye start and tremble so?
Why do so many doubtful grow?
What more then what is done could we wish Heav'n to do?
Peace to the Sacred Dust.—But wipe off Tears:
By this Mankind may see,
Death is impartial, frail Mortality,
And Monarchs have a limit to their Years.
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II.
Most wondrous was the Nature of his Death,And the distinction of his Fate
Was marvellous and great,
When he resign'd his Breath.
Returns from Death are deny'd common men
But when His summon'd Soul was on the wing
He sojourn'd back agen
To give us all the blessings of a King:
Witness, y'Eternal Pow'rs above,
How tender was this Monarchs Love!
Who would awaken after his decease,
Of Immortality himself divest,
And break his Welcom, his Eternal Rest,
To bless the wav'ring Land with happy Peace.
III.
Be chearful then (Great Souls) let only such despairWho do the Justice of their Monarch fear;
Such who can teach Rebellion with a Zeal,
Who inward motions of Sedition feel,
Who bless the Halcyon-days of Anarchy,
Who Plot, (but fruitless their Designs will be)
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And the old Chaos of a Commonwealth renew:
Let them despond this day to see,
While Ye from Faction free
Enjoy your old Pindarique Liberty,
Whose Honours are engag'd thus much to do,
To guard the King, whose Sacred Life's a Guard to You.
IV.
In the imagination of the CrowdBritain like Daniel's short-liv'd Leopard fell;
And 'twould have pleas'd the Factious Rabble well,
Had Heav'n so much allow'd:
Into a wild Confusion, they
Would cast the shaken Nation; in a Flood
Of Royal Blood
Design'd t'have wash'd the Crown away,
And have brought Bondage in for Liberty,
Might such things licens'd be,
Might Art so much on Nature win,
To extinguish fixed Stars; or to keep Meteors in
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V.
But lo! our Monarchs care,Who would not see the Empire ravish'd, and
By our forc'd Mother stand,
As though he unconcerned were:
But when with an extreme immoderate heat
He found the frantick world begin to burn & sweat,
YOU, ye Noble Souls, he chose,
Whose Loyalty should cancel those
Who a Friends name did bear,
Yet basely did design to play the Ravisher.
VI.
He did Himself (e're all was to Confusion hurl'd)From Faction the Augæan Stables clear;
While He the Crown did wear
He calm'd the stormy world.
Seditious Waves did cease to roar;
Fanaticks and his Passions he had tam'd so well,
'Twas difficult for either to Rebell:
His Justice conquer'd many, but his Mercy more.
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VII.
He sleeps: however ballance Grief with Joy,For Providence designs not to destroy,
But the succeeding Prophet Heaven will
With the dead Prophet's Spirit doubled fill,
And here's Elisha for Elijah still.
How great the Wound? how healing was the Balm?
How fierce the Storm? how timely was the calm?
What two extreams of Joy and Grief we find?
As this weighs down, so that supports Mankind.
VIII.
With this well season'd Act of Providence'Tis easy to dispence,
Britain may bear it with an even sence.
Propitious Heav'n hath been wondrous kind,
And hath great Blessings for the Land design'd,
To take the best of Kings, & leave the best behind.
Oh happy, mourning Isle,
Which hast an equal cause to weep and smile,
Had not this humbling grief been here allow'd,
Excess of Joy would have made Britain proud,
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How great a Monarch rose? how great a Monarch fell?
IX.
Happy Succession! He who th' Crown doth wearIs more than barely of the Kingdoms Heir,
His Brother's Majesties were all his due,
Honours to his vast Soul no limits are,
He will Inherit all his Vertues too.
Peace and Religion Darlings of the Dead,
His dearest best twin Favourites shall find
This Monarch (like his Promise) merciful and kind,
By him they'l be (as his own Off-spring) nourished.
This fresh Addition to our Triumph brings,
And makes me here engage Whitehall shall be the KING'S.
| Miscellaneous Poems, with some Remarks on the Death of King Charles the II | |