 | An Elegie On the Death of the most Illustrious Prince, Henry Duke of Glocester |  |
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AN ELEGIE On the Death of the most Illustrious PRINCE, HENRY DUKE of GLOCESTER.
Some Princes Lives, such cold affections bred,That we do scarce repent their being Dead,
And such in different greifes attend their Rights,
As they were not their Funerals, but our Sights.
Herse, Scutchins, Darknesse, the pale tapers blaze;
All that invites our first, or after gaze;
The Nobles, Heraulds, Mourners sable-clad;
These make a solemne pompe, but not a sad.
But to Your Obsequies Deere Prince! we come,
As they that would beg Tenements in your Tombe.
And by our genuine sorrowes seek to prove,
Those Indians wise that die with those they love.
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VVhich make Thee dead so long, while yet alive.
And by as cruel method, as unjust.
Bury Thee first in Exile, then in Dust.
Thy sufferings Inventary rose so high,
There scarce was other left Thee, but to die.
And this was that in all his rage and storme,
Though Cromwel wisht, he trembled to performe.
VVhen pawzing here after Thy slaughter'd Sire,
He seem'd to fear this was to murder High'r.
And bathing his black soule ith' sacred flood,
He durst gorge Royal, but not tender blood.
VVhere then shall Innocence in safety sit?
VVhen a disease it selfe doth Cromwel it.
If a distemper our complaints may beare,
And we may fix a reverent quarrel there:
Nere to be reconcil'd, pursue we still
Thy fate, that did with more then slaughter kill.
The sharp disquiets of an aking brain,
A heart in sunder torne, yet whole to pain.
Eyes darting forth dimme fires, instead of sight;
At once made see, and injur'd by the Light;
Faint pulse; and tongue to thirsty cinders dry'd:
VVhen the reliefe of thirst must be deny'd.
The Bowels parcht, limbs in tormenting throwes
To coole their heat, while heat from cooling growes.
Slumbers which wandring phansies keep awake,
And sense not lead by objects, but mistake;
Most feavers Limbecks though with these they burn,
They leave the featur'd carcasse to the Vrne,
But thine was borne of that offensive race,
Arm'd to destroy, she first strove to deface.
And then to close her cruel tragick part,
She slew against the augury of Art.
No adversary could worse spight display.
Since it is lesse to Kill, then to betray.
Twas savage beyond fate: for others lie,
Dead of Disease, you of Recovery,
And we may fix a reverent quarrel there:
Nere to be reconcil'd, pursue we still
Thy fate, that did with more then slaughter kill.
The sharp disquiets of an aking brain,
A heart in sunder torne, yet whole to pain.
Eyes darting forth dimme fires, instead of sight;
At once made see, and injur'd by the Light;
Faint pulse; and tongue to thirsty cinders dry'd:
VVhen the reliefe of thirst must be deny'd.
The Bowels parcht, limbs in tormenting throwes
To coole their heat, while heat from cooling growes.
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And sense not lead by objects, but mistake;
Most feavers Limbecks though with these they burn,
They leave the featur'd carcasse to the Vrne,
But thine was borne of that offensive race,
Arm'd to destroy, she first strove to deface.
And then to close her cruel tragick part,
She slew against the augury of Art.
No adversary could worse spight display.
Since it is lesse to Kill, then to betray.
Twas savage beyond fate: for others lie,
Dead of Disease, you of Recovery,
All shipwracks horrid are; but yet none more,
Then that, which for its witnesse takes the shore.
Affronts, plots, scandals, false freinds, cold Allyes,
Then that, which for its witnesse takes the shore.
Exiles, wants, tempests, battails, rebels, spies,
Restraints, temptations, strange aires; in all these
VVas there no Feaver, no maligne Disease?
The Royal Line (England this brand must weare.)
Suffer abroad, but perish only here.
So to the sun the Phœnix doth repaire,
Through each distemper'd Region of the Aire.
Through swarms of Deaths she there victorious flies,
But in her cruel Nest she burnes, and dies.
Had You resign'd your late afflicted breath,
VVhen life it selfe lesse lovely was then death;
VVhen the kind graves did but receive our Care,
And the survivers only wretched were:
Our greedy Interests might tempted be,
To call Thy vertues back, but hardly Thee.
VVhen life it selfe lesse lovely was then death;
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And the survivers only wretched were:
Our greedy Interests might tempted be,
To call Thy vertues back, but hardly Thee.
But now when Vines drop wine from every trunk,
To chear their owners, not make Rapine drunk:
Our goods find out our unfrequented hands:
And Crimes make persons guilty, and not Lands.
VVhen widdowes houses are no more a meale,
And Churches spoiles are sacriledg, not zeale.
VVhen our beloved yet Dread Soveraigne Head,
Is Crown and Guard to all, but to the Dead.
VVhat Niobe can waile your mournful fate?
Snatcht from the best of Kings, and happiest State.
The Publick peace, and Your own large content,
In you just Brothers equal Government;
Had rais'd so rich an odour to Your sense,
That growing time had tane You sated hence.
But to depart under four Months Returne,
To land in England, to prevent your Vrne;
Seems their disaster, who a blisse might shape,
But loose their deere enjoyments, by a Rape.
To chear their owners, not make Rapine drunk:
Our goods find out our unfrequented hands:
And Crimes make persons guilty, and not Lands.
VVhen widdowes houses are no more a meale,
And Churches spoiles are sacriledg, not zeale.
VVhen our beloved yet Dread Soveraigne Head,
Is Crown and Guard to all, but to the Dead.
VVhat Niobe can waile your mournful fate?
Snatcht from the best of Kings, and happiest State.
The Publick peace, and Your own large content,
In you just Brothers equal Government;
Had rais'd so rich an odour to Your sense,
That growing time had tane You sated hence.
But to depart under four Months Returne,
To land in England, to prevent your Vrne;
Seems their disaster, who a blisse might shape,
But loose their deere enjoyments, by a Rape.
And now, most wretched we! who state our woe,
By Thy afflictions, and Thy vertues too.
By Thy afflictions, and Thy vertues too.
Thy Infancy our cruelty forbore,
Made thee an early Captive, and no more:
Kisses that had from Princely Parents fell,
From servile lips seem'd then supply'd as well.
Nor could Thy sufferings then excite Thy moane,
Since sufferings are no sufferings when unknown.
Made thee an early Captive, and no more:
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From servile lips seem'd then supply'd as well.
Nor could Thy sufferings then excite Thy moane,
Since sufferings are no sufferings when unknown.
Thy Childhood, that their nobler cares protect.
VVho strive to show, but are forbid respect.
VVhile rude ones seek by a misbred Resort
To rase out all thy lines of Birth or Court.
That tutor'd out of Prince, You might be sent
Into a common-people Banishment.
But thrift reclames that project, eyes the heap
Of Thy expence, and bids thee perish cheap.
Posts Thee, ere least debasement could appeare
A Gemme to forraigne states, a burden here.
So the rude VVaves, fraught with a costly peece
Of rich, but Sea-neglected Amber-greece:
Doe, rowling, drive that fragrant billow thence:
A perfume to the ravisht finders sence.
VVho strive to show, but are forbid respect.
VVhile rude ones seek by a misbred Resort
To rase out all thy lines of Birth or Court.
That tutor'd out of Prince, You might be sent
Into a common-people Banishment.
But thrift reclames that project, eyes the heap
Of Thy expence, and bids thee perish cheap.
Posts Thee, ere least debasement could appeare
A Gemme to forraigne states, a burden here.
So the rude VVaves, fraught with a costly peece
Of rich, but Sea-neglected Amber-greece:
Doe, rowling, drive that fragrant billow thence:
A perfume to the ravisht finders sence.
Abroad the wide Improvement of Thy parts,
Drew in so fast the dewes of Tongues and Arts;
That both in Thy accomplishments were spent:
Arts were Thy fortresse, Tongues Thy ornament.
Learn'd Latine, graceful speech and high of Spain,
The courtly French, the clean Italian vain,
'The Vncouth Duth, these Languages were known
Indenizon'd as Natives with thy own.
Drew in so fast the dewes of Tongues and Arts;
That both in Thy accomplishments were spent:
Arts were Thy fortresse, Tongues Thy ornament.
Learn'd Latine, graceful speech and high of Spain,
The courtly French, the clean Italian vain,
'The Vncouth Duth, these Languages were known
Indenizon'd as Natives with thy own.
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Those Arts where least advantages are found,
Ev'n those You did Descry, but would not Sound.
Historians who record the life of Fame,
And regester each good or vicious Name,
You from their sacred Annals did resume
Great past examples, for your life to come.
VVise Navigators that disclose each creek,
And in the more known world, the unknown seek,
In their discoveries You imbark Your oares;
Because the Seas do most concerne these shores.
By Your severer choice selecting thus,
VVhat was most Vseful, not most Curious.
Ev'n those You did Descry, but would not Sound.
Historians who record the life of Fame,
And regester each good or vicious Name,
You from their sacred Annals did resume
Great past examples, for your life to come.
VVise Navigators that disclose each creek,
And in the more known world, the unknown seek,
In their discoveries You imbark Your oares;
Because the Seas do most concerne these shores.
By Your severer choice selecting thus,
VVhat was most Vseful, not most Curious.
Amid'st Your bright Imbellishments beside;
If Truth or Education were Your guide,
Became a sifting Quære: a dispute
That will Afflict the world, but ne're confute.
Some to their climes beliefe, their faith do owe:
VVhich is to be Perswaded; but not Know.
You (at fifteen) this evidence did advance,
Religion was Your Iudgment, not Your Chance.
If Truth or Education were Your guide,
Became a sifting Quære: a dispute
That will Afflict the world, but ne're confute.
Some to their climes beliefe, their faith do owe:
VVhich is to be Perswaded; but not Know.
You (at fifteen) this evidence did advance,
Religion was Your Iudgment, not Your Chance.
Ere eighteen, two Campagnes, Your Courage veiw,
And Dunkirks fight: so fam'd for York, and You.
'Bout one and twenty we arrived see
And Dunkirks fight: so fam'd for York, and You.
Others at Age, You at Æternity.
FINIS.
| An Elegie On the Death of the most Illustrious Prince, Henry Duke of Glocester | |