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Rebellion's Downfall

[by John Quarles]

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REBELLION'S DOWNFALL.

Justitia Regis, Pax est populorum, Tutamen patriæ, immunitas plebis, temperies aeris, serenitas Maris, Terræ fæcunditas, solatium paupuram, Cura laguorum, Gaudium hominum, hariditas Filiorum, et sibimet ipsi spes futura beatitudinis. Greg. Mor. 5.

Behold how Blood-hown-Vengeance hath at last
Unlodg'd Security, and over-cast
Prospirous Rebellion, which so long hath blaz'd
Like a prodigious Commet, and had rais'd
Vice to so high a pitch, that Vertue seem'd
As 'twere imposible to be redeem'd
From sad Captivety, till Heav'n thought good
To tracke Rebellion by the guiltless blood
Of Martyr'd Charles which hath betray'd, though late,
The worst of Traytors to the worst of Fate;
Now they may see by this their sudden fall,
That slow-pac'd Judgment is the worst of all:
A prosperous Vice serves only to delude
Like Fatious Fire, the gazing Multitude.
How hath this Nation bin a long time us'd
To these false Lights, how sadly bin abus'd
And led by them out of the quiet way
Of Peace, and Cheated by a yea, and nay:
Rebellion (like a monstruous Hydra) spreads,
Till Judgment, at one blow, cuts off her heads.
Thankes be to Heaven, that hath in Mercy brought
Israel, from Egypt, who, a long time wrought
Vnder the fatall Task-masters, whose Law
Made us make Bricks, yet took away our Straw;
Moses and Aron (partners in this woe)
Could not prevaile to let the Children goe.
Pharaoh was still perfidious, Yet the God
Of our blest Jacob, with his Iron-rod,
Scourg'd Pharaoh and his Hoast, and made them know
That Israel must not stay, if Heav'en bids go;
Yet this Jle say of Pharaoh and his Powers,
Though ours were Saints, yet his were Saints to ours:
Thankes be to Heav'en for this most happy day,
Judgments Red-Sea hath washt them both away;
Strange alteration! Pharaoh being drown'd
In his own Floods, our Israel is Crown'd;
Let not the Children grumble, or account
Their labours lost, Moses is in the Mount,
He will prevaile to wash away this staine,
If like Lotts wife we looke not back againe;
He will prevaile with God in our behalfe,
If Aron does not make a golden Calfe:
Our Foes we see, if we observe, with care
Like Absalom are hang'd in their own haire;
Rebellion leaves them underneath the Oake,
Whilst Justice (like to Joab) gives the Stroake:
But David mournes (thinking what they have bin)
Not for their punishment, but for their sin;
When Vengance comes in hast it will not stay,
Like Pioneers, it cuts out Judgments way;
The Arke thus won, let David dance before it,
And, like the Isralites, we will adore it:
Thus as our David, with a faithfull Sling
Hath kill'd Goliah, let our David sing
As David did, My God which dwells on high
Hath done this good for Jsrael, not I;
He hath redeem'd us from our great distress,
And led us from Rebellions Wilderness:
Now may the Isralites declare and tell
They were deliver'd by a Miracle;
Mercy preserv'd them from the fatall brinke
Of death' nay and the [illeg.] make them drinke;
Heav'en sent them [illeg.] all the ground was spred
With Manna, like a [illeg.] their bread;
Is it not meet that those which liv'd so long
With Israels mercy; should sing Jsraels Song?
But yet there are some Jsralites forgot,
As they suppose, that drew the longest Lot
In our late Miseries, who now repine,
Being glad of Water, that expected Wine;
Some that were never constant to their Vows
They say, now snatch the Manna from their mouths;
But Moses does not know how they are fed,
Some having all, and others wanting bread:
They say Desert goes wandring up and down
Being loath t'intrench too much upon the Crown:
Since Heav'en in Judgment hath rewarded Treason,
True Loyalty will never out of season,
Though at the present we are something lame
(Being Fortunes Criples) we are still the same,
'Tis not within the power of griping sorrow
To make us good to day, and bad to morrow;
We are no old State-Juglers, that can be,
Honest for gaine, or else nescessitie:
But hold, I shall be chidd, but 'tis no matter,
A Pen too full of Jnck, may some time scatter,
And leave a blott or two; and so has mine,
But J'le not write my selfe into a Line:
Therefore, as God hath out of mercy sent
Our Soveraigne home againe, let's rest content,
And not with fruitless petulancies bring
Upon our heads, the anger of our King,
Lest God, whose goodness, takes delight to save,
Should take in Judgment, what his mercy gave:
Let us rejoyce that our (once hopeless) eyes
Doe see the downfall of our Enemies.
Now Charles the great, and good, hath purg'd the Land
And Rules his Subjectes with a prosperous hand;
Let us be thankfull, that in him are blest,
Time, and conveniency, will worke the rest.
Qæsitor selerum veniet vindexque reorum,
Qui Commissa suis rimabitur argumentis,
In lucemique trahet, tacitaque licentia fraude,
Hinc etiam immitis tortor pœnæque minister,
Et quisque vero favit, culpamve perodit,
Proditur, atque alio qui iurgia Pectore tollat.
By John Quarles.
FINIS.