Comedies, Tragi-comedies, With other Poems by Mr William Cartwright ... The Ayres and Songs set by Mr Henry Lawes |
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Upon the death of the Right valiant
Sir Bevill Grenvill Knight.
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 | Comedies, Tragi-comedies, With other Poems |  |
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Upon the death of the Right valiant Sir Bevill Grenvill Knight.
Not to be wrought by Malice, Gain, or Pride,
To a Compliance with the Thriving side;
Not to take Arms for love of Change, or Spight;
But only to maintain afflicted Right;
Not to dye vainly in pursuit of Fame,
Perversly seeking after Voice and Name;
Is to resolve, fight, dye, as Martyrs do,
And thus did he, Souldier and Martyr too.
To a Compliance with the Thriving side;
Not to take Arms for love of Change, or Spight;
But only to maintain afflicted Right;
Not to dye vainly in pursuit of Fame,
Perversly seeking after Voice and Name;
Is to resolve, fight, dye, as Martyrs do,
And thus did he, Souldier and Martyr too.
He might (like some reserved men of State,
Who looke not to the Cause, but to it's Fate)
Have stood aloof, engag'd on neither side,
Prepar'd at last to strike in with the Tide:
But well-weigh'd Reason told him, that when Law
Either's renounc'd, or misapply'd by th'awe
Of false-nam'd Patriots, that when the Right
Of King and Subject is suppress'd by Might;
When all Religion either is refus'd
As meer Pretence, or meerly as that us'd,
When thus the fury of Ambition swels,
Who is not Active, Modestly Rebels.
Whence in a just esteem to Church and Crown,
He offered all, and nothing thought his own:
This thrust him into Action, whole and free,
Knowing no Interest but Loyalty;
Not loving Arms as Arms, or Strife for Strife;
Nor wastfull, nor yet sparing of his Life;
A great Exactor of himself, and then,
By fair Commands, no less of other men;
Courage and Judgment had their equall part,
Counsell was added to a generous heart;
Affairs were justly tim'd, nor did he catch
At an affected Fame of quick dispatch;
Things were prepar'd, debated, and then done,
Not rashly broke, or vainly overspun;
False Periods no where by design were made,
As are by those that make the War their Trade;
The Building still was suited to the Ground
Whence ev'ry Action issu'd full and round.
We know who blind their men with specious Lyes,
With Revelations, and with Prophesies,
Who promise two things to obtain a third,
And are themselves by the like motives stirr'd.
By no such engins he his Souldiers drawes,
He knew no Arts but Courage, and the Cause:
With these he brought them on as well train'd Men,
And with those two he brought them off agen.
Who looke not to the Cause, but to it's Fate)
Have stood aloof, engag'd on neither side,
Prepar'd at last to strike in with the Tide:
But well-weigh'd Reason told him, that when Law
Either's renounc'd, or misapply'd by th'awe
Of false-nam'd Patriots, that when the Right
Of King and Subject is suppress'd by Might;
When all Religion either is refus'd
As meer Pretence, or meerly as that us'd,
When thus the fury of Ambition swels,
Who is not Active, Modestly Rebels.
Whence in a just esteem to Church and Crown,
He offered all, and nothing thought his own:
This thrust him into Action, whole and free,
Knowing no Interest but Loyalty;
Not loving Arms as Arms, or Strife for Strife;
Nor wastfull, nor yet sparing of his Life;
304
By fair Commands, no less of other men;
Courage and Judgment had their equall part,
Counsell was added to a generous heart;
Affairs were justly tim'd, nor did he catch
At an affected Fame of quick dispatch;
Things were prepar'd, debated, and then done,
Not rashly broke, or vainly overspun;
False Periods no where by design were made,
As are by those that make the War their Trade;
The Building still was suited to the Ground
Whence ev'ry Action issu'd full and round.
We know who blind their men with specious Lyes,
With Revelations, and with Prophesies,
Who promise two things to obtain a third,
And are themselves by the like motives stirr'd.
By no such engins he his Souldiers drawes,
He knew no Arts but Courage, and the Cause:
With these he brought them on as well train'd Men,
And with those two he brought them off agen.
I should I know track him through all the Course
Of his great Actions, shew their worth and force;
But although all are handsome, yet we cast
A more intensive Eye still on the last.
Of his great Actions, shew their worth and force;
But although all are handsome, yet we cast
A more intensive Eye still on the last.
When now th' incensed Legions proudly came
Downe like a Torrent without Bank or Dam:
When undeserv'd success urg'd on their force;
That Thunder must come downe to stop their Course,
Or Greenvill must step in; Then Greenvill stood,
And with himselfe oppos'd, and check'd the Floud.
Conquest or Death was all his thought. So fire
Either o'rcomes, or doth it self expire:
His Courage work 't like flames, cast heat about,
Here, there, on this, on that side, none gave out;
Not any Pike in that renowned Stand,
But tooke new force from his inspiring hand:
Souldier encourag'd Souldier, Man urg'd Man,
And he urg'd all; so much example can:
Hurt upon hurt, wound upon wound did call,
He was the But, the Mark, the Aim of all:
His Soul this while retir'd from Cell to Cell,
At last flew up from all, and then he fell.
But the devoted stand enraged more
From that his Fate, ply'd hotter than before,
And proud to fall with him, sworn not to yeeld
Each sought an honour'd Grave, so gain'd the field.
Thus he being fall'n, his Action fought anew;
And the Dead Conquer'd, whiles the Living slew.
Downe like a Torrent without Bank or Dam:
When undeserv'd success urg'd on their force;
That Thunder must come downe to stop their Course,
Or Greenvill must step in; Then Greenvill stood,
And with himselfe oppos'd, and check'd the Floud.
Conquest or Death was all his thought. So fire
Either o'rcomes, or doth it self expire:
His Courage work 't like flames, cast heat about,
Here, there, on this, on that side, none gave out;
305
But tooke new force from his inspiring hand:
Souldier encourag'd Souldier, Man urg'd Man,
And he urg'd all; so much example can:
Hurt upon hurt, wound upon wound did call,
He was the But, the Mark, the Aim of all:
His Soul this while retir'd from Cell to Cell,
At last flew up from all, and then he fell.
But the devoted stand enraged more
From that his Fate, ply'd hotter than before,
And proud to fall with him, sworn not to yeeld
Each sought an honour'd Grave, so gain'd the field.
Thus he being fall'n, his Action fought anew;
And the Dead Conquer'd, whiles the Living slew.
This was not Natures Courage, nor that thing
We Valour call, which Time and Reason bring;
But a diviner fury fierce and high,
Valour transported into Extasie,
Which Angels looking on us from above.
Use to convey into the Souls they love.
We Valour call, which Time and Reason bring;
But a diviner fury fierce and high,
Valour transported into Extasie,
Which Angels looking on us from above.
Use to convey into the Souls they love.
And thou (Blest Soul) whose clear compacted Fame,
As Amber bodies keeps, preserves thy Name,
We, who ere while did boast his Presence, do
Now boast a second Grace his Bounty too;
Bounty was Judgement here: for he bestows,
Not who disperseth, but who gives and knows.
And what more wise design, than to renew,
And dress the Brest from whence he knowledge drew;
Thus pious Men, ere their departure, first
Would Crown the fountain that had quench'd their thirst
As Amber bodies keeps, preserves thy Name,
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Now boast a second Grace his Bounty too;
Bounty was Judgement here: for he bestows,
Not who disperseth, but who gives and knows.
And what more wise design, than to renew,
And dress the Brest from whence he knowledge drew;
Thus pious Men, ere their departure, first
Would Crown the fountain that had quench'd their thirst
Hence strive we all his Memory to engross,
Our Common Love before, but now our Loss.
Our Common Love before, but now our Loss.
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