Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

Whom would thy royal father fooner find,
In thy lov'd arms to his high lineage join'd,
Than him, whom fuch exalted virtues crown,
That he might think them copy'd from his own?
Who to the field equal defires did bring,
Love to his brother, service to his king.
Who Denmark's crown, and the anointed head,
Rescued at once, and back in triumph led,
Forcing his paffage through the flaughter'd Swede.
Such virtue him to thy great fire commends,
The beft of princes, fubjects, brothers, friends!
The people's wonder, and the court's delight,
Lovely in peace, as dreadful in the fight!
What can fuch charms refift? The royal maid,
Loth to deny, is yet to grant afraid ;
But love, ftill growing as her fears decay,
Confents at laft, and gives her heart away.

}

Now with loud triumphs are the nuptials crown'd, And with glad fhouts the ftreets and palace found! Illuftrious pair! fee what a general joy Does the whole land's united voice employ ! From you they omens take of happier years, Recall loft hopes, and banish all their fears: Let boding planets threaten from above, And fullen Saturn join with angry Jove: Your more aufpicious flames, that here unite, Vanquish the malice of their mingled light ! Heaven of its bounties now fhall lavish grow, And in full tides unenvy'd bleffings flow!

The

The fhaken throne more furely fix'd shall stand,
And curs'd rebellion fly the happy land!
At your bleft union civil difcords cease,
Confufion turns to order, rage to peace!
So, when at firft in Chaos and old Night

Hot things with cold, and moist with dry did fight,
Love did the warring feeds to union bring,
And over all things ftretch'd his peaceful wing,
The jarring elements no longer strove,

And a world started forth, the beauteous work of Love!

ΟΝ THE DEATH OF

KING CHARLES THE SECOND,,

AND THE INAGURATION OF

KING JAMES THE SECOND..

F the indulgent Mufe (the only cure.

IF

For all the ills afflicted minds endure,

That sweetens forrow, and makes fadness pleafe,.
And heals the heart by telling its disease)
Vouchsafe her aid, we alfo will prefume.
With humble verfe t' approach the facred tomb;
There flowing streams of pious tears will shed,
Sweet incense burn, fresh flowers and odours spread,
Our laft fad offerings to the royal dead!

Dead is the king, who all our lives did blefs!
Qur ftrength in war, and our delight in peace!

14.

}

Was

Was ever prince like him to mortals given !

So much the joy of earth, and care of heaven?"
Under the preffure of unequal fate,

Of fo erect a mind and foul fo great!
So full of meekness and fo void of pride,
When borne aloft by Fortune's highest tide!
His kindly beams on the ungrateful foil
Of this rebellious, ftubborn, murmuring ifle
Hatch'd plenty; eafe and riches did bestow,
And made the land with milk and honey flow!
Lefs bleft was Rome when mild Auguftus fway'd,
And the glad world for love, not fear, obey'd.
Mercy, like heaven's, his chief prerogative!'
His joy to fave, and glory to forgive!

Who lives, but felt his influence, and did share
His boundlefs goodness and paternal care?
And, whilst with all th' endearing arts he strove
On every fubject's heart to feal his love,

What breaft fo hard, what heart of human make,
But, foftening, did the kind impreffion take?
Belov'd and loving! with fuch virtues grac'd,
As might on common heads a crown have plac'd!
How skill'd in all the myfteries of state!
How fitting to fuftain an empire's weight!
How quick to know! how ready to advise!
How timely to prevent! how more than fenates wife!
His words how charming, affable, and sweet!
How juft his cenfure! and how sharp his wit!
How did his charming converfation please
The bleft attenders on his hours of eafe;

When graciously he deign'd to condescend,

Pleas'd to exalt a subject to a friend!

To the most low how easy of accefs !
Willing to hear, and longing to redrefs!
His mercy knew no bounds of time or place,
His reign was one continued act of grace!
Good Titus could, but Charles could never fay,
Of all his royal life, "he loft a day.”
Excellent prince! O once our joy and care,
Now our eternal grief and deep despair!
O father! or if aught than father's more,
How fhall thy children their fad lofs deplore ?
How grieve enough, when anxious thoughts recall
The mournful story of their fovereign's fall?
Oh! who that fcené of forrow can difplay;
When, waiting death, the fearless monarch lay!
Though great the pain and anguish that he bore,
His friends' and subjects' grief afflict him more!
Yet even that, and coming fate, he bears;
But finks and faints to fee a brother's tears!
The mighty grief, that fwell'd his royal breast,
Scarce reach'd by thought, can't be by words exprest!
Grief for himself! for grief for Charles is vain,
Who now begins a new triumphant reign,
Welcom'd by all kind fpirits and faints above,
Who fee themselves in him, and their own likeness love!
What godlike virtues muft that prince adorn,
Who can fo please, while fuch a prince we mourn!
Who elfe, but that great He, who now commands
Th' united nation's voice, and hearts, and hands,

Could

Could fo the love of a whole people gain,
After fo excellent a monarch's reign!
Mean Virtues after Tyrants may fucceed

And pleafe; but after Charles a James we need!
This, this is he, by whofe high actions grac'd
The prefent age contends with all the past :
Him heaven a pattern did for heroes form,
Slow to advife, but eager to perform :
In council calm, fierce as a ftorm in fight!
Danger his sport, and labour his delight.
To him the fleet and camp, the sea and field,
Do equal harvests of bright glory yield!
Who can forget, of royal blood how free,
He did affert the empire of the fea?
The Belgian fleet endeavour'd, but in vain,
The tempeft of his fury to fuftain;
Shatter'd and torn before his flag they fly
Like doves, that the exalted eagle fpy
Ready to stoop and feize them from on high.
He, Neptune-like (when from his watery bed
Serene and calm he lifts his awful head,
And fmiles, and to his chariot gives the rein),
In triumph rides o'er the afferted main!
Rejoicing crowds attend him on the strand,
Loud as the fea, and numerous as the fand;
So joy the many: but the wifer few
The godlike prince with filent wonder view:
A joy, too great to be by voice expreft,
Shines in each eye, and beats in every breaft:

They

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »