place I am resolv'd to view within the space Of forty houres where I intend to spare Some time and see some Brethren I have there It is a goodly place as fame relates For there the Sisters live and all the States Truly th' are very godly and pretend Just like our selves to be a faithfull friend To King and Monarchy when as Alas And then I wak'd and let the other passe Unutter'd but indeed I do confesse I wish that I had heard a geat deal lesse And yet to speake the truth I was perplext Because I could not hear what follow'd next This was a midnights dream I was in pain Till night had lull'd me in her armes again And for the space of half a tedious houre I was disturb'd till sleep had gain'd some power Over my slumb'ring senses but at last Call'd to the bar of sleep I there was cast I had not long in peacefull pleasure slumber'd Before an interposing Dream incumber'd My quiet fancy suddenly my eare Was fill'd with such a noise as none could heare Without much fear as if th' incurved back Of burth'ned Atlas had begun to crack Me thoughts I saw the Heav'ns how they begun As if th 'ad scorn'd the glory of the Sun To frown upon the earth which seem'd to flame Like sulpherous Etna from whose bowells came Whole Regiments of Spirits which disturb'd The aire whose fury hated to be curb'd Me thoughts they were ambitious to expell Some Potentate and make his seat their Hell Me thoughts at last I slumb'ring seem'd to hear A single voice that whisper'd in my ear Yet thund'red in my heart which made me grone At every word exprest in such a tone Which would with great facility have turn'd A Tyrants heart or else consum'd and burn'd His breast to ashes and if language could Move pity in a flinty-soule this would He bolted forth his griefs like claps of thunder As if each word should cleave a heart in sunder His voice being guarded with a pleasing force I sacrific'd my ears to his discourse Me thoughts my soul my very ears were blest In giving audience whilest he thus exprest Oh Heaven oh Earth how can they chuse but frown To see them make a foot-ball of a Crown How long shall I be made an aim'd at mark Of pointed envy shall they make me dark That I made light and shall that light devoure The former principle Unhappy houre When my abused willingnesse was made A Stalk-horse unto those who have betray'd An Island unto tyranny whose Lawes Oppresse true Subjects and make me the Cause Malicious age and will their fury have No end untill it send me to my grve A grave most peacefull place for I 'm sure There 's no Rebellion there I 'le rest secure Where neither grief nor care shall dare torment My sublime soule there there lies true content There there 's the death of sorrow and the life Of peace and there a period to all strife There 's none can mock my woes there none can trie A King nor make a Garrison but I And what I spake my soul protests is true I am no slave to death but unto you My soul 's my Gods and Tyrants do your worst Jobs soule was free when 's body was accurst But you blood-thirsty Zelots learne to know You never can rise high if I fall low I feare no threats let torments all conjoine Themselves at last ye'l find them yours not mine What though I suffer here my sufferings shall Advance my soul May they not make you fall Let out my life go make a streaming floud And bath your selves in my diffused blood Let loose your Furies give your passions breath And let them bait my body unto death I am resolv'd my heart shall flie above The reach of fear and view the God of love Consider well what glory can accrew From my destruction to such soules as you Be not too rash but know a cause that 's dy'd In guiltlesse blood cannot be justifi'd A prosperous vice shall never claim a right To perpetuity 't will but in-right A totall ruin 't is a greater Fame To die with virtue then to live with shame Yee seek for truth and yet you go the way To make the field of truth a Golgatha There is a great antipathy between Faction and Peace and yet my eyes have seen How you whose restlesse spirits still increase With Faction seem to study for a Peace Do not mistake for they that will compose A difference must never do 't by blowes The want of apprehensions may discrie You nourish Spiders and destroy the Flie. Who glorious in a crime will in conclusion Receive a curse and with that curse confusion I long to be resolv'd pray tell me why Ye think ye cannot live except I die Your thoughts are vaine 't will be a tainted breath That had it's derivation from my death Am I Basiliske and can my eyes Devoure you for you know my body lies Subject to be destroy'd not to destroy By taking up of Armes your Kingly joy But you suppose if I should long survive I would become laborious and contrive Some new designes with my numerous forces Divert the streame of your unlawfull courses Make reason your Companions walke a while Consult together stride not o're the stile When as the gap lies open they 're unwise That will when they foresee a harme despise Preventing meanes for if you take this life From my enjoyment ye'le beget a strife That will not end and when that strife is bred Then will my wrongs survive though I am dead And you that caus'd my guiltlesse heart to bleed Will find another to revenge the deed Aske Heaven's forgivenesse for ye cannot crave Leave to abscond your crimes within my Grave Be well assur'd that ev'ry drop which parts Out of my veins shall cleave unto your hearts Like tangling bird-lime which will hold you fast And vengeance too shall find you out at last Heav'ns all-surveying eye must needs observe Your late unpolish'd actions which deserve As many torments as th' inraged hand Of veng'ance can impose or Heav'n command Did I not labour with a serious brest During the Treaty to restore some rest To this distemper'd Kingdome but the gales Of Malice were oppugnant to my sailes My heart was loaded with the large encrease Of hopeful thoughts my soul was fill'd with peace But at the last my hopes prov'd uselesse drosse And then I lost a Crown and found a Crosse Heav'n hear my wish oh grant I may commence A Doctor in the art of Patience It matters not how poor my Person be If at the last I may be crown'd with thee Thou knowst the secret corners of my heart Which is at they disposing for thou art The King of Kings and unto thee I 'le pay The tribute of my soul both night and day I am thy Subject give me grace to stand Firmly obedient to thy just command When for my sins I shall receive thy
Oh make them to behold Their errours Let not Conquest make them bold Here stop my Muse le ts labour to accost Our former Glory Charles though we have lost His sacred Person yet we must not lose His happy memory Ah who can chuse But sigh when as they seat his glorious name Within their serious thoughts If ever Fame Receiv'd a Crown it was from Him whose worth My wearied Quil's too weak to blazon forth And when the best of my endeavour's done I shall but light a Candle to the Sun Yet will I spend my strength a feeble light Plac'd by a greater makes it shine more bright He was 't is not unknown to all the earth A Prince by vertue and a Prince by birth In the exordium of his Reign he swaid The Scepter of this Land till time betraid Cupid and Mars with a Majestick brow And made his chearfull subjects hearts to boâ— In honor and it could not be exprest Whether he rul'd himself or Subjects best He was a Prince whose life and conversation Impoverish'd vices and enrich'd his Nation With good examples Honor never found So sweet an harbour Vertue never crown'd So rare a heart Love reign'd within his eye And there was clothed with Divinitie Vertue and Majestie did seem to strive Within his Royall brest which should survive In greatest Glory but 't was soon decided Martha and Mary would not be divided No more would they there was a sympathie Between them both for if the one should die The other could not live they were combin'd Within his brest and could not be disjoynd O happy is that Land where Vertue shall Meet Majestie within a Princes Hall He was a King not onely over Land But over Passion for he could command His Royall Self and when approaching trouble Assaild his mind his wisdome would redouble His present patience and he would allow The worst of sorrows a contented brow His undivided soul was alwaies free To propagate the works of Pietie His heart was still attracted to good motions By the true Loadstone of his firm devotions He alwaies studied how to recompence Good deeds with full rewards as for offence He sooner would forgive it then impose A punishment his meekness made his foes Grow supercilious and at last they made A private snare and zealously betraid The Lord of Englands life whose free consent Granted them a Triennial Parliament To salve the Kingdoms grievances but they Took not the grievances but Him away It could not be distinguish'd which did reign Mars or Apollo most within his brain He was a Cesar and the equall fame Of War and Wisdom dwelt upon his Name As for his Martiall parts Edge-hill will bear An everlasting record how his care And resolution did maintain that Fight Till day submitted to th' incroaching night Although Heavens General was pleas'd to bring Such small conditions to so great a King We must not judge that 't is success that can Procure the title of a valiant man For that will but instruct him how to fly Upon the wings of popularity As for his Theologick parts I may Without presumption absolute say He was a second David and could raise A lofty strain to sing his Makers praise Read but his Meditations and you 'l finde His brest attain'd an heav'n-enameld minde Now Reader close thine eys and do not read My following lines except thy heart can bleed And thou not die Ah here 's a mournfull text Imports a death Suppose what follows next And 't is enough Oh that I could ingrosse The Language of the world t' expresse this losse Break hearts weep eys lament your Soveraign's And let Him swim unto his Funerall In Subjects teares oh had you seen his feet Mounted the stage of blood and run to meet The fury of his foes and how his breath Proclaim'd a correspondency with death Oh then thy diving heart must needs have found The depth of sorrow and receiv'd a wound That Time could not recure oh such a sight Had been sufficient to have made a night Within this little world hadst thou but seen What soule-defending patience stood between Passion and him with what a pleasing grace As if that death had blush'd within his face He look'd upon his people which surrounded His mourning Scaffold whilst his thoughts abounded With heav'nly ruptures his Angellike voice Taught Ioy to weep and sorrow to rejoyce Teares blinded many that they could not see So bloody so abhorr'd a Tragedy He look'd as if he rather came to view His Subjects then to bid them all adue Feare had no habitation in his breast And what he spoke was readily exprest Heav'ns sacred Orator divinely typp'd His tongue with golden languages and dipp'd His soul in Loves sweet fountaine so that all That lov'd admir'd and griev'd to see him fall Whil or he submitting Prince devoutly pray'd That Heav'n would pardon those that had betraid His body to the grave as from his soul He had forgave them all and did condole Their sad conditions having spent his breath He yeelded like a Lamb unto his death Much more he utterd but my burthen'd Quill Recoils and will not prosecute my will My Pen and I must now abrubtly part Pardon oh Reader for love bindes my heart With chains of sorrow let me crave what I Shall want in Language that thou wilt supply In Meditation But before I let My Quill desert my hand I 'le make it set This Tragi comick period to my story Charles liv'd in trouble and he dy'd in glory FINIS Habakkuk chap. 1 ver 13 Thou art of purer eys O God then to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then they AN EPITAPH Vpon Caines having kill'd their Abel lay'd Him underneath whom they betray'd And forc'd to death Kind Reader know Religion was his overthrow Lament lament this fatall losse England never had a Crosse So Great as This Let every Eye Keep teares to weep his Elegie I may presume to say a Tombe Never had a richer wombe Goe not till your sorrowes have Offered teares unto his grave Faile not to spend some reall groanes Except your hearts are turn'd to stones Now methinkes his ashes cryes Guiltlesse blood 's a Sacrifice London lately lost her heart And is sicke in every part Nothing could appease but bloud Death took her King and left a flood FINIS AN ELEGY UPON The Right Honorable the LORD CAPELL Baron of Hadham Who was beheaded at Westminster for maintaining the ancient and fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome of ENGLAND March the 9. 1648. Heuâ—jrcâ—t aut fuctis vivat ubique suis DIsturbe me not my thoughts are mounting high To build a Nest for Capells memory Fool that I am I doe not meane a Nest No nor a Kingdome neither that 's the least Of all my thoughts It is a world that shall Be rul'd by Capells eccho
languish breath in vaine On those whose fury have no ears refraine My trembling tongue Tyrants I le leave you here And turn my thoughts to Charls whose lif 's as dear To me as death is cheap to you Alas My heart is full I cannot let thee passe Without a sigh nor can my eyes forbeare To wash thy sad remembrance with a teare Has Heav'n decreed it must we be devided Dear King and must our sorrowes be derided Thou great Recorder of my thoughts to thee I will resigne command and I will be A subject to thy wil Oh let me have Thy gracious pardon then a speedy grave For ah what comfort can my wasting breast Hope to receive when I am dispossest Of such a Joy alas where shall I seate My heart tears are my drink and sighes my meate These pallid lippes of mine shall never dare To own a smile I 'le live with grief and care Except my God will please to take me hence And make his glorious Kingdome my defence Was it not grief enough to be absented Five yeers from him whose absence was lamented With reall drops yet then I could obtaine Some hopes to see him in his throne againe But hark methinks my Fancy seems to heare An aire of comfort breathing in my eare It is the voice of Charls whose pleasing breath Seemes to advance me from the shades of death Methinks I hear his language which distils Out from the Limbick of his soul and fils My pining heart with a triumphing joy His voice revives me but his words destroy He thus proceeds Oh thou that are the vine Which twists about this twining heart of mine Approach my presence and I will declare How great my sufferings and my comforts are First I was tost and banded to and fro From place to place permitted not to goe Without a guard a guard that did pretend Rather to act a murder then defend Then was I hurry'd to that fatall place Of London where I know I must uncase My willing soul which shall rejoyce when they That are my Judges shall presume to lay Their accusations on me and dcclare My new-coyn'd faults with their pretended care And to advance their plots they first infer I am a Tyrant and a Murderer Nay and a Traytor too if so it be That I 'm a Tyrant where 's my Tyranny Or if a Murderer I here require To know whose bloud it was that quench'd my fire Suppose but Heav'n forbid it should be true It was against my God I sinn'd not you Oh what an Age is this where seeming Reason Pretends to make me Traytor without Treason Death come and welcome to my heart I know That my Redeemer lives and that I owe A debt to Nature which cannot be pay'd Till these condemned corps of mine are lay'd Now grief be gon and let my comforts take Possession of my soul awake awake My slumbring senses I 'le triumph and sing For I have found that Death hath lost her sting My soul informes me that I must lad downe This Mortall for a true immortall Crowne I 'm ravish'd with delight me thinks I have A Heav'n within my bosome to inslave The Hell of torments grief must stand aloof Not daring to approach within my roof The pleasures of this world doe seem to run And fly like mists before the morning Sun They 're all but transetory and can lay No claime to perpetuity to day They seem like messengers of Joy to morrow They prove sad Heraulds proclaime a sorrow As for the Joves of heav'n they farre sermount My souls arithmetick I cannot count Those numerous delights which alwayes be Attendants to the souls eternity Thou great Redeemer to whose sacred power I now addresse my selfe my long'd for houre Is almost come there 's but a little blase Remaines behind and yet methinks my dayes Seem tedious to my soule I long to throw This burden downe that presses me below But since thy pleasure must be done not mine Call when thou pleasest for my soul is thine I 'le not resist thy hand but kisse thy rod I am thy Creature thou my gracious God Come my indulgent Ioyes and let my breath Inhabbit in your eares before my death Thou Consort of my heart why dost thou wast Those pearly dropps why do they make such hast To leave the sweet possessions of thy eyes What wilt thou make a watry Sacrifice Oh do not weep Heav'n is not pleas'd to see Those gliding streames which trickle down for me My tender Babes oh why do you stand by And imitate your Mothers stormy eye Restraine those tears for every drop you shed Falls on my moyst'ned heart and there hath bred A brim-fill'd fountaine which at last will dround My heart and give your selves the greatest wound Let not oh let not your sad eyes expresse So great a sorrow for my happinesse Cheer up cheer up deare souls learne to keep Those tears or weep to see your Mother weep Weep not for me I 'm going to receive A lasting Crowne oh leave for heav'ns sake leave Those heart-infringing groans why doe ye vex My Heav'n-desiring soul and thus perplex Your pensive hearts forbeare and be appeasd Be not displeased with what Heav'n is pleas'd Oh how can ye expect that hee 'l fulfill Your large desires if thus you thwart his will Come smile upon me and that smile will give My heart a great incouragement to live Death 's but a speedy passage from this life Unto a better and concludes all strife Between this World and us whilst here we draw Corrupted aire we 're subject to the law Of grief and care which daily circumvents Discordious hearts with griping discontents Be not dejected at my death but rather Rejoyce to think that heav'n will be your father Comfort your woefull mother that hath been A carefull Parent and my loyall Queen Give her that full Obedience which is due And Heav'n will be affectionate to you Oh let the feare of God be alwaies plac'd Before your eyes Let virtus be imbrac'd What ere ye doe be carefull to reserve A spotlesse minde which will at last preserve Your heav'n bred souls let not your furies rage Into revenge but labour to asswage The flames of anger let them not aspire Beyond your reach Passion 's the worst of fire Be not too much addicted to the hate Of any but be wisely moderate And when your hands begin to undertake A consequentiall worke be sure t' awake Your slumb'ring reasons labour to advise With heav'n and he will crowne your enterprise With full successe and if your foes should chance To gaine the day permit your thoughts to glance Upon your private Crimes and learne to know Th' effect can never absolutely show The justnesse of a cause for oftentimes Just Heav'n is pleas'd to pardon private Crimes With publique means God knows my cause was just And yet he lay'd my Armies in the dust Shall I repine because I dayly see My foes prevaile
tears but rather joy that I Am gone before you to Eternitie Where now me thinks I see you all and hear The lofty Seraphims salute my ear With heav'n-bred raptures which does even woo My soul out of my ears I long to go And fill my self with melody and sing Perpetuall Halelujahs to my King So now my wasting lamp begins to blaze Come Death and put a period to my dayes Let out my life that I may flie unto My God and bid this loathed world adieu Adieu vain pleasures of unconstant earth Adieu false joys and world-derived mirth My dear Relations I must now expresse A farewell to you all and then addresse My self to Heaven within whose Court I shall My soul now tels me shortly meet you all Till then enjoy what heav'n shall please to give And rather study how to die then live Make use of time and languish not in vain Those hours which cannot be recall'd again Comfort each other and if fortune frown Smile ye at fortune lay your sorrows down Before the face of Heav'n and he 'l relieve Your pining wants oh let your hearts not grieve For food and raiment labour to be true And he that feeds the Ravens will feed you Oh let your morning thoughts be sure to mount To Heav'ns high Altar give him an account Of all your actions they which every day Make their accounts to God prepare a way To go to heav'n But time will give me leave T' expresse no more my soul begins to cleave Unto a blest Eternitie my heart Declares unto me that I must depart Time whets his sithe Oh do not ring my knell With sighs and sobs farewel my Joys farewell So now the Load-stone of this world shall have No art t' attract my soul I 'll not enslave My self to earth shall transitory toyes Surrept my soul from heavens eternall Joys Oh no they shall not Now I 'll dedicate My self to thee my God who didst create Both soul and body thou that knowst the thoughts And hearts of Kings and numerates their faults Pardon what I have done amiss to thee Forgive my enemies Thou knowst I 'm free From what I suffer for thou knowst my hands Are cleer from blood thou knowst that my Commands Were not tyranical thou knowst my brest Was never stain'd with Treason My request O God is this that thou wouldst make them know And timely feel what a most wilfull blow Th 'ave given to their Consciences oh turn Their flaming hearts to thee which daily burn Against thy servants cause them to relent And let their griefs induce them to repent Be mercifull to them as they were cruel To me and mine oh quench the blazing fuel Of their desires gives them not their deserts But wash my blood from their unfountain'd hearts And as for me presented to thy eyes Suppos'd as an attoning Sacrifice By them whose seven-years malice have contriv'd My downfall when my body is disliv'd Receive my soul into thy glorious Tent And mak 't a member of thy Parliament Now farewel world and dirt-composed Crowns Farewel earths smiles and fortunes surly frowns Farewel to you that thus my life expell Oh may my farewell make you all farewell Reader the sound of death hath made me start Out of my slumbers and my wak'ned heart Trembles within me Oh what shall we doe Oh may I never dream to dream thus true But since 't is so kind Reader let thy eie Survay the paths of his sad Elegie Lavish not out your tears too fast but keep A strong reserve your eyes must bleed or weep Till then adue and when I meet thee there Reader assure thy self I 'le spend a teare AN ELEGY UPON That never to be forgotten CHARLS THE FIRST Late but too soon Martyr'd KING of England Scotland France and Ireland Who with unmoved Constancy laid down His Life t' exchange it for a heav'nly Crown January 30. 1648. In adibus Regum Mors venit Printed in the Year 1649. AN ELEGIE UPON That never to be forgotten CHARLES THE FIRST WHat do I dream or does my fancy scatter Into my various mind a reall matter What ails my thoughts what uncorrected passion Is this that puts my Senses out of fashion Where am I hurri'd what sanguinious place Is this I breathe in garnish'd with disgrace Why what 's the reason that my eys behold These waves of blood Does the Red sea infold My shivering body Oh what stormy weather Was that which violently tost me hither Where am I now what rubicundious light Is this that bloudies my amazed sight What Reformation's this that 's newly bred And turns my white into so deep a red Awake my fancy come delude no more Say are my feet upon the English shore Sure not these are usurping thoughts that raine Within the Kingdom of a troubl'd braine If this be England oh what alteration Is lately bred within so blest a Nation My soul is now assured for I see Those lofty Structures where mild Majesty Did once recide abounding with a flood That swells and almost moates them round with blood England sad object that wer'â— lately crown'd With a most glorious prince how art ' thou drownd In Royall bloud was not thy master-veine Open'd of late ah who can stop't againe Look round about thee and thou shalt descry How every face imports an Elegy Review thy self see how thou art ingrain'd With guiltlesse blood was ever Land so stain'd Needs must your hearts expect a cloudy night Now Sol is set and Cynthia wants her light And dost thou think O England to immure Thy self in bloud and alwayes rest secure Oh no assure thy self there is a hand That rules above which will correct thy land Be well advis'd oh Nation learn to know That language cannot ebb when bloud shal flow All hearts all eyes all hands all tongues all Quillt Will think wil weep wil write speak their wills I 'le not invoke this Subject will invite Th' obdurest hearts and teach that pen to write Which never fram'd a Letter and infuse The seed of Life into a barren Muse Thou greâ—â— Instructer teach me to distil An Eagles Uertues with an Eagles quil Rais'd by a fâ—ll my Muse begins to sing The melancholy farewels of a KING And is he gone I did not the dolefull Bells Dissolve when as they tâ—ld his sad Farewills If he be gone what language can there be Remaining in this Land except Ah me Ah me Ah lass how is this Realm unblest In such a loss I cannot speak the rest My Heart is full of Arrows shot of late From the stiff Bow of a commanding STATE Each wound is mortall yet in spight of pain I le pluck them out and shoot them back again And when my tongue shall empty out my heart Let Death surprize me with a single Dart I le strive t' outface Rebellion and my eyes Shall s 〈…〉 n all new invented Tyrannies Sorrow will not be tongue ty'd tides must run Their usuall
courses till their strength is don I have a stream of grief within my brest That tumbles up and down and cannot rest I am resolv'd let death distwade to speak What Reason dictate or my heart must break I 'le mount the Stage let standers by behold My Actions for my sorrows must be bold I fear not those whose powers may controll The language of my tongue but not my soul Advance dejected souls hear reason call Let not the truth be passive though we fall Blush not to own those tears which you have spent In private for a Publick discontent Let not your tongues be Pris'ners to your lips When Justice cals oh let not fear ecclipse The light of truth rouse up your selves draw neer When Justice finds a Tongue finde you an eare The day 's expir'd bright Sal hath drawn his head Within the curtaines of his Tethean bed Where shall we hide our slumbring souls and lay Our wearied limbes till he renews the day A day Alasse have not our wretched eyes Seen a great fall can we expect a Rise Should Heav'n who justly may command his powres T' expel this light as we have lately ones What should we do where should we finde a sun That have by too much doing quite undone Our wilfull selves by snuffing out that light Which he inspir'd to guard us from the night Of sad confusion ah how could we spoile So pure a lampe and so usurpe that oyle Which was ordain'd to nourish us We run To light a Candle and put out the Sun In vain we waste our times and range about To look for new lights now the old Light 's out We seek and we may finde but heav'n knowes when Old lights were made by God new by men Shake England for thy Grand Vpholders down Thy feet have lately spurn'd against thy Crown Thy hands are daub'd with bloud one ruine calls An other to the others funeralls Destruction thunders and the earth is fill'd With doleful ecchoes bloud that hath been spill'd By unjust hands like seas begin to roare As if 't would take revenge upon the shore The whistling woods and their subjected springs Sends forth Elegious blasts each corner rings With unaccustom'd sounds All things expresse By thir prognosticating looks unhappinesse Deploring Philomel does now repeare Contristed notes upon her Thorny seat She has forgot those sweet no turnall notes Which lately charm'd all sorrow now she dotes Upon her woefull he prolixed tones And findes no sweetnesse in her bitter groanes The Commons of the aire conspire to throw Their Soveraign down and will not fly so low As formerly but are resolv'd to be Oppugnant to the Eagles Majesty How pregnant is Rebellion every where Not onely here on earth but in the aire Can thunder roare and not the lofty sound Be heard can Cedar fall unto the ground And not be seen can Mountaines shrinke away And not observ'd nor can there be a day Without a Sun nor can there be a night Without some darknesie can there be a light Put our unwanted or can murther be Committed upon sacred Majestie And not lamented sure no humane heart Can be so brazen as not to impart Some sorrow to the world for such a losse When gold is gone how uselesse is the drosse Now mournfull Muses light your Torches all T' attend your glory to his Funerall Shal our Mecaenas dye and you stand still And not appeare upon Parnassus bill Away away invoke Apolloes aide Tell him that your Mecaenas was betray'd To an unlawfull death and you desire To sacrifice a verse and then retire Could I translate my heart into a verse I 'de pinne it with my soul upon his herse Could I command the world I 'de make it burne Like a pure lampe upon his sacred Vrne Could I command all eyes I 'de have them make As a memoriall for great Charles his sake A sea of teares that after ages may Lament to see but not lament to say He dy'd without a teare and it should be Call'd the salt sea of flowing Loyaltie Could I command all hearts I 'de make them spend Some drops of bloud upon his tombe and send Millions of sighes to Heav'n that may expresse His death was Englands great unhappinesse Could I command all tongues I 'de make them run Divisions on his praise till time were done Could I command all hands I 'de strike them dead Because they should not rise against their head Could I command all feet I 'de make them goe And give the Son that duty which they owe To his deserts I 'm in a desert and I know not where To guide my steps that path which seemes most faire Broves most pernicious to me and will lend My feet a good beginning but no end Great Charl's oh happy word but what 's the next Bad 's th' application of so good a Text Is dead most killing word what is he dead Nay more if more may be hee 's murthered Ah then my thoughts are murther'd my sad eyes Shall never cease to weep his Obsequies I 'le turn this place into a bubling spring Of briny teares and then I 'le freely bring A Sacrifice to sorrow which shall be A flaming heart that 's crown'd with Loyaltie Now could I spend an age in thoughts and tyre The night with sighes methinks I could inspire Sorrow it self and teach it to proclaime What ruine waites upon our new-bred flame But 't is in vaine perswasions have no powre On them whose resolutions can devoure Both Law and Reason two most horrid crimes In these pernicious these contentious times Come then my thoughts and let us ruminate Upon our sorrows oh unhappy Fate Why didst thou snuffle out Charles his royal blaze In the Aurora of his well-spent days But 't is in vaine to blame thee for thy hand Cannot refraine to strike if God command Heav'n saw he was too good to be enjoy'd By us but not too good to be destroy'd For his owne glory let 's rejoyce we had So good a King but grieve to think how bad We us'd his goodness we may justly say He gave in mercy what he took away In Iudgment for his own commands appointed We should not touch much more slay his anointed And yet we have as if our hearts had sworn To contradict his will abus'd and torn His own Vicegerent to whose thriving hand He gave the Scepter of a glorious Land But now unhappy land thy glories fled Thy Crown is fallen and thy Charles is dead Goe then deplore thy self whilst others sing The living vertues of thy martyr'd King His glory shall survive with Fame when they Shall lye forgotten in a heape of Clay That were the Authors of his death their bones Shall turne to ashes as their hearts are stones But did my tongue expresse that they should be Forgot oh no their long-liv'd Tyranny Shall be perpetuall harke misfortune sings The worst of Tyrants kill'd the best of Kings He was the best what impious tongue