ELEGIES ON THE QUEEN AND ARCHBISHOP BY SAMUEL WESLEY M. A. LONDON Printed by B. MOTTE for C. HARPER at the Flower-de-luce over against S. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet 1695. On the DEATH OF Her Late Sacred Majesty MARY Queen of England c. A Pindarique Poem I. AH sinful Nation Ah ungrateful Isle See what thy Crimes at last have done At last thy Shechina is gone Thy beauteous Sun no more must on thee smile Thy Dove is shelter'd in the Ark The Heav'ns are silent all and dark Dark as thy Fate or where Thro' horrid Rifts some Streaks of Light appear They bode a dreadful Flood Of Fire and Blood So Sodom look'd when Lot was fled The wrathful Skyes wore such a gloomy red While the destroying Angels hov'ring stood And only did the Signal wait To pour their full-charg'd Viols down On the devoted Town Scatt'ring wide Ruin and inevitable Fate II. Thus Sodom sinn'd and thus it fell Their Paradise transform'd to Hell Whose pitchy Streams long in Earths Caverns lost Rise from the Shades of Death and Night And dare th' almost forgotten Light Agen they rise on Albions distant Coast And fear not we their Fate who all their Lewdness boast Each Age each Sex each Order and Degree Full-ripe and bending for Destruction stand And joyn their Crimes to sink a guilty Land Nor can alas itself th' Attoning Altar free Yes we their Fate in vain wou'd shun If on their Crimes and worse we run Already is the Plague begun Some Scalding Drops already fall Beck'ning the rest away While those who might the Pile of Vengeance stay Wise Heav'n aside does call From its strong Arm all Intercessors throw For fear their stronger Prayers shou'd stop the Blow III. It is resolv'd said the All-high Patience divine no longer now can bear Mercy itself no more can spare Soon shall they feel that Pow'r they now defie Henceforth I cancel their abus'd Reprieve In Hell if not on Earth they shall a God believe Go then said he to an Attendant Might The fairest Form of all the Sons of Light The same who our blest Queen to Albions Shores convey'd The same who hail'd the bright Judean Maid Go Gabriel to that stubborn Spot which lies Amid th' Atlantic Main Which that and me who fix'd its Shores defies Go since a Blessing they like her despise Go bring my Pledge again Hast For till from the thankless Isle she 's gone Nothing must to the thankless Isle be done Gladly the pitying Mind for a Reverse had staid Might his important Charge have been delay'd But since the Doom was fix'd the pitying Mind obey'd IV. This soon was to our Guardian known for who Heav'ns mind e'er better knew Who e'er among the Sons of Men Our Guardian now our watchful Primate then Our Punishment he did too justly dread Which in our Sins he plainly read Low on his Knees himself he threw Before th' Eternals Throne As Iacob e'er he over Peniel past Still kept his Grasp and held th' Almighty fast Agen th' Almighty said Let me alone Still he persists till toucht himself he found As Isr'el then and lifeless struck the Ground Far more of hers than his own Fate afraid Agen he rose agen he pray'd Agen he askt she might not goe Nor was o'ercome but with a second Blow Since she must dye he covets Life no more He saw 't was Fate and gladly went before V. Thus half the mighty Work was done One side of our blest Queen unguarded stood For Fate to strike where e'er it wou'd She follow'd soon when once her Harbinger was gone How various Deaths and yet how sure The first Design against her e'er took place Did she undaunted face How firmly did she all and like her self endure She only still remain'd unmov'd She only not her self admir'd and lov'd All Ages now th' almost forgotten Temples crowd And for her Safety and their own they vow'd To Heav'n they all her Virtues tell Which knew 'em but alas too well It knew how ripe for Heav'n they were How much too good for this bad World to share VI. See where a Host of Widdow'd Matrons come Before the unpropitious Altars laid In vain their Crys deaf Heav'n invade See where they tire the Stars for aid But can't reverse her Doom See where as many Smiling Orphans go As yet almost too young to feel their Woe Yet do they raise their little Hands and Eyes Yet do they tell the unrelenting Skyes They all must dye if their new-Mother dyes Near these bright Confessors and Exiles stood Such Bounty from Our Country's Parent shown As made 'em here almost forget their own Glorious with honest Scars and sprinkled all with Blood These and a thousand Miserables more Who at her Palace oft did wait As those who at Bethesda sate Till them high Heav'n shou'd by the Angels Hand restore All these with interrupting Tears repeat How far the Good in her excell'd the Great The much she did and more she still design'd Which like their Pray'r Was lost in Air And scatter'd into Wind. VII How poor are all the Honours Art can give The Heralds pompous Skill how poor Nor can it grant nor Fame secure Nor need it those bright Saint who like thee live Iewels and Stars themselves wou'd be When in thy Arms false Heraldry Yet that bright Topaz of the Air Which scatters round perpetual Light Hardly his Rays than her less bright The Sun himself is likest her As constant she her Blessings round her sent As silently did she her Alms dispence As Friendly was her Influence As deep she pierc'd as wide her warmth and bounty went Yet with more care her Virtue did disguise Than Learning Sinners take to hide their Vice VIII Tho' there alas so short her stay The Court it self sh' had learnt to pray The Court a wild Serail no more Where Virtue a neglected Stranger grown As 't was in reigns before Nor yet a dull monastic Cell Where sullen Superstition rears its Throne A bive for the religious Drone Where silence never comes and Discord loves to dwell A Pattern of the Active Life she reign'd Her Life like her fair Mind unstain'd She needed not a Crown t o've made her shine Her Goodness scatter'd something more divine Slowly she took what Heav'ns wise Bounty gave Three sinking Realms and half a World to save And with more pain to Empire she her self resign'd Than at the last sad Hour to Heav'n her peaceful mind That glorious Trifle of a Throne Less sought tho' more deserv'd by none Wherever plac'd ev'n Envy had confest She still had been the greatest and the best Glorious Eliza we no more prefer Eliza's self was but a Type of her Only the Gleanings of her praise If to be seen In any other Queen Wou'd give a double Crown and her t' a Saint wou'd raise IX Majesty she and sweetness reconcil'd Shone like the Sun yet like the morning smil'd How easie was her State how awful yet
how mild She reign'd above the mean Disguise Of vulgar States and Policies Whom their meer dulness drives on Cheats and Lies Goodness and Truth were the chief Arts By which her Friends she charm'd Her Foes if any cou'd be so disarm'd Commanding her glad Subjects Hands and Hearts Steddy and chearful still she steer'd While we amidst contending Seas Enjoy'd the Calm of Peace Nor Rocks nor Tempests fear'd The pond'rous weight of Empire did she share With Cesar's self divide th' important Care Not Cesar's self his part cou'd more unshaken bear Alcides did great Atlas ease And she our greater Hercules While he in eager chace of Fame Does Tyrants quell and Monsters tame She bears the glitt'ring Orbs on high She bears the stress of Earth and Sky She bears unmov'd the precious weight Of Altar both and Throne Equal to both tho' she alone The prop of Church and State X. Since this and more her worst of Foes confest How were her Merits and their Grief exprest By those who with her sacred Friendship blest How did the Orphan-Church how justly show Her deep Concern at th' unexpected blow See where EUSEBIA sad yet fair appears None than EUSEBIA Mary better knew And knowing needs must love her too How charming ev'n in Grief how beautiful in Tears So looks the Silver Moon when pleas'd to shrowd Her modest Rays in a thin watry Cloud She try'd to ward the blow and fain Wou'd Wrest away Heav'ns Bolts but try'd in vain She Sigh'd yet dar'd not of just Heav'n complain Low in the Dust her self she flings And breaks her Harps now useless Strings Her decent Garments sully'd with a Flood Of Sacred Tears as once of Sacred Blood Yet will I tell said she If Life so long will last And Sorrow flows not in too fast What she has been what others ought to be Against the weeping Stones she lean'd her beauteous Head And thus as ebbing Tears gave leave she said XI O! she was all that others wou'd be thought All that the present Age in antient Rolls have read Or from their Fathers have receiv'd But scarce believ'd Of the illustrious Dead All all her shining Life and blest Example taught What Honours did she on my Sons confer h Who while they preach'd themselves still learn'd from her Iust to their Order tender of their Fame Like Heav'ns dread Messengers she treated them No Virtues in her sight cou'd unrewarded be If any Faults they made She hid 'em all in a well-natur'd Shade And what her Iudgment saw her Goodness wou'd not see Ah! who shall now adorn or them defend Who shall advise encourage or commend Yet still they 've left a surer greater Friend While William here does his kind Aid afford And guards 'em with his Shield and guards 'em with his Sword In Heav'n his stronger Arm their Cause maintains Who never sleeps who never dyes who always reigns XII Sure she was form'd by Heav'n to shew What undissembled Piety cou'd do To what a height Religion might be rais'd She hears not now and therefore may be prais'd Wou'd Virtue take a Shape she 'd choose t' appear And think and speak and dress and live like her Zeal without Heat Devotion without Pride Work without Noise did all her Hours divide Wit without trifling Prudence without Guile Pure Faith which no false Reas'nings e're cou'd spoil With her secur'd and blest our happy Isle One harsh old-fashion'd Truth to Court she brought And made it there almost believ'd agen Her Practice shew'd her Iudgment thought That Princes must be sav'd like other Men. No single World cou'd her great Soul imploy Earth het Diversion was but Heav'n her Ioy. If ought with that her Thoughts cou'd share 'T was her ungrateful Subjects Care Our hov'ring Fate she saw and step'd between Deserving all her great Forefathers claim'd The Faiths Defender more than nam'd More than in Title the Most CHRISTIAN QUEEN XIII Say all ye Seraphs who did her attend When daily kneeling at the Throne That 's only brighter than her own And say thou Guardian Friend Who didst so long thy darling Charge secure And her with Walls of Fire immure Saw you in all your Provinces below Or see ye now in Edens self above Where rise the secret Springs of Ioy and Love And in immortal Rivers flow A Mind more firm and pure Or saw you e'er her Heart or Eye By any Object here amus'd When she from Earths dull Clog almost unloos'd So oft before so near approach'd her Kindred in the Sky O happy you and happy they Tho' cloath'd as yet in mortal Clay Happy alike who waiting there Did her Devotion see and share Since ev'n an Atheist at the sight of her Had turn'd almost Idolater Say did you ever see before Your own blest Courts resembled more Where those whom she alas too soon must meet Down Down Down Down Each casts his Crown His Crown and self at the Redeemers Feet XIV Thus the fair Mourner part of MARYS Praise exprest But who who dares presume T' approach her private sacred Room To pry into the Ark and learn and tell the rest That may the Vestal Muse the Muse alone may dare For she tho clad in humble rustic gray Tho neither beauteous she not gay Once ah but once was there Nor her rude Duty did that best of Queens refuse Nor did she wear a Frown To make her self unknown Nor did she justly blast th' aspiring Muse. Her Pardon she and more did give The golden Scepter shew'd and bade and made her live XV. Forgive O sacred Shade Forgive once more The same Presumption that you did before And let the Muse whose piercing Eyes Thro' present past and future spies You in your blest retirement show And tell what none but Angels know And see the dazling Scene arise Away Profane you must not gaze Away without the hallow'd Bound 'T is Death for all th' unpurg'd to pass 'T is Death to touch the sacred Ground But come you Just you Pious Few To whom her Name is ever dear Who more than fashionable Mourning wear Come hither all and trembling see The Queen It can be none but she Raise every Hand bend every Knee The Queen and Heav'n have there an Interview The last e'er Faith is chang'd to Sight And for our Eyes she grows too bright See that attendant Angel there Who bids her for new Crowns prepare At awful Distance he stood by She farther rais'd her Heart and Eye To him from whom can nothing secret lie Happy the Man whose well-purg'd Ear Cou'd all of their blest Converse hear But this alone Whence may with ease be guest How well she 'd learnt the Language of the blest Unto the listning Muse was known As fleeting Suns thro sailing Clouds appear On me me only let the Stroke descend Let my devoted Head thy Wrath asswage But spare my People spare thy Heritage And for their sakes my Lords dear Sacred Life defend XVI She said her Pray'r th'
All-high with peals Of loud attesting Thunder seals Her Pray'r obtains a new Reprieve We may tho Mary must not live The Angel who no more cou'd stay Bows and beckons her away Gladly the Message she receives Gladly all but WILLIAM leaves This only her firm Virtue tries No pains she felt or cou'd all pains despise But what her Royal Heart Endur'd with him to part There there her last convulsive Agonies With more of ease her Soul cou'd from her Body fly Than those far closer Bonds unty But that too sure Commission Fate did give How cou'd she dye how cou'd he live 'T was easie Fate thy Prey to miss He was her Soul and she was his 'T is done thro Deaths dark shades she wings for Day Nor can her other Soul behind her stay But clambers with her more than half the Ethereal way XVII There had they shin'd two Stars as bright As ever did their friendly Rays unite To bless th' admiring world with peaceful Light Had not those Pow'rs who for poor Mortals care Remember'd Maries pious Pray'r And all the Godlike work behind For their lov'd Hero's Arms design'd Nor Nature two such Losses in one Age cou'd bear But when his great relucting Soul return'd Here must we draw a Veil Since all our Art wou'd fail To show how much her Death and his own Life he mourn'd XVIII Accurst are those not can they more be curst Who hate the best of Princes love the worst Who on themselves fix an eternal Brand And cast Confusion or'e the blushing Land Their Prudence these and their Good-nature show At their ignoble Triumphs at our woe None such a Loss like William's Soul cou'd feel No weight but such as this cou'd bend his Steel How decent all his Grief how just appears How freely flow the Nations Sympathetick Tears Nor can his Foes esteem it Base That he to Fate it self gives place And reels and staggers at th' unequal blow Since they to their confusion know They never yet cou'd raise his Grief or Fears XIX See from the Dust the twice-born Hero rise See where he throws around his languid Eyes Which never droopt before In vain he throws 'em round She 's now no more As much in vain his Souls Efforts did prove When Lifes weak Taper trembled to remove And reach and joyn its Consort-Flame above O why lov'd Prince dost thou pursue so fast Why makes thy strugling Soul such eager hast When e're you meet how late so e're for thee Too soon alas for us and for the World 't will be Nor yet shall Death the Conquest gain Such strong Revulsives still remain Sound sound a Charge Let Wars loud Thunder roar And shake the trembling Gauls perfidious Shore It takes how fast he warms With what a generous-Heat His rallying Spirits beat To Arms to Arms His Grief will soon to Martial Fury turn And France our Loss shall undissembling mourn XX. So might we Great compare with Less So when the Forrest's King whose Voice can make The Beasts the Trees the solid Mountains quake Is robb'd by Fate of his lov'd Lioness In his broad Breast imperfect Thunders groan He stalks along the silent Shades alone But if he chance from far To bear the gath'ring War The Hunters shout the Coursers neigh The Eager Hounds more loud than they He casts his flaming Eyes around Impatient to engage And lashes his strong sides and wakes his dreadful Rage And spurns the Sand and fills the Air and rends the Ground Th' ignoble Covert now disdaine And rushes out and roars and fights the trembling Plains See! the Coward Hunters fly O'er thick Brakes and Mountains high O'er the Fallows thro the Woods O'er green Lawns and Crystal Floods Fast they fly Fear mends their Hast But Grief and Rage pursue more fast See! the Troop he overtakes See what Ravage there he makes Horse and Horseman both o'erthrows These with his strong Paws he rends These with his Train to Earth he sends And proudly stalks along o'er heaps of panting Foes XXI 'T is glorious in undauted Fight T' assert an injur'd Nations right 'T is yet more glorious more divine With Earth and Heav'n against a common Foe to joyn To Vindicate the World from some proud Tyrants Chain So lov'd so fear'd does our Great William reign While France and Hell cross his strong Fate in vain Yet ah how gladly his dread Sword he 'd sheathe Or with it here at home engage The Monstrous Vices of the Age Wou'd not the while the Gallic Iâ—â—dra breathe For Peace the angry Warrior fights In Peace kind Heav'n it self delights Peace grows on Eden's happy Plains Where now in Peace blest MARY reigns XXII How was Heav'n mov'd at her arrival there With how much more than usual Art and Care The Angels who so oft to Earth had gone And born her Incense to th' Eternals Throne For her new Coronation now prepare How welcome how caress'd Among the blest And first mankinds Great Mother rose Give way ye crowding Souls said she That I the second of my Race may see But e'er she came the First did Interpose Whom next my God and King Next and but next I 'll sing The other MARY who to meet her goes How like their Charms how full of Grace O better Mother of our sinful Race How great her Meen how sweet her Air how bright her Face XXIII The Worthies of the Hebrew Line Did their adopted Brethren joyn Her sight a Concourse did engage Of every Sex and every Age Here did brave Deborah appear Pulcheria there Eliza here Our Edward their Iosiah near ally'd Their Fates both blest the World no more they try'd Blest that they liv'd so well nor thought too young they dy'd Here hoary Patriarchs and Apostles stand The Martyrs there a goodly shining Band These near the Altar near the Sons Right Hand Vast was the Altar wond'rous to behold With living Gems it flam'd and heavenly Gold Fâ—â—â— under whose broad Base which did present The beauteous Arch of some new Firmament The kneeling Souls who when for Truth they dy'd Had Mercy ask'd for those Who were their causless Foes Now all as loud for Vengeance cry'd Holy and True How long This was their Matchless Song How long must the proud Where in triumph reign Her scarlet Robes in Blood still deeper stain How long shall Earth blaspheme how long will Heav'n refrain When from the Throne a Voice was giv'n Which shook the Poles of Earth and Heav'n There rest in Peace our Friends it said And wait for all the martyr'd Dead Nor must our Bolts so soon be sent You 're not complete Man may repent The while ascend one Order higher And joyn the still-encreasing Quire Forward they move while Angels bring A Harp a Robe a Crown Installing every one A Poet Priest and King XXIV But who are those that mighty Three Distinguish'd from the rest Who marching up abreast Approach great Queen to welcome thee The most Majestic there A double Crown