seeks their private good the publique none So whither Kings Liberties Banks restrain Or these or ' flow them still the harm 's the same And to the State alike pernitious t is Where all is lawfull or where nothing is Only of every domination Whether of many or of one alone Of King or People this we may conclude The nobler Lord the nobler Servitude For Liberty which some un-skill'd to make Their right distinctions for licence take As there no difference were between the thing They freedom call and Shrovetide ryotting 'T is true ' mongst mortals it was found at first Whilst nothing they desir'd but what was just Whilst vertue only kept their minds in awe And every one was to himself a Law Till Lawless grown and Vice their minds possest Expelling Vertue and Justice from their breast From Cities Courts and Villages it fled Mans habitation quite abandoned Making to desart wilderness repair And ever since has liv'd an Hermit there Choosing so great aversion 'thas from men Rather to live amongst wild Beasts than them Only there still remains a bastard one Begot 'twixt Power and Moderation That Fantosm or Fools-Paradise ' i th' air With vain endeavour some seek here some there When all is sought at last you 'll find alone In well obeying just dominion Where one or more must govern if one he Is then the King what ere his Title be If more w 'ave got by alteration But only this ' thave many Kings for one Less care for doing well whilst each one has So many to participat the praise Nor ill whilst they so many have again Participating the reproach and shame Let levelling Spirits then go equal all At home and wee 'll allow them so withall They can aswell equal and level too Our Neighbours all abroad which till they do They for our honours should provide but ill To lessen us and leave them greater still For Times are chang'd and Common-wealths no more In such high reputation as before When Romain Citizens to Kings gave Law And Common-wealths their Kingdoms kept in awe Now petty Provinces may cantonize And call their Weaknesses their Liberties Whilst mighty Kingdoms common notion Is many Provinces conjoyn'd in one If then the Kingdom you 'd again restore Unto the royalties it possest before The publique to their honour and their wealths The private to their freedom and themselves Nobility its splendor Law its course Justice its awe Authority its force Make us a Kingdom give us Kings again May date from this day their first year of reign As we our first of happiness happy alone May choose our King and be inforc'd to none By suture times so shall you equail'd be To those first founded have our Monarchy Since t is as great a work and greater too To raise from ruines as to build a new So all things setled as they were before None e're shall seek for innovation more Nor e're shall count more reformation fit For rightly ordering or our selves or it So shall our foes and those to them adhear No longer hope and we no longer fear So wars dissentions factions all shall cease And we enjoy an everlasting peace So Heaven shall bless you and men look upon Your work in fine as work of Heaven alone And all shall bless and praise you as t is fit As Heavens sole Iustruments in doing it At this unanimously all arose Just as in Forests when Favonius blows With gentle breath and all one waies inclines The heads and murmurs of the lofty pines Inclining all with gentle murmuring To Themis vote for Kingdom and for King But as when this great Fabrique began God first did make the world then made man So they enough of business did suppose For first daies work the Kingdom to have chose Leaving to an other day their choyce of King As we t' an other Canto for to sing FINIS CANTO 1. ANNOTATIONS Upon the first CANTO a WIth good reason Themis or Justice is introduc'd voting for the postliminary Restitution as I maysay of ENGLAND to its former Royalties again and state of Kingdom which immemorable Time before it had been possessed of without disputing whether Monarchy or Democraty be the better form of Government it being best for every one to continue in the state they have alwaies been and Justices part to give to every one their own b. The Bishops chiefly who when they perceived Sectaries grown dangerous forbad them the publique Pulpit without prohibiting them their private conventicles by which means those peccant humours droven inwards apostumed and wext afterwards more dangerous c France more feared war with us than with any other Nation experiencing alwaies by their losses that they alwaies lost by it And Spain was so desirous of peace with us as it became an ordinary Proverb with them Pace co l' Ingleterra e con toto il mondo guerra not caring so they had peace with us though they had war with all the World besides For our arbitration of the Christian worlds affairs we need look up no further than to the times of King Henry the 8th and in no other Author than every Chronicle d The Parlament of England is neither an imperious Master as in some Countries are their Assemblies of States nor an abject Vassal as are the Parlaments in other Countries but only in nature of an humble Friend to propose unto the Soveraign Majesty what they imagine most expedient for the Kingdoms good and theirs Nor is the Soveraign power more bounded and limited by them than is the Ocean by its shore preserving it only from effusion and dissipation and not so much bounding and limiting it as not leaving it altogether boundless and limitless there being certain things which seem onerous and burthensom as the wheels of Chariots wings of Birds and such like which on the contrary more lighten and alleviat the load The Soveraign Majestrate then in England can do all things without Parlament but only ruine the Kingdom and himself a restriction no more derogating from his Soveraign power than it does from Alm. God's the not being able to sin and do amiss which on the contrary is one of his most God-like attributes And all this be spoken by the way for the better information of some who count nothing great but what is excessive and imagin how to reign courteously as they do in England is only to reign at others courtesies e Edgar of whom thus Daniel writes Edgar re-edified and set forth a Fleet consisting as some write of 1600 sayl others a far greater number which he divided and plac'd in four parts of the Realm making his progress yearly with part of this mighty Navy round about the Isle Touching Edward the 3d. and Henry the 5th none I suppose is so much a Stranger to our Countries Histories as not to have read of the Battels of Cressy Poictiers and Agincourt where he took the French King Prisoner and conquer'd France f Of their
pondrous weight o'th'crown He wold not stoupfort tho'twas thrown him down What others would have div'd the deepest maine And clim'd aires highest Region to obtain Saying to 's silent thoughts h 'ad nothing done Or coming should he now be overcome And he should loose in this one Victory o're Himself all th' victories he had gain'd before No no quoth he 't shall ne're be said that I Ambitious was of Soveraignty Nor shall the People ever say agen That I had Conquerd for my self not them For me I 'm ready when their dangers ask To put my Armour on and heavy Cask The Royall Ornaments and Crown said he Let who 's list take who 's list put on for me Resolv'd to live and dye with this Renown T is gloriouser to win than wear the Crown Let those with glittering things so pleased be They even are pleas'd with glittering misery Be taken with 't for me I think 't heavens will For such as those to guild the bitter Pill And bait the Inward hook with outward sweet None else would be so fond to swallow it Such is the happinesse of uncrowned heads They find soft rest even in the hardest beds While such is their unhappinesse wear the crown They hardly rest even in their beds of down Nor did he this now out of sluggishnesse Like some love honour but more love their case Contented still the greatest part to share o th' Kingdomes troubles and the kingdoms care Whilst freely he resign'd to others all By falser Titles they Illustrious call So the Libidinous may refuse a Wife For incommodities of mariage life But when that incommodities are none But they refuse for Continence alone From all the Rags of Interest stript and free Their single life than shews most gloriously But be 't our vice or virtue to become More vehement by opposition Or modesty to merit adds a grace Makes it appear twice worthier than it was Or Honour has our shaddows property To fly who follows follow those who fly This his refusall rendred them but more Eager to presse him than they were before Counting him now doubly for honour fit Both for deserving and refusing it When seeing all refusall was in vain To those wear full resolved to obtain Forc't his unwilling shoulders he bowd down To th' Royall Roabs and head unto the Crown Especially since so great consentment showd The voice o th' People was the voice of God From whom then by their hands deliver'd him He did accept the Royall Diadem At which the numerous multitude aloud With voices heaven as they the earth did croud Made th' middle vault with acclamations ring In joyfully proclaiming him their King Whilst one more eloquent amongst the rest In 's one voice thus the voice of all exprest Even such a person such a minde as thine Brave Heroe Emperours had in ancient time When choosing men for Empire onely sit The bravest mind and Person carried it Till by a Tenour worse than Gavel-kinde They Empire gave to th' body not the minde Kings in cold blood their Active heat quite gone Becoming such chil passive things alone No wonder they and th' Throne together fall Where men do nothing Titles can't do all But pitty alas rather than envy those For others virtues not their own are chose T is Fortune to be Kings as others be But onely virtue to be one like thee And who now doubts whe're he be King or no The people generally have proclaimed so Or who so selly is to doubt again Where he or no legitimatly raign The Laws confirm together with th' applause Of the whole Kingdome that confirms those laws FINIS CANTO 2. ANNOTATIONS on the Second CANTO a OF Soveraign Titles some are Military some Civil that of Imperator or Emperour as Dux or Duke most properly taking its denomination from the wars the one signifying one who has Soveraign Command over the Army the other one who leads an Army though since promiscuously us'd and appropriated to Civill government as military conquerers appropriated to to themselves the Countries Conquered That of Rex or King most properly signifies a Pacifique Ruler or Governour whose Office being chiefly to Defendand Protect the People King and Protector are but Titles convertible in this sense and signifie but one and the same thing though in England the papular ear be more accustomed to the sound of t 'one than tother and their minds to a more awfull reverence of the name b Henry the 8. is reported in disparing manner at his death to have said to one who put him in mind of Gods mercies How can he have mercy on me who never spared man in my wrath nor woman in my lust A fearfull example to all such as he if it be true as like enough it is considering the libidinousnesse and cruelty of his life Richard the 2. Is famous in History for his magnificence even to profusion and prodigality which proved his ruine in the end for what Princes spend prodigally one wayes they injuriously extort of the People the other of which whilest they complained who are alwayes most insolent over necessitous Princes that quarrell begun was never ended but by his untimely end There is nothing in our Chronicles more notorious than Edward the 2s immoderate favor to Peirce Gaveston and the Spencers which cost them all their lives at last The too great favour of weak Princes not able to defend them from the hatred of the people and envy of the Nobility proving alwayes fatall to their Favourites in the end if not unto themselves as it did to this unfortunate Prince the counterblow of the blow given the Favourite most commonly lighting upon them at last c Such a shaddow of a King was Arideus Alexanders umbratile successor according to Plutarch and others d There are but too many examples of such Princes taught so long by their Flatterers to remember their Authorities as they forget themselves even to suffer themselves like Herod to be cryed up for gods whilst the poor miserable man like a painted Sepulcher all glorious without was all consumed within with worms and vermine e Alluding to that saying of Themistocles who requested to touch I know not what Instrument of musick a quality then much in vouge and fashion amongst the nobler and better sort answered He could not Fiddle but he could make a great Citty of a little one f So they stile Titus Vespasian and deservedly it being his usuall motto that none should ever depart a Princes presence disconsolate and sad whence he never denyed them any boon they asked and if perchance he remembred at night that none that day had askt him any he was accustumed to say in sighing to those about him that He had lost a day counting his life more by giving than by living and living more for others than for himself g Pater patriae or father of their Country was a title more ambitioned by the antients then that of King or Emperour it speaking
furious and fanatical deportments I need only mention the Anabaptists at Munster under title of the Spirit tyrannizing and perpetrating such horrible Actions and acting such bloody Tragedies as no Spirit but that of the Devil could e're suggest and just such an other Common-wealth we should have in England if your fift Monarchy-men and such like Rabble of other Sectaries might obtain but their desires Canto 2. The Argument All generally Oliver for King do choose He modestly the Kingdome does refuse Vntill in forc't his Shoulders he bows down To th' Royall Roabs and Head unto the Crown NOw morn appear'd and yet you could not say By th' doubtfull light whether t' were night or day As black and white do both in mixture meet And different sexes i' th' Hermophodite And now as soon as twi-light they discern'd All hast to th' House both curious and concern'd These Votes to give and those their Votes to hear Still greater part in all Assemblies were As in our Theaters the Spectators are Than Actors alwayes numerouser far All certain of their choise or if there were Any o th' choise were yet uncertain there Themis with pondrous Reasons thus inclines The ballances of their suspended mindes Since all I know come with prepared breast To choose for King the fittest and the best And easie is that choice that has some one More eminent than the rest to fix upon Most easie will be ours have such an one Propos'd to day to our Election So Eminently worthy 'bove the rest So absolutely fittest and the best Where he pretends to th' first he scarcely has Any may but pretend to th' second place One at all parts of body and of minde We well may call the unique of his kinde One that who doubts where he deservs the crown But stand with him in competition And they shall soon unto their shames confesse If he deserve it not themselves much lesse If they than he much more so every one Must needs conclude him worthiest alone Oliver I mean our great Protector who Is both our Glory and our wonder too How one mans valor could alone suffice T' have gain'd so many mighty Victories Or one mans wisdome could suffice alone So many mighty Affairs to have undergone Whose modesty perchance I might offend Whilest thus his valour and wisdom I commend But he 's so friend to modesty I know He 's greater friend to Truth which being so I 'le boldly add for Royall dignity Never was any worthier than He Never was any worthier th' esteem Of being made for th'Crown th'Crown for him Whom Heaven instructs with every Kingly part The Serpents prudence and the Lyons heart Guarding us from our own and others harms By 's prudent Councels and victorious Armes The Eagles providence and peircing eye All practises against the State to espie And so divine a faculty agen When once espied for preventing them T is Heaven elects that man for King not we Pointing as t' were with th' finger this is he To which so clear election of Heaven Long since we all our suffrages have given a If who protects us in effect's the same With King by giving him Protectors name Who put i' th' scale with others to compare Hee 'll hoist them all like feathers into aire For Kingly parts we may oppose alone To all the Kings that e're possest the Throne As his fam'd temperance and clemency b To his libidinousnesse and cruelty Hen. 8. Of either vice t' was truly said he ne're Man in his wroth woman in 's lust did spare And his admir'd frugality agen Rich. 2. To th' prodigall waste and riotousnes of him Who for a feast or Revels short delight The Treasury of the Land exhausted quite Not to compare his judgment and his wit With his who for a wanton Favourit Edw. 2. Ingag'd so far in fierce and bloody strife Cost him at last his kingdom and his life c Here one just like a Child or Baby goes Wrapt up in Purple as in Swathing cloaths Never in councell never in field appears Till dying a child at last of fourscore years This finally unto all-judging Heaven Of 's long-short life is all th'accompt is given He eat and slept and dyed the Sapless Tree Is not more stock is not less King then he Whilst ours like an Intelligence in his sphere Or orbe doth every thing is every where Actuats puts life in businesse commands In councell is all head in Act all hands Perpetuall fast perpetuall vigil keeps And when affaires exact scarce eats or sleeps d Another yet more shame to kingly state Becomes by niceness so effeminate Like Nero Castrated we well may call Half man half woman and whole monster all For getting so themselves by flattering them They think th' are Gods whilst they are scarcely men We well the pest of humane kind may call Th' are so puft up and so do swell on all Whilst ours with masculin virtue pride dos take e Only great states of little on 's to make So civil courteous debonaire to all We him delight of humane kind may call One neither froward with his honours weight Proud of their store nor giddy with their height Giving the praise of all he has in summ Only to heaven from whom all honours come And lastly whilst another you shall finde So weak of spirit impotent of minde As giving's passion every thing it craves H' unkings his Reason and himself inslaves Living like Lions in their dens at home Fearfull to all when they abroad do come Ours hear not Lord but f Father we may call In private studies the obliging all In publique like the chearfull sun appears To all mens comforts but to no mans fears Bravely commanding o'rs his passions so When he bids stay they stay when go they go And all in such subjection do's bring Where Kings are slaves he there dos raign a king Then let us choose him king w' are sure can tell By well obeying to command as well And who with all w' are sure will as he do's Command more strictly or'e himself than us At this like Instruments tund unison Each cord resounding at the found of one To be the first each one did make such hast To second him scarce any one was last Nor ever was there louder consort known Nor more concordant voices joyn'd in one When who had seen glad England that had been In mourning long just like some widow'd Queen Finding her self unable all alone To weyld the scepter and support the Throne Had chose some princely husband well she knew Could weyld the one support the other too Might frame the Image of a joy too great For mans expression or for mans conceit But see the force of modesty can stay Kingdomes in full speed like some Remora Whilst he Importun'd was by every one With force and prayers to accept the crowne Prouf'gainst those importunities of theirs H' opposes force to force and pray'rs to pray'rs Knowing so well the
sister Plenty with her fruitfull horn Her left Content and smiling Cheerfulness Inseparable companions of Peace a Whilst sullen and repining Discontent Offended still with present Government Rumour and popular murmurings to boot Oliver nobly tramples under foot As knowing ne're brave Action was done By those who feard or apprehended u'm So having well resolved what to do As resolutely going through with 't too He his conspicuous courses still holds on Just as at midnight the Celestial Moon Her constant motion ne're dos intermit For all the midnight doggs that bark at it Who out do all detraction can do Far worse then Calumnie or Envie too For Calumnie adds some ill unto our name Detraction takes away some good from Fame Envie with heavy weight hangs on the feet Of Worth to weigh it down as low as it But discontent 's a far more Rabid beast A far more venemous Serpent than the rest And dos not only bark but rend tear bite Hisses and stings blasts and impoysons quite This Monster then he under-foot dos tread As Hercules the barking Cerberus did In noble posture setting of his foot Wholly to quell it on its barking throat By him was Order and Equity the one And t'other main supporters of his Throne Who every thing by War disordred was Compose and apt unto their proper place And persons too compose and order so Each one his proper rank and place dos know So in the generall Confusion Of things when this great Machin first begun The Universall Genius did sit On the rude Chaos so composing it The whole ow'd all its Ornament and Grace To th' apting every part to 's proper place Nobility then he dos again restore Unto its state and dignity before And to the Honour and the Reverence too That to its state and dignity is due Purging the drossy polishing the rude New fashoning the Rough-hewn multitude From all Estates banishing abuse for what Corruption is in naturall Bodies that Abuses are in manners nor can we From t 'one and t'other totally be free Though t is the Princes as Physitians care To endeavor purging them where e'r they are Then since both King and Subject it becomes To know their severall relations Like Masters and like Fathers those to sway Like Servants and like Children these obey A mistique Janus that supports the Throne In forme of Fear and Love conjoyn'd in one Declares how kingly Throne ne're stood secure Where t' one and t'other was unmixt and pure For fear alone brings hatred and that hate Brings sudain ruine to a Princes state And Love 's too high and too Etheriall In low ignoble bossoms ere to fall As vulgar bossoms too ignobly low So high and so Etherial fire to know Their Love 's i th Belly and the Eyes so they For sports * Pane Circense and bread a Nero would obey And on the least Capriccio agen Rebell ' gainst Trajan or the best of men Others by other wayes then Kings alone Grow popular by Admiration Since th' people them ne're hate where they Admire He to this admiration dos aspire By tempering so the Rayns o' th Government They might be both obedient and content With intire servitude could nor agree Nor capable were of intire Liberty So th' excellent Rider gently doth force The stuborn neck of the unruly Horse The byt sometimes and curb imploying too When gentle hand and snaffle will not do b For nothing's more untractable and rude They 'r furies up than the wild multitude As nothing is more tractable and tame Their furies once allayd than they again All in extreams as those who never know Reason nor ground for any thing they do Now as Tempestuous as the Sea instorme And now again the Tempest ceas't as calme To rule which is so difficult a work A God's imployd in 't with his triple forke Mean while to steer the bark of Government No Poet God enough could ere invent So difficult a task have they who sit At helm of State to Rule and Govern it Especially in peace they find it farr More hard to Rule and govern than in war Where common danger makes them all agree Ill humour 's purged on the Enemy Of discontent or murmur not a breath To disobey or mutin present death Here they fall fowl on friends humerous with ease Are discontented out of wantonness Murmur and mutin against those who sway Counting it gallantry to disobey Peace then 's a machin of more subtle frame Though War do bear the more Robustous name This Oliver knowing ignorant of nought But what 's not worth his knowledg his thought The outward building fram'd dos streight begin To bend his care to furnishing 't within And more by example than by precept rules For Princes alwayes are the noblest Schools Teaching them morall vertues first and then Their duties towards God as towards Men Reducing their devotions from the meen Or outward face unto the heart within The minds and Consciences of every one True channell where devotion should run To shew Concatination then of things How Kings are link't to Gods Subjects to Kings Down from above a golden chain dos fall In mutuall links binds and combines them all And he 's no longer part of th' universe Who dos substract himself from this commerce So stones once layd the Mason straight dos come And with his Cyment so conjoyneth u'm None from the rank th' ar placed in dos swarve But every one to 's proper use dos serve Last to declare how every power below To highest heaven dos all Allegeance ow Midst golden beams came streaming from a cloud As it some bright divinity did shroud A hand extended forth a Crown dos bear Sent as it were from Heaven to Oliver By me Kings Reign fair written over head By which Inscription's clearly signifi'd How Crowns not by the peoples power are given Nor by our own but onely sent from Heaven And heaven it is that dos transfer them still By onely right of its supreamest will As clearly in our Brittish one is seen Observe how often't has transferred been Unto the Romains from the Brittains then Unto the Saxons from the Romains when T 'had streight another turn to th'warlike Dane In divers Battails wonn and lost again Untill at last the Norman Conquerers Conquers them all and makes all England theirs Just as when many for the prize do run Amongst the brave Concurrants here some one The others quite outstrips another then As farr the formost dos devance agen Untill at last the most succesfull makes The Garland his and claimeth all the stakes So goes the world whilst in your private cause Mens differences decided are by Laws But th'publique by the sword who has most might c To Empires alwayes has the greatest right So much't imports great Monarks if they will Conserve their Kingdoms to go armed still And as in Kingdoms and in Monarchies So t is in Royall Lines and Families Their Capets line dos Charlemain exclude Plantaginets