Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A39646
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On the death of the illustrious Prince Rupert a pindarique ode / by Thomas Flatman.
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Flatman, Thomas, 1637-1688.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing F1143; ESTC R5928
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2,228
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14
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ON THE DEATH OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE RUPERT A Pindarique Ode By THOMAS FLATMAN Vtinam Viveres LONDON Printed for Benj. Tooke at the Ship in S. Pauls Churchyard 1683. On the DEATH OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE RUPERT Pindarique Ode STANZA I. MAn surely is not what he seems to be Surely our selves we over-rate Forgetting that like other Creatures we Must bend our heads to Fate Lord of the whole Creation Man How big the Title shews Trifles away a few uncertain Years Cheated with Hopes and rackt with Fears Through all Lifes little Span Then down to silence and to darkness goes And when we Die the Croud that trembling stood E're while struck with the terrour of a Nod Shake off their wonted Reverence with their Chains And at their pleasure use our poor Remains Ah mighty Prince Whom lavish Nature and industrious Art Had fitted for immortal Fame Their utmost Bounty could no more impart How comes it that Thy venerable Name Should be submitted to my Theme Unkindly baulkt by the prime skilful men Abandon'd to be sully'd by so mean a Pen II. Tell me ye skilful men if you have read In all the fair Memorials of the Dead A Name so formidably Great So full of Wonders and unenvi'd Love In which all Vertues and all Graces strove So terrible and yet so sweet Shew me a Star in Honours Firmament Of the first magnitude let it be That from the darkness of this World made free A brighter lustre to this World has lent Ye men of reading shew me one That shines with such a beam as His. Rupert's a Constellation Outvies Arcturus and the Pleïades And if the Iulian Star of old out-shone The lesser Fires as much as them the Moon Posterity perhaps will wonder why An Heroe more divine than He Should leave after his Apotheosis No Gleam of light in all the Galaxie Bright as the Sun in the full blaze of Noon III. How shall my trembling Muse Thy Praise reherse Thy Praise too lofty ev'n for Pindar's Verse Whence shall she take her daring flight That she may soar aloft In numbers masculine and soft In numbers adaequate To thy Renowns Coelestial height If from thy noble Pedigree The Royal Bloud that sparkled in thy Veins A low Plebeian Eulogy disdains And he blasphemes that meanly writes of Thee If from thy Martial Deeds she boldly rise And sing thy valiant Infancy Rebellious Britain after felt full well Thou from thy Cradle wert a Miracle Swadled in Armour Drums appeas'd thy Cries And the shrill Trumpet sung thy Lullabies The Babe Alcides thus gave early proof In the first dawning of his Youth When with his tender hand the Snakes he slew What Monsters in his riper Years he would subdue IV. Great Prince in whom Mars and Minerva join'd Their last efforts to frame a mighty Mind A Pattern for Brave men to come design'd How did the Rebel-Troops before thee fly How of thy Genius stand in aw When from the sulphurous Cloud Thou in Thunder gav'st aloud Thy dreadful Law To the presumptuous Enemy In vain their traiterous Ensigns they displaid In vain they fought in vain they pray'd At thy victorious Arms dismaid Till Providence for Causes yet unknown Causes mysterious and deep Conniv'd a while as if asleep And seem'd its dear Anointed to disown The prosperous Villany triumph'd o're the Crown And hurl'd the best of Monarchs from his Throne O tell it not in Gath nor Ascalon The best of Monarchs fell by impious Power Th' unspotted Victim for the guilty bled He bow'd he fell there where he bow'd he fell down dead Blest Martyr baptiz'd in his sacred gore V. Nor could those tempests in the giddy State O mighty Prince thy Loyalty abate Though put to flight thou fought'st the Parthian way And still the same appear'dst to be Among the Beasts and scaly Fry A Behemoth on Land and a Leviathan at Sea Still wert thou Brave still wert thou Good Still firm to thy Allegiance stood Amidst the foamings of the popular floud Cato with such a constancy of mind Espous'd that Cause which all his Gods declin'd Till gentler Stars amaz'd to see Thy matchless and undaunted Bravery Blusht and brought back the murthered Father's Son Lest thou shouldst plant him in th' Imperial Throne Thou with thy single hand alone He that forgets the Glories of that Day When CHARLES the Merciful return'd Ne'r felt the transports of glad Sion's Joy When she had long in dust and ashes mourn'd He never understood with what surprize She open'd her astonish'd eyes To see the goodly Fabrick of the second Temple rise VI. When CHARLES the Merciful his Entrance made The Day was all around serene Not one ill-boding Cloud was seen To cast a gloomy shade On the triumphal Cavalcade In that his first and happy Scene The Pow'rs above foretold his Halcyon Reign In which like them He evermore should prove The kindest methods of Almighty Love And when black Crimes His Justice should constrain His pious Brest should share the Criminals pain Fierce as the Lion can he be and gentle as the Dove Here stop my Muse the rest let Angels sing Some of those Angels who with constant care To His Pavilion near attendants are A Life-guard giv'n him by th' Omnipotent King Th' Omnipotent King whose Character He bears Whose Diadems on Earth he wears And may he wear it long for many many years VII And now illustrious Ghost what shall we say What Tribute to thy precious memory pay Thy Death confounds and strikes all Sorrows dumb Kingdoms and Empires make their moan Rescu'd by thee from Desolation In Pilgrimage hereafter shall they come And make their Offerings before thy Tomb Great Prince so fear'd abroad and so ador'd at home Iove's Bird that durst of late confront the Sun And in the wanton German Banners plaid Now hangs her Wing and droops her Head Now recollects the Battels thou hast won And calls too late to thee for aid All Christendom deplores the loss Whilst bloudy Mahomet like a Whirl-wind flies And insolently braves the ill-befriended Cross. Europe in bloud and in confusion lies Thou in an easie good old age Remov'd from this tumultuous Stage Sleep'st unconcern'd at all its Rage Secure of Fame and from Detraction free He that to greater happiness would attain Or towards Heav'n would swifter fly Must be much more than mortal man And never condescend to Die Dec. 13. 1682. FINIS