Imprimatur W. MORICE THE REMAINS OF Sir FULK GREVILL Lord Brooke BEING POEMS OF MONARCHY AND RELIGION Never before Printed LONDON Printed by T. N. for Henry Herringman at the sign of the Blew Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange 1670. AN ADVERTISEMENT THe Author having dedicated all his Monuments to the Memory of Sir Philip Sidney whose Life he did write as an intended Preface to these it will not be fit to add any other then a brief Advertisement to acquaint the Reader he was that Sir Fulk Grevill whose Noble Line by Matches with the Honourable Families of Nevil Beauchamp and Willoughby Lord Brooke make good the observation of Hereditary advantages of Mind as well as Body by Descents purely derived from Noble Ancestors the Excellency of his Qualities rendring him an eminent Courtier in Queen Elizabeths Raign and in King James's time under whom he had the Honourable emploiments of Chancellour of the Exchequer and Privy Counceller and was by Letters Patent of that King in consideration of services done to the Crown made Lord Brooke to the Title of which Barony by Descent from Willoughby he had right and having always lived a Batchelor which was no small advantage to the freedom of his mind He died in the Seventy fourth year of his Age Ann. Dom. 1628. having been also Counsellor of State for about Three years to King CHARLES the First When he grew old he revised the Poems and Treatises he had writ long before and at his death committed them to his friend Mr. Michael Malet an aged Gentleman in whom he most confided who intended what the Author purposed to have had them Printed altogether but by Copies of some parts of them which happened into other hands some of them came first abroad each of his Works having had their fate as they singly merit particular esteem so to come into the World at several times he to whom they were first delivered being dead the trust of these remaining pieces devolved on Sir J. M. who hath given me the Licensed Coppy of them and that the Reader may be more fully informed of the Author and his Writings and how they are related to each other we must refer to that wherein besides his friend Sidneys Life he gives account of his own and of what he had written H. H. A TREATISE OF MONARCHY By Sir FULK GREVILL Lord BROOK Of the beginning of Monarchie SECT I. 1. THere was a time before the times of Story When Nature raign'd instead of Laws or Arts And mortal Gods with Men made up the Glory Of one Republick by united Hearts Earth was the common seat their Conversation In saving Love and ours in Adoration 2. For in those Golden days with Natures Chains Both King and People seem'd conjoyn'd in one Both nurst alike with mutual feeding veins Transcendency of either side unknown Princes with Men using no other Arts But by good dealing to obtain good hearts 3. Power then maintaind it self even by those Arts By which it grew as Justice Labor Love Reserved sweetness did it self impart Even unto Slaves yet kept it self above And by a meek descending to the least Enviless swayd and govern'd all the rest 4. Order there equal was Time Courts ordain'd To hear to judge to execute and make Few and good Rules for all griefs that complain'd Such care did Princes of their people take Before this Art of Power allay'd the Truth So Glorious of Mans greatness is the Youth 5. What wonder was it then if those Thrones found Thanks as exorbitant as was their Merit Wit to give highest Tributes being bound And wound up by a Princely ruling Spirit To worship them for their Gods after death Who in their life exceeded humane faith 6. And shall it Error nay Impiety In Heathen Souls be thought to recompence The Absent with immortal Memory Goodness with Praise and Benefit with Sence Or rather such a Golden natur'd vein As in the World might Golden days maintain 7. For where should thankful Ingenuity Think the Fear-thundring Scepter fit to rest With Knowledge Vertue and Felicity But in mild Jupiter's well-doing brest Or where but in Olympus Heaven to be Which was his dwelling place in Thessaly 8. And if departed souls must rise again Severely to become examined And bide the Judgement of Reward or Pain What Chancelors seem fitter for the dead Then Rhadamanthus and stern Minos were True Types of Justice while they lived here 9. Thus Kings may see while greatness did descend And Care as far spread as Authority Grace did restrain and disgrace did amend The Vice was hateful and the Majesty Of Justice held up for a common good A work by Kings and Men well understood 10. Kings creatures then were no vain Favorites But Guardians of the poor Eyes of the Crown Lest height of place should oversee the right And help the proud to pull the humble down All Laws like Cobwebs catching little Flies But never great ones without Princes Eyes 11. Under Euristus that brave Prince of Greece No Pallas no Narcissus delicate Were minions whose Lusts did the people Fleece Nor could sufficed be with Midas State And whose effeminate unactivevness To make themselves great still made Scepters less 12. But Hercules a brave laborious Spirit Who having freed Greece from home-Tyranny As born of more then his own soyl to merit Was sent to purge the Earths iniquity Egypt of Busyre Diomedes of Thrace Italy of Cacus Spain of Gerions Race 13. Nor could a Goddess spite which Juno veils Under emploiments specious pretences Change Nature or make true worth strike her sails One God appeasing other Gods offences When she that by his Labour sought his doom There made him Trophies where she meant his Tomb. 14. Yet did he raise no Pyramis for pain But his Republick's good his Masters Fame As thinking selfness but a trivial gain To him that builds an universal frame No Trophies fit for worth but Love and Praise Which shadow-like still follow active Rays 15. Jason again who serv'd Thessalia's King What else did he affect from dangers past When he the Pleece of Colchos home did bring Then in the Rolls of large time to be plac't For undertaking passages unknown Through which the wealth of many states have grown 16. Now whilst pow'r did thus really proceed Not on advantage Humor Slight or Will Her Zeal with Honour mixt peaz'd every deed Time did not yet encline to mask her ill Words grew in hearts Mens hearts were large free Bondage had then not brought in Flattery 17. But by decree of Fate this Corporation Is alter'd since and Earths fair Globe miscarried Mans Craft above these Gods in estimation And by it wisdomes constant Standard varied Whereby the sway of many years are gone Since any Godhead rul'd an earthly Throne 18. Whether it were Mans false Pygmean wit Captiving Envy or the Giants pride Which forc't these Worthies to abandon it I know not but some disproportion'd Tyde Of Times
all without Of which within it lives and dies in doubt 24. The other branch is meer Hypocrisie The worlds Religion born of Wit and Lust All which like hunters follow things that flie And still beyond things found find somthing must As God is boundless endless infinite So seem these Idols to the Hypocrite 25. Wit there is Priest who sacrisice doth make Of all in Heaven and Earth to his desire For from this Wit God and Religion take As many shapes as many strange attires As there be in the World degrees of change Which upon humours time occasion range 26. This teacheth all ambitious Magistrates On sins unquiet humors how to build Idols of Pow'r to alter natures rates And by false fears and hopes make people yield Their hearts for Temples unto Tyrants Laws Which Zeal divine to humane Homage draws 27. And when spiritual Lights which Truth expound Once to the traffick of Mans Will descend With chains of Truth Mankind no more is bound Whereby their hearts should up to Heaven ascend But vainly link't unto their tongues which draw Religion to a fleshly outward awe 28. And though this Fear a Holiness in shew Such as no Eye of Man can pierce the veil But least Gods houshold to contempt should grow Or this Hypocrisie not still prevail To raisâ— them reverence above their worth Blood Inquisition Question they bring forth 29. They draw the sword of Pow'r against her own Or else stir people up to war their Kings Both must be theirs or both be overthrown They bind Man unto words God binds to things For these false heads of holy Mother see Scepters to Miters there inferior be 30. Among our selves likewise there many be That make Religion nothing else but Art To master others of their own degree Enthral the simple well believing heart These have opposers scorn obedient fools Affecting Raign by educations tools 31. And though they serve Ambitious Princes use While they protect them like a nursing Father And while this common traffick of abuse Mutually helpeth either side to gather Yet mark the end of false combined trust It will divide and smart the people must 32. For sure in all kinds of Hypocrisie No bodies yet are found of constant being No uniforme no stable Mistery No inward Nature but an outward seeming No solid Truth no Vertue Holiness But types of these which Time makes more or less 33. And from these Springs strange inundations flow To drown the Sea-marks of Humanity With Massacres Conspiracy Treason Woe By Sects and Schisms prophaning Deity Besides with Furies Fiends Earth Air and Hell They fit and teach Confusion to rebell 34. But as their lives a true God in the Heaven So is there true Religion here on earth By nature No by Grace not got but given Inspir'd not taught from God a second Birth God dwelleth neer about us even within Working the goodness censuring the sin 35. Such as we are to him to us is he Without God there was no man ever good Divine the Author and the matter be Where goodness must be wrought in flesh and blood Religion stands not in corrupted things But vertues that descend have Heavenly wings 36. Not heathen vertue which they do define To be a state of mind by Custome wrought Where sublime Religion seems to refine Affection perturbation every thought Uunto a Mens Adepta which work spent Half of the days to humane Hermes lent 37. For in his work Man still rests Slave to Fame To inward Caution outward form and pride With curious watch to guard a rotten frame Safe undiscovet'd from the piercing ey'd Assiduous caution tyrannizing there To make frail thoughts seem other then they are 38. Under this Mask besides no vice is dead But passion with her counter-passion peaz'd The evil with it self both starv'd and fed And in her woes with her vain glories eas'd The work and tools alike vain flesh and blood The labour great the harvest never good 39. For in this painted Tomb let Mans own spirit Really judge what that estate can be Which he begetting in himself inherits Other then DESERTS of Hypocrisie Within the darkning shadows of his wit Hiding his stains from all the world but it 40. And if the habits of Hypocrisie With such attention must be kept and wrought If to mask vice be such a mistery As must with her captivity be sought If to be nothing and yet seem to be So nicely be contriv'd and dearly bought As vanity must in a Phaenix fire Smother her self to hatch her false desire 41. Then Judge poor Man Gods Image once 't is true Though now the Devils be thine own defection Judge Man I say to make this Image new And cleanse thy flesh from this deep dy'd infection What miracles must needs be wrought in you That thus stand lost in all things but election What living death what strange illumination Must be inspir'd to this Regeneration 42. Must not the Grace be supernatural Which in forgiving gives sanctification And from this second Chaos of his fall Forms in Mans little world a new Creation And must not then this twice born Child of Heaven Bring forth in life this new perfection giv'n 43. Then Man pray and obtain believe and have Omnipotence and goodness ready be To raise us with our Saviour from the Grave Whence Enoch and Elias lived free He made all good yet suffred sin and death To Raign and be exil'd again by faith 44. Then till thou find this Heavenly change in thee Of Pride to Meekness Atheisme to Zeal Lust to Continence Anger to Charity Thou feel'st of thy election no true seal But knowledge only that poor infancy Of this new Creature which must thence appeal Unto the father for obedience Judging his hopes or condemnation thence 45. For what else is Religion in Mankind But raising of Gods Image there decay'd No habit but a hallowed state of Mind Working in us that he may be obey'd As God by it with us Communicates So we by Duties must with all estates 46. With our Creator by sincere devotion With Creatures by observance and affection Superiors by respect of their promotion Inferiors with the nature of protection With all by using all things of our own For others good not to our selves alone 47. And ev'n this sacred band this Heavenly Breath In Man his understanding knowledge is Obedience in his Will in Conscience Faith Affections Love in death itself a bliss In body Temp'rance life Humility Pledge to the mortal of Eternity 48. Pure onely where God makes the Spirits pure It perfect grows as imperfection dies Built on the rock of truth that shall endure A Spirit of God that needs must multiply He shews his Glory cleerly to the best Appears in Clouds and Horror to the rest 49. Such was the soul in our first Sires Creation When Man knew God and goodness not the evil Far greater in the Godheads incarnation Where Truth subdu'd the sin that made the devil She
sincere By one false Act grow Bankrupt every where 286. Make not mens Conscience Wealth and Liberty Servile without book to unbounded Will Procrustus like he racks Humanity That in pow'rs own mould casts their good will And slaves men must be by the sway of time Where Tyranny continnes thus sublime 287. Observe in greatness this one abstract notion That odds of place possest by spirits inferior Must find strange hills and dales in every motion Nature and Chance growing by turns superior Whence inward weakness never shall be able To keep the outward borrow'd Glories stable 288. Yet above all these Tyrants must have Care To Cherrish those Assemblies of Estate Which in Great Monarchies true Glasses are To shew mens Griefs Excesses to abate Brave moulds for Laws a Medium that in one Joyns with content a people to the Throne 289. Besides a safe wrest of these boundless Kings To get supply or envyless reform Those over-stretched or relaxed strings Of many members which might else deform Still friends to Thrones who as Lords of the choice Give life or death to all acts by their voice 290. For as in Man this little world of ours All objects which affect him diversly With pain or pleasure under feeling pow'rs Of common sence are summon'd presently And there diminisht judged or approved A Crisis made some changed some removed 291. So in the Kingdoms general Conventions By confluence of all States doth appear Who nurseth peace who multiplies contentions What to the people what to great men dear Whereby Soveraignity still keeps above And from her Center makes these Circles move 292. Again since Parliaments assembled be Not for the end of one State but of all Practice of no side can be counted free Anger of greatness there is short-breath'd fall Altring displacing raising pulling down Offends the Burroughs adds not to the Crown 293. People like sheep and streams go all one way Bounded with Conscience names and liberty All other Arts enhance do not allay The headlong passions they are governed by Craft teacheth Craft practice goes not alone But ecchoes self-wit back upon a Throne 294. Small punishments fail not to multiply These Hydra heads and gives them glory cheap Blood were too much great bodies cannot die Pow'r that sows Truth may wealth and honor reap Men joy in war for Conscience and can die Giving their wealth to save their liberty 295. Conscience I say is to the people dear And liberty they like all Creatures love What then needs any force or practice here Where men upon such fair wheels easily move It may stir Jealousie but cannot friend That which both King Men should make their end 296. Pow'r therefore bring all ways degenerate Back to their old foundations whence they grew And suffer not these Pillars of estate By private selfness to become still new Of private Orbs th' Orizons are not great Must they not then diminish where they Treat 297. The large times strength like kept elections free Sheriff's us'd no self-Art in their County-days Great men forbore those shapes of Majesty Which gave the people freedom in their ways And what can Scepters loose by this free choice Where they reserve the Royalty of voice 298. At their Will either to dispense with Law When they are made as prisons of Creation Or Legal yokes which still more bondage draw By bringing penalties in reputation Mild people of the Throne desiring leave More specious Nets on all estates to weave 299. Freedom of speech ecchoes the peoples trust That credit never doth the Soveraign harm Kings win the people by the people must Wherein the Scepter is the chiefest charme People like Infants joy in little things Which ever draws their Councels under Kings 300. Hence Power often in her largest days Hath chosen free and active instruments From Subjects faith that in the subjects ways Humbly to suffer have been well content And since Man is no more then what he knows Ought he not pay that duty which he ows 301. And what expect men for their lives and goods But some poor feathers out of their own wings Pardons I mean from those Law-catching moods Which they before had begged of their Kings Let them speak freely then they freely pay Each Creature hath some kind of Sabbath-day 302. Lastly when Princes most do need their own People do spy false lights of Liberty Taxes there vanisht impositions gone Yet doth the Parlamental Subsidy Relieve Kings wants at home with peoples wealth And shews the World that both States are in health 303. From these sweet Mountains therefore let us view The former great Estates which govern'd all And by the use of many people knew Which way to frame things for the general Yet kept their Soveraignity above By using Councels not of Fear but Love 304. The Roman State for all free States a Glass In her deliberations of weight When she did strive to shun or bring to pass Her real Councels or well mask't deceit Had to her Five and Thirty Tribes recourse Assemblivg many to keep all from worse 305. By them determining in Mars his field The denizing of Realms Magistrates creation When Rome was barren what did over yield When Peace or War and why had reputation Peazing the Senates pride the Peoples rage Lest the excess of one should all engage 306. And by this equal ballance kept upright Her far extended Government and Law Till War by over-adding unto Might The scale uneven did on her side draw And by a martial mutinous election Of Emperors brought Empire to defection 307. Far different is the course of Tyranny Where Mans felicity is not the end But self-contracting Soveraignity Neither to Scepter nor to People friend The mystery of iniquity being there Not to assemble Parlament for fear 308. Instance the present brutish Rapsody Of Mankind under Ottoman's base line Where if in one Man should assembled be Of their well beings freely to define What were it but a liberal Commission For them to cast off Bondage by sedition 309. The true uniting Grecian policy Of course frequented twice in every year Their ancient Amphiction Synodie A Parliament for many causes dear Aswel at home to curb mens divers minds As all encroaching forrainers to bind 310. For active pow'r must not her bounds enlarge By stretching Crown rights which by Law descend To Taxe impose monopolize or charge As if both God and Man's Law had no end But to enhance Prerogatives as far By arts of Peace as they by Conquests are 311. Else when this Crown-assumed liberty Hath shuffled all distinct Imperial rests To give confused will Soveraignity Order thus shak't in Thrones in subjects breasts Makes Duty nothing else but servile fears Where fruits alike for both occasion bears 312. And as these Laws which bind mans birth to Thrones Have therefore under wise Kings government Never been Creatures of their wills alone But like Man-yokes made by Mankinds consent So taxe again to one from many paid Is