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XXXII.

Such was our prince; yet own'd a foul above
The highest acts it could produce to show:
Thus mechanic arts in public move,

poor

Whilft the deep fecrets beyond practice go.
XXXIII.

Nor dy'd he when his ebbing fame went lefs,
But when fresh laurels courted him to live:
He feem'd but to prevent fome new success,
As if above what triumphs earth could give.
XXXIV.

His latest victories ftill thickest came,

As, near the center, motion doth increase; "Till he, prefs'd down by his own weighty name, Did, like the vestal, under fpoils decease.

XXXV.

But firft the ocean as a tribute fent

The giant prince of all her watry herd;
And th’isle, when her protecting genius went,
Upon his obfequies loud fighs conferr❜d.
XXXVI.

No civil broils have fince his death arose,
But faction now by habit does obey;
And wars have that respect for his repose,

As winds for halcyons, when they breed at fea.

XXXVII.

His ashes in a peaceful urn shall rest,

His name a great example ftands, to show How strangely high endeavours may be blest, Where piety and valour jointly go.

SICCA MORTE

ASTREA

ASTRE A REDU X.

A POEM on the happy RESTORATION and RETURN of His Sacred Majesty CHARLES the Second, 1660.

Jam redit & virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna.

The last great age foretold by facred rhimes
Renews it's finifh'd course; Saturnian times
Roll round again.

VIRG.

WOW with a general peace the world was bleft,

Now

While our's, a world divided from the reft,

A dreadful quiet felt, and worfer far

Than arms, a fullen interval of war:

Thus when black clouds draw down the lab'ring fkies,

Ere yet abroad the winged thunder flies,
An horrid ftillnefs firft invades the ear,
And in that filence we the tempest fear.
Th'ambitious Swede, like reftlefs billows toft,
On this hand gaining what on that he loft,
Though in his life he blood and ruin breath'd,
To his now guidelefs kingdom peace bequeath'd.

And

And heaven, that seem'd regardless of our fate,
For France and Spain did miracles create ;
Such mortal quarrels to compofe in peace

As nature bred, and intereft did increase.
We figh'd to hear the fair Iberian bride
Muft grow a lily to the lily's fide,

While our cross stars deny'd us Charles' bed,
Whom our first flames and virgin love did wed.

For his long absence church and state did
groan;
Madness the pulpit, faction seiz'd the throne:
Experienc'd age in deep despair was lost,
To see the rebel thrive, the loyal croft:
Youth that with joys had unacquainted been,
Envy'd gray hairs that once good days had seen :
We thought our fires, not with their own content,
Had ere we came to age our portion spent.
Nor could our nobles hope their bold attempt
Who ruin'd crowns would coronets exempt:
For when by their defigning leaders taught
Toftrike at pow'r which for themselves they fought,
The vulgar, gull'd into rebellion, arm'd;

Their blood to action by the prize was warm'd.
The facred purple then and scarlet gown,

Like fanguine dye, to elephants was shewn.

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Thus when the bold Typhoeus fcal'd the sky,
And forc'd great Jove from his own heav'n to fly,
(What king, what crown from treafon's reach is free,
If Jove and Heav'n can violated be?)

The leffer gods, that fhar'd his profperous ftate,
All fuffer'd in the exil'd Thunderer's fate.
The rabble now fuch freedom did enjoy,
As winds at fea, that use it to destroy:
Blind as the Cyclop, and as wild as he,
They own'd a lawless savage liberty,
Like that our painted ancestors so priz'd,
Ere empire's arts their breasts had civiliz'd.
How great were then our Charles' woes, who thus
Was forc'd to fuffer for himself and us!

He, tofs'd by fate, and hurry'd up and down,
Heir to his father's forrows, with his crown,
Could tafte no fweets of youth's defired age;
But found his life too true a pilgrimage.
Unconquer'd yet in that forlorn estate,
His manly courage overcame his fate.

His wounds he took, like Romans, on his breast,
Which by his virtue were with laurels dreft.
As fouls reach heav'n while yet in bodies pent,
So did he live above his banishment.

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