A POEME, ON The KINGS most Excellent MAIESTIES happy Progresse into SCOTLAND, and much desired returne.
MAY. 1633.
¶ Imprinted at LONDON, MDCXXXIII.
To all True-hearted Subiects, that wish well to our Gracious Souereigne, His Royall Queene, Prince, Princesse, and State: The Authour, no Poet, but on this occasion, directs his ensuing Poeme.
HE's gone, the Sunne goes Northward, and t'was now
Fit time of th' yeere; I'le tell you why, and how:
Some in a Map doe trace each step Hee makes,
And with his Compasse one the distance takes
From towne to towne, and, guided by his sight,
Dares to auouch that there He lay last Night,
And here He din'd this day, and then, amain,
He and his Troups passed ore such a Plaine
And such a Meadow green, and fields that lay
Close to a Riuer running by that way.
Thus his Finger walkes the Iourney thorow.
Lastly he saith, This is Edinborough.
Here must I point at things in generall,
For that were infinite to touch them all,
Or to describe the wayes, or Townes, or woods,
Or Hils, or Dales, or Fields, or dainty Floods
And Brookes that glide along, I leaue that to
Some other Muse, for mine hath much adoe
To finde a Clew of thred to lead her out:
Of this great Labyrinth she is about;
Thus some take Pleasure, and Recreation,
To see Him in Imagination,
To thinke they see Him present, heare Him speake,
As in a Dreame, though absent when they wake:
And whil'st they this contemplate, thus they sing,
No State so happy, ne're so sweet a King.
When they haue done in speaking what they may,
Vnto His praise, with bended knees they pray
For Him and all that his Attendants be,
Praysing, and wishing their Felicitie,
And that all blessings on His head may fall,
To make His Royall race perpetuall.
Marke how He mounts higher then Cancers Signe,
And walkes with equall steps beyond that [...] Line
The Gests.
Which Phoebus ne're could passe,
The Tropick.
His Tropicks standBefore the Sunne, take them by Sea or Land:
Eastward He goes to France, and West to Spaine,
By Do [...]er.
Northward to Scotland, Southward backe againe
To England, Royall Traueller; See here,
H' exceeds the Sun, quarters the Hemisphere;
The Sunnes Summer beigne.
Now in His Apogaeum doth He shine
Nine daies ith' North, more then ith' Sothern Clime.
Astron'mers say 'tis common, yet mistake,
'Twas neuer but for Iames and Charles his sake;
See how Don Phoebus striues for to exceed,
Breathlesse, and windlesse, till his Coursers bleed,
Drinks vp the Sea for thirst, and lets it fall
In Teares, into the Earths vast vrinall,
And when he cannot compasse his desire,
With burning heat would set the world on fire;
He rises early, and goes late to bed,
Yet ere one Moneth he yeelds, as vanquished,
Stands,
The [...]stice.
gazing after him, and doth admire,But cannot moue, is forc'd for to retire.
The Sunne, though glorious, needs must lay aside,
During this Progresse, all his glittering pride,
Turnes [...] Phosphorus to our Phoebus all the way,
The Day star.
Serues for a morning Starre vnto the Day,
And beares the Mace to Charles: See how goes
And comes before his Maiestie, and showes
As he ascends to Northward, more and more,
Great light to them that were all Night before.
Dwellers vnder the North Pole.
But when the King returnes, the Sunne with speede,
Comes South againe, as if 'twere so decreed,
They of th' Orcades rise, and wondring say,
They ne're obseru'd it so since Iacobs day.
King [...]ames.
For when of light they saw such curious streames,
They did suppose it had been Phoebus beames,
In hopes that he for his long absence might
Giue more then halfe yeere day; for halfe yeere night.
Now they plucke on their clothes, awak't from sleep,
Reioycing much for to see the day peepe,
One for his doublet, one for his breeches calls,
Rowsing their Seruants from their Funeralls,
Neere dead asleepe: they that dwell farthest North,
That for sixe moneths at least ne're ventured forth
Of their owne doores, in haste without dispute,
Run to the tops of th' Hills for to salute
The rising Sunne: by vse the case is cleare,
The first that sees him shall be King that yeere.
'Tis not your vsuall Sunne that now you see,
But 'tis King Charles, a greater Sunne then he.
Vp to your mountaine tops therefore, and pry
For to behold him first as narrowly
As e're you did your Sunne; who can alleadge
The Conquest, shall not lose his Priuiledge.
When by Gods grace He shall returne, then we
His loyall Subiects shall contend to see
Our Souereigne first, no hills for this so high,
As we desire, no Alpes can satisfie.
For when He tooke His Progresse, then each one
That could not Him attend where He was gone,
Looks at his Coach wheeles, as along they past,
Striuing with greedy eyes to see him last.
Those of the Antarctike Pole haue cause to feare,
The Arctick day will almost make a yeere;
And they ith' night must all that while abide,
Whereas the Sunne did commonly diuide
The Day and Night betwixt them, good successe
Be to the Northerne world, th' Almighty blesse
Denmarke and Swede, and all the rest that are
Confederates for that League, and German war,
The Sunne comes neerer you, and gilds the Skie
Till of your foes you get the victory.
The birds most sweetly chant it all the way,
Bid him good morrow and good night each day:
Each Wood and Groue, each Tree, and each Briar
Yeeld Choristers to make a dainty quire:
Sometimes the Partridge one another call,
Morning and Euening sings the Nightingall.
T'were endlesse to recount the Notes they sing,
When all the birds doe homage to the King;
Vnder his window, ere the day appeare,
Ioying and clapping crowes loud Chanticleere.
Fishes and Beasts doe th' like, but that my song
Cannot assoord them roome, 'twould be too long,
And o're the Hills and Valleys, with the bounds
Of Horses and Coaches the Echo sounds,
Repeating all thats done, or said, as crost,
That any word, or tittle should be lost.
The end for breuity by her exprest,
Shews that she keepes a Iournall of the rest.
The highway Criples run by's Coaches side
To aske an almes, which neuer is denied.
You'ld laugh, how some, at th'end of euery towne
With wooden legs will put the Footmen downe.
The Maiors and Aldermen of euery place,
And vnder-Officers, for a great space,
Come forth to meet him, and to offer vp,
Some siluer Flaggons, some a golden Cup,
Some one thing, some another, any thing
They iudge to be most pleasing to the King.
And thus in humble manner, as 'tis meet,
Lay downe their keyes, and power at his feet.
With them the rurall Lads, and Lasses too,
Staring and gazing to see what they doe.
He's a despised clowne eternally,
That comes not forth to see the King passe by.
The Countrey Hoydens gaine thus much, they can
That saw the King, write alwayes Gentleman.
You'ld wonder how they'l boast, 'tis their glory,
When to their sweet-hearts they tell this story.
Sunne stand thou still, and let thy Solstice be
So long ith' Heauen, till thou clearely see
His safe arriuall, and returne againe:
Leaue him not there, as once thou didst in Spaine,
Hoping to meet him, sent with swift careere:
Perchance, Expresse, to see how all did here.
Our Sunne to Scotland gone, doth make our night,
Our Moone His royall Consort giues vs light,
Queene Mary.
Two pretty Starres increase it, that stand by
Conioyn'd with her, Venus and Mercury.
Prince Charles. Princesse Mary.
Marke a Parhelium now, two Su [...]nes for one
Doe shine aboue our Northerne Ho [...]izon,
In Scotland one, in England one, yet the,
So farre asunder make a goodly day:
And if thus distant they can shine so sweet,
How bright a Skie wil't be when they next meet
His sacred head all happinesse attend,
The Queene, the Prince, the Princesse, Subiects, Friend:
Let Angels guardians, God Protector stand,
By Sea His Pilot, and His Guide by land:
By day His Cloud, by night His burning Torch,
Nor cold by night, nor heat by day may scorch
His royall Person; let His clothing be
Eliahs Mantle, and His company
Eliahs Chariot, Tobies Raphael
Ith' way He goes; for thirst giue Iacobs Well,
For hunger Iacobs Venison, which may send
A blessing to all those that Him attend;
For sleepe giue Iacobs Pillow, at his head
Set Iacobs Laddar, that which I haue said,
Giue all those blessing which His conuoy found,
Vnto our King for [...]o begirt him round.
O let His sleep be sweet, His dreames diuine,
Of heauenly angels, and his heart incline,
Good God, that King Solomons dreame may be
Confirm'd to Him and His posteritie;
And that in full assurance God may please
Conduct Him safe, and bring Him backe in peace.
Ʋiuat Rex.
J. R.