THE PHAENIX HER Arrival & Welcome TO ENGLAND.
It being an Epithalamy on the Marriage of the KINGS Most Excellent Majesty with the Most Royal and Most Illustrious DONNA KATHARINA Of PORTUGAL.
WOnders get Wonders, and their glorious Birth
Increase new numbers both in Heav'n and Earth;
Though Charles the First this present Age did call
A Mirrour, and a Miracle to all;
Yet 'twas the top and height of his Renown
He got so brave a Prince to heir his Crown;
And 'tis the Joy and Honour of his Son
To trace those Glories Charles the First had done;
To his Renown it was he did advance
The English Lyons with the Flow'rs of France,
[Page 4] And to the Honours of his Son we all
Ascribe this Marriage made with Portugal.
Great CHARLES the Second, who is King of Hearts
And King of Arms, as well as King of Arts,
To bless this Nation by a Knot divine
Is married to the matchless KATHARINE.
Great CHARLES the Second whom Fames Trumpet rings
To be the Wonder and Delight of Kings,
Is joyn'd to Her whom Heav'ns rich Mint did coyne
For Englands Queen, the Noble KATHARINE.
Great CHARLES the Second, Second unto none
In Goodness, Greatness, and Religion,
Hath met a Noble Parallel, whose Line
Answers His own, the Accomplish'd KATHARINE.
Great CHARLES the Second, like another Sun
Whose radiant Glories through all Europe run,
Hath chose One with Him in His Orbe to shine
Bright as Himself, the Beauteous KATHARINE.
But since the Course of Heav'n and Nature shuns
The levelling Splendour of two equal Suns;
Therefore their Rival Lustres to attone,
Wedlock hath ty'd these Sacred Lights in one:
And now since Venus is new joyn'd to Mars,
Be they the Envy of all other Stars;
Let them on Earth of Blessings find such store,
Till Earth can ask, or Heav'n scarce grant them more.
Loe where that Tagus who but lately roll'd
His glittering waters intermixt with Gold,
And proudly flowing with a vain Desire
In his own Channels did himself admire,
Now pale with Grief, he his own Joyes disclames,
To see his Glories in the lap of Thames;
His richest treasure, and more precious far,
More pure in substance, and in show more fair,
Then all the glory of the weighty Oare
That shines in spangles on his wealthy shore,
[Page 5] Is now (transported) from fair Lisbon come,
This Isle to make the Queen of Christendome.
See where she comes her Beauties do adorn,
And lend new splendors to the blushing Morn,
The Vigour of her rays, which conquering flyes,
Dazzles the Sun to look upon her eyes;
There needs no Ribbands to adorn her hair,
The laughing Stars in knots are radiant there.
The Graces are her Ushers, and do strow
Roses before her where so e're she go,
And a long train of Virtues hand in hand
In Order all behind her do attend.
No sooner shipp'd for England, she set sail,
But Neptune sent forth a tempestuous Gale,
When loe her Beauties i'th Seas highest Rage
Soon strook a Calm, and did their wrath asswage.
At which loud Triton did his suit prefer
To entertain him for her Trumpetter,
And many a Mermaid did attend upon her
And humbly crav'd to be her Maids of Honour;
The Dolphins near her shoal'd, and with their train
Swept the salt foame, and cut the curled Main;
So great the Tumult, one might well suppose
From Love, not Rage, the late high Tempest rose;
The Waves t'enjoy her sight no pains did spare
To leap into the Element of Air,
The Air to bear so fair a burden fain,
Would change it's place and nature with the Main,
Whiles Winds that struggled who should most have crown'd her,
So sinn'd in Zeal, that they almost had drown'd her.
And now arriv'd, Saint Michaels Mount must be
The place of Fame, where happy Destinie
Decree'd that first this Princess should be found
To plant her foot upon the English Ground.
Now all things smil'd, and did conspire outright
To mingle Royal Greatness with Delight;
[Page 6] The Month is May, and the dress'd Spring doth stand
In all it's pride to welcome her to land.
Here having taken some days rest to ease
Her Body weary of the churlish Seas,
A winged Grove of Frigots doth convay
Her Sexes Glory unto Portsmouths Bay:
Here did our Fears cast Anchor, to implore
The Pilots Conduct on the Seas no more;
Now Bon-fires heat the Air, Healths drench the Earth,
Portsmouth the Center, and the Stage of Mirth;
Some use their tongues, and speak their Mirth in Fancies,
Others their feet, and tread their Joys in Dances:
Now Youth, and Beauty, State, and Pomp do greet,
And Peace and Plenty walk in every Street,
And from above, Heav'ns Blessings more t'unfold,
It hails down Pearls, and rains down riguous Gold.
Portsmouth's the place where first His Majestie
His Royal Spouse Queen Katharine must see;
For though 'twas Cornwal to the Queen did bring
The happy sight of England, yet the King
(But when her Picture did present the same)
Ne're saw his Queen till she to Portsmouth came.
The holy knot was ty'd here in a blest
And solemn Marriage, here the King possest
Earth pure as Heaven, and stain'd with no Alloy,
Braganzaes Glories, and Terezaes Joy.
Now like two glorious Lamps may their Flames rise
Pure, and erect, until they touch the Skies;
May their rich splendour be by Age more bright,
And grace the World with their United Light;
May their Loves be a Sacrifice t'attone
Their Peoples Rage, and make their hearts but one:
May the Church flourish in her Truth, and Train,
And be as white as Innocence again:
May those who scorn'd us in our late distress
Now fear, and wonder at our Happiness;
[Page 7] May every Street, and every Countreys Green
Ring with the Trophies of our King and Queen;
And may the thunder of their Armes chastise
And judge 'twixt all both Friends and Enemies,
T'advance the Good, and humble those are Fierce,
And give new Laws unto the Universe.
FINIS.