A PANEGYRICK TO HIS HIGHNESS THE DUKE of YORK, ON HIS SEA-FIGHT WITH THE DUTCH June 3d 1665.

By the Honourable EDWARD HOWARD.

LONDON, Printed for Henry Herringman at the Anchor on the Lower Walk of the New-Exchange. 1666.

A PANEGYRICK To his Highness The Duke of York, ON His Sea-fight with the Dutch, June 3. 1665.

ILLustrious Prince, while your great Deeds outdoe,
All that the Muse can fain, or World knows true,
Your Panygerick, must be such a Theam,
As makes Fame, Poet, and Truth seem a Dream.
What age had such a Chief? that Sea and Land
Rivals in Glories, from your brave Command,
While Earth, that wonder'd at your Worth before,
Fears, that your Prowess, gives the Sea now more;
Had any Blood but yours, or Princes Name,
Spred through the Universe, so bright a Fame,
Our happy boast, must then have turn'd to be
A glorious dread of such a Gallantry.
And beaten Dutch, whose yielding Valours find
Your Royal Conduct, Victory inclin'd,
Might then their drowsie hopes revive again,
And slight our fury on the angry Main.
[Page 4] But while they see, that you there challenge Fate,
To fight, must make 'em more unfortunate.
Lepanto, now no more shall Sea-fights boast,
Though so much Othoman glory, there was lost;
Or tell what Donne of Austria then atchiev'd,
Or brave Villerio, for fam'd Venice did,
Since in your Deeds we Empires so outdo,
As Princes ne'er can hope to Rival you,
Or State so bold, to send a Fleet to Sea,
To dare your Conduct such another day;
Who from your steady Vertue dread to meet,
Power more resistless than your Conquering Fleet.
How then shall vanquish'd Dutch e're hope to show
Valour enough for a more Signal blow?
While your High Prowess, proves it is their Doom,
Not to attempt enough, to be o'recome;
Will not Heroicks Spain repine to see,
You on their Rebels get this victory?
When all its Power, and Indian Treasure too,
Could scarce a Ship, much less their Fleet subdue:
As this great Monarchs Scepter on the Main,
Sunk, to reduce his Rebels Power again,
And late with pity, we beheld our Coast,
A Witness of his Navies glory lost:
How was our former Charles provok'd to see
That rough Contest in his Sovereignty!
Whose Name and Rule, like great Augustus days,
Taught the World Meekness, and gave Calms to Seas;
Yet on the Main permitted these to fight,
To leave our King the glory of his Might;
Which from your Conquest, unconfin'd extends,
And Seas makes Empires, where the World has ends.
[Page 5] That hence aspiring Spain in ours must see
More than an Universal Monarchy,
And beg a Conduct from Great CHARLES and You,
To use that world, his Arms did first subdue;
Though now oblig'd by Heaven to confess,
His mighty Rebels tam'd from Your Success,
Leaving their Crimes, too powerful for his Throne,
To meet a Fate from Heaven and You alone:
Thus while Your Glories rumor at this rate,
Your Conquest proves, Divinity has Fate,
Since we from it have more than cause to bless
Heaven for our Loss as well as Your Success;
A Loss so small, as Victory ne're knew
Such great Atchievements, and Death win so few,
Though sent from Cannons mouths to force its way,
Trembled to act the Furies of this day,
While it oppos'd our Cause, and Your Defence,
Both so obliging, of Omnipotence:
But as some stately Oak, that Heaven designs
To check the rudeness of impetuous windes,
Ventures his growth and glory to bestow
Safety and grace on humbler Trees below,
So did Your Virtues in this furious day,
The wonder of our Loves, themselves display,
While all the force of these our Belgick Foes
Does less Your Fleet than Your own Ship oppose;
Like Pirates, that for one rich Vessels Prize
Venture their own to sink its Sacrifice;
Thus having swell'd their Sails, their Guns did ply,
Whose noise like Thunder seem'd to wound the Sky,
While Yours with louder Fury these repress,
And dumb their Cannons, threatning their Success:
[Page 6] And so the Lion, which disdains Contests
When menac'd with Assaults of vulgar Beasts,
First awes 'em with his Voice, but if such dare
Contemn his Rule, and proudly bid him fear,
Then by the Wounds he gives they prove his Might,
And find it was their Crime to dare his Fight:
And thus did you contend while these assail;
But Fortune somthing will for them prevail;
She that with Virtue still maintains debate,
And with its brave Atchievments scatters Fate,
Acts now a part above her sin and pride,
Else how could Cannons kill so neer Your Side,
Or snatch such Worthies by a fatal blow,
Protected by Your Love and Conduct too?
Ah, wretched Dutch, to be oblig'd by Fate,
Which on their ruine it must expiate,
And Elements oppos'd, at once conspire,
That Opdam sinks, and yet consumes with Fire.
No Bullet from Your Guns but finds a way
To Naval Glory, and each gets his day;
This sinks a Ship, and this bids th' other fly,
While waves assault their wounds that stay to die.
Thus for Your sake the angry Main devours,
And Neptune with Your Prowess joins his Powers:
Some swim to Rocks, and there lament their State,
Whose greedy Pride they now deplore to late;
Others on limbs of Vessels steer alone,
And to the merciless Sea as hapless mone,
Repining, since that perish now they must,
They can't, like other Mortals turn to dust,
But in this liquid Element consume,
Where Nature ne're intended Grave or Tomb.
[Page 7] While You these Shipwrack'd Enemies survey,
As brave in pity, as you won the day;
Wishing their Valours had their Lives repriev'd,
Or by Your Mercy, more o're-come, had liv'd.
And now the watry Host that glide the Main,
Begin to fight, which shall devour the slain,
Fish against Fish in fierce Battalions meet,
And pour out waves, like Thunder from Your Fleet;
Vast Whales draw up their monstrous Bodies here,
There slimy Monsters, yet unknown, appear,
Inflam'd, in this cold Element, to strive
Which on the dead shall now most mighty live:
Some Sholes of Men in their vast Bodies pour,
And waves enough to store new Seas devour,
Mingled with blood, food to their thirstful rage,
Which others with revengeful draughts asswage,
And these through vaster jaws thus swell'd convey,
That Fish die drown'd, as well as Men, that day?
What were your Crimes, O Dntch, provok'd a Foe
So Great and Good as is our King, and You,
Whose Influence can Winds and Seas asswage,
And but incens'd, commands the Oceans rage?
Thus having fatally now prov'd their Might,
Heaven they implore for winds to speed their flight;
But they so gently breath'd, as Dutch must say,
The Air was pleas'd to see You win this day:
And next their utmost toils and arts they try,
To steer a flight, but fear to fight, and fly,
Wishing that Courage and fam'd Parthian skill,
As Romans prov'd, could them pursuing kill;
While they to obscure Shores direct their course,
Like routed Armies that must hide their force;
[Page 8] Some sink on Sands, or Rocky dangers meet,
To scape the greater Terrour of your Fleet,
Which now in glorious triumph, you survey,
Acting both Prince, and Pilot, this rough day;
So great Enaeas, as Fame, and Maro tell,
Could guide his course, though Pallinurus fell.
Each Militant, with beams of Grace you know,
And had your Crastinus, like Caesar too;
But far more fam'd, since your success began,
As Princely Rupert, fought, and led the Van.
A Name so glorious, as Fate must confess,
He still grew greater, while she meant him less:
And in our Crowns defence, still acted so,
As boldest Rebels fear'd, unconquer'd too;
Thinking their guilt, could ne're supported be,
Unless his Death had been, their Victory,
Whose vertues even transcend their former Claim,
Since now in his, he shares, your valours Fame.
And thus our matchless Monarch did compleat,
All brave attempts, his Cause and Crown speaks Great,
While Fate unconquer'd, he or'ecame dispair,
And taught bold Fortune, from himself to fear;
How will his Crown, in glory, hence encrease,
That through the Main gives Subjects Trade and Peace,
Which as his Empire o're the world does raise,
So Crowns your Prowess with eternal Praise.
FINIS.

LICENSED,

Roger L'estrange.

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