THE DVTIE OF SIR FRANCIS VVORTLEY; Deliniated, IN HIS PIOVS PITTY, and Christian Commiseration of the Sorrowes and Sufferings of the most vertuous, yet unfortunate Lady ELISABETH Queene of BOHEMIA.
BEING A Dedication to FAME and TRVTH: Prefer'd to both the Houses of Parliament.
BY Her humble Servant and Honourer, Sir FRANCIS WORTLEY Knight and Barronet.
LONDON, Printed by R. O. for F. W. MDCXLI.
THE SORROVVES AND SVFFERINGS OF THE MOST VERTVOVS LADY ELIZABETH Queene of BOHEMIA.
IF all the VERTVES which the Critticks call
VERTVES Divine, and VERTVES Cardinall,
If these together mixt with ROYALL BLOOD
Can scarcely make a Claime to merit Good;
If HER great Merits could not impetrate
So much, as not to bee Unfortunate,
And in Mis-fortunes to exceed so farre,
As if the worst of all her Sexe Shee were:
How light would our best works be in Heavn's skale,
If Shee thus farre in point of Merit faile.
Had beene sufficient for the BRITTISH Nation;
And would have made the Papall Sea as great
As Rome was, when it was Augustus Seat:
Who would not have a blessed Pilgrim beene
Had hee ere read the Story of this Queene?
Had not the Romane Doctrine beene disputed
That others Merits cannot bee imputed;
The Anti-nomists (though th'are very loath
To trust to Works) their threed bare Faiths would cloath
In her rich Merits; so ev'n they might hope
By Merits to be sav'd without a POPE.
The Character of Patience IOB even hee
Must loose some glory, if compar'd with thee:
The Story of thy Sufferings who can tell?
This I dare say, it hath no Paralell.
Thou wer't the Daughter of a mighty KING,
Great CHRLES his onely Sister, and didst bring
A Portion worthy the Imperiall CROWNE
Besides the greatest Portion was thine owne.
'Twas for Thy sake the German PRINCES did
Set BOHEMS Crowne upon thy Husbands head:
They saw good Queene thy Vertues were so great,
They would have plac'd Thee on th' Imperiall Seat.
All these Thou lost at once; that we may see
The Gods on Earth have a capacity
Of fatall change, that Kings and Queenes may know
There are no fixed Fortunes here below:
Lord what a Sea of Princely Christian Blood
Hath beene powr'd out to make Thy TITLE good,
Thou and thy King with a distracted Traine
Before Thy Foes fled and pursu'd amaine▪
[Page 3]Thy Husband banish't from his Native Soyle,
Friends, Cities, Country made a wofull spoile,
And sack't; the Plague, the Famine, Fire and Sword,
Were glutted all, Nature the sights abhor'd:
Yet as enough thy patience was not try'd,
Thy Gold in new Fires must bee purify'd;
Thy first-borne Sonne which was the greatest losse
With Ayry Nailes was fixt upon the Crosse
T'wixt Heav'n and Water, and the Vessell drown'd,
There frozen to the Mast was next day found:
Then Swedens King that thunderbolt of warre,
Who (had he liv'd) had beene an Emperour
Had rais'd your Husbands heart, that he espi'd
Some glimmering hopes, and in that twilight dy'd,
Before thou canst recover such a Crosse
Sad newes was brought thee of another losse,
That great GVSTAVUS was untimely slaine,
(As 'twas suppos'd with Pistols sent from Spaine)
Whose Martiall Soule not us'd to be said nay
In it's ascention got a glorious Day,
As in his Iourney it the Plannets past,
'Twas so much honour'd, their great Mars at last
Began to feare, he could not choose but see
His Legends did encline to mutinie,
And joyn'd together would a Councell call,
To make that Spirit of his their Generall.
Never the Soule of any King ascended
Who had from Earth to Heav'n bin more commended:
My Muse growes weary with this Tragick Story
(Nor could I force her) were it not her Glory
Whom it concernes; now to the last I come,
(So may it be) her brave Heroique Sonne
[Page 4]Whose sweetnesse heere, had so much honor got,
Except the Queene, few have so great a Stock,
In Court and Countrey both, nor could I see
A kinder Father; saving Majesty,
Then our King was, and seldome have I seene
A kinder Mother then our vertuous Queene:
When this sweet Prince had here try'd some few friends,
And had propounded to the King his ends;
He [...]hips himselfe, needs but to hoyse halfe saile,
Left prayers and sighs should raise too strong a gale▪
Words are but ayre, and prayers but words informe,
Tis but excesse of Aire that makes a storme.
Austria too long for Iustice had beene suited,
Their Cause must now with sharp swords be disputed.
Our Kings and they with Treaties were deluded,
Both she and hers by Act of State excluded
From all their rights; an Army then they rais'd
On such a sodaine, it the World amaz'd;
He brings them to the Field, besieg'd a Towne
Which to th'Imperialists was quickly knowne.
Two distant Armies correspondence hold,
Which made ev'n both the Armies far more bold,
The lesser dares him out, keepes him in play;
Meane while the stronger marches night and day,
And got behind him, to his passage make,
Which with their Horse too strong for his, they take:
When the Prince saw his Army thus inclos'd,
He cal'd a Councell; he himselfe suppos'd
'Twas best to charge those which the passage kept,
Which all agreed on, and before they slept,
They march away, though they were almost tyr'd,
And overwatch't, their Frenches then they fir'd:
[Page 5]Into Brigadoes they their strength divide,
Flanker their Foot with Horse on either side:
Their strength was horse, their Baggage they inclose,
Guarded their Cannon; then he Craven chose,
And to his charge he did commit the Uan,
Who prov'd himselfe that day a daring man;
And shewd himselfe so faithfull and so bold,
His name is in the Booke of Fame inrol'd,
He and his Brother did bring up the Reare,
Whose high-borne spirits did that day appeare:
Craven charg'd home and did them so dismay,
But for their fresh supplyes h'ad won the day:
The Battels joyne, th'Imperialists increast,
And as they grew, death had the greater feast
The reare came bravely up, the young Prince he
In thirst of honour, sense of injury,
Himselfe to such high hazards hee expos'd,
As hee was often by his Foes inclos'd:
Yet vvho inclos'd him, or inforc'd his stay,
He by their ruines made himselfe still way▪
But vvhen Prince Robert the brave second Sonne
(Who 'mongst the Soldiers hath such honour won)
Heard that his Princely Brother vvas ingag'd,
With love and Martiall fury both inrag'd,
Through troops of foot and horse, he forc'd his vvay
And finds him freed, yet there he vvould not stay,
He forvvard prest into the greatest throng
Of all his Foes; his sword there told his wrong▪
He pickt out their Commanders vvhom he knevv,
By marks were giv'n him, those he took or slevv;
Whole Troops of Horse and Foot his fury flye,
Those he encounters, must or yeeld, or dye:
[Page 6]'I was happinesse to them who did command,
Since they must die, to die by such a hand.
His Horse, his Armes, his very Sword was tyr'd,
That spirit of his twice Samsons strength requir'd;
And would their Waggons with rich spoiles have laded,
Nay all those Troops of German Horse have jaded;
And thus retir'd they block him up they say,
For none durst charge, 'twere thought the safest vvay:
Have you ere seene a chased Lion stand
With toyles encompas'd, and on every hand
With Hunters gall'd; yet none the Lists dare enter
Left he too dearely pay for his adventure.
Whilst all the Hunters various vvayes contrive
To take this Lion (if they can) alive:
So gall'd and vveary brave Prince Robert stood,
The earth about him dy'd vvith German Blood;
At last a troop of desp'rate Men they horst
Who on all sides assault him; so infors't
With multitudes, vvhen all the vvayes they'd try'd,
Thy took him living, vvho vvould faine haue dy'd:
Which newes too soone did through the Army flye▪
And that the Enemies had a fresh supply,
Who had encompas't them on every side:
In every face that after this newes dy'd,
Hee who had skill in Phisnomy might finde
How to revenge the Soldiers vvere inclin▪d:
'Tis true they lost the day; but they behav'd
Themselves so bravely, they their Honour sav'd;
The meanest Soldiers by example led
Mixed in Troops with Enemies lay dead.
The Palsgrave was adviz'd to quit the Field,
Which he refus'd, and scorn'd so much to yeeld:
[Page 7]Being rudely prest he cuts himselfe away
Through all those Troops, none durst inforce his stay;
He to the Wesen comes, into it leapt,
Which him as safely as its Soveraigne kept;
His sprightly Steed so bravely landed him,
As if he had great Neptunes Dolphin beene.
'Tis true the waves in multitudes increast,
And crouded in to welcome such a Guest▪
Yet so obedient were to their commands
The proudest wave there durst but kisse his hands.
Thus landed safely on proud Wesens banks,
He lifts his eyes up, and gives Heaven the thanks;
With such a confidence to Heav'n he prayes,
H'ad Solomon blessings given, and length of dayes▪
You who were once deare Wives▪ sad Widdowes now,
Mothers of Children, who have kept each row,
Either to Heav'n, or to your Husbands made,
Think how the Queene was with this newes dismaied▪
But you were never Daughters to a King▪
Nor did such Portions to your Husbands bring▪
The Worlds great love to you hath never cost,
It any blood you have no Kingdomes lost
No hopes of Empire; there's no Prince hath try'd
His forttune in your cause, no Kings hav [...] dy'd
In your just quarrell, you have no [...] Estates,
Or if you have, not two Palatinates:
Your eldest Sonne was not in Ship-wrack lost,
Nor was your second on the Wesen tost;
Your third not taken pris'ner by his Foes;
Had you all these, and not such sonnes as those;
How can you, or how dare you judge of Hers,
But as poore Vassals speake of Emperours?
[Page 8]They doe beleeve at Court there are such things▪
As they have heard, their Magistrates call Kings,
Like those that dare the Starres by name recite,
Or count by▪ Unites to an infinite:
Th'are forc'd to end where they at first begin▪
And so in arrogance commit a sinne▪
So should you rob this good Queene of her Glorie,
But I much more in telling this sad Storie▪
In this I doe but as most people use▪
I with a greater wrong a lesse excuse,
That which my naked Muse should cover (Love▪)
In this case doth my disadvantage prove;
The World stands to affected to Her Story▪
No Muse (I know) but would impaire Her glory▪
The Competition might grave Homer raise▪
Or Maro's soule to sing the good Queenes praise:
Who ere he be he needs not to complaine;
For this high Subject will enrich his Straine,
And imp the proudest feather of his wing,
That with the Larke he may mount high and sing
Ev'n to the admiration of the Quire,
Suit but the Subject, and none can sing higher.
FINIS.