IRELAND'S TEARS.
TO THE Sacred Memory Of our late Dread Soveraign King CHARLES II.
I.
AS distant Thunder in a rowling Cloud,
First Murmures inwardly, then Roars aloud
O're the amazed list'ning Crowd;
Till the Dread Clap scares ev'ry Mortal Ear;
Too weak Heav'ns angry voice to bear:
Such was the sad astonishing News
Which February's 6th. Idea's did bring;
The Dangerous Sickness of our Dearest KING!
It stun'd all Ears, and did all Minds amuse;
All the sad Tydings so bemoan,
As if 'twere not His Sickness, but their Own.
Trembling, and full of Fear we wait
To know what the next Messenger will say;
And all the while we Weep, and all the while we Pray.
When suddenly Death's Herald spoke the Dreadful Fate—
Alas! the Miserable Day!
The News too sad to Hear, too Killing to Repeat.
II.
Horrour and Cryes fill all around:
Distracted Looks, and Throbbing Hearts,
As if 'twere the last Trumpets sound,
In ev'ry place are found;
And hideous Groans do Eccho from all parts.
Frighted with what I saw, and heard;
But much more with what I fear'd:
The blasted City soon I left.
And as of Reason quite bereft,
I wildly roam'd about to seek some place
Less Doleful than the City was;
Where without Partners, or Lookers on
I might Enjoy my Grief alone:
And for a little space
Might lay the weighty Burden of my Sorrow down.
III.
And long I had not rov'd about,
E're an approv'd Retirement I found out;
Ruins, that to Religion Sacred were of Yore;
Nor now less Venerable than heretofore:
Where all things did my Melancholly Fancy please;
Murmuring Waters, awful Cliffs, and Wither'd Trees:
There Cheerful Birds ne're Sing, nor e're blows Gentle Breeze:
Nor any Beast, or Humane Face
Was to be seen upon the lonely Place.
To this Forlorn and Uncouth seat,
Well suited to my Troubled state,
I softly with my load of Grief retreat:
Where each Rock and ev'ry Tree
Wou'd, (I knew,) Condole with me;
Only stearn Fate would un-relenting be.
Thus then with many a Tear and Groan,
My Dead Prince I did bemoan.
IV.
CHARLES, the Clement, and the Good!
CHARLES, the Flow'r of Princely Blood!
Of all we Earthly Gods do call,
CHARLES, the most Belov'd of all!
Our Heart's Delight, Joy of our Eyes;
And whom not we alone did prize,
Through the whole Universe his Glory flies.
Ev'n Nations Strangers to our Faith and God,
Heard of His Fame,
Rever'd His Name,
And Eastern Princes Dazled with his bright Renown,
Which did so much Eclipse their own,
Sent their Embassadors Abroad
To Court the Favour of this Second Solomon.
Of him to learn the Royal Art
To Govern, and secure the Peoples Heart:
While Christendom in ev'ry weighty All
Did to his well-known Justice still Appeal,
Whose Word and Wisdom ever turn'd the Scale.
V.
He that can tell the drops o [...] [...]
Which on an April day do fall,
(Or his sad Subjects Tears can count,
Which to a greater number mount;)
May reckon up the Graces, but not all,
(For that Essay would be in vain,)
Which did adorn his Life and Glorious Reign:
For who will e're Attempt to tell
Things that are unexpressible?
Great Lord of Wit, Patron of Arts he was,
Learning's strong Atlas, Poetry's best Friend;
Crown'd with each Ray, and Blest with ev'ry Grace,
That could a Prince, or make, or recommend.
But if in any one he could and did Himself Excel,
'Twas that of Clemency!
Herein he was Heav'ns Parallel.
Nay (be't with Rev'rence spoke) He Heav'n out-went,
In Pard'ning the Impenitent—
Is Heav'n it self so Merciful as He?
VI.
But as Ten Thousand scatter'd Rayes
By Art are made to Center in one Glass;
So all the Tenderness and Love
Which in his Heart did towards all his Subjects move,
First on His Royal Brother fell, and through Him did pass.
Not fearing loss of Empire, or of Life,
When High-born JAMES's Foes were rife,
When sawcy, Factious Senates menac'd high,
And blush'd not to Decry
The Crown's Just Heir and Truest Friend to Monarchy;
Our King close to His Brothers Interest stood,
And stem'd the Impetuous Flood.
To the Damn'd Project soon he put an end,
And shew'd Himself not more a Monarch than a Friend.
Friendship like This the World did never know,
Save what the King of Heav'n did show,
Who, for our sakes, descending here below,
Ceas'd to be Happy, that we might be so.
VII.
How Dear to Heav'n its Champion was, our Prince,
(Who did so well Defend the Crown
And Faith which He receiv'd from thence,
Still valuing the Publick-Weal, more than His own;)
Let the long Chain of Miracles convince,
Which, Maugre all the opposition
Of Fiends, and Fiend-like Men combin'd in one;
Destin'd him for, and Brought him to, and kept him on his Throne.
Witness that shining Herald, sent
To tell the World of His Illustrious Birth.
As if Heav'n had hereby meant—
Another God is Born on Earth!
At Noon we saw the New-born Star
Shine on his Infant Brother here,
With a Mild Aspect, yet so Bright and Clear,
As did out-vie the Mid-day Sun,
As far as He Himself all other Kings has done.
VIII.
And when Rebellion Black and Dire
Had harass'd long his God-like Sire;
Whose Life it Barbarously took away,
Of all things Great and Holy made a Prey,
And turn'd three Kingdoms into One Aceldama;
Our late (Ah wretched word!) Heav'n-lov'd King,
Kind Providence did wondrously convey,
And sheltred Him beneath its wing,
From all the Ills which War, and Chance,
And Treasons blacker than the Night,
Did 'gainst his Sacred Life advance.
Witness his Happy 'scape from Wor'ster's Bloody-Fight:
Where Hov'ring Angels with their Mighty Shield
Sav'd Him from all the Hazards of that Dreadful Field:
And their important Charge, by ways unknown, convey'd
T' a Neighb'ring Friendly shade,
Where sturdy Oaks stretch'd out their Arms on high,
(Oh shame to Mans Barbarity!)
To Receive, and shelter Distress'd Majesty.
Witness, O Boscobel, thy Monumental Tree!
IX.
From Thence through Dangers numberless,
In mighty Wants, and deep Distress
At Home, Abroad, by Land and Seas,
(As once his High-fam'd Ancestor, the wandriug Trojan Prince)
By many a wondrous Providence,
During his Nine Years Exile hence,
Heav'n its Regard of Him did Evidence,
When the Almighty King to shew-his care
Of such as his Vicegerents are;
When Humane Force could do no more; And when
Our dying Hopes cou'd ebb no lower;
Did by a Turn, Miraculous Restore
Our King to Us, Us to our King again.
To bring which Blessed work to pass,
Neither Man's Power, nor Policy had place;
No Contract made, nor Blows were given;
But the astonish'd World saw 'twas
The stupendious work of Heaven!
X.
So Great a Monarch, and so Glorious,
So much Belov'd at Home, and Fear'd Abroad;
(Much too Good alass! for Us:
Wise as an Angel, Generous as a God—
Though calmly Settled on a Lofty Throne,
Was not above the Reach of Envious Lookers on:
Which made him stand in need of Heav'ns high Patronage;
(And what he needed, he still had,)
To Save his Crown and Person from the Rage
Of Men (with too much Ease) gone Mad.
Witness those Plots, the Faction's fruitful womb
So oft Conceiv'd, tho still in vain,
Against their Gracious Sovereign:
(Where sometimes the Discoverer
Play'd both the Devil and the Conjurer:)
Which being by Heav'ns great care Abortive still become,
They added to the Wonders of his Reign:
And made his Throne as fix'd and Glorious, as Wain.
XI.
When lo! the Prince who seem'd Heav'ns chief Delight,
Its Darling and Prime Favourite,
His Mid-day Glory's all full Blown—
How strangely are they Blasted, Ah! how soon!
But what Heav'n rais'd, Heav'n only can pull down.
Down low as Eearth, this Son of the most High is come;
And all his scatter'd Trophies serve, but to adorn his Tomb.
But why! no Prodigy at all?
No Beacon-Comet fir'd above?
(No Monstrous Births, no Storms, no Whale,
Or to Presage, Great KING thy Fall,
Or to attend thy Funeral?)
Which Nature's fright might shew, and Mankind's wonder move.
Why (seeing a wondrous Star Proclaim'd his Birth,)
Did not as Wondrous an Eclipse foretel his leaving Earth?
Must God-like KINGS like Puny Mortals die?
Must CHARLES the most August—
Be meanly crumbled like Plebeian Dust?
VVhy deal'st thou with th' Anointed, O King of Princes! why?
XII.
But while thus Ravingly I spoke,
VVith a strange Horrour I was struck,
VVhich dim'd my Eyes, loosen'd my Joynts, and chill'd my Bloud,
Before me straight a Visionary somewhat stood;
VVhose Form I could not well discern;
The Genius, likely, of the place,
Or some such Airy Image 'twas;
Of Stature high, Clad in Blue mists, Its Visage stern:
VVhich with an angry Hallow Tone
Thus stop'd me—
"Shall Mortal wight dare to reprove,
"Or prie into the things above?
"The Prince whose Death you so bemoan,
"VVas he not th' Almighties Loan?
"VVho only has took what was his own.
"His Awful Meen, and Heavenly Eyes,
"VVhich made all Hearts his Votaries;
"His Soul so Soft, yet truly Great,
"His Mind so clear, and so Sedate,
"Prov'd well his Extract from the Skies.
XIII.
VVith Milder accent, and Genteeler look,
The Spright, (less Frightful now,) thus farther spoke.
"Then if your much-Lamented King
"So Good and Amiable was;
"VVhy wou'd you have some dreadful thing
"The smoothness of his Reign deface?
"Let Tyrants and Usurpers have
"Sea-Monsters, and Rough Hurricanes
"Foretel their Death, and dig their Grave,
"Such Prodigies suit well their Reigns:
"Comets have still a noisy end,
"VVhen calmly does the Sun descend.
"Or if you must have Prodigies,
"Think of the Millions of VVeeping Eyes,
"The Truest kind of Elegies;
"Or else let This be reckon'd one,
"That 'tis a Prodigy—That you have none.
"In Halcyon-days you Dove like-Prince was born,
"VVhich did with him return;
"His Realms five Lusters have Peace's white Livery worn;
"Living, He Peace bestow'd on ev'ry side,
"Kept all in Peace, and Peaceably He Dy'd.
XIV.
It scarce had spoke; when, Lo! a sudden Thunder
(For such at first it did appear)
Shak'd the Thin Ghost asunder;
Which strait dissolv'd into its Primitive Air.
From the cold Turf I quickly rais'd my Head,
Left there my Load of Grief, and to the, Town for shelter sled;
E're (as I thought) the Storm should fall upon my Head.
The City soon I reach'd, help'd with the wings of Fear:
But my old Grief and Fright soon chang'd into new Dread and Wonder
When, what I took for Thunders noise,
A second Peal inform'd me was the Canon's roaring voice;
Which led me to a Loyal Crowd
That with Great Triumph did Proclaim,
With Joyful Shouts and Acclamations Loud,
A new Kings Title, and Imperial Name.
Amaz'd at This so easie Change, I said,
May this Prodigious Shout strike all His Enemies dead—
Long, and as this Day Peaceful be his Reign,
And may His God-like Brother live in Him again,
XV.
Poets of old, were Prophets, deem'd;
And if They now were such esteem'd,
(And who knows but they may?)
If our Predicting Rhimes
May lucky Omens prove to after Times,
And, that some Good may be presag'd from Names;
Then would I boldly say
These Reams are doubly blest in that of JAMES.
Great Britain's Glory did Commence
When the First JAMES did to the whole give Law:
He Joyn'd the Kingdoms, and deriv'd from thence
That long white Row of Peaceful years our Happy Fathers saw.
The Second JAMES by Heaven's Decree
Will the great Healer of our Breaches be,
And as His Wisdom does already give our Fears Relief,
So will His Mercy suddenly Cure all our Publick Grief.
Well-skill'd He is in all His Royal Grandsires Arts,
Who join'd both Crowns, as He will do all Hearts.
May Heaven fulfil, and own the Prophesie;
But Ireland, sure, above the rest
In that Auspicicious Name is doubly blest:
For while the Royal JAMES the English Crown does wear,
And Ormond's Noble JAMES remains His Vice-Roy here,
IRELAND will ne're again know cause of Publick Grief, or Fear.
Printed by Nath. Thompson, at the Entrance into the Old-Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross, 1685.