The Fortunate Change: BEING A PANEGYRICK TO HIS SACRED MAIESTY, King Charls the Second, Immediately on his Coronation, being the 23. of April 1661.
By Carew Reynell, Esq
LONDON, Printed for Henry Herringman, at the Anchor in the Lower walk in the New Exchange. 1661.
The Fortunate Change: BEING A PANEGYRICK TO HIS SACRED MAIESTY, Immediately on his Coronation.
HOw tranquill are we grown, who heretofore
Were haras'd by the
The Covenant, which was the cause of our distempers, had its Origine from Scotland.
Caledonian Boar!Was ever such a Change! from Stygian grief
To mount to Heavenly joy! 't were past belief,
But that our eyes so plainly see't, and we
Are drunk already with our liberty.
O Noble Britains! now the King's our own,
Establish'd, Crown'd, and in the Regal Throne:
Whose dazling lustre there makes all confesse,
That in his Scepter lies our happinesse.
When first he was invited to come in,
Joy struck the Dutch stark mad, whose Rummerkin
A minute ne're stood still: to him they drunk
Rhenish enough whole Dorps for to have sunk;
And then they would not leave the businesse so
But they must feast him too before he go.
Ten dayes together did the Canons roar
Till that he parted from rough Schiveling-shore.
When whistling winds did give him passage sweet,
Unto fair Albion's Isle; where the proud Fleet
Ne're rang such peals of Ord'nance: For the Thunder
Pleas'd loyal Kentish, but was French-men's wonder.
The English leap'd to see their long'd-for Prince,
And vow'd that they were never happy since
His absence from them: and all persons strove
Which should out-do each other in their love.
The body of the Gentry did appear,
And Citie too, to own their Soveraign dear.
Their Souls and Vest'ments glitter'd both that day
Joying him home the twenty nineth of May.
Fresh glories did the Coronation shew
The glorious Prince hath made his Subjects so.
The Triumphs of the Antients mean appear,
If we compare them with our Splendour here.
Were prostrate then, their glories to impart
Unto the Nobles, Cavalry, and those
Who did their Sacred Soveraign enclose.
The City beautifi'd their streets, and built
Lofty, and speaking Arches richly gilt,
As if the Heavens to the Earth did bow,
So things were Pompous and Magnifique now.
Amongst the throngs (Great Charls) that press to see,
Pardon if I approach your Majesty.
And Oh! that I could passion forth my Love,
That all the World might in a passion move
Of highest Joy.
Castalian moisture, and the Phoebean fire
Now Juvenize my Muse, my Soul inspire,
That from the Centre of my raptur'd heart,
My swelling joyes may burst, and so impart
Themselves to those, whose loyal spirits know
To value Majesty, and what we owe
To such high Fortune, that with full Career
Runs to all Quarters of our Hemi-sphaere.
And he that will not now let's heart run o're
With vast content, shall ne're be happy more,
By my consent.
Prince of the World, whom Heavenly Powers design,
And Nature too doth with the Gods combine,
For to unravel all their stock of Art,
To shew what to the World they can impart,
In framing you to be, just as you are,
Beyond what we, poor Mortals, can compare.
But then again of so Divine a Race,
There is but one on Earth assumes the place,
Which makes your Subjects proud, that they possess
Your person, whose sole value is no less
Than all the Orb beside. Great Sir 'tis you
That makes us great, and makes us vertuous too.
O! you are good, too good to be abus'd,
Thus to be dealt with, and so basely us'd
The Schismaticks of all sorts, that oppose the Church of England, or Monarchy, by their former, and continued plottings.
By some, whose ugly, black, and Hellish SoulsAre listed in the first of Plutoe's rowls.
Death in a thousand shapes for punishment
Would not be equal to their vile intent:
Who to affront your Soveraign Power make bold;
Would unthrone God Almighty if they could.
But loyal Subjects by such foils as these,
I hope, seem brighter to your Kingly eyes.
For otherwise men of ill principles will wind in themselves to the Court, and other Offices of the Nation by Money and such shifts, and under the vizard of seeming Loyalty, endeavour to disadvantage the Royal and National interest.
Countenance those, brave Prince, and those alone;So shall you have a sure establish'd Throne.
For if to Heretick in Church or State
You give an Inch, they'l take an Ell, and
Witnesse, after the King's extreme mild Ecclesiastick Declaration, they had the impudence to print and say, the King ought to stand to the Covenant taken, though his Majesty own'd his crime in taking it, which some ill men had forced on him: & commanded a forgetfulnesse of it.
prateTheir wild Opinions to the Multitude,
Who'l know no reason, but from hand that's rude.
Laugh we upon them, like the Black-Moor, they
Will cut our Throats; well Cudgel'd, they'l obey.
[Page 5] VVhat would men have? No People's like us free.
We've best Religion, best Propriety.
All Nations court our true-fram'd Church, and boast
Of all Reform'd we are Reformed most.
But we have found the cheat; for now we're sure
To take away property, and alter the Government in Church and State.
Their aim's to be most wicked and impure.For never honest man, and Learned both,
Did write 'gainst English Laws or Subject's Oath,
Or else 'gainst
They have the most antient Right to sit in Parliament, who with the Lords heretofore made up the King's great Council without the Commons.
Bishops, Liturgy, or Rites,They are the Nerves which parts to th' whole unites.
They who will not at least those props maintain
Are all Phanatiques in the highest strain.
No Nation needs more plagues than this alone
That they a
Half Episcop. and half Presbyt.
Linsy-woolsey-Church must own.'Tis Union, Sir, and Uniformity
Make's us all happy in your Kingdoms three.
Let Countrey plat their grounds, contrive their Farms;
And City mind their Shops, not Neighbour's harms.
Let Pastors teach their Flocks true Faith and Love,
And not Sedition, or Superiours move,
Or tell close Counsels, lies, or publick news
In Parish-Church the people to abuse.
This was their trade whereby
They were the Incendiaries that set the Nation on fire, and then kept it blazing till they were at last even burnt in their own flames, and look'd upon by the then prevailing party as uselesse Creatures.
themselves they damn'dAnd Souls as fast as that men's Souls were fram'd.
VVhat Laws, or King and Bishop do appoint
They spit at Heaven who give a publique taint.
They who the King's co-ercive power deny
In Church-Affairs smell rank of Popery.
But now no more of this: Our King is wise,
Hath best experience and discerning eyes.
Leave but the State to him, we need not fear,
Let every Subject mind his proper sphear.
Drown'd with delights I am to think that we
Have such a Monarch, such a Monarchy.
Our
We have the unity of a Monarchy, as also its noblenesse and gallantry, the benefit of an Aristocracy, and more true liberty and propriety than any Commonwealth.
Government so fram'd, we have all's goodIn any Nation of our Neighbour-hood.
The King's Supreme, whose
They are but very weak and raw States-men, that think the just prerogative is opposite to the Subjects good; that being the chief thing, that keeps us from intestine broils, that's the peaceful Arbitratour.
just PrerogativeIs so well built, as makes our Nation thrive.
He makes our Laws: both the Estates consent:
But the two Houses are no Parliament.
Yet in opposing any of the three
VVe banish Native Right and Property.
For though some were, who cut us out our Commons,
And would have had us fed as once the Romans:
Yet trying all designs at last we came
Most willingly to our Monarchick frame.
For all the rest, they were so basely vain
They did undo us in a Saint-like strain.
But God be praised, now our wishes are,
To be just
As we were for antient Laws and Government, not as we were for heart-burnings and tumultuous uproars.
as we were before this War.And had we
These were extreme able Men for politick abilities, and really meant well for the publique.
Laud and Strafford once againWee'd kisse their foot-steps, and adore their train.
Our Church is glorious, to whose purity
Apostles, Fathers, Moderns do agree.
Yet had great Crimes, with which we bear in love.
The one did err in point of Sacrament;
The
Though he had many scandalous opinions in Discipline, and some points of Doctrine, yet he was for a publick Liturgy, from which no man of whatever Eminency might recede.
other damn'd more than was God's intent.But Oh, the Church of England far out-shines
All Europe else for learn'd and choice Divines.
She warn'd by others Crimes laid blest foundations,
Not mix'd with Rome or Schisme's deformations.
Any of these men not only went beyond Calvin, or the best Modern Divines their Antagonists, but even in abilities and Orthodoxy equall'd, if not excell'd many of the Antient Fathers.
Jewel, and Davenant, Morton, Usher, Hall,Andrews, and Prideaux did her Mother call.
Brownrigge with Featly and great Hammond too,
And of that judgement we have
We have now Bishops and Doctors of the Church farre excelling any Europe hath again. So that I wonder at the impudence of some Persons, that dare so affront God to his face, in presuming so farre against his Angels of the Churches.
hundreds moe,Giants in Divinity which have deserts
Beyond compare of any forein parts.
These are the men I speak of when I name
The Church of England of un-spotted fame.
I do not mean those Quacks which equal all:
Skip up in Cloaks and tell the World a tale.
Preach non-conformity, and noisome are
To all good Christians; for they breed a War
Where e're they come. Oh! no, 'tis such as these
Defile our Nation with their
When the Covenanters wrote to the forein Churches their designe, they shewed a general dislike to it, especially Diodati, who, as saith a French Author, wrote to them earnestly to cleave to the King, and leave off defaming the Christian Religion by their rebellious actings.
frauds and lies.A Surplice choaks them: for that guilty crew
That Sacred badge of innocence ne're knew.
Their works are dark and bloudy; for they wait
A time to garble both the Church and State.
Were Argus with us and his hundred eyes
He ne're would find their Cabal-Mysteries.
To speak the truth, themselves they do not know
What they would have, or why they teach men so.
But pride and gain 'tis makes them mad for action.
Oh! itching sweetnesse for to head a faction.
To be well rid of these 'tis happinesse
Beyond the power of Art for to expresse.
But that which brings us peace, and makes us blest,
Is Charls our King, who sweetly Crowns the rest.
His rigidst Enemies no fault can find
With any of his actions; and whose mind
Well understands the malice of his foes:
And themselves better than themselves he knows.
Dread Sir, Great Caesar, or the Macedon,
Had they but half your troubles undergone;
Or had the hardy Man of Carthage seen
Your tugging task; All these had surely been
Startled in Soul at such a strange affair,
And sunk into their Graves for meer despair.
But you did Envy's cruell'st Darts withstand;
And direst shock of fate did Counter-mand.
As Eagles eyes pierce Sun and Heaven's roof:
So you out-dar'd misfortunes, and were proof
'Gainst rude Alarms: for there still did rest
A never-shaken courage in your breast.
Thus you endur'd, till pleasant gales and loyal
Wafted you over to your Palace Royal.
If merits could win Heaven, that would do't.
Great Prince, you're greater by unhappy fate,
And more
He is one of the greatest Persons this day on Earth, take him as a King, as a Gentleman, as a pious prudent Person and Father of his Country, or a Couragious Person and get highly Clement.
accomplish'd made for Church and State.That which the Rebels for your ruin design
Turns to a blessing by a power Divine.
For you have seen and suffer'd, done, and known,
And by experience made so much your own:
That if affairs call Nations to a view,
They cannot judge of things so well as you.
You speak all Languages, you know all Arts,
And persons Eminent for Soul or parts.
The Princes Chief of our next Continent
You know in person, and their hearts intent.
The intrigues of their States, Sir, you have found,
Which makes you able for to pick your ground.
And
Judge ye, whether we have not cause to blesse God for such a Prince. Consider really his parts, and then ye wise men of the World, let your hearts melt in his presence.
thus improv'd you come unto your LandsBravely to strengthen their enfeebled hands.
For in your absence we were all undone:
VVolves in Sheeps Cloathing did our Church o're-run.
Propriety we lost, nor had we Laws
Nor yet Religion; but the Cause, the Cause
Which still was changed as new factions Rose,
And plagues on plagues on us they did impose.
Till you came with your sweetning hand, which brings
Balm and Perfumes to change the worst of things.
Oh! how already you have made us see
Your Wisdom, Goodnesse, and your Piety.
For you no sooner in your Countrey stood,
But founded bulwarks for their lasting good.
Which you by the Oblivion did declare,
And that we should be perfect friends took care.
That great and factious Army out of hand
You by your sacred Art did soon disband.
You gave free current to the good old Laws,
And rescu'd us out of the Lyon's jaws.
But, Sir, your wisdom never shin'd more clear
Than in the Church, whose Father you appear.
By standing to th' Apostles Institution
Against the wicked Parity's Confusion.
By choosing Bishops truely good and Learn'd,
Whose piety by all is plain discern'd.
The very mean'st of those Seraphick Souls
Their Judgements out-weigh all Schismatick scrowls,
And are of value and Authority
Above all fancies of the modern cry.
Did the Enemies of the Church of England know, what fond and undigested Churches these are, they would bite their tongues rather than mention them.
Geneva, France, and Holland-ReformationsCompar'd to ours are poor and sinfull fashions.
But I'le not speak more of their rough-drawn mould:
Because
I have heard many of them my self wish it during my abode beyond Sea. The Synod of Dort they express'd also their desires for a Discipline like England.
they'd change for ours if they could.For we are pure in Doctrine, and are blest
By that sweet order which St. Paul expres'd.
Thou sacred Order art that thing Divine,
Rules Heaven it self: All things by thee combine.
[Page 8] Thou art a riddle to the vulgar Crew,
Who cannot judge of things beyond their view.
But yet art Sacred, for the Antients they
Those ranck'd with Beasts that knew not Harmony.
A silent crime in Doctrine lesse offends
Our publicke peace and good, than that which tends
To break our union stamp'd with Churche's Seal,
That hurts but one; this last, the Common-weal.
The learn'd of all the Nations, Sir, approve
Your Chapel-method, and your order love.
You are a second Constantine to stay
Our Holy Church from falling to decay.
And Alfred-like in state you love to see
Justice run hand in hand with Libertie.
That Royal Starr which at your birth did shine
We see did mark you out in Grand designe
For brave Atchievements. And your lookes appear,
That setling once your Nations void of fear
Your mind will carry you to Regions warm,
And Conquer all, who dare oppose your Arm:
Should French but Swagger, Paris were our own.
If Spaniard frown, his Mexico were gon.
How many Sprightly Ladds doe wait when you
Will call them out whole nations to subdue?
Now you have conquer'd hearts, methinks I see
Empires doe homage to your Majestie.
'Tis you we cleave to, Sir, and your desires
Bend to your Subjects, whence comes mutual fires
Of ardent Love; the Prince and people joyn
By Ecclesiastick and by civill twine.
O! God of Heaven what shall we do
Our selves Sufficient Subjects for to shew
To him, whose love unto us so extends
That for our good his life and fortune spends!
Who by his presence and his lovely charms
Stills our loud cryes, and takes us in his arms.
Heales them that will, and those that will not, hee
Doth interpose himself, that they agree.
The Nobles, Bishops, Gentry, Clergy, all
Join hands and hearts and Centre in White-hall.
We are quiet now, and if we will our selves
We may avoid all rough-hewen rocks and Shelves.
Then one and all cry Charles, for he alone
Hath wrought our blisse, gives ev'ry man his own
In recompence for which, Sir, this wee'l do
Give you our Hearts, our lives, and purses too.
FINIS.