CALEDONIA'S FAREWELL To the most Honourable JAMES, Earl of PERTH, &c. LORD High CHANCELLOUR; AND WILLIAM, Duke of QUEENSBERRIE, &c. Lord High THESAURER of SCOTLAND, When Called up by the King in March 1685.
GO on, My Lords, and prosper: Go, repair
To Court; and Kiss the Hands of the TRƲE HEIR
Of Fivescore Kings and Ten, Four Diadems,
And Kingdoms Three: an Heir, whose Royal Stems
From British, Saxon, Danish, Norman Blood;
With Scots and Irish, makes His Title good
'Gainst all Seclusion. And whose Entry's blest
With an auspicious Peace, and He possest
O' th' Thrones of His Ancestors, without stirr
From any discontented snarling Curr.
An Heir refus'd (but by no Builders) strange,
Is now Chief Corner-stone! O happy change,
And ne'r a Sword Unsheath'd! Lo, Slighted He,
Seems strangely by the Pares, ordain'd to be
The Basis of Our Rest: Let those go pry,
Who hidden Virtues say, in Numbers ly,
Stands such from FERGƲS, in the Royal Tree.
Consult but Euclid, take the Architect
Alongst; try, what One Figure doth direct
Those Arts of Kin; see, what supports the All
Of the Cementing Trade: You need not call
For SPENSE, or others, to unfold the thing;
Eye but the Margine, you'll guess such a KING,
May (without Book) Teach docile Boys to Speak
What's true, and Bearded-men what's Loyal Greek.
A Riddle, open'd with a thinking Skill,
Might well have made the COMMONS cast their BILL
Then, tell this Mighty Monarch; tell, My Lords,
In plain, unfeigned, and with hearty Words;
That CALEDONIA was His before,
But His now more than formerly: She bore
Respect for Fergus, and his Race She hopes,
Shall (maugre Asaph) flourish still for Propes
Of Bliss and Peace to the whole Isle. Tell JAMES,
She nourisht Six before of the same Names;
And knows that He, a Nursing-father will
Prove to His old, kind CALEDONIA still.
Tell Him, and tell but Truth, that She Condoles
There be wild Rogues, who skulk from Holes to Holes,
And call Her Mother; whom She doth disclaim
For Bastard-brood: with all who dares defame,
Or Him, or [...] break their [...]
Such, and all such, She holds and deems as Foes.
But as the fairest Face may have some Wren;
So these black Spots, those curs'd unhallowed Men,
She hopes Her JAMES, by Your most prudent Care,
Will soon wipe off, that She more bright and fair
May in His sight appear; since She can tell,
That CALEDONIA loves the STƲARTS well.
Nay, tell Him all Her Thoughts; tell, what is fit
For Him to know of Her: So shall You knit
His Love to Her, and Her's to You, which Ty,
Of twisted Duty, Love and Loyalty,
'Twixt Him, and You, and Her, shall make a Name,
In the long Annalls, of embalming Fame.
Since CALEDONIA, can scarce Sing choiser Themes,
Then Praises to Your selves, and Blessings to KING JAMES.