AN ELEGY Upon the Most Illustrious and High Born PRINCE RUPERT Duke of Cumberland, &c.
One of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy-Council, and one of the Most Honourable Order of the Garter, Son of the Most Illustrious Prince Frederick the 5th, Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine, and the High-Born Princess the Lady Elizabeth, Sister to our late Soveraign of Blessed Memory, King Charles the first, and Queen of Bohemia, who Deceased on the 29th of this Instant November, 1682. to the great grief of all His Majesties Loyal Subjects.
CAN a great Hero's Soul and Body part,
And not foreshown by Nature, nor by Art!
Can the Great Princely RƲPERT leave the World,
And no part of't into disorder hurl'd!
No Blazing-Star! Eclipse of Moon nor Sun
To usher his depart, or's Death forerun!
Methinks it should not be! A Soul so Great,
A Soul so Noble, every way compleat,
Should leave us thus in silence, and depart,
And Nature shew us that she felt no smart!
In what parts busied were our Merlin's Eyes?
Had our Great Prince no Star within the Skies,
That could before hand the effect relate,
To have prepar'd us for so sad a fate?
From all his Warlike toyls he now doth cease,
He's gone, alas! and left us all in Peace:
Like other Men he silently doth sleep,
And left Three Kingdoms the sad loss to weep.
From Earth below, to Heaven above he's gon,
For the Reward of his Great Actions done,
For our Two Kings, the Father and the Son.
He gains by Death, the World alone hath lost,
Europe will miss him, but sad England most.
A Mighty Pillar of the State is broke,
Three Kingdoms seem to tremble at the stroke:
And all who love the King and Kingdom, now,
For such a loss no small concern will show.
With a sad Heart the King doth entertain
The heavy news, and can't from tears refrain;
For RƲPERT lay nigh to His Royal Heart,
And of His Love deserv'd no little part:
But this Great Prince, what is obtain'd by few,
Had both the Love of King and People too.
Of others his great merits got the start,
Compelling to adore him every Heart;
All sorts of Men, tho' different in their ways,
Agreed the Name of RƲPERT still to praise:
His worth they all admired with consent,
And now his Death as generally lament.
The King has lost a Councellor of State,
Who knew as well to Act, as to Debate;
One who had Wisdom, Courage, Prudence, Wit,
Things that together one Soul seldome sit.
The Church in him has lost no small support,
For he there shin'd as bright as at the Court.
All Protestants have lost a sure defence,
He to their Cause was true, as to his Prince.
In him the Kingdom too has lost a Shield,
Still ready to defend it in the Field:
For in the Gap, in danger he did stand,
Freely exposing Life by Sea and Land.
His Noble Acts with Caezars may compare;
Like him, as bold, successful still in War:
For Victory still seem'd to be his Friend,
And him where e're he Fought she did attend.
England his Courage and great Acts have known,
When in his Youth he did defend the Throne
Of his most gracious Uncle, then, even then
He did surpass the Acts of Famous men;
Where e're he did his Loyal Force display,
He made the Conquering Rebel still give way;
And tho' his side to Cruel Fate did yield,
He was himself Victorious still in Field:
For Victory her self to him gave way,
Whilst like a Lion still he seiz'd his prey;
The French have seen what this great Prince could do,
The Dutch have felt his dreadful Valour too,
His very Name at last a Terror grew.
Nor did he rashly fight the Foe, for still
His forward Courage mixed was with skill;
So very Dextrous he grew, that He
Beat them in their own Element, the Sea.
Among the Hero's of the British Land,
The glorious Name of our great Prince shall stand;
His Valiant deeds shall never be forgot,
Nor shall among the Common Rubbish rot;
Whilst Histories live, whilst there's a Mouth for Fame,
The World will hear of Mighty Ruperts Name,
Whilst the World lasts, whilst Time about doth role,
Here he shall live in Fame from Pole to Pole,
And in the Heavens Eternally his Soul.
FINIS.
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Benskin in St. Brides Church-yard, MDCLXXXII.