Upon the Departure of His GRACE, James, Duke of Monmouth.
To all Protestant well-wishers.⟨1679⟩
AH! Can he go and no one shed a Tear
For him, who never thought his Life too dear
To hazard, to protect us from our Foes;
As his late Victories in Scotland showes.
Holland and France, will Trumpet forth his Fame,
Until they each of them shall want a Name.
And shall we be less Grateful to that Prince,
Whose daily Actions does the World convince?
Are only squared for the common good,
For which he'le venture Fortune, Life and Blood
Let Protestants a sorrow now contrive,
To shew his absence they can scarce Survive.
Let England lament untill it be,
Turned into a weeping Niobe;
And with their servent Sighs keep full his Sails,
With Loyal, safe, and the most prosp'rous Gayls,
And let their Tears into the Sea resort,
To waft him safely to his Royal Port.
And may their daily prayr's to Heaven be,
That he may scape all Dangers of the Sea.
May his most Royal Father live to see,
Him or'e his Foes obtain sole Victory.
And be a pattern to his Royal Son,
In what he hath so worthily begun.
And may he in due time with all renoun,
Enjoy the Favours Fortune tumbles down.
May this, and all the happiness that can,
Be bounded in the boundless heart of Man,
Attend the Noble Monmouth. May he be,
Still our Defence, and Scourge to Popery.
May thy Great Soul Great Prince like active Fire,
The more deprest, more vig'rous and rise higher.
Which like a Ball thrown hard against the Ground,
Rises much more, upon a fair rebound.
May still the Charms of thy Eternal Fame,
Convince thy Foes of an immortal shame.
May thy high Actions of thy Great Renoun,
Shake and destroy the Roman Triple Crown.
May Heav'n and Earth both thy possessions be,
And may thy Bliss last to Eternity.
Great Prince and Patron, now we must submit,
Our present Lives, to what the Fates think fit.
Yet this we boldly dare affirm as true,
None but your Royal Father, Sir and you,
Can keep our half dead gasping souls alive,
He whil'st he lives, and you whil'st you survive.
May our Great God protect his happy Reign,
To see you once return with Joy again;
To be Assistant to the Royal Will,
Of our Dear Sov'raign, Faith's Defender still.
Which Princely Monmouth we with Tears implore,
Daily and Hourly, at Heav'ns Christal Dore.
Our Pray's shall never cease, until God grants,
This Christian-wish of all true Protestants.
FINIS.