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Nor hath this onely happened as by chance,
Of alterations then there had beene some,
But that brave race which still did worth enhaunce,
Would so presage the thing that was to come;
That this united isle should once advance,
And, by the lyon led, all realmes ore-come:
For if it kep't a little, free before,

Now having much (no doubt) it must do more.

And though our nations, long I must confesse,
Did roughly woo before that they could wed;
That but endeers the union we possesse,
Whom Neptune both combines within one bed:
All ancient injuries this doth redresse,
And buries that which many a battell bred:
"Brave discords reconcil'd (if wrath expire)
Do breed the greatest love, and most intire."

Of England's Mary, had it beene the chance
To make king Philip father of a sonne,
The Spaniard's high designes so to advance,
All Albion's beauties had beene quite ore-runne:
Or yet if Scotland's Mary had heir'd France,
Our bondage then had by degrees begun:
Of which, if that a stranger hold a part,
To take the other that would meanes impart.

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Yet though we see it is an easie thing,
For such a one his state still to maintaine,
Who by his birth-right borne to be a king,
Doth with the countrey's love, the crowne obtaine,
The same doth many to confusion bring,
Whil'st, for that cause, they care not how they raigne.
"O never throne establish'd was so sure,
Whose fall a vitious prince might not procure!"

Thus do a number to destruction runne,
And so did Tarquin once abuse his place,
Who for the filthy life he had begun,
Was barr'd from Rome, and ruin'd all his race;
So he whose father of no king was sonne,
Was father to no king; but, in disgrace
From Sicile banish'd, by the people's hate,
Did dye at Corinth in an abject state.

And as that monarch merits endlesse praise,
Who by his vertue doth a state acquire,
So all the world with scornfull eyes may gaze
On their degener'd stemmes which might aspire,
As having greater pow'r, their power to raise,
Yet of their race the ruine do conspire:
And for their wrong-spent life with shame do end,
"Kings chastis'd once, are not allow'd t' amend.

Those who, reposing on their princely name,
Can never give themselves to care for ought,
But for their pleasures every thing would frame,
As all were made for them, and they for nought,
Once th' earth their bodies, men will spoyle their
fame,
[wrought:
Though whil'st they live, all for their ease be
And those conceits on which they do depend,
Do but betray their fortunes in the end.

This selfe-conceit doth so the iudgement choake,
That when with some ought well succeeds through it,
They on the same with great affection look,
And scorne th' advice of others to admit;
Thus did brave Charles the last Burgundian duke
Deare buy a battell purchas'd by his wit:

By which in him such confidence was bred,
That blinde presumption to confusion led.

O! sacred counsell, quint-essence of souls, [fates,
Strength of the common-wealth, which chaines the
And every danger (ere it come) controuls,
The anker of great realmes, staffe of all states;
O! sure foundation which no tempest fouls,
On which are builded the most glorious seats!
If ought with those succeed who scorne thy care,
It comes by chance, and draws them in a snare.

Thrice happy is that king, who hath the grace
To chuse a councell whereon to relye,
Which loves his person, and respects his place,
And (like to Aristides) can cast by

All private grudge, and publike cares imbrace,
Whom no ambition nor base thoughts do tye:
And that they be not, to betray their seats,
The partiall pensioners of forreine states.
None should but those of that grave number boast,
Whose lives have long with many vertues shin'd;
As Rome respected the patricians most,
Use nobles first, if to true worth inclin'd:
Yet so, that unto others seeme not lost
All hope to rise, for else (high hopes resign'd)
Industrious Vertue in her course would tyre,
If not expecting honour for her hyre.

But such as those a prince should most eschue,
Who dignities do curiously affect;

A publike charge, those who too much pursue,
Seeme to have some particular respect,
All should be godly, prudent, secret, true,
Of whom a king his counsell should elect:
And he, whil'st they advise of zeale and love,
Should not the number, but the best approve.

A great discretion is requir'd to know
What way to weigh opinions in his minde;
But ah! this doth the judgement oft ore-throw,
Then whil'st he comes within himselfe confin'd,
And of the senate would but make a show,
So to confirme that which he hath design'd,
As one who onely hath whereon to rest,

O! soveraigne of all vertues, without thee
Nor peace, nor warre, can entertained be.
Thou from confusion all things hast redeem'd:
The meeting of Amphictyons had beene vaine,
And all those senates which were most esteem'd,
Wer't not by thee, their counsels crown'd remaine,
And all those laws had but dead letters seem'd,
Which Solon, or Lycurgus, did ordaine:
Wer't not thy sword made all alike to dye,
And not the weake, while as the strong scap'd by.

O! not without great cause all th' ancients did
Paint magistrates plac'd to explaine the laws,
Not having hands, so bribery to forbid,
Which them from doing right too oft with-draws;
And with a veile the iudge's eyes were hid,
Who should not see the partie, but the cause:
God's deputies, which his tribunall reare,
Should have a patient, not a partiall eare.

The lack of justice hath huge evils begun,
Which by no meanes could be repair'd againe ;
The famous syre of that more famous sonne,
From whom (while as he sleeping did remaine)
One did appeale, till that his sleep was done,
And whom a widow did discharge to raigne
Because he had not time plaints to attend,
Did lose his life for such a fault in th' end.

This justice is the vertue most divine,
Which like the King of kings shows kings inclin'd,
Whose sure foundations nought can under-mine,
If once within a constant breast confin'd:
For otherwise she cannot clearly shine,
While as the magistrate, oft changing minde,
Is oft too swift, and sometimes slow to strike,
As led by private ends, not still alike.

Use mercie freely, justice, as constrain'd,
This must be done, although that be more deare,
And oft the forme may make the deed disdain'd,
Whil'st justice tastes of tyranny too neare ;
One may be justly, yet in rage arraign'd,
Whil'st reason rul'd by passions doth appeare:
Once Socrates because ore-com'd with ire,

For councellours, his thoughts, their seat his brest. Did from correcting one (till calm'd) retyre.

But what avails a senate in this sort,
Whose pow'r within the Capitoll is pent?
A blast of breath which doth for nought import,
But mocks the world with a not act'd intent;
Those are the counsels which great states support,
Which never are made knowne but by th' event:
Not those where wise-men matters do propose,
And fooles thereafter as they please dispose.
Nor is this all which ought to be desir'd,
In this assembly (since the kingdome's soule)
That with a knowledge more then rare inspir'd,
A common-wealth, like Plato's, in a scroule
They can paint forth, but meanes are too acquir'd,
Disorder's torrent freely to controule;
And arming with authority their lines,
To act with justice that which wit designes.

Great empresse of this universall frame,
The Atlas on whose shoulders states are stay'd,
Who sway'st the raynes which all the world do tame,
And mak'st men good by force, with red array'd;
Disorder's enemy, virgin without blame,
Within whose-ballance, good and bad are weigh'd.

Those who want meanes their anger to asswage,
Do oft themselves, or others, rob of breath;
Fierce Valentinian, surfetting in rage,
By bursting of a veyne, did bleed to death;
And Theodosius, still but then, thought sage,
Caus'd murther thousands, whil'st quite drunk with
Who to prevent the like opprobrious crime, [wrath,
Made still suspend his edicts for a time.

Of vertuous kings all th' actions do proceed
Forth from the spring of a paternall love;
To cherish, or correct (as realmes have need)
For which he more than for himselfe doth move,
Who many a million's ease that way to breed,
Makes sometime some his indignation prove,
And like to Codrus, would even death imbrace,
If for the countrey's good, and people's peace.

This lady, that so long unarm'd hath stray'd,
Now holds the ballance, and doth draw the sword,
And never was more gloriously array'd,
Nor in short time did greater good afford;
The state which to confusion seem'd betray'd,
And could of nought but bloud, and wrongs, record,

Loe, freed from trouble, and intestine rage,
Doth boast yet to restore the golden age.

Thus doth thy father (generous prince) prepare
A way for thee to gaine immortall fame,
And layes the grounds of greatnesse with such care,
That thou may'st build great works upon the same;
Then since thou art to have a field so faire,
Whereas thou once may'st eternize thy name,
Begin (while as a greater light thine smothers)
And learne to rule thy selfe, ere thou rul'st others.
For still true magnanimity, we finde,
Doth harbour early in a generous brest;
To match Miltiades, whose glory shin'd,
Themistocles (a childe) was rob'd of rest;
Yet strive to be a monarch of thy minde,
For as to dare great things, all else detest,
A generous emulation spurres the sprite,
Ambition doth abuse the courage quite.
Whil'st of illustrious lives thou look'st the story,
Abhorre those tyrants which still swimm'd in bloud,
And follow those who (to their endlesse glory)
7. High in their subjects' love by vertue stood;
O! be like him who on a time was sorie,
Because that whil'st he chanc'd to do no good,
There but one day had happened to expire:
He was the world's delight, the Heaven's desire.
But as by mildnesse some great states do gaine,
By lenity some lose that which they have,
England's sixth Henry could not live and raigne,
But (being simple) did huge foils receive:
Brave Scipio's army mutini'd in Spayne,
And (by his meeknesse bold) their charge did leave:
O! to the state it brings great profit oft,
To be sometimes severe, and never soft.
To guide his coursers warely through the skie,
Earst Phoebus did his Phaeton require,
Since from the midle way if swarving by,

[fire,

The Heavens would burne, or th' Earth would be on
So doth 'twixt two extreames each vertue lye,
To which the purest sprits ought to aspire,
He lives most sure who no extreame doth touch,
Nought would too little be, nor yet too much.
Some kings, whom all men did in hatred hold,
With avaritious thoughts whose breasts were torne,
Too basely given to feast their eyes with gold,
Us'd ill, and abject meanes, which brave minds

scorne,

Such whilst they onely seek (no vice controul'd)
How they may best their treasuries adorne,
Are (though like Croesus rich) whilst wealth them
Yet still as poore as Irus in their mindes. [blinds,

And some againe as foolish fancies move,
Who praise prepost'rous fondly do pursue,
Not liberall, no, but prodigall do prove;
Then whil'st their treasures they exhausted view,
With subsidies do lose their subjects' love;
And spoyle whole realmes, though but t' enrich a few:
Whil'st with authority their pride they cloake,
Who ought to dye by smoke for selling smoke.

But O! the prince most loath'd in every land,
Is one (all given to lust) who hardly can
Free from some great mishap a long time stand;
For all the world his deeds with hatred scan;
Should he who hath the honour to command
The noblest creature (great God's image) man,

Be, to the vilest vice, the basest slave,
The bodie's plague, soul's death, and honour's grave?
That beastly monster who retyr'd a part,
Amongst his concubines began to spinne,
Took with the habite too a woman's heart,
And ended that which Ninus did begin;
Faint-hearted Xerxes who did gifts impart,
To them who could devise new wayes to sinne :
Though back'd with worlds of men, straight took the
And had not courage but to see them fight. [flight,
Thus doth soft pleasure but abase the minde,
And making one to servile thoughts descend,
Doth make the body weake, the judgement blinde,
An hatefull life, an ignominious end:
Where those who did this raging tyrant binde,
With vertue's chains, their triumphs to attend,
Have by that meanes a greater glory gain'd,
Then all the victories which they attain'd.
The valorous Persian who not once but gaz'd
On faire Panthea's face to ease his toyls,
His glory, by that continency, rais'd
More than by Babylon's and Lydia's spoyle;
The Macedonian monarch was more prais'd,
Than for triumphing ore so many soils,
That of his greatest foe (though beauteous seene)
He chastly entertain'd the captiv'd queene.

Thus have still-gaz'd-at monarchs much adoe,
Who (all the world's disorders to redresse)
Should shine like to the Sunne, the which still, loe,
The more it mounts aloft, doth seeme the lesse,
They should with confidence go freely to,
And (trusting to their worth) their will expresse:
Not like French Lewis th' Eleventh who did maintaine,
That who could not dissemble, could not raigne.

But still to guard their state the strongest barre,
And surest refuge in each dangerous storme,
Is to be found a gallant man of warre,
With heart that dare attempt, hands to performe,
Not that they venter should their state too farre,
And to each souldier's-course their course conforme.
The skilfull pylots at the rudder sit:

Let others use their strength, and them their wit.

In Mars his mysteries to gaine renowne,
It gives kings glory, and assures their place,
It breeds them a respect amongst their owne,
And makes their neighbours feare to lose their grace;
Still all those should, who love to keep their crowne,
In peace prepare for warre, in warre for peace:
For as all feare a prince who dare attempt,
The want of courage brings one in contempt.
And, royall off-spring, who may'st high aspire,
As one to whom thy birth high hopes assign'd,
This well becomes the courage of thy syre,
Who traines thee up according to thy kinde;
He, though the world his prosp'rous raigne admire,
In which his subjects such a comfort finde,
Hath (if the bloudy art mov'd to imbrace)
That wit then to make warre, which now keeps peace.

And O! how this (deare prince) the people charmes,
Who flock about thee oft in ravish'd bands,
To see thee yong, yet manage so thine armes,
Have a mercuriall mince, and martiall hands,
This exercise thy tender courage warmes ;
And still true greatnesse but by vertue stands :

Agesilaus said, no king could be

More great, unlesse more vertuous, than hẹ.

And though that all of thee great things expect,
Thou, as too little, mak'st their hopes asham'd;
As he who on Olympus did detect,

The famous Theban's foot, his body fram'd,
By thy beginnings so we may collect,
How great thy worth by time may be proclaim'd:
For who thy actions doth remarke, may see,
That there be many Cæsars within thee.

Though every state by long experience findes,
That greatest blessings prosp'ring peace imparts,
As which all subjects to good order bindes,
Yet breeds this isle, still populous in all parts,
Such vigorous bodies, and such restlesse mindes,
That they disdaine to use mechanick arts:
And, being haughty, cannot live in rest,
Yea such, when idle, are a dangerous pest.

A prudent Roman told, in some few houres,
To Rome's estate what danger did redound,
Then, when they raz'd the Carthaginian towres,
By which while as they stood, still meanes were

found,

With others' harmes to exercise their pow'rs,
The want whereof, their greatnesse did confound;
For, when no more with forraine foes imbroil'd,
Straight, by intestine warres, the state was spoyl'd.

No, since this soile which with great sprits abounds,
Can hardly nurce her nurcelings all in peace,
Then let us keep her bosome free from wounds,
And spend our fury in some forraine place:
There is no wall can limit now our bounds,
But all the world will need walls in short space;
To keep our troups from seizing on new thrones;
The marble chayre must passe the ocean once.

What fury ore my judgement doth prevaile?
Me thinkes I see all th' earth glance with our armes,
And groning Neptune charg'd with many a sayle;
I heare the thundring trumpet sound th' alarmes,
Whilst all the neighbouring nations doe looke pale,
Such sudden feare each panting heart disarmes,
To see those martiall mindes together gone,
The lyon and the leopard in one.

I (Henry) hope with this mine eyes to feed, Whilst ere thou wear'st a crown, thou wear'st a shield;

And when thou (making thousands once to bleed,
That dare behold thy count'nance, and not yeeld)
Stirr'st through the bloudy dust a foaming steed,
An interested witnesse in the field

I may amongst those bands thy grace attend,
And be thy Homer when the warres do end.

But stay, where fly'st thou (Muse) so farre astray?
And whilst affection doth thy course command,
Dar'st thus above thy reach attempt a way
To court the heire of Albion's war-like land,
Who gotten hath his generous thoughts to sway,
A royall gift out of a royall hand;
And hath before his eyes that type of worth,

Yet ore thy father, loe, (such is thy fate)
Thou hast this vantage which may profit thee,
An orphan'd infant, setled in his seat,
He greater then himselfe could never see,
Where thou may'st learne by him the art of state,
And by another what thy selfe should'st be,
Whilst that which he had onely but heard told,
In all his course thou practis'd mayʼst behold.

And this advantage long may'st thou retain,
By which, to make thee blest, the Heavens conspire;
And labour of his worth to make thy gaine,
To whose perfections thou may'st once aspire,
When as thou show'st thy selfe, whilst thou do'st
A sonne held worthy of so great a syre; [raigne,
And with his scepters, and the people's hearts,
Do'st still inherit his heroicke parts.

JONATHAN;

AN

HEROICKE POEME INTENDED.

THE FIRST BOOKE.

THE ARGUMENT.

With Ammon's king, griev'd labesh did agree,
If not reliev'd, their right eyes lost, to live ;
From this disgrace Saul fights to make them free,
And God to him the victory doth give: [see;
Those, who their king (with successe crown'd) did
Them who him first had scorn'd, to kill did strive:
The people's errour, Samuel makes them know,
Then what he was, what all should be, doth show.

MVSE, Sound true valour, all perfection's parts,
The force of friendship, and th' effects of faith,
To kindle courage in those generous hearts,
Which strive by vertue to triumph ore death,
Whilst honour's height the wage of worth imparts,
What hence is hop'd, or whilst we here draw breath:
Loe, found, not fain'd, how men accomplish'd prove:
Both prais❜d below, and glorifi'd above.

O thou, from whom all what we praise doth streame,
Lift up my soule, my sprite with power inspire;
That straying wits, who fayn'd ideas dreame,
May magnanimity in men admire,

Who sought thy glory, not affecting fame,
And yet what courage courts did all acquire;
The truth not wrong'd, to please Lord pardon me,
In method, time, and circumstances free.

Sterne Ammon's armes when Iabesh was enclos'd,
In her defenders did such feare infuse,
That breached walles (all naked) were expos'd,
As weake, else worse, the owners to accuse;
Who on defence no further then repos'd,
But last, for hope, a wretched helpe did use,

That starre of state, that pole which guides the To fawne on foes, and seeke (they thus appeas'd)

north.

What safety those who sought their ruine, pleas'd.

Then Nahas, who could not his pride suppress, (As empty bladders blowne up with the winde) Did dreame what way to double their distresse, That still their shame might basely be design'd, And to this bargaine proudly did them presse, That they (without right eys) should live, halfe blinde:

A plaguy pardon which did lose, when spare, "Of wicked men the mercies cruell are."

But the besieg'd all in a desp'rate state,
("The present feare breeds greatest horrour still")
Sought first that they by messengers might treat
With other Hebrews, to prevent their ill,
And if not so soone help'd, short was the date,
When they should render, resting on his will:
Who thus some comfort or excuse might claime,
All Israell so made partners of their shame.

To this request he quickly did consent,
All strength else scorn'd, who trusted in his owne,
For, if the rest, that succour crav'd, not lent,
He judg'd them straight as with that town ore-
thrown;

His raving thoughts for new designes were bent,
As this for certaine, all the world had knowne;
"Loe, thus large counts proud fooles for long time
make,
[backe."
Though Death still treads each foot-step at their

As wing'd with feares to haste the hop'd reliefe,
At Gibea he arriv'd whom labesh sent,
Whilst groanes and teares (as in commission chiefe)
More prompt for woe would needs the tongue prevent,
They first usurp'd the place, as sent from griefe,
While as the count'nance did the minde comment:
Yet from their weaknesse gathering some more
strength,

Sighs ushering words, this wrestled out at length.

"Your wretched brethren who in Gilead dwell, Of God's choice people (Abraham's heires) a part, By Ammon's bands whose breasts with pride doe swell, [smart,

Have suffred harmes which might make rocks to Indignities which I disdaine to tell,

Such shame my face, and horrour fills my heart: By putting out one eye, some covet peace; Though great the losse, yet greater the disgrace.

"With this condition, Iabesh did compose,
If in seven dayes we succour not receive,
More happy they who both their eyes doe lose,
Then who for object such a tyrant have,
Who even ore God seekes to insult in those,
Whom from his altars he doth bragge to reave:
The losse of light (if this not griev'd) were light,
Though all our dayes (when blinde) prov'd but one
night.

"His pow'r too much esteem'd, ours not at all,
He, till we gather, doth of purpose stay,
That (as he dreames) all quickly kill'd, or thrall,
Fame flow'd from many springs exhaust he may;
As Egypt's foyle, and many nations' fall,
All for his glory had prepar'd the way:
This victory must by all those be grac'd,
God's captiv'd wonders in his triumph plac'd.
VOL. V.

"Oft when men scorn'd, God did regard our grones,
And from great troubles did us free before,
Who pow rfull, just, aud mercifull at once,
Peace to his people when he would restore,
As reeds, crush'd scepters, breaking brittle thornes,
And by meane meanes to be admir'd the more,
What man not mock'd at Midian's scornfull flight?
How oft did one against a number fight?

"Then (sir) it seemes that who guards Iacob's seed,
To honour you doth this occasion move,
That at this time you (eminent) may breed,
In strangers terrour, in your people love,
For if this battell (as we hope) succeed,
It your election highly would approve :
And that conceit which at the first one gaines,
It fix'd for ever in the minde remaines.

"Since come to urge great haste, I must be short,
That soone their hopes may grow, or else be spent,
Whom if you now doe by your power support,
You free from danger, and your owne prevent,
Else in worse time, us'd after in like sort,
Your owne next fear'd, you must our losse repent.
And courage, which, now free, might praise procure,
Necessity when forc'd, will quite obscure.'

"Thinke that you heare our citizens in vaine,
With wasted words a tyrant's rigour ply;
The dead to envy forc'd, whilst they remaine
Of victors vile the bitter taunts to try,
The face's beauty once, but then the staine,
On bloudy cheekes whilst ugly eyes doe lye;
Thinke Nahas scorning them, and bragging you,
And that one moment lost, breeds danger now."

The man then dumb, griefe did againe engage,
By speaking passions further to prevaile;
The common woe nought could at first asswage,
Till anger's strength made pittie's weakenesse faile:
Kindelona than smoak'd griefe,and flam'd forth rage,
But yet for haste to venge, staid not to waile:
Yet first attended what his father said.
He wish'd for wings to flye, where Ammon stay'd,

"That God," said Saul, "whom none enough can

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"All my ambition is to serve this state;
For which effect, forc'd from my low repose,
The Lord was pleas'd (not my desires) of late,
This charge on me (as all know) to impose;
And by effects, God grant I may prove great,
Not, but in show, as pompous Ethnickes glose;
That God, this state who made me to embrace,
May grace his choice, and fit me for the place.

“I all your troubles travell to appease,
And place my treasure onely in your hearts:
Farre be delight from me, and what may please,
Whilst in this kingdome any city smarts;
And I could wish I might (if for your ease)
To watch over all, even part myselfe in parts:
E e

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