[...]
THE Frontispice of the Kings Book opened. WITH A Poem annexed: The In-security of Princes. Considered in an occasionall Meditation upon the King's late Sufferings and Death.
HORAT:
Saepius
[...] ventis agitatur ingens
Pinus: & celsae graviore casu
Decidunt Turres: feriunt
(que) summos
Fulmina Montes.
The Frontispice of the Kings Book Opened.
BEFORE three Kingdoms-Monarch three Crowns lie;
Of Gold; of Thorne; of Glory; bright, but vaine;
Sharpe, yet but light; eternall to remaine:
O'th World; of Christ; of Heav'n: At's Foot; Hand; Eye▪
Hee spurnes; accepts; expects. Kneeles; yet doth Reigne.
A Sun; a Rock; a Palm-tree▪ (Emblems fit)
The Sun in Clouds: the Rock in waves o'th Sea:
The Palm-trees boughs depres't with weights: Yet see,
The Sun shines out more bright; the Rock's unsplit,
Unmov'd: the Palm-tree flourishes. So Hee.
Another more at large.
WHAT have wee here? a
Worldling? Surely no.
What is he then? a
Papist? Neither so.
Then haply some
Enthusiast? Nothing lesse.
Is hee an
Atheist then? or what? Expresse.
To prove him not a Worldling, looke below,
His action with his
Foot proclaimes him so.
That hee's no
Papist neither, looke before him,
God's-Word, no
Missal there, doth so declare him.
Wherein professing that his
Hope doth rest,
We may conclude hee's no
Enthusiast.
That likewise hee's no
Atheist, marke his
Ey
To Heav'n lift up admits a Deity.
If then, no Worldling, nor a Papist hee,
An Atheist neither, nor Enthusiast bee;
What is hee then? Why, questionlesse a KING.
A King? that's common, yet no common thing.
(What's here presented to our view) to see
A King to Heav'n devoted on his knee.
Kings, though the greatest, yet not still the best:
Too oft than Heav'n the World in more request
With such. Then sure this is some Christian King;
So Christian like his garbe in every thing.
For marke! his Body to devotion fram'd;
His Soule the whilest with heav'nly fire enflam'd:
Whose operation makes him spurne away
His worldly Crowne, as
Burthensome though Gay.
Giving all earthly Kings to understand,
That
Vanitie doth still their Crowne attend:
Which underfoote are fitter to be trod,
Then touch'd with hand, or taken on the Head:
This therefore with his foote thus turn'd away,
His hand hee doth upon his Saviours lay.
The which
Though Sharpe, yet Light, and which by
Grace
Being attended, may be borne with ease.
[Page 3]And now, the former Crowne contemned, and
This latter taken up with cheerfull hand;
Gods word withall proposed for the scope,
The Rule, the Square, the Anchor of his
Hope;
(Who promiseth that those with Christ shall raigne
Who waving Crownes, his Crosse shall entertaine:)
No marvell, if that Hee with stedfast
Eye
Of lively Faith, advanced to the Skye,
Doth there behold a Crowne, which th'other two▪
As much as Heav'n the Earth, beyond doth go:
Heaven's
Blessed diadem,
Eternall, and
The which, as proper,
Glory doth attend.
In this condition, what though
Winds doe blow?
And stormes on all sides threaten overthrow?
Though Troubles rise, and
Waves lift up their voice,
Like
Billowes beating with a hideous noise
Upon (that embleme of a constant minde)
A
Rocke, that bassler both of Waves and Winde.
Yet still Hee stands
Unmov'd, maintaines His ground,
O're all assaults
Triumphing, safe and sound.
Whil'st through
Black Clouds breakes forth a Heavenly
Ray,
By
Darknesse so set off, it
Shines like Day,
Which, streaming downe upon this constant
Head,
So quits the same of Care, his Heart of Dread,
That, though oppressed, as the
Palme by
Weight,
(
Vertues true Embleme) yet t'a greater height
Hee still ariseth of divine perfection
Under the
Burthen of the worst affliction.
And, thus is shadowed forth of
British Pearles
(So famous heretofore in forraigne Worlds)
The most illustrious, orient, pretious one,
That ever yet adorn'd the English Throne:
The best of Kings, set o're the Subjects worst;
The Father of the
Second, Charles the
first.
Did'st thou not know him, Reader? then looke hence:
Here' that at hand will cure thy ignorance:
His Picture by his owne rare Pencill ta'ne;
None ever by
Apelles better drawne:
[Page 4]His
Golden Manual, so divine, so rare,
As, save God's booke, admits of no compare.
The Booke of Bookes, so choice (one word for all)
As e're the Chri
[...]ian world was blest withall.
This Front is but the Signe, go, enter then;
Thy Soule nere lodged in a braver Inne:
Which to put downe, though Earth and Hell combine,
Though Men and Devils all their forces joyne;
Whil'st Clu
[...]s is Trumpe, yet unto all be't known
By Heav'n 'tis Licenc'd, and may not goe downe.
Though, as a Booke it wants men's
Imprimatur.
It glorieth yet in his who's men's Creator.
Then Bles'd his Providence! thrice bles'd his Pleasure!
That hath good Subjects blest with such a Treasure.
Meane time, accurs'd, and thrice accurs'd all such
As, like damn'd Rebels, at this blessing grutch!
Whil'st by this Booke the former grow much better,
May Heav'n convert, or els confound the latter.
But Reader! on, leave Strawes and gather Pearles;
Leave these, and to the Lines of brave King CHARLES:
Of whom, besides this admirable ΕΙΚΩΝ
Wee have another in our CHARLES the SECOND:
One, of the virtues as apparent Heire,
As of the Crowne of his illustrious Sire:
In referrence to whom, let's pray, say, sing,
May Rebells perish: But
GOD SAVE THE KING.
The In-security of Princes.
O How doth sad experience verifie
His perilous estate that sits on high!
Would'st thou far off from thunder-stroke remove,
Then keep thy distance, come not neere to
Jove:
Whil'st high-pitch'd Towres ly ope to wind and weather;
The low-thatch'd Bowre's insensible of either.
[Page 5]The lowly Shrubbe stands ever firme and fast,
Whil'st lofty Cedars shake with ev'ry blast.
No stormy-winds disturbe the humble Vale,
Whilst the proud Mountaine feeles the smallest gale.
Safety but seldome at the Court resides:
It flies the Prince, and with the Pesant bides.
From Palaces contentment keeps aloofe:
(A Cottage-guest) it loves the low-set-Roofe.
Votum Authoris.
WERE I then of the twaine my choice to make
I'd leave the Palace, and the Cottage take.
A Prince or Pesant might I choose to bee,
The Pesant rather then the Prince for mee!
Were I by option, high, or low to dwell,
I'de choose the Valley and refuse the Hill.
Might I, or Towre, or Bowre, at will elect,
I'de take the Bower, and the Towre reject.
Ever preferring safe obscurity
To envied in-secure sublimity.
And choosing rather to abide below,
Then hazard, from the Hill, an overthrow.
"Who's downe already, of up-standers all
"Hath this advantage: That hee feares no fall.
Another.
O To what dangers, to what cares and feares,
Is hee exposed that the Scepter beares!
What though a golden Crowne his browes adornes?
'Tis little better than a Crowne of thornes.
Such cares his head molest, his heart such feares,
Whose head the Crowne, whose hand the Scepter beares.
The saying's old, but true: Were it but know'n
To him that in the Streets should find a Crowne
[Page 6]What Cares attend the same, hee would not stoop
(As hardly worth the paines) to take it up.
No Crowne without a crosse: the Crowne and care,
Like sinne and sorrow, undivi
[...]ed are.
'Twixt Crowne and care as great affinitie,
As 'twixt Effect and Cause; 'twixt Fruit and Tree.
For worldly Crownes how fond is th
[...]n the strife!
No Crowne for me, except the Crowne of Life!
Those, like to worldly glorie, post away;
This immarcessible, and lasts for ay.
Though robbed of the former, yet the head
Of brave King
Charles with this is garnished:
And He triumphant sits aloft, and sings
Continuall praises to the King of Kings:
Above the reach of those malignant ones;
Rebellious
Corah's, worst of
Belials sons;
Whom as hee here with patience, so there
Beholds with pity, and with smiling cheere
Laughs at their Malice, disappointed so,
That making him a mortall Crowne forgo,
A Crowne immortall he hath gain'd. Fond men!
'Ti
[...] you, not he, that are the losers then.
For you have lost a Prince, of whom fame swore,
There never was the like; nor should be more.
For Intellectualls, t'admiration rare;
And for his Morals beyond all compare.
For his Religion, past example sound;
And for devotion ne're enough renown'd.
Whether as Husband, Parent, Master, He
A Mirror fit for all posteritie.
In short, say malice whatsoe're shee Can,
The Sunne ne're shone upon a braver man:
And of his Country such a tender father;
That, than wrong it, hee Martyrdome Chose rather.
And thus unto some few mens lawlesse pleasure
Was sacrific'd three Kingdoms Choicest treasure.
Whil'st Villany with Villani's upheld,
And Murder for Rebellion made the shield.
[Page 7]Thus bad beginnings to worse ends are ty'd:
A Rebell first and then a Regicide.
No other Plea, that ever I could see,
For that their so much urg'd
Necessitie.
Necessitie? ô Heav'ns! Curs'd bee that neede,
Which makes a sinner in his sinne proceede!
Was 't not enough they should so ill beginne?
But they must needs bee adding sinne to sinne?
Is this their thorough Reformation? this
I' th' feare of God to perfect holinesse?
Thus keep they Cov'nant, when away they take
His Life, whom
Glorious here they vow'd to make?
If these bee Saints, if this their Doctrine bee,
A sinner rather then a Saint for mee!
If such as these the fruits of Sanctitie,
Then
Machiavel himselfe a Saint may be,
If Saints are understood in this large sence,
'Twixt Saints and Devills what's the difference?
This sounds more like the voice of Hell or Rome,
Into whose secrets let not my Soule come!
Nor yet of theirs; a sort of brain sick youths,
Pretenders to new Lights, and to new Truths:
Old Errors these; darke-Lanthorns those, the which
Betray their followers into Hell's black ditch,
But see what by faire words they promised,
By their foule deeds is now accomplished,
Though in a better sence; good out of ill
Heav'ns midwifry producing, spight of Hell.
For maugre Men and Devills, hee's become
So glorious as no Prince in Christendome,
And is by so much more exalted now
As lately (Rebells) trampled on by you.
Experience thus confirms the Adagy:
"That hee that suffers gets the Victory.
Votum Authoris.
IS Suffering then to Heav'n the Kings high-way?
Goes the Voluptuous Worldling cleane astray?
[Page 8]Then Mammonists I sing requiems to your soules!
Let
Bacchus boyes Carowse their wine in bowles:
Let Gluttons of their Bellies make their God:
Let Gallants glory to bee richly clad:
Let Sluggards stretch themselves on beds of downe:
Their heads with Rose-buds let the wanton crowne:
Let the Ambitious live to towre on high:
Let the Malicious hug his evil Ey:
Let the Sacrilegist celebrate the day
That made Church-lands become his lawfull prey:
Whil'st the proud Rebell triumpheth that hee
Himselfe can raise by fall of Monarchy:
But thou my Soule! abhorre such prostitutions!
Such sensuall Epicurean base pollutions!
Meere by-paths these, for Straglers; waies that tend,
Like that broad-Rode, unto some dismall end.
The Crosse let bee thy portion, sanctifi'd!
Thy Soveraign, next thy Saviour, bee thy guide!
Went thy sweet Saviour to the fatall-Tree,
Thy Soveraign to the Block, so willingly?
And wilt thou startle at a petty crosse?
A light affliction? some sleight temporall losse?
Such Captaines, and a Coward! No; Thus led,
I'le scorne it should be said I slinch'd or fled.
Heav'ns say Amen, and grant I henceforth may
The broad declining, choose the narrow way!
Then, though hearts griefe may by the way offend,
Yet such hearts-ease shall crowne my journeyes end,
As never Eye hath seene, Eare heard, nor can
Conceived bee by heart of Mortall-man.
Then set a period here. Let contemplation
Make up the rest in silent admiration.
FINIS.