A CORDIAL Elegie & Epitaph UPON The much l [...]mented Death of that incom­parable Prince HENRY Duke of Glocester, Brother to our Sove­reign Lord the KING, the most perfect and accomplished Prince of his years the Christian World could boast of; And a Royal Cedar endowed with as many great Vertues as mortality could receive; A Prince of such Fortitude abroad and wisdom at home, vastness of wit and understanding, that no Prince could parrallel, always stead­fast in Religion, and a Prince who, if we compare his Valour with his Meekness, his Knowledge with his Innocence, and his Religion with his Youth, no Prince can equalize; Deceased the 13th of Sep­tember 1660.

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LONDON, Printed for GEORGE HORION, 1660.

A Cordi [...]ll ELEGIE UPON The much lamented death of that most hopeful young Prince, HENRY Duke of Gloucester, deceased Thursday the 13th of September, 1660.

PArdon O Heavens, just God wherein have we
Transgrest against thy Glorious Majesty,
Were we ungratefull for thy bounty when
Thou gavest to us these Princes; we to them
And to a happy State did us restore
From out the bondage we were in before,
O no great God, we from our selves confess
Thy Mercies: Angells be our Witnesse.
What Cause O Muse? Is God prophan'd? or why
Susteine we still perpetual misery?
Has Grief no end, and must we ever go
Whilst Earth remains Concomitants with wo.
Was't not enough by Ttaytors Tyranny,
To loose bles't Charles of glorious me nory:
And then to languish so extream a while,
Dureing the time of their most sad exile:
In boundless misery; but again this loss!
(We could not been redeem'd without the Cross)
Proves bitter to our sweetness; Gloucester's gone,
That hopefull Prince, this ages Paragon:
That blessed Image of our Martyr'd King,
Lop't in the prime of his most happy spring:
So short an age, and with such trouble past,
Concludes his life was but a Winters blast:
So many dolefull houres in which he view'd
Rampant Rebellion Rigorously intrude
Upon his Fathers Kingdomes and invest
With Barbarous fu [...]y our most peacefull rest:
Thus he no sooner having made the earth
More happy by his most Illustrous Birth:
But straight all Hells enrag'd; each fury sits,
And for distraction bend their Cursed wits,
Envy Dissention, disobedience frames,
And black disloyalty our Realmes enflames:
Blood, Monstrous Treason, Murther and debate
With Ravenous Wolves possess our peacefull state:
Since and befor ethe Murther of our KING,
His life is a continuall suffering:
Which yet with more than manly fortitude
He bore, nor suffer'd horror to entrude
Upon his Valiant soul; his Royal breast
Was ever fill'd with glory that exprest:
He was the Race of Heaven; and soar'd as high
Upon the wings of pleas'd Alacrity:
But now! O when the Heavens most sacred Grace
Had smooth'd the terror of his dreadfull face
To pleasing smiles converts his angry frowns,
Our bleeding Kingdoms mercifully Crownes
With sweet Tranquillity blest Henry he
Comes only and surveys our vanity:
And back to Heaven retyres whence first he came
To bless the world with his Illustrious name:
Like to a Moses he became our guide,
He brought us to our Canaan, and then dy'd:
But stay me thinks I hear a voyce from Hell,
Adamn'd Phantique Thunders forth a Spell;
Long since condem'd th' Eternalls doome to bear
With hideous language thus Inchants the eare
Of his yet living Brethren, and informes
Them with a Volley of most horrid Stormes,
That this on us a fatall judgment was
For trampling down forsooth their Good Old Cause:
To which the Heavens reply; if so it be,
Tht 'tis a judgment, Charles his Clemency:
Occasions it; in suffering such to breath,
Whom Gods decree had justly mark't for death:
See Saul th' Almight yes favour was deny'd,
Whilst Murtherous Agag good Indemnify'd:
And Ahabs life a satisfaction gives
For Israels sin because Benhadad lives.
Pardon dread Soveraign sorrow cannot hold,
If that my zeal hath made me overbold:
Not that we tax your mercy, but our fear
For this our loss augments a doubtfull tear:
Least our blest Martyr Charles, his blood has cry'd
to Heaven, and Heaven remaines unsatisfy'd:
O may they soon receive their fatall due,
Least what's but now our fear, may prove too true.
O Envious Fate that with such dread appears
To put a period to his bloomeing years:
With what a mournfull face hast thou beset
Three drooping Realmes with palefull Cypress; wet
In Stygian streames (our Gloucester being dead)
Where late the lively Lawrell flourished:
Though newly sprung, yet with a potent grace
Did both protect and glorifie the place,
Which now appears like to an unquoth Cell,
Where onely Pilgrims and sad Mourners dwell
Our Countrey, City, Potentates, and Court,
All Clad in Sables mournfully report.
Our mis'rable misfortune to the skys,
With dolefull hearts and sad lamenting eyes;
But O if this such dyre dejection bring
Unto the people, how resents the King
And Duke, this Priceless loss in whom we view'd
Three glorious bodyes with one soul endu'd:
O how it pierces their Heroick souls,
How outward woe and inward grief controules:
their Royal natures, striving to outvy
our sacred Soveraign in Majesty:
Needs must the saddness of our Land be great
When sorrow solely swa [...]es the regal seat:
When Yorks most Valliant Duke these tydings heares
It like a Mandrake soundeth in his eares:
Of which his Princely Sister bears a part,
That thrills like lightning through her tender heart:
The last of all th'indulgent Mother oh,
How quickly's all her joy's now turn'd to woe:
She who beheld her tender branches tost
By boysterous stormes of Persecution; crost
By barbarous Torrents of Rebellious Elves,
Daily repulst upon the dangerous shelves
Of War and Treason; now which hope reviv'd,
Seeing her happy Sons which joy receiv'd:
In glad assurance trusts to see again,
Her Children in a glorious Triumph Reign:
With plentuous blessings and a Land Tranquill,
That may perswade her Charles is living still:
But O when she to England shall resort,
Her dearest GLOUCESTER's missing from the Court:
This only comfort left, hee's gone to see
His Father Crown'd with Heavenly Majesty.
There rest most Glorious blessed Soul with his,
Th' eternall sharer of his boundless bliss:
Whilst we thy absence mourne, and deck thy Herse
With Cordiall briney Teares, and Tragick verse.

EPITAPH.

H ere lyes Gloucesters fairest flower,
E nglands joy in one blest hour:
N ewly sprung; yet soon from hence,
R ap't to eternall Residence:
Y ou that at his Tomb appear,
D uly pay devotion here,
U nto these Holy Ashes, for
K nown when he dy'd there fell a Star:
E arly as his year; the fall
O f which proves Epidemicall:
F alse Earthly joyes appear'd for him,
G loryes to base in Heavens esteem:
L ifted up above the Skyes,
O n Angels wings to Paradize:
V ertue in his Royall breast,
C ontinuall flames of wrath possest:
E nvious Time his glorious name,
S hall ne'r destroy; his loud Tongu'd fame:
T his pious Marble still declares
E ncompast with a Sea of Tears
R eplenisht daily from his eyes
Of constant Loyall Votaryes.
FINIS

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