MORISTONUS MARTYR▪ TO THE Glorious Memory of the much Renowned Gentleman, ANDREW KER of MORISTOƲN, Who was Slain at Buda, July 19. 1686.
A Funeral Elegie.
By NINIAN PATERSON.
Printed in the Year 1687.
To the much Honoured the Land of More [...].
I [...] [...] Holy War against those [...]arbarous and Blasphemous Infidels, your (now both in Heaven and Earth) most glorious Brother, hath had the honour to Sacrifice his Life; There was indeed, n [...] fairer way, to engrave the Glory of your Fame, and Family in the Immortall Annals of all ensuing Ages. I doubt not but his Death wi [...] shortly be the sad Joyfull-theam of a more skilfull, and accomplisht Pen▪ The cruel and fretting afflictions I have unfortunatly encountered, (whic [...] I hope shall prove all but [...]ed- [...]ea to my Cana [...], to which Age now hast me) have so li [...] [...] a [...] my senses, that am like one gone along journey from himself, where the excess of Sorro [...] fearce gives way to the relief of Words; The evident tokens whereof, a that formerly knew me, will quickly perceive, in the following Poem Being, alas! wholly destitute of the delicaces of an acut Invention, and th [...] politness of a transporting expression; but what is sometimes a mans Fa [...] is not always his Fault, as by a dear bought Experience, I have too mu [...] learned now to know. I am not altogether of his mind that lately w [...] the Life of the Grand Vizier Cara Mustapha, that it was only an amo [...] ous pique that hath rumbled the World, into these Grand Transactions to me they carry the ting and tincture of an higher Source; And thou that now all Caresses and Liberalities to the [...]uses be banished this part of [...] World, yet could I have the happiness to animat any to that degree of Z [...] to avenge the Injury and Quarrel of our blasphemed Saviour, I doubt [...] but my now naked Muse would quickly grow Pen-feathered, and learn to s [...] with such a touring Wing, as would render th [...]m the celebrated Models Religion, Virtue, and Honour. I have fo born, in this Address to h [...] expatiated on your own Person [...] [...]nd Gallantry, lest it should s [...] an attack upon your modesty: [...] Winter-day, I shall make ame [...] for my unpleasantness by my b [...] [...] [...]en I have only told you so g [...] an esteem I have for your [...] [...]at unto what extremity of adv [...] Fortun, I am so ever reduce [...] [...] always preserve the profound [...] spect and Passion of
To the Reader.
THe disastrous Discords that have miserably infested, and almost harassed Great-Britain, and many other parts of Europe this long time by past, have diverted our Illustrious Princes, and Magnanimous Hero's from the least thought of this Holy War, till our blessed GOD in his just Judgment, stirred up the insolent Spirit of that fierce bloody and barbarous Robber, the great Turk, to blaspheme our Saviour, and threaten all Christendom with Ruine and Destruction; The Titles he that appropriat to himself, and his very Name will justifie these Characters, for the Word Mahumet is derived from the Hebrew Machach quod percutere, ferire, caedere, vel delere, & delendo perdere▪ significat; so the Devils name and his, Appolyon and Mahuamet are Synonims; his other Title Sultan, (though properly Arabick) derived off the Hebrew Shall [...]t and Sh [...]l [...]n, which signifies Dominion and Power. That same word which we find Genesis 42. and 6th. translated the G [...]vernour, a Title wherein the chief Rulers of Egypt and Babylon did much glory, and stoln from them by this Thief. These his opprobrious insolencies did awaken the religious Courage, and inflame the sacred Z [...]al, of not only the crowned Heads and Scepter-swaying Hands of Imperial- Majesty, these earthly Dieties; but also the Heroick Hearts of some of minor Rank, though not directly interessed in this War, from Spain, Italy France and England, and some also of the Low Countries, to contribute their Aid to this Villans Destruction▪ for the honour of their Saviour, whom thi [...] Monster had impiously and excerably blasphemed; and to signalize their Honour and Courage in so glorious an interprize against the Excrements of Mankind, and the Spa [...] of Hell. And now by the permission of GOD, the Scourge of Christendom, whom we cannot by the way omit to tell you, how Octavianus M [...]ni [...]us describes.
Amongst whom this brave young Gentleman, the Laird of Moristoun made no small figure, being of a very honourable Birth, and descended of the most ancient Familsies of the Mers and [...]viotdale, and of an Estate, though in the West, yet not much estranged from the Bowels of the East: While we speak of him, it must be observed, that the Reader will find him, though honourably, yet with a great mistake of both Name and Title mentioned page 30 in the Historical Description of the Seige of Buda, it being written by a French-man, though an exact Recorder, and Eye-witness of all these bloody Transactions, yet utterly unacquaint with our Moristoun, with him went along from Scotland (known to be the Mother of Magnanimity, her Children in most parts of Christendom, being known by the Title of valiant and adventerous Scots) persons of good Birth and Quality, whose names and honour without wrong done to Posterity must not be omitted.
Duke of Berwick, Lord George Savill Son to the Marquess of Hallifax, the Lord Mountjoy, Collonel Barrage▪ Mr. Smith Esquire, Mr. Couts Esquire, Captain Rupert, Mr. Wiseman Esquire, and the Laird of Dalmany our Country-man, who on this same account ought never to be mentioned without Honour.
I hope none will be so peevish to be offended because I call the Turk Antichrist, it's done by many hundreds before me, and these Divines of no mean esteem, Montague [...] App [...]llo C [...]sarem hath made it evident as with a Sun-beam; and Zanchius too in many of his Writings, Tom. 7. [...]e perseverant sanctorum; and also in Tractatu de [...] saeculi; and To [...] [...] respon. ad Ar [...]ia [...]u [...], by such Arguments as these, that he exalts himself against all that is called GOD, and most blasphemously denyeth GOD, neither acknowledging the Trinity, not yet that Holy One, the Power of GOD, denys also that Christ is God, and affirms that he shall only be a Witnes of the Judgment, and not a Judge of the World, as we read in Alcoran [...] Az [...], [...]. Quod Jesus Christus circa temp [...] judicij sit moriturus & sicut alij homines resurrecturus. Az [...], 49. Christum non judicem sed testem judicij [...]acit, Damas [...]s in libro de Heresibus in h [...]resi Is [...]aelitarum sive Aga [...]n [...]um. P. [...]86. And for [...]his Paradise, it is nothing but a luxurious Banquet, in a brutish Baudi-house. It's he that reigns in the Seven-hilled City of Constantinople, and sits in the very Temple of God, for Jerusalem is his, [...]h name Mahumetis, (as M [...]ntagu [...] manifests) makes up the number of the Beast, as also a great part of the World runs after him, ecce homo, this is he; And would to God, the Cryes and Complaints, the Chains, and Bonds, the Bo [...]s and Shakies, and merciless Torments of [...] Chris [...] [Page] Brethren, the savage and inhumane effusion of their Blood, that was sanctified with Baptis [...]s, the Robbing, and d [...]m [...]b [...] Poysoning of the Souls of their Children, might in this [...]ing, and I hope, mature opportunity, kindle in all Christian Hearts, the holy fire of Compassion towards the one, and fervant zeal for God, and our Religion towards the other, that we may all with one consent, avenge the Blood of his Martyred Servants, that have this long time under the Altar, Revel. 6. v. 9.10 Cryed for vengeance. That so we may set bounds to the insolent and insulting Pride of that hideous Monster, and may propagate the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
There is only our thing that I am to acquaint the Reader with, that I hope it will little offend any Learned or Judicious, that I term this Gentlemans Death a Martyrdom, it must be remembred, it's in a Poem to which every man affords some grain of allowance, or at least discretion will allow him so to do, especially in the expression, much more, when it is considered, that the Word Martyr is primarly, and Originaly Greek, and signifies no more but a Witness; hence was that ordinary asseveration amongst the Grecians, [...]. I make the Gods my Witness, yet in almost all other Tongues, the same word being kept: It's applyed more largely to any that has suffered Death for the love and honour of God. So Apel, Genesis 4th and 5. And Zacharias 2d. Chr. 24.21. Matthew 2 [...].35. Luke 11.51. And the Prophets that were slain by Jezebel, are by some Fathers called Martyrs; when I say, almost all other Tongues, I except only the Mother Hebrew, and her Daughters the Siriack and Arabick, but in other Inferior Tongues, it is peculiarly kept, and appropriated to one that loseth his Life for a Testimony of the Truth of the Gospel of Christ. As it is particularly applyed to Antipas, Revel. 2.13. Who is supposed by Barronius, and Pererius (who take the History from Aretas) to have been the Bishop of Pergamus: And is said to have been tortured to death in a red hote Brazen Bull, (the invention of the Tyrant Phaleris) about that same time, that John was cast into the Caldron full of seething Oyl. Some make the distinction, that all Martyrs must be Confessors, but all Confessors are not Martyrs. And so the young Children whom Herod slew in Bethlehem, must not have the Honour of that glorious Title: Yet Barleus cal [...]s that infenticidium martyrij gloria prima, where he elegantly brings in the Mothers lamenting, and calling to the Tyrant
And generally they are called St. Innocents and Martyrs, and a day in the Callander appointed for them. But it is concluded both by St. Cyprian, and St. Augustin, It's the Cause, not the Suffering makes them Martyrs. Both the Donatists, and Circumcellions would have all voluntary Deaths to be Martyrdom. And Pelibianus taught, that all who slew themselves for their Sins were Martyrs, in which case, Judas might have had a principal rubrick in his Callender. But in a word, it's concluded by all Orthodox Divines, that he properly is a Martyr, that suffers Death for the Word of God, and Testimony of Jesus our Saviour; Which honour whosoever dar deny to the Magnanimous M [...]ri [...]ou [...], must be confessed by all honest Men, deeply guilty of presumptuous folly; stupid Ignorance Injurious Detraction, and pernicious and disdainful envy, from which Good Lord deliver every Christian. AMEN.