Upon the Death of the truly Valiant and Magnanimous S R CHRISTOPH: MINNS WOUNDED AT SEA.
TIME break thy Glass! Why should we longer stay!
Beat a Dead March, our Captain leads the Way.
He who so oft from the
Batavian Brow
Had snatch'd the conquer'd Palm away, see how
He layes, — a piece of Earth; unfit to weild
The Warlike Weapon or to hug the Shield!
No sooner had the black-mouth'd Ord'nance
With Hell-bred Flames, and big with
Flemmish (hot shot)
Spit forth its Venim'd blasts, enough to make
The well compacted Universe to shake,
But straight the Waves (supposing thou wert dead)
Leapt up to catch the
Airie Substance fled;
Th' expecting
Ocean, waits to have thy Tomb
An Everlasting Trophie, in her Womb;
That Jewels might invest thee, and thy
Bones
Be Metamorphiz'd into precious Stones;
Each drop of
Blood should into Rubies turn,
And serve to deck thy well enamel'd Urn.
Whilst that the Sympathizing
Dolphins stay
Longing to bear their welcom'd
Guest away.
But least that
Corps that did so
Bravely Die.
Should underneath the Waves forgotten lie,
And find no other Funerals, no Grave
But what was then bestow'd on every Slave,
In pitty Gentler Fate to us has given
Thy
Body, and return'd thy
Soul to Heaven.
If there be any place above the rest
Thy brave
Herocik Soul shall be possest
O
[...] its Immortal Glories, and thy
Name
Still warbled forth by never dying Fame:
There Warriers Garlands shall thy
Temples Crown
Free from the blasts of Fate, or Envies Frown;
Instead of Bloudy
Scarrs thy
batterd Face.
Shall be inviron'd with a Nobler Grace.
Nor canst thou Die, but art Transcendent grown
And challengest the World as if thine own;
Who hast (to do thy
Native Country Good)
Been Prodigal of
Fortune, Life and
Blood.
Methinks I see another
Star appear
Brighter then
Mars and in a Nobler Sphear,
Whose Warlike Influence shall make the Fire
Of the undaunted
Brittans mount up higher
In future Ages, and the World shall know
Starrs act upon the
Bodies here below.
OXFORD, Printed for Joseph Godwin. 1666.