Love's triumph, or, The royal union a tragedy / written by Edward Cooke, Esq., and dedicated to Her Highness the Princess of Orange.

TO HER HIGHNESS The Most Illustrious MARY, Princess of Orange, &c.

May it please Your Highness,

THe knowledge I have of my own weak∣ness in things of this nature, together with that awful Respect which ought to be had in all such neer approaches to Sacred Majesty, might very reaso∣nably have dash'd in me the first thoughts of this extream presumption of lifting up my eyes to Your Highness; and so in truth those considerations had: but that I was reliev'd by the power of that excessive Clemency, which has ever appear'd most Familiar in You, and which in∣deed seems to be Natural and Hereditary to all of the Royal Circle.

'Tis from that, Madam, I hope to obtain of Your Highness my Pardon, for [otherwise] so inexcusable an Arrogance; since it was Your infinite Goodness that gave me leave in this mean trifle to pay You the Religion of my Zeal.

Be pleas'd then to receive this Poem (an absolute stranger to the World, being never yet seen upon the publick Theatre.) with tha•• Generosity and Grace You are always ready to be∣stow upon the Ʋfortunate and Fair: and such Your Highness knows were Oroondates and Statira, who now being forc'd a∣gain from the peaceful Shades of their happy Retirement, do throw themselves at Your Princely Feet, with the Reverence and Humility of Idolaters, devoutly begging their Protection might be in Your Highness's Ʋmbrage, as in the only place where they can best be secur'd from the envy, if I may not ven∣ture to say, malice of persecuting Censors: being sure that no outrages dare then be committed upon them by any of the most malignant, when once Your Highness shall please to take upon You the interest of their preservation.

For so Illustrious; Madam, and highly eminent is Your Birth (being derived from the first Prince of the Royal Blood, and from the only Brother to the best and greatest Monarch in the World) that You naturally inspire into all people the ex∣tremity of an universal Submission and Respect: that Venera∣tion which they with constraint do yield to others, they, out of an impatient eagerness to acquit themselves of their duty, do voluntarily pay to Your Highness, and with an Ambition com∣mensurate to nothing upon Earth, except it be Your Supreme Quality, they are daily striving to sacrifize their Hearts and utmost Faculties upon that Altar.

But, Madam, besides the great advantage of Your Royal Birth, Your Highness is indowed with so vast a number of excelling Charms, as that they cannot be lookt upon without dazle-ing and adoration, even by those who are themselves most Adorable: There is in Your Highness's Looks, such a Shine and Lustre of Beauty, as is not to be resembled by any thing below a Divinity; and as the brightness and glory of it, like

the Sun, delights and refreshes the eyes of all Mankind; so al∣so You have mixt with it such a Fierceness and grand Air of Majesty, that, like a Divinity too, you cannot be beheld with∣out fear and trembling. This, Madam, is the Ʋnanimous Suffrage of all the Happy world that have yet been blest with a Sight of Your Incomparable Perfections. Every way your Beauty is triumphant; there is such a sweet composuy of great∣ness and delicacy in your eyes, that You equally make all hearts to lauguish and consame in their devotion to You.

But Your Highness hath not only the attractions of Birth and Beauty to support Your Empire (though where e're those Beams are scattered, they injoyn Obedience) but you have also the extreamest Vertue to continue its duration; that Vertue, Madam, of pure and unspotted Innocence, Honour, and Good∣ness, which (joyn'd to the happiness of Your Hourishing Youth) brings You as near to the Resemblance of Heaven, as it is possible for any thing of humanity ever to think to attain.

And yet, Madam, these are not all the Blessings for which you ought to be rever'd: Such Birth, Beauty, and Vertue were never intended only for a private enjoyment: therefore the most infinite Wise and Indulgent Heaven, has been pleas'd to make on purpose a Person of peculiar Charms to be fitting for You; and for the last completion of happiness, saw nothing more wor∣thy than to contract the greatest Ʋnion that ever was, between the two most Illustrious Houses of York and Nassau, in the Per∣sons of your Highness, and the Great Prince of Orange; two such Glorious Characters, as that the largest Account of Ro∣mantick Story has never yet presum'd to say, were match'd to∣gether.

Both your Divine and Goodly Qualities are so numerous, and yet united, that, like a Deity, you can never be ador'd but in all your Altributes: And, Madam, both of you must continu∣ally expect to receive the Prayers and Wishes of all Mankind, for the renew'd Accessions of your, if possible, more flourishing Felicities.

But, Madam, Heaven has not only been consulting to make You, and your Prince happy; it has likewise been considering the happiness of the whole Kingdom of ENGLAND, as also that of all the High and Mighty Neighbour-States in this Af∣fair: We are in some measure sharers of your Glory; and (if your Highness will bear with me in the Expression on the general be∣half) will not give you the whole Monopoly of it; no, our Hearts must have the priviledge of rejoycing too; for the light∣ing of this Nuptial Torch is such a Blessing bestow'd upon us all, as is incapable of Addition: and nothing in the World can dare to pretend to any equality with it, unless it be the great∣ness of that Joy, which every moment grows new, and increa∣ses more upon us.

For Your Highness is joyned to a Prince, that seems, as it were, to be divested of his Humanity; he is so God-like in his Vertues, and all his Actions; a Prince of such dazeling Bright∣ness in his Glory and Renown, as is impossible to be exprest, ex∣cept we set down what ever is accounted excellent, and that He is. A Prince that knew how to Conquer, before the World conld reasonably imagine he was capable of weilding His Sword. His Countenance is so Martial, that it plainly expresses the great Courage he hath, not to know what Fear is in himself; and yet can strike a General Dread and Consternation in others; so that he needs not be obliged to the use of Arms to Conquer his Ene∣mies, for he can easily gain the Victory over them when ere he pleases but to imploy the Terror of his Looks. But yet withal, He has such Grace-full and Winning Charms, as none is able to behold him without Admiration. Such Justness and Regularity, is in his Shape and Meen, such Sweetness in his Motions, and such a Generous Condescention in all His ways; that he does not so much make to himself Slaves by the Force of His Valour, as he does cause all Hearts to become Tributary to him by His Obliging and Familiar Address.

But, Madam, I find how insufficient I am to speak of either of your Princely Vertues as I ought, and therefore fear I have already too much offended your Highness in what I have said of them; being so vastly inferiour to their particular Merit, that, methinks, this small Attempt has made me guilty of a very high profanation. The Honour of so extraordinary an Em∣ployment ought to be reserved for some more happy Genius, that can ascend to your Excellencies, and my temerity would not be excusable, if I did not bound it with my earnest Prayers for both your present and eternal Felicities; being

Of Your HIGHNESS, The most Humble, and most Obedient Servant, EDWARD COOKE.