The Quakers elegy on the death of Charles late King of England written by W.P., a sincere lover of Charles and James.
Penn, William, 1644-1718.
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THE QUAKERS ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF CHARLES LATE King of England.
WHat wondrous Change in Waking do I find!
For a strange Something do's my Sense unbind;
Truth has possest my Darken'd Soul all o're
With an unusual Light not known before,
And doth inform me, that some Star is gone
From whose kind influence we had Life alone;
No sooner has this Stranger seiz'd my Soul,
But Rachel knockt, to raise me from my Bed,
And with a Voice of Sorrow did condole
The loss of CHARLES, whom she declar'd was Dead.
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That Liv'd within the Mansion nam'd White-hall?
Yea—'Tis too true—confusion's in the street,
Distraction in the face of all we meet;
As if the Chain of Causes now did break,
And we all saw the Dreadfull Day of Doom;
No Tongue, but Faces, Eyes, and Actions speak;
They walk like Men just risen from a Tomb.
With that my Garments I in haste put on,
And in the Spirit utter'd many a Groan.
Whilst I in this disorder'd Gesture move,
Some Friends of mine, that CHARLES did always Love,
With Zealous hast Approacht me, full of Tears,
Vnmanly Actions caus'd from jealous Fears.
The City-Wives the Book of Martyrs Read,
And with those Thoughts their Easie Husbands Lead;
They talk of Christians Spitchcockt, Roasted, Broil'd,
Of Martyr'd Consciences in Smithfield Fire,
With newfound Deaths their Thoughts are Toyl'd,
Their's nought but Treason do's their Hearts Inspire.
But we do that opinion Disallow,
And for the future will to CAESAR bow.
Entering dispute, precisely we run o're
The Signal Graces He to us had shown,
(For we Dissented on a Different Score,
Though we withdrew, we ne're oppos'd the Crown)
By oft forgiving, Woing us to be,
By His Example, joyn'd in Harmony
With Englands Church, and Truths Integrity:
Though finding us a stiff, Misguided Crew,
Yet daily still His Love he did renew,
And moderates the Rigour of the Law,
Which our selfwill doth hourly on us Draw;
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And doth consent the Pensylvanian Shore
We may possess, and tempt his Laws no more.
As Saul among the Prophets, here CHARLES stood,
But greater far, being exquisitly Good:
Anointed both, yet CHARLES the Lawrel got,
He Moses's Meekness had, Saul had it not:
Saul as a scourge was to his people giv'n,
CHARLES as a Guardian Angel sent from Heav'n.
For us to speak thy Praise, or shew thy worth,
Which is above the reach of Flattery,
Is much too hard for a weak Holderforth:
None but thy Brother e're could equal thee.
We never knew, Whilst we the Wealth Injoy'd,
The Value of our all-forgiving Prince,
Untill the Tyrant Death our hopes Destroy'd,
To place him on a Throne, far, far, from hence,
In the Immortal Mansion of the Sun,
Where he receives a never-fading Crown;
And left his Earthly to a Prince, whose Fame
The World shall fear, and tremble at his Name;
The Second JAMES his Brother, and his Friend;
Though Factious Crouds did for his Right contend
To hang it o're a Disobedient Head,
Whom with a Crown these Tantalize a while,
As Richard they, when Oliver was Dead,
Proclaim the Man, but at the Bubble smile.
We take not Absalom's, but David's part;
Nor no Achitophell, with his false Art,
Nay, joyn'd with Zimries Poyson, ever shall
Like the Disloyal Corah make us fall.
Had we but Lordships in a fertile Plain,
To inable us in Parliament to set,
Our Native true Obedience we'd regain,
By Loyal Votes that want Example yet.
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In Wisdom, Valour, Conduct, High Renown,
Thou all thy Ancestors that wore this Crown,
Exceed'st, in ev'ry Excellence as far
As Mid-day Sun out-shines a Mid-night Star;
To those we no Addition e're cou'd give,
But we such heaps of Treasure would bestow,
That Thou to so much Splendour should'st arrive,
As Times Record, to Mortals cannot show.
Accept, O Mighty JAMES, our Pray'rs the while;
May Years of Peace and Plenty on Thee smile;
May Fortune always wait Thee with Success,
And Loyal Subjects numberless increase;
May many Sons Thy Royal CONSORT bear,
Endow'd with Both Your Princely Virtues here,
And Heirs to Glory when You change Your Sphere;
And may this Crown still flourish in Thy Name,
Till Time shall cease, and all the World expire,
May all Thy Foes become ignobly tame.
But may'st Thou always have thy Princely hearts desire.
Pardon us JAMES, who must to Thee declare,
Twas Loyal Zeal made us presume thus far,
We ne're were Poets upon Oliver.
FINIS.
