XXXVI.

No civil broils have fince his death arofe,

But faction now by habit does obey;
And wars have that refpect for his repofe,
As winds for halcyons, when they breed at sea,
XXXVII.

His ashes in a peaceful urn fhall rest,

His name a great example ftands, to show How ftrangely high endeavours may be bleft, Where piety and valour jointly go.

ASTRE A REDU X.

A Poem on the happy Reftoration and Return of his facred Majefty CHARLES II, 1660.

"Jam redit & virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna," VIRG,
The laft great age foretold by facred rhimes
Renews it's finish'd course: Saturnian times
Roll round again.

NOW with a general peace the world was bleft,

While our's, a world divided from the reft,

A dreadful quiet felt, and worfer far

Than arms, a fullen interval of war:

Thus when black clouds draw down the labouring skies,
Ere yet abroad the winged thunder flies,
An horrid ftillness firft invades the ear,
And in that filence we the tempest fear.
Th' ambitious Swede, like reftlefs billows toft,
On this hand gaining what on that he lost,

Though in his life he blood and ruin breath'd,
To his now guidelefs kingdom peace bequeath'd.
And heaven, that seem'd regardless of our fate,
For France and Spain did miracles create ;
Such mortal quarrels to compose in peace
As nature bred, and interest did increase.
We figh'd to hear the fair Iberian bride
Muft grow a lily to the lily's fide,

While our cross ftars deny'd us Charles's bed,
Whom our first flames and virgin love did wed.
For his long abfence church and state did groan;
Madness the pulpit, faction feiz'd the throne:
Experienc'd age in deep despair was loft,

To fee the rebel thrive, the loyal croft:
Youth that with joys had unacquainted been,
Envy'd grey
hairs that once good days had feen :
We thought our fires, not with their own content,
Had ere we came to age our portion spent.
Nor could our nobles hope their bold attempt
Who ruin'd crowns would coronets exempt:
For when by their defigning leaders taught
To strike at power which for themselves they fought,
The vulgar, gull'd into rebellion, arm'd;
Their blood to action by the prize was warm'd.

The facred purple then and scarlet gown,

Like fanguine dye, to elephants was fhewn.

Thus when the bold Typhoeus fcal'd the sky,

And forc'd great Jove from his own heaven to fly, (What king, what crown, from treason's reach is free, If Jove and heaven can violated be?)

The

The leffer gods, that shar'd his profperous ftate,
All fuffer'd in the exil'd Thunderer's fate.
The rabble now fuch freedom did enjoy,
As winds at fea, that use it to destroy:
Blind as the Cyclop, and as wild as he,
They own'd a lawless favage liberty,
Like that our painted ancestors fo priz'd,
Ere empire's arts their breafts had civiliz'd.
How great were then our Charles's woes, who thus
Was forc'd to fuffer for himself and us!

He, tofs'd by fate, and hurry'd up and down,
Heir to his father's forrows, with his crown,
Could tafte no fweets of youth's defir'd age;
But found his life too true a pilgrimage.
Unconquer'd yet in that forlorn estate,
His manly courage overcame his fate.

His wounds he took, like Romans, on his breast,
Which by his virtue were with laurels drest.
As fouls reach heaven while yet in bodies pent,
So did he live above his banishment.

That fun, which we beheld with cozen'd eyes
Within the water, mov'd along the skies.
How eafy 'tis, when destiny proves kind,
With full-spread fails to run before the wind!
But thofe that 'gainst stiff gales laveering go,
Must be at once refolv'd and skilful too.
He would not, like foft Otho, hope prevent,
But ftay'd and fuffer'd fortune to repent.
Thefe virtues Galba in a stranger fought,
And Pifo to adopted empire brought.

How fhall I then my doubtful thoughts exprefs,
That muft his fufferings both regret and blefs?
For when his early valour Heaven had croft;
And all at Worc'fter but the honour loft;
Forc'd into exile from his rightful throne,
He made all countries where he came his own;
And, viewing monarchs' fecret arts of sway,
A royal factor for his kingdoms lay,

Thus banish'd David fpent abroad his time,
When to be God's anointed was his crime;
And when reftor'd, made his proud neighbours rue
Thofe choice remarks he from his travels drew.
Nor is he only by afflictions fhown

To conquer other realms, but rule his own:
Recovering hardly what he lost before,

His right endears it much; his purchase more.
Inur'd to fuffer ere he came to reign,
No rafh procedure will his actions stain :
To business ripen'd by digeftive thought,
His future rule is into method brought :
As they, who firft proportion underftand,
With eafy practice reach a master's hand.
Well might the ancient poets then confer
On night the honour'd name of Counfeller,
Since, ftruck with rays of profperous fortune blind,
We light alone in dark afflictions find.
In fuch adverfities to feepters train'd,

The name of Great his famous grandfire gain'd :
Who yet a king alone in name and right,
With hunger, cold, and angry Jove did fight;

Shock'd

Shock'd by a covenanting league's vast powers,
As holy and as catholic as our's:

'Till fortune's fruitless spite had made it known,
Her blows not fhook but riveted his throne.
Some lazy ages, lost in sleep and ease,
No action leave to bufy chronicles :
Such, whose supine felicity but makes
In story chasms, in epocha mistakes;
O'er whom Time gently shakes his wings of down,
'Till with his filent fickle they are mown.
Such is not Charles's too too active age,
Which, govern'd by the wild diftemper'd rage
Of some black star infecting all the skies,
Made him at his own cost like Adam wife.
Tremble ye nations, which fecure before,

Laugh'd at those arms that 'gainst ourselves we bore ;
Rouz'd by the lash of his own stubborn tail,

Our lion now will foreign foes affail.

With alga who the facred altar ftrews?
To all the fea gods Charles an offering owes :
A bull to thee, Portunus, shall be slain,
A lamb to you, ye tempefts of the main :
For those loud ftorms that did against him roar,
Have caft his fhipwreck'd vessel on the shore.
Yet as wife artists mix their colours fo,
That by degrees they from each other go ;
Black steals unheeded from the neighbouring white,
Without offending the well-cozen'd fight :

So on us ftole our bleffed change; while we
Th' effect did feel, but fcarce the manner fee.

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Frofts