Though in his life he blood and ruin breath'd,
To his now guidelefs kingdom peace bequeath'd.
And heaven, that feem'd regardless of our fate,
For France and Spain did miracles create;
Such mortal quarrels to compofe 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 stars 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 seiz’d the throne:
Experienc'd age in deep despair was lost,
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 ftrike 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 fcarlet 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 state,
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 so 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 eftate,
His manly courage overcame his fate.

His wounds he took, like Romans, on his breast,
Which by his virtue were with laurels dreft.
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-fpread fails to run before the wind!
But thofe that 'gainft ftiff gales laveering go,
Must be at once refolv'd and fkilful too.
He would not, like foft Otho, hope prevent,
But ftay'd and fuffer'd fortune to repent.
These virtues Galba in a stranger fought,
And Pifo to adopted empire brought.

How shall I then my doubtful thoughts exprefs,
That inuft his fufferings both regret and bless?
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 banifh'd David fpent abroad his time,
When to be God's anointed was his crime;
And when restor'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 loft before,

His right endears it much; his purchafe more.
Inur'd to fuffer ere he came to reign,
No rafh procedure will his actions ftain:
To bufinefs ripen'd by digeftive thought,
His future rule is into method brought :
As they, who first proportion understand,
With eafy practice reach a mafter's hand.
Well might the ancient poets then confer
On night the honour'd name of Counseller,
Since, ftruck with rays of profperous fortune blind,
We light alone in dark afflictions find.
In fuch adverfities to scepters 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 vaft 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, loft in fleep and ease,
No action leave to bufy chronicles :
Such, whofe fupine felicity but makes
In ftory chafms, 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 fome black ftar infecting all the skies,
Made him at his own coft 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 ftubborn 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, fhall be flain,
A lamb to you, ye tempefts of the main :
For those loud storms that did against him roar,
Have caft his shipwreck'd veffel on the fhore.
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.

Frofts that constrain the ground, and birth deny
To flowers that in its womb expecting lie,
Do feldom their ufurping power withdraw,
But raging floods pursue their hafty thaw.
Our thaw was mild, the cold not chas'd away,
But loft in kindly heat of lengthen'd day.
Heaven would no bargain for its bleffings drive,
But what we could not pay, for, freely give.
The Prince of peace would like himself confer
A gift unhop'd, without the price of war:
Yet, as he knew his bleffing's worth, took care,
That we should know it by repeated prayer;

Which ftorm'd the skies, and ravish'd Charles from thence,
As heaven itself is took by violence.

Booth's forward valour only ferv'd to show,

He durft that duty pay we all did owe :

Th' attempt was fair; but heaven's prefixed hour
Not come fo, like the watchful traveller
That by the moon's mistaken light did rife,
Lay down again, and clos'd his weary eyes.
'Twas Monk, whom Providence defign'd to loose
Thofe real bonds falfe freedom did impose.
The bleffed faints, that watch'd this turning fcene,
Did from their stars with joyful wonder lean,
To fee fmall clues draw vafteft weights along,
Not in their bulk but in their order ftrong.
Thus pencils can by one flight touch restore
Smiles to that changed face that wept before,
With eafe fuch fond chimaeras we pursue:
As fancy frames for fancy to fubdue :