Part 2 (2/2)

There is such a Majesty in your Countenance, such Lenity in your Eyes, gravity in your speech, as that for your gracefull presence that may be truly affirm'd of you what was once appli'd to a great Prince resembling you, _Jam firmitas, Jam proceritas corporis, jam honor Capitis & dignitas oris, ad hoc aetatis indeflexa maturitas, nonne longe lateque principem ostentant?_ since even all these a.s.semble in your Majesties personage; Nor has fortune chang'd you after all your Travels and Adventures abroad; but brought you back to us not so much as tinged in the percolations through which you have been forc'd to run, like the Fountain _Arethusa_ through the River _Alpheus_ without commixture of their waters. None having more constantly retained his vertue then your Majesty, nor guarded it with more caution.

And now in all this height of glory, you receive all Men with so much humility, that the difference of your change seems to be only this; that you are now beloved of more, and love more, treating every man, as if every man were your proper care, and as becomes the Father of so great a Family; Sometimes you are pleased to lay more aside the beams of Majesty, that you may descend to do mutual offices of Friends.h.i.+p; as considering that these Virtues were not concredited to you by G.o.d, for your self only, but for others also: In short, you are so perfect a Prince, that those who come after you, will fear to be compared to you, _Experti quam sit onerosum succedere bono Principi_; since to possess your Virtues, they must support your sufferings; nor can every head know how to sustain the weight of such a Crown as yours, where the thornes have so long perplext the Lillies and the Roses of it.

I might here mention Your Heroic and masculine Spirit in dangers, and yet Your foresight of them; Your tenderness to compa.s.sionate, Your Constancie in suffering, Your Modestie in Prosperitie, Equalitie in Adversitie, and that sweetness of access which attracts both love and veneration from all that converse with You; but these have already adorn'd your Character by that excellent Hand who did lately describe it. [SN: _Col. Tuke._]

You are frequent at Councels, Patient in hearing, pertinent in answering, judicious in Determining, and so skilfull in the several Languages, that You many times transact by Your self, what others do by Interpreters; affecting rather expedition in Your affairs, then insignificant State, which these acquired parts of Your Majesties do yet augment so much the more.

You are curious of brave and Laudable things; You love s.h.i.+pping, Buildings, Gardens (having exceeded _Cyrus_ already in Your Plantations) Piscinas, Statues, Pictures, Intaglias, Music: You have already ama.s.s'd very many rare collections of all kinds, and there is nothing worthy and great which can escape Your research.

Nor must I here forget the honour You have done our _Society_ at _Greshham Colledge_ by Your curious enquiries about the _Load-Stone_, and other particulars which concern _Philosophy_; since it is not to be doubted but that{8} so Magnanimous a Prince, will still proceed to encourage that Ill.u.s.trious a.s.sembly; and which will celebrate and eternize Your memory to the future Ages, beyond Your Majesties Predecessors, and indeed all the Monarchs on the Earth, when for You is reserv'd the being Founder of some thing that may improve practical and Experimental knowledg, beyond all that has been hitherto attempted, for the Augmentation of Science, and universal good of Man-kind, and which alone will consummate Your Fame and render it immortal.

What shall I superadd to all these? That You rise early, that You are alwaies employ'd, that You love Hunting, Riding, swimming, manly Robust and Princely Exercises, not so much for delight, as health and relaxation.

_Et vitae pars nulla perit._

O best Idea of Princes, sit to me yet one moment, that I may add this last touch to Your fair Table; nor wonder that I should attempt so bold an enterprise; since he that would take the height of _Olympus_, must stand below in the plain: Subjects can best describe their Princes Virtues; Princes best know their Subjects, and therefore most fit to rule them. And long may You live to rule us great Sir. We wish that all you do, or may do, be propitious to you, to us, to the public; or in a word, to your _M_ajesty alone, in which both we and the public are mutually concern'd.

Time was (and too long alas it was!) that what was fortunate to the Tyrant, was unhappy to your Subjects: now they are common to both and reciprocal; nor can we more be happy without you, then you without us; and truly all Princes have known, that they are seldom beloved of G.o.d, who are hated of their People; nor can they be long secure. _Vox Populi, vox Dei est._ But you have seen the Effects of our Prayers against an Usurper; hear now, O Heaven our Vowes for a just Prince. Not for peace, not for Riches, not Honours, or new conquests do we supplicate; but for all these in one, The Safety of _CHARLES_. You alone s.n.a.t.c.h'd him out of those cruel hands, now preserve him from them: Render him fortunate to us, to our Children, succeeding Generations give him a late Successor, and when You do it, let it be such a one as himself.

Let your Majestie now proceed in his Triumph, and hear the Acclamations of his people; what can they more expresse who are ready to pave the very streets with their bodies, in testimonie of their zeal? behold all about You, the Gratulating old Fathers, the exulting Youths, the glad mothers; And why should it not be so? Here's no goods publicated, none restrain'd or mulcted of their Libertie, none diminish'd of dignitie, none molested, or exil'd; all are again return'd into{9} their houses, Relations and Properties, and which is yet more then all, to their antient innocencie{10} and mutual charitie.

If the _Philosopher_ in the _Ethicks_ enquiring whether the felicity of the sun, do any whit concern the happinesse of the defunct progenitor, after much reasoning have determin'd that the honour only which his son acquires by worthie and great actions, does certainly refresh his Ghost: What a day of Jubilee, is this then to Your blessed Father! Not the odor of those flowers did so recreate the dead _Archemorus_ which the _Nymphs_ were yearly wont to strow upon his watry Sepulcher, as this daies Inauguration of Yours, does even seem to revive the Ashes of that sacred _Martyr_.

Should some one from the clouds that had looked down on the sad face of things, when our Temples lay in dust, our Palaces in desolation, and the Altars demolished; when these Citie Gates were dashed to pieces, Gibbets and Executions erected in every Street, and all things turned into universal silence and solitude, behold now the change of this daies glorious scean; that we see the Churches in repair, the sacred a.s.semblies open'd, our Cities re-edified, the Markets full of People, our Palaces richly furnished, and the Streets proud with the burden of their Triumphal Arches, and the shouts of a rejoycing mult.i.tude: How would he wonder and stand amaz'd, at the Prodigie, and leap down from his lofty station, though already so near to heaven, to joyne with us in earth, partic.i.p.ate of our felicitie, and ravish'd with the Ecstasie, cry out aloud now with Us.

Set open the Temple-Gates, let the Prisoners go free, the Altars smoak perfumes, bring forth the Pretious things, strow the Waies with Flowers, let the Fountains run Wine, Crown the Gobblets, bring Chapplets of Palmes and Lawrells, the Bells ring, the Trumpets sound, the Cannon roar, O happy Descent, and strange Reverse! I have seen{11} E_nglands_ Restorer, Great _CHARLES the II._ RETURN'D, REVENG'D, BELOV'D, CROWN'D, RE-ESTABLISH'D.

_Terrasque Astraea Revisit._

And O that it were now in my power to speak some great thing, worthy this great day; I should put all the flowers of _Orators_ and Raptures of _Poets_ into one lofty & high Expression, and yet not Reach what I would say to Your Majestie: For never since there was a Citie, or Kingdom, did a Day appear more glorious to _England_, never since it was a Nation, and in which there either was, or ought to be so universal a Jubilation: Not that Your Triumphal Charriots do drag the miserable Captives, but are accompanied by freed Citizens; perfidie is now vanquished, popular fury chayn'd, crueltie tam'd, luxury restrained, these lie under the spondells of Your Wheeles, where Empire, Faith, Love, and Justice Ride Triumphant, and nothing can be added to Your _M_a_j_esties glory but its perpetuitie.

But whence, alas! should I have this confidence, after so many _Elogies_ and _Panegyricks_ of great and Eloquent men, who consecrate the memorie of this daies happinesse; and (were the subject, like that of all other things) would have left me nothing more to add, unless he who was sometimes wont to employ his pen for Your _M_ajestie being absent, should now be silent that you are present, and inflame me with a kind of new Enthusiasme: I find myself then compell'd out of a grateful sense of my dutie for the publick benefit, and if your _M_ajestie forbid not, or withdraw your influence, who shall hinder, that even my slender voice should not strive to be heard, in such an universall{12} consort, wherein everybody has a part, every one a share?

Permit me therefore (O best of Kings) to present, and lay these my vowes at your sacred feet, to exsult, and to Rejoyce with the Rest of your Loyal Subjects; not as I desire, but as I am able, and as I would do it to G.o.d, and as he best loves it,

_Sentiendo copiosius, quam loquendo._

_DIXI._

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library: University of California

THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY

_General Editors_

H. RICHARD ARCHER William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

R. C. BOYS University of Michigan

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