Ode, upon the blessed restoration and returne of His Sacred Majestie, Charls the Second. By A. Cowley. Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A80716 of text R202041 in the English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E1025_18). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 29 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 11 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A80716 Wing C6677 Thomason E1025_18 ESTC R202041 99862465 99862465 114624 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A80716) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 114624) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 152:E1025[18]) Ode, upon the blessed restoration and returne of His Sacred Majestie, Charls the Second. By A. Cowley. Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667. [2], 19, [3] p. printed for Henry Herringman, and are to be sold at his shop on the Lower VValk in the New Exchange, London : Anno Dom. 1660. The last leaf is blank. In verse. Annotation on Thomason copy: "May 31". Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Charles -- II, -- King of England, 1630-1685 -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800. A80716 R202041 (Thomason E1025_18). civilwar no Ode, upon the blessed restoration and returne of His Sacred Majestie, Charls the Second.: By A. Cowley. Cowley, Abraham 1660 3844 4 0 0 0 0 0 10 C The rate of 10 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-02 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-03 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2007-03 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion ODE , UPON The Blessed Restoration and Returne OF HIS SACRED MAJESTIE , Charls the Second . By A. COWLEY . Virgil . — Quod optanti Divúm promittere nemo Auderet , volvenda dies , en , attulit vltro . LONDON , Printed for Henry Herringman , and are to be sold at his Shop on the Lower VValk in the New Exchange . Anno Dom. 1660. ODE 1. NOw Blessings on you all , ye peacefull Starrs , Which meet at last so kindly , and dispence Your universall gentle Influence , To calm the stormy World , and still the rage of Warrs ▪ Nor whilst around the Continent , Plenipotentiary Beams ye sent , Did your Pacifick Lights disdain , In their large Treaty , to contain The World apart , o're which do reign Your seven fair Brethren of great Charls his Wane ; No Star amongst ye all did , I believe , Such vigorous assistance give , As that which thirty years ago , At * Charls his Birth , did , in despight Of the proud Sun's Meridian Light , His future Glories , and this Year foreshow , No lesse effects then these we may Be assur'd of from that powerfull Ray , Which could out-face the Sun , and overcome the Day . 2 Auspicious Star again arise , And take thy Noon-tide station in the skies . Again all Heaven prodigiously adorn ; For loe ! thy Charls again is Born . He then was born with , and to Pain ; With , and to Joy he 's born again . And wisely for this second Birth , By which thou certain wert to bless The Land with full and flourishing Happinesse Thou mad'st of that fair Month thy choice , In which Heaven , Aire , and Sea , and Earth , And all that 's in them all does smile , and does rejoyce . 'T was a right Season , and the very Ground Ought with a face of Paradice to be found , Than when we were to entertain Felicity and Innocence again . 3 Shall we again ( good Heaven ! ) that blessed Pair behold , Which the abused People fondly sold For the bright Fruit of the Forbidden Tree , By seeking all like gods to be ? Will Peace her Halcyon Nest venture to build Upon a Shore with Shipwracks fill'd ? And trust that Sea , where she can hardly say , Sh'has known these twenty years one calmy day ? Ah! mild and gaullesse Dove , Which dost the pure and candid Dwellings love : Canst thou in Albion still delight ? Still canst thou th●nk it White ? Will ever fair Religion appear In these deformed Ruines ? will she clear Th' Augaean Stables of her Churches here ? Will Justice hazard to be seen VVhere a High Court of Justice e're has been ? VVill not the Tragique Scene , And Bradshaw's bloody Ghost affright her there , Her who should never fear ? Then may White-hall for Charls his Seat be fit If Justice shall endure at Westminster to sit . 4. Of all , me thinks , we least should see The chearfull looks again of Liberty . That Name of Cromwell , which does freshly still The Curses of so many sufferers fill , Is still enough to make her stay , And jealous for a while remain , Lest as a Tempest carried him away , Some Hurican should bring him back again . Or she might justlier be afraid Lest that great Serpent , which was all a Tayl , ( And in his poys ' nous folds whole Nations prisoners made ) Should a third time perhaps prevail To joyn again , and with worse sting arise , As it had done , when cut in pieecs twice . Return , return , ye Sacred Fower , And dread your perisht Enemies no more , Your fears are causelesse all , and vain VVhilst you return in Charls his Train , For God does Him , that He might You restore , Nor shall the world him onely call , Defender of the Faith , but of ye All . 5. Along with you Plenty and Riches go , With a full Tide to every Port they flow , With a warm fruitfull wind o're all the Country blow ▪ Honour does as ye march her Trumpet sound The Arts encompasse you around , And against all Alarms of Fear , Safety it self brings up the Rear . And in the head of this Angelique band , Lo , how the Goodly Prince at last does stand ( O righteous God! ) on his own happy Land . 'T is Happy now , which could , with so much ease Recover from so desperate a Disease , A various complicated Ill , Whose every Symptome was enough to kill , In which one part of Three Phrenzey possest , And Lethargy the rest . 'T is Happy , which no Bleeding does endure A Surfet of such Blood to cure . 'T is Happy , which beholds the Flame In which by hostile hands it ought , to burn , Or that which if from Heaven it came It did but well deserve , all into Bonfire turn . 6. We fear'd ( and almost toucht the black degree Of instant Expectation ) That the three dreadfull Angels we Of Famine , Sword , and Plague should here establisht see , ( God's great Triumvirate of Desolation ) To scourge and to destroy the sinfull Nation . Justly might Heav'n Protectors such as those , And such Committees for their Safety ' impose , Upon a Land which scarcely Better Chose . VVe fear'd that the Fanatique War VVhich men against God's Houses did declare , VVould from th' Almighty Enemy bring down A sure destruction on our Own , VVe read th' instructive Histories which tell Of all those endlesse mischiefs that befell , The Sacred Town which God had lov'd so well , After that fatall Curse had once bin said , His Blood be upon ours , and on our Chilarens head . VVe knew , though there a greater Blood was spilt , 'T was scarcely done with greater Guilt . VVe know those miseries did befall VVhilst they rebel'd against that Prince whom all The rest of Mankind did the Love , and Joy , of Mankind call . 7. Already was the shaken Nation Into a wild and deform'd Chaos brought . And it was hasting on ( we thought ) Even to the last of Ills , Annihilation . VVhen in the midst of this confused Night , Loe , the blest Spirit mov'd , and there was Light . For in the glorious Generall's previous Ray , VVe saw a new created Day . VVe by it saw , though yet in Mists it shone , The beauteous Work of Order moving on , Ere the Great Light , our Sun , his Beams did show , Our Sun it self appears but now , Where are the men who bragg'd that God did blesse , And with the marks of good successe Signe his allowance of their wickednesse ? Vain men ! who thought the Divine Power to find In the fierce Thunder and the violent Wind : God came not till the storm was past , In the still voice of Peace he came at last . The cruell businesse of Destruction , May by the Claws of the great Fiend be done . Here , here we see th' Almighty's hand indeed , Both by the Beauty of the Work , wee se et , and by the Speed . 8. He who had seen the noble British Heir , Even in that ill disadvantageous Light , VVith which misfortunes strive t' abuse our sight ; He who had seen him in his Clowd so bright : He who had seen the double Pair Of Brothers heavenly good , and Sisters heavenly fair , Might have perceiv'd ( me-thinks ) with ease , ( But wicked men see onely what they please ) That God had no intent t' extinguish quite The pious King 's eclipsed Right . He who had seen how by the power Divine All the young Branches of this Royall Line Did in their fire without consuming shine , How through a rough Red-sea they had been led , By Wonders guarded , and by Wonders fed . How many years of trouble and distresse They 'd wandred in their fatall Wilderness , And yet did never murmur or repine ; Might ( me-thinks ) plainly understand , That after all these conquer'd Tryalls past , Th' Almighty Mercy would at last Conduct them with a strong un-erring hand To their own Promis'd Land . For all the glories of the Earth Ought to be ' entail'd by right of Birth , And all Heaven's blessings to come down Upon his Race , to whom alone was given The double Royalty of Earth and Heaven , VVho crown'd the Kingly with the Martyr's Crown . 9 The Martyr's blood was said of old to be The seed from whence the Church did grow The Royall Blood which dying Charls did sow , Becomes no lesse the seed of Royaltie . 'T was in dishonour sown , VVe find it now in glory grown , The Grave could but the drosse of it devowr ; 'T was sown in weaknesse , and 't is rais'd in power . We now the Question well decided see , Which Eastern Wits did once contest At the Great Monarch's Feast , Of all on Earth what things the strongest be : And some for Women , some for Wine did plead ; That is , for Folly and for Rage , Two things which we have known indeed Strong in this latter Age . But as 't is prov'd by Heaven at length , The King and Truth have greatest strength , When they their sacred force unite , And twine into one Right , No frantick Common-wealths or Tyrannies , No Cheats , and Perjuries , and Lies , No Nets of human Policies . No stores of Arms or Gold ( though you could joyn Those of Peru to the great London Mine ) No Towns , no Fleets by Sea , or Troops by Land , No deeply entrencht Islands can withstand , Or any small resistance bring 〈…〉 and the unarmed King . 10. The foolish Lights which Travailers beguile , End the same night when they begin ; No Art so far can upon Nature win As e're to put out Stars , or long keep Meteors in . VVhere 's now that Ignis Fatuus , which erewhile Misled our wandring Isle ? VVhere 's the Impostor Cromwell gon ? VVhere 's now that Falling-star his Son ? VVhere 's the large Comet now whose rageing flame So fatall to our Monarchy became ? VVhich o're our heads in such proud horror stood , Insatiate with our Ruine and our blood ? The fiery Tayl did to vast length extend ; And twice for want of Fuel did expire , And twice renew'd the dismall Fire ; Though long the Tayl , we saw at last it's end . The flames of one triumphant day , VVhich like an Anti-Comet here Did fatally to that appear , For ever frighted it away ; Then did th'aloted howr of dawning Right First strike our ravisht sight , VVhich Malice or which Art no more could stay , Then Witches Charms can a retardment bring To the Resujcitation of the Day , Or Resurrection of the Spring . VVe welcome both , and with improv'd delight Blesse the preceding Winter and the Night . 11. Man ought his Future Happinesse to fear , If he be alwaies Happy here . He wants the Bleeding Mark of Grace , The Circumcision of the Chosen race . If no one part of him supplies The duty of a Sacrifice , He is ( we doubt ) reserv'd intire As a whole Victime for the Fire . Besides even in this World below , To those who never did Ill Fortune know , The good does naujeous or insipid grow . Consider man's whole Life , and you 'l confesse , The Sharp Ingredient of some bad successe Is that which gives the Tast to all his Happinesse . But the true Method of Felicitie , Is when the worst Of humane Life is plac'd the first , And when the Child's Correction proves to be The cause of perfecting the Man ; Let our weak Dayes lead up the Van , Let the brave Second and Triarian Band , Firm against all impression stand , The first we may defeated see ; The Virtue and the Force of these , are sure of Victorie . 12. Such are the years ( great Charls ) which now we see Begin their glorious March with Thee : Long may their March to Heaven , and still Triumphant be . Now thou art gotten once before , Ill Fortune never shall o're-take thee more . To see 't again , and pleasure in it find , Cast a disdainfull look behind , Things which offend , when present , and affright , In Memory , well painted , move delight . Enjoy then all thy ' afflictions now ; Thy Royall Father's came at last : Thy Martyrdom 's already past . And different Crowns to both ye owe . No Gold did e're the Kingly Temples bind , Than thine more try'd and more refin'd . As a choise Medall for Heaven's Treasury God did stamp first upon one side of Thee The Image of his suffering Humanity : On th'other side , turn'd now to sight , does shine The glorious Image of his Power Divine . 13. So when the wisest Poets seek In all their liveliest colours to set forth A Picture of Heroick worth , ( The Pious Trojan , or the Prudent Greek ) They chuse some comely Prince of heavenly Birth , ( No proud Gigantick son of Earth , Who strives t' usurp the god 's forbidden seat ) They feed him not with Nectar , and the Meat That cannot without Joy be eat . But in the cold of want , and storms of advers chance , They harden his young Virtue by degrees ; The beauteous Drop first into Ice does freez , And into solid Chrystall next advance . His murdered friends and kindred he does see , And from his flaming Country flee . Much is he tost at Sea , and much at Land , Does long the force of angry gods withstand . He does long troubles and long wars sustain , Ere he his fatall Birth-right gain . VVith no lesse time or labour can Destiny build up such a Man , VVho 's with sufficient virtue fill'd His ruin'd Country to rebuild . 14. Nor without cause are Arms from Heaven , To such a Hero by the Poets given . No human Metall is of force t' oppose So many and so violent blows . Such was the Helmet , Breast-plate , Shield , VVhich Charls in all Attaques did wield : And all the VVeapons Malice e're could try , Of all the severall makes of wicked Policy , Against this Armour struck , but at the stroke , Like Swords of Ice , in thousand pieces broke . To Angells and their Brethren Spritis above , No show on Earth can sure so pleasant prove , As when they great misfortunes see With Courage born and Decencie . So were they born when Worc'ster's dismall Day Did all the terrors of black Fate display . So were they born when no Disguises clowd His inward Royalty could shrowd , And one of th' Angels whom just God did send To guard him in his noble flight , ( A Troop of Angels did him then attend ) Assur'd me in a Vision th'other night , That He ( and who could better judge than He ? ) Did then more Greatness in him see , More Lustre and more Majesty , Than all his Coronation Pomp can shew to Human Eye . 15. Him and his Royall Brothers when I saw New marks of honor and of glorie , From their affronts and sufferings draw , And look like Heavenly Saints even in their Purgatory Me-thoughts I saw the three Judaean Youths , ( Three unhurt Martyrs for the noblest Truths ) In the Chaldaean Furnace walk ; How chearfully and unconcern'd they talk ! No hair is sindg'd , no smallest beauty blasted ; Like painted Lamps they shine unwasted . The greedy fire it self dares not be fed With the blest Oyl of an Anoynted Head . The honorable Flame ( Which rather Light we ought to name ) Does , like a Glory , compasse them around , And their whole Body's crown'd . What are those Two Bright Creatures which we see Walk with the Royall Three In the same Ordeall fire , And mutuall Joys inspire ? Sure they the beauteous Sisters are , Who whilst they seek to bear their share , Will suffer no affliction to be there . Lesse favour to those Three of old was shown , To solace with their company . The fiery Trialls of Adversity ; Two Angels joyn with these , the others had but One . 16. Come forth , come forth , ye men of God beloved , And let the power now of that flame , Which against you so impotent became , On all your Enemies be proved . Come , mighty Charls , desire of Nations , come ; Come , you triumphant Exile , home . He 's come , he 's safe at shore ; I hear the noise Of a whole Land which does at once rejoyce , I hear th'united People's sacred voice . The Sea which circles us around , Ne're sent to Land so loud a sound ; The mighty showt sends to the Sea a Gale , And swells up every sail ; The Bells and Guns are scarcely heard at all ; The Artificiall Joy's drown'd by the Naturall . All England but one Bonefire seems to be , One Aetna shooting flames into the Sea . The Starry Worlds which shine to us afar , Take ours at this time for a Star . With Wine all rooms , with Wine the Conduits flow ; And We , the Priests of a Poetick rage , Wonder that in this Golden Age The Rivers too should not do so . There is no Stoick sure who would not now , Even some Excesse allow . And grant that one wild fit of chearfull folly Should end our twenty years of dismall Melancholly . 17. Where 's now the Royall Mother , where , To take her mighty share In this so ravishing sight , And with the part she takes to add to the Delight ? Ah! why art Thou not here , Thou always Best , and now the Happiest Queen , To see our Joy , and with new Joy be seen ? God has a bright Example made of Thee , To shew that Woman-kind may be Above that Sex , which her Superior seems , In wisely manageing the wide Extreams Of great Affliction , great Felicitie . How well those different Vertues Thee become , Daughter of Triumphs , Wife of Martyrdom ! Thy Princely Mind with so much Courage bore Affliction , that it dares return no more ; With so much Goodnesse us'd Felicitie , That it cannot refrain from comming back to Thee ; 'T is come , and seen to day in all its Braverie . 18. VVho 's that Heroique Person leads it on , And gives it like a glorious Bride ( Richly adorn'd with Nuptiall Pride ) Into the hands now of thy Son ? 'T is the good Generall , the Man of Praise , VVhom God at last in gracious pitty Did to th'enthralled Nation raise , Their great Zerubabel to be , To lose the Bonds of long Captivitie , And to rebuild their Temple and their City . For ever blest may He and His remain , VVho , with a vast , though lesse appearing gain , Preferr'd the solid Great above the Vain , And to the world this Princely Truth has shown , That more 't is to Restore , than to Usurp a Crown . Thou worthyest Person of the Brittish Story , ( Though 't is not small the Brittish glory ) Did I not know my humble Verse must be But ill proportion'd to the Heighth of Thee , Thou , and the World should see , How much my Muse , the Foe of Flatterie , Does make true Praise her Labour and Designe ; An Iliad or an Aeneid should be Thine . 19 And ill should VVe deserve this happy day , If no acknowledgments we pay To you , great Patriots , of the Two Most truly Other Houses now , VVho have redeem'd from hatred and from shame A Parliament's once venerable name . And now the Title of a House restore To that , which was but slaughter-house before . If my advice , ye Worthies , might be ta'ne , Within those reverend places , Which now your living presence graces , Your Marble-Statues always should remain , To keep alive your usefull Memorie , And to your Successors th'Example be Of Truth , Religion , Reason , Loyaltie . For though a firmly setled Peace May shortly make your publick labours cease , The gratefull Nation will with joy consent , That in this sense you should be said , ( Though yet the Name sounds with some dread ) To be the Long , the Endlesse Parliament . 'T would be the richliest furnish'd House ( no doubt ) If your Heads always stood within , and the Rump-heads without . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A80716e-180 * The Star that appeared at Noon , the day of the King's Birth , just as the King his Father was riding to St. Paul's to give thanks to God for that Blessing .