THE APOTHEOSIS Of the Most Serene and Illustrious Monarch CHARLES the II.  
With an humble Address to His Most Sacred Majesty King JAMES the II.  
And a POEM to the Queen Dowager.  
By JOSHUA BARNES, M.A. Fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge.  
As they were Printed among the Cambridge Poems: And now, (for the Excellency and Loyalty of them) by the command of an Honourable Friend of the Authors, (but without his Privity) Reprinted.  
Anno Domini MDCLXXXV.   

THE APOTHEOSIS OF THE Most SERENE and Most Illustrious Monarch CHARLES the II. etc.  

I.  
OH! who to Mighty CHARLES His Name  
Shall rear a Stately never-fading Frame;  
Such as His own Immortal Worth requires,  
To Vye with Long-lived Time, and kiss th'ethereal Fires?  
Oh! who shall for that Godlike Monarch raise  
Poetic Obelisks unto His Praise,  
Firm as His Soul, and Glorious, as His peaceful Days?  
Fancy, the Architect, must now be here.—  
Truth, History, Description, are the best  
For such a work; the Shop, my Labouring Breast:  
But what vast Quarries of strong Verse appear!  

Solid Marble, furrowed deep,  
With pointed Words; Words that will keep  
His Fame alive, although His Body sleep!   
Sincerity and Sense Cement the Frame,  
And bind the Junctures fast,  
Tempered with Tears, that from My Loyal sorrow came:  
Rude, Indigested Grief doth polish all at last.  
On the firm Basis of my Heart  
I have reared this Funeral Pile;  
Tho' the Basis shakes the while,  
Tho' Confusion play Her part;  
Yet even Confusion here expresses wondrous Art.   

II.  
Now from the Lofty Spire behold!  
The Sacred Eagle, with an Urn of Gold,  
Proud of the Noble Burden, flies  
towered CHARLES His Native Skies!  
'Tis CHARLES His Generous Soul, He bears away;  
To increase the Number of the Gods above:  
Where He shall view perpetual Day,  
And Drink full Bowls of Bliss, and Feast on endless Love.  
The Royal Martyr in a Silver Cloud  
Drawn through the Shining Air,  
With Milky Horses in a Golden Chair;  
Met His Son's Spirit, and welcomed Him aloud,  
Commending all His Pious Care,  
His wondrous Clemency and Wisdom Great,  
Wherewith so long He had sustained so vast an Empire's weight;  
" My Son, My CHARLES, My Heir in all that's Good,  
" As well, as in My Name and in my Blood,  
" Now welcome to these Blissful Bowers;  
" Where endless Joys rain down in never-ceasing Showers!  
" Blessed be that Providence, that fixed Thee on  
" My once too-long Usurped Throne;  
" That did thy Sacred Head Protect,  
" From Traitorous Plots of every discontented Sect;  
" And nourished in Thy Royal Breast  
" That Gracious Soul, that Love to Peace and Rest,  
" Which Hell reveres, and Heavenly-Minds respect▪  
" Now since Thou'st Conquered all that boisterous Rage  
" Of Fiery Zeal, and Calmed the troubled Age;  
" 'Tis time to enter these Rewarding Gates,  
" And leave thy BROTHER to fulfil His Happier Fates.  
" But say, say, how does that Our other Son,  
The Heir of all Thy Virtnes and Thy Throne,  
" My JAMES, even than a Hopeful Boy,  
When I exchanged a Crown of Thorns for Everlasting Joy?   

III.  
To whom the Second CHARLES replied,  
With Calm Serenity upon His Brow,  
Glorious as Heroes newly Deified,  
And Great as His Great FATHER now;  
Three times He made a lowly Bow,  
And said, (the Chariot slowly went along  
Returning towered th' Angelic throng,  
Who made a shining Lane, and bowed and listened to His Song)  
" Father, I've left th' Illustrious JAMES below,  
" Laden with Triumphs and His People's Love;  
" Full of such Bliss as Mortal Regions know  
" Except that sad Alloy, which My Decease did move:  
" As I Ascended through the Neither-Air,  
" I heard the welcome Shouts of loving Subjects ring,  
" While Officers with Zealous Voice declare,  
" My Royal Brother their Most Gracious King.  
" But He, (for Souls can take the softest Voice)  
" Bemoaned the Unsought Burden of a Crown:  
" I heard him sigh and say, He never could rejoice;  
Till He come up to Heaven to Me; or I to Him go down.  
" But after all My Labours, Toils and Cares,  
" For Six and Thirty tedious, rolling Years,  
" Methinks (and surely not amiss)  
" The shortest stay,  
" On this side (tho' in sight of) Bliss  
" Is too too long delay.  
" To Heavens High Care and JAMES His we resign  
" Our Earthly Realms, and hast to those that shine  
" With un-extinguished Day, and flow with Joys Divine.   

iv  
Now th' Azure Gates of Bliss expanded wide,  
Receive the Glorious Cavalcade;  
Angels, like Lackeys, running on each side:  
And wondrous Tunes on David's Lyre were played.  
And parallel between CHARLES and DAVID made,  
In rapt'rous, strange, Angelic Verse,  
Too strong and High for Mortals to rehearse!  
Go! Blessed CHARLES, receive those Entertains,  
Worthy thy Self, in Noble Heavenly strains.  
We, low and weak and grovelling on the Ground  
Will strive however to advance a sound,  
That shall address to living JAMES His Ear;  
And sure (for He's like CHARLES) He will vouchsafe to hear.    

ADDRESS TO THE KING.  
" GReat JAMES! whose worth portends so vast a Good;  
" That even thy Brother's loss is hardly understood,  
" May all the Glories of Thine House and Race  
" Shine round Thy Sacred Head, and kiss thy Royal Face!  
" And while their Mercies Thou dost Imitate;  
" May all their Thunder on Thine Anger wait!  
" May all adore Thy Smile and Dread Thee too;  
" And those be forced, who choose not thus to do;  
" May all thy Parents and Thy Brother's Fame,  
" And Years Extend Thy Days, and CROWN Thy Name!  
" May all Their Virtues in Thy Bosom meet;  
" And all Their Treasures Couch beneath Thy Feet!  
" May all their Guardian-Angels round Thee stand;  
" And all their Blessings wait on Thy Command!  
" And may'st Thou leave (when Thy long Life's resigned)  
" Such matchless Sons, as Thy Great Father left behind!  
Joshua Barns, M. A. Fellow of Emmanuel College.   

TO THE Queen Dowager.  

MAdam, whose Mercies are so boundless known,  
That justly they were matched with CHARLES His own;  
The sole Good Queen, Worthy so good a Lord,  
Who only equalled, whom all else Adored:  
Gladly to You our Muse would comfort bring:  
But ah! what Comfort after such a King?   

We'ld Piously Condole, and lend relief  
With Loyal Art to Your Exub'tant Grief:  
But ah! we're drowned in Tears, as well as You!  
In CHARLES His Death all England's Vvidowed too.   

You lost an Husband and the best that e'er  
Did th' Honourable Chains of Wedlock wear:  
'tis true, and sure Your Grief we must allow:  
But we're concerned, Great Queen, as deep as You!  
For We the Best of worthiest Kings have lost!  
No tender Father could like Mercies boast!  
No Heart can Fathom, and no Tongue relate  
Those Blessings that on CHARLES His Reign did wait!   

But oh! I've done: For, while to mind I call  
His Godlike Worth: The Tears like Rivers, fall  
From Your Bright Eyes, half languished now with Cares,  
Shaded with Grief and almost quenched in Tears!  
Oh! who'd not melt, to see such Charming woe:  
Majestic Sorrows in so sad a Show!   

But ah! with You we cannot Sympathis  
CHARLES fills our Hearts, and flow● 〈◊〉 at our Eyes:  
Nor can We lend one Tear, Great Queen 〈◊〉 You;  
Nor can we to our Grief one sigh allow:  
CHARLES has engrossed our Tears; and all we have,  
Flow in one groaning Torrent towered His Grave!   

Yet when upon Your Woes we cast an Eye:  
Tears fall more quick, and Sobs do beat more high:  
Compassion strives t' exalt Our Grief the more,  
But surely That was at the height before.   


Yet, Royal Widow, this poor service take,  
That tho' oppressed with Griefs, no Tongue can speak,  
We yet at last desire more SORROW for YOUR SAKE:    
Joshua Barnes M. A. Fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge.