An ELEGY; To the Heroic and Eternal Memory of the Right Honourable and the most Loyal, EDWARD HENRY, Earl of LICHFIELD, lately deceased.  
— Signataque Jura  
Et Causas, non fata sequi—  

WHile England shall to Monarch's Homage bring  
With Lawful Titles, Fame of thee shall sing.  
Much have you quitted, more have undergone,  
T' assert your Sovereign's Title to the Throne.  
The Peers no sooner Rebels proved, but you  
From their Disloyal House yourself withdrew.  
While they nor Conscience, King, nor Laws regard,  
By Foreign Force and London Tumults scared.  
Their Suffrages resigning to the Crowd;  
You nobly their Proceedings disavowed.  
Forfeited Birthright, your King's Fortune shared;  
Your Places lost, and your Estate impaired,  
Retrenched your House, by Double Taxes grieved.  
And all you by Compliance had retrieved.  
But your undaunted Spirit rather chose,  
Your Person, with your Fortune, to expose.  
A noted Mark, at which the State has aimed;  
With Warrants oft pursued, and oft proclaimed,  
By Subornation into Shelter sent,  
Which made your Res'dence worse than Banishment.  
More Homebred Dangers you have ventured far,  
Than our Usurper in his Six-Years War.  
Yet in one Point you was subdued by Fear;  
Because to the New Oath you could not swear:  
At this you trembled, and abhorred such Art,  
As makes a Tongue disguise a Faithless Heart.  
Shall Mortals, Faith with Perjury confound,  
When by the dread of Styx the Gods are bound?  
Great Phoebus would not a Rash Oath retract,  
Tho' his Child's Ruin did attend his Act,  
And the whole Globe to Fatal Flames commit;  
But English Bishops will the God's out-wit.  
Then the Gods those discard, who cannot starve  
Rather than feed themselves by such Reserve.  
Who to his King and Country breaks his Oath,  
His perjured Carcase values above both.  
The King and Nation but one Interest knew,  
And you to both, oppressed, was bravely true.  
Let none invidious of thy Fame object,  
For Personal Favours you did JAMES respect;  
Or you by Accident was only Good,  
As biased by a Match of Royal Blood:  
Tho' for thy Virtue she's a full Reward,  
The handsomest Lady for the Gallantest Lord.  
But grant with Justice, Zeal for England's Laws,  
Joined hand in hand your King's & Country's Cause.  
For your most steady Conduct verifies  
Our Maxim, That our Monarch never dies.  
Then since the King from Civil Death is free;  
Such Subject's Memories shall Immortal be.   
— signataque Jura  
Et Causas, non Fata sequi—  Lucan Lib. 2.  

London, Printed in the Year, 1694.