AN ELEGY Upon the most INCOMPARABLE K. Charles the I. Persecuted by two Implacable FACTIONS, Imprisoned by the One, And murdered by the Other, January 30 1648.   

AN ELEGY Upon the most Incomparable K. CHARLES the First.  
CAll for amazed thoughts, a wounded sense  
And bleeding Hearts at our Intelligence.  
Call for that Trump of Death the Mandrakes Groan  
Which kills the Hearers: This befits alone  
Our Story which through times vast calendar  
Must stand without Example or Repair.  
What spouts of melting clouds what endless springs  
Poured in the ocean's lap for offerings  
Shall feed the hungry torrent of our grief  
Too mighty for expression or belief?  
Though all those moistures which the brain attracts  
Ran from our eyes like gushing Cataracts,  
Or our sad accents could out-tongue the cries  
Which did from mournful Hadadrimmon rise  
Since that remembrance of Josiah slain  
In our King's murder is revived again.  
O pardon me that but from Holy Writ  
Our loss allows no Parallel to it:  
Nor call it bold presumption that I dare  
Charles with the best of Judah's Kings compare:  
The virtues of whose life did I prefer  
The Text acquits me for no Flatterer.  
For He like David perfect in his trust,  
Was never stained like Him, with Blood or Lust.  
One who with Solomon in Judgement tried,  
Was quick to comprehend, Wise to decide,  
(That even his Judges stood amazed to hear▪  
A more transcendent mover in their sphere)  
Though more Religious: for when doting Love  
A while made Solomon Apostate prove  
Charles ne'er endured the Truth which he professed  
To be unfixt by bosom interest.  
Bold as Jehosaphat, yet forced to Fight,  
And for his own, no unconcerned Right.  
Should I recount His constant time of prayer  
Each rising Morn and evening Regular  
You'd say his practice preached They ought not Eat  
Who by devotion first not earned their Meat.  
Thus Hezekiah He exceeds in Zeal,  
Though not (like him) So facile to reveal  
The Treasures of God's House, or His own Heart  
To be supplanted by some foreign art.  
And that he might in fame with Joash share  
When he the ruined Temple did repair,  
His cost on Paul's late ragged fabric spent  
Must (if no other) be His Monument.  
From this Survey the Kingdom may conclude  
His Merits, and her Losses Magnitude.  
Nor think he flatters or blasphemes, who tells  
That Charles exceeds Judea's Parallels,  
In whom all virtues we concentred see  
Which 'mongst the best of them divided be. 
— Sparguntur in omnes   
O weak built Glories! 
In te mista fluunt— Claudian.  which those Tempests feel  
To force you from your firmest bases reel,  
What from the strokes of Chance shall you secure,  
When Rocks of Innocence are so unsure?  
When the World's only mirror slaughtered lies,  
Envies and Treasons bleeding sacrifice?  
As if His stock of goodness could become  
No calendar, but that of Martyrdom.  
See now ye cursed Mountebanks of State,  
Who have Eight years for Reformation sat;  
You who dire Alva's Counsels did transfer  
To Act his Scenes on England's theatre; 
called the council of Troubles.   
You who did pawn yourselves in public Faith  
To slave the kingdom by your Pride and Wrath;  
Call the whole World to witness now, how just,  
How well you are responsive to your trust,  
How to your King the promise you perform,  
With Fasts, and Sermons, and long Prayers sworn,  
That you intended Peace and Truth to bring  
To make your Charles Europe's most Glorious King.  
Did you for this Lift up your Hands on high, 
The form of taking the Covenant, June 1643.   
To Kill the King, and pluck down Monarchy?  
These are the Fruits by your wild Faction sown,  
Which not Imputed are, but Born your own.  
For though you wisely seem to wash your Hands,  
The Guilt on every Vote and Order stands.  
So that convinced from all you did before,  
Justice must lay the murder at your Door.  
Mark if the Body does not Bleed anew,  
In any Circumstance approached by You,  
From whose each motion we might plain descry  
The black Ostents of this late Tragedy.  
For when the King through Storms in Scotland bred  
To his Great council for his shelter fled,  
When in that meeting every Error gained  
Redresses sooner granted, than complained:  
Not all those frank Concessions or Amends  
Did suit the then too powerful Paction's ends,  
No Acts of Grace at prefent would Content,  
Nor Promise of Triennial Parl'ament,  
Till by a formal Law the King had past  
This Session should at Your pleasure last.  
So having got the bit, and that 'twas known  
No power could dissolve You but Your own,  
Your graceless Junto make such use of this,  
As once was practised by Semiramis; 
Diodorus Siculus lib. 2.   
Who striving by a subtle suit to prove  
The largeness of her husband's Trust and Love,  
Did from the much abused King obtain  
That for three days She might sole Empress reign:  
Before which time expired, the bloody Wife  
Deprived her Lord both of his Crown and Life.  
There needs no Comment when your deeds apply  
The Demonstration of her Treachery.  
Which to effect by Absolon's foul wile  
You of the people's Heart your Prince beguile;  
Urging what Eases they might reap by it  
Did you their Legislative Judges sit.  
How did you fawn upon, and Court the Rout,  
Whose Clamour carried your whole Plot about?  
How did you thank Seditious men that came  
To bring Petitions which yourselves did frame?  
And lest they wanted Hands to set them on,  
You lead the way by throwing the first stone.  
For in that Libel after Midnight born,  
Wherewith your Faction laboured till the Morn,  
That famous lie, 
Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom Dec. 15. 1641.  you a Remonstrance name;  
Were not Reproaches your malicious aim?  
Was not the King's dishonour your intent  
By Slanders to traduce his Government?  
All which your spiteful Cunning did contrive  
Men must receive through your false Perspective,  
In which the smallest Spots improved were,  
And every Mote a Mountain did appear.  
Thus Caesar by th' ungrateful Senate found  
His Life assaulted through his honour's Wound.  
And now to make Him hopeless to resist,  
You guide His Sword by Vote, which as you list  
Must Strike or Spare (for so you did enforce  
His Hand against His Reason to divorce  
Brave Strafford's Life) then wring it quite away  
By your usurping Each Militia: 
Ord. Feb. 29.   
Then seize His M●gazines, 
Voted March 15 The Navy seized Mar. 28. 1642.  of which possessed  
You turn the Weapons 'gainst their Master's Breast.  
This done, th' unkennelled crew of Lawless men  
Led down by Watkins, Pennington, and Ven,  
Did with confused noise the Court invade; 
The London Tumults. Jan. 10. 1641.   
Then all Dissenters in Both Houses bayed.  
At which the King amazed is forced to fly,  
The whilst your Mouth's laid on maintain the Cry.  
The Royal Game dislodged and under Chase,  
Your hot pursuit dogs Him from place to place:  
Not Saul with greater fury or disdain  
Did flying David from Jeshimon's plain  
Unto the barren wilderness pursue,  
Than coursed and Hunted is the King by you.  
The Mountain Partridge or the Chased Roe  
Might now for emblems of His Fortune go.  
And since all other May-games of the Town  
(Save those yourselves should make) were Voted down,  
The clamorous Pulpit Holla●s in resort,  
Inviting men to your King-catching Sport.  
Where as the foil grow cold you mend the Sent  
By crying Privilege of Parliament,  
Whose fair Pretensions the first sparkles are,  
Which by your breath blown up inflame the War,  
And Ireland (bleeding by design) the Stale  
Wherewith for Men and money you prevail.  
Yet doubting that Imposture could not last,  
When all the Kingdoms Mines of Treasure waste,  
You now tear down Religion's sacred Hedge  
To carry on the Work by sacrilege;  
Reputing it Rebellions fittest Pay  
To take both God's and Cesar's dues away.  
The tenor of which execrable Vote  
Your over-active zealots so promote,  
That neither ●omb nor Temple could escape,  
Nor Dead nor Living your Licentious Rape.  
Statues and Grave-stones o'er men buried  
Robbed of their Brass, the 
* At Basing-Chapel Sold Dec. 29. 1643.  Coffins of their lead;  
Not the Seventh Henry's gilt and curious screen,  
Nor those which 'mongst our Rarities were seen,  
The 
* At Winchester.  Chests wherein the Saxon Monarchs lay,  
But must be basely sold or thrown away.  
May in succeeding times forgotten be  
Those bold Examples of Impiety,  
Which were the Ages wonder and discourse,  
You have Their greatest ill improved by worse.  
No more be mentioned Dionysius Theft, 
L●●●ant. l. 2. c 4.   
Who of their Gold the Heathen Shrines bereft;  
For who with Yours His Robberies confer,  
Must him repute a petty Pilferer. 
Julian. Praefectus Aegypti.   
Nor Julian's Scoff, who when he viewed the State  
Of Antioch's Church, the Ornaments and Plate, 
Theodoret. l. 3. c. 11.   
Cried, Meaner Vessels would serve turn, or None  
Might well become the birth of Mary's son  
Nor how that spiteful Atheist did in scorn  
Piss on God's Table, 
ibid.  which so oft had born  
The hallowed Elements his death present:  
Nor he that fouled it with his Excrement, 
Ganguin. l. 6.   
Then turned the Cloth unto that act of shame,  
Which without trembling Christians should not name.  
Nor John of Leyden, who the pillaged Quires  
Employed in Munster for his own attires;  
His pranks by Hazlerig exceeded be,  
A wretch more wicked and as mad as he,  
Who once in triumph led his Sumpter Moil  
Proudly bedecked with the Altar's spoil. 
The Carpet belonging to the Communion Table of Winchester Cathedral Dec. 18. 1642. Adrian Emp.   
Nor at Bizantium's sack how Mahomet  
In St. Sophia's Church his Horses set.  
Nor how Belshazzar at his drunken Feasts  
Carowsed in holy Vessels to his Guests:  
Nor he that did the Books and Anthems tear,  
Which in the daily Stations used were.  
These were poor essays of imperfect Crimes,  
Fit for beginners in unlearned times,  
sized only for that dull Meridian  
Which knew no Jesuit nor Puritan,  
(Before whose fatal Birth were no such things  
As Doctrines to Depose and murder Kings.)  
But since Your prudent care Enacted well,  
That there should be no King in Israel,  
England must write such Annals of Your Reign  
Which all Records of elder mischiefs stain.  
Church's unbuilt by order, others burned;  
Whilst Paul's and Lincoln are to Stables turned;  
And at God's Table you might Horses see  
By (those more Beasts) their Riders mangered be.  
Some kitchens and some Slaughter-houses made, 
At Winchcomb in Gloucestershire.   
Communion-boards and clothes for Dressers laid:  
Some turned to loathsome Gaols, so by you brought  
Unto the Curse of Baal's House, a Draught.  
The Common-Prayers with the Bibles torn,  
The copes in antic Moorish-Dances worn,  
And sometimes for the wearers greater mock,  
The Surplice is converted to a Frock.  
Some bringing Dogs the Sacrament revile,  
Some with Copronimus the Font defile.  
O God canst Thou these profanations like?  
If not, why is thy Thunder slow to strike  
The cursed Authors? who dare think that Thou  
Dost, when not punish them, their acts allow.  
All which outrageous Crimes, though your pretence  
Would fasten on the soldier's insolence,  
We must believe that what by them was done  
Came licenced forth by your probation.  
For, as yourselves with Athaliah's Brood  
In strong contention for precedence stood,  
You robbed Two royal Chapels of their Plate, 
Whitehal Windsor.   
Which Kings and Queens to God did dedicate;  
Then by a Vote more sordid than the Stealth, 
Feb. 3. 1643.   
Melt down and Coin it for the commonwealth;  
That is, give't up to the devouring jaws  
Of your great Idol Bell, new styled The Cause.  
And though this Monster you did well devise  
To feed by Plunder, Taxes, Loans, Excise;  
(All which Provisions You the People tell  
Scarce serve to diet Your Pantagruel.)  
We no strewed Ashes need to trace the Cheat,  
Who plainly see what mouths the Messes eat.  
Brave Reformation! and a through one too,  
Which to enrich yourselves must All undo.  
Pray tell us (those that can) What fruits have grown  
From all Your Seeds in Blood and Treasure sown?  
What would you mend? when Your Projected State  
Doth from the Best in Form degenerate?  
Or why should You (of All) attempt the Cure,  
Whose Facts nor gospel's Test nor Laws endure?  
But like unwholesome Exhalations met  
From Your Conjunction only Plagues beget,  
And in Your Circle, as Imposthumes fill  
Which by their venom the whole Body kill;  
For never had You power but to Destroy,  
Nor Will, but where You conquered to Enjoy.  
This was Your Master-prize, who did intend  
To make both Churhch and Kingdom's prey Your End.  
'Gainst which the King (Placed in the Gap) did strive  
By His (till then unquestioned) Negative,  
Which finding You lacked Reason to persuade,  
Your Arguments are into Weapons made;  
So to compel him by main force to yield,  
You had a Formed Army in the Field  
Before his Reared Standard could invite  
Ten men upon his Righteous Cause to fight. 
E of Essex Army Aug. 1. 1642.   
Yet ere those raised Forces did advance, 
The Standard at Nottingham Aug 25. 1642.   
Your malice struck him dead by Ordinance,  
When your Commissions the whole Kingdom swept  
With Blood and Slaughter, Not the King Except.  
Now hardened in Revolt, You next proceed  
By Pacts to strengthen each Rebellious Deed,  
New Oaths, 
June 27. 1643.  and Vows, and Covenants advance,  
All contradicting your Allegiance,  
Whose Sacred knot you plainly did untie,  
When you with Essex swore to Live and Die. 
Declaration and Resolution of Parl. Aug. 15. 1642.   
These were your Calves in Bethel and in Dan,  
Which Jeroboam's Treason stablish can,  
Who by strange Pacts and Altars did seduce  
The People to their Laws and and King's abuse;  
All which but serve like S●ibboleth to try  
Those who pronounced not your Conspiracy;  
That when your other Trains defective are,  
forced Oaths might bring Refusers to the Snare.  
And lest those men your Counsels did pervert,  
Might when your Fraud was seen the Cause desert,  
A fierce Decree is through the Kingdom sent,  
Which made it Death for any to Repent.  
What strange Dilemmaes doth Rebellion make?  
'Tis mortal to Deny, or to Partake:  
Some Hang who would not aid your traitorous Act,  
Others engaged are hanged if they Retract. 
History of English and Scotish Presbytery p. 320.   
So Witches who their Contracts have unsworn,  
By their own Devils are in pieces torn.  
Thus still the raging Tempest higher grows,  
Which in extremes the King's Resolvings throws.  
The face of ruin everywhere appears,  
And Acts of Outrage multiply our fears;  
Whilst blind Ambition by Successes fed  
Hath You beyond the bound of Subjects led,  
Who tasting once the sweet of Regal Sway,  
Resolved now no longer to obey.  
For Presbyterian pride contests as high  
As doth the Popedom for Supremacy.  
Needs must you with unskilful Phaeton  
Aspire to guide the Chariot of the Sun,  
Though your ill-governed height with lightning be  
Thrown headlong from his burning axletree.  
You will no more Petition or Debate, 
The 19 Propos.   
But your desire in Propositions state,  
Which by such Rules and Ties the King confine,  
They in effect are Summons to Resign.  
Therefore your War is managed with such slight,  
'Twas seen you more prevailed by Purse than Might;  
And those you could not purchase to your will,  
You bribed with sums of money to sit still.  
The King by this time hopeless here of Peace,  
Or to procure His wasted people's ease,  
Which He in frequent Messages had tried,  
By you as oft as shamelessly denied;  
Wearied by faithless Friends and restless Foes,  
To certain hazard doth His Life Expose:  
When through your Quarters in a mean disguise  
He to His countrymen for succour flies, 
April 27. 1646.   
Who met a brave occasion then to save  
Their Native King from His untimely Grave: 
May 5. 1646.   
Had he from them such fair reception gained,  
Wherewith even Achish David entertained.  
But Faith to Him or hospitable Laws  
In your Confederate Union were no Clause,  
Which back to you their rendered Master sends  
To tell how He was used among his friends.  
Far be it from my thoughts by this black Line  
To measure all within that warlike Clime;  
The still admired Montross some Numbers lead  
In his brave steps of Loyalty to tread.  
I only tax a furious Party There,  
Who with our Native Pests Enleagued were.  
Then 'twas you followed Him with Hue and Cry,  
Made Midnight Searches in Each Liberty,  
Voting it death to all without Reprieve, 
This Order published by beat of Drum May 4. 1646.   
Who should their Master Harbour or Relieve.  
Even in pure pity of both Nations Fame,  
I wish that Act in Story had no name.  
When all your Mutual Stipulations are  
Converted at Newcastle to a Fair,  
Where (like His Lord) the King the Mart is made,  
Bought with Your money, and by Them betrayed;  
For both are guilty, They that did Contract,  
And You that did the fatal Bargain Act.  
Which who by equal Reason shall peruse,  
Must yet conclude, They had the best Excuse:  
For doubtless They (Good men) had never sold,  
But that you tempted Them with English Gold;  
And 'tis no wonder if with such a Sum  
Our brethren's frailty might be overcome.  
What though hereafter it may prove Their Lot  
To be compared with Iscariot?  
Yet will the World perceive which was most wise,  
And who the Nobler Traitor by the Price;  
For though 'tis true Both did Themselves undo,  
They made the better Bargain of the Two,  
Which all may reckon who can difference  
Two hundred thousand Pounds from Thirty Pence.  
However something is in Justice due,  
Which may be spoken in defence of You;  
For in your Masters Purchase you gave more,  
Than all your Jewish kindred paid before.  
And had you wisely used what then you bought,  
Your Act might be a Loyal Ransom thought,  
To free from Bonds your Captive sovereign,  
Restoring Him to his lost Crown again.  
But You had other plots, your busy hate  
Plied all advantage on His fallen State,  
And showed You did not come to bring Him bail,  
But to remove Him to a stricter Gaol,  
To Holmby first, whence taken from His Bed,  
He by an Army was in triumph led;  
Till on pretence of safety Cromwel's wile  
Had juggeled Him into the Fatal Isle,  
Where Hammond for his jailor is decreed,  
And Murderous Rolf as Lieger-Hangman feeed,  
Who in one fatal Knot Two Counsels tie,  
He must by Poison or by Pistol Die.  
Here now denied all Comforts due to Life,  
His Friends, His Children, and His peerless Wife;  
From Carisbrook He oft but vainly sends,  
And though first wronged, seeks to make you Amends;  
For this He sues, and by His restless Pen  
Importunes Your deaf Ears to Treat again.  
Whilst the proud Faction scorning to go less,  
Return those traitorous Votes of Non Address, 
Jan. 3. 1647.   
Which followed were by th' Armies thundering  
To Act without and quite against the King. 
Jan. 9 1647.   
Yet when that cloud removed, and the clear Light,  
Drawn from His weighty Reasons, gave You sight  
Of Your own dangers, had not Their Intents  
Retarded been by some cross Accidents; 
Colchester Siege.   
Which for a while with fortunate Suspense  
Checked or diverted Their swollen Insolence:  
When the whole Kingdom for a Treaty cried,  
Which gave such credit to Your falling side,  
That you recalled those Votes, 
Jun. 30. 1648..  and God once more  
Your Power to save the Kingdom did restore,  
Remember how Your peevish Treators sat, 
Treaty Voted July 28. 1648.   
Not to make Peace, but to prolong Debate;  
How You that precious time at first delayed,  
And what ill use of your advantage made,  
As if from Your foul hands God had decreed  
Nothing but War and Mischief should succeed.  
For when by easy Grants the King's Assent  
Did your desires in greater things prevent,  
When He did yield faster than You entreat,  
And more than Modesty dares well repeat;  
Yet not content with this, without all sense,  
Or of His honour or His Conscience,  
Still you pressed on, till you too late descried,  
'Twas now less safe to stay than be denied.  
For like a Flood broke lose the Armed Rout,  
Then Shut Him closer up, And Shut You out,  
Who by just vengeance are since worried  
By those Hand-wolves You for His ruin bred.  
Thus like Two smoking Firebrands, You and They  
Have in this Smother choked the Kingdom's Day.  
And as you raised Them first, must share the Guilt,  
With all the Blood in these Distractions spilled.  
For though with Samson's Foxes backward turned,  
(When he Philistia's fruitful Harvest burned)  
The face of your opinions stands averse,  
All your Conclusions but one fire disperse;  
And every Line which carries your designs,  
In the same Centre of Confusion joins.  
Though then the Independents end the Work,  
'Tis known they took their Platform from the Kirk;  
Though Pilate Bradshaw with his pack of Jews  
God's High vicegerent at the Bar accuse,  
They but revived the Evidence and Charge  
Your poisonous Declarations laid at large;  
Though they condemned or made his Life their Spoil,  
You were the Setters forced him to the Toil:  
For you whose fatal hand the Warrant writ,  
The Prisoner did for Execution fit.  
And if their axe invade the Regal Throat,  
Remember you first murdered Him by Vote.  
Thus They receive Your Tennis at the bound,  
Take off that Head which you had first uncrowned;  
Which shows the Texture of our Mischiefs Clew,  
If raveled to the Top, begins in You,  
Who have for ever stained the brave Intents  
And Credit of our English Parliaments:  
And in this One caused greater Ills, and more,  
Than all of theirs did Good that went before.  
Yet have you kept your word against Your will,  
Your King is Great indeed and Glorious still,  
And you have made Him so. We must impute  
That Lustre which His Sufferings contribute  
To your preposterous Wisdoms, who have done  
All your good Deeds by Contradiction:  
For as to work His Peace you raised this Strife,  
And often Shot at Him to Save His Life;  
As you took from Him to increase His wealth,  
And kept Him prisoner to secure His Health:  
So in revenge of your dissembled spite,  
In this last Wrong you did Him greatest Right,  
And (cross to all you meant) by Plucking down  
Lifted Him up to His Eternal Crown.  
With This encircled in that radiant sphere,  
Where Thy black murderers must ne'er appear,  
Thou from ha' enthroned Martyrs blood-stained Line,  
Dost in thy virtue's bright Example shine.  
And when Thy darted Beam from the moist Sky  
Nightly salutes Thy grieving people's Eye,  
Thou like some Warning Light raised by our fears,  
Shalt both provoke and still supply our Tears:  
Till the Great Prophet waked from his long sleep  
Again bids Zion for Josiah weep:  
That all Successions by a firm Decree  
May t●ach Their Children to lament for Thee.  
Beyond these mournful Rites there is no Art  
Or 〈◊〉 Thee preserve. Thy better Part  
Lives in despite of Death, and will endure  
Kept safe in Thy unpatterned portraiture:  
Which though in Paper drawn by thine own Hand,  
Shall longer than Corinthian-Marble stand,  
Or Iron Sculptures: There Thy matchless Pen  
Speaks Thee the BEST OF KINGS as BEST OF MEN:  
Be this Thy Epitaph: for This alone  
Deserves to carry Thy Inscription.  
And 'tis but modest Truth: (so may I thrive  
As not to please the Best of Thine Alive,  
Or flatter my dead Master, here would I  
Pay my last Duty in a glorious lie)  
In that Admired Piece the world may read  
Thy virtues and Misfortunes Storied;  
Which bear such curious Mixture, men must doubt  
Whether Thou Wiser wert or more Devout.  
There live blessed relic of a saintlike mind,  
With honour's endless, as Thy Peace enshrined.  
Whilst we, divided by that Bloody cloud,  
Whose purple Mists Thy murdered Body shroud,  
Here stay behind at gaze: Apt for Thy sake  
Unruly murmurs now 'gainst heaven to make,  
Which binds us to Live well, yet gives no fence  
To guard her dearest Sons from Violence.  
But He whose Trump proclaims, Revenge is Mine,  
Bids us our Sorrow by our Hope confine,  
And reconcile our Reason to our Faith,  
Which in Thy ruin such Concussions hath,  
It dares Conclude, God does not keep His Word  
If Zimri die in Peace that slew his Lord.   

From my sad Retirement March 11. 1648.  
Carolus STVART REX ANGLIAE secure COESVS VITA CESSIT TRICESSIMO Janvarii.