A Congratulatory POEM, ON The Miraculous, and Glorious Return of that unparallelled KING CHARLES the II. May 29. 1660.  
By ALEX. BROME.  
Pers.— Ipse Semipaganus  
Ad Sacra Regum carmen affero nostrum.  
LONDON, Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun in Ivy-Lane 1660.   

To the Kings most Sacred Majesty.  

NOw our Spring-royal's come, this ravished Land,  
(That for twelve years did bring forth Tyrants, and  
Traitors, in such abundance, that the King,  
And Subjects were forgot, both name and thing)  
Bears Kings again, a memorable Spring!  
May first brought forth, May now brings home our King;  
Auspicious twenty nineth! this day of Mirth  
Now gives Redemption, that before gave Birth.   

Hark, ho w th' admiring people cry, and shout,  
See how they flock and leap for joy; the Rout,  
Whose Zeal and Ignorance, for many years  
Devised those Goblins Jealousies and Fears,  
And fight blindfold in those puzzling Mists,  
Raised by the conjuring of our Exorcists,  
They Beat, and Wound, and Kill each other, while  
Their Setters-on did share the prey, and smile.  
Now they're unhood-winked, they do plainly see  
What once they were, what now they ought to be.   

The warlike Trumpet, whose unhallowed breath  
Inspired Rebellion, throws aside the wreath  
Of illgot Laurel, scandalised to be  
Made instrumental to such Victory  
As shames and beats the Conqueror, and lays  
A Crown o'th' conquered, baffling th' others Bays;  
Tuned by your Fame with loud and loyal voice,  
Contributes sounds and helps us to Rejoice.   

Th' enlarged Bells, that, in these latter days,  
Have been all silenced, and forbidden to raise  
Their Voice, but cross or backward from the steeple,  
To proclaim Fire, or to amaze the people,  
Or, if they chimed, 'twas out of tune, and so  
Did other grating tuneless Sounds forego:  
Now, with their graceful discords, all proclaim  
Your safe return, and celebrate your Name.   

And the contiguous Bonfires made the Nation  
To apprehend a final Conflagration;  
And made the ground, at midnight to appear  
Like Heaven at noon, and in the heat o'th' year,  
'Bout which rejoicing Neighbours friendly came,  
And with fresh wood fed the devouring Flame.   

Mean while, th' old Subjects, who so long have slept  
In Caves, and been miraculously kept  
From Rage and Famine; while the only thing  
That fed and clothed them, was the name of King,  
Do all New-plume themselves, to entertain  
Your longed-for Majesty, and splendid Train.   

And (as in Jobs time 'twas) those Spurious things,  
Who look like Subjects, but did ne'er love Kings,  
Appear among your Subjects in array  
That's undiscernible, unless more gay.  
All with loud hallows pierce the smiling skies,  
While brandished Swords please and amaze our eyes.   

Why then should only I stand still? and bear  
No part of triumph in this Theatre?  
Though I'm not wise enough to speak t'a King  
What's worth his ear, nor rich enough to bring  
Gifts worthy his acceptance; though I do  
Not ride in Buff and Feathers, which might show  
Vain Ostentation, or a needless Pride,  
Which some appland, while others do deride.  
That Pomp I did industriously eschew,  
The Cost being more to me, than th' show to you.  
Nor do I love a Soldier's garb to own,  
When my own Conscience tells me I am none.  
Yet I'll do duty too, for I've a mind  
Will not be Idle, but will something find  
To bid my SOVEREIGN Welcome to his own  
Long-widowed Realm, his Sceptre, Crown & Throne,  
And though too mean and empty it appear,  
If he afford a well-pleased Eye and Ear,  
His power can't by my Weakness be withstood,  
Be't what it will, he'll find, or make it good.   

Hail long-desired Sovereign! you that are  
Now our sole joy and hope, as once our fear!  
The Princely Son of a most pious Sire,  
Whose Precepts and Example did inspire  
Your tender years with virtues, that become  
A King that's sit to rule all Christendom.  
Which your great Soul hath so improved since,  
Europe can't show such an accomplished Prince.  
Whose whole life's so exemplary, that you  
Convinced those foes, which we could not subdue,  
And those that did t' your Court t'abuse you come,  
Converted Proselytes returned home.  
Such strong and sympathetick virtues lie  
In your great name, it cures when you're not nigh,  
Like Weapon-salve; If fame can reach up to  
This height of Cures, what would your person do?  
Your Subjects highest Ambition, and their Cure,  
Bold Rebels terror, you that did endure  
What e'er the Wit or Malice of your foes  
Can lay on you or yours, yet stoutly chose  
To suffer on, rather than to Retort  
Their injuries, and grew Victorious for't;  
And by your patiented suffering did subdue  
The Traitor's fury, and the Traitors too.   

The great King-makers favourite, a Prince  
Born to a Crown, and kept for't ever since.  
From Open force, from all the Close designs  
Of all your Foes, and all our Catiline's,  
From all th'insatiate malice of that bold  
Bloodthirsty Tyrant, from his sword, and gold  
Which hurt you more; and from your own false Friends,  
Who sacrificed to his Ambitious ends  
Your Crown and people, and were kept in pay,  
Your Cause, and Sacred Person to betray,  
In which he every year expended more  
Than your Revenues have been heretofore;  
Yet you're delivered out of all these things,  
By your Protector, who's the King of Kings.   

No more that proud Usurper now shall boast,  
His partial Conquests, which more Money cost,  
And Blood than they were worth, no more remember,  
His thrice auspicious third day of September,  
Which he designed to be redeemed from black,  
And in Red letters writ i'th' Almanac.  
Since he fought not for victories, but paid,  
Nor were you conquered by him, but betrayed.  
And now your May, by love, has gotten more,  
Than his Septembers did, by blood, before.   

Thanks to that Glory of the West; that Star,  
By whose conductive influence you are  
Brought to enjoy your own, whose eminent worth  
These Islands are too small to Echo forth.  
Whose courage baffled fear, whose purer soul  
No bribes could e'er seduce, no threats control,  
But strangely crossed the proverb, and brought forth  
The best of Goods from th'once-pernicious North,  
To whose Integrity, your Kingdoms own  
Their restauration, and what thence does flow,  
Your blessed arrival; with such prudence still  
He managed these affairs, such truth, such skill,  
Such valour too, he led these Nations through  
Red Seas of Blood, and yet ne'er wet their shoe.  
Blessed be the Heavenly powers, that hither sent  
This Noble Hero, to be th' instrument  
To ' enthrone your Royal Person, and to bring  
To's longing subjects o●● long absent King.   

Welcome from foreign Kingdoms, where 've been,  
Driven by hardhearted Fate, and where 've seen,  
Strange men and manners; yet too truly known,  
Those far more Hospitable than your own;  
From those that would not, those that durst not do  
Right to themselves, by being kind to you;  
From professed foes, and from pretended friends,  
Whose feigned love promotes their sordid Ends.  
" King's treating Kings springs not from love, but state,  
" Their love's to policy subordinate.  
From banishment, from dangers, and from want,  
From all those mischiefs that depend upon't,  
You're truly welcome; welcome to your throne,  
Your Crowns and Sceptres, and what ever's your own,  
Nay to what's ours too, for we find it true,  
Our wealth is gotten and preserved by you;  
Welcome t' your Subjects hearts, who long did burn  
With strong desires to see your blessed return.  
Welcome t' your friends, welcome to your wisest foes,  
Whose bought Experience tells them now, that those  
Riches 've got by plunder, fraud, and force,  
Do not increase, but make their fortunes worse,  
Like Robbers spoils, just as they come, they go,  
And leave the Robbers poor and wicked too.  
They see their error now, and do begin,  
(Can they but hope, you'd pardon their Huge sin)  
To think you th'only means, and th'only man,  
That will restore our liberties, and can.  
Since you're come out o'th' fire, twelve years refined,  
With hardened body, and Experienced mind.   

Only that crew of Caitiffs, who have been,  
So long, so deeply plunged in so great sin,  
That they despair of pardon, and believe,  
You can't have so much mercy to forgive,  
As they had villainy t' offend, and sin,  
And therefore to get out, get further in.   

These never were, and never will be true  
Unto your loyal Subjects, or to you;  
The scum and scorn of every sort of men;  
That for abilities, Can scarce tell ten,  
And of estates proportioned to their parts;  
Of mean enjoyments, and of worse deserts,  
Whom want made bold, and impudence supplied  
Those gifts, which art and nature had denied,  
And in their practice perfect Atheists too,  
(For halfwit, and half-learning makes men so)   

These first contrived and then promoted all  
Those troubles, which upon your Realm did fall;  
Inflamed three populous Nations, that they might  
Get better opportunity and light  
To steal and plunder, and our goods might have,  
By robbing those, whom they pretend to save,  
Our new commotions new employments made,  
And what was our affliction grew their trade.   

And when they saw the plots, th' had laid, did take,  
Then they turned Gamesters, and put in their stake,  
Ventured their All; their Credit which was small,  
And next their Conscience which was none at all,  
Put on all forms, and all Religions own,  
And all alike, for they were all of none.  
A thousand of them han't one Christian soul,  
No oaths oblige them, and no Laws control  
Their strong desires but penal ones; and those  
Make them not innocent, but cautelous.  
Crimes that are scandalous, and yield no gain,  
Revenge or pleasure, they perhaps refrain;  
But where a crime was gainful to commit,  
Or pleased their luct or malice, how they bitten!  
This did invade the Pulpit, and the Throne,  
And made them both, and all that's ours, their own  
Deposed the Ministers and Magistrates,  
And in a godly way, seized their estates;  
Then did the Gentry follow, and the Rich,  
Those neutral sinners, by omission, which  
Had good estates, for 'twas a lesser sin  
To plunder, than t' have aught worth Plundering.  
And by religious forms, and shows, and paints,  
They're called the Godly party, and the Saints.  
And as those men, that live ill lives, desire  
To die good deaths, so these vile men aspire  
To be reputed honest, and did style  
Themselves so, but they were mere Cheats the while.   

Yet, by their artless Oratory, they  
Venturing to make Orations, preach, and pray,  
Drew in too many silly souls, that were  
Caught with vain shows, drawn on by hope and fear,  
Poor undiscerning, all believing Elves,  
Fit but to be the ruin of themselves;  
Born to be cozened, trod on, and abused,  
Loved to be fooled, and easily seduced.  
These beasts they make with courage fight and die,  
Like Andabates, not knowing how, nor why,  
Till they destroyed King, Kingdom, Church & Laws,  
And sacrificed all to that word, The Cause.  
While those possess the fruit of all the toils  
Of these blind slaves, and flourish with their spoils,  
Plumed with gay feathers stolen, (like Aesop's crow)  
They seem gay birds, but it was only show.  
Now public lands and private too, they share  
Among themselves, whose maws did never spare  
Ought they could grasp; to get the Royal lands,  
They in Blood royal bathed their ravenous hands.  
With which they shortly pampered grew, and rich,  
Then was their blood infected with the itch  
Of Pomp, and Power, and now they must be Squires,  
And Knights and Lords, to please their wives desires  
And Madam them. A broken tradesman now,  
Pieced with Church-lands, makes all the vulgar bow  
Unto his honour, and their Bonnets veil  
To's worship, that sold Petticoats, or Ale.  
In pomp, attire, and everything they did  
Look like true Gentry, but the Soul, and Head,  
By which they were discerned, for they were rude,  
With harsh and illbred natures still endued;  
Proud, and penurious. What Nobility  
Sprung in an instant, from all trades had we!  
Such t'other things, crept into t'other House,  
Whose Sires heeled stockings, and whose Dams sold souse.  
There's Lord Protectors, but of such a Crew,  
As people Newgate, not good men, and true.  
There were Lord Keepers, but of Cows and Swine,  
Lord Cobblers, and Lord Drawers, not of wine.  
Fine Cockney-pageant Lords, and Lords Gee-hoo,  
Lords Butchers, and Lords Butlers, Dray-Lords too.   

And to transact with these was hatched a brood,  
Of Justices and Squires, nor great, nor good;  
Raised out of plunder, and of sequestration,  
Like Frogs of Nilus, from an inundation;  
A foundered Warrior, when the wars did cease,  
As naturally turned Justice of the Peace,  
And did with boldness th'office undertake,  
As a blind Coach-horse does a Stallion make.   

These filled all Countries, and in every Town  
Dwelled one or more to tread your Subjects down.  
And to complete this Stratagem of theirs,  
They use Auxiliary Lecturers;  
Illiterate Dolts, picked out of every Trade,  
Of the same metal, as Jeroboams, made,  
That ne'er took Orders, nor e'er any keep,  
But boldly into others Pulpits creep,  
And vent their Heresies, and there inspire  
The vulgar with Sedition, who desire  
Still to be cheated, and do love to be  
Misled by th'ears, by cozening Sophistry,  
These sold Divinity, as Witches do,  
In Lapland, Windes, to drive where  you go.  
The Sword no action did, so dire and fell,  
But that some Pulpiteers pronounced it, Well.   

With these ingredients, were the Countries all  
Poisoned, and fooled, and awed, while they did call  
Themselves the Cities, or the Counties, and  
Did in their names, what they ne'er understand  
Or hear of. These did that old Drie-bone call  
Up to the Throne, (if he were called at all)  
And vowed to live and die with him; and then  
Addressed to Dick, and vowed the same again.  
And so to Rump; but these vows were no more  
Than what they vowed to Essex long before,  
And so performed; they died alike with all,  
Yet lived on unconcerned in their fall:  
So as these Corks might swim at top, they ne'er  
Care what the liquor is that them did bear.   

These taught the easy people, prone to fin,  
And ready to imbibe ill customs in,  
To betray trusts, to break an Oath, and Word,  
Things that th'old English Protestant abhorred.   

And lest these Kingdoms should hereafter be  
Took for enchanted Islands (where men see  
Nothing but Devils did inhabit, and  
All virtuous people had forsaken the land  
And left it to these Monsters) these took care,  
To make us match and mix our blood with their  
Polluted issue; and so do, as when  
God's sons did take the daughters once of men.  
To fright men into this, they did begin  
To decimate them, for Original Sin.  
Children that were unborn, in those mad times,  
And unconcerned in what they Voted crimes,  
If guilty of Estates, were forced to pay  
The tenth to those, who took nine parts away.   

The Law was made a standing pool, and grew  
Corrupt, for want of current; thence a crew  
Of monstrous Animals out daily crawled,  
Who little knew, but impudently balled;  
And made the Law the Echo of the Sword,  
And with such  were the Benches stored,  
That made the Gown ridiculous, Now and then  
The Malefactors were the wiser men,  
Oft times the honester; these did dispense,  
And rack the Laws, 'gainst equity and sense,  
Which way the Buff would have them turn, by which  
They long continued powerful and Rich.   

Now they'd all wheel about, and be for you,  
For (like Chameleon's) they still change their hue,  
And look like that that's next them; they will vow,  
Their hearts were always for you, and are now.  
'tis no new Wit, 'tis in a Play we know,  
Who would not wish you King, now you are so?  
But if to be of both sides be a Crime,  
What is't to turn of all sides with the time?   

Yet you can pardon all, for you have more  
Mercy and love, than they have crimes in store.  
And you can love, or pity them, which none  
But you could do; you can their persons own,  
And with unconquered patience look on them,  
Because your Nature knows not to condemn.  
You'll let them live, and by your grace convince  
Their treacherous hearts, that they have wronged a Prince  
Whom God and Angels love & keep; whose mind  
Solely to love and mercy is inclined;  
Whom none but such as they would hurt, or grieve,  
And none but such as you could e'er forgive  
Such men and crimes. Those feathers nevertheless  
Plucked from your Subjects backs, their own to dress,  
Should be replucked, or else they should restore,  
They'll still be left Crows, as they were before.  
But if you trust them, you'll as surely be  
Betrayed and ruined, as you now are free.   

And now you are returned to your Realm,  
May you sit long, and steadfastly at th' Helm,  
And rule these headstrong people: may you be  
The true Protector of our Liberty.  
Your wisdom only answers th' expectation  
Of this long injured, now reviving Nation.   

May true Religion flourish and increase,  
And we love virtue, as the ground of peace;  
May all pretences, outward forms, and shows  
Whereby we have been gulled, give way for those  
True acts of pure religion, and may we  
Not only seem religious, but be.   

Of taking Oaths, may you and we be shy,  
But being ta'en think no necessity  
Or power can make us break them! may we ne'er  
Make wilful breach of promises! nor e'er  
Basely betray our trusts! but strive to be  
Men both of honour and of honesty!  
And may those only that are just, and true,  
Be always honoured, and employed by you.   

Next let our sacred Laws, in which do stand  
The wealth, the peace, and safety of our Land,  
Be kept inviolable, and never made  
Nets to the small, while the great Flies evade!  
May those that are entrusted with them be  
Men of sound knowledge, and integrity,  
And sober courage; such as dare, and will,  
And can do Justice! We have felt what ill  
Comes by such Clerks and Judges as have been,  
For favour, faction, or design put in,  
Without respect to Merit, who have made  
The Law to Tyrant's various lusts a Bawd,  
Perverted Justice, and our Rights have sold,  
And Rulers have been overruled by Gold.  
Then are the people happy, and Kings too,  
When, they that are in power, are good, and do.   

On these two Bases let our peace be built  
So firm and lasting, that no blood be spilt,  
No Country wasted, and no treasure spent  
While you and yours do reign; no future rent  
Disturb your happiness; but we may strive  
Each in his sphere, to make our Nation thrive,  
Grow plentiful, and powerful, and become  
The joy or Terror of all Christendom.  
And those, who lately thought themselves above us,  
May, spite of fate, or tremble at, or love us;  
May no encroaching spirit break the hedge  
Between Prerogative, and Privilege.   

And may your sacred MAJESTY enjoy  
Delights of Mind, and Body, that ne'er cloy!  
Not only be obeyed, but loved at home,  
Praised and admired by all that near you come!  
And may your Royal Fame be spread as far  
As valiant, and as virtuous people are!   

And when you're Majesty shall be inclined  
To bless your Realms with heirs, oh may you find  
A Spouse that may for Beauty, Virtue, Wit,  
And royal birth, be for your person fit!  
May you abound in hopeful babes, that may  
Govern the Nations, and your Sceptres sway,  
Till time shall be no more, and pledges be  
Both of our love, and our felicity.   

May you live long and happily, and find  
No pains of body, and no griefs of mind:  
While we with loyal hearts rejoice, and sing  
God bless your Kingdoms, and   
God save our KING.  
FINIS.