A CORDIAL Elegy & Epitaph UPON The much lamented Death of that incomparable Prince HENRY Duke of Gloucester, Brother to our Sovereign Lord the KING, the most perfect and accomplished Prince of his years the Christian World could boast of; And a Royal Cedar endowed with as many great Virtues as mortality could receive; A Prince of such Fortitude abroad and wisdom at home, vastness of wit and understanding, that no Prince could parallel, always steadfast in Religion, and a Prince who, if we compare his Valour with his Meekness, his Knowledge with his Innocence, and his Religion with his Youth, no Prince can equalise; Deceased the 13th of September 1660.  
LONDON, Printed for GEORGE HORION, 1660.   

A Cordial ELEGY UPON The much lamented death of that most hopeful young Prince, HENRY Duke of Gloucester, deceased Thursday the 13th of September, 1660.  

PArdon O Heavens, just God wherein have we  
Transgressed against thy Glorious Majesty,  
Were we ungrateful for thy bounty when  
Thou gavest to us these Princes; we to them  
And to a happy State did us restore  
From out the bondage we were in before,  
O no great God, we from ourselves confess  
Thy Mercies: Angels be our Witness.  
What Cause O Muse? Is God profaned? or why  
Sustain we still perpetual misery?  
Has Grief no end, and must we ever go  
Whilst Earth remains Concomitants with wo.  
Was't not enough by Ttaytors' Tyranny,  
To lose blessed Charles of glorious me nory:  
And then to languish so extreme a while,  
Dureing the time of their most sad exile:  
In boundless misery; but again this loss!  
(We could not been redeemed without the Cross)  
Proves bitter to our sweetness; Gloucester's gone,  
That hopeful Prince, this age's Paragon:  
That blessed Image of our Martyred King,  
Lopped in the prime of his most happy spring:  
So short an age, and with such trouble past,  
Concludes his life was but a Winter's blast:  
So many doleful hours in which he viewed  
Rampant Rebellion Rigorously intrude  
Upon his Father's Kingdoms and invest  
With Barbarous fu●y our most peaceful rest:  
Thus he no sooner having made the earth  
More happy by his most Illustrious Birth:  
But strait all Hells enraged; each fury sits,  
And for distraction bend their Cursed wits,  
Envy Dissension, disobedience frames,  
And black disloyalty our Realms inflames:  
Blood, Monstrous Treason, Murder and debate  
With Ravenous Wolves possess our peaceful state:  
Since and  ethe Murder of our KING,  
His life is a continual suffering:  
Which yet with more than manly fortitude  
He bore, nor suffered horror to intrude  
Upon his Valiant soul; his Royal breast  
Was ever filled with glory that expressed:  
He was the Race of Heaven; and soared as high  
Upon the wings of pleased Alacrity:  
But now! O when the Heavens most sacred Grace  
Had smoothed the terror of his dreadful face  
To pleasing smiles converts his angry frowns,  
Our bleeding Kingdoms mercifully Crowns  
With sweet Tranquillity blest Henry he  
Comes only and surveys our vanity:  
And back to Heaven retires whence first he came  
To bless the world with his Illustrious name:  
Like to a Moses he became our guide,  
He brought us to our Canaan, and then died:   

But stay me thinks I hear a voice from Hell,  
Adamned Phantique Thunders forth a Spell;  
Long since condemned th' eternals doom to bear  
With hideous language thus Enchants the ear  
Of his yet living Brethren, and informs  
Them with a Volley of most horrid Storms,  
That this on us a fatal judgement was  
For trampling down forsooth their Good Old Cause:  
To which the Heaven's reply; if so it be,  
That 'tis a judgement, Charles his Clemency:  
Occasions it; in suffering such to breath,  
Whom God's decree had justly marked for death:  
See Saul th' Almight yes favour was denied,  
Whilst Murderous Agag good Indemnifyed:  
And Ahabs life a satisfaction gives  
For Israel's sin because Benhadad lives.   

Pardon dread Sovereign sorrow cannot hold,  
If that my zeal hath made me overbold:  
Not that we tax your mercy, but our fear  
For this our loss augments a doubtful tear:  
Lest our blessed Martyr Charles, his blood has cried  
to Heaven, and Heaven remains unsatisfied:  
O may they soon receive their fatal due,  
Lest what's but now our fear, may prove too true.   

O Envious Fate that with such dread appears  
To put a period to his bloomeing years:  
With what a mournful face hast thou beset  
Three drooping Realms with palefull Cypress; wet  
In Stygian streams (our Gloucester being dead)  
Where late the lively Laurel flourished:  
Though newly sprung, yet with a potent grace  
Did both protect and glorify the place,  
Which now appears like to an uncouth Cell,  
Where only Pilgrims and sad Mourners dwell  
Our Country, City, Potentates, and Court,  
All Clad in Sables mournfully report.  
Our mis'rable misfortune to the skies,  
With doleful hearts and sad lamenting eyes;  
But O if this such dire dejection bring  
Unto the people, how resents the King  
And Duke, this Priceless loss in whom we viewed  
Three glorious bodies with one soul endued:  
O how it pierces their Heroic souls,  
How outward woe and inward grief controls:  
their Royal natures, striving to outvie  
our sacred Sovereign in Majesty:  
Needs must the saddness of our Land be great  
When sorrow solely swales the regal seat:  
When Yorks most valiant Duke these tidings hears  
It like a Mandrake soundeth in his ears:  
Of which his Princely Sister bears a part,  
That thrills like lightning through her tender heart:  
The last of all th'indulgent Mother oh,  
How quickly's all her joy's now turned to woe:  
She who beheld her tender branches tossed  
By boisterous storms of Persecution; crossed  
By barbarous Torrents of Rebellious Elves,  
Daily repulsed upon the dangerous shelves  
Of War and Treason; now which hope revived,  
Seeing her happy Sons which joy received:  
In glad assurance trusts to see again,  
Her Children in a glorious Triumph Reign:  
With plenteous blessings and a Land Tranquill,  
That may persuade her Charles is living still:  
But O when she to England shall resort,  
Her dearest GLOUCESTER's missing from the Court:  
This only comfort left, he's gone to see  
His Father Crowned with Heavenly Majesty.  
There rest most Glorious blessed Soul with his,  
Th' eternal sharer of his boundless bliss:  
Whilst we thy absence mourn, and deck thy Hearse  
With Cordial briny Tears, and Tragic verse.    

EPITAPH.  

H ere lies Gloucesters' fairest flower,  
E nglands joy in one blessed hour:  
N ewly sprung; yet soon from hence,  
R aped to eternal Residence:  
Y ou that at his Tomb appear,   

D uly pay devotion here,  
U unto these Holy Ashes, for  
K noun when he died there fell a Star:  
E arly as his year; the fall   

O f which proves Epidemical:  
F also Earthly joys appeared for him,   

Gloryes to base in Heaven's esteem:  
L ifted up above the Skies,  
O n Angel's wings to Paradise:  
V ertue in his Royal breast,  
C ontinuall flames of wrath possessed:  
E nvious Time his glorious name,  
S hall ne'er destroy; his loud Tongued fame:  
T his pious Marble still declares  
E ncompast with a Sea of Tears  
R eplenisht daily from his eyes  
Of constant Loyal Votaries.    
FINIS