A crown, A CRIME: OR, THE MONARCH-MARTYR.  

" Set up your Scaffolds;— and your Prisoner bring;  
" ne'er worser Fate befell a worthier King;  
" This will true Bards in after ages sing.   


STate-shaking Cethegus, cursed Catiline,  
Dissect this horrid Treason of our time,  
And tax proud Rome for holding yours a crime.   

Unking a King, because He was too good!  
Doom Him a Tyrant, who for Justice stood!  
cruel, whose hand was never dipped in blood!   

Adjudged for living well, unfit to live!  
Denied for heaven's provision a reprieve!  
Traitor, for pleading his Prerogative!   

Barred from Reply, when he at Bar was tried!  
By achan's and Achitophel's defied!  
Kept from his children's sight until He died!   

Inform our knowledge, heavens'; there's some amiss  
Skreaned from our Skaly Eyes occasioned this;  
" To snatch three Crowns from Him ('tis feared) from His.   

What might this be!--- Me thinks I see a brave  
Creature of His awaking from his Grave,  
Showing that Hand which His Dismission gave.   

Yet to Excuse that Error, there is writ  
The Doctrine of our prelates under it:  
" It was an Act convenient and fit.   

Ay me! How cheerful days produce sad nights  
When Kings give ear to Pulpit-Parasites!  
Which scene is here presented in our sights.   

A Prince decreed to forfeit his Command  
By signing Others Errors with His Hand:  
Creating so a democratic Land.   

Heaven's judgement's 
* Which might be employed by those words He spoke before his Execution: " God forbid that I should be so ill a Christian, as not to say that God's judgements are just upon Me; Many times he does pay Justice by an unjust▪ Sentence, &c.  just! Let sovereigns take heed  
In Acts against their Conscience to proceed:  

* Timists will find no Advo●ates to plead.  Timists will prove weak reeds in time of need.   

But those pure-crimson Streamlings which were shed  
On th' Sable Stage, where He resigned His Head,  
Sealed with a deep remorse, have witnessed   

His peace is made; and that his Diadem  
Cannot be now pulled off by hands of Men;  
" His Courts removed to New Jerusalem.    

EPITAPH.  

BEhold the Mirror of a Prince portrayed!  
The living Embleam of a glorious shade,  
Whose Chair of State was late a Scaffold made.   

One, than whom never any did profess  
More Zeal to th' public, and received less;  
Of more desert, and brought to more distress.   

That real lustre to our royal Garter;  
That late inlarger of our city's Charter;  
Whose Crown the Crime that made this Monarch-Martyr!   

Adieu dear Prince; Death, like a loving friend  
Hath crowned thy sufferings with a peaceful end,  
While headless we our ruin must attend.   

Nor can we less expect, judgement's at hand  
To scourge the follies of a sinful Land:  
" What Brightman wrote we would not understand.   

" From th' fatal period of a Charlemagne,  
" wain should a Kingdom in her charles-wain:  
" But Prayers nor tears might call him back again.   

" Lords should resign their Patents to the Sword,  
" Lurdane should equal any English Lord.  
O brave Platonic level! Martial board!    

Augurium Criticum in Auspicium Civicum.  

JAne geris frontem geminam, Nova Troja fricatam,  
Dum pateris Regem caede perire tuum.   

Sin Carolum nescis; minitantia flebilis Vrbis  
Funera quò siccis suspicis ista genis!   

Conjugis, aedis, opis, reditura est gloria flammis,  
Militis aut manibus praeda futura feris.   

Haec cecinit Vates; Sed non credenda Superbis;  
Cassandra ulterius non mihi (Shipton) eris.    


HEroës pereunt; Generosi praedia perdunt:  
Artifices lachrymant; fana profana jacent;   

Publica Causa ruit; Terras Astraea reliquit;  
Et Caroli casu Regio tota gemit.   

Haec Simulata fides incendia contulit Urbi,  
Exilium Civi, tristia fata plebi.    
FINIS.