Ad illum  
Per Hanc  
Ab Istac   man lying on bed   

AN ELEGY, AND EPITAPH, Consecrated to the ever Sacred Memory of that most ILLUSTRIOUS, and Incomparable MONARCH, CHARLES, By the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, late King, etc.  
Together with an Elegy and Epitaph upon the truly lamented death of that Excellent pattern of perfect Magnanimity, Virtue, Valour, and Loyalty, Arthur Lord Capell.  
With some streams of remembrance issued from the bloods of his Noble Fellow-sufferers, Duke Hamilton, and Henry Earl of Holland.  
By F. H. Philomusus.  
Printed in the Year, 1649.   

An Elegy and Epitaph, etc.  

1  
Howl, howl, distracted Kingdom, let thy cries  
Like Dragon's roar, terrify the earth,  
Amaze the Heavens, fright Hell, and dark the skies;  
For now thy throws have issued a cursed birth:  
Let the Sun blush, and all the trembling stars  
Refrain bespangling of their moving Spheres,  
Until they see the termine of our jars;  
Let this, of all, be deleated from years,  
Jest in't the guilt of King-shed sacred blood.  
Increase t' a torrent, period in a flood.   

2  
O could we see the depth of our distress  
With Linxceys eyes! it would torment our souls:  
All Rhetorique's dumb, our anguish to express,  
Horror our mourning, fear our tears controls;  
Th'imminent judgements and impetuous storms  
Hovering in vengeance o'er our hardened Nation,  
Makes zeal for woe, rave in preposterous forms,  
And stretch our heartstrings on the Rack of passion,  
Whilst bleeding souls, in stead of dropping eyes  
Bedews the footsteps to our miseries.   

3  
Rent, rend your hearts, your garments are defiled  
Ye traitorous Nation, with your dear King's blood;  
Whilst th'hopeful branches of his root exiled,  
Adds a full sea to our afflictions flood:  
Ye have betrayed a gracious King to death  
Ye murderous varlets, by your base revolt  
From th' Diadem to th' dunghill, could the breath,  
That nine years since his glory did exalt  
Unto the Heavens, with cursed yealps now cry,  
Give us these Barrabbesses? let our Sovereign die.   

4  
Busiris like, ye murderers did ye dream,  
Heaven would rain peace f●● this strange Sacrifice?  
Ye should have let your own oursed bloods to stream,  
And quenched the flame of all our miseries:  
But he in Lamblike sufferings hath wrought  
More than Herculean conquest o'er your rage,  
Though with the dear price of his blood ye have bought  
England th' Aceldama; your dreadful stage,  
Whereon  acted such a Tragedy,  
Nero had wept, had he but lived to see:   

5  
Had he by Schythians, or a ruder hand,  
Been ravished from us to his Crown of glory,  
Reason might o'er our passions claim command,  
Because their natures yield their acts a story:  
But for a Tribe of Hypocrites to lurk  
Under the wings of Zeal and Reformation,  
Till they had finished Satan's master-worke,  
And ruin'd all the Bulworks of our Nation:  
Thus making God, whose Soul abhors all evils,  
Seem to command those acts proclaim them Devils.   

6  
Trembled ye not, ye Furies, for to see  
When ye convened, such reverence in his face?  
Such high deportment, sacred Majesty,  
Such radiant Luster, and such awful Grace?  
No, no, thriving Rebellion's moved no more  
With such transfixions, than a flint with tears;  
But their desire to wallow in his gore  
Have proved them such, nor God nor Devil fears;  
But in contempt of both, have challenged all  
The powers of VENGEANCE on their heads to fall.   

7  
Ye viperous brood, who with your subtle teeth,  
Unseen, have gnawn through th'bowels of our State:  
Think ye REVENGE with REGICIDE agreeth?  
Or Kingdom ruins can shake hands with hate?  
Think ye the extirpation of a Race  
Divinely Royal, can establish Peace?  
Or seat rude Traitors in our Prince's place?  
Or blood can fill our garners with increase?  
No, no, VENGEANCE but writes in these red letters  
How much to Hell, and torment ye are debtors.   

8  
But Reader, lest our sorrows and exclaims  
Should seem for one whose graces are forgot,  
Because Rebellion took such tedious pains  
His spotless soul, with hellish guilt to blot:  
Though language falter, and our Contemplation  
Reach but the Idea of his blessed perfection;  
Yet let our groans disburthen's of some passion;  
Communicating Mourners (Sans exception)  
May clap a plaudit, to th' eternal Fame  
Of him, whose exit sealed our lasting shame.   

9  
Would ye have Heaven in a choice Cabinet  
Treasure her richest graces up in store▪  
For a selected people to be set  
In th' Ark of their affections? he was more,  
For the continued fire of Divine ZEAL,  
For his Redeemers glory did inflame  
The darkest angles of our Commonweal;  
He was a burning Light, whose shining Fame  
Made ENGLAND seem, once, as she had conspired  
With radiant truth▪ the world t' have wholly fired.   

10  
RELIGION was enhanced to such a price  
In his esteem, it seemed as Devotion had  
Been only moulded by his exercise,  
(To make the ZEALOUS-HEARTED truly glad:)  
Nor only in a Cell his piety,  
Gave life to th' house's of his well spent days;  
But in the Temple of the Deity,  
He oft proclaimed his Creators' praise:  
So fervent in, of prayer, so rich a prizer,  
As earth had had no other Sacrificer.   

11  
Have ye observed the curling Main to treasure  
Each River's Offspring in her spacious womb,  
Rendering to every Fountain her just measure,  
Making herself again their tributes tomb;  
So did this Sea of wisdom still receive  
Th'issuing Rivulets of ingenious store,  
Nor did he by retention thus bereave  
Them of their wealth, but rendered four fold more,  
To each small Spring that streamed pure waters forth,  
Yet still reserv'd's own inexhaustine worth.   

12  
The Arts in him conspired to erect  
A lasting fabric to eternity,  
Whose concave did contain the true effect  
Of the most absolute ACADEMY:  
Had ye observed, this mirror did present  
The Sciences in an EPITOME;  
Or rathered seemed they had been only sent  
From him to borrow light and dignity;  
Each Science serving but t' attend and do  
Those Acts that his perfection prompt them to.   

13  
So highly God's pure worship did he tender,  
That in his latest exigent of breath  
He proved himself our saving faiths Defender,  
By signing with his blood 'tis reprieve from death;  
Still David-like in valour he appeared,  
And in his troubles Job and David too,  
For Patiented Magnanimity, ye have heard,  
Were perfect patterns of his tedious woe,  
Who SAMSON like, drowned in his last spilt gore  
Thousands of souls, that laughed at's grief before.   

14  
Now snarl accursed ENVY, let thy gall  
Burst with thy Venom, for this object will  
Rebound thy blunt aspersions, like a wall  
Of Adamant, (thy meager soul to kill:)  
And when the Armies of our Nation shall  
Disclaim to treasure, with his glory, our shame,  
His glories triumph in our fatal fall,  
T' eternity shall still preserve his Fame:  
For death hath murdered in this cruel stroke  
Three Kingdoms Honours, and their Basis broke.   

15  
Rest sacred Mattyr, whose blessed Temples are  
Crowned with the glory of thy SAVIOUR'S merit,  
And let these Traitors for thy Sceptre jar,  
Whilst thou a heavenly Kingdom dost inherit;  
And though we languish in a dying life.  
Yet may thy Royal Offspring be preserved  
From being butchered on our stage of strife,  
(More swift to urge our vengeance, just deserved,)  
And whilst the woes of REGICIDES increase,  
May thy blood be our Sacrifice of peace.   

EPITAPH.  
Reader, here lies three Kingdoms Peace,  
Their Honours, plenty, and increase▪  
Religion, Learning, Faith, Law, Grace,  
Are all enshrined in this small place;  
One accursed Instrument of wrath and woe,  
Made three brave Kingdoms headless with a blow.  
FINIS.    

An ELEGY, and EPITAPH upon ARTHUR Lord CAPELL.  

WRetched'st of Kingdoms, late the world admired  
Thy glorious Lustre, State, magnificence,  
Until preposterous ZEAL thy brambles fired.  
Whose rage hath ruined all thy excellence;  
Thus Heaven we see when Kingdoms but augment,  
Their sins appear, or plenties do increase,  
(And with choice mercies their base lust's foment)  
Can change th'abused benefits of peace  
Into continued judgements, as Heaven wooed  
Drownd's in a deluge of our noblest blood.   

2  
Sufficed it not your thirst (ye hell-fired souls)  
T' have drunk the dregs of wrath in your King's gore?  
But must ye quaff damnations healths in bowls  
Of our Peers blood, t'intoxicate ye more?  
Feed ye upon our poor like bread, and will  
Nought surfeit ye? nor Prince, nor people's means?  
Must Lords estates your Idol paunches fill?  
Can Heaven design's not plagues but these extremes?  
No, no, 'tis just that Tyranny and Hate  
Should feed on people ripened in debate.   

3  
Me thinks it seems a wonder ye should thirst  
After ye have drunk the Royal fountain dry:  
But oh! that blood exasperates your cursed  
Insatiate drought; whose rage will never die  
Whilst streams of noble tincture flow in veins  
Of crystal, t'out shine yours of Stygian hue;  
Your souls though died with Regicidiall stains,  
Must be redrenched in blood of Worthies too,  
And lest swift vengeance seize ye on life's shore,  
you'll swim to hell o'er seas of noble gore.   

4  
But say, (ye ENGINEERS of TORMENT, why  
Devise ye plague's to languish us to death?  
Can ye not (as 
* Cali gula.  ROME'S TYRANT wished) once tie  
Our vassal●d necks to one fierce stroke of death?  
Though ye becharmed us to believe our woe  
For chiefest good, yet when we see ye tear  
The Limbs from the fallen Cedar, we must show  
The world your falsehoods in our trembling fear;  
But vengeance will not spare that blasphemy  
Which makes Heaven seem t' approve cursed cruelty.   

5  
Can neither cries of Widows, nor the tears  
Of tender Orphans, not the dreadful groans  
Of three sad Kingdoms pierce your deafened ears?  
Will ye not hear the Prisoners rueful moans?  
The cries of blood have pierced the Firmament,  
And vengeance slumbereth not, ye brands of ire,  
TOPHET'S prepared of old, not as ye meant  
For glorious CHARLES, nor CAPELL, but with fire  
Eternally to torture those that sell  
Kings and Peers bloods to purchase Thrones in Hell.   

6  
Readers, perchance now ye expect to know  
Why we amaze the world with our exclaims;  
And whence those torrents of dire passions flow,  
That these sad dirge-strains powerfully proclaims?  
Did not the flames of Zeal for our late loss  
Extract the quint'sence of all anxious tears?  
That ruin quite transformed our joys to dross,  
And this our hopes to aggravated fears;  
Ruin said I? no, CHARLES and CAPELLS name  
Rests crowned with glory, but their Foes with shame.   

7  
He whom we now lament earth equals not, in him  
Valour, and Fortitude, seem'd both to place  
Their choice dimensions in his every Limb,  
Which his Zeal managed with HEROIC grace;  
Prudence but ushered his accomplishments,  
And though blind fortune, him betrayed to th'hate  
Of a perfidious enemy, 's in tents  
Proclaimed him Victor in his captive state;  
Who in his latest exigent of breath,  
Conquered his murdters in outbraving death.   

8  
Nor here expect our griefs should entertain  
Their Worths, 
Hamilton and Holland.  as th' honoured loss we chiefly wail,  
Though with their bloods th' have purified the stain  
Of their disloyalty; true, flesh is frail,  
Nor therefore shall black obloquy cloud o'er  
Their redeemed Honours; but joint suffering shall  
Write their eternal glory with the gore  
That streamed from CAPELL in's HEROIC fall;  

Religion, King, Laws.  For one true Martyr in that * three fold cause  
May render three brave exits their applause.   

9  
You whose afflicted souls do merit here  
True Crowns of Patience, O remember how  
This constant precedent did still appear  
Glorious in Trials, crowned with glory now;  
Let not base fear of Tyranny and Rage  
Betray your Honours to a lasting shame,  
Their Tragic Triumphs but their woes presage,  
Which will increase, as your eternal Fame:  
Your blood's so spilt most potently invoke  
Your Mercies, whilst REVENGE prepares their stroke.   

10  
Cease, cease your mournings, ye indulgent souls;  
Give not occasion to those insolent  
To triumph whilst your passions hope controls,  
Tears now seem streamed from inward discontent  
At his eternal happiness (the Sun  
Appears most radiant still before a shower)  
But if your sorrows in a full stream run,  
IT may cloud his lustre, and augment the power  
Of petulency, deluge like t' o'erflow  
His honour's Pillar in their flood of woe.   

11  
Rest, rest, Renowned Martyr, whilst we praise  
God's power that in thy constancy appeared;  
Thy virtues thee a Pyramid shall raise,  
Whilst Tyrants of their shadows are afeard,  
Thou who hast sacrificed thy well-spent life,  
For God and King, with them art crowned in glory,  
May thy blessed Offspring and thy fruitful Wife,  
Joy to contemplate on thy honoured story;  
And may thy blood, or prove a drench to purge  
Thy Murderer's malice, or their ruins urge.   

EPITAPH.  
Grace, Valour, Magnanimity,  
Zeal, Fortitude, Faith, Loyalty.  
Chose this true HERO here enshrined,  
To be their Champion, he whose mind  
Vanquished the power of Tyranny and rage,  
Defying death upon's own tragic Stage,  
And though his Murderers on his sufferings fed,  
They drunk their bane when's innocency bled.  
FINIS.