GREAT BRITAIN'S Bitter Lamentation OVERDO THE DEATH OF THEIR Most Valiant, and Most Puissant GENERAL George Lord Monck, Lord Duke of Albemarle, etc.  
LONDON: Printed by Tho. Johnson for William Miller, at the Gilded Acorn in St. Paul's Churchyard, near the Little North door. 1670.   

Great Britain's Bitter Lamentation, etc.  
GReat DUKE, the Wonder of these later Times!  
When, since the Judges ruled long dead & gone,  
We were, as Judah, punished for our Crimes,  
He, like to Jephtha, Samson, Gideon,  
Was raised Deliverer us to restore,  
When men afflicted, did God's aid implore.  
verse 2 The Scriptures say that Moses face did shine  
So bright, that Israel durst not come near,  
Till with a Veil he hid those Rays Divine,  
That struck the Rebels with a panic fear;  
Our Leader was by Nature veiled, which Hue,  
He removed, when he Rebellion slew.  
verse 3 He stood behind a Curtain, where he saw  
Others, himself unseen; and for a space,  
When that he pleased, he would the Curtain draw,  
Opening the Casement, the Amnion of's Face:  
And wise men say, Great Honours win he shall,  
That's born with's Face wrapped in his Mother's Caul.  
verse 4 If ever man had Gyges' Ring, 'twas he,  
To walk invisible, and not be seen;  
Yet his just Actions did with Light agree,  
As if that Masque he wore had never been;  
He used it not works wicked to conceal,  
But secret Plots of Rebels to reveal.  
verse 5 When long Intestine Wars this Land annoyed,  
Our fair Andromeda sought to devour,  
This Dragon was at last by him destroyed,  
Bringing in again the Lawful Power,  
Freeing the Captive-People from their Chains,  
And will be famous whilst the World remains.  
verse 6 The Land as with 〈…〉  
And many years we sought for help in vain;  
'Twas not an easy Task he undertook,  
To bring three Kingdoms dead, to Life again;  
Great Britain's Bars and Bolts rend in sunder,  
No man bore the weight Lord Monck stood under.  
verse 7 'Twixt Hope and Fear men's minds were divided;  
Our Woe or Weal stood on that Days Success,  
Lord Monck's the Umpire by whom all's decided,  
On him then lay three Kingdoms Happiness;  
He held the Balance, and next under God,  
He then had leave to keep, or burn the Rod.  
verse 8 Some doubt, some rage, some wonder, others pray.  
Some boldly ask the Question, Who is this!  
That stormy Winds, and boisterous Seas obey,  
On whom depends our chiefest Earthly Bliss?  
This is Lord Monck ne'er to be forgotten,  
His Name shall live when we are dead and rotten.  
verse 9 Let his Epicaeds and Threnodies have room  
Within your Archives, always to be found,  
And let his Statue to the Day of Doom,  
With Kings and Princes stand on equal ground;  
That as th' ungrateful World doth flit away,  
These may be Witnesses another day.  
verse 10 Remember but the straits that we were in,  
When this stout Heros for us bravely drew  
His Conquering Sword, which passed through thick and thin,  
Till all our Enemies he did subdue,  
Yet by his Prudence made the Conquest good,  
The like ne'er heard, scarce spilt one drop of blood.  
verse 11 For the observed a middle Course to steer,  
And then at Anchor would he safely ride,  
Nor Sylla, nor Carybdis did he fear,  
He left them both sometimes on either side;  
Keeping an even Trace, as he thought meet,  
As wise as Daedalus that fled from Crect.  
verse 12 No man but he that sailed upon this Rhomb,  
Like to the South, the Northwest Passage found,  
Which proved to be the shortest Loxodrome,  
To all that were for his long Voyage bound;  
He chose one Point i'th'Compass, that did bend  
Directly to the Port he did intent.  
verse 13 ' 'Gainst Wind and Tide it was in vain to strive,  
The Current ran too strong for to prevail,  
When others sunk, he kept himself alive,  
He fetched a Compass, and let fall his Sail;  
Like Jason and his Arganauts of Greece,  
That sailed to Colchis for the Golden Fleece.  
verse 14 Or like the Sun within the Zodiac,  
By the First Mover forced another away;  
At the same time he did two Motions make,  
And by Degrees got forward every day;  
Though the diurnal Waft did him confine,  
He mounts to th' Tropic by a Spiral Line.  
verse 15 He fought to make those Words prophetic good,  
Stamped on the George's by Royal Command,  
Religio Protestantium, Salus Regni,  
Libertas Populi Anglicani.  
For which our Sovereign Charles did spend his Blood,  
To keep down Anarchy with's sacred Hand;  
Preferring always before his own Health,  
The Kingdoms, Churches, and the People's Wealth.  
verse 16 This Honour he obtained by Loyalty,  
True Valour's always faithful to the Crown,  
From hence let all men learn Fidelity,  
Kings ne'er want Subjects to pull Rebels down;  
We love his Memory most for this thing,  
He made three Kingdoms say, God save the King.  
verse 17 Some are to Kings, and some to Subjects dear,  
It's hard to find a Man can please them all;  
Such was his Merit whilst he lived here,  
He was beloved of both in general;  
Maugre all malice, and his Foes despite,  
He was the Kings, and Subjects Favourite.  
verse 18 In Wars none named but Monck, Lord General,  
In Peace a true Monastique Life he lead,  
Sequestered from the world, scarce named at all;  
As not alive, but dead and buried:  
The day he made our Peace, he rang his Knell,  
First did our work, then bid us all farewell.  
verse 19 Stout as Hercules, yet refusing Praise,  
For when the Soldiers gave him praise was due,  
He strove for to divide the Crown of Bays;  
Part of that Praise, saith he, belongs to you.  
Debetur Gloria vobis, Non solus vici.  
Moses for Meekness, and in setting forth,  
The mildest Esteemer of his own worth.  
verse 20 No noise were heard, when greatest things were done,  
As if not willing that the world should know.  
The deepest Rivers ever stillest run,  
The shallow Streams do murmur as they go;  
All things he did, the reason may be guessed,  
Were forged within the Shop of his own Breast.  
verse 21 The sturdy Swordfish that came posting in,  
To bring sad News of what should shortly fall,  
Told us that God was angry for our sin,  
Would take from us our Worthy General;  
Whose Death three Nations ought to lament,  
We pray God send us grace for to repent.  
verse 22 We know not yet the Treasure we have lost,  
Nor should we want, scarce for to find his like,  
When things were out of order turned and tossed,  
Then was the Iron hot for him to strike;  
His Valour and his Wisdom jointly stand,  
'Tis hard to say which had the upperhand.  
verse 23 A faithful Friend at need to Monarchy,  
Th' oppressed Subjects Helper to their Right,  
Rebuilder of Collapsed Hierarchy,  
The plundered Lawyer's Advocate by might;  
Thus all Degrees, as I pay mine in Verse,  
Own something as a Tribute to his Hearse.  
verse 24 The Prince and People's Joy, fanatics Rod,  
Restorer of the Breach; what shall we say?  
Great Britain's Palladium, sent from God,  
Whose valiant Acts no Time can wash away:  
He was both loved and feared, and knew full well,  
Were it in Peace, or War, for to excel.  
verse 25 Read all the Histories were penned of old,  
Search all the Monuments that you can find,  
Count all the famous Stories that are told,  
Call the Nine Worthies, and the rest to mind;  
Those that most dear to them their countries' held,  
Our Loss is more than can be paralleled.  
verse 26 Let no Detractors from him derogate,  
Saying, As much some other might have done,  
He doubtless was the Man ordained by Fate,  
None prospered like him since the Wars begun;  
St. George for England men were wont to call,  
With him compared, was St. George Typical.  
verse 27 To show in time another George should come,  
To whom most Subjects should due Homage pay;  
At last St. George succeeded in his room,  
Whom cruel Death hath lately snatched away;  
Let all true Hearts lament with doleful cries,  
Let Tears like Rivers trickle from your eyes.  
verse 28 This Winter cold began to grow so strong,  
When we began his Death for to bemoan;  
Great fear there was should it continue long,  
All men, like Niobe, would freeze to stone,  
Because we were of him we loved bereft,  
Resolved to weep till there's no moisture left.  
verse 29 The Land is dark, whilst most are clothed in black,  
Ninety 's the Elevation of our Pole,  
Or else our Sun is some Degrees gone back,  
To give the People leave for to condole  
Our Loss; no Drapers can supply our Needs,  
That all that would be clad in Mourning-weeds.  
verse 30 Such public Persons cannot die alone,  
A general Mortality we dread;  
The Choice he made, soon after him was gone,  
Living no longer, when her Lord was dead;  
The Stars that are deprived of the Sun's light,  
Do lose their lustre, waxing dark as Night.  
verse 31 Yet he hath left a gallant Sprout behind,  
A hopeful Plant to stand up in his room,  
To keep his Grace's Virtues still in mind,  
A richer Monument than any Tomb  
Of Brass or Marble; the Just cannot die,  
Just men are in Eternal Memory.  
verse 32 Quarter this Isle, and at each Corner set  
Pyramids of Brass, and place them thus  
With rich Inscriptions, men may ne'er forget  
What our Tutelar Saint hath done for us,  
Uniting Hearts divided, settling Peace,  
As when the Winds are laid, the Billows cease.  
verse 33 When true Nobility was quite forgot,  
And Gentry from Pageantry were not known;  
When most men seemed to be what they were not,  
And no man living knew what was his own,  
He pulled their Vizards off, and did decree  
Who had the Right, no Blepharo but he.  
verse 34 The West his Birth count their chiefest Glory,  
The Conquered Scotch extol him in the North,  
The beaten  will be the Eastern Story,  
The South his Life and Worthy Deeds set forth.  
The East, the West, the North, the South remain  
Debtors to his strong Heart, and prudent Brain.  
verse 35 As Samson did by Night, when he by Day,  
Pulled down the City Gates with might and main,  
They feared he would have carried them away;  
He pulled them down, to set them up again:  
For which they claim, as he obliged them all,  
To be Chief Mourners at his Funeral.  
verse 36 To mourn as men without hope, is forbid,  
For they that die, to Life again shall rise,  
And therefore was Moses dead Body hid,  
Lest th' unbelieving Jews should idolise  
Funeral Pomps for great Thanksgiving,  
The Dead gain nothing by't, but the Living.  
verse 37 The Name of George was famous long before,  
As if there lay some Virtue in that Name,  
Say but St. George, you need to say no more  
To scare the Rebels, and fanatics tame:  
George Duke of Buckingham, whose Fame loud rings,  
Was most beloved of subjects, by two Kings.  
verse 38 More might be said, which can give no offence,  
Of Famous George's, both in Church and State,  
For their good Deeds, it is the last Recompense,  
That mortal men may have immortal Date:  
We must forbear, it cannot be expressed  
The Joys they find in Everlasting Rest  
verse 39 When Great Gustavus Honours did confer  
On Warlike Persons that deserved it best,  
Noble Lord Craven then he did prefer,  
Giving him Honour far above the rest;  
In such like words, Sword flourished o'er his head,  
Rise up best Soldier ever England bred.  
verse 40 Who can damn up our overflowing Tears?  
Or staunch the Wound that yet so fiercely bleeds?  
The Land is filled with Jealousies and Fears,  
Till one for Valour like his GRACE succeeds;  
Whilst the world lasts, let such men never cease,  
To fight our Battles, and preserve our Peace.  
Vivat Rex Maximus Carolus Secundus, & Illustrissimus Jacobus Dux Eboracensis, & tota Inclytissima Progonies Regalis, 
 Animitus precatur.  
Insignissimi Caroli Richmondiae & Lenoxii, Ducis, Capellanus humilimus, & Rector Parochiae de Fotes-Cray, in Comitatu Kantij. Johannes Rowland.   
FINIS.