TWO EPITAPHS, OCCASIONED by the Death of Sr CHARLES LUCAS, AND Sr GEORGE LISLE, basely assassinated at Colchester.  Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt. 
Printed in the Year 1648.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN, Lord LUCAS.  
My Lord;  
THE Doctor of the Gentiles, of whom it is certain some of us Englishmen are descended, (though many are degenerated into the very faith, or rather perfidiousness of the Jews: some turned Nulli-fidians, others plain Cannibals, delighting with Cyrus in raw flesh, and to wallow in blood,) almost all Barbarians, not knowing, at least not regarding Divine, Nationall, or Martial Laws; I say this great Doctor writing to the Thessalonians with purpose to mitigate their sorrow, for some departed friends, insists altogether on the resurrection, and future glory, that by the evidence of this argument they might assure themselves they had not lost, but should certainly enjoy (and in the plenitude of all pleasures) their dead friends. I will not say your Honour has lost, but sent before you a most noble Brother, whose death (like that of the Queen of Scots) our most gracious Sovereign's Grandmother (sic parvis componere magna, etc.) as it will redound to the perpetual infamy of our Nation, so it shall be a lasting Ornament to your noble family; and therefore you may with symphoniack voices, and choicest melody prosecute the funerals of your most Loyal and worthy Brother; and such as Macrobius witnesseth was the custom of the wisest Gentiles in performing the solemn obsequies of those Heroes, who had sacrificed their lives for the safety of their Country, assuring themselves their noble souls were translated hence to hear the harmonious melody resulting (as Pythagoras constantly affirmed) from the divinely ordered conversion of the heavenly spheres, and therefore those Ancients would accordingly with music, and honour conduct such happy spirits to the joyful mansions of eternal beatitude: These gnomicall, yet consolatory Monodies of Statius in Epicedio Glauci are too general for your heroik thoughts.  

Omnia functa, etc.  
All die, or else shall die, the days and nights  
Are borne, and vanish: STARS put out their lights,  
Who for this thing called Man, will wet his eyes,  
That by so many several chances dies?   
But certainly what Seneca writes to his honourable friend Polybius, Cum plus aequo fratris morte perturbaretur, may be addressed to your noble self; Cum voles rerum omn ium oblivisci, cogita Caesarem; fas non est tibi recordato Caesare de fortuna queri; especially reflecting how your noble Brother so justly paid Caesar what was Caesar's, courageously dying for his Prince and Country, and as that famous Epaminondas the glory of Thebes left two illustrius Daughters behind him the Victories at Leuctra and Mantinaea to perpetuate his memory: In like manner so many battles in the defence of our King and Kingdom, and Colchester with such gallantry defended are the everliving Offspring of your renowned Brother's virtues; and may solidly comfort your Honour in the absence of so brave a Parent of them, and your so near Kinsman, which are the hearty desires of, Your  
Lordship's unknown servant; Demophilus Philanactos.   

2. Epitaphs, etc.  

MOngst the black deeds of blacker Tom, this One  
Be graven upon his Monumental Stone;  
Hear lies a Fellow (Reader curse his Dust)  
That killed a Worthy, of whom England must  
Avouch he was not to be paralleled  
For Loyalty, and Valour in the Field.  
Had all things done by Fairfax been done well,  
This Act had damned them all, and him to Hell.   

NOW we'll adjoin brave Lucas Epitaph;  
Here sweetly rests his KINGS and Country's staff:  
Expect no Hattons Tomb to set him forth,  
His own Deeds are best Heralds of his Worth,  
And long-defended Colchesters' sad Story.  
The never ending Volume of his glory.  
The King has lost a CHAMPION, and true MIRROR  
Of Loyalty, the Parliament their TERROR:  
Soldiers have lost a LEADER to the Field,  
And in HIM only were ten thousands killed.  
(No Hamilton, that Troops raised not long since  
To free his King, but sold both Troops and Prince.)  
His House has lost an Honour of their stem,  
Three Realms a Chieftain might have rescued them:  
What has the Parliament and Fairfax won  
By cutting his lives thread, before 'twas out spun?  
Taken a few days off: Alas whilst days  
And Ages run, so long shall last his praise.  
And this dries every tear, cures every maim,  
CHARLES shall live ever registered by Fame.   

Tiberius' hated Histories, because  
He knew his own foul deeds done 'gainst all Laws  
Should be recorded, and Truth telling Fame  
Would speak his actions to the Actor's shame:  
Passion, and proper Interest dim our sight,  
And very few in their own cause judge right.  
Impartial Censors are the after times,  
And freely dare pronounce Crimes to be Crimes:  
Who not abhors Wat Tiler and Jack Cade?  
That such Com'otions here in London made:  
(Base Levellers) who durst their Armies bring  
By force to curb, or take, or kill the King.   

But let the Parliament prepare their eyes  
From Lucas Ashes Lucasses shall rise;  
Heroes, who like Elisha shall inherit  
In double measure, Noble Lucas spirit:  
Heroes, who to their King and Country true,  
Shall quell them, and their Independent Crew.  
Those Musketeers did unaware conspire  
To this miraculous Birth, when they gave Fire,  
And Noble Lucas fell a VICTIM down  
To Fairfax Rage, and Parliamental Gown:  
So is the Phoenix life, but then begun,  
When on the odorous Pile his life is done.  
For who reflecting on this WORTHIES fate  
Vows not revenge 'gainst Fairfax, and the State?  
And who'll refuse in such a Cause to die,  
That frees his Nation from base Tyranny?  
(Nay the long Asse-eared Cockneys vexed with fears,  
Might do some good, could they prick up their ears.)  
So Lucas undeserved Death shall bring  
Much happiness toth' Kingdom, and the KING;  
And Samson-like dead LUCAS shall kill more  
Preputiate Rebels than he did before.    

On Sir George Lisle.  

LIsle, had I known thee, I should praise thee more;  
But now, as does the Vulgar, I adore  
Virtue by hearsay. May this be enough  
To set thee forth, (more is superfluous stuff)  
In WORTH, in LIFE, in DEATH, with LUCAS share,  
There never lived, nor died a Worthier Pair:  
And had not BOTH of YOU so MATCHLESS been,  
You had not felt Fairfax Vindictive spleen.   

George sweetly rest, sprout Laurels from thy Dust,  
Live ever with the world, and with the Just:  
This Canzon with Apotheosde Patriots sing,  
I died a Loyal Martyr for my King.    

On the Death of both these Worthies.  

When Lisles and Lucas Tragedy began,  
They looked not at base Iretons Message won,  
But as some Libyan Lion chaste by Hounds,  
(When force avails not) trotting on the grounds,  
Disdains to fly, and rearing without dread  
His Crisped maine up, turns oft about his head,  
And views the following Curs, then sure to die,  
Acts his last Exit with much Majesty.  
No otherwise our Cordelion Knights,  
That had (undaunted) in so many fights  
Looked grim Death in the face, demand from whom,  
The Parliament, or Fairfax came this doom?   

'Tis answered, than the Raven stretched his throat  
When both the Houses made this bloody Vote,  
That all who waged war for the Royal Cause  
Should suffer death by their Draconick Laws.  
Our Cavaliers well knowing 'twas in vain  
To argue, where PRIDE, WILL and MALICE reign,  
Not Reason, nor true Honour; first commend  
Their souls to God, then crowning their last end  
With justice of their Cause, yield to the guns  
Of Fairfax, and his Earthborn Myrmidons.  
Ob. Some fool's object, that going to their graves  
They called the Sainted Faction Traitorous Knaves:  
Resp. Did not great Caesar stabbed, and falling down,  
Call Casca Rascal, then compose his Gown?  
Brave Souls, when to their ends they nearer be,  
Are strangely rapt, and Truths more clearly see.    
FINIS.