MORISTONUS MARTYR▪ TO THE Glorious Memory of the much Renowned Gentleman, ANDREW KER of MORISTOUN, Who was Slain at Buda, July 19 1686. A Funeral Elegy. Moristonus obit quanquam victoria parta est, Vix Mahumet tanti, totaque Buda fuit. Omnis Christianus Christo militat, cui quicunque in hoc bello sanguine litat, Martyr est. Tertull. By NINIAN PATERSON. Printed in the Year 1687. To the much Honoured the Land of More●●●●. SIR, I● 〈◊〉 Holy War against those ●arbarous and Blasphemous Infidels, your (now both in Heaven and Earth) most glorious Brother, hath had the honour to Sacrifice his Life; There was indeed, n● fairer way, to engrave the Glory of your Fame, and Family in the Immortal Annals of all ensuing Ages. I doubt not but his Death wi●● shortly be the sad Joyfull-theam of a more skilful, and accomplished Pen▪ The cruel and fretting afflictions I have unfortunatly encountered, (whic● I hope shall prove all but ●ed-●ea to my Cana●●, to which Age now hast me) have so li●● 〈…〉 a● my senses, that am like one gone along journey from himself, where the excess of Sorrow fierce gives way to the relief of Words; The evident tokens whereof, a that formerly knew me, will quickly perceive, in the following Poem Being, alas! wholly destitute of the delicaces of an acut Invention, and th● politness of a transporting expression; but what is sometimes a man's Fa● is not always his Fault, as by a dear bought Experience, I have too mu●● learned now to know. I am not altogether of his mind that lately w● the Life of the Grand Vizier Cara Mustapha, that it was only an amorous pique that hath rumbled the World, into these Grand Transactions to me they carry the thing and tincture of an higher Source; And thou that now all Caresses and Liberalities to the muse's be banished this part of 〈◊〉 World, yet could I have the happiness to animat any to that degree of Z● to avenge the Injury and Quarrel of our blasphemed Saviour, I doubt 〈◊〉 but my now naked Muse would quickly grow Penfeathered, and learn to s● with such a touring Wing, as would render th●m the celebrated Models Religion, Virtue, and Honour. I have foe born, in this Address to h● expatiated on your own Person 〈◊〉 ●nd Gallantry, lest it should s● an attack upon your modesty: 〈◊〉 Winter-day, I shall make ame●● for my unpleasantness by my b● 〈◊〉 ●●en I have only told you so g● an esteem I have for your 〈◊〉 ●●at unto what extremity of adun Fortune, I am so ever reduce● 〈◊〉 always preserve the profound ●spect and Passion of SIR, Your most Devouted and Humble Servant NINIAN PATERSO● To the Reader. THe disastrous Discords that have miserably infested, and almost harassed Great-Britain, and many other parts of Europe this long time by past, have diverted our Illustrious Princes, and Magnanimous Hero's from the least thought of this Holy War, till our blessed GOD in his just Judgement, stirred up the insolent Spirit of that fierce bloody and barbarous Robber, the great Turk, to blaspheme our Saviour, and threaten all Christendom with Ruin and Destruction; The Titles he that appropriate to himself, and his very Name will justify these Characters, for the Word Mahumet is derived from the Hebrew Machach quod percutere, ferire, caedere, vel delere, & delendo perdere▪ significat; so the Devil's name and his, Appolyon and Mahuamet are Synonims; his other Title Sultan, (though properly Arabic) derived off the Hebrew Shallot and Sh●l●●●n, which signifies Dominion and Power. That same word which we find Genesis 42. and 6th. translated the Governor, a Title wherein the chief Rulers of Egypt and Babylon did much glory, and stolen from them by this Thief. These his opprobrious insolences did awaken the religious Courage, and inflame the sacred Zeal, of not only the crowned Heads and Scepter-swaying Hands of Imperial- Majesty, these earthly Deities; but also the Heroic Hearts of some of minor Rank, though not directly interessed in this War, from Spain, Italy France and England, and some also of the Low Countries, to contribute their Aid to this Villain's Destruction▪ for the honour of their Saviour, whom thi● Monster had impiously and excerably blasphemed; and to signalise their Honour and Courage in so glorious an interprize against the Excrements of Mankind, and the Spa●● of Hell. And now by the permission of GOD, the Scourge of Christendom, whom we cannot by the way omit to tell you, how Octavianus M●ni●us describes. Perfidus hic praedo, cull nec fas, nec pudor ●llus, Nec pietatis honos, nec d●lois pignora pacis: Sed tantum imperii, & caedis scelerata cupido. Amongst whom this brave young Gentleman, the Laird of Moristoun made no small figure, being of a very honourable Birth, and descended of the most ancient Familsies of the Mers and ●●viotdale, and of an Estate, though in the West, yet not much estranged from the Bowels of the East: While we speak of him, it must be observed, that the Reader will find him, though honourably, yet with a great mistake of both Name and Title mentioned page 30 in the Historical Description of the Siege of Buda, it being written by a Frenchman, though an exact Recorder, and Eye-witness of all these bloody Transactions, yet utterly unacquaint with our Moristoun, with him went along from Scotland (known to be the Mother of Magnanimity, her Children in most parts of Christendom, being known by the Title of valiant and adventurous Scots) persons of good Birth and Quality, whose names and honour without wrong done to Posterity must not be omitted. Duke of Berwick, Lord George Savill Son to the Marquis of Hallifax, the Lord Mountjoy, Colonel Barrage▪ Mr. Smith Esquire, Mr. Couts Esquire, Captain Rupert, Mr. Wiseman Esquire, and the Laird of Dalmany our Countryman, who on this same account ought never to be mentioned without Honour. I hope none will be so peevish to be offended because I call the Turk Antichrist, it's done by many hundreds before me, and these Divines of no mean esteem, Montague 〈◊〉 App●llo C●sarem hath made it evident as with a Sunbeam; and Zanchius too in many of his Writings, Tom. 7. ●e perseverant sanctorum; and also in Tractatu de 〈◊〉 saeculi; and To●● respon. ad Ar●ia●u●, by such Arguments as these, that he exalts himself against all that is called GOD, and most blasphemously denyeth GOD, neither acknowledging the Trinity, not yet that Holy One, the Power of GOD, denys also that Christ is God, and affirms that he shall only be a Witness of the Judgement, and not a Judge of the World, as we read in Alcoran● Az●●●, ●. Quod Jesus Christus circa temp●● judicij sit moriturus & sicut alij homines resurrecturus. Az●●●, 49. Christum non judicem sed testem judicij ●acit, Damas●●●s in libro de Heresibus in h●resi Is●aelitarum sive Aga●●n●●um. P. ●86. And for ●his Paradise, it is nothing but a luxurious Banquet, in a brutish Bawdy-house. It's he that reigns in the Seven-hilled City of Constantinople, and sits in the very Temple of God, for Jerusalem is his, ●●●h name Mahumetis, (as M●ntagu● manifests) makes up the number of the Beast, as also a great part of the World runs after him, ecce homo, this is he; And would to God, the Cries and Complaints, the Chains, and Bonds, the Bo●●s and Shakies, and merciless Torments of 〈◊〉 Chris●●● Brethren, the savage and inhuman effusion of their Blood, that was sanctified with Baptis●s, the Robbing, and d●m●●b●● Poisoning of the Souls of their Children, might in this ●●●●ing, and I hope, mature opportunity, kindle in all Christian Hearts, the holy fire of Compassion towards the one, and fervant zeal for God, and our Religion towards the other, that we may all with one consent, avenge the Blood of his Martyred Servants, that have this long time under the Altar, Revel. 6. v. 9.10 Cried for vengeance. That so we may set bounds to the insolent and insulting Pride of that hideous Monster, and may propagate the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Ahi no●●e indignum fuerat tot stare per annos, Infandi caput hoc monstri implacabile territ? There is only our thing that I am to acquaint the Reader with, that I hope it will little offend any Learned or Judicious, that I term this Gentleman's Death a Martyrdom, it must be remembered, it's in a Poem to which every man affords some grain of allowance, or at least discretion will allow him so to do, especially in the expression, much more, when it is considered, that the Word Martyr is primarly, and Originaly Greek, and signifies no more but a Witness; hence was that ordinary asseveration amongst the Grecians, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. I make the Gods my Witness, yet in almost all other Tongues, the same word being kept: It's applied more largely to any that has suffered Death for the love and honour of God. So Apel, Genesis 4th and 5. And Zacharias 2d. Chr. 24.21. Matthew 2●. 35. Luke 11.51. And the Prophets that were slain by Jezebel, are by some Fathers called Martyrs; when I say, almost all other Tongues, I except only the Mother Hebrew, and her Daughters the Siriack and Arabic, but in other Inferior Tongues, it is peculiarly kept, and appropriated to one that loseth his Life for a Testimony of the Truth of the Gospel of Christ. As it is particularly applied to Antipas, Revel. 2.13. Who is supposed by Barronius, and Pererius (who take the History from Aretas) to have been the Bishop of Pergamus: And is said to have been tortured to death in a red hot Brazen Bull, (the invention of the Tyrant Phaleris) about that same time, that John was cast into the Cauldron full of seething Oil. Some make the distinction, that all Martyrs must be Confessors, but all Confessors are not Martyrs. And so the young Children whom Herod slew in Bethlehem, must not have the Honour of that glorious Title: Yet Barleus cal●s that infenticidium martyrij gloria prima, where he elegantly brings in the Mother's lamenting, and calling to the Tyrant Quid puer hic meruit tam paucis editus horis? qui potuit sceptris noxius esse tuis. Prima dies vitae mortis fit prima cruentae, dum moritur lucis nescius ipse suae. Ensem adigas dixi mea per praecordia miles, at soholi clemens obsecro parce meae. And generally they are called St. Innocents' and Martyrs, and a day in the Callander appointed for them. But it is concluded both by St. Cyprian, and St. Augustin, It's the Cause, not the Suffering makes them Martyrs. Both the Donatists, and Circumcellions would have all voluntary Deaths to be Martyrdom. And Pelibianus taught, that all who slew themselves for their Sins were Martyrs, in which case, Judas might have had a principal rubric in his Calendar. But in a word, it's concluded by all Orthodox Divines, that he properly is a Martyr, that suffers Death for the Word of God, and Testimony of Jesus our Saviour; Which honour whosoever dar deny to the Magnanimous M●ri●●ou●, must be confessed by all honest Men, deeply guilty of presumptuous folly; stupid Ignorance Injurious Detraction, and pernicious and disdainful envy, from which Good Lord deliver every Christian. AMEN. The Funeral Elegy. MY Muse hath practised lighter griefs, but She Hath hardly strength for such a Tragedy; ●he death of Moristoun's enough to make ●h'amazed Rafters of the Sky to shake. ●reat Atlas of the Nations Fame! his Fate, ●oo glorious is for dregs of Wit to Rate. 〈◊〉 would require some high victorious Rhyme ●or to revenge his Death, and conquer Time; ●●t ye we're not surprised, sad news as these ●ould still get leave to sink in by degrees. ●●me conquers grief, and makes it melt away, 〈◊〉 Ice before the Suns dissolving Ray: ●hen may we fill the mouth of Fame with Verse, ●nd pour a Box of spikenard on his Hearse, ●hough now remote from us (blessed Fate!) lest we ●ight with his Dust commit Idolatry: ●hat Saint and Martyr Moristoun! whose Breast heroic Valiant Courage, so possessed, ●●mself a Sacrifice for to afford, 〈◊〉 avenge th'affronts of his blasphemed Lord; No greater Christian Honour, than t'oppose, With life's expense our Saviour's spiteful foes. ●n Earth this is the Flower of all Renown, ●●d surest Title to th'eternal Crown: ●e is with glorious name of Martyr blest, ●ho with his Blood doth Seal the Truths of Christ▪ ●ith other Foes about the Bounds we fight 〈…〉 jure 〈…〉. ●re for the whole Possession and its Right. ●●r CHRIST and Mahumet (we may be bold 〈◊〉 affirm) that Heaven together cannot hold. ●●en blest is he whom love of Jesus draws, 〈◊〉 lay his life down in so good a C●●●● 〈◊〉 whoso gives his Bread unto the Poor, 〈◊〉 in his Members feeds his Saviour: ●●t he who gives Himself, his Life and Blood, 〈◊〉 greater Sacrifice could give to God, Nor richer Purchase ever 〈…〉 Either for Honour, or for Happiness, And this is properly our Saviour's mind, Mat. ●●. ●●. He that thus loseth life, his life shall find. He who for Christ darr tread the Paths that lead To the dark pensive Regions of the dead. He by his Word, th'eternal Crown shall wear, 2 Tim. 2. 1●. That's more beset with Pearl, than stuffed with care. The light afflictions which he here endured, 2 Cor. ●. 1●. F●r more excelling glorious weights afford. Writ them down blessed, said the Heavenly voice, Rev. 14.13. No Men like them, of all they are the choice. In Ecclesiastic History we read, One Martyr still th'way to another led; Great is th'attractive power, example hath, ●●d. Hist. Aug●. Lib. ●. St. Alban turned his Heads man to the Faith, And to God's Heavenly Kingdom brought him on, Through Martyrdom a stout Companion. Sixius the Second, did St. Laurence turn, And he Romanus; for that Faith to burn They lately persecuted, so doth rise Another Phoenix from the Bed of Spice, And precious Odoriferous perfume, Which both at once renews and doth consume She her own happy Heir; what ruins all, Adds strength to her, restored by Funeral. So surely his example will inflame Some Heros get to signalise their Fame▪ No greater comfort to his Friends can come, Then to believe he suffered Martyrdom. Th●se truly are the Battles of the Lord, That Heaven and Honour both at once afford. While others spend their 〈◊〉 with Packs of Hounds About their hardly unmorgaged 〈◊〉 And of Repentance never have a thought, (The dearest Pennyworth was over bought;) A●●tryst Devotion till that Mellow years Hath interwoven Snow amongst their Hairs. Our Heros, whose wise greater Soul did train More nobly sparkling Blood through e'er Vein; Durst generously Exile himself from home, T'embalm his glorious Fame with Martyrdom. Who had at Luxenburgh, and Vienn' too, Withstood the worst Falsehood or Rage could do: To give to all the World a proof, that he Had to degenerous fear Antipathy. Nor Friends, nor Parents Prayers, nor Tears, could 〈◊〉 His Resolutions for this fatal Camp: That from his Chief and him, in Peace and War, Scotland might Honour gain from Name of KER, And he his Family might Signalise With this Heroic Christian enterprise, And all might in a Sainted Rubric read, Since the brave MORISTOUN at Buda died; A Youth of Myriad, yet did despise The World, and did not say, Soul take thy ease, But had a holy passionate desire, Elias-like, to go to Heaven with Fire: Fight against base Infidels, and worse, Who what they got by fraud, defends by force. The Actor's greatness wrongs sometimes digests, What horrid shame, Men worried thus with Beasts? The scourge of Christendom, the Spoun of Hell, Whether from Jew or Pagan, none can tell; But this is sure, all Mahume● ●verr A Thief, a Murderer, Adulterer. He was (who wrote his life, they all confess,) A nasty sink of sin and wickedness: His very Laws, in stead of good and just, Smells nothing but of Rancour and of ●●st. This is the Antichrist, whose whole intent's To wallow in the Blood of Innocents', And night and day like Devils doth employ Himself, both Souls and Bodies to destroy. Shall Christians suffer that Ignoble Slave Thus to possess their Lords and Saviour's Grave? That Monster vile, that knows▪ no other Lord But Rapine, and a Bloody Brandished Sword. Buda is won, there rests for to o'ercome But only Belgrade and Bysantium: Whereof of each, such a triumphant Foil, Will load you all with Honour and with Spoil, May this a Flame to holy Zeal afford; T'assist the Conquests of great Lorains Sword: And may that Conquering Blade no measure know, Until th'insulting Sultan be brought low. It's Prophesied, that his last time is come, He well may flee, but not out-flee his doom. When ye have set a bounds unto his Rage, This shall be called, The memorable Age. If ye do not (as God forbidden) o'ercome; Ye'll win the glorious Crown of Martyrdom. Had all undaunted Hearts like MORISTOUN, Triumphs and Trophies both would be your own His Epitaph. HEre lies the Glory of his Name and Race, Who Sacrificed his Life for Christian Peace Whose Gallantry and Merit shall Renown To th'world and, the House of MORIS TOV 〈…〉 The Great 〈…〉