Successful March of the Lord General, Poem
AN ESSAY TO A Continuation OF ITER BOREALE; Attempting ſomething upon the happy influence, which that ſeaſonable and ſucceſſefull march OF THE LORD Generall Monck Out of the North, had upon the Arts and Sciences.
BY a LOVER of LEARNING.
LONDON, Printed for Robert Smith, and are to be ſold at the Crane in Pauls Church-yard. 1660.
An Eſsay to a Continuation OF ITER BOREALE.
COme, come my Muſe away, make haſt to greet
Great Genera…l Monck, go kiſs his welcome feet;
Indeed th' art ſomething tardy but however
The Proverb holds, 'tis better, late then never.
Some Candid Reader will ſuppoſe the lack
Of generous Wine, might ſet thy fancy back.
Excuſes may be found for coming late,
For thankfulneſſe is ſeldome out of date:
What Art or Science ſhall not ſtoop to the
Great Hero, Patron of their liberty.
Lilly and Cambden both, had ta'ne their flight
From Britiſh-coaſts, and left a ſhady night,
But for thy coming, they had packt away
Their Parts of ſpeech, and durſt no longer ſtay:
The Nouns were frighted at the Martiall brood,
And fear'd Declenſion as the Caſes ſtood;
The Subſtantives began to make their moan,
They muſt have help, they could not ſtand alone;
The Adjective that could not ſtand before,
Did never look to be ſupported more;
The Numbers were too weak to keep the field,
And with the fifteen Pronouns meant to yield.
Compariſons grew odious, what degree.
Can be expected from an Anarchy?
The Verb and Participle found no fence,
That might ſecure them in the Future-Tence
POSSƲM was cal'd with all his force, but he
Confeſt he wanted poſſibility.
The other Parts of ſpeech did want protection,
Witneſſe the ſighing of the Interjection.
SYNTAX diſpair'd, ſaying, will they ſpare
A quiet place where any concords are;
And poor Proſodia all beſmears her eye
With weeping to her mournfull Elegies.
But thou haſt wip't them, and ſhe means to raiſe
Her higheſt note to celebrate thy praiſe.
SECT. 2.
RHetorick that pleaſant Miſtriſſe, Learnings grace
Whoſe gaudy Varniſh wont to hide the face
Of horrid Acts, grows mute, and doth deny
To colour treaſon by an Encomy.
Her ſmoother ſtile was turnd to Haeſitation,
Stifled with guilt, it mar'd her pronunciation.
But by thy coming, thou haſt rais'd the hopes
Of fainting Suada, and redeem'd her Tropes
By caſting ſubtle figures, ſo that all
She ſpeaks of thee, muſt be Myoticall.
Now may ſhe ſpeak her mind and may declare
What kind of Muſhroms our late Courtiers were;
That NOL a Brewer was, and PRIDE his Dray man,
HEWSON a Cobler, PACKER but a Lay-man
The Rump forlorn, and of that curſed Crew
Some loſe their pelf, ſome bid the World adieu.
Thus haſt thou furniſht Pytho with a ſpring,
To curſe the wicked, and ſalute a King.
SECT. 3.
LOgick, the Queen of Reaſon, to whoſe bent
All power ſtoopt by force of Argument,
Is now ſo baffled, that ſhe proſtrate lies
A Captive Vaſſell to abſurdities.
'Twould melt your heart to hear the dolefull ſtory
And ſad complaint from every Catagory;
SƲBSTANTIA loſt her ſubſtance, and ſhe meant,
Hadſt thou not come to turn an accident;
'Twas well poor QƲANTITY was ſo diſcreet,
To ſtay her time, thy kind acceſſe to greet.
All QƲALITY was ſo transform'd of late,
She loſt her skill, nor could denominate:
Princes, muſt go on foot and beggars ride,
Coblers turn Peers, and Carters magnifi'd;
The noble qualitie which wont t' adorn
The Courts of Princes now become a ſcorn
To baſe Plebeians, you would ſpue to ſee
A ſtinking Rump dreſt up in Majeſtie.
RELATIONS all grew heavie and each eie
Was turnd a Fount by kinder ſympathie
Nor do I wonder when all Royall ACTION
Is ſolely manag'd by a curſed faction.
PASSION grew high, and could not brook ſuch things
As mounting Beggars and depoſing Kings.
ƲBI looks out in hope ſhe might deſcry
Some kinder ſuccor in extremity.
QƲANDO thinks long, and ſaith, what ſhall I be
Servant of Servants to eternity.
SITƲS was reſtleſs; while ſhe makes a moan,
The worſt of Varlets did prophane the Throne.
The HABITS were ſo wicked in the Nation,
That now Rebellion calls for abjuration,
'Twas God that ſent thee in this doubtfull ſeaſon,
To make us men and bring us to our reaſon,
The ill bred genus thou haſt packt from hence,
Defining Kingdomes by a difference;
The curſed Juncto of Hypocriſie,
Themſelves are baffl'd by a fallicy:
The World could not have found ſo fit a pate,
In ſuch a nick of time to moderate.
SECT 4.
MOralls that wont to guide us heretofore,
A crowd of Clowns had voted out of door.
The vertuer hide themſelves while bolder Vice
Hath friends at Court, and is upon her riſe.
'What need is there of Ethicks, why ſhould we
'Conſult the heathen for felicity.
'Alas! Their ſummum bonum is a toy
'Compar'd with ours; three Kingdomes we enjoy,
'And can we keep them we ſhall not envy
'The great Mogoll in all his Majeſty:
'Why ſhould we Chriſtians ſtoop to higher powers,
'Adam their Grandſire was, and ſo is ours.
Thou heardſt our rudeneſſe, and couldſt eaſily ſpy
Our great defect in this Phyloſophie.
Thou readſt an Ethick Lecture, we encline
And prove proficients in thy diſcipline:
The great uſurping Dons which governd ail,
Were Taught a Leſſon more Monaſticall.
Thy precept and thy practice both do ply
The ſtricteſt leſſons of Oeconomie,
And where thou find'ſt a ſtudent is for tricks,
Thou ſhewſt thy skill as well in politicks.
The ſaucy Rump who ſcornd the beſt of Kings,
In lower Congies broke her twatling ſtrings
To entertain thee, while a Chair of State
Muſt be prepar'd and all that's delicate.
Thou taught'ſt the Court, the Camp, and all to crie,
…ong live KING CHARLES God bleſs his Majeſty.
…ext under God we owe thy conquering banners,
…he late Edition of our Engliſh manners.
SECT. 5.
PHYSICKS had loſt their Science, whiles that all
Was out of courſe, and turn'd unnatural;
In vain their Students ſhall hereafter pry
In Natures Secrets, alls a prodigie;
Materia prima like, poor England ſtood
For ſome Impreſsion, give it what you wood.
Natures beſt friend thou cameſt and found us thus,
And brought a Form, by bringing Carolus.
The Cauſes all conſpire, and God direct
The bleſt production of this good effect;
Thou haſt ingaged the Sophiſter to ply
The choiceſt tracts in this Philoſophy.
SECT. 6.
THe Metaphyſicks fear'd their tender Ens
With verum bonum would be baniſht hence;
The Angels could not ſave, although they lent,
The ſtrongeſt force of each intelligent:
It was the In-created ſubſtance ſtaid
The ſpitefull hands, and made them all afraid,
By ſending great St. George, who by his might,
Did baniſh darkneſs, and recover light.
SECT. 7.
THe Law's a Kingdoms Bulwark, and the Fence,
The two edg'd Sword that keeps from violence,
Loſt both their tongue and ſence, ſo that the wiſe
Call'd all oppreſsion, in a Legal guiſe;
Our Lives, our Fortunes, Names and all muſt be
Poor fetter'd Priſoners to neceſſity.
What dolefull ſound was heard, what lamentation
Of Plunders, Thefts, of Rapes, and ſequeſtration?
Here ſits a weeping Orphan, and anon
We meet another ruin'd and undone.
Aſtrea went her way, but (O the pity)
She left her buſineſs with a dull Committee.
The*Meaning pretenders without the practice of godlineſs. godly mend their pack, the Saint inherit
Not by the Norman Law, but ſeeming merit;
Each place of Truſt and profit that way ran,
And lo, the Saint is turned a Publican.
High Courts of Juſtice never known before.
Muſt be erected as a Poſtern▪ door
For King and Peers, and to ſtop the ery
Of Royal blood, they cloak their Butchery
By ſeeming Law; and by a ſtrange pretence
All that was done was done by providence:
And wilt, O God, endure ſo great affront
From Hypocrites, and ſtand no more upon't?
What ſhall the worſt, and greateſt of Impiety
Acted by men, be charged upon the Deity?
Shall ſuch unheard of miſchief ſtill be hie,
Under Religions Cloak? let God forbid:
Thou heardſt our ſuit, and ſent great Monk to chaſe
The Rumpant Rebell and Redeem the Mace.
SECT. 8.
MFdicks whoſe skill was wont to bring again
A ſwooning Patient and remove the pain,
Conſults her Herbal, but could not deſcry,
A proper Plant for Englands malady;
The bolder Emprick comes, and for his Fee,
Preſcribes Purgation and Phlebotomy;
The Nobleſt blood runs out, the dregs remain,
And ſtill the Patient doth encreaſe her pain;
Now giving up the Ghoſt ſhe was heard to cry,
O give me ſomething Soveraign, or I die,
Thou heardſt, and doſt employ thy utmoſt skill
To give her eaſe by giving her her will.
A Colledge of Phyſicians do conſent
She muſt be pleas'd, her Cure is content.
Then hoiſt up ſail, and lets not ſpare for c…ſt,
Bring home that Drug, or England will be loſt,
She gladly takes it, and anon her dolour
Ceaſt, looks freſh, and gains her colour
Nay, then great Sir, ſince we are ſaved thus,
Wee I gil… thy Shrine, Great Eſculapius.
SECT. 9.
ARITHMATICK whoſe chiefeſt skill doth lie
In total Sums, forgot to multiply;
There was ſo much Diviſion and Subſtraction,
Her total Numbers mouldred into fraction.
Her eager Students cry, when ſhall we be
Paſt Subdiviſion, at the Rule of three.
The Cheating Treaſurers began to boaſt,
Th' had paſt accounts, but reckt without their Hoſt.
What do I ſtand for Cyphers? Reach a Pen,
There muſt be more, you muſt account agen:
Thus didſt thou teach the cheating Knave a trick,
And taught him better in Arithmatick.
SECT. 10.
ASTRONOMY whoſe Lectures made us wiſe
In Revolution, and to read the Skies,
Now curſe the Stars, and do conclude from thence
Her ruine came, Malignant Influence
Became her bane, and now ſhe muſt deny
To Court the Planets, all's Inconſtancy.
The new erected Lights eclipſe the Sun;
Prodigious Comet …ay we are undone.
Lillie was non-pluſt, and at laſt he ſell
From Reading Heaven to conſult with Hell▪
But ſtay, me thinks a glorious ſtar appear
From Northen parts, preſage a happy year;
This Star Riſe higher, and at length obtain
The wiſhed ſight of Charls the ſeconds Wain.
Now thanks to Heaven, all the Stars conſpire
To give poor England in, her hearts deſire.
SECT. 11.
THEOLOGIE which teach us to adore
One only God, and to admit no more,
Bids us to rear an Altar, and to pay
Our thankfulneſs, befitting ſuch a day:
A day, whoſe brighter beams did put to flight
Thoſe Owls and Bats that Revel'd in the night:
A glorious Church was brought to meer Confuſion,
Undoubted truth, expel'd by ſtrong deluſion,
Unhallowed hands prophane the Sacred Rite,
And Ignorance pretend to greateſt light,
The Cobler lays aſide the old Tranſlation,
Puts up his Tools, and works by Inſpiration.
The Canting Quaker makes a hideous cry,
England Repent, Repent or elſe you die:
The Dipper counts the wicked world unclean,
And muſt be damn'd, or dipped once again:
Now Englands Ark may fear deſtructive Rocks,
Whoſe only Sin was to be Orthodox
But is there any hope ſome man of Order
Will ſympathize, and look upon our border?
At length Religious Monk, was heard to ſay,
Quaker be gone, Phanaticks all away.
Thus didſt thou give our Church a better face,
And given hopes to ſee her wonted GRACE.
SECT. 12.
MVSICK whoſe Noble Science did inſpire,
Diviner ſouls, and rais'd the fancie higher,
Her ſelf was out of Tune by raging Billows,
And hangs her warbling Harp upon the Willows,
Is this a time for mirth? May every eye
Keep time in tears, and weep by ſympathie.
Are Law and Goſpel both turn'd out of door?
Put up the Viol bring the Lute no more.
Thus lay the mournfull Virgin like to die,
But now recovered to an extaſie:
Now doth ſhe chooſe her moſt delightfull ayres,
And tunes her Song according to affairs;
Now doth ſhe make the Chriſtian world to ring
Thy great atchievements for thy exile King:
Shee'l ſerve the here, and when thou ſhalt expire,
Shee'l raiſe her Heavenly Note a great deal higher,
She may attend the in the Angels Qui…e.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Wild, Successful March of the Lord General (1660)