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ELEG. 37.

Methought his royal person did foretel
A kingly stateliness, from all pride clear:
His look majestic seemed to compel

All men to love him, rather than to fear.

And yet, though he were every good man's joy,
And the alonely comfort of his own,

His very name with terror did annoy

His foreign foes, so far as he was known.

Hell droop'd for fear, the Turkey Moon look'd pale; Spain trembled; and the most tempestuous Sea, (Where Behemoth, the Babylonish Whale,

Keeps all his bloody and imperious plea)

Was swoln with rage, for fear he'd stop the tide Of her o'er-daring and insulting pride.

ELEG. 38.

For amongst divers virtues rare to find,
Though many I observ'd, I mark'd none more
Than in Religion his firm constant mind,
Which I set deep upon remembrance' score;
And that made Romists* for his fortunes sorry :

*"Violent reports," says Hume, "were propagated, as if Henry had been carried off by poison; but the physicians, on opening his body, found no symptoms to confirm such an opinion." A report was also prevalent that the Romanists had meditated his death.

When therefore they shall hear of this ill-hap, Those mints of mischiefs will extremely glory, That he is caught by him whom none shall 'scape. Yet boast not, Babel! thou insult'st in vain ; Thou hast not yet obtain'd the victory:

We have a Prince still, and our King doth reign; So shall his seed and their posterity.

For know, God, that loves his and their good tenders, Will never leave his faith without defenders.

ELEG. 44.

From passion thus to passion could I run,
Till I had over-run a world of words:

My Muse, might she be heard,would ne'er have done;
The subject matter infinite affords..

But there's a mean in all: with too much grieving
We must not of God's providence despair,
Like cursed Pagans, or men unbelieving.
'Tis true, the hopes that we have lost were fair;
But we beheld him with an outward eye,

And though he in our sight most worthy seem'd,
Yet God saw more, whose secrets none can spie,
And finds another whom we less esteem'd.
So Jesse's eldest sons had most renown,
But little David did obtain the Crown.

ELEG. 45.

Let us our trust alone in God repose,
Since Princes fail; and maugre Turk or Pope,
He will provide one that shall quail our foes:
We saw he did it when we had less hope.
Let's place our joys in him, and weep for sin;
Yea, let's in time amend it, and foresee
(If loss of earthly hope hath grievous been)
How great the loss of heaven's true joys may be.
This if we do, God will stretch forth his hand
To stop those plagues he did intend to bring,
And pour such blessings on this mournful Land,
We shall for IO, Hallelujah sing;

And our dear JAMES, if we herein persever,
Shall have a Son to grace his Throne for ever.

[The panegyric of Mr. Dalrymple, in his Extracts from Wither's Juvenilia 1785, that this poem "is so different from the common stile of Court Funeral Elegies, that it would be unpardonable to consign it to that oblivion which such pieces generally deserve," has induced the editor to select pretty copiously from it. Several of the elegies are certainly composed in a strain of dignified sorrow, and are creditable to the feelings of Wither, who seems to have looked up to the Prince and his Sister as the patrons and protectors of his future destinies. They are not discreditable also to his poetical abilities.]

SATIRE,

Written to the KING's most Excellent Majesty,

BY

GEORGE WITHER,

When he was Prisoner in the Marshalsea, for his first Воок.

LONDON:

Printed by T. S. for John Budge, dwelling in Paul's Church-yard, at the Sign of the Green Dragon. 1622.

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