A Panegyrike Congratulatorie to the Kings most excellent Majestie

Loe here the glory of a greater day
Then England euer heretofore could see
In all her daies! When she did most display
The ensignes of her pow'r, or whenas she
Did spread her selfe the most, and most did sway
Her state abroade, yet could she neuer be
Thus blest at home, nor euer come to grow
To be intire in her full Orbe till now.

2

And now she is, and now in peace therefore
Shake hands with Vnion, O thou mighty State,
Now thou art all Great-Britaine and no more,
No Scot, no English now, nor no debate;
No borders but the Ocean and the shore:
No wall of Adrian serues to separate
Our mutuall loue, nor our obedience,
Being Subiects all to one imperiall Prince.

3

What heretofore could neuer yet be wrought
By all the swords of pow'r, by bloud, by fire,
By ruine and distruction; here is brought
To passe with peace, with loue, with ioy, desire:
Our former blessed vnion hath begot
A greater vnion that is more intire,
And makes vs more our selues, sets vs at one
With Nature that ordain'd vs to be one.

4

Glory of men, this hast thou brought to vs,
And yet hast brought vs more then this by farre;
Religion comes with thee, peace, righteousnesse,
Iudgement and iustice, which more glorious are
Then all thy Kingdomes; and art more by this
Then Lord and Sou'raigne, more then Emperor
Ouer the hearts of men that let thee in
To more then all the pow'rs on earth can win.

5

God makes thee King of our estates, but we
Doe make thee King of our affection,
King of our loue: a passion borne more free,
And most vnsubiect to dominion:
And know, that England which in that degree
Can loue with such a true deuotion,
Those that are lesse then Kings; to thee must bring
More loue, who art so much more then a King.

6

And King of this great Nation, populous,
Stout, valiant, pow'rfull both by Sea and Land,
Attemptiue, able, worthy, generous,
Which ioyfully embraces thy command;
A people tractable, obsequious,
Apt to be fashion'd by thy glorious hand
To any forme of honor, t'any way
Of high attempts, thy vertues shall assay.

7

A people so inur'd to peace, so wrought
To a successiue course of quietnesse,
As th'haue forgot (and O, b'it still forgot)
The nature of their ancient stubbornnesse:
Time altred hath the forme, the meanes, and brought
The State to that proportion'd euennesse,
As 'tis not like againe 'twill euer come
(Being vs'd abroad) to draw the sword at home.

8

This people, this great State, these hearts adore
Thy Scepter now, and now turne all to thee,
Touch't with as pow'rfull zeale, and if not more,
(And yet O more, how could there euer be
Then vnto her, whom yet we doe deplore
Amidst our ioy!) And giue vs leaue if we
Reioyce and mourne, that cannot without wrong
So soone forget her we enioy'd so long.

9

Which likewise makes for thee, that yet we holde
True after death, and bring not this respect
To a new Prince for hating of the olde;
Or from desire of change, or from neglect;
Whereby, O mighty Soueraigne, thou art tolde
What thou and thine are likely to expect
From such a faith, that doth not haste to runne
Before their time to an arising Sunne.

10

And let my humble Muse , whom she did grace,
Beg this one grace for her that now lies dead,
That no vile tongue may spot her with disgrace,
Nor that her fame become disfigured:
O let her rest in peace, that rul'd in peace;
Let not her honour be disquieted
Now after death: but let the Graue inclose
All but her good, and that it cannot close.

11

It addes much to thy glory and our grace,
That this continued current of our loue
Runnes thus to thee, all with so swist a pace;
And that from peace to peace we doe remoue
Not as in motion put from out our place,
But in one course, and doe not seeme to moue,
But in more ioy then euer heretofore;
And well we may, since thou wilt make vs more.

12

Our loue we see concurres with Gods great loue,
Who onely made thy way, thy passage plaine,
Leuell'd the world for thee, did all remoue,
That might the shew but of a let retaine:
Vnbarr'd the North , humbled the South , did moue
The hearts of all the right to entertaine;
Held other states embroil'd, whose enuie might
Haue fostred factions to impugne thy right:

13

And all for thee, that we the more might praise
The glory of his powre, and reuerence thine,
Whom he hath rais'd to glorifie our dayes,
And make this Empire of the North to shine
Against all th'impious workings, all th'assayes
Of vile disnatur'd Vipers, whose designe
Was to embroile the State, t'obscure the light,
And that cleere brightnesse of thy sacred right.

14

To whose reproch, since th'issue and successe
Doth a sufficient marke of shame returne,
Let no Pen else blazon their ouglinesse;
Be it enough, that God and men doe scorne
Their proiects, censures; vaine pretendences:
Let not our children, that are yet vnborne,
Find there were any offred to contest,
Or make a doubt to haue our Kingdome blest.

15

Burie that question in th'eternall graue
Of darknesse, neuer to be seene againe:
Suffice we haue thee whom we ought to haue,
And t'whom all good men knew did appertaine
Th'inheritance thy sacred birth-right gaue,
That needed n'other suffrages t'ordaine
What onely was thy due, nor no decree
To be made know'n, since none was known but thee.

16

Witnesse the ioy, the vniuersall cheere,
The speede, the ease, the will, the forwardnesse
Of all this great and spacious State, how deere
It held thy title and thy worthinesse:
Haste could not post so speedy any where,
But Fame seem'd there before in readinesse,
To tell our hopes, and to proclaime thy name;
O greater then our hopes, more then thy fame!

17

What a returne of comfort dost thou bring
Now at this fresh returning of our bloud,
Thus meeting with the opening of the Spring,
To make our spirits likewise to imbud!
What a new season of incouraging
Biginnes t'inlength the dayes dispos'd to good!
What apprehension of recouerie
Of greater strength, of more abilitie!

18

The pulse of England neuer more did beat
So strong as now: nor euer were our harts
Let out to hopes so spacious and so great
As now they are: nor euer in all parts
Did we thus feele so comfortable heat,
As now the glory of thy worth imparts:
The whole complection of the Common-wealth,
So weake before, hop'd neuer for more health.

19

Could'st thou but see from Douer to the Mount,
From Totnes , to the Orcades , what ioy,
What cheere, what triumphs, and what deere account
Is held of thy renowne this blessed day:
A day which we and ours must euer count
Our solemne festiuall, as well we may.
And though men thus court Kings still which are new,
Yet doe they more, where they find more is due.

20

They feare the humours of a future Prince,
Who either lost a good or felt a bad,
But thou hast cheer'd vs of this feare long since,
We know thee more, then by report we had:
We haue an euerlasting euidence
Vnder thy hand, that now we need not dread
Thou wilt be otherwise in thy designes
Then there thou art in those iudiciall lines

21

It is the greatest glory vpon earth
To be a King, but yet much more to giue
The institution with the happy birth
Vnto a King, and teach him how to liue:
VVe haue, by thee, far more then thine owne worth,
That doth encourage, strengthen and relieue
Our hopes in the succession of thy blood,
That like to thee, they likewise will be good.

22

VVe haue an earnest, that doth euen tie
Thy Scepter to thy word, and binds thy Crowne
(That els no band can binde) to ratifie
VVhat thy religious hand hath there set downe,
VVherein thy all commanding Soueraigntie
Stands subiect to thy Pen and thy renowne;
There we behold thee King of thine owne hart,
And see what we must be, and what thou art.

23

There great Exemplare, Prototipe , of Kings,
VVe finde the good shall dwell within thy Court;
Plaine zeale and truth, free from base flatterings,
Shall there be entertain'd, and haue resort;
Honest discretion, that no cunning brings,
But counsels that lie right, and that import,
Is there receiu'd, with those whose care attends
Thee and the State more then their priuate ends.

24

There grace and fauour shall not be dispos'd,
But by proportion, euen and vpright;
There are no mightie Mountaines interpos'd
Betweene thy beames and vs, t'imbarre thy light;
There Maiesty liues not as if inclos'd
Or made a prey t'a priuate benefit:
The hand of Pow'r deales there her owne reward,
And thereby reapes the whole of mens regard.

25

There is no way to get vp to respect,
But onely by the way of worthinesse;
All passages that may seeme indirect
Are stopt vp now, and there is no accesse
By grosse corruption, bribes cannot effect
For th'vndeseruing any offices;
Th'ascent is cleane, and he that doth ascend
Must haue his meanes as cleane as is his end.

26

The deeds of worth and laudable desarts
Shall not now passe thorow the straight report
Of an imbasing tongue, that but imparts
What with his ends and humours shall comport:
The Prince himselfe now heares, sees, knowes what parts
Honor and Vertue acts, and in what sort:
And thereto giues his grace accordingly,
And cheeres vp other to the like thereby.

27

Nor shall we now haue vse of flatterie,
For he knowes falshood farre more subtill is
Then truth, basenesse then libertie,
Feare then loue, t'inuent these flourishes:
And Adulation now is spent so nie
As that it hath no colours to expresse
That which it would, that now we must be faine
T'vnlearne that Arte, and labour to be plaine.

28

For where there is no eare to be abus'd
None will be found that dare t'informe a wrong:
The insolent deprauer stands confus'd:
The impious Atheist seemes to want a tongue,
Transform'd into the fashion that is vs'd.
All striue t'appeare like those they liue among,
And all will seeme compos'd by that same square
By which they see the best and greatest are.

29

Such pow'r hath thy example and respect,
As that without a sword, without debate,
Without a noise (or feeling in effect)
Thou wilt dispose, change, forme, accommodate
Thy Kingdome, people, rule, and all effect
Without the least conuulsion of the State;
That this great passage and mutation will
Not seeme a change, but onely of our ill.

30

We shall continue and remaine all one,
In Law, in Iustice, and in Magistrate;
Thou wilt not alter the foundation
Thy Ancestors haue laid of this Estate,
Nor grieue thy Land with innouation,
Nor take from vs more then thou wilt collate;
Knowing that course is best to be obseru'd,
Whereby a State hath longest beene preseru'd.

31

A King of England now most graciouslie,
Remits the iniuries that haue beene done
I'a King of Scots, and makes his clemencie
To checke them more then his correction;
Th'annointed bloud that stain'd most shamefully
This ill seduced State, he lookes thereon
With th'eye of griefe, not wrath, t'auenge the same,
Since th'Authors are extinct that caus'd that shame.

32

Thus mightie riuers quietly doe glide,
And doe not by their rage their powers professe,
But by their mightie workings, when in pride
Small Torrents roare more lowd, and worke much lesse:
Peace, greatnesse best becomes: calme power doth guide
With a farre more imperious statelinesse,
Then all the swords of violence can doe,
And easier gaines those ends she tends vnto.

33

Then England , thou hast reason thus to cheare,
Reason to ioy and triumph in this wise,
When thou shalt gaine so much, and haue no feare
To lose ought els but thy deformities;
When thus thou shalt haue health and be set cleare
From all thy great infectious maladies,
By such a hand that best knowes how to cure,
And where most lie those griefes thou dost endure.

34

When thou shalt see there is another grace
Then to be rich; another dignitie
Then money; other meanes for place
Then gold; wealth shall not now make honestie;
When thou shalt see the estimation base
Of that which most afflicts our miserie:
Without the which, else could'st thou neuer see
Our wayes laid right, nor men themselues to bee.

35

By which improuement we shall gaine much more
Then by Peru , or all discoueries:
For this way to imbase, is to instore
The treasure of the Land, and make it rise.
This is the onely key t'vnlocke the dore,
To let out plenty, that it may suffice:
For more then all this Ile, for more increase
Of subiects then by thee, there can increase.

36

This shall make roome and place enough for all,
Which otherwise would not suffice a few,
And by proportion Geometricall
Shall so dispose to all what shall be due,
As that without corruption, wrangling, brawle,
Intrusion, wresting, and by meanes vndue,
Desert shall haue her charge, and but one charge,
As hauing but one body to discharge.

37

Whereby the all in-cheering Maiestie
Shall come to shine at full in all her parts,
And spread her beames of comfort equally,
As being all alike to like desarts:
For thus to checke, imbase and vilifie
Th'esteeme of wealth, will fashion so our hearts
To worthy ends, as that we shall by much
More labour to be good then to be rich.

38

This will make peace with Law , restore the Bar ,
T'her ancient silence, where contention now
Makes so confus'd a noise; this will debar
The fostring of debate, and ouerthrow
That ougly Monster, that soule rauener,
Extortion , which so hideously did grow,
By making prey vpon our misery,
And wasting it againe as wickedly.

39

The strange examples of impou'rishments,
Of sacriledge, exaction and of waste,
Shall not be made, nor held as presidents
For times to come, but end with th'ages past:
Whenas the State shall yeeld more suppliments
(Being well imploy'd) then Kings can well exhaust;
This golden Meadow lying ready still
Then to be mow'd, when their occasions will.

40

Fauour, like pitie, in the hearts of men
Haue the first touches euer violent:
But soone againe it comes to languish, when
The motiue of that humour shall be spent:
But being still fed with that which first hath been
The cause thereof, it holdes still permanent,
And is kept in by course, by forme, by kinde,
And time begets more ties that still more binde.

41

The broken frame of this disioynted State,
Being by the blisse of thy great Grandfather
Henry the seuenth, restor'd to an estate
More sound then euer, and more stedfaster,
Owes all it hath to him, and in that rate
Stands bond to thee that art his successer:
For without him it had not beene begunne,
And without thee we had beene now vndone.

42

He, of a priuate man, became a King,
Hauing indur'd the weight of tyrannie,
Mourn'd with the world, complain'd, and knew the thing
That good men wish for in their miserie
Vnder ill Kings, saw what it was to bring
Order and forme to the recouerie
Of an vnruly State; conceiu'd what cure
Would kill the cause of this distemp'rature.

43

Thou, borne a King, hast in thy State endur'd
The sowre affronts of priuate discontent
With subiects broiles; and euer beene enur'd
To this great mysterie of gouernment:
Whereby thy Princely wisdome hath allur'd
A State to peace, left to thee turbulent,
And brought vs an addition to the frame
Of this great worke, squar'd fitly to the same.

44

And both you (by the all-working Prouidence,
That fashions out of dangers, toyles, debates,
Those whom it hath ordained to commence
The first, and great establishments of States)
Came when your aide, your powers experience
(Which out of iudgement best accommodates
These ioynts of rule) was more then most desir'd,
And when the times of neede the most requir'd.

45

And as he laid the modell of this frame,
By which was built so strong a worke of State,
As all the powers of changes in the same,
All that excesse of a disordinate
And lustfull Prince, nor all that after came,
Nor child, nor stranger, nor yet womens fate,
Could once disioynt the couplements, whereby
It held together in iust Symetry.

46

So thou likewise art come as fore-ordaind,
To reinforce the same more really,
Which oftentimes hath but beene entertain'd
By the onely stile and name of Maiesty;
And by no other counsells oft attain'd
Those ends of her inioy'd tranquility,
Then by this forme, and by the incumbrances
Of neighbour States that gaue it a successe.

47

That hadst thou had no title (as thou hast
The onely right, and none hath els a right)
We yet must now haue bin inforc'd t'haue cast
Our selues into thy armes, to set all right,
And to auert confusion, bloudshed, waste,
That otherwise vpon vs needes must light:
None but a King, and no King els beside
Could now haue sau'd this State from being destroid’.

48

Thus hath the hundred yeeres brought backe againe
The sacred bloud lent to adorne the North ,
And here return'd it with a greater gaine,
And greater glory then we sent it forth.
Thus doth th'all-working Prouidence retaine,
And keepe for great effects the seede of worth,
And so doth point the stops of time thereby,
In periods of vncertaine certainty.

49

Margaret of Richmond (glorious Grandmother
Vnto that other precious Margaret ,
From whence th'Almighty worker did transfer
This branch of peace, as from a roote well set)
Thou Mother, Author, Plotter, Counseller
Of vnion, that didst both conceiue, beget
And bring forth happinesse to this great State,
To make it thus intirely fortunate.

50

O couldst thou now but view this faire successe,
This great effect of thy religious worke,
And see therein how God hath pleas'd to blesse
Thy charitable counsels and to worke
Still greater good out of the blessednesse
Of this conioyned Lancaster and Yorke :
Which all conioyn'd within, and those shut out
Whom nature and their birth had set without.

51

How much hast thou bound all posterities
In this great worke to reuerence thy name!
And with thee, that religious, faithfull, wise
And learned Mourton , who contriu'd the same,
And first aduis'd, and did so well aduise
As that the good successe that thereof came
Shew'd well, that holy hands, cleane thoughts, cleere harts
Are onely fit to act such glorious parts.

52

But Muse , these deare remembrances must be
In their conuenient places registred,
When thou shalt bring sterne discord to agree,
And bloudy warre into a quiet bed:
Which worke must now be finished by thee,
That long hath laine vndone, as destined
Vnto the glory of these dayes: for which
Thy vowes and Verse haue laboured so much.

53

Thou euer hast opposed all thy might
Against contention, furie, pride and wrong,
Perswading still to hold the course of right;
And peace hath beene the burden of thy song:
And now thy selfe shalt haue the benefit
Of quietnesse, which thou hast wanted long;
And now shalt haue calme peace, and vnion
With thine owne warres, and now thou must go on.

54

Onely the ioy of this so deare a thing
Made me looke backe vnto the cause, whence came
This so great good, this blessing of a King,
When our estate so much requir'd the same:
When we had need of pow'r for the well ordering
Of our affaires, need of a spirit to frame
The world to good, to grace and worthinesse,
Out of this humour of luxuriousnesse.

55

And brings vs backe vnto our selues againe,
Vnto our ancient natiue modestie;
From out these forren sinnes we entertaine,
These lothesome surfets, ougly gluttonie;
From this vnmanly and this idle vaine
Of wanton and superfluous brauery:
The wracke of Gentry, spoyle of Noblenesse;
And square vs by thy temp'rate sobernesse.

56

When Abstinence is fashion'd by the Time,
It is no rare thing to be abstinent,
But then it is, when th'age full fraught with crime
Lies prostrate vnto all misgouernment.
And who is not licencious in the prime
And heate of youth, nor then incontinent
When out of might he may, he neuer will;
No power can tempt him to that taste of ill.

57

Then what are we t'expect from such a hand
That doth this sterne of faire example guide?
Who will not now shame to haue no command
Ouer his lusts? Who would be seene t'abide
Vnfaithfull to his vowes, to infringe the band
Of a most sacred knot which God hath tide?
Who would now seeme to be dishonoured
With th'vncleane touch of an vnlawfull bed?

58

What a great checke will this chaste Court be now
To wanton Court debausht with luxury;
Where we no other Mistresses shall know
But her to whom we owe our loyalty?
Chaste Mother of our Princes, whence do grow
Those righteous issues, which shall glorifie
And comfort many Nations with their worth,
To her perpetuall grace that brought them forth.

59

We shall not feare to haue our wiues distain'd,
Nor yet our daughters violated here
By an imperiall lust, that being vnrain'd,
Will hardly be resisted any where.
He will not be betrai'd with ease, nor train'd
With idle rest, in soft delights to weare
His time of life: but knowes whereto he tends,
How worthy minds are made for worthy ends.

60

And that this mighty worke of vnion now
Begun with glory, must with grace run on,
And be so clos'd, as all the ioynts may grow
Together firme in due proportion:
A worke of power and Iudgement, that must show
All parts of wisedome and discretion
That man can shew, that no cloud may impaire
This day of hope, whose morning shewes so faire.

61

He hath a mighty burden to sustaine,
Whose fortune doth succeed a gracious Prince,
Or where mens expectations entertaine
Hopes of more good, and more beneficence:
But yet he vndergoes a greater paine,
A more laborious worke, who must commence
The great foundation of a gouernment,
And lay the frame of Order and Content.

62

Especially where mens desires do runne
A greedy course of eminency, gaine,
And priuate hopes, weighing not what is done
For the Republicke, so themselues may gaine
Their ends, and where few care who be vndone,
So they be made, whil'st all do entertaine
The present motions that this passage brings
With th'infancy of change, vnder new kings.

63

So that the weight of all seemes to relie
Wholly vpon thine owne discretion;
Thy iudgement now must only rectifie
This frame of pow'r thy glory stands vpon
From thee must come; that thy posterity
May ioy this peace, and hold this vnion:
For whil'st all worke for their owne benefit,
Thy only worke must keepe vs all vpright.

64

For, did not now thy full maturity
Of yeeres and wisdome, that discerne what showes,
What arte and colours may deceiue the eye,
Secure our trust that that cleere iudgement knowes
Vpon what grounds depend thy Maiesty,
And whence the glory of thy greatnesse growes;
We might distrust lest that a side might part
Thee from thy selfe, and so surprize thy heart.

65

Since th'art but one, and that against thy brest
Are laid all th'ingins both of skill and wit,
And all th'assaults of cunning are addrest
With stratagems of Art to enter it,
To make a prey of grace, and to inuest
Their pow'rs within thy loue, that they might sit
And stir that way which their affection tends,
Respecting but themselues and their owne ends.

66

And see'ng how difficult a thing it is
To rule, and what strength is requir'd to stand
Against all th'interplac'd respondences
Of combinations, set to keepe the hand
And eye of power from out the Prouinces
That Auarice may draw to her command;
Which, to keepe hers, she others vowes to spare,
That they againe to her might vse like care.

67

But God, that rais'd thee vp to act this part,
Hath giuen thee all those powers of worthines,
Fit for so great a worke, and fram'd thy heart
Discernable of all apparences;
Taught thee to know the world, and this great Art
Of ord'ring man, Knowledge of Knowledges;
That from thee men might reckon how this State
Became restor'd, and was made fortunate.

68

That thou the first, with vs, in name, might'st be
The first in course, to fashion vs a new,
VVherein the times hath offred that to thee,
VVhich seldome t'other Princes could accrue:
Thou hast th'aduantage only to be free
T'imploy thy fauours where they shall be due,
And to dispose thy grace in generall,
And like to Ioue , to be alike to all.

69

Thy fortune hath indebted thee to none,
But t'all thy people vniuersally,
And not to them, but for their loue alone,
Which they account is placed worthily:
Nor wilt thou now frustrate their hopes, wheron
They rest, nor they faile in their loyalty;
Since no Prince comes deceiued in his trust,
But he that first deceiues, and proues vniust.

70

Then since we are in this so faire a way
Of Restauration, Greatnesse and Command,
Cursed be he that causes the least stay
In this faire worke, or interrupts thy hand;
And cursed he that offers to betray
Thy graces or thy goodnesse to withstand;
Let him be held abhorr'd, and all his race
Inherit but the portion of disgrace.

71

And he that shall by wicked Offices
Be th'author of the least disturbancy,
Or seeke t'auert thy godly purposes,
Be euer held the scorne of insamy:
And let men but consider their successe
Who Princes loues abus'd presumptuously:
They shall perceiue their ends do still relate,
That sure God loues them not whom men do hate.

72

And it is iust, that they who make a prey
Of Princes fauours, in the end againe
Be made a prey to Princes, and repay
The spoiles of misery with greater gaine;
Whose sacrifices euer do allay
The wrath of men, conceiu'd in their disdaine:
For that their hatred prosecuteth still,
More than ill Princes, those that make them ill.

73

But both thy iudgement and estate doth free
Thee from these powers of feare and flattery
The conquerours of Kings, by whom we see
Are wrought the acts of all impiety:
Thou art so set, as th'hast no cause to be
Iealous, or dreadfull of disloyalty;
The pedestall whereon thy greatnesse stands,
Is built of all our hearts, and all our hands.
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