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His latest victories still thickest came,

As near the centre motion does increase; Till he, pressed down by his own weighty name, Did, like the Vestal, under spoils decease.

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But first the Ocean as a tribute sent

That giant-prince of all her watery herd; And the Isle, when her protecting Genius went, Upon his obsequies loud sighs conferred.

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No civil broils have since his death arose,
But faction now by habit does obey;
And wars have that respect for his repose

As winds for halcyons when they breed at sea.

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His ashes in a peaceful urn shall rest;

His name a great example stands to show How strangely high endeavours may be blessed Where piety and valour jointly go.

ASTRÆEA REDUX.

A POEM ON THE HAPPY RESTORATION AND RETURN

OF HIS SACRED MAJESTY

CHARLES THE SECOND.

'Jam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna.'-VIRGIL. [Eclog. iv. 6.]

ASTRÆA REDUX.

Now with a general peace the world was blest,
While ours, a world divided from the rest,

A dreadful quiet felt, and worser far

Than arms, a sullen interval of war.

Thus, when black clouds draw down the labouring skies, 5
Ere yet abroad the winged thunder flies,
An horrid stillness first invades the ear
And in that silence we the tempest fear.

The ambitious Swede like restless billows tost,

On this hand gaining what on that he lost,
Though in his life he blood and ruin breathed,
To his now guideless kingdom peace bequeathed;
And Heaven, that seemed regardless of our fate,
For France and Spain did miracles create
Such mortal quarrels to compose in peace
As nature bred and interest did increase.
We sighed to hear the fair Iberian bride
Must grow a lily to the Lily's side;

While our cross stars denied us Charles his bed
Whom our first flames and virgin love did wed.
For his long absence Church and State did groan;
Madness the pulpit, faction seized the throne.
Experienced age in deep despair was lost
To see the rebel thrive, the loyal crost:
Youth that with joys had unacquainted been
Envied gray hairs that once good days had seen:
We thought our sires, not with their own content,
Had, ere we came to age, our portion spent.
Nor could our nobles hope their bold attempt
Who ruined crowns would coronets exempt:

ΤΟ

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For when, by their designing leaders taught

To strike at power which for themselves they sought,
The vulgar, gulled into rebellion, armed,

Their blood to action by the prize was warmed;

The sacred purple then and scarlet gown,

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Like sanguine dye to elephants, was shown.

Thus, when the bold Typhoeus scaled the sky

And forced great Jove from his own heaven to fly,

(What king, what crown from treason's reach is free, If Jove and heaven can violated be?)

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The lesser gods that shared his prosperous state

All suffered in the exiled Thunderer's fate.

The rabble now such freedom did enjoy
As winds at sea that use it to destroy:
Blind as the Cyclops and as wild as he,
They owned a lawless savage liberty,
Like that our painted ancestors so prized,

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Ere empire's arts their breasts had civilized.

How great were then our Charles his woes who thus

Was forced to suffer for himself and us!

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He, tossed by fate and hurried up and down,

Heir to his father's sorrows with his crown,
Could taste no sweets of youth's desired age,
But found his life too true a pilgrimage.
Unconquered yet in that forlorn estate,
His manly courage overcame his fate.

His wounds he took, like Romans, on his breast,
Which by his virtue were with laurels drest.
As souls reach Heaven, while yet in bodies pent,
So did he live above his banishment.
That sun, which we beheld with cozened eyes
Within the water, moved along the skies.
How easy 'tis, when Destiny proves kind,
With full-spread sails to run before the wind!
But those that 'gainst stiff gales laveering go
Must be at once resolved and skilful too.
He would not, like soft Otho, hope prevent,
But stayed and suffered fortune to repent.

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