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What pleasure was it more to stop his breath,
Than to have choak'd, or kill'd, or poison'd me?
My life for his, with thrice three millions more,
We would have given as a ransom to thee;
But since thou in his loss hast made us poor,
Foul Tyrant! it shall never honour do thee;
For thou hast shewn thyself a spiteful fiend.
Yea, Death! thou didst envy his happy state,
And therefore thought'st to bring it to an end;
But see, see whereto God hath turn'd thy hate:
Thou meant'st to mar the bliss he had before,
And by thy spite hast made it ten times more.

ELEG. 23.

'Tis true I know, Death with an equal spurn
The lofty turret and low cottage beats,
And takes impartial each one in his turn;

Yea, though he bribes, prays, promises, or threats,
Nor man, beast, plant, nor sex, age nor degree,
Prevails against his dead-sure striking hand;
For then, e'er we would thus despoiled be,
All these conjoin'd his fury should withstand.
But oh! unseen he strikes at unaware,

Disguised like a murdering Jesuit :

Friends cannot stop him that in presence are;
And which is worse, when he hath done his spite,

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He carries him so far away from hence,
None lives that hath the power to fetch him thence.

ELEG. 28.

May not I liken London now to Troy,

As she was that same day she lost her Hector?
When proud Achilles spoil'd her of her joy,
(And triumph'd on her losses) being victor?
May not I liken Henry to that Greek,
That having a whole world unto his share,
Intended other worlds to go and seek?
Oh no, I may not: they unworthy are.
Say whereto, England! whereto then shall I
Compare that sweet departed Prince, and thee?
That noble King bewail'd by Jeremy,

Of thee (Great Prince!) shall the example be;
And in our mourning we will equal them
Of woeful Juda and Jerusalem.

ELEG. 29.

You that beheld it, when the mournful train
Pass'd by the wall of his forsaken park,
Did not the very grove seem to complain
With a still murmur, and to look more dark?
Did not those pleasant walks (oh! pleasing then,
Whilst there he, healthful, used to resort)

Look like the shades of death, near some foul den?
And that place there, where once he kept his court,
Did it not at his parting seem to sink?

And all forsake it, like a cave of sprights?
Did not the earth beneath his chariot shrink,
As grieved for the loss of our delights?

Yea, his dumb steed, that erst for none would tarry,
Pac'd slow, as if he scarce himself could carry.

ELEG. 30.

But oh! when it approach'd th' impaled court,
Where Mars himself envied his future glory,
And whither he in arms did oft resort,
My heart conceived a right tragic story.

Whither, Great Prince! O whither dost thou go?
(Methought the very place thus seem'd to say)"
Why in black robes art thou attended so?
Do not, Oh do not, make such haste away.
But art thou captive, and in triumph too?

Oh me! and worse too, lifeless, breathless, dead.
How could the monster, Death, this mischief do?
Surely the coward took thee in thy bed;

For whilst that thou art arm'd within my list, He dar'd not meet thee like a martialist.

ELEG. 31.

Alas! who now shall grace my tournaments,
Or honour me with deeds of chivalry?
What shall become of all my merriments,
My ceremonies, shows of heraldry,

And other rites? who, who shall now adorn
Thy *Sister's nuptials with so sweet a presence?
Wilt thou forsake us, leave us quite forlorn,
And of all joy at once make a defeasance?
Was this the time pick'd out by destiny?
Farewell, dear Prince! then, since thou wilt be gone;
In spite of death, go live eternally,

Exempt from sorrow, whilst we mortals moan;
But this ill-hap. instruct me shall to fear,
When we are joyful'st, there's most sorrow near.

ELEG. 32.

Then, as he past along, you might espy
How the griev'd vulgar, that shed many a tear,
Cast after an unwilling parting eye,

As loth to lose the sight they held so dear:
When they had lost the figure of his face,

* His sister Elizabeth's nuptials with the Count Palatine were postponed in consequence of the death of the Prince.

Then they beheld his robes; his chariot then,
Which being hid, their look aim'd at the place,
Still longing to behold him once again.

But when he was quite past, and they could find
No object to employ their sight upon,
Sorrow became more busy with the mind,
And drew an army of sad passions on;
Which made them so particularly moan,
Each amongst thousands seem'd as if alone.

ELEG. 36.

Had he been but my Prince, and wanted all
Those ornaments of virtue that so graced him,
My love and life had both been at his call,
For that his fortune had above us placed him:
But his rare hopefulness, his flying fame,
His knowledge and his honest policy,
His courage much admir'd, his very name,
His public love and private courtesy,

Join'd with religious firmness, might have mov'd
Pale Envy to have prais'd him; and sure he,
Had he been of mean birth, had been belov'd;
For, trust me! his sweet parts so ravish'd me,
That, if I err yet pardon me therefore,
I lov'd him as my Prince, as Henry more.

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