AN Hymen [...]an Essay, OR An EPITHALAMY, UPON THE ROYALL MATCH OF HIS most Excellent Majesty CHARLES the Second, with the most Illustrious KATHARINE, Infan­ta of PORTƲGALL. 1662.

By J. D.

Printed in the Yeare, M.DC.LXII.

ƲPON THE ROYALL MATCH, OF HIS most Excell [...]nt Majesty, CHARLES the Second, with the most illustrious CATHARINE, Infanta of Portugall.

THe Bride-God lately met the Powe'rs of Love,
Venus and Cupid, as they loosly rove
About Iberian Provinces: his breast
With indignation justly was possest;
When thus the soft ones did he sternly greet:
Now must I vent; since we so seldome meet.
Shall you still act without me here in Spain;
And to no purpose longer me detain,
Where I am nothing; no more honour have
Then Africk Negro, or poor Indian Slave?
True you raign like your selves; and have so common
Not only worship both of Man and Woman;
But they themselves your Sarifices come,
Willing, nay willfull, in an hecatombe.
Upon your downy Altars most expire,
Where first they kindled, in their own base fire.
In Taurica Diana was content
With a few Strangers by hard Fortune sent:
But you have willing victims, not from far;
They are your friends, and most familiar.
So let it be, and (if it might be) more;
Since they can you, without my self, adore:
Whom they so slight, that, if they chance to use me,
Within a week or two they soon abuse me.
When maryed. Spaniards, who no aequall brook,
Their chiefest servants, not their consorts, took.
So leaving you (for you leave mee) awhile;
I'll post for Englands brave Ʋxorious Ile.
Which if your Ʋncle did not so embrace,
I would; 'twere min [...] as every Womans place.
Howe're that famous Isle I shall prefer,
( [...]f you love distance) in diameter
To your notorious Cyprus; where North-West,
And you South-east, I shall contented rest.
The Bravest Prince there shall I first attend:
And shall not lose mine honour nor mine end.
When all his manly virtues shall combine
With his Queenes Graces sweetly Feminine.
They Virtues in the abstract, there will be,
To my renoun, in two Polygamy.
Besides I know, that each inferiour state
Will zealously their Princes imitate.
As Kings get Kings, their Loyalty does binde,
That they contemporary Subjects finde.
They seise the quarters of the World; they plant,
And cheequer Africk with Inhabitant.
They send Nobility and Gentry first,
And valiant Veteranes there to be nurst:
Whereas your mounted City did compile
It self with Rogues for shelter of Asyle.
These must surmount them then: if gen'rous seed
Will a more Noble fruit and of spring breed.
And from the English pedigree may come
Another Punick to affright your Rome.
So in America my honour's seen,
Where I can scarce remember to have been,
By benefit of them no manhood want,
But double have, who conquer and who plant.
And can I choose but honour then that Nation,
That honours me thus in their propagation?
When Cytherea mildely answer'd thus:
The Peoples crime why doest object to us,
Against our wills so impiously devout?
'Twere best for all that thou wert not left out.
Mine and my Sons design and occupation
Is not the Death of men, but Procreation.
Nor do I hinder, or thy words refell;
But will promote the motion lik'd so well.
Yet pray excuse my presence: 't is uncouth
For me to Travail from the warmer South.
Nor can I in those Britains much delight
In any sense, content with litle night.
My Son shall bear thee Company: for me
Take my advice. Consider their degree,
And use them not as vulgars: leave then here,
My Lads, your Torches nor your badges bear:
They need no flames; their presence is so bright;
Your paler fires may burn, but shew no light.
Their Court's perpetuall Day: and 'tis all one
To make a Candle aemulate the Sun.
Since armes are odious now; pray Cupid use
No Archey: thy naked self infuse:
Be thou thy Arrow thus most expedite,
And shoot thee through their eys, yet out of sight.
When they salute, and seal th' agreement, then
Exchange their Souls; where fly to and ag'en;
Search every closet of them; every gate
Or door of sense be sure thou penetrate.
Then live in her so long, till incarnation
Shall thee invest, compleat the generation
Of such a body, which shall onely move
By such a soul, as is all purely Love,
That as thy self this universall Minion
May have as universally dominion.
And Hymen leave thy mantle; for the Zealous,
Without thy Saffron, are already jealous.
Though for the King thou goest, it may do harm;
And give misprising Presbyters alarm,
Who, apt to take occasion, will spread
From pulpit, Essex risen from the dead.
So they to make the Essex will indeavour;
Though thou to Essex wert unlucky ever;
And most unlike, thou tender, and he brawny;
Yet they will make thy Mantle orange-tawny.
No war no threats, but mine, shall break the peace;
My wars are peacefull, and my labours ease.
Tell him from me; that blushing Roses scratch:
And femal Monarchs do their honeys watch.
Love's bitter-sweet, the sweeter so: and lo!
A mole in my fair face, and fairer so.
Observe my Laws, which never were defence
Unto my sex, but gentle violence.
Nor do thy Laws, brave Charles, forbid: be bold;
Without a witnesse Laws can take no hold
See how thy house does as thy houses ly;
It's instauration why so late to try▪
O quickly heal thy much impayred Line:
Make them Immortal too that are Divine.
The Gods intend it so, then Hymen sayd,
Whom they from dangers desperate convey'd
With Queens and Kingdoms and a Royal race
(Themselves to heav'n return'd) to rule in place;
With such as brave atchievements bravely write,
Those Heroes for their Labours they requite.
So thy AEneas did through perils come
T' enjoy Lavinia with her Latium.
The' adventures were alike; the diffe'rence is
The Poet wrote thy sons, th' Historian his.
Aeneas one mixt colony constrain'd;
By Charles the Ʋniverse is best maintain'd
By his own men: Africk, America
Shall make him write, like Spain; &c.
Which twisted Dragons tayl shall hurl the Nations,
As Stars the Dragons did i'th' Revelations.
But tell, sayd Venus, how they could dispatch
Through various obstacles this happy Match.
The ayry messenger, he answerd, Fame
Blason'd with sound of Trumpet first her Name
Through neighbo'uring Kingdoms; then did neerer come,
And in his ear next beat the Royal Drumme
With Brasil Stick; then took the Rapper there,
And knockt so loud, Charls open'd wide his ear:
Fame enter'd then; her Starry Servant Fame
Possess'd his Sense and Soul, in Cupids name.
As Men love Angels which they yet not see;
So Royall Love's Coelestial Sympathy.
Still stubbornly, allthough collapsed, they
Obstruct Church-paths; and cross the Kings high way.
Nor will these Stumbling-Blocks e'er better prove them;
Till Overseers do lift and quite remove them:
As these themselves, both Root and Branch, o'rturn'd;
Let them likewise, both Root and Branch, be spurn'd.
Such, as are somewhat sound, and may be squar'd,
To edify beyond Sea be prepar'd
But dry and rotten Blocks, which were such cruel
And Kindling Touch-wood to themselves be fuell:
While them their choler, burnt to black, consumes;
And smother'd zeal, like stifled charcoal, fumes.
Then, not till then, when husht is all their Noise,
Shall Charls ly quiet with his happy Choise.
Adieu; sayd Hymen, then: we must remove;
We can no longer talk. So I and Love
Will take our Voyage; leaving dle you;
And bear another Fairest hence in lieu:
VVhich, in her Empire when she shall be seen,
Far rather will be deem'd the Cyprian Queen.
She with her thousand Graces, will instill
In ev'ry honest breast immense good-will.
(In all good hearts I say; but there are such
VVhose black malignance Candour cannot touch.)
You, and your Three, need not for her to act:
She! numerous shee will all that's good attract.
She in Conjunction (for they both are Stars)
VVill be much more Benign, then You with Mars;
And cause that they no Peace, nor Plenty want;
VVhen new D [...]lichium joyns with Troy-novant:
When Golden Tagus Sylver Thamesis
Meet in their wat'ry rendez-vous, and kiss;
So eagerly incorporate, as both
Would mean some other Venus by their froth.
Tagus shall doat on Tamesis; and burn
Enough to try his ore; enough to turn
His sandy atoms to a masse, and send
His native present to his noble friend:
Who shall return by Thousands then his thanks;
And helpe Protect his amicable Banks;
So long as he shall from Iberus run;
Which seeks the Rising, he the Setting Sun;
Those Banks, which now our Authors do not feign,
Swift Mares, conceiving Zephyrus, sustain;
And whose swift vital course is but three yeers:
For these to be his Eastern fleet appears;
Which in her poop conceives the Western gales;
And rides triennial liquid hills and dales;
Well burthen'd with all raritys, to greet
His Thames; and lay them at his silver feet.
Scorning with mere domestick gifts to woo,
He ventures far, to fetch exotick too.
True amity, where best things common stand:
Free as his Waters he dispenses Land:
And says, his Nymph shall, to their glorious King,
Both glorious Kings and glorious Kingdoms bring.
These Youths inform'd me thus; and gave this Theme
(As they come often to me) in a dream.
Wak'd, with the solemne noise, I fell to pray
All might be real that these Angels say:
That (if not peerless) she may be no other
Then was, for Wife and Queen, his pious Mother.
May shee have what's the Queens; he what's the Kings;
Enjoy all Honours, but of Sufferings.
VVhilest Wee are blest by both: And every Summer
Enlarge our Wellcomes to a Royall Comer.
VVhen first we had him single, how amaz'd
VVere ardent hearts, which as their bonfires, blaz'd.
Yet with him joys are doubled; and do thrive
Into a jubily superlative.
But when hee's trebled with a Royal Boy,
O! then exceeding joy, exceeding joy,
VVill grow ecstatick: VVhen thrice happy, VVee
Rapt to our third terrestrial Heaven shall bee.
FINIS.

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