GEORGIO MONCK Duci de Albemarle, Comiti de TORRINGTON, Baroni in POTHERIDGE, &c. Exercituum in
ANGLIA, sub Rege
CAROLO Secundo, Generali; à Consiliis Secretioribus; & Nobilissimi Ordinis Aureae Periscelidis Equiti.
EPITAPHIUM.
Luge & Mirare, Quisquis ades.
ECce jacet in Tumulo qui Sedere noluit in Throno.
fatis communibus moritur, qui communibus non vixit;
naturâ magnus, fortunâ major, se ipso maximus.
Miles audaciâ Secundus nulli,
Dux prudentià,
Subditus fide.
Tyrannum,& Populis & Regibus formidabilem, Solus non timuit, sed terruit.
Defuncto Tyranno, & Superstite Tyrannide,
Venit, Vidit, Vicit,
non armorum strepitu, sed consiliorum alto Silentio;
(genus vincendi planè novum, quod nec voce nec armis!)
tria Regna obtinuit, vel uno die,
nec praeliatus, nec locutus.
Obtinuit tria, noluit vel Unum:
Sceptri enim factus Arbiter, maluit reddere quàm habere;
pluris meritò estimans restituere Regem quàm esse.
Restituit quidem, restitutumque observantissimè coluit,
CAROLO, non sibi, victor;
Et obedientiâ inclytus magis quàm Imperio,
humilitate quàm gloriâ;
Modestior Ipse post restitutam Majestatem, quàm post laesam alii.
Fel
[...]x qui triplici Regno Regem demeruit
& hunc Regem,
CAROLUM Secundum,
praeter injurias oblitum nihil,
nihil memorem praeter officia;
nec triplici Regno, sed omni, dignum.
Restituto Rege simul omnia restauravit,
Pacem, Justitiam, Religionem.
Restauratis
(que) omnibus, decennium adhuc vixit, conservaturus quae restauraverat,
& conservando quàm restaurando clarior;
Curarum nempe vitaeque prodigus ut semel restaurata semper conservaret.
Amicos habuit
BONOS omnes,
Inimicum neminem, nisi aut Dei, aut Regis, aut Patriae.
Titulis, honoribus, divitiis, crevit supra modum, sed infra meritum;
fortunis mutatis nihil mutatus ipse,
semper minor sibi quò aliis major.
Penè inter nuptias
filii haeredis obiit, lachrymas funeris temperaturus nuptiarum gaudiis,
Domestico tamen solatio nihil placantur publici luctus;
Nec aliquod remedium doloris est, ubi calamitas dolorem superat,
Ubi amittitur quod nec reparatur in Haerede dignissimo:
Virtus enim Successorem non habet, quae Antecessorem non habuit;
HEROES toti nascuntur, & toti pereunt;
Similem non viderat Anglia, nec Orbis videbit,
Sepelitur cum Regibus, qui Rex non fuit, sed nec voluit esse.
Quidni cum Regibus jaceat, per quem stant Ipsi Reges,
Tumulumque accipiat qui Solium reddidit?
Superstes, etiam post haec marmora, futurus,
Nobilior & recentior dum antiquior;
Dignus planè qui celebretur mortuus, cùm recusaverit vivus;
Imò qui coelum mercedem habeat, cui compensando terra non sufficit.
‘Hunc & Luge & Mirare.’
George Monck Duke of ALBEMARLE, Earl of TORRINGTON, Baron of POTHERIDGE, &c. Captain General, and One of His Majesties most Honourable Privy-Counsel; and, One of the most Noble Order of the GARTER.
LAment and Wonder, Reader, here lies one
Intomb'd, who did refuse t'ascend a Throne;
Who Dyed, by the common stroke of Fate,
As other Men, but liv'd not at that Rate;
By Nature Great, yet Greater by Successe,
But above all, was in himself Greatest.
He was a Souldier second unto none
In Courage, and a General well known
In Prudence; and 'tis equally as true,
He was a Loyal, Faithful Subject too;
The Tyrant whom, both Kings and Nations fear'd,
He only fear'd him not, but boldly Dar'd.
The Tyrant being dead, this Gen'ral came,
And saw th'succeeding Rage, then Overcame;
Not by the Noise of Arms, but by the Deep
Silence of Counsels, which he knew to keep;
Strange kind of Conq'ring this, and almost New,
In one Dayes space three Kingdoms to subdue,
(Without engaging of his Tongue, or Sword)
And yet of Either would not be the Lord;
Accompting it more Grandeur for to save
Three Scepters, and Restore them, than to have:
For being made an Ʋmpire, did decree
'Twas better to Restore, a King, than be:
And thus resolv'd, the King he did Restore,
Then Him, as
Caesar, Humbly did Adore.
It was King
CHARLES, for whose most worthy Sake
(And not his own) he did this Conquest make;
That all may know by reading of his Story,
Humility was his Aim, not Glory;
Since with more Modesty unto the King
He did submit, than those who injur'd him:
Most happy man, who didst three Kingdoms gain,
That
CHARLES th' Second might solely in them Reign.
A Prince, whose Ʋirtues are so Great, that He,
Deserves more Kingdoms Crowns, as well as three:
Forgetting nothing but past Injuries;
Mindful of nothing, but good Offices.
Even Him he did restore unto his Throne;
With Him, PEACE, JƲSTICE, and RELIGION.
That done, Ten years surviv'd, that he might see
What was restored, might conserved be;
And so become more famous to maintain
The Crowns Support, and Peace, than to obtain.
For which, his Cares and Life he valued not
To keep that alwayes, which at once he got.
All good Men were his Friends, his Foes were they,
Who GOD, the KING, and COUNTREY disobey.
Titles, Honours, Wealth, he did inherit,
(High as they were) yet much beneath his Merit:
Though Fortune did advance him above others, he
Had in himself the more Humility.
At length, this brave Heroick Gen'ral Dy'd,
About the time his Son had ta'ne a Bride;
That so the Joyes in her might seem to dry
Those Tears, which ought to fall at's Obsequy:
And though those Joyes were Great, yet could not boast
For to compensate what the Publick lost
In him; nor is there any Remedy
Of Grief, if master'd by Calamity;
Which is so great, that nothing can repair,
Although he left a Son, his worthiest Heir:
For Ʋirtue hath no Parent, from whose Race,
It may derive to Successors its Grace.
HEROES are such by Birth, and such they Dye
Without Transmission to Posterity;
And such a one as this nor
England saw,
Nor ever shall the World to keep't in awe.
He Vaulted is with Kings, although 'tis known
He was no King, because he would be none.
What though he lie by Kings, by whose stout Hand
And Policy, even Kings themselves do stand;
It is great Honour, but 'tis justly shown
To give a Tomb to him, who sav'd the Throne:
Yet, though these Marbles do consume, thy Fame
Shall even by Age renew, still be the same:
For he, who Living, did refuse to have
The World's Applause, best claims it in the Grave:
And he deserves Heav'ns favours to partake,
To whom the Earth could no Requital make;
— Who can
But Mourn for, and Admire this Glorious Man!
In the SAVOY, Printed by Tho: Newcomb, for William Nott, and James Collins. M. D C. LXX.