MacLean, Gerald, editor. The Return of the King : An Anthology of English Poems Commemorating the Restoration of Charles II / edited by Gerald MacLean
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library

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Daniel Nicols
"To his Majestie's loyall subject"
and
Theophilus Cleaver
"To his worthy Friend Mr. WIL. GODMAN"
5 June


   Titlepage: [Hebrew] Filius Her"um, / THE SON OF NOBLES. / Set Forth / IN A SERMON / PREACHED / At St Mary's in Cambridge before / the University, on Thursday the / 24th of May, 1660. being the day of / Solemn Thanksgiving for the Deliverance / and Settlement of our Nation. / By WILL. GODMAN B. D. Fellow of the / King's Colledge in Cambridge. / Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee / King over them. 2 Chron. 2.11. / -- -- Nusquam libertas gratior extat / Qu…m sub Rege pio -- -- -- / [Greek epigraph] / [rule] / LONDON, / by J. Flesher, for W. Morden Bookseller in Cambridge. / An. Dom. M DC LX. [double-rule box].

   Wing: G941. Daniel Nicols, "To his Majestie's loyall subject and my / dearly-beloved Friend / Mr WILLIAM GODMAN B. D. / Fellow of King's Coll." sig. B., and Theophilus Cleaver, "To his worthy Friend Mr. WIL. GODMAN / Batchelour in Divinitie," sigs: b2-[b2v].

   Copies:

O Pamph C110 (4) COPYTEXT; checked 9/95; 2/96 OW Fairfax 417; chk 4/96 L 226.g.21(2) {trans l984:111} {mf}; chk 1/96 CLC Pamph. coll. Misc. Sermons v.2 {trans l985: 57-8} C, NE, DT, CN, MH, NU, Y WF 134081 chk 12/96

   The epistle to the reader is dated 5 June.

   A large number of the sermons preached in anticipation and in celebration of Charles's return made their way into print. William Godman preached his sermon before the Cambridge University community on Thursday, 24 May, the day of national thanksgiving declared following the announcement of the king's return, but he dated the epistle to the reader in the printed version 5 June, a Tuesday. Godman himself contributed some verses in Greek to the Cambridge volume, Academiae Cantabrigiensis äoåtrà, which appeared later that summer in July (sig. H3v). His Filius Her"um is the only sermon I have noticed containing dedicatory poems in English. The lines by Daniel Nicols of Queen's College appeared first, followed by sets of Latin verses by three poets from Gonville College, William Lyng, John Felton, and William Naylor. Theophilus Cleaver, also a fellow of King's College like Godman, wrote Englsh verses that appeared next. A final set of Latin verses by J. Boult of Gonville brought up the rear.

   The biblical epigraph on the title page was addressed to Solomon by Huram the king of Tyre, though the text which Godman took for his sermon was apprpriately, Ecclesiastes 10.17, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, when thy King is the son of Nobles."

   Nicols addresses Godman directly, offering the analogy between soldiers and preachers as signs of their past and continuing common loyalty to the king. Cleaver takes a more prescriptive line with a touch of the jeremiad, finding in the king's return a promise of imminent retribution. He invites us to read Charles's physical appearance in a series of allusions to the Old Testament worthy of an academic divine -- the king's hair, like Sampson's, is a promise of his divine strength; his eyebrows are compared to mounts Gerizim and Ebal and promise punishment and reward. In the lengthy peroration after receiving the ten commandments, Moses "set before" the children of Israel "a blessing and a curse . . . when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in to the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal" (Deut. 11. 26, 29). The mounts appear again in the story of Joshua. After destroying Jericho, Joshua goes on to slaughter the twelve thousand inhabitants of the kingdom of Ai; he burns the city "and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day." Lest any should question his piety, Joshua then proceeded to build "an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal" and "wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses" which he proceeded to read to the victorious Israelites, "half of them over against Mount Gerizim, and half of them over against Mount Ebal," (Joshua, 8. 28, 32, 33). Presumably like Joshua, Charles will be both merciful and just, rewarding the faithful while brooking no resistance to the divine authority of his power.



To his Majestie's loyall subject and my
dearly-beloved Friend
Mr WILLIAM GODMAN B. D.
Fellow of King's Coll.



1: 'TWas Monarchy made thee and me be one,
Loyalty has been our Religion;
Joynt haters of the Tyrant and his train,
And faithfull subjects to our Sovereign.


5: Divines are fellow-soldiers, though in field
They never take up target, sword, or shield:
For whilst that others fight with swords and spears,
The Churches weapons are her prayers and tears.


These be the arms (dear Friend) which for our Prince
10: W'have taken up and brandish'd ever since
False subjects and an Act of Parliament
Forc'd Him to live abroad in banishment.
Whilst others for our King's Coronation,
And to reform a thing call'd Reformation
15: Have spilt their blood, lost estates, lives and health;
(Strange that this should be called a Comon-wealth!)
Then thou and I with many a sigh and groan
Pray'd and believ'd Him to his Crown and Throne.
And still we'l preach and pray, and print and sing
20: Disgrace to Rebells, glory to our King.


Dan. Nicols B. D.
Fellow of Queens Coll.

To his worthy Friend Mr. WIL. GODMAN
Batchelour in Divinitie.



SHall I be silent at my glorious KING's
Return, when every Bell his praises sings?
Shall the hard-hearted Musket shout for joy;
And I as dumb-strook, like a trembling Boy
5: Wax pale and mute? Shall Night her mourning Suit
Put off, and vapour in flame-colour'd Coat;
And I smother'd in melancholy Fume
Burn up my heart, and Loyaltie intomb?
No, Lazy Muse: I'll goad thee with my pen,
10: For I'm impatient of delayes; nor when
Thou sleep'st can I forbear to pinch, for thou
Do'st only seem to dream that our KING's now
Return'd and safe. Lift up thy leaden eye,
Spout out thy griefe, and wash thy Lethargie:
15: So shalt thou cleanse thy self from fault, and see
Like a true Eagle dazling Majestie.
Then fix thine eye and tell me when thou'st done,
If ever Crown did circle such a one.
Doth not his Hair like Sampson's guard his head,
20: And gather up in links and chains? Let dread
Fear then seize those that stand his opposite,
Lest they be fetter'd in't and feel its weight.
Sometimes his Brows like to Mount Gerizim 1 are,
Sometimes like Ebal.2 When a Smile sits there,
25: Blessings and Favours slide down his smooth Cheek,
And run upon the Subjects head and neck:
But when a frown climbs up and pendant hangs
Out of its dark and hollow womb, the pangs
Of Death, some Thunderbolt may drop and bring.
30: Thus nature hath our Sovereign made A King,
Whose very looks command obedience,
And strike us a deeper fear and sense
Then the keen Ax and Fasces. But forbear,
Fond Muse, into that sacred Breast to peer
35: Where Vertue shines that will o're-whelm thy sight.
Read o're this book, in its reflected light
Distinctly thou shalt see those glorious beams,
As the Sun's Image in the Crystall streams.

THEOPH. CLEAVER, M. A.
and Fellow of Kings Coll.



[1]Gerizim, literally "cutters down;" see headnote.

[2]Ebal, literally "stone, heap of barreness;" see headnote.