MacLean, Gerald, editor. The Return of the King : An Anthology of English Poems Commemorating the Restoration
of Charles II / edited by Gerald MacLean
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William Fairebrother
An Essay of a Loyal Brest
June
Titlepage: AN / ESSAY / OF A / LOYAL BREST; / In four Copies of Verses, viz. / I. To His Majesty, CHARLES the 2d. / II. To His two Houses of PARLIAMENT. / III. To His General, the Lord MONCK. / IV. To that His good Angel, Madam JANE LANE. / [rule] / By WILLIAM FAIREBROTHER, of Kings / Colledge in Cambridge. / [rule] / LONDON, / Printed by JOHN FIELD, 1660.
A manuscript note on the Bodleian copy gives the date as June, 1660.
F. was a fellow of King's College, Cambridge. Venn reports:
Adm at Kings aged 17, a scholar from Eton 19 April 1630. Of London. Matric 1631; BA 1633-hyphen;4; MA 1637; LLD 1660 (Lit Reg). Fellow 1633-hyphen;81. Vice-hyphen;Provost 1653. Senior Proctor, 1654-hyphen;5. Incorp at Oxford, 1669. Served in the Royal Army. Prisoner at Naseby, 1645. Died 10 Aug. 1681. (see Thomas Harwood, Alumnae Etonenses, 1797). Venn part 1:2.
Like Daniel Nicols, another Cambridge don who wrote verses on the Restoration, William Fairebrother is keen to remind anyone interested of his past loyalties to the royalist cause; he sets out by claiming to have composed verses to Charles while he was still prince of Wales and subsequently refers to his own active service in the royalist army at the battle of Naseby. Fairebrother also contributed a short Latin poem to Charles in the Cambridge volume, Academiae Cantabrigiensis äoåtrà, employing the same anagram -- "Charles Stuart STET LAR CHARUS" (sig. D3v) -- that he uses to end his verses to Charles here.
The four sets of verses contained in An Essay of a Loyal Brest all offer a variety of biblical, classical and historical analogies for their various subjects. Fairebrother's verses to the houses of Parliament, for example, which are more conciliatory than many, seek to apportion blame generally by comparing Parliament with Phaeton driving the chariot of the nation too close to the sun; youthful exhuberance and lack of skill are the faults, not the kind of diabolical greed and rapacity often attributed to the Rumpers. The same figure is used by Forde to describe the overreaching nature of the parliamentary party.
Fairebrother is among the few to draw attention to the slaughter of the Irish under Cromwell; see also John Crouch.
Fairebrother's verses to Jane Lane open with a fairly outlandish comparison, suggested by an anagram, between Jane Lane and Jael, the Kenite who slew the Canannite general Sisera. In addition to reporting may of the standard tropes of the royal escapades after Worcester, he makes rather extravagant use of the fact that the king had his hair cut short.
[design: garter arms
supported by lion and unicorn
with rose and thistle motifs]
TO THE
KING's
MOST SACRED
MAJESTY.
ONce formerly, dread Sir, my Muse did Sing,
You our choice Prince in Parlament. 1 A King
Then sate your Father there. But " ! since then
A sad and long Parenthesis hath been
5: 'Twixt us and Regal-splendour; whilest your Youth
Hath tost been to and fro, because of Truth!
A Scene of twenty years! an heap too large
For my scant Ephah! 2 'tis an Homer's charge.
Ulysses and his ten years Travels now
10: Seem no less trifling, than Tom Thumb in th' Cow:
'Twixt yours and his such diff'rence I assign,
As was 'twixt Bottles of his Wind and Wine.
Wine? Wine not so chears the heart, as the sight
Of your blest presence, who setst all aright.
15: A Welcom's thus to us. Then'ts but our due,
To carol-out glad Welcoms unto you.
Whom Spain, France, Germany and Belgick-soil
With admiration gaz'd on, (as a spoil
Ev'n forc't into their hands, through Britains rage)
20: And now do court, as Mirrour of this age;
Whom they must needs us envy, yet hath Heav'n
(Maugre all hellish plots) us again giv'n,
Shall we not him adore? And so'ts our due,
To carol-out Hosannaes unto you.
25: I've seen your Star; and worship: How it shon
Your Birth-day's-Ecce! It stood near the Sun
At its full-Zenith bright; whilst Thanks was giv'n
On St. Paul's sacred ground to th' King of Heav'n
By th' King your Father. 'Twas a glorious day!
30: The King then to the Temple led the way;
Sunday and Lords-day both. Then be't our due,
To carol-out Hosannaes unto you.
But if Sighs must burst forth, and cloud a Day,
May they flie up t'expiate Sin away:
35: If Tears the cheeks bedew, let them be sent
From Hearts, that of past-villanies relent.
Thus may we blunt God's Ax: thus, next to God,
Ev'n thou, O King, (I see) will spare thy Rod.
And thus we all may wear the Mourning-weed:
40: Few are the men, who not your Pardon need.
It's wisest then for me, to point-out none;
Lest others numb'ring number me for one;
Perhaps, 'cause for Alleg'ance once I fled
From Cambridge, and at Oxford own'd an Head,
45: But lost it soon again at Naseby-fight,
My self ta'ne Pris'ner. Were I silent quite,
Your Grace may know, Who was the greatest Thief;
Who of the barb'rous Actours were the Chief;
Who the stage-prompters, or Dark-Lanthorn-men,
50: That contriv'd most, though they themselves least seen,
White-powder Fiends, killing without a Noise; 3
(To crack thereon, speaks children or meer boyes)
What Accessories live; Who, as with knives,
Did wound your righteous Cause, through debaucht Lives,
55: At home and eke abroad; and Who, more quaint,
Did null the Edicts of that Royal Saint,
Your murther'd Father. Then, then may we all
Before You, as a God's Tribunal, fall.
Peace you persue; Mercy you do proclaim:
60: Who craves them not, a second time's too blame.
To such a God who should not then impart
Gold, myrrh, with a frank-incense of the Heart?
The last can each one give; the most forlorn:
When I hav't giv'n away, 'tis as New-born.
65: Mine then on dayly-prostrate Knees shall crave
Of that One More-supream, that You may have
Firm Health; Allies most strong; a matchless Queen;
Subject as Loyal, as e're Prince hath seen;
Innum'rous People: a Church flourishing.
70: So (with your Leave I'le 4 cry) LONG LIVE THE KING.
And now (great Sir and good) I fear, that I
A petty-treason make'gainst Soveraignty,
Thus to detain your Person. But true Zeal
Dare even back unto your Throne appeal;
75: That with your thickest Pardons you would smother
This Crime of, YOURS the humblest,
FAIREBROTHER;
{CHARLES STUART. }
Anagram.{ } Of Kings Colledge in Cambridge;
{STET LAR CHARUS.} and
Of the late Kings Army.
[1] F.'s poem "To the Prince," appeared after Cowley's "Ode on his Majesties Return" in Irenodia Cantabrigiensis: Ob paciferum Serenissimi Rege (Cambridge, 1641) sigs K2-K2v.
[2] OED: A Hebrew dry measure, identical in capacity with the bath; ... it is variously said to have contained from 4.5 to 9 gallons;" so figuratively, a large amount -- OED gives a 1660 source in Fuller's Mixt Contempl. (1841) 177 "Some have had a hin ... others a ephah of afflictions."
[3] white powder: "a supposed kind of gunpowder exploding without noise" (OED.a11) citing Beaumont and Fletcher, Honest Man's Fort 2.1 "That you were kil'd with a pistol charged with white powder." and N. Lee Princess of Cleve 2.2 "A Secret Lover's like a Gun charged with white powder, does execution but makes no noise".
See also Oxenden writing of Monk: "Who in a Northern mist white powder shot," 3.370; presumably non-explosive gunpowder?
[4] I'le] i'le O, L
To the Right Honorable, the two
HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
WHat Poets feign of Phaeton above,
(That, whilst he Sol's great Charet needs would move,
The World was plung'd in Conflagrations,
Through Reins then too-too loose) these three Nations
5: Have late found true: As if Enceladus
Had from-below turn'd a fresh side on us,
To let-loose 'tna's flames; Or else, as if
These floating-Islands had (by Waves most stiff
And sturdy Winds) quite-lost their Anchor-hold,
10: So now on this side, now on that side rowl'd;
Whilst Sun and Moon were blended, and for Stars
We direful Meteors had, the late Heav'ns Scars.
But (blest be God!) we are now once again
Under th'kind Influence of CHARLS his-wain:
15: And may we ever be so; with a Train
Of lesser Lights, to spring about that main!
Let Harington here fix blind {Milton's} ROTA;
{Fortune's}
Nor let it stir the breadth of an Iota.
This Land I promise firm: Again if thus.
20: It must turn round, be he Copernicus;
And so my self I'de rather Stoick plight,
Than Peripatetick, or chief Stagyrite.
Strange Revolutions were, when Strickland's 5 Holland
Did England, Scotland, Ireland slight, as no Land!
25: Then Tyranny and Rapine led the Van;
And who'de not act so, was the dang'rous man:
Then Ireland reakt with blood: and then Scot-free
Went Sacriledge: nor was't here Robbery,
To pocket up a Church or Lands-divine;
30: Because not diff'renc't with a Mine or Thine.
But now, I hope, w'ave met in Plato's Sphear,
Where harbour can nor Jealousie nor Fear;
Where Vertue shall court Vertue; where all vice
Shall be disown'd, as 'twas in Paradise;
35: Where each man safely may enjoy his own.
And then, I'm sure, the King's to have a Throne,
And be obey'd too.
And now to what, Ye Representatives,
With whom entrusted are our very lives,
40: Shall we you represent? a Loyal Spark;
From billows save'd a while, as in an Ark?
A Moses here? and there a Noah old?
Josephs some others, by their brethren sold?
May ye get all off safe! may ye soon see
45: As blest an Issue, as did all those three!
They all were big with blessings. Did they curse?
To whom they meant it, him they straight saw worse.
Such may your Terrour be! and so perchance
No fouler Crime shall reign, than Ignorance.
50: In fine: We all have err'd and gone astray,
Leaving (much worse than Sheep) the righter way.
Let's therefore beg of that most pow'rful One,
That not to us or ours may ere be known
(That saddest of Diseases, call'd) Kings-evil,
55: Since 'gainst a good War's have been more-than-civil.
[5] Walter Strickland (c. 1598-1670) M. P., was appointed Envoy from the Long Parliaent to the Netherlands in 1642, reappointed in 1648, and recalled in 1650. The next year, he accompanied Oliver St. John on an embassy to Holland attempting to negotiate a possible political alliance. He was one of Richard Cromwell's councillors following Oliver's death. In October 1659, he was named to the committee of safety (Spalding, Contemporaries 344-45; Davies 1955: 30, 157) CHECK DNB and Woolrych, Commomwealth to Protectorate.
TO THE
RIGHT HONORABLE
THE
LORD GENERAL
GEORGE MONCK.
A Civil War; more than a civil War:
How strangely now to me do those words jar!
W'ave rather Peace, that's civil, more than civil;
Mirac'lously it comes, in spight o'th'Devil
5: And his black Imps, who to cry do not cease,
That War may better be than present Peace.
A Monck! and from the North too! then (cry some)
As soon expected may be Good from Rome.
A Monck the Faith's Defender? Let's again
10: Call-in Scot, Nevil, Haselrig and Vane:
Let them their Forces rally: so we shall
A new Creed straightway raise, or raze out all.
'Tis that, that last, (great Sir) those Atheists sought,
When they our Charles the first to Tryal brought.
15: But timely you stept-in; Religion sav'd;
And count'nanc'd Arts, which we in vain had crav'd.
Sword and Pen kindly meet: Thou'st giv'n thy Troth,
That Pallas now's again Goddess to both.
He's a Plantagenet; (some others cry'd)
20: And so a Common-wealth will be defy'd:
A Single Person hee'l erect: so fight,
Whether for that name, or the True-names Right.
Double's their Charge: Let its last part be true;
And then, I think, you act but what is due.
25: Though Movaxos with M¢narxos 6 do shew,
As Sibboleth with Shibboleth, I trow, 7
They're not for Marks now, to discriminate
Kindness for th'one sound; for the other, Hate.
Where words in but-one Letter disagree,
30: Let those men stand nearest in Unity:
Nay more; a York and Lancaster we see
In Virgins-cheeks make an Identity:
And the whole Nation owns now Red and White
For the King's Colours, and Monck's true delight.
35: Thus have you clad us, whilst you put to shame
The vast Temptations of a Royal-game:
And if Plantagent give-up the Crown,
It may be said, it's now more Charles his own.
In earnest thus (what some made you in sport,
40: Y've found the right-high {STUART}of Hampton-Court:
{Steward}
And thus y've stopt Rebels blasphemous Snarls,
Belcht-out against our first and second Charls.
Hail then to thee! so soundeth ev'ry Lip,
Thou glorious piece of Self-denial-ship;
45: Thou Rumps Arch-traytor, but the Head's best Friend!
A Head-piece so; better than Breeches-end.
Right-welcome home! Let's now erect an Arch
For thy so famous bloodless Countermarch.
Nor Steel nor Hemp then gaul'd: For such fair Quarter
50: The King now dubs thee with St. George's Garter. 8
And, if (sans solo/ecism) it may be said,
That th'heir apparent can (the Father dead)
To his own Subject be an Obligee,
Then may I safely say; to Monck't must be.
55: Be blest in all your hopes of Wife and Son! 9
A meet-Help Shee, as you the Work have done:
With Rev'rence to her Honour, I shall say,
You're next to Numa, she's Egeria.
Live thus renown'd! and whilst Charls shall Head stand,
60: Mayst thou his Head-piece be by Sea and Land;
That, what so e're his Ancestors have lost,
He may by you regain with easie cost.
Thus, George-on-horse-back, (Sr. and St.) with Lance
Me-thinks I see you give a shake to France;
65: And your stout Troops proclaiming with drawn-swords,
King Charls! King Charls! King Charls! thrice-blessed words!
[6][author's note]The Greek word for Monarch hath in it one sole Letter more, than hath the word for Monck in the same language.
[7] See Judges 12.6, where the Ephraimites are tested by their inability to pronounce the first two letters of this word.
[8] "It is reported that his Majesty gave the George and Garter to his Excellency General Monck, and that the Duke of York to express his affection to him, put them on," Parliamentary Intelligencer #22, p. 352. Together with Edward Montague, Monk was invested in Canterbury on Saturday, 26 May (Davis 1955: 351).
[9] Anne Clarges, whom Monck married in 1653, was a farrier's daughter said to have been still married to her previous husband when she became Monck's mistress. Pepys and others report on her social vanity and rapacity. Their son, Christopher, became 2nd Duke and died in 1688 causing the line to become extinct.
TO Mrs. JANE LANE.
{JANE LANE,} {This copy was made a }
Anagram. {day or two before she}
{An'ne JAEL?} {was known to be in }
{England. }
MADAM,
YOur Name here starts a Question: so it's askt,
Whether our Jane Lane be not Jael-maskt. 10
So quadrate doth each Story, whilst your Calls
Did summon-in two vanquisht Generals!
5: And how in Covert bade ye them good cheer,
Whilst God them-both unto you-both did steer!
Right-famous both! But yet who is't, not sees
An Interfering in your Histories?
She bold cut-off, you bold did save, an Head:
10: Charles liv'd by you; Sisera's by her struck-dead.
Great Amazons of Truth! rather than shall
The just Cause perish, ye your selves would fall.
But God for such pure Love did well provide:
So Judeth too we'l reckon on your side.
15: How fresh they two yet live! and so shall You
In lasting-Annals have as fresh an hue:
Where e're King Charls his Story's to be seen,
There shall be read, what you to him have been.
Your Names, as Phidias in Minerva's shield,
20: Must jointly shine, as in one common field
Ne'r to be parted. -- -- -- -- But here brave Wilmot's Ghost 11
Steps-in to serve the Mistris of the rost,
Thanks your Relief of him and of his King.
That-now blest Soul first kenn'd this happy thing.
Accost you then he did with pensiveness:
And you for that awhile can do no less:
Not that he grieves now; but that you not see
One half-part of your noblest Company.
Yet Thanks to Heav'n; that Time, which changeth all,
30: The Scene (at least) makes Tragicomical.
Romancers here must veil, true or but-feign'd;
W'ave now upon them, and above them, gain'd.
The Crown was lost, and as'twere quite forsook:
But you again it found in th'Sacred Oak.
You a King's Mistris chast: the Lady Lane
Flies far above the fate of Edward's Jane;
No Concubine, nor an Herodia You;
Asking things most unjust, things much undue.
Nor Delilah wert thou: Thou didst not Him
40: (His hair then shorn-off) to that Philistim
Big with Success, deliver-up a Prize,
The yet-great Strength, and Light of Britain's Eyes.
His Safety thence you wrought: and that jeat-curl
You straight for Favours choicely up did furl.
That Black's indeed the Set-off; cal't not Foyl,
What's kist by Ladies of the purest-soyl.
And if such Homage to th'Excrement,
What then to's Person should be th'full Extent?
No Vertue thus him left: yet Proselytes
50: You many gain'd have by such vzealous Sleights:
They're Presents fit for Queens: such Royal-Twists
Are not for all folks fingers, necks, or wrists.
Why then as of the Garter, so the Hair,
May not an Order be, and full as rare?
55: And why not breeded be thereon the Fancy
Of that our HONI SOIT, QUI MAL Y PENSE?
Return, great Voluntier of all th'Exiles!
True Maid of Honour! Haste, to take the Smiles
O' th' King and Subjects-good. Alive or dead,
60: Eterniz'd though shalt be in Honour's-bed.
Let Virgins-all Garlands each-year prepare
Of Oak, with the enameld Maiden-hair.
But, Lady of high Worth, I've one word more;
(Nor doth it differ from Herodia's score,
65: Onely more-innocent you it may do)
That you would, if the Thought hath e're took you
Of half a Kingdom, (or perhaps a larger)
Exchange it for a St. Johns-head in th'Charger.
FINIS.
[10] A fairly bizarre negative-comparison that carries on through the subsequent lines. Sisera, a Canaanite captain, was defeated by the Israelites and fled until Jael, literally "ibex, or chamois," welcomed him in to her tent where she subsequently nailed his head to the floor while he was sleeping (Judges 4. 17-22).
[11] Wilmot, who helped Charles after the battle of Worcester and reportedly introduced the fugitive to Jane ane had died on 19 February, 1658; see The Royal Wanderer.