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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Edmund Elys
Anglia Rediviva
[June]
Titlepage: ANGLIA REDIVIVA. / OR / The Miraculous Return of / THE BREATH OF OUR NOSTRILS. / A POEM. / [rule] / by EDMUND ELIS, Master of Arts. / [rule] / [design: crowned rose and thistle] / [rule] / Printed in the Year, 1660.
NB ms correction to line 35 found in several copies.
In addition to the Latin version, a shortened version of 24 lines was reprinted circa 1745 on one side of a single sheet under the title "A POEM Upon the 29th of May, the Day of King CHARLES II. His Birth and Happy Restoration;" the other side contains a 16-line sonnet entitled "June 10th, 1745. Being the Anniversary of His MAJESTY's Birth," starting: "SHALL Britons still at feeble Wishes stay,/ And hail with nothing else this happy Day!" [BL=c.38.g.14(11)]. This later Jacobite version gives lines 1-4, 67-78, 91-94 {93 and 94 are reversed}, 111-113 and a final new line]. These verses are transcribed at the end of this file from the BL copy.
According to Madan, Elys was a fellow of Balliol College; see Wood Ath. Oxon. iv.470. In 1659 when he published The Quiet Soule, two sermons, he was "of East Allington in Devonshire, and succeeded his father as rector at the close of the year" (#2439). Other works include Dia Poemata (London 1655) containing 19 poems and 61 epigrams in English [Wing E667 at LT WF Y]; Divine Poems (Oxford, 1658; Madan 2383) [WING E668 AT LT O CLC MH NPT; rpt 1659 O CH], Miscellanea (Oxford 1658, 1662 Madan 2384, 2591) and Poemata (Oxford 1660; Madan 2496 [error in entry at 2383; Index also in error, listing 2466 which is Brit Red; no entry for this in Madan??]): Madan comments "they are all of inferior merit, poor echoes of George Herbert" (at 2383).
In 1660 he published a tract attacking cock-fighting: The Opinion of Mr. Perkins and Mr, Bolton, and others, concerning the Sport of Cockfighting; Published formerly in their Works, and now set forth to shew, That it is not a Recreation meet for Christians, though so commonly used by those who own that Name (Oxford, 1660; Madan 2494) [WING E684A AT OU=University College, depostied at O, Y]. Wing also lists: E698: A Vindication of the Honour of King Charles 1 (1691), a "reply" to Ludlow, listing only O=Wood 363(7) and E675B: Joannis Miltoni sententiae potestati regiae adversantis refutatio (1699) at OB and CH only.
The copy in LLP, which is bound in very fine vellum with gilt stamping on front and back covers, contains the following verses in ms bound before tp:
To The KING.
I
Grand SOULE, I Loue You: And in This I see
What 'tis to Loue the Heav'enly Maiestie.
Loue makes us One even with INFINITY.
2
Then, Mighty Sr, Think it not stra[n]ge that I,
Your Lowest Vassal, dare Aspire so High,
As to Love nought but what I Magnifie.
3
When in your Eye I saw 1 Your Glorious Soule
Like an Intelligence in its Spheare, to Roule:
4
My Soule, t'ane with the Sight grew into One
With Yours: but in no more proportion,
Then the least Beam of Light has to the SUN.
5
O, may Your Glories Shine: And may You Be
All that Brave Spirits ere Meant by Maiesty:
And may Your People still haue Eyes to See.
The poem proper follows:
[1]Oct:21. As your Maiesty Sate at Dinner
[ornamental header]
TO
THE MOST HIGH
AND
MIGHTY PRINCE
CHARLES II:
KING
OF
GREAT BRITTAINE,
FRANCE, and IRELAND:
The Author, His MAJESTIES most Loyall
Subject, Humbly Dedicates this
following POEM.
[ornamental header, with crown, roses and thistles]
ANGLIA REDIVIVA.
NO Voice, more soft then Thunder, can expresse
Our present Ioy, or our past Heavinesse:
None can the Largeness of This Ioy set out,
Unlesse at once He make THREE KINGDOMES Shout:
5: Which is the Greater, sith through Griefe it Came:
As Water Vanquisht still Augments the Flame.
In Mirth, and Laughter now, and pleasant Tones,
We Spend that Breath, which we Fetcht up for Groans.
Oh, how we Droopt, and Hung our Heads to see
10: Rebellion Prosper? How we griev'd to be
Iudgd for the Wicked by Perfidious Knaves;
By No Man Rul'd, but Kept in Awe by Slaves.
Oh, how we greiv'd to see that Vip'rous Brood,
By whose Black, Hellish Sire, the Royall Bloud
15: Of Blessed CHARLES was shed, to bear the sway?
And (which is worse) to see that none but They
Or Their small Myrmidons should be the Men
Esteem'd for Godly? 'as if the DEVIL, agen
Had on those Cloathes, which once in HEAVEN he Wore.
20: He learns to Bleat, who still was wont to Roar.
But now those Varlets are, as they should be,
Sunck in the Depth of Scorne and Infamy;
Thrown down ev'n by Those Hands, which did them Raise:
Revil'd by Those, who gave them greatest Praise.
25: See, Rebels, See the HAND OF GOD. Where now
Are all those Lawrels, which once Crownd the Brow
Of that Victorious-CROMWEL? They were all
Turn'd into Ashes at his Funerall,
And Cover'd in His Urne. But first, those Bayes
30: GOD Us'd for Rods to Whip His Sons: His Praise
Survive'd Him but for This: That His Great Name
Might Raise Them up, that They might Fall with Shame.
And those Wild Wretches, who Drew down These Elves,
Pull'd Them on their own Heads, and Fell Themselves;
35: Still Tumbling one 1 onth' other: 'till their Fall
Had made some way for that Brave GENERAL,
The Glorious MONCK, to Step up to that Height,
Where being Fixt, He had no need to Fight:
He Conquerd by His Words: Three Nations came
40: Streight to do Homage to His Mighty NAME.
Thus having All in's Hands: He gave the Power
To Him whose Right it was: made Himselfe Lower.
He might be, which he would of these Two Things,
The Best of Subjects, or The Worst of Kings:
45: By Less'nings Power thus He Gain'd more Renown,
'Twas HEAVEN Gave CHARLES, but MONCK Put on His CROWN.
Now that our KING'S PROCLAIM'D, what shall we say?
Sure this Blest Month will make our Years all MAY. 2
What Pleasant Daies shall we have now, when He
50: Who hath not only Strength, but MAIESTY,
And Lawfull Power shall only bear the sway,
And with his Looks Fright SAINT-like Fiends away?
This was ith' number of our late Complaints,
That the worst Villaines were esteemd Best SAINTS.
55: But now our SUN is up, and all is Clear,
And Knaves, and Rebels, as they Are, Appear.
Now we may Teach each poor Deluded Thing,
That 'tis not Treason to be for the KING.
Where are those Mock-SAINTS now? Thus (as they say)
60: The DEVIL Walkes not, when he sees 'tis Day.
O, that They, who did Boast their Cause to be
Most Just, because 'twas Prosperous, would See
What GOD has Wrought for Him, whom They'd Withstand.
What Wonders GOD has Shewn to bring this Land
65: Into Subjection to their Lawfull KING,
(The Theme's to High for Me) let ANGELS Sing.
Yea sure the Heav'nly Host do all Proclaime
The Praise of This Great Act, Due to the Name
Of Him, by whom KINGS Raign. And O that I
70: Could make my Soule, wing'd with Devotion Flie
To GOD! And Think (what Words can't reach) His Praise!
Who without Blood has Crown'd our KING with Baies,
Brought from Three Conquer'd Nations: Which now He
Holds in Subjection, but to keep them Free:
75: Even from that Yoke of Bondage, which of late
So Gall'd our Necks; whilst That, they call'd a State,
Was nought but Madmen sitting at the Helme:
'Twas a Great Bedlam, which is now a Realme.
Worse then Egyptian Bondage This, to be
80: The Subjects of the Popularity:
And those so Giddy-headed too, that none
Knew what to Do, or what to leave Undone.
Each little Writer ev'ry week brings in
His Forme of Government: as if't had bin
85: Not harder to new Mould a Kingdome, then
To get a Standish, and to make a Pen.
Nay HEWSON, and the like Mechanicks Prate
Like the Supporters of a Ruinous State,
As if they thought it were no more to doe
90: To Frame a State, then 'tis to make a Shoe.
But those Mad Times are past, and now we are
Even Rescu'd from the SWORD without a WAR.
Without a WAR Great CHARLES His Kingdomes Won:
Thus straight, when GOD wil Have't, the Thing is Done.
95: And now, Blest Prince, sith by Your Suffrings You
Have made the World to know what You can Doe
In Better Times; who Did so well in Ill:
Still Conqu'ring all those Passions, which do Still
Invade th'Opprest: No Fear, or Anger could
100: Cast your Brave Soule in an Unchristian Mould,
In all Your Wrongs, and Dangers; still your Mind
Was to Religion, Iustice, GOD, Inclin'd.
Nay when some Griefs, and Troubles needs must come
To get, Great SIR, in Your large Breast some roome,
105: Your Mind stands Firme, & all rough thoughts Outbraves;
Like Rocks Unmov'd with the most Boist'rous Waves.
Since You by Suff'ring Thus, have made us know
The True Height of Your Soul: O, may we Bow,
In a deep Sense of our Felicitie,
110: To Heaven first, next to Your selfe, our Knee.
Oh, may we Thankfull be, and sing His Praise,
Who for our Cypress now has giv'n us Baies:
May we give GOD and C'SAR All their Due,
And Him Obey still, in Obeying You.
115: With Tears of Joy that You are now Come in,
And Sorrow that your MAIESTY has bin
So long Time Absent, we would make a Floud
To wash this LAND, Staind with Your FATHERS Bloud.
Who, both in Life and Death so Conqu'ring Fate,
120: Was ne're Unhappy, though Unfortunate:
What Glory gain'd He by His Sufferings? 3
He Liv'd, and Dy'd, even like the KING of KINGS.
O may You Guide us, as He would have done,
Had we not Run into Rebellion.
125: May You Live Those Great Things, He Wrote; and Be
Your Selfe a New EIKON BAäILIKH.
To His Great Praise may You still Adde Your Own,
'Till You Change This for an Eternall CROWN.
[ornamental rule]
FINIS.
[ornamental rule]
[B2v blank]
[ornamental header] TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD GENERAL MONCK. April 18. 1660.
GOe on, Wise SIR, and make Your Selfe The GREAT,
By Conqu'ring Those, whom You Disdaine to Beat,
What Wonder will Your Bloodlesse Triumphs gaine!
THREE KINGDOMES Conquer'd, and not One Man Slain!
5: Your Valour thus, with Matchlesse Prudence, can
Distroy the FOE, and yet not Hurt the Man:
We Long to see the Time, when You'll Appeare
To Be, what Good Men Hope, what Others Fear:
That This Dark CHAOS of Affaires may be
10: But a Resemblance of the Infancy
Of the CREATION: which began in Night:
Confusion 4 Brought forth Order, Darknesse Light.
Trust not in Your owne Strength: be sure to Doe
What Honour, Law and Conscience Binds You to:
15: So You may Justly Hope, that HE, whose Hand
Has Set You Up, will give You Power to Stand.
Stand, NOBLE SIR, that Our Bow'd Necks may be
Rais'd by Your Hand to our Old 5 Liberty
Then, ENGLAND'S Mourning turn'd to Joy, We'll Sing:
CROMWELL Kill'd CHARLES! But MONCK Reviv'd the KING.
[ornamental rule]
FINIS
[ornamental rule]
Appendix: a later printed version from circa 1745, found at BL c.38.g.14(11): title given as it appears:
A POEM
Upon the 29th of May, the Day
of King CHARLES II.
His Birth and Happy Re-
storation.
NO Voice more soft than Thunder can Express
Our present Joy, or our past Heaviness;
None can the Largeness of this Joy set out,
Unless at once he make Three Kingdoms Shout.
O! Therefore, let us joyntly all proclaim
The praise of this Act, due to the Name
Of Him, by whom Kings Reign: And O! that we
Could make our Souls, Wing'd with Devotion, Flee
To GOD on High, in Thankfulness and Praise,
Who without Blood has Crown'd our KING with Bays,
Brought from three Conquer'd Nations, which He
Holds in Submission, but to keep them Free
From the hard Yoke of Bondage, which of late
So gall'd our Necks, whilst That we call'd a State,
Was nought but Madmen sitting at the Helm;
'Twas a great Bedlam, now 'tis a Realm.
But those bad Times are past, this Day we are
Even rescued from the Sword, without a War:
Without a War, Prince CHARLES His Kingdom's Won;
Thus Strait, when GOD would have't, the Thing is done.
O! may we Thankful be, and Sing His Praise,
Who for our Cypress, now has given us Bays:
May we give God and C'sar all their Due,
And always Peace and Loyalty Pursue.
FINIS.
[1] one] LLP, O, OB added in ms
[2] The KING was Proclaim'd in May -- 60.
[3]Sufferings?] Sufferlings? OB
[4]Confusion] Crfusion OB
[5] Numquam Libertas
gratior extat /
Quam sub Rege
Pio -- Claud