MOUNTJOY, a name of grim severity;
MOUNTJOY, a name of meekness, peace, and love;
MOUNTJOY, a name to rein temerity;
MOUNTJOY, a name which virtue did approve;
MOUNTJOY, a name which joy did ever move:
MOUNTJOY, a charter of invited fame,
Yet MOUNTJOY was far greater than his name.
His name which stretch'd beyond the boundless limits
Of all the ocean's empire, and made known
His haughty chivalry in foreign climates,
Which by the trump of glore was loudly blown
In courts of greatest princes of renown:
Each palace with an echo speaking shrill,
Resounded his fair deeds of honour still.
The wily Irish, whose inveterate hate
Unto the laws of justice ne'er would bow,
Whose sleights no power of power could abate,
Or ever undermine before till now,
With gentle menace of a pliant brow:
This man more than a man, this god in arms,
United ceasing plots of further harms.
Now they began to see, and seeing, feel
The sweet of concord, bitterness of war,
The sharp reproof of double-edged steel,
The peace of peace, how wretched brawlers are,
How blessed the secure; content doth far
Exceed contention, better shun war's toil,
Than ever live in faction by the spoil.
The son against the father long oppos'd,
The uncle with the nephew at debate,
The friend with troops of foe-like friends enclos'd;
Brother with brother set in mortal hate,
Kin which with kin did kindred violate:
Duty, alliance, friendship, blood, and love,
All striving, he to concord all did move.
Peers in defiance of each other's greatness,
Nobles complotting nobles' speedy fall,
He reconciled, and made them taste the sweetness
Of happy league, and freed them from the gall
Of steep destruction's ruin, ruin's thrall:
Tigers and lions, boars and raging bulls,
Hath he aton'd with leopards and wolves.
A land of penury, scarcity, and want,
He hath enrich'd with plenty, ease, and store;
A land where human reason was most scant,
He hath endow'd with wisdom's sacred lore,
Accosting it more fertile than before:
A land of barbarous inhumanity,
He hath reduced to blessed piety.
Now had he ripen'd all his hopes at full,
Imparadis'd his soul in dear content,
And wrought the nature of a people dull,
To what his glory aim'd at when he meant
To set a period to his banishment:
And greet his native soil with much desire,
To get a guerdon'd favour for his hire,
Now did he feed his labours with delight,
Of viewing his diviner sovereign,
Presenting conquests of well-master'd spite
Unto her gracious love, and thence obtain
Her willing acceptation as a gain
Of reward after toil, and glad her years,
In strength'ning her dominions, chasing fears.
But O, ere he could apprehend that joy,
She flew from earth to beautify the heaven.
ELIZA died, death's javelin did destroy
The ever boast of England; fate had weaven
The twist of life, and her of life bereaven:
She died, and left the world in tears of terror
her loss, and wonder at her mirror.
Never it was her hap to see that land
Which long had boil'd in stern rebellious treason,
To be subdued unto her mild command,
And vaunt the trophy of that peaceful season,
Malice did ever blind their senses reason:
She died ere rumour could that ease relate,
The news was happy, but for her too late.
Too late for her, and for our Lord too late,
Her death for him too soon; but short, anon,
Distrust was turn'd to trust, for in great state
England's MACENAS in succession
Was soon made known by proclamation:
And undertook the burthen of the crown,
Advancing merit, low disgrace threw down.
As CESAR led his captive slaves to Rome
To grace his triumph, magnify his fame,
So now did MOUNTJOY with TYRONE come home
Victorious, welcome, adding to his name
(By favour of our King who gave the same)
A style of honour to his blood innated,
DEVONSHIRE's ennobled Earl was created.
In robes of peace, accoutrements of rest,
He was advanced a counsellor, and joy'd
The soft fruition of a graver breast,
Not with the brunt of warfare more annoy'd,
Nor with the dint of hazard over cloy'd :
But sat with judgment to discern of laws,
Which he had guarded with his sword's applause.
In him was England twofold fortunate,
He was her champion and her senator,
Both to defend her good and moderate,
To fight both for her safety, and confer,
Both to encourage subjects, and deter
Revolters from offending, both in one,
And one in both himself he was alone.
Thus loving all, he liv'd beloved of all,
Save some whom emulation did enrage
To spit the venom of their rancour's gall,
Which dropp'd upon themselves, and made the stage
A public theatre for folly's badge:
Their shame will still outlive their memory,
Only remembered in infamy.
Such poorer in desert, than rich in worth,
Are but as shadows which appear, but are not,
Such but disgorge lank indiscretion forth,
Of needless repetitions, which declare not
True grounds, when for the truth itself they care not,
Yet hold themselves abus'd, and highly scorn
To brook the chance to which themselves are born.
Go, weak betrayers of your witless madness,
Your malice will revert upon your breasts,
Not looks of graver niceness, nicer sadness,
Can shadow imputations of unrests,
His greater spirit at your fondness jests :
You vex yourselves, not him, and make men gaze
At your own wrongs which your own tongues do blaze.
Sink, black detraction, into lowest earth!
Let ballad-rhymers tire their galled wits,
Scorns to their patrons, making juiceless mirth,
To gross attentors by their hired writs,
Dispraise with such poor hackneys better fits:
Well may such envy those heroic deeds,
Their apprehension's lean conceit exceeds.
Fame-royalized DEVONSHIRE, settled now
In well-deserved place of eminence,
The expectance of his wisdom doth allow,
By cancelling affairs of consequence,
And by endeavours of sage diligence,
Approves his greatness, largess to apply,
The fruit of dear experienced policy.
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