The spilling of her blood by foreign knife, Nor dared revenge her death who gave him life: Nay, by fond Fear and fond Ambition led, Struck hands with those by whom her blood was shed. [throne, Call'd up to power, scarce warm on England's He fill'd her court with beggars from his own; Turn where you would, the eye with Scots was [thought; caught, Or English knaves who would be Scotsmen praised: Lies were his playthings, parliaments his sport; Bookworms and catamites engross'd the court: Vain of the scholar, like all Scotsmen since, The pedant scholar, he forgot the prince; And having with some trifles stored his brain, Ne'er learn'd nor wish'd to learn the arts to reign. Enough he knew to make him vain and proud, Mock'd by the wise, the wonder of the crowd; False friend, false son, false father, and false king, False wit, false statesman, and false every thing: When he should act he idly chose to prate, And pamphlets wrote when he should save the Religious, if religion holds in whim,, [state. To talk with all, he let all talk with him: Not on God's honour but his own intent, Not for religion's sake but argument; More vain if some sly, artful, High Dutch slave, Of treaties fond, o'erweening of his parts, At length (with white let Freedom mark that year), Not fear'd by those whom most he wish'd to fear, To answer to that God from whom alone With many virtues which a radiance fling Round private men, with few which grace a king And speak the monarch, at the time of life When passion holds with reason doubtful strife, Succeeded Charles, by a mean sire undone, Who envied virtue even in a son. His youth was froward, turbulent, and wild; He took the man up ere he left the child; His soul was eager for imperial sway, Ere he had learn'd the lesson to obey. Surrounded by a fawning, flattering throng, Judgment each day grew weak,and humour strong; Wisdom was treated as a noisome weed, And all his follies left to run to seed. [spring! That all mankind were made for kings alone, * George Villiers, raised to the rank of Duke of Buckingham, from the condition of a page, by the perverted affection of James, succeeded to an uncontroled influence over the more amiable Charles, and became a principal cause of the early unpopularity of that monarch. The following lines, written by Churchill, were engraved on a cup of 5007. value, presented by Mr. Stephenson, of Ludgate Hill, to Mr. Wilkes: Proud Buckingham, for law too mighty grown, Which in a fair proportion to deny Allegiance dares not, which to hold too high years [head. * The meddling character and religious prejudices of Henrietta Maria contributed in no small degree to the destruction of her deluded husband. Whilst proud Oppression struck at Freedom's root, In spite of all her pride, call'd forth her groans; Each day new acts of outrage shook the state, New courts were raised to give new doctrines State Inquisitions kept the realm in awe, [weight; And cursed Star Chambers made or ruled the law; Juries were pack'd, and judges were unsound; Through the whole kingdom not one Pratt was found. From the first moments of his giddy youth He hated senates, for they told him truth: At length against his will compell'd to treat, Those whom he could not fright he strove to cheat; With base dissembling every grievance heard, And often giving often broke his word. Oh! where shall hapless Truth for refuge fly, If kings, who should protect her, dare to lie? Those who, the general good their real aim, Sought in their country's good their monarch's fame; Those who were anxious for his safety; those Their truth suspected, and their worth unknown, Of saving him was gone and pass'd; till power Hence (be that curse confined to Gotham's foes) War, dread to mention, Civil War arose; |