Oh, would to Heav’n I ne’er had been begot!
Or never had been born a Royal Blot!

My Father’s Bloud runs thorow every Vein;
He form’d those Spirits which desire to reign,
Mount t’wards a Throne, and sordid Earth disdain.
}

In Glory, Fame, Crowns, Empire, they delight,
And to all these they would assert my Right.
And my great Thoughts do whisper there is none
Can be more neer a Father, than his Son.
This prompts me to oppose Eliakim,
And never yield my Father’s Crown to him.
But then one groveling thought strait pulls me down,
And throws me at a distance from The Crown.
Oh, would to God———And here he stopt and sigh’d,
Whilst Hushai thus to the griev’d Prince repli’d.

94 Indeed, great Prince, it seemeth wondrous strange
To all the World, to see your Father’s change;
To find the happy Love he us’d to show’r,
Like fruitful Rain, on you, to fall no more:
To see a Son, the Father’s dear Delight,
His pleasing Joy, now banish’d from his sight.
Nature must in the Father deeply groan,
When from his Heart is rent so dear a Son.
Nor can I think, tho he from you should part,
A Brother e’er can lie so near his Heart.

To work this Change, your Foes much Art do use,
Their venom’d Tongues your Fathers Ears abuse,
And you of an aspiring mind accuse.
}

Justice in Amazia bears such sway,
That even Nature must to it give way;
H’ad rather Nature force, and part with you,
Than seem to rob another of his due.
He holds it just, and as a thing divine,
To keep unbroken still the Royal Line.
Such an Example we can hardly find,
A King to’s Brother so exceeding kind;
When by it he doth such great hazard run,
Losing at once his People and his Son.

Grieve not, great Prince, at your unhappy Fate;
Let not your Birth your Vertue to abate;
It was not you that could your self create.
}

I should great folly shew, should I repine
At what I could not help, and was no fault of mine.
Tho by your Mothers side your Birth was mean,
And tho your Mother no declared Queen,
If Heaven and your Father please, you may
By lawful Right, Judea’s Scepter sway,
After that he is number’d with the Dead,
And his great Soul to Abraham’s Bosom fled.
Possession of a Crown clears every Stain;
No blot of Birth to you can then remain.
What Pow’r on Earth, by Right, dares question you?
Or what your Father and Sanhedrim do?
Nor is your Birth to Heaven any let;
God Jepthtah once did o’re Judea set.
95 He was a Conquerour of a mighty Name,
And’s Mother no ways did eclipse his Fame,
Nor bar’d him from the Title of a King,
Nor those who after from his Loins did spring.
Nature may yet make your great Father kind;
And who can tell but he may change his mind,
When your Succession shall be understood
To be the Peoples Choice, and for the Nations Good?
But let us leave what is to come, to Fate;
Yours Father’s pleasure and God’s will await.
Long may it be ere the King’s life doth end;
On it our Peace and Happiness depend.
Like Wheat full ripe, with many years bow’d down,
Let him leave this for an immortal Crown.
And who can tell Heav’n’s will? it may be too,
Eliakim may die before the King or you.
Think of no Titles while your Father lives;
Take not what an unjust Occasion gives.
For to take Arms you can have no pretence,
Tho it should be e’en in your own defence.
It better were without the Crown to die,
Than quit your Vertue and blest Loyaltie.
You with the numerous Peoples Love are blest,
Not of the Vulgars onely, but the Best.
I would not have you their kind Love repel,
Nor give encouragement for to rebel:
For their Affection which they wildly shew,
Is rendred, by your Foes, a Crime in you.

Here you your Course must even steer and strait,
That you may not your Father’s fears create;
Keep the Jews Love, and not increase his Hate.
}

Leave for a while the Citie and the Court,
Go and divert your self with Country-sport;
Perhaps your Foes may then abate their spight,
And you may be forgot, when out of sight.
By your Retirement, you will let them see
You’d take away all cause of Jealousie.
That you, like Absalom, will never prove,
To court the head-strong Peoples factious Love.
96 Nor will I ever prove Achitophel,
To give you wicked Counsel to rebel.
Continue still your Loyalty, be just;
And for the Crown, God and your Vertue trust.
Endeavour not to take what may be giv’n;
Deserve it first, and then receive’t from Heav’n.