Of the Princes most happy returne

Our Charles, whose Horses neuer quencht the[..] heate,
In cooling waues of Neptunes watry seate:
Whose starry Chariot in the spangled night,
Was still the pleasing obiect of our sight:
This glory of the North hath lately runne
A course as round, and certaine as the Sunne:
He to the South inclining halfe the yeere,
Now at our Tropike will againe appeare.
He made his setting in the Westerne streames,
Where weary Phoebus dips his fading beames:
But in this morning our erected eyes
Become so happy as to see him rise.
Vue shall not euer in the shadow stay,
His absence was to bring a longer day;
That hauing felt how darknesse can affright,
Vue may with more content embrace the light,
And call to mind, how eu'ry soule with paine
Sent forth her throwes to fetch him home againe:
For want of him we wither'd in the Spring,
But his returne shall life in Winter bring:
The Plants, which, when he went, were growing greene,
Retaine their former Liu'ries to be seene,
Vuhen he reuiewes them: his expected eye
Preseru'd their beauty, ready oft to die.
Vuhat tongue? what hand can to the life display
The glorious ioy of this triumphant day?
Vuhen England crown'd with many thousand fires,
Receiues the scope of all her best desires.
She at his sight, as with an Earthquake swells,
And strikes the Heau'n with sound of trembling bells.
The vocall Goddesse leauing desart woods,
Slides downe the vales, and dancing on the floods,
Obserues our words, and with repeating noise
Contends to double our abundant ioyes.
The Worlds cleare eye is iealous of his name,
He sees this He like one continuall flame,
And feares lest Earth a brighter Starre should breed,
Vuhich might vpon his meate the vapours feed.
Vue maruell not, that in his Fathers Land
So many signes of loue and seruice stand:
Behold how Spaine retaines in eu'ry place
Some bright reflection of his chearefull face;
Madrid, where first his splendor he displayes,
And driues away the Clouds that dimm'd his rayes,
Her ioyes into a world of formes doth bring,
Yet none contents her, while that potent King,
Vuho rules so farre, till now could neuer find
His Realmes and wealth too little for his mind.
No words of welcome can such Planets greete,
Vuhere in one house they by coniunction meete.
Their sacred concord runnes through many Signes,
And to the Zodiakes better portion shines:
But in the Virgin they are seene most farre,
And in the Lyons heart the Kingly Starre.
When toward vs our Prince his iourney moues,
And feeles attraction of his seruants loues,
When (hauing open brests of strangers knowne)
He hastes to gather tribute of his owne,
The ioyfull neighbours all his passage fill
With noble Trophees of his might and skill,
In conqu'ring mens affections with his darts,
Which deepely fixt in many rauisht hearts,
Are like the starry chaines, whose blazes play
In knots of light along the milkey way.
He heares the newes of his approaching Fleet,
And will his Nauy see, his Seruants greet;
Thence to the Land returning in his Barge,
The waues leape high, as proud of such a Charge;
The night makes speed to see him, and preuents
The slouthfull twilight, casting duskie tents
On roring Streames, which might all men dismay,
But him, to whose cleare soule the night is day.
The pressing windes with their officious strife,
Had caus'd a tumult dang'rous to his life.
But their Commander checks them, and restraines
Their hasty feruour in accustom'd chaines:
This perill (which with feare our words decline)
Was then permitted by the hand Diuine,
That good euent might prooue his person deare
[.]o heau'n, and needfull to the people here.
Vuhen he resolues to crosse the watry maine,
[.]ee what a change his absence makes in Spaine!
The Earth turnes gray for griefe that she conceiues,
Birds lose their tongues, and trees forsake their leaues.
Now floods of teares expresse a sad farwell,
Ambitious sayles as with his greatnesse swell,
To him old Ner[.]us on his Dolphin rides,
Presenting bridles to direct the Tides,
He calles his daughters from their secret caues,
Their snowy necks are seene aboue the waues)
And saith to them: Behold the onely Sonne
Of that great Lord, about whose Kingdomes run
Our liquid currents, which are made his owne,
And with moyst Bulwarks guard his sacred Throne:
See how his lookes delight, his gestures moue
Admire and praise, yet flye from snares of loue:
Not Thetes with her beauty and her dowre,
Can draw this Peleus to her watry bowre,
He loues a Nymph of high and heau'nly race,
The eu'ning Sunne doth homage to her face.
Hesperian Orchards yeeld her golden fruit,
He tooke this iourney in that sweet pursuit.
Vuhen thus their Father ends, the Nereids throw
Their Garlands on this glorious Prince, and strow
His way with Songs, in which the hopes appeare
Of ioyes too great for humane eares to heare.