Poetical Works of Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham

On the Earl of Strafford’s Trial and Death

Great Strafford! worthy of that name, though all
Of thee could be forgotten, but thy fall,
Crush’d by imaginary treason’s weight,
Which too much merit did accumulate.
As chemists gold from brass by fire would draw,
Pretexts are into treason forged by law.
His wisdom such, at once it did appear
Three kingdoms’ wonder, and three kingdoms’ fear;
Whilst single he stood forth, and seem’d, although
Each had an army, as an equal foe.
Such was his force of eloquence, to make
The hearers more concern’d than he that spake;
Each seem’d to act that part he came to see,
And none was more a looker-on than he;
So did he move our passions, some were known
To wish, for the defence, the crime their own.
Now private pity strove with public hate,
Reason with rage, and eloquence with fate:
Now they could him, if he could them, forgive;
He’s not too guilty, but too wise, to live:
Less seem those facts which treason’s nickname bore,
Than such a fear’d ability for more.
They after death their fears of him express,
His innocence and their own guilt confess.
Their legislative frenzy they repent,
Enacting it should make no precedent.
This fate he could have ’scaped, but would not lose
Honour for life, but rather nobly chose
Death from their fears, than safety from his own,
That his last action all the rest might crown.

ON MY LORD CROFT’S AND MY JOURNEY INTO POLAND, FROM WHENCE WE BROUGHT £10,000 FOR HIS MAJESTY, BY THE DECIMATION OF HIS SCOTTISH SUBJECTS THERE.

1 Toll, toll,
  Gentle bell, for the soul
  Of the pure ones in Pole,
  Which are damn’d in our scroll.

2 Who having felt a touch
  Of Cockram’s greedy clutch,
  Which though it was not much,
  Yet their stubbornness was such,

3 That when we did arrive,
  ’Gainst the stream we did strive;
  They would neither lead nor drive;

4 Nor lend
  An ear to a friend,
  Nor an answer would send
  To our letter so well penn’d;

5 Nor assist our affairs
  With their moneys nor their wares,
  As their answer now declares,
  But only with their prayers.

6 Thus they did persist
  Did and said what they list,
  ’Till the Diet was dismiss’d;
  But then our breech they kiss’d.

7 For when
   It was moved there and then,
   They should pay one in ten,
   The Diet said, Amen.

8 And because they are both
   To discover the troth,
   They must give word and oath,
   Though they will forfeit both.

9 Thus the constitution
   Condemns them every one,
   From the father to the son.

10 But John
   (Our friend) Mollesson
   Thought us to have outgone
   With a quaint invention.

11 Like the prophets of yore,
   He complain’d long before,
   Of the mischiefs in store,
   Ay, and thrice as much more;

12 And with that wicked lie,
   A letter they came by
   From our King’s majesty.

13 But fate
   Brought the letter too late,
   ’Twas of too old a date
   To relieve their damn’d state.

14 The letter’s to be seen,
   With seal of wax so green,
   At Dantzig, where ’t has been
   Turn’d into good Latin.

15 But he that gave the hint,
   This letter for to print,
   Must also pay his stint.

16 That trick,
   Had it come in the nick,
   Had touch’d us to the quick;
   But the messenger fell sick.

17 Had it later been wrote,
   And sooner been brought,
   They had got what they sought;
   But now it serves for nought.

18 On Sandys they ran aground,
  And our return was crown’d
  With full ten thousand pound.