Page:A poem humbly dedicated to the great patern of piety and virtue Catherine Queen Dowager - on the death of her dear lord and husband King Charles II (IA poemhumblydedica00behn).pdf/3

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A

POEM

ON HER

Sacred Majesty

Catherine Queen Dowager.

 

PArdon! Oh Sacred Mourner! that we paid
Our first sad Tributes to the Royal Dead;
Which did our Souls to rending sighs convert,
Drain'd our fixt eyes, and pierc'd the bleeding heart;
And for a Loss that Heav'n can ne're redress,
Our Raging Griefs were rude in their excess:
Which, while with wild Devotion we pursue
Ev'n Heav'n neglected lay, ev'n Sacred YOU:
Our own dire Fates did all our Tears employ,
Griefs have self-interest too as well as Joy.
But when such Sacrifice from us is due,$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$
What must the Mighty Loss exact from You,
Who Mourn a King, and dear lov'd Husband too!
How shall we measure that vast tide of Woe,
That did Your Royal breaking Heart o'reflow?

And