On the Most High and Mighty Monarch King James, on His Exaltation on the Throne of England

Being an excellent new song.  From a “Collection of One Hundred and Eighty Loyal Songs, written since 1678.”

To the tune of “Hark! the Thundering Cannons roar.”

Hark! the bells and steeples ring!
A health to James our royal King;
Heaven approves the offering,
   Resounding in chorus;
Let our sacrifice aspire,
Richest gems perfume the fire,
Angels and the sacred quire
   Have led the way before us.

Thro’ loud storms and tempests driven,
This wrong’d prince to us was given,
The mighty James, preserved by Heaven
   To be a future blessing;
The anointed instrument,
Good great Charles to represent,
And fill our souls with that content
   Which we are now possessing.

Justice, plenty, wealth, and peace,
With the fruitful land’s increase,
All the treasures of the seas,
   With him to us are given;
As the brother, just and good,
From whose royal father’s blood
Clemency runs like a flood,
   A legacy from Heaven.

Summon’d young to fierce alarms,
Born a man in midst of arms,
His good angels kept from harms—
   The people’s joy and wonder;
Early laurels crown’d his brow,
And the crowd did praise allow,
Whilst against the Belgick foe
   Great Jove implored his thunder.

Like him none e’er fill’d the throne,
Never courage yet was known
With so much conduct met in one,
   To claim our due devotion;
Who made the Belgick lion roar,
Drove ’em back to their own shore,
To humble and encroach no more
   Upon the British ocean.

When poor Holland first grew proud,
Saucy, insolent, and loud,
Great James subdued the boisterous crowd,
   The foaming ocean stemming;
His country’s glory and its good
He valued dearer than his blood,
And rid sole sovereign o’er his flood,
   In spight of French or Fleming.

When he the foe had overcome,
Brought them peace and conquest home,
Exiled in foreign parts to roam,
   Ungrateful rebels vote him;
But spite of all their insolence,
Inspired with god-like patience,
The rightful heir, kind Providence
   Did to a throne promote him.

May justice at his elbow wait
To defend the Church and State,
The subject and this monarch’s date
   May no storm e’er dissever:
May he long adorn this place
With his royal brother’s grace,
His mercy and his tenderness,
   To rule this land for ever.