Eugenia's tears for Great Britons distractions, or, Some slender observations reflecting on those sad…Evgenia's teares for Great Brittaynes distractions, or, Some slender observations reflecting on those sad…

Et patimur long ae pacis mala▪ Saenior armis Luxuria incumbit.

Run this way also but the story of our evils, and see whither our distractions have not proved as chargeable as our humours are changeable, & whither our affections are not as different, as the cure is likely to prove difficult: my heart aches to think that this Kingdom which was la•ely the Glory & pride of Christendom reformed, when all the world was ready to come over unto her, should thus shamefully run away from her self; fortunate (with Pyrrhus) hast thou formerly been in conquering of Kingdoms but unhappy to keep them; hard case! when the Mistress of the world shall be thus oppressed by her own greatness; thy Albion Ch•ts are yet free from those crimson stains, which have so deeply dyed thy Eastern neighbours; and though that brood of Cadmus have lately turned those Western Mountains (contrary to their nature) into rebellious Troops of Loathsome Serpents, filling their Bogs with infernal furies, yet I hope their pretended president from their Northern sister, shall as little advantage their designs, as palliate their intentions; and (for their sufferance) I shall wish any, no other punishment then to pay for the breach, who shall hereafter (without just occasion and dishonourable terms) deny to maintain, what hath been lately (God grant haply ordered.)I am cuncti gens una sumus, sic simus in aevum, for if that Kingdom (so dearly of late reunited unto us) should again appear in its former postures, questionless by the illness of the example, though perchance upon less grounds, others would so far learn the same lesson, as to make such rents an occasion of loosing the whole; but I hope ⟨p. 30⟩we need not in our time fear the sight of so strange a Prodigy, since the cause being taken off the effect must necessarily cease; especially, so glorious a Sun having (by his benign influences) expelled those vapours and dislocated such ill humours as might swell into the Tympany of future disaffectedness; and it were also to be wished that those burning emotions (which have lately been amongst our selves, and whereof we are hourly likely to be more sensible) might be diverted else where; least the offending humours (at this instant so predominant within the confines of this state) draw us into the fever of civil descension; which will so greatly endanger our ruin;