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“On the Duke”

Rex & grex are both of a sound,

But Dux doth Rex & Grex confound.

If Crux1 of Dux might have his fill,

Then Rex with grex might worke his will:

Three Subsidies to five would turne,2

5

And grex would laugh, that now doth mourne.

O Rex, thy grex doth sore complaine,

That Dux hath Crux, and crux not Dux againe3

But now it is the praier of thy poore Grex,

That vivat Rex, on Dux may currat Lex.4

10

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Source. BL Add. MS 44963, fol. 40v

Other known sources. Bodleian MS Ashmole 36-37, fol. 62r; Bodleian MS Ashmole 38, p. 44; Bodleian MS Douce f.5, fol. 5r; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. c.50, fol. 24v; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. d.152, fol. 86r; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. e.14, fol. 13r; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. e.97, p. 31; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. f.10, fol. 117v; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. f.16, fol. 1r; Bodleian MS Hearne’s Diaries 30, p. 228; Bodleian MS Malone 23, p. 119; Bodleian MS Rawl. Poet. 246, fol. 16v; Bodleian MS Tanner 465, fol. 100r; BL MS Sloane 826, fol. 185r; CCRO MS CR 63/2/19, fol. 58r; CUL MS Dd.11.73, p. 69; St. John’s MS S.32, fol. 1r; Folger MS V.a.275, p. 175; Houghton MS Eng. 686, fol. 53r; Huntington MS HM 116, p. 65; Rosenbach MS 1083/16, p. 181

Oi15

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here O0. Introduction Oi1. The Parliament sitts Oi2. Oh honoured England Oi3. Our digby digd’e Oi4. The base on which Oi5. There was a man Oi6. There was a great fleete Oi7. There was a Munkye Oi8. Yee Spanyards Oi9. There was some policye Oi10. The Kinge and his wyfe Oi11. Why did the fond Oi12. Fower Cheyffe Justices Oi13. Justice of late hath Oi14. Ould Ned Cooke Oi15. Rex and Grex Oi16. Come heare, Lady Muses Oi17. There is a man Oii1. when the uncivill civill Oii2. It makes mee to muse Oii3. Great Buckinghame Oii4. In reading these Oii5. And wilt thou goe Oii6. Charles would yee Prevaile Oii7. Rejoice, brave English Oii8. Why was the varlett Oii9. One askte me Oii10. Oure crossrow’s turnd Oii11. The noblest brave Oii12. And art return’d againe Oii13. All you that will goe Oii14. As sick men feare Oiii1. O Admirall! Oiii2. The wisest King Oiii3. The warrlike King Oiii4. Excuse me Eliott Oiii5. Avaunt you giddie Oiii6. Here Dr Lambe Oiii7. If heav’n rejoyce Oiii8. For Lambe go ringe Oiii9. Heare lyes the Impostar Oiii10. Our state’s a Game Oiii11. When onely one doth Oiii12. Of Brittish Beasts Oiii13. To hunt the Doe Oiii14. The Parliament of late Oiii15. A thinge gott by candle

¹   Crux: literally “Cross”. The meaning here seems to be that if the duke (“Dux”) is punished/destroyed (put on the cross; made to suffer the cross or a cross/setback), then king and people (“Rex” and “Grex”) can work together again. <back>

²   Three Subsidies to five would turne: variant sources inflate the figures to five and ten, respectively. The essential point remains the same: with Buckingham gone, Charles can expect a more generous parliament. <back>

³   That Dux...againe: that the Duke has the power to punish but is not subject to punishment. <back>

⁴   on Dux may currat Lex: that the law may take its course on the Duke; i.e. that Buckingham should be judicially punished (perhaps through the kind of parliamentary impeachment thwarted in 1626) for his crimes. <back>