| James and Mary Ford, eds. Every Day in the Year. 1902. | | | | November 19 | | To the King on His Birthday | | By Ben Jonson (1572–1637) |
| | | | Charles I, of England, born Nov. 19, 1600. |
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THIS is King Charles his day. Speak it, thou Tower, | |
| Unto the ships, and they from tier to tier, | |
| Discharge it ’bout the island in an hour, | |
| As loud as thunder, and as swift as fire. | |
| Let Ireland meet it out at sea, half-way, | 5 |
| Repeating all Great Britain’s joy and more, | |
| Adding her own glad accents to this day, | |
| Like Echo playing from the other shore. | |
| What drums or trumpets, or great ordnance can, | |
| The poetry of steeples, with the bells, | 10 |
| Three kingdoms’ mirth, in light and aery man, | |
| Made lighter with the wine. All noises else, | |
| At bonfires, rockets, fire-works, with the shouts | |
| That cry that gladness which their hearts would pray, | |
| Had they but grace of thinking, at these routs, | 15 |
| On the often coming of this holy day: | |
| And ever close the burden of the song, | |
| Still to have such a Charles, and this Charles long. | |
| The wish is great; but where the prince is such, | |
| What prayers, people, can you think too much! | 20 | | |
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