In Station joyn'd, when prosperous days prevail'd
Title:
Occasion'd By the Death of Collonel [Richard] Baggot, who had been Groom of the Bedchamber to King James, together with Collonel Finch (now Earl of Winchilsea) & Captain [David] Lloyd &c.
Primary Text:
MS Wellesley, 124*.
In Station joyn'd, when prosperous days prevail'd
In Fortitude and Truth, when Fortune faild,
Finch, Lloyd, Baggot eminently stood
In ties of Friendship stronger than of blood,
Death does at last, the tripple League divide
And leaves a Vaccuum not to be supply'd;
The two surviving Friends the Change behold,
And dying Bagot in their arms enfold
Their flowing tears with honest praise they shed
As nature prompted, on the fatal Bed
His vallour known to all his steadfast wroth
His gentle temper and his generous Birth
His Suffering Life, and uncomplaining Death
Whilst he expires, exhausted their Sighing breath
Till up to Heaven his parting Soul they yeild
And hail the triumph of the well-faught-field
Not Victory when numbers give Successe
Not heaps of Coin, extorted with Distresse
Not honour in large Pattent long enclos'd
Not pamper'd Ease on down of Swans repos'd
Not power intrench'd beond the reach of fear
Not swelling praise to the vain-glorious Ear
Not Absoloms' porportion or his face
(The short delusions of our Mortal Race)
Are worth a Wish whilst Virtues last Reward
Includes all good and only claimes Regard
Our end determins all, and on the end
The past and future equally depend
Then Fame's Secure if any be our share
And Heaven's th'Asylum from a Life of Care
(MS Wellesley 124)
Secondary Ed:
1988 Ellis d'Alessandro prints Wellesley text, 155-6; McGovern & Hinnant, 113
.
Comment:
Colonel Richard
Baggot was Captain of Duke of York's regiment 1672, Major in 1683, and,
a Colonel by 1687. He was not then a friend from Kent out of the Finch
network, but someone Heneage was personally drawn to. If this Richard
Baggot is the man of the same name who became a Groom of the Bedchamber
for James II's son James Edward in 1702, Anne's poem was written after
1702 and before August 1712. Of Captain Lloyd it is only know that he
was a Groom of the Bedchamber to the Duke of York; on the 17th
unnumbered sheet of his diary Heneage recorded Lloyd's death in his
diary as follows: "On a January 4th died his worthy old friend and
brother of the Bed Chamber David Lloyd" (Cameron 46-7; MS F-H 282, 17).
Anne's poem tells us death alone ended this triangular friendship; she
pictures Heneage and Lloyd at Baggot's bedside; she declares Baggot's
life a success; his was the victory of a decent man who was not be
disloyal to the Stuarts even if he suffered for his loyalty. Poem written for Heneage's eyes: it's meant to show her pride in him and to comfort him. The poem also tells us how Anne regarded Heneage's sacrifice. In its simplicity of text and sentiment (against ruthless worldly ambition) is a successful simple elegy; the easy unstilted friendly tone may be seen in the couplet: "Death does at last, the tripple League divide/And leaves a Vaccuum not to be supply'd." A fine late poem.
Date:
Title reveals it was written before, but copied out after Heneage succeeded to the title.
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