by Homer
Greece, Italy and England did adorn.
The first in loftiness of thought surpassed;
The next in majesty; in both the last.
The force of nature could no further go; 5
To make a third, she joined the former two.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Matthew Prior
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
To a Child of Quality
Five Years Old, 1704. The Author then Forty
Matthew Prior (1664–1721)
LORDS, knights, and squires, the numerous band
That wear the fair Miss Mary’s fetters,
Were summoned by her high command
To show their passions by their letters.
My pen amongst the rest I took, 5
Lest those bright eyes, that cannot read,
Should dart their kindling fires, and look
The power they have to be obey’d.
Nor quality, nor reputation,
Forbid me yet my flame to tell; 10
Dear Five-years-old befriends my passion,
And I may write till she can spell.
For, while she makes her silkworm beds
With all the tender things I swear;
Whilst all the house my passion reads, 15
In papers round her baby’s hair;
She may receive and own my flame;
For, though the strictest prudes should know it,
She’ll pass for a most virtuous dame,
And I for an unhappy poet. 20
Then, too, alas! when she shall tear
The rhymes some younger rival sends,
She’ll give me leave to write, I fear,
And we shall still continue friends.
For, as our different ages move, 25
’Tis so ordain’d (would Fate but mend it!),
That I shall be past making love
When she begins to comprehend it.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Cloe
Matthew Prior (1664–1721)
THE MERCHANT, to secure his treasure,
Conveys it in a borrow’d name:
Euphelia serves to grace my measure,
But Cloe is my real flame.
My softest verse, my darling lyre 5
Upon Euphelia’s toilet lay —
When Cloe noted her desire
That I should sing, that I should play.
My lyre I tune, my voice I raise,
But with my numbers mix my sighs; 10
And whilst I sing Euphelia’s praise,
I fix my soul on Cloe’s eyes.
Fair Cloe blush’d: Euphelia frown’d:
I sung, and gazed; I play’d, and trembled:
And Venus to the Loves around 15
Remark’d how ill we all dissembled.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
The Dying Adrian to His Soul
Matthew Prior (1664–1721)
POOR, little, pretty, fluttering thing,
Must we no longer live together?
And dost thou prune thy trembling wing,
To take thy flight thou knowst not whither?
Thy humorous vein, thy pleasing folly, 5
Lies all neglected, all forgot:
And pensive, wavering, melancholy,
Thou dread’st and hop’st thou know’st not what.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Epigram
Matthew Prior (1664–1721)
TO John I owed great obligation;
But John unhappily thought fit
To publish it to all the nation,
Sure John and I are more than quit.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Isaac Watts
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
True Greatness
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
WERE I so tall to reach the pole
Or grasp the ocean with my span,
I must be measured by my soul:
The mind’s the standard of the man.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Lady Grisel Baillie
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Werena My Heart Licht I Wad Dee
Lady Grisel Baillie (1665–1746)
THERE ance was a may, and she lo’ed na men;
She biggit her bonnie bow’r doun in yon glen;
But now she cries, Dool and well-a-day!
Come doun the green gait and come here away!
When bonnie young Johnnie cam owre the sea, 5
He said he saw naething sae lovely as me;
He hecht me baith rings and mony braw things —
And werena my heart licht, I wad dee.
He had a wee titty that lo’ed na me,
Because I was twice as bonnie as she; 10
She raised sic a pother ‘twixt him and his mother
That werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee.
The day it was set, and the bridal to be:
The wife took a dwam and lay doun to dee;
She maned and she graned out o’ dolour and pain, 15
Till he vow’d he never wad see me again.
His kin was for ane of a higher degree,
Said — What had he do wi’ the likes of me?
Appose I was bonnie, I wasna for Johnnie —
And werena my heart licht, I wad dee. 20
They said I had neither cow nor calf,
Nor dribbles o’ drink rins thro’ the draff,
Nor pickles o’ meal rins thro’ the mill-e’e —
And werena my heart licht, I wad dee.
His titty she was baith wylie and slee: 25
She spied me as I cam owre the lea;
And then she ran in and made a loud din —
Believe your ain e’en, an ye trow not me.
His bonnet stood ay fu’ round on his brow,
His auld ane look’d ay as well as some’s new: 30
But now he lets ‘t wear ony gait it will hing,
And casts himsel dowie upon the corn bing.
And now he gaes daund’ring about the dykes,
And a’ he dow do is to hund the tykes:
The live-lang nicht he ne’er steeks his e’e — 35
And werena my heart licht, I wad dee.
Were I but young for thee, as I hae been,
We should hae been gallopin’ doun in yon green,
And linkin’ it owre the lily-white lea —
And wow, gin I were but young for thee! 40
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Joseph Addison
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Hymn
Joseph Addison (1672–1719)
THE SPACIOUS firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Th’ unwearied Sun from day to day 5
Does his Creator’s power display;
And publishes to every land
The work of an Almighty hand.
Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The Moon takes up the wondrous tale; 10
And nightly to the listening Earth
Repeats the story of her birth:
Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll, 15
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball;
What though nor real voice nor sound
Amidst their radiant orbs be found? 20
In Reason’s ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice;
For ever singing as they shine,
‘The Hand that made us is divine.’
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Allan Ramsay
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Peggy
Allan Ramsay (1686–1758)
MY Peggy is a young thing,
Just enter’d in her teens,
Fair as the day, and sweet as May,
Fair as the day, and always gay;
My Peggy is a young thing, 5
And I’m not very auld,
Yet well I like to meet her at
The wawking of the fauld.
My Peggy speaks sae sweetly
Whene’er we meet alane, 10
I wish nae mair to lay my care,
I wish nae mair of a’ that’s rare;
My Peggy speaks sae sweetly,
To a’ the lave I’m cauld,
But she gars a’ my spirits glow 15
At wawking of the fauld.
My Peggy smiles sae kindly
Whene’er I whisper love,
That I look down on a’ the town,
That I look down upon a crown; 20
My Peggy smiles sae kindly,
It makes me blyth and bauld,
And naething gives me sic delight
As wawking of the fauld.
My Peggy sings sae saftly 25
When on my pipe I play,
By a’ the rest it is confest,
By a’ the rest, that she sings best;
My Peggy sings sae saftly,
And in her sangs are tauld 30
With innocence the wale of sense,
At wawking of the fauld.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
John Gay
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Love in Her Eyes Sits Playing
John Gay (1685–1732)
LOVE in her eyes sits playing,
And sheds delicious death;
Love in her lips is straying,
And warbling in her breath;
Love on her breast sits panting, 5
And swells with soft desire:
Nor grace, nor charm, is wanting
To set the heart on fire.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Black-Eyed Susan
John Gay (1685–1732)
ALL in the Downs the fleet was moor’d,
The streamers waving in the wind,
When black-eyed Susan came aboard;
‘O! where shall I my true-love find?
Tell me, ye jovial sailors, tell me true 5
If my sweet William sails among the crew.’
William, who high upon the yard
Rock’d with the billow to and fro,
Soon as her well-known voice he heard
He sigh’d, and cast his eyes below: 10
The cord slides swiftly through his glowing hands,
And quick as lightning on the deck he stands.
So the sweet lark, high poised in air,
Shuts close his pinions to his breast
If chance his mate’s shrill call he hear, 15
And drops at once into her nest: —
The noblest captain in the British fleet
Might envy William’s lip those kisses sweet.
‘O Susan, Susan, lovely dear,
My vows shall ever true remain; 20
Let me kiss off that falling tear;
We only part to meet again.
Change as ye list, ye winds; my heart shall be
The faithful compass that still points to thee.
‘Believe not what the landmen say 25
Who tempt with doubts thy constant mind:
They’ll tell thee, sailors, when away,
In every port a mistress find:
Yes, yes, believe them when they tell thee so,
For Thou art present wheresoe’er I go. 30
‘If to fair India’s coast we sail,
Thy eyes are seen in diamonds bright,
Thy breath is Afric’s spicy gale,
Thy skin is ivory so white.
Thus every beauteous object that I view 35
Wakes in my soul some charm of lovely Sue.
‘Though battle call me from thy arms
Let not my pretty Susan mourn;
Though cannons roar, yet safe from harms
William shall to his Dear return. 40
Love turns aside the balls that round me fly,
Lest precious tears should drop from Susan’s eye:
The boatswain gave the dreadful word,
The sails their swelling bosom spread,
No longer must she stay aboard; 45
They kiss’d, she sigh’d, he hung his head.
Her lessening boat unwilling rows to land;
‘Adieu!’ she cries; and waved her lily hand.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Henry Carey
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Sally in our Alley
Henry Carey (d. 1743)
OF all the girls that are so smart
There’s none like pretty Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
There is no lady in the land 5
Is half so sweet as Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
Her father he makes cabbage-nets
And through the streets does cry ‘em; 10
Her mother she sells laces long
To such as please to buy ‘em:
But sure such folks could ne’er beget
So sweet a girl as Sally!
She is the darling of my heart, 15
And she lives in our alley.
When she is by, I leave my work,
I love her so sincerely;
My master comes like any Turk,
And bangs me most severely — 20
But let him bang his bellyfull,
I’ll bear it all for Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
Of all the days that’s in the week 25
I dearly love but one day —
And that’s the day that comes betwixt
A Saturday and Monday;
For then I’m drest all in my best
To walk abroad with Sally; 30
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
My master carries me to church,
And often am I blamed
Because I leave him in the lurch 35
As soon as text is named;
I leave the church in sermon-time
And slink away to Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley. 40
When Christmas comes about again
O then I shall have money;
I’ll hoard it up, and box it all,
I’ll give it to my honey;
I would it were ten thousand pound, 45
I’d give it all to Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
My master and the neighbours all
Make game of me and Sally, 50
And, but for her, I’d better be
A slave and row a galley;
But when my seven long years are out
O then I’ll marry Sally, —
O then we’ll wed, and then we’ll bed, 55
But not in our alley!
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Alexander Pope
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
The Dunciad. Book the First.
Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
(THREE BOOK DUNCIAD)
BOOKS and the man I sing, the first who brings
The Smithfield muses to the ears of kings.
Say great Patricians! (since yourselves inspire
These wond’rous works; so Jove and fate require!)
Say from what cause, in vain decry’d and curst,
Still Dunce the second reigns like Dunce the first?
In eldest time, e’er mortals writ or read,