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Poetical recreations

Barker, Jane

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To Madam JANE BARKER, On Her Incomparable POEMS.

To the Ingenious Mrs. BARKER, On Her Excellent POEMS.

To the Ingenious AUTHOUR, Mrs. JANE BARKER, ON HER POEMS.

To Mrs. JANE BARKER, On Her Ingenious POEMS.

To the Incomparable GALÆCIA, On the Publication of Her POEMS.

An Invitation to my Friends at Cambridge.

To Mr. HILL, on his Verses to the Dutchess of YORK, when she was at Cambridge.

To my Cousin Mr. E. F. on his Excellent PAINTING.

To my Reverend Friend Mr. H****.

To Mr. G. P. my Adopted Brother;

To my Friend EXILLUS,

To Dr. R. S. my indifferent Lover, who complain'd of my Indifferency.

On the DEATH of my Dear Friend and Play-fellow, Mrs E. D. having Dream'd the night before I heard thereof, that I had lost a Pearl.

The Prospect of a LANDSKIP,

Sitting by a Rivulet.

To Sir F. W. presenting him Cowley's first Works.

To Ovid's Heroines in his Epistles.

To my Honourable Unkle Colonel C*** after his Return into the Low-Countries.

On the Apothecary's Filing my Bills amongst the Doctors.

To my Unkind STREPHON.

To my Friend Mr. S. L.

Necessity of Fate.

To my Honoured Friend, Mr. E. S---t.

On my Mother and my Lady W**** who both lay sick at the same time under the Hands of Dr. Paman.

In Commendation of the Female Sex.

To my BROTHER, whilst he was in France.

On the DEATH of my Brother.

Part of the XIX. PSALM.

Coming from---in a Dark Night.

To my Dear Cousin Mrs. M. T.

TO MY Young Lover.

TO MY Young Lover ON HIS VOW.

TO MY Young Lover.

To my Unkind Friend, Little Tom King.

A Second EPISTLE.

A PASTORAL DIALOGUE Betwixt Two Shepherd Boys.

To Mr. C. B. On his Incomparable SINGING.

A SONG in SCIPINA.

A Bachanalian SONG.

Absence for a Time.

Parting with ---

THE Anchorite IN SCIPINA.

Jane, Nan, and Frank, their Farewell to Captain C. going to Sea.

To her Lovers Complaint.

To my Adopted BROTHER, Mr. G. P.

To my Friends against POETRY.

TO THE Importunate ADDRESS OF POETRY.

A Farewell to POETRY, WITH A Long Digression on ANATOMY.

On the DEATH of my Brother.

Resolved never to Versifie more.

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Necessity of Fate.

I.

In vain, in vain it is, I find,
To strive against our Fate,
We may as well command the Wind,
Or th' Seas rude Waves to gentle manners bind,
Or to Eternity prescribe a date,
As frustrate ought that Fortune has design'd.
For when we think we're Politicians grown,
And live by methods of our own;
We then obsequiously obey
Her Dictates, and a blindfull Homage pay.

II.

For were't not so, surely I cou'd not be
Still slave to Rhime, and lazy Poetry;
I who so oft have strove,
My freedom to regain;
And sometimes too, for my assistance took
Business, and sometimes too a Book;
Company, and sometimes Love:

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All which proves vain,
For I can only shake, but not cast off my Chain.

III.

Ah cruel Fate! all this thou did'st sore-show,
Ev'n when I was a Child;
When in my Picture's hand
My Mother did command,
There shou'd be drawn a Lawrel-bough:
Lo then my Muse sat by and smil'd,
To hear how some the Sentence did oppose,
Saying an Apple, Bird, or Rose
Were objects which did more befit
My childish years, and no less childish wit.

IV.

But my smiling Muse well knew that constant Fate,
Her promise wou'd compleat;
For Fate at my initiation,
In the Muses Congregation,
As my Responsor promis'd then for me,
I shou'd forsake those three,

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Soaring honours, and vain sweets of pleasure,
And vainer fruits of worldly treasure;
All for the Muses Melancholy Tree,
E're I knew ought of its great Mystery.
Ah gentle Fate, since thou wilt have it so,
Let thy kind hand exalt it to my brow.