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University of Virginia Library

A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes

Dodsley, Robert (1703-1764)

I.

II.

III.

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IV.

An ELEGY WRITTEN IN A Country Church Yard.

HYMN to ADVERSITY.

EDUCATION. A POEM: IN TWO CANTOS.

TO THE Hon. Wilmot Vaughan, Esq; in Wales.

AN EPISTLE ADDRESS'D TO Sir THOMAS HANMER, On his Edition of Shakespear's Works.

A SONG FROM SHAKESPEAR's CYMBELINE. Sung by Guiderus and Arviragus over Fidele, supposed to be dead.

ELEGY To Miss D--- W---D.

Answer to the foregoing Lines.

EPISTLES in the Manner of Ovid.

An Imitation of the Eleventh Ode of the First Book of Horace.

VERSES to Dr. George Rogers, on his taking the Degree of Doctor in Physic at Padua, in the Year 1664.

VIRGIL's Tomb. Naples 1741.

The LINK. A Ballad.

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THE SQUIRE of DAMES. A POEM. In SPENSER's Stile.

PROLOGUE.

I.

II.

On the Death of a Lady's Owl.

The VANITY of Human Wishes.

The TEARS of OLD MAY-DAY.

SONG for RANELAGH.

The Benedicite Paraphrased.

An ODE to FANCY.

The MONKIES, a TALE.

An Epitaph. Thus Translated.

VERSES sent to Dean Swift on his Birth-day, with Pine's Horace finely bound.

VERSES written in a GARDEN.

AN ANSWER to a LOVE-LETTER.

In Answer to a LADY who advised RETIREMENT.

An Address of the Statues at Stowe, to Lord Cobham, on his Return to his Gardens.

An ODE ON THE DEATH of Mr. PELHAM.

VERSES Written at Mountauban in France, 1750.

The Revenge of AMERICA.

The Dying INDIAN.

ODE occasion'd by Reading Mr. West's Translation of Pindar.

THE PLEASURES of MELANCHOLY. Written in the Year 1745.

A SONNET; written at W---de in the Absence of ---.

On Sir Robert Walpole's Birth-day, August the 26th.

The Lawyer's Farewell to his Muse.

By Miss Cooper (now Mrs. Madan) in her Brother's Coke upon Littleton.

An ODE To the Right Honourable Stephen Poyntz, Esq; &c. &c.

ODE on the Death of Matzel, a favourite Bull-finch, address'd to Mr. St---pe, to whom the Author had given the Reversion of it when he left Dresden.

MARTIALIS EPIGRAMMA. Lib. vi. Ep. 24. Imitated.

The Progress of DISCONTENT.

On Lord Cobham's Gardens.

To a Child of Five Years old.

Father Francis's Prayer.

To the Right Hon. Henry Pelham, Esq

An ODE Performed in the Senate-House at Cambridge July 1, 1749, At the Installation of his Grace Thomas Holles Duke of Newcastle, Chancellor of the University.

ODE to an ÆOLUS's Harp.

An AUTUMNAL ODE.

Translations from Horace.

To a LADY making a Pin-Basket.

ODE on Ambition.

An Address to his Elbow-chair, new cloath'd.

ODE to a Friend wounded in a Duel.

Written upon leaving a Friend's House in Wales.

DENNIS to Mr. THOMSON,

The BULFINCH in Town.

Written to a near Neighbour in a tempestuous Night, 1748.

Written at a Ferme Ornee near Birmingham; August 7th, 1749.

The GOLDFINCHES. An Elegy.

The BLACKBIRDS. An Elegy.

The HEROINES, or Modern Memoirs,

ODE to MEMORY. 1748.

The Princess ELIZABETH:

ODE to a Young Lady,

VERSES written towards the close of the Year 1748, to William Lyttelton, Esq;

RURAL INSCRIPTIONS.

A Pastoral BALLAD, in Four Parts.

V.

VI.

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118

PROLOGUE.

I

Hard is the heart that never knew to love,
Ne felt the pleasing anguish of desire.
Ye British maids, more fair than Venus' dove,
For you alone I tune my humble lyre;
Adopt me, nymphs, receive me in your quire,
Make me your bard; for that is all my care:
Then shall I envy not that aged sire,
Who doth for court his annual song prepare:
I lever myrtle wreath than Kesar's laurel wear.

II

Think not because I write of Columbel
I thence would blast the sex with impious tale;
Transactions vile of foreign stronds I tell,
Ne 'gainst a British female would I rail
For all the wealth that rolls on Indian grail.
Here, beauty, truth, and chastity are found:
Eleonora here, with visage pale,
Did suck the poison from her Edward's wound,
And Anna's nuptial faith shall stond for aye renown'd.

III

See the fair swans on Thamis' lovely tide,
The which do trim their pennons silver bright,
In shining ranks they down the waters ride;
Oft have mine eyes devour'd the gallant sight.

119

Then cast thy looks with wonder and delight,
Where yon sweet nymphs enjoy the ev'ning air,
Some daunce along the green, like fairies light,
Some flow'rets cull to deck their flowing hair;
Then tell me, soothly, swain, which sight thou deem'st most fair.

IV

To you, bright stars, that sparkle on our isle,
I give my life, my fortune, and my fame;
For my whole guerdon grant me but a smile,
A smile from you is all I hope or claim;
Nor age's ice my ardent zeal shall tame,
To my life's end I shall your names adore,
Not hermit's bosoms feel so pure a flame,
Warm'd by approval I more high shall soar:
Receive my humble lays, my heart was yours before.

V

Should you consent, I'll quit my shepherd's grey,
And don more graceful and more costly gear,
My crook and scrip I'll throw with scorn away,
And in a samite garment streit appear.
Farewell, ye groves, which once I held so dear;
Farewell, ye glens, I other joys pursue;
Then shall the world your matchless pow'r revere,
And own what wonders your sweet smiles can do,
That could a simple clown into a bard transmew.