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The Works of John Sheffield

Earl of Mulgrave, Marquis of Normanby, and Duke of Buckingham. In two volumes ... The third edition, Corrected
Buckingham, John Sheffield (1648-1720 or 21)
  
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[volume]
  
THE TEMPLE OF DEATH.
  
ODE on LOVE.
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SONGS AND VERSES.
  
ELEGY TO THE Duchess of R*****.
  
A LETTER from SEA.
  
Love's Slavery.
  
The DREAM.
  
To one who accused him of being too sensual in his Love.
  
The WARNING.
  
To AMORETTA.
  
The VENTURE.
  
Inconstancy Excused.
  
SONG.
  
DESPAIR.
  
On Apprehension of losing what he had newly gain'd.
  
The Reconcilement.
  
SONG.
  
To a Coquet Beauty.
  
The RELAPSE.
  
The RECOVERY.
  
The CONVERT.
  
The PICTURE.
  
On Don Alonzo's being killed in Portugal, upon Account of the Infanta, in the Year 1683.
  
The SURPRIZE.
  
A Dialogue sung on the Stage between an elderly Shepherd, and a very young Nymph.
  
On one who died discovering her Kindness.
  
On Lucinda's Death.
  
To a Lady retiring into a Monastery.
  
The VISION.
  
HELEN to PARIS,
  
Part of the Story of Orpheus.
  
AN ESSAY ON SATIRE.
  
ODE ON BRUTUS.
  
The RAPTURE.
  
On Mr. HOBBS, and his Writings.
  
Written over a Gate.
  
The MIRACLE, 1707.
  
ODE on the Death of Henry Purcell.
  
On the Loss of an only Son, Robert Marquis of Normanby.
  
On Mr. POPE, and his Poems.
  
STANZAS.
  
The Election of a Poet Laureat in 1719.
  
On the TIMES.
  
ON THE DUKE of YORK Banished to Brussels.
  
On the DEITY.
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THE TRAGEDY OF JULIUS CÆSAR, ALTERED:
  
PROLOGUE to the Alteration of JULIUS CÆSAR.
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ACT I.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 1. 
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ACT II.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 2. 
[section]
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ACT III.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 VI. 
SCENE VI.
 3. 
Third CHORUS.
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ACT IV.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 VI. 
SCENE VI.
 4. 
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ACT V.
 I. 
SCENE I.
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THE TRAGEDY OF MARCUS BRUTUS.
  
PROLOGUE. By the AUTHOR.
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ACT I.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 1. 
Of Athenian Philosophers. Written at the Command of his Grace, by Mr. POPE.
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ACT II.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 2. 
Of Athenian Youths and Virgins. By Mr. Pope.
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ACT III.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 3. 
Of Roman Senators.
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ACT IV.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 4. 
Of Roman Soldiers.
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ACT V.
 I. 
SCENE I.
 II. 
SCENE II.
 III. 
SCENE III.
 IV. 
SCENE IV.
 V. 
SCENE V.
 VI. 
SCENE VI.

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75

To a Lady retiring into a Monastery.

What Breast but yours can hold the double Fire
Of fierce Devotion, and of fond Desire?
Love would shine forth, were not your Zeal so bright,
Whose glaring Flames eclipse his gentler Light:
Less seems the Faith that Mountains can remove,
Than this which triumphs over Youth and Love.
But shall some threat'ning Priest divide us two?
What worse than that could all his Curses do?
Thus with a Fright some have resign'd their Breath,
And poorly dy'd only for Fear of Death.
Heav'n sees our Passions with Indulgence still,
And they who love well, can do nothing ill.
While to us nothing but ourselves is dear,
Should the World frown, yet what have we to fear?
76

Fame, Wealth, and Pow'r, those high-priz'd Gifts of Fate,
The low Concers of a less happy State,
Are far beneath us: Fortune's Self may take
Her Aim at us, yet no Impression make;
Let Worldlings ask her Help, or fear her Harms;
We can lie safe, lock'd in each other's Arms,
Like the blest Saints, eternal Raptures know;
And slight those Storms that vainly rest below.
Yet this, all this you are resolv'd to quit;
I see my Ruin, and I must submit:
But think, O think, before you prove unkind,
How lost a Wretch you leave forlorn behind.
Malignant Envy, mix'd with Hate and Fear,
Revenge for Wrongs too burdensome to bear,
Ev'n Zeal itself, from whence all Mischiefs spring,
Have never done so barbarous a Thing.
With such a Fate the Heav'ns decreed to vex
Armida once, tho' of the fairer Sex;
77

Rinaldo she had charm'd with so much Art,
Hers was his Pow'r, his Person, and his Heart:
Honour's high Thoughts no more his Mind could move;
She sooth'd his Rage, and turn'd it all to Love:
When strait a Gust of fierce Devotion blows,
And in a Moment all her Joys o'erthrows:
The poor Armida tears her golden Hair,
Matchless till now, for Love, or for Despair.
Who is not mov'd while the sad Nymph complains?
Yet you now act what Tasso only feigns;
And after all our Vows, our Sighs, our Tears,
My banish'd Sorrows, and your conquer'd Fears;
So many Doubts, so many Dangers past,
Visions of Zeal must vanquish me at last.
Thus, in great Homer's War, throughout the Field
Some Hero still made all things mortal yield;
But when a God once took the vanquish'd Side,
The Weak prevail'd, and the Victorious dy'd.
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