A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes

Dodsley, Robert (1703-1764)

VOL. I.

II.

VOL. II.

III.

VOL. III.

IV.

VOL. IV.

An ELEGY WRITTEN IN A Country Church Yard.

HYMN to ADVERSITY.

EDUCATION. A POEM: IN TWO CANTOS.

PENSHURST.

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.

A LOVE LETTER.

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.

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

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 BATHING.

To Lady H---y.

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.

SOLITUDE.

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.

The FIRE-SIDE.

TO-MORROW.

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.

Translations from Horace.

To a LADY making a Pin-Basket.

Captain CUPID.

ODE on Ambition.

ODE to FANCY.

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

SONG.

ODE to a Friend wounded in a Duel.

ODE to NIGHT.

Written upon leaving a Friend's House in Wales.

DENNIS to Mr. THOMSON,

SONG. 1753.

The BULFINCH in Town.

SONG.

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 CABINET.

The HEROINES, or Modern Memoirs,

The PARTING.

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;

SONGS.

RURAL INSCRIPTIONS.

A Pastoral BALLAD, in Four Parts.

VOL. V.

VI.

VOL. VI.

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

323

The CABINET.

Or, Verses on Roman Medals. To Mr. W. By Mr. Graves.

I

Lo! the rich Casket's mimic dome!
Where cells in graceful rows
The triumphs of imperial Rome
In miniature disclose.

II

Less sacred far those tinsel shrines,
In which the sainted bones,
And relicks, modern Rome confines,
Of legendary drones.

III

In figur'd brass we here behold
From time's wide waste retriev'd,
What patriots firm or heroes bold
In peace or war atchiev'd.

IV

Or silver orbs, in series fair,
With titles deck'd around,
Present each Cæsar's face and air
With rays or laurels crown'd.

324

V

Ages to come shall hence be taught,
In lasting lines express'd,
How mighty Julius spoke or fought,
Or Cleopatra dress'd.

VI

Augustus here with placid mien,
Bids raging discord cease;
The gates of War close-barr'd are seen,
And all the world is peace.

VII

A race of tyrants then succeeds,
Who frown with brow severe;
Yet tho' we shudder at their deeds,
Ev'n Nero charms us here.

VIII

Thus did the blooming Titus look,
Delight of human kind:
Great Hadrian thus, whose death bespoke
His firm yet gentle mind.

IX

Aurelius too! thy stoic face
Indignant we compare
With young Faustina's wanton grace,
And meretricious air.

X

Each passion here and virtue shines
In liveliest emblems dress'd:
Less strong in Tully's ethic lines,
Or Plato's flights express'd.

325

XI

With heighten'd grace in verdant rust,
Each work of ancient art,
The temple, column, arch or bust
Their wonted charms impart.

XII

All-glorious Rome, thro' martial toil,
Beneath each zone obey'd,
Shew'd every province, trophy, spoil,
On current gold display'd.

XIII

Hence prodigals, that vainly spend,
Promote the great design;
And misers aid ambition's end,
Who treasure up the coin.

XIV

The peasant finds in every clime
The scientifick ore;
Whilst on the rich remains of time,
The learn'd with rapture pore.

XV

Each fading stroke they now retrace,
Each legend dark unfold:
Then in historic order place,—
And copper vies with gold.

XVI

Happy the sage! like you, my friend,
The evening of whose days
Heav'n grants in that fair vale to spend
Where Thames delighted strays.

326

XVII

To medals there and books of taste
Those moments you consign,
Which barren minds ignobly waste
On dogs, or cards, or wine.

XVIII

Whilst I 'mid rocks and savage woods
Enjoy these golden dreams;
Where Avon winds to mix her floods
With Bladud's healing streams.

Claverton near Bath, 1750.

University of Virginia Library

The CABINET.

Or, Verses on Roman Medals. To Mr. W. By Mr. Graves.

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

XIII

XIV

XV

XVI

XVII

XVIII