University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
Matthew Prior. Dialogues of the Dead and Other Works

in Prose and Verse. The Text Edited by A. R. Waller
Prior, Matthew (1664-1721)

collapse section 
DIALOGUES OF THE DEAD AND OTHER WORKS IN PROSE AND VERSE
collapse section 
A SUPPLEMENT TO Mr. Prior's POEMS. Consisting Of such Pieces as are Omitted in the late Collection of his Works, and Others, now first Published, from his Original Manuscripts, in the Custody of his Friends.
  
To the Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of DEVONSHIRE, ON A Piece of Wissin's; Whereon were all her Grandsons Painted.
  
The Female PHAETON.
  
The Judgment of VENUS.
  
SONG To his Mistress.
  
AN ODE,
  
AN EPISTLE TO Sir Fleetwood Sheppard.
  
A SATIRE ON THE Modern Translators.
  
A Satire upon the Poets, in Imitation of the Seventh Satire of Juvenal.
collapse section 
[POEMS FROM THE New Collection, 1725]
  
Epitaph Extempore.
collapse section 
THE Turtle and the Sparrow.
  
[section]
  
APPLICATION OF THE TURTLE and SPARROW.
  
DOWN-HALL;
  
VERSES Spoke to the Lady Henrietta-Cavendish Holles Harley, In the LIBRARY of St. John's College, Cambridge
  
PROLOGUE TO THE ORPHAN.
  
THE CONVERSATION,
  
COLIN's MISTAKES.
collapse section 
[MISCELLANEOUS POEMS ETC., FROM THE COLLECTION OF DRIFT]
  
Considerations on part of the 88th Psalm.
  
ON THE TAKING OF NAMUR, 1692.
  
TO A CHILD of QUALITY, FIVE YEARS OLD, The AUTHOR Forty.
  
TWO RIDDLES.
  
A FABLE.
  
A SONG.
  
CONSUMMATION.
  
THE FORTUNE-TELLER.
  
AN ENIGMA.
  
CUPID Turned STROLLER.
  
SNUFF.
  
DAPHNE and APOLLO.
  
PROLOGUE, SPOKEN BY Lord BUCKHURST, AT WESTMINSTER-SCHOOL,
  
[THE SECRETARY.]
  
THE MICE
  
THE VICEROY.
  
UPON THIS PASSAGE IN SCALIGERIANA.
  
Nell and John.
  
Bibo.
  
Gabriel and his Wives.
  
Silvia.
  
Richard and Nelly.
  
CUPID IN AMBUSH.
  
Nannette.
  
The Priest and the Shepherd.
  
ON A FART, LET IN THE HOUSE of COMMONS.
  
On Hall's Death.
  
Prometheus.
  
THE WANDERING PILGRIM.
  
THE ADVICE OF VENUS.
  
CUPID TURNED PLOWMAN.
  
HUSBAND AND WIFE.
  
TO FORTUNE.
  
CHAST FLORIMEL.
  
PARTIAL FAME.
  
A SONG.
  
NON PAREIL.
  
UPON HONOUR.
  
THE OLD GENTRY.
  
THE INCURABLE.
  
THE Insatiable PRIEST.
  
DOCTORS Differ.
  
PONTIUS AND PONTIA.
  
Cautious Alice.
  
TO A POET of Quality, PRAISING THE Lady HINCHINBROKE.
  
The PRATER.
  
TRUTH TOLD AT LAST.
  
AN ENIGMA.
  
TWO BEGGARS Disputing their Right to an Oyster they had Found; a Lawyer thus decides the Cause.
  
A FRENCH SONG.
  
HUMAN LIFE.
  
A CASE STATED.
  
FOR My own Monument.
  
TO My Lord HARLEY.
  
A LETTER TO The Honourable LADY Miss Margaret-Cavendish-Holles-Harley.
  
TRUTH AND FALSHOOD.
  
Nelly's Picture.
  
PROLOGUE FOR DELIA's PLAY.
  
AMARYLLIS.
  
CUPID's Promise.
  
Lamentation for DORINDA.
  
On Absence.
  
TO LEONORA.
  
ON A PRETTY MADWOMAN.
  
The Torment of ABSENCE.
  
THE NEW-YEAR'S GIFT TO PHYLLIS.
  
Coy Jenny.
  
TO CELIA.
  
Upon a FRIEND, WHO HAD A Pain in his Left-Side.
collapse section 
THE EXAMINER. 7 SEPTEMBER 1710
  
To the Earl of Godolphin.
collapse section 
[MISCELLANEOUS POEMS, FROM THE COLLECTION OF EVANS, INCLUDING TWENTY-FOUR SONGS.]
collapse section 
[subsection]
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II. PARTING WITH FLAVIA.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV. TO PHILLIS.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII. A TWO PART SONG.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI. LES ESTREINES.
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII.
 XIX. 
XIX. ADVICE TO A LADY.
 XX. 
XX.
 XXI. 
XXI.
 XXII. 
XXII.
 XXIII. 
XXIII.
 XXIV. 
XXIV.
  
TO THE REV. DR. FRANCIS TURNER, BISHOP OF ELY WHO HAD ADVISED A TRANSLATION OF PRUDENTIUS.
  
A PASTORAL.
  
THE REMEDY WORSE THAN THE DISEASE.
  
EPIGRAM, EXTEMPORE.
  
EPIGRAM ON BISHOP ATTERBURY.
  
ON BISHOP ATTE[R]BURY'S BURYING THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, MDCCXX.
  
LINES WRITTEN UNDER THE PRINT OF TOM BRITTON, the Small-coal-man, PAINTED BY Mr. WOOLASTON.
  
WRITTEN IN LADY HOWE'S OVID'S EPISTLES.
  
AN EPISTLE, MDCCXVI.
  
ANOTHER EPISTLE.
  
TRUE'S EPITAPH.
  
EPIGRAM.
  
UPON Playing at OMBRE, WITH TWO LADIES.
  
ON MY BIRTH-DAY.
collapse section 
POEMS FROM THE LONGLEAT MSS.
  
To Madam K. P.
  
To a Lady Sleeping.
  
Charity never faileth.
collapse section 
There be Those that leave Their Names behind them.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
  
Many Daughters have done well, But Thou Excellest them all.
  
On the Coronation.
  
Not Writing to K. P.
  
Arria and Petus out of Martial.
  
To the Countess of Dorset walking in a Garden.
  
To the E. of D. upon His Marriage.
  
Journey to Copt-Hall.
  
On Mr Fleetwood Shephards Killing the French K***
  
Advice to the Painter, Upon the defeat of the Rebels in the West, and the Execution of the late D. of Monmouth.
  
To the Bishop of Rochester Upon His Account of the Whiggish Conspir[a]cy by His late Majesty's order.
  
God is Love.
collapse section 
To the E. of Dorset on the Birth of His Son.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
  
A Hymn to the Spring.
  
A Session of the Poets
  
To a Friend on his Marriage.
  
Letter to J****
  
To Dr F********* in a Letter to Beverley disswading him from drinking Waters.
  
[Inspired Wit.]
  
Epistle to Lord ---.
  
To My Lady Exeter, on New Years day.
  
[Answer to an] Orange.
  
Song
  
Song
  
[Great Nassau rise from Beauty]
  
Cælia.
  
The same Varied.
  
A Hymn to Venus, upon a Marriage.
  
A Fable.
  
A new Answer to an Argument against a Standing-Army.
  
[A Prophecy.]
  
Ballad.
  
[A Ballad of Vigour.]
  
Seneca, Troas. Act 2d.
  
Translated from the Original French.
  
[Reality and Image.]
  
Verses Intended for Lock and Montaigne.
  
Fragments Written At Down-Hall.
  
Fragments for Alma.
  
The World was 200 Year in the Dark following Aristotle.
  
Fragments.
  
To Florimel.
  
Written under a Picture painted by Mr Howard.
  
True Statesmen.
  
Simile.
  
The Courtier.
  
Fragments.
  
Beauty.
  
Narcissus.
  
On the Marchioness of Caermarthen.
  
Virgils Georgic 4 Verse 511 Qualis ------ implet
  
Answer to the Female Phaeton.
  
In a Window in Lord Villiers house.
  
To a Painter (fragments).
  
A Prologue intended to the Play of Chit Chat, but never finished.
  
Prelude to a Tale from Boccace in blank Verse.
  
PREDESTINATION.
  
[Fragment from Britanicus.]
  
To Cloe.
  
Epigram.
  
Translation of an Epitaph upon Gilbert Glanville Bishop of Rochester as written in Rochester Cathedral.
  
From Ronsard's Franciade Book the IVth Folio 465.
  
[Fragments in Prose and Verse.]
  
Song.
  
[Jinny the Just.]
collapse section 
FRAGMENTS FROM PRIOR'S LETTERS, ETC.
  
FROM A LETTER TO THE EARL OF DORSET.
  
ON THE DEATH OF QUEEN MARY.
  
WRITTEN IN THE LIBRARY, [Wimpole] Dec. 2, 1720. M.P.
collapse section 
POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO PRIOR
  
AN ANSWER TO THE Curious MAID. A TALE.
collapse section 
THE LYON AND THE FOX.
  
[section]
  
THE MORAL.
  
An EPISTLE from the Elector of BAVARIA to the FRENCH King, after the Battle of Ramillies.
  
An Apology to a Lady, who told me, I cou'd not love her heartily, because I had lov'd others.
  
Against Modesty in Love.
  
On a young Lady's going to Town in the Spring.
  
When the Cat's away, The Mice may play.
  
A FABLE OF THE WIDOW AND HER CAT.
  
A Paraphrase on the French.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section Matthew Prior. Dialogues of the Dead and Other Works
next section
90

CUPID Turned STROLLER.

FROM ANACREON, ODE III.

At dead of night, when stars appear,
And strong Bootes turns the Bear;
When mortals sleep their cares away,
Fatigu'd with labours of the day,
Cupid was knocking at my gate;
Who's there, says I, who knocks so late?
Disturbs my dreams, and breaks my rest?
O fear not me a harmless guest,
He said, but open, open pray;
A foolish child, I've lost my way,
And wander here this moon-light night,
All wet and cold, and wanting light.
With due regard his voice I heard,
Then rose, a ready lamp prepar'd,
And saw a naked boy below,
With wings, a quiver, and a bow:
In haste I ran, unlockt my gate,
Secure and thoughtless of my fate;
I set the Child an easy chair
Against the fire, and dry'd his hair;
Brought friendly cups of chearful wine,
And warm'd his little hands with mine;
All this did I with kind intent;
But he, on wanton mischief bent
Said, dearest friend, this bow you see,
This pretty bow belongs to me:
Observe, I pray, if all be right,
I fear the rain has spoil'd it quite:
91

He drew it then, and strait I found
Within my breast a secret wound.
This done, the rogue no longer staid,
But leapt away, and laughing said,
Kind host adieu, we now must part,
Safe is my bow, but sick thy heart.
previous section Matthew Prior. Dialogues of the Dead and Other Works
next section