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University of Virginia Library

Poems on Several Occasions

by Samuel Wesley. The Second Edition, with Additions

Wesley, Samuel (1662-1735)

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THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES.

On the Sixth and Eighth Verses of the Fortieth Chapter of Isaiah.

Epitaph on an Infant.

To a Friend in the Country,

The ELECTIONEER.

TO Sir HERBERT POWELL, Bart.

A SONG to a Girl of Five Years old.

Epigram, from the Greek.

THE PARISH PRIEST.

To a Friend, upon his Marriage.

Epigram, from the Greek.

A Letter from a Guardian to a Young Lady

Epitaph on a Gamester and Free-thinker.

On the DEATH of Mr. Morgan of Christ-Church, Oxford.

ON The Birth-Day of a CHILD of a Year Old.

On the setting up Mr. Butler's Monument Westminster Abbey.

To the Right Honourable the EARL of OXFORD,

An Anacreontick Ode upon a Wedding, After Thirteen Years Courtship.

REFLECTIONS Upon these two Verses of Mr. Oldham: Lord of Myself, accountable to none, But to my Conscience, and my God alone.

To the MEMORY of the Right Rev. FRANCIS GASTRELL, D.D. Lord Bishop of Chester.

An ANACREONTICK, Alter'd from Herbert.

To the Right Honourable the EARL of OXFORD, On His Birth-Day.

To a Young Gentleman,

THE DESCRIPTIVE:

EPIGRAM On the foregoing Miltonicks.

Epigram, From the Greek.

On the foregoing Epigram.

An ODE To JAMES OGLETHORPE, Esq. In the Country. A.D. 1728.

To a Friend, on his Marriage.

PROLOGUE Spoken before the Beau's-Stratagem Acted by some young Persons of Quality.

THE PRISONS OPEN'D:

EPIGRAM, On the Death of a PHYSICIAN.

On the Death of Dr. FREIND.

A WEDDING-SONG.

A Familiar Epistle, to a Friend.

To a Physician, on his Marriage.

To the Memory of The Reverend Dr. SOUTH.

To a Young Lady, on her Birth-Day, being the First of April.

Epigram, from the Greek.

A PINDARICK ODE TO THE Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford.

Epigram, from the Greek.

Advice to One who was about to Write, To avoid the Immoralities of the Antient and Modern Poets.

EPILOGUE to CATO.

On the DEATH of Mrs. MORICE,

ANACREONTICK, From Herbert.

THE December's Day: .

ANACREONTICK, On parting with a little Child.

On the DEATH of the Right Hon. Henrietta Countess of Orrery.

On Philip, the Father of Alexander.

To Kitty, a Poetical Young Lady.

On the Statue of Alexander.

THE ILIAD in a Nutshell:

NECK or NOTHING:

A PINDARICK ODE, TO THE Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford.

From a Hint in the Minor Poets.

An ODE to James Oglethorpe, Esq.

On the Death of A Friend, a Dissenter from the Ch. of England.

On some blasphemous Discourses on our Saviour's Miracles.

TO A FRIEND, On his being chosen Member of Parliament.

Slander answer'd.

A defence of Slander answer'd.

Upon my Hairs falling.

ON Mr. PETER BLUNDELL.

Epilogue to one of Terence's Plays, acted at the first Annual Meeting of Westminster Scholars.

Epilogue spoken at the Westminster-Meeting in the Year. 1732–3.

On the Siege of Saguntum.

On Forms of Prayer.

Upon altering the PSALMS, to apply them to a Christian State.

On the Passion of Our Saviour.

Ode upon Christ's Crucifixion.

An Hymn on Easter-Day.

An Hymn for Sunday.

AN Hymn to GOD the FATHER.

An Hymn to God the Son.

An Hymn to God the Holy-Ghost.

An Hymn to the TRINITY, Three Persons and One God.

A Paraphrase on the Eighth Psalm.

Hezekiah's Thanksgiving for his Recovery from Sickness: Isaiah 38.

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204

THE December's Day: .

A Song

[_]

To the Tune of The Sun was sunk beneath the Hill, &c.

I

Let various Seasons boast their Pride,
The Spring with Flow'rs the Earth adorn,
With cloudless Days the Summer glide,
And Autumn shew her Fruits and corn;
These may demand a vulgar Lay,
I sing of a December's Day.

II

What Day my Joy should rather move
Through the fair Circle of the Year,
Than that which gave my wedded Love
The Months in their Decline to cheer?
Not August with his Dog-Star Ray
Can vye with this December's Day.

III

No Silks unpaid-for rustle here,
Nor foreign Fripp'ry we import,
No Velvets or Brocades appear;
But, what few Birth-days see at Court,
Friendship unbought and Love display
Their Beams on this December's Day.

205

IV

Not sharp and ever-during Pain
Her cheerful Constancy can move,
From Toil incessant to refrain,
To slight her Duty or her Love:
The Soul upholds the mould'ring Clay,
And brightens the December's Day.

V

Observant of the Orphan's Tear,
And heark'ning to the Wretch's Groan,
The Lives of others holding dear,
But still regardless of her own;
Throughout the Year what Numbers may
Rejoice for this December's Day.

VI

If either India we could gain,
The Wings of Time we could not bind;
What living Ministers obtain,
And dying Misers leave behind,
Could never bribe our Youth to stay,
Or keep off the December's Day.

VII

When frosted o'er with Age's Grey,
From Guilt exempted and from Pain,
Long may She easy live and gay,
Nor spend a single Wish in vain,
Back to recall the by-past May,
Nor mourn for the December's Day.

206

VIII

Long may She happy rest below,
E'er call'd to happier Rest above;
Diviner Life prefer'd to know,
And Raptures of sublimer Love;
Where Time can never Bliss impair,
For no December will be There.