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University of Virginia Library

Poems of Phillis Wheatley

Revised and Enlarged Edition

Wheatley, Phillis (1753-1784)

Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

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Other Poems and Variants of Poems

ON MESSRS HUSSEY AND COFFIN.

TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, WROTE IN 1767—

AN ADDRESS TO THE ATHEIST, BY P. WHEATLEY AT THE AGE OF 14 YEARS—1767—

AN ADDRESS TO THE DEIST—1767—

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY ON HIS REPEALING THE AMERICAN STAMP ACT

TO THE HON.ble COMMODORE HOOD ON HIS PARDONING A DESERTER

ON THE DEATH OF THE REV'D DR. SEWALL. 1769.—

ON THE DEATH OF MR SNIDER MURDER'D BY RICHARDSON

AN ELEGIAC POEM, On the DEATH of that celebrated Divine, and eminent Servant of JESUS CHRIST, the late Reverend, and pious GEORGE WHITEFIELD, Chaplain to the Right Honourable the Countess of Huntingdon, &c &c. Who made his Exit from this transitory State, to dwell in the celestial Realms of Bliss, on LORD'S-DAY, 30th of September, 1770, when he was seiz'd with a Fit of the Asthma, at NEWBURY-PORT, near BOSTON, in NEW-ENGLAND. In which is a Condolatory Address to His truly noble Benefactress the worthy and pious Lady HUNTINGDON,—and the Orphan-Children in GEORGIA; who, with many Thousands, are left, by the Death of this great Man, to lament the Loss of a Father, Friend, and Benefactor.

AN ODE OF VERSES On the much-lamented Death of the REV. MR. GEORGE WHITEFIELD, Late Chaplain to the Countess of Huntingdon; Who departed this Life, at Newberry near Boston in New England, on the Thirtieth of September, 1770, in the Fifty-seventh Year of his Age.

To Mrs. LEONARD, on the Death of her HUSBAND.

ON THE DEATH OF DR. SAMUEL MARSHALL

On the Death of Doctor SAMUEL MARSHALL.

To the Rev. Mr. Pitkin, on the DEATH of his LADY.

A POEM ON THE DEATH OF CHARLES ELIOT, AGED 12 MONTHS

TO THE RIGHT HON.l WILLIAM EARL OF DARTMOUTH, HIS MAJESTY'S SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTH AMERICA &.c &.c &.c

To the Hon'ble Thomas Hubbard, Esq; On the Death of Mrs. Thankfull Leonard.

FAREWELL TO AMERICA.

An ELEGY, To Miss. Mary Moorhead, on the DEATH of her Father, The Rev. Mr. JOHN MOORHEAD.

[TO A GENTLEMAN OF THE NAVY.]

PHILIS'S Reply to the Answer in our last by the Gentleman in the Navy.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON.

ON THE CAPTURE OF GENERAL LEE

ON THE DEATH OF GENERAL WOOSTER

AN ELEGY, SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THAT GREAT DIVINE, THE REVEREND AND LEARNED DR. SAMUEL COOPER, Who departed this Life December 29, 1783, ÆTATIS 59.

LIBERTY AND PEACE, A POEM.

An ELEGY on leaving ---.

To Mr. and Mrs. ---, on the Death of their Infant Son,

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TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON.
[_]

The following LETTER and VERSES, were written by the famous Phillis Wheatley, the African Poetess, and presented to his Excellency Gen. Washington.

SIR,

I Have taken the freedom to address your Excellency in the enclosed poem, and entreat your acceptance, though I am not insensible of its inaccuracies.
165

Your being appointed by the Grand Continental Congress to be Generalissimo of the armies of North America, together with the fame of your virtues, excite sensations not easy to suppress. Your generosity, therefore, I presume, will pardon the attempt. Wishing your Excellency all possible success in the great cause you are so generously engaged in. I am,
Your Excellency's most obedient humble servant, PHILLIS WHEATLEY. Providence, Oct. 26, 1775. His Excellency Gen. Washington.

166

CElestial choir! enthron'd in realms of light,
Columbia's scenes of glorious toils I write.
While freedom's cause her anxious breast alarms,
She flashes dreadful in refulgent arms.
See mother earth her offspring's fate bemoan,
And nations gaze at scenes before unknown!
See the bright beams of heaven's revolving light
Involved in sorrows and the veil of night!

The goddess comes, she moves divinely fair,
Olive and laurel binds her golden hair:
Wherever shines this native of the skies,
Unnumber'd charms and recent graces rise.

Muse! bow propitious while my pen relates
How pour her armies through a thousand gates:
As when Eolus heaven's fair face deforms,
Enwrapp'd in tempest and a night of storms;
Astonish'd ocean feels the wild uproar,
The refluent surges beat the sounding shore;

167

Or thick as leaves in Autumn's golden reign,
Such, and so many, moves the warrior's train.
In bright array they seek the work of war,
Where high unfurl'd the ensign waves in air.
Shall I to Washington their praise recite?
Enough thou know'st them in the fields of fight.
Thee, first in place and honours,—we demand
The grace and glory of thy martial band.
Fam'd for thy valour, for thy virtues more,
Hear every tongue thy guardian aid implore!

One century scarce perform'd its destin'd round,
When Gallic powers Columbia's fury found;
And so may you, whoever dares disgrace
The land of freedom's heaven-defended race!
Fix'd are the eyes of nations on the scales,
For in their hopes Columbia's arm prevails.
Anon Britannia droops the pensive head,
While round increase the rising hills of dead.
Ah! cruel blindness to Columbia's state!
Lament thy thirst of boundless power too late.

Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side,
Thy ev'ry action let the goddess guide.
A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine,
With gold unfading, WASHINGTON! be thine.