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University of Virginia Library

Familiar letters and poems on several occasions

By Mary Masters

Masters, Mary (ca. 1706-ca. 1759)

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Familiar Letters, &c.

[To wear away Time as we can, we full oft]

[O wou'd the Free-born Maids together join]

[Fear not my Genius to unfold]

[Fear not, Maria, to display]

[But this is the Effect of present Grief]

[That some there are, who regularly move]

[Though I feel no youthful Fires]

[An active Mind, and Spirits gay]

On Good Friday.

Another Passage from Petrarch.

[A shining Treasure from the World conceal'd]

[Had, hitherto, escap'd those Darts]

[Ye lovely Nymphs of Britain's beauteous Race]

[For early will the treach'rous Tempters come]

[For though fond Hope our Wishes oft deceives]

[Pride, that imperious Fiend too well I know]

[A Love which greater Transports can impart]

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POEMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

On the Nativity of our BLESSED SAVIOUR.

To Miss H--- on her Marriage with Captain J---.

An Answer to an Epistle sent me by a Gentleman on the Death of his Father.

On hearing a Sermon preached by the Reverend Mr ---.

My Love describ'd to CAMILLA.

To the same on her telling me a very acceptable piece of News.

An EPISTLE to ---

A Second Epistle to the Same.

The Rose and other Flowers, a Tale; inscribed to a young Lady.

The ATOM and WASP; or Pride mortified.

Casim. Lib. i. Ode 2.

The various Pursuits of Mankind.

CATULLUS to LESBIA.

An Imitation of the foregoing Verses, by way of Reply.

Wrote immediately upon seeing the Behaviour of a Jealous Husband.

An EPIGRAM on a Person who constantly drinks a Dram when he goes to Prayers.

Verses sent by a Gentleman to the Author, desiring an Answer.

To the Gentleman who sent the above Verses.

An EXTEMPORE THOUGHT.

Return'd in Answer to a poetical Compliment from Miss ---

Wrote some Months after the Prince of Wales's Death.

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Four Speeches for four Boys, &c.

1.

2.

3.

4.

To the Ladies at ---, having pass'd one Day with them.

To a Friend who tax'd me with too much Zeal in blaming her Fondness to an unworthy Lover.

To Miss ---, on her Birth-Day, at a Time when she was much distress'd.

Sent to a young Lady in Town, who had vow'd to die a Maid, in Answer to a Letter, where, in a Copy of Verses, she signify'd her Resolution, and desired an Account of the House and its Situation, in which a new married Lady of her acquaintance was settled.

An Answer to a poetical Letter from Miss ---, in which she informs me of a warm Debate, in a Senate of Ladies, upon the Question, Whether I had ever been in Love?

The Gentleman's Answer to a Song call'd the Lady's Reply.

Sent to Mrs ---, upon the Epiphany.

Upon the first Day of the Year.

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SHORT EJACULATIONS.

['Tis Religion that can give]

[By Meditation, and by Pray'r]

[Whene'er I touch the sounding Lyre]

A THOUGHT at first waking.

To a Lady on the New Year; by a Gentleman.

To the Rt Hon. Lady Viscountess IRWIN, on her Poem call'd Castle Howard.

CYDIPPE to LEONZO.

PSALM CI.

Written in a blank Leaf of Mrs Row's Works.

On a Lady who refused the Address of four Gentlemen eminent in their Profession, and died a Maid.

Presented to a Gentleman in danger of being in Love with a Woman of bad Conduct.

On a female Cat, named Selima, who fell into a China Cistern with Gold Fishes in it, and was drown'd.

The following upon the same Occasion, was wrote by a Lady, probably to Selima's Mistress, to comfort her for the Loss of her Favourite.

A Gentleman having read the foregoing Verses, ask'd what Reason could be given for Phœbus interesting himself in the Affair? This Question occasion'd the following Lines.

Wit rewarded, or the Double Triumph.

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An ODE on MUSICK.

Address'd to a Lady (whom I had not then seen) on the Day of her Marriage with a Gentleman of my Acquaintance.

To the Author of the EPISTLE. To Mrs MASTERS and her Readers.

PSALM CXXXVIII.

An Epitaph found at Soulac, the Ancient Noviomagus, a Town in Guienne, a Province of France.

The Expostulation and Resolution.

An Hymn intended to be sung on Easter-Day.

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PSALM CI.

Of Mercy, and of Judgment, will I sing,
To thee, the High, the everlasting King!
Mercy thy darling Attribute is known,
And righteous Judgment issues from thy Throne.
To me, great God, thy sacred Truths impart,
And print thy Precepts deeply in my Heart.
When will thy Presence make thy Servant blest?
I grow impatient for the heav'nly Guest;
Where'er I am, I will most careful be,
As far as Mortals can, to copy thee;

243

Clear from all Ill, my dwelling as my Mind,
Where good Men only shall free Entrance find.

Whatever bears the livid Marks of Sin,
My Soul abhors, I will not deal therein;
Firm to the Truth, I ne'er will turn aside,
For thy un-erring Rules shall be my Guide.

Who loves Contention must from me depart,
The Man of bitter Words and froward Heart:
Or who, malicious, takes a fatal Aim,
Or with keen Slander wounds his neighbour's Fame:
Whose whisper'd Tales like latent Poisons kill—
Such I'll cut off from Pow'r of future Ill;
For social Converse daily will I seek,
The pure in Heart, the Humble and the Meek.
They who in righteousness do most excel,
Shall eat my Bread, and in my House shall dwell;

244

My Friends I'll chuse of such as love thy Word,
And my Domesticks all shall serve the Lord.

The babling Fool I utterly despise,
Whose Lips are stain'd with Vanity and Lyes:
All that in bold Iniquity delight,
I'll banish far from my offended Sight.
Thus shall I soon destroy the wicked Race,
Whose impious Deeds fair Sion's Walls disgrace;
Thus, from Pollution once again set free,
The City of the Lord shall hallow'd be.