The Works of the Reverend and Learned Isaac Watts, D. D. ::

The Works of the Reverend and Learned Isaac Watts, D. D.

Containing, besides his Sermons, and Essays on miscellaneous subjects, several additional pieces, Selected from his Manuscripts by the Rev. Dr. Jennings, and the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, in 1753: to which are prefixed, memoirs of the life of the author, compiled by the Rev. George Burder. In six volumes

Watts, Isaac (1674-1748)

IV.

VOL. IV.

HORÆ LYRICÆ.

ON READING DR. WATTS'S POEMS SACRED TO PIETY AND DEVOTION.

TO DR. WATTS, On his Poems sacred to Devotion.

TO DR. WATTS, On reading his Horæ Lyricæ.

TO DR. WATTS, On his Divine Poems.

TO DR. WATTS, On the Fifth Edition of his Horæ Lyricæ.

BOOK I. SACRED TO DEVOTION AND PIETY.

II.

BOOK II. SACRED TO VIRTUE, HONOUR AND FRIENDSHIP.

TO HER MAJESTY.

PALINODIA.

TO JOHN LOCKE, ESQ.

TO JOHN SHUTE, ESQ. (NOW LORD BARRINGTON.)

TO MR. WILLIAM NOKES.

TO NATHANIEL GOULD, ESQ. (NOW SIR NATHANIEL GOULD.)

TO DR. THOMAS GIBSON.

False Greatness.

TO SARISSA.

TO MR. T. BRADBURY.

Strict Religion very rare.

TO MR. C. AND S. FLEETWOOD.

TO WILLIAM BLACKBOURN, ESQ.

True Monarchy.

True Courage.

TO THE MUCH HONOURED MR. THOMAS ROWE, THE DIRECTOR OF MY YOUTHFUL STUDIES.

TO THE REV. MR. BENONI ROWE.

TO THE REV. MR. JOHN HOWE.

The Disappointment and Relief.

The Hero's School of Morality.

Freedom.

On Mr. Locke's Annotations upon several Parts of the New Testament, left behind him at his Death.

True Riches.

The Adventurous Muse.

TO MR. NICHOLAS CLARK.

The Afflictions of a Friend.

The Reverse; or, the Comforts of a Friend.

TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN LORD CUTS, At the Siege of Namur.

Burning several Poems of Ovid, Martial, Oldham, Dryden, &c.

TO MRS. B. BENDISH.

Few Happy Matches.

TO DAVID POLHILL, ESQ.

The celebrated Victory of the Poles over Osman, the Turkish Emperor, in the Dacian Battle.

The Indian Philosopher.

The happy Man.

TO DAVID POLHILL, ESQ.

To the Discontented and Unquiet.

TO JOHN HARTOPP, ESQ. (NOW SIR JOHN HARTOPP, BART.)

TO THOMAS GUNSTON, ESQ.

TO JOHN HARTOPP, ESQ. (NOW SIR JOHN HARTOPP, BART.)

TO MITIO, MY FRIEND.

ON THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, Just after Mr. Dryden. 1700.

AN EPIGRAM OF MARTIAL TO CIRINUS.

TO MRS. SINGER. (NOW MRS. ROWE.)

III.

BOOK III. SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE DEAD.

RELIQUIÆ JUVENILES.

REMNANTS OF TIME EMPLOYED, IN PROSE AND VERSE;

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

Burning several Poems of Ovid, Martial, Oldham, Dryden, &c.

1708.

I.

I judge the muse of lewd desire;
Her sons to darkness, and her works to fire.
In vain the flatteries of their wit
Now with a melting strain, now with an heav'nly flight,
Would tempt my virtue to approve
Those gaudy tinders of a lawless love.
So harlots dress: They can appear
Sweet, modest, cool, divinely fair,
To charm a Cato's eye; but all within,
Stench, impudence and fire, and ugly raging sin.

II.

Die, Flora, die in endless shame,
Thou prostitute of blackest fame,
Stript of thy false array.
Ovid, and all ye wilder pens
Of modern lust, who gild our scenes,
Poison the British stage, and paint damnation gay,
Attend your mistress to the dead;
When Flora dies, her imps should wait upon her shade.

III.

Strephon, of noble blood and mind,
(For ever shine his name!)
As death approach'd, his soul refin'd,
And gave his looser sonnets to the flame.
‘Burn, burn,’ he cry'd with sacred rage,
‘Hell is the due of ev'ry page,

473

‘Hell be the fate. (But O indulgent heaven!
‘So vile the muse, and yet the man forgiv'n!)
‘Burn on my songs: For not the silver Thames
‘Nor Tiber with his yellow streams
‘In endless currents rolling to the main,
‘Can e'er dilute the poison, or wash out the stain.’
So Moses by divine command
Forbid the leprous house to stand,
When deep the fatal spot was grown,
‘Break down the timber, and dig up the stone.’

Earl of Rochester.

University of Virginia Library

Burning several Poems of Ovid, Martial, Oldham, Dryden, &c.

I.

II.

III.