Poems On several Choice and Various Subjects :: :: University of Virginia Library

Poems On several Choice and Various Subjects

Occasionally Composed By An Eminent Author. Collected and Published by Sergeant-Major P. F. [i.e. James Howell]

Howell, James (1594?-1666)

[section]

[dedication]

POEMS Upon several Emergent Occasions.

The Progress of the Human Soul:

A Speculation.

Of some Pious Meditations, when Prisoner for the King in the Fleet.

A Contemplation upon the shortness and shallowness of Human Knowledg.

A Prophetic Poem (partly accomplished) to his present Majesty then Prince, 1640.

A Rapture upon Delia.

Of the tru Observation of Lent.

Before the History of Lewis the 13. (with his Cardinal Richlieu) called Lustra Ludovici.

Before LONDINOPOLIS:

Before Bishop Andrews most holy Meditations and Prayers.

Before that large and elaborat Work, called, The German Diet

AXIOMA.

Before my Lord of Cherberry's History of King Hen. 8.

OF TRANSLATIONS, Upon rendring into English a choice Venetian Romance, called, EROMENA,

Another.

The Dedication To Great Britain, of that Voluminous Work, Lexicon Tetraglotton:

Of the Original of the English Toung, And her Association With the Italian, Spanish, and French, &c.

Before a great Volume of PROVERBS, In Five Languages.

Of the strange vertu of VVords, Before The Great NOMENCLATURA;

Upon the great Drammatical Work of B. and Fletcher, publish'd 1646.

To his late Majesty, at the Dedication unto Him of DODONAS GROVE,

To Prince Charles, (now King.)

Before the VOCAL FOREST, To the knowing Reader, Touching the Progress of Learning.

To the Common Reader.

To the Critical Reader.

Touching the Vertu and Use Of Familiar Letters.

To the Sagacious Reader.

Upon a Rare and Recent Persian TRAGY-HISTORY.

An Elegie upon EDWARD late Earl of Dorset, 1651.

An EPITHALAMIUM Upon the Nuptials of that Princely Pair, Henry Lo. Marquiss of Dorchester, And the Lady Katherine, Daughter to the late Heroik Earl of Darby:

An HYMENÆUM,

A Poem Heroique,

Before The History of NAPLES, Called, PARTHENOPE,

Of the most curious Gardens, Groves, Mounts, Arbours, &c. Contriv'd, and lately made by The Lord Vicount Killmorry, At Dutton-Hall in Cheshire.

Before that Exquisit large Peece, A Survay Of the City and Signory of Venice.

A Fit of MORTIFICATION.

A Lovers Protestation.

Upon Himself, having been buried alive for many years in the Prison of the Fleet,

A Gradual Hymn of a double cadence, tending to the Honour of the Holy Name of God.

Upon a Beutiful Valentine.

Upon Black Eyes, and Becoming Frowns.

Upon Clorinda's Mask.

Upon Dr. Davies British-Grammar.

Upon Christmas-Day.

Upon my Honoured Friend and F. Mr. Ben. Johnson.

For the admitting Mistriss Anne King to be the tenth Muse.

A Hymn to the Blessed Trinity.

A short Ejaculation.

A Hymn of Mortification.

A Holy RAPTURE.

An EJACULATION To my CREATOR.

Upon a Fit of DISCONSOLATION, or Despondency of Spirit.

Upon the most Noble Work of the Lo. Mar. of Winchester,

Upon the untimely Death of the Lord Fra. Villars,

Upon the Holy Sacrament.

A Divine EJACULATION.

Of the Scene, and ingenious Composure of a Florentine Tragi-Comedy.

Upon the Poems of Dr. Aylet,

The Description of a Morning Expergefaction,

To Mrs. E. B. Upon a sudden SURPRISAL.

Upon the Nativity of our Saviour, Christmas-Day.

To my Dear Mother, The University of Oxford,

Upon a Cupboard of Venice-Glasses, sent for a New-years-gift to a choice Lady.

A Passionat ELEGIE Upon His Long-endeared Friend, Daniel Caldwal Esq

An ELEGIE Upon his Tomb in Horndon-Hill Church, Erected by his Wife, Who speaks

Sent with a Prayer-Book to a Pious Lady.

To DELIA.

A sudden SPECULATION Beyond the Seas.

Of Female Hypocrisie, In a short Dialog twixt Dion and Thyrsis.

Of some, Who blending their Brains together, plotted how to bespatter one of the Muses choicest Sons and Servants,

Upon Mr. Cleveland.

Upon Dr. Howel, Lord Bishop of Bristol, Who died a little after the putting down of Episcopacy.

Before the Second Part Of DODONAS GROVE.

The Conclusion of the Second Part Of DODONAS GROVE.

To my most Endeared R. Altham, Esq

Upon A New-fashion'd Table-Book, Sent Him for a Token from Amsterdam.

Upon EASTER-DAY.

A PARALLEL Twixt Angels and Men.

To my choice, and most endeared Friend, Mr. R. A.

Upon this rare Erotique Subject, The Master-piece of Love,

To his worthy Friend, Mr. Wallan,

A Pregnant Vow For a safe and seasonable Delivery To The Excellent Lady, the Lady KATHERINE, Marchioness of Dorchester.

Upon his Majesties Return, With the Dukes of York and Glocester.

Before ΟΗΡΟΑΟΓΙΑ.

An Eucharistical Rapture, With A Gradual Hymn to the Heavenly Hierarchy.

Upon the Exquisit Romance of the Bishop of Bellay, Made English out of the French, By Serjeant-Major John Wright

To Mr. Math. Johnson,

Upon Mr. Benlowes Divine Theophila.

On Doctor Charletons learned Piece, by proving that Stone-henge is a Danish-Monument,

Of Mrs. Diana Bill,

Upon Her Majesties 31 days sayling from Lisbon to England.

Upon the Posthume-Poems of Mr. Lovelace.

Upon the Gran Climacterik Year—63.

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

A Contemplation upon the shortness and shallowness of Human Knowledg.

If of the smallest Star in Sky
We know not the Dimensity:
If those pure sparks that Stars compose,
The highest Human Wit do pose;
How then, poor shallow Man! canst thou
The Maker of these Glories know?

If we know not the Air we draw,
Nor what keeps Winds and Waves in aw:
If our small Sculls cannot contain
The flux, and saltness of the Main;
If scarce a Cause we ken below,
How can we the Supernal know?

If it be a mysterious thing,
Why Steel shold to the Loadstone cling:
If we know not why Jett should draw,
And with such Kisses hug a Straw:
If none can truly yet reveal
How Sympathetick Powders heal:

If we scarce know the Earth we tred,
Or half the Simples there are bred,

With Minerals, and thousand things
Which for Mans health and food she brings:
If Nature's so obscure, then how
Can we the God of Nature know?

What the Batts Ey is to the Sun,
Or of a Gloworm to the Moon;
The same is Human Intellect,
If on our Maker we reflect;
Whose Magnitude is so immense,
That it transcends both Soul and Sense.

Poor Purblind-Man, then sit thee still;
Let Wonderment thy Temples fill.
Keep a due distance: do not pry
Too neer, lest like the silly Fly,
While she the Wanton with the Flame doth play,
First fries her wings, then fools her life away.