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The works of Anne Bradstreet in prose and verse

Edited by John Harvard Ellis
Bradstreet, Anne (1612?-1672)

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RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES AND OCCASIONAL PIECES.
 
To my Dear Children.
 
Here follow severall occasionall meditations.
 
For Deliverance from a feaver.
 
ffrom another sore ffitt.
 
Deliverance from a fitt of ffainting.
 
[What God is like to him I serve]
 
[My soul, rejoice thou in thy God]
 
[As spring the winter doth succeed]
 
Vpon my Son Samuel his goeing for England, Novem. 6, 1657.
 
[My thankfull heart with glorying Tongue]
 
For the restoration of my dear Husband from a burning Ague, June, 1661.
 
Vpon my Daughter Hannah Wiggin her recouery from a dangerous feaver.
 
On my Sons Return out of England, July 17, 1661.
 
Vpon my dear and loving husband his goeing into England, Jan. 16, 1661.
 
In my Solitary houres in my dear husband his Absence.
 
In thankfull acknowledgment for the letters I received from my husband ovt of England.
 
In thankfull Remembrance for my dear husbands safe Arrivall Sept. 3, 1662.
 
[In filent night when rest I took]
 
[As weary pilgrim, now at rest]
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POEMS.
 
[Mercury shew'd Apollo, Bartas Book]
 
To my dear Sister, the Author of these Poems.
 
Vpon the Author; by a known Friend.
 
[I cannot wonder at Apollo now]
 
In praise of the Author, Mistris Anne Bradstreet, Virtues true and lively Pattern, Wife of the Worshipfull Simon Bradstreet Esq;
 
Upon the Author.
 
Another to Mrs. Anne Bradstreet, Author of this Poem.
 
[So Bartas like thy fine spun Poems been]
An Anagram.
 
VPON Mrs. Anne Bradstreet Her Poems, &c.
 
To her most Honoured Father Thomas Dudley Esq; these humbly presented.
 
THE PROLOGUE.
 
The Four Elements.
 
Of the four Humours in Mans Constitution.
 
Of the four Ages of Man.
 
The four Seasons of the Year.
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[The four Monarchies]
 
The four Monarchyes, the Assyrian being the first, beginning under Nimrod, 131. Years after the Flood.
 
The Second Monarchy, being the Persian, began under Cyrus, Darius being his Uncle and Father-in-law reigned with him about two years.
 
The Third Monarchy, being the Grecian, beginning under Alexander the Great in the 112. Olympiad.
 
The Romane Monarchy, being the fourth and last, beginning Anno Mundi, 3213.
 
An Apology.
 
A Dialogue between Old England and New; concerning their present Troubles, Anno, 1642.
 
An Elegie upon that Honourable and renowned Knight Sir Philip Sidney, who was untimely slain at the Siege of Zutphen, Anno, 1586.
 
In honour of Du Bartas, 1641.
 
In Honour of that High and Mighty Princess Queen Elizabeth OF HAPPY MEMORY.
 
Davids Lamentation for Saul and Jonathan.
 
To the Memory of my dear and ever honoured Father Thomas Dudley Esq; Who deceased, July 31. 1653. and of his Age, 77.
 
An EPITAPH On my dear and ever honoured Mother Mrs. Dorothy Dudley, who deceased Decemb. 27. 1643. and of her age, 61: Here lyes
 
CONTEMPLATIONS.
 
The Flesh and the Spirit.
 
The Vanity of all worldly things.
 
The Author to her Book.
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Several other Poems made by the Author upon Diverse Occasions, were found among her Papers after her Death, which she never meant should come to publick view; amongst which, these following (at the desire of some friends that knew her well) are here inserted
 
Upon a Fit of Sickness, Anno. 1632. Ætatis suæ, 19.
 
Vpon some distemper of body.
 
Before the Birth of one of her Children.
 
To my Dear and loving Husband.
 
A Letter to her Husband, absent upon Publick employment.
 
Another.
 
Another.
 
To her Father with some verses.
 
In reference to her Children, 23. June, 1656.
 
In memory of my dear grand-child Elizabeth Bradstreet, who deceased August, 1665. being a year and half old.
 
In memory of my dear grand-child Anne Bradstreet.
 
On my dear Grand-child Simon Bradstreet, Who dyed on 16. Novemb. 1669. being but a moneth, and one day old.
 
To the memory of my dear Daughter in Law, Mrs. Mercy Bradstreet, who deceased Sept. 6. 1669. in the 28. year of her Age.
 
A Funeral Elogy, Upon that Pattern and Patron of Virtue, the truely pious, peerless & matchless Gentlewoman Mrs. Anne Bradstreet, right Panaretes, Mirror of Her Age, Glory of her Sex, whose Heaven-born-Soul leaving its earthly Shrine, chose its native home, and was taken to its Rest, upon 16th. Sept. 1672.

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ffrom another sore ffitt.

In my distresse I sovght the Lord,
When nought on Earth could comfort giue;
And when my Soul these things abhor'd,
Then, Lord, thou said'st vnto me, Liue.
Thou knowest the sorrowes that I felt,
My plaints and Groanes were heard of Thee,
And how in sweat I seem'd to melt;
Thov help'st and thov regardest me.
My wasted flesh thou didst restore,
My feeble loines didst gird with strenght;
14

Yea, when I was most low and poor,
I said I shall praise thee at lenght.
What shall I render to my God
For all his Bovnty shew'd to me,
Even for his mercyes in his rod,
Where pitty most of all I see?
My heart I wholly giue to Thee:
O make it frvitfull, faithfull Lord!
My life shall dedicated bee
To praise in thought, in Deed, in Word.
Thou know'st no life I did require
Longer then still thy Name to praise,
Nor ovght on Earth worthy Desire,
In drawing out these wretched Dayes.
Thy Name and praise to celebrate,
O Lord! for aye is my request.
O, gravnt I doe it in this state,
And then with thee which is the Best.
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