The poetical and dramatic works of Sir Charles Sedley ::

The poetical and dramatic works of Sir Charles Sedley

Collected and Edited from the Old Editions: With a preface on the text, explanatory and textual notes, an appendix containing works of doubtful authenticity, and a bibliography: By V. de Sola Pinto

Sedley, Charles (1639?-1701)

VOL. I

POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS

I A PASTORAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THIRSIS AND STREPHON

II.

II SONG

III.

III SONG

IV.

V TO CLORIS

VI.

VI INDIFFERENCE EXCUSED

VII.

VIII.

IX.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XV TO A DEVOUT YOUNG GENTLEWOMAN

XVI.

XVI TO CELIA

XVII.

XVII SONG

XVIII.

XVIII A DIALOGUE BETWEEN AMINTAS AND CELIA

XIX.

XX.

XXI.

XXII.

XXIII.

XXIV.

XXV.

XXVI.

XXVII.

XXVIII.

XXVIII THE FEIGNED LOVE

XXIX.

XXIX ON THE BIRTH-DAY OF THE LATE QUEEN

XXX.

XXX TO CLORIS

XXXI.

XXXI THE SOLDIERS CATCH

XXXII.

XXXII THE INDIFFERENCE

XXXIII.

XXXIII SONG

XXXIV.

XXXIV THE EIGHTH ODE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE

XXXV.

XXXV A BALLAD

XXXVI.

XXXVI SONG

XXXVII.

XXXVII ADVICE TO THE OLD BEAUX

XXXVIII.

XXXVIII SONG

XXXIX.

XXXIX SONG

XL.

XL SONG

XLI.

XLI TO THE KING ON HIS BIRTH-DAY

XLII.

XLII A DIALOGUE

XLIII.

XLIII OUT OF LYCOPHRON

XLIV.

XLV.

XLVI.

XLVII.

XLVIII.

XLIX.

L ON A COCK AT ROCHESTER

LI.

LI SONG A-LA-MODE

LII.

LII OUT OF FRENCH

LIII.

LIII THE DOCTOR AND HIS PATIENTS

LIV.

LIV UPON THE AUTHOR OF THE SATYR AGAINST WIT

LV.

LV PROLOGUE

LVI.

LVI PROLOGUE [TO EPSOM WELLS]

LVII.

LVII PROLOGUE [TO THE STROULERS]

LVIII.

LVIII PROLOGUE TO THE WARY WIDDOW OR SIR NOISY PARRAT

EPIGRAMS: OR, COURT CHARACTERS

LIX.

LX.

LXI.

LXII.

LXIII.

LXIV.

LXV.

LXVI.

LXVII.

LXVIII.

LXIX.

LXX.

LXXI.

LXXII.

LXXIII.

LXXIV.

LXXV.

LXXVI.

LXXVII.

LXXVIII.

LXXIX.

LXXX.

LXXXI.

LXXXII.

LXXXII ON ARRIA AND PŒTUS

LXXXIII.

LXXXIV.

LXXXV.

LXXXVI.

LXXXVII.

LXXXVIII.

LXXXIX.

LXXXIX THE HAPPY PAIR: OR, A POEM ON MATRIMONY.

XC.

XC THE FOURTH BOOK OF VIRGIL

TRANSLATIONS FROM OVID'S AMORES PRINTED IN “DRYDEN'S MISCELLANY,” 1684

XCI.

XCII.

XCIII.

II.

POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS ASCRIBED TO SEDLEY ON DOUBTFUL AUTHORITY

XCIV.

XCIV DISTICH

XCV.

XCV

From Stephens's Miscellany Poems, 1685

XCVI.

XCVI UPON THE SLIGHTING OF HIS FRIENDS LOVE

From Poetical Recreations, 1688

XCVII.

XCVII UPON A GENTLEWOMANS REFUSAL OF A LETTER FROM ONE SHE WAS INGAGED TO

XCVIII.

XCIX.

CI.

From Buckingham's Miscellaneous Works, 1704

CII.

CII THE ROYAL KNOTTER

CIII.

CIII ADVICE TO LOVERS

CIV.

CIV AGAINST HIS MISTRESS'S CRUELTY

CV.

CV THE PETITION

From the Diverting Post, 1704

CVI.

CVI By Sir Charles Sidley. Written Extempore

From Poems on State Affairs, 1705

CVII.

CVII A FABLE

From Briscoe's Edition of 1707

CVIII.

CVIII ON THE HAPPY CORYDON AND PHILLIS

CIX.

CIX ON A LADY THAT DID NOT LOVE APPLES

CX.

CX ON FRUITION

From Briscoe's Edition of 1722

CXI.

CXI TO CELINDA

CXII.

CXII A SONG

CXIII.

CXIII CUPID'S RETURN

THE PASTORALS OF VIRGIL

CXIV.

CXIV THE FIRST PASTORAL [OF VIRGIL]

CXV.

CXV THE SECOND PASTORAL [OF VIRGIL]

CXVI.

CXVI THE THIRD PASTORAL

CXVII.

CXVII THE FOURTH PASTORAL

CXVIII.

CXVIII THE FIFTH PASTORAL

CXIX.

CXIX THE SIXTH PASTORAL

CXX.

CXX THE SEVENTH PASTORAL

CXXI.

CXXI THE EIGHTH PASTORAL

CXXII.

CXXII THE NINTH PASTORAL

CXXIII.

CXXIII THE TENTH PASTORAL

CXXIV.

CXXIV A PINDARIQUE ODE

CXXV.

CXXV THE FALL

CXXVI.

CXXVI TO PHILLIS: WHO SLIGHTED HIM

CXXVII.

CXXVII SOPHRONIA'S ANSWER TO A COXCOMB

CXXVIII.

CXXVIII TO CLARISSA

CXXIX.

CXXIX A Lady, asking the Author's Opinion of two Gentlemen, her Lovers, occasioned the following Lines

CXXX.

CXXXI.

CXXXII.

CXXXIII.

CXXXIV.

CXXXV.

CXXXVI.

CXXXVI VENUS AND ADONIS: OR THE AMOUR OF VENUS

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156

CXIV
THE FIRST PASTORAL [OF VIRGIL]

[_]

The attribution of this poem is questionable.

T[ity]rus Melibæus
Melibæus
You T[ity]rus! in the cool refreshing Shade
Of a broad Beach, thus negligently lay'd,
In your sweet Pipe and rural Muse delight.
We forc'd, alas! from our dear Country's fight
And pleasant Fields, in sad Distress to fly,
Are doom'd in woful Banishment to lie:
You undisturb'd here sing your am'rous Lays,
And make the Groves sound Amaryllis Praise.

Tityrus
This Leisure 'twas a God bestow'd: for he,
Oh Melibæus! shall be such to me;
Oft shall his Altar with Devotion due,
The streaming Blood of my young Lambs imbrue.
He suffer'd as you see my Herds to stray,
And will'd that on my Pipe, I shou'd securely play.

Melibæus
I envy not thy Case, but wonder much,
While of our Plains the sad Distraction's such;
See ailing thence, I my She-Goats convey.
This, Tityrus! I can hardly drag away,
Amid'st the Hazels, as I came along,
She yeaning unexpectedly two young;
(The Hope of my unhappy Flock) has left
On the hard Stone of ev'ry Help bereft.
This sad Mischance, was I not stupid grown!
My blasted Oaks had oftentimes made known,
And often from a hollow Holm the Crow
Did on the left the coming Mischief show:
But yet oh! Tityrus! I pray disclose
The God who this distinguish'd Favour shows.

Tityrus
The City they call Rome, as yet unknown,
I thought, oh Melibæus! like our own,
(Fool that I was) whither we us'd to go,
And oft the young-ones of our Flock bestow,
So Whelps I had perceiv'd, were like their Damms,

157

And like the Mother Ews, the tender Lambs:
So little Things I did compare with great,
But other Cities this excels in State,
Rising o'er all, as Cypresses exceed
The creeping Osier, or the binding Reed.

Melibæus
And what was the prevailing Cause that drew
Your mind this great aspiring Rome to view?

Tityrus
'Twas Liberty, which tho', it scarce appear'd,
When the grey Hairs were sprinkled in my Beard,
Long look'd-for kindly did arrive at last,
When Galatea's early Love was pass'd,
And Amaryllis did my Heart possess;
For dallying with the first, I must confess,
No hope of Liberty, nor Care had I
T' increase my Store, or gain a fit Supply,
To cure my Wants; tho' often of the best,
Pass'd from my Folds, and store of Cheese was press'd.
Unprofitably to the City sent,
For what I got, I there profusely spent.

Melibæus
Oh Amaryllis! little guess I had
For whom you pray'd, for whom you was so sad;
For what Occasion, for whose sake so long
Th' ungather'd Apples on their Branches hung.
Tityrus was hence; oh Tityrus! thy lov'd Name,
The Springs, the Pines, nay Bushes did proclaim.

Tityrus
What shou'd I do? what cou'd I hope to be
By other means from lasting Service free?
Nor cou'd I think to find another, where
A fav'ring God so ready to my Prayer!
Here Melibæus! I beheld him here,
The Youth for whom our Altars twice a Year
Shall smoke with Incense. He (when I address'd)
Kindly and soon, thus answer'd my Request.
Go Boy! be still on Rural Works imploy'd,
And hold whatever ye before enjoy'd.

158

Melibæus
Oh bless'd old Man! thy Lands shall then endure,
And all Possessions still to thee secure;
And large enough shall for thyself be found,
Tho' Stones and Reeds o'erspread the nearest Ground:
Thy Flocks from Beasts of Prey no harm shall find
Nor catch Infection from their neighbouring kind.
Oh fortunate old Man! who may abide
Thus sweetly by this noted River's side,
Here with Delight thy leisure Time employ,
And of these sacred Springs the cool enjoy.
Here from the bord'ring Hedge the passing Bees,
Thy Ears shall with continual Murmurs please,
Soft Sleep invite, and give thy Labours ease.
The Pruner from the lofty Mountain there,
With chearful Songs shall chace intruding Care:
Here thy lov'd Pidgeons shall delight thy view,
There on sweet Elms the Turtles sweetly coo.

Tityrus
Therefore the Stags shall mounting feed in Air,
And Occeans sinking, leave their Fishes bare
On the dry Sands, the Parthians from their home,
And hardy Germans shall be forc'd to roam,
And to each others Land in Exile come,
Before the Figure of this Youth depart,
And quit Possession of my grateful Heart.

Melibæus
But we must hence dispers'd and driven go
To sultry Africk, and to Scythia's Snow,
Part must with speed repair to spacious Crete,
And near the swift Oaxis take their Seat:
Part must on Britain's barb'rous Land be hurl'd,
Amongst a Race divided from the World:
Yet when a long unhappy Time is pass'd,
Oh! may I see my Country's Bounds at last,
And pleas'd, and wond'ring visit once again
My poor thatch'd Dwelling where I us'd to reign!
Shall a vile Soldier these neat Fields command?
This Harvest bless a wicked barb'rous Hand?
Oh fatal Strife! from thee what Sorrows flow?
From thee what Ills we wretched People know?
See who the Fruits of all our Toil possess,
Now graft thy Pears, fond Swain! thy Vineyards dress!
Hence ye She-goats! once prosp'rous and my Care,
Begone, henceforth stretch'd on the Grass, I ne'er
Shall see ye hanging on a Rock afar;

159

Henceforth no Verses shall I sing, nor more
Protect and feed ye as I did before.

Tityrus
With me this Night however chuse to stay,
Forgetting Care yourself reposing lay
On the green Leaf, and of our present Fare,
(Curds, Chessnuts, Apples) take a welcome Share,
For see the Village Tops begin to fume,
And vaster Shadows from the Mountains come.

University of Virginia Library

CXIV THE FIRST PASTORAL [OF VIRGIL]

CXIV
THE FIRST PASTORAL [OF VIRGIL]