Skip directly to:Main content Main navigation

University of Virginia Library

Poems on Several Occasions

by Samuel Wesley. The Second Edition, with Additions

Wesley, Samuel (1662-1735)

collapse section

THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES.

On the Sixth and Eighth Verses of the Fortieth Chapter of Isaiah.

Epitaph on an Infant.

To a Friend in the Country,

The ELECTIONEER.

TO Sir HERBERT POWELL, Bart.

A SONG to a Girl of Five Years old.

Epigram, from the Greek.

THE PARISH PRIEST.

To a Friend, upon his Marriage.

Epigram, from the Greek.

A Letter from a Guardian to a Young Lady

Epitaph on a Gamester and Free-thinker.

On the DEATH of Mr. Morgan of Christ-Church, Oxford.

ON The Birth-Day of a CHILD of a Year Old.

On the setting up Mr. Butler's Monument Westminster Abbey.

To the Right Honourable the EARL of OXFORD,

An Anacreontick Ode upon a Wedding, After Thirteen Years Courtship.

REFLECTIONS Upon these two Verses of Mr. Oldham: Lord of Myself, accountable to none, But to my Conscience, and my God alone.

To the MEMORY of the Right Rev. FRANCIS GASTRELL, D.D. Lord Bishop of Chester.

An ANACREONTICK, Alter'd from Herbert.

To the Right Honourable the EARL of OXFORD, On His Birth-Day.

To a Young Gentleman,

THE DESCRIPTIVE:

EPIGRAM On the foregoing Miltonicks.

Epigram, From the Greek.

On the foregoing Epigram.

An ODE To JAMES OGLETHORPE, Esq. In the Country. A.D. 1728.

To a Friend, on his Marriage.

PROLOGUE Spoken before the Beau's-Stratagem Acted by some young Persons of Quality.

THE PRISONS OPEN'D:

EPIGRAM, On the Death of a PHYSICIAN.

On the Death of Dr. FREIND.

A WEDDING-SONG.

A Familiar Epistle, to a Friend.

To a Physician, on his Marriage.

To the Memory of The Reverend Dr. SOUTH.

To a Young Lady, on her Birth-Day, being the First of April.

Epigram, from the Greek.

A PINDARICK ODE TO THE Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford.

Epigram, from the Greek.

Advice to One who was about to Write, To avoid the Immoralities of the Antient and Modern Poets.

EPILOGUE to CATO.

On the DEATH of Mrs. MORICE,

ANACREONTICK, From Herbert.

THE December's Day: .

ANACREONTICK, On parting with a little Child.

On the DEATH of the Right Hon. Henrietta Countess of Orrery.

On Philip, the Father of Alexander.

To Kitty, a Poetical Young Lady.

On the Statue of Alexander.

THE ILIAD in a Nutshell:

NECK or NOTHING:

A PINDARICK ODE, TO THE Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford.

From a Hint in the Minor Poets.

An ODE to James Oglethorpe, Esq.

On the Death of A Friend, a Dissenter from the Ch. of England.

On some blasphemous Discourses on our Saviour's Miracles.

TO A FRIEND, On his being chosen Member of Parliament.

Slander answer'd.

A defence of Slander answer'd.

Upon my Hairs falling.

ON Mr. PETER BLUNDELL.

Epilogue to one of Terence's Plays, acted at the first Annual Meeting of Westminster Scholars.

Epilogue spoken at the Westminster-Meeting in the Year. 1732–3.

On the Siege of Saguntum.

On Forms of Prayer.

Upon altering the PSALMS, to apply them to a Christian State.

On the Passion of Our Saviour.

Ode upon Christ's Crucifixion.

An Hymn on Easter-Day.

An Hymn for Sunday.

AN Hymn to GOD the FATHER.

An Hymn to God the Son.

An Hymn to God the Holy-Ghost.

An Hymn to the TRINITY, Three Persons and One God.

A Paraphrase on the Eighth Psalm.

Hezekiah's Thanksgiving for his Recovery from Sickness: Isaiah 38.

collapse section

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

53

A SONG to a Girl of Five Years old.

[_]

Tune of, What Beauties does Flora disclose!

I

Ye Loves and ye Graces so sweet,
That sport on the Tweed and the Tay,
Fly Southward my Philly to meet,
She'll play with you all the long day.
Our Turf is as verdant and soft,
Our Prospect as beautiful springs,
The Finches they trill it aloft,
And melting the Nightingale sings.

II

When Heaven looks smiling above,
And Flora her Treasure forth pours,
Does Philly abroad never rove?
Say, Does she not pick a few Flowers?
Does she find out the King-cup so gay?
Do Cowslips their Odours disclose?
Or the Violet, sweeter than they,
That only can yield to the Rose?

III

All Nature does joyous appear,
And Frolicks at Philly's Command;
See Flies how they buz at her Ear,
And Lady-birds dance on her Hand!

54

See Butterflies floating along,
With Colours to pleasure the Fair;
The Bees they fly humming a Song,
And Chirp goes the Grasshopper there!

IV

Ye two-leg'd unfeather'd Folk, sing,
Lay hold on the fast-flying Time;
Your smooth-flowing Madrigals bring,
Nor lose the soft Hour of her Prime.
Melodious Oh chant while you may,
Your musical Passions unfold:
For She'll be too wise for your Lay
Before she is Seven Years old.

In Allusion to the old Definition of Man, not in burlesque of a pretty Phrase, Feather'd Folk, which I admired the first time I remember I met with it, in that beautiful Triplet on the Evening—

The Bat with Leathern Wings flits through the Grove,
The Winds scarce rustle, nor the Aspins move,
And all the feather'd Folk forbear their Lays of Love.