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University of Virginia Library

Poems on Several Occasions

by Samuel Wesley. The Second Edition, with Additions

Wesley, Samuel (1662-1735)

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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.

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131

To a Friend, on his Marriage.

I

Whether in Lyrick I should soar,
In Honour of the married Station,
Or else my Stile to Doggrel low'r,
Has cost me much Consideration;
The Theme for lofty Verse might do,
But Mirth would better suit with You.

II

He that, to Love and Virtue true,
His first Affection scorn'd to vary,
With Mitres would have nought to do,
But Nolo cry'd Episcopari,
In earnest might demand my Lays,
And merit Seriousness of Praise.

III

But when upon your Face I think,
So plump, so waggish, and so merry,
My lofty Strains begin to sink,
And Pindar dwindles to Down-derry:
Then Doggrel I esteem the best,
And Seriousness would be a Jest.

IV

Let both then meet, for we may find,
Looking through Nature universal,
Earnest and Jest together twin'd;
So Mr. Bayes in the Rehearsal
To serious Bus'ness would advance,
Agreed,—but first let's have a Dance.

132

V

So now to Bus'ness we fall in,
How You of Bliss may keep possession;
Lest when I end, I but begin,
And all my Subject be Digression,
Three Words comprise the whole say I,
Love, Common-Sense, and Piety.

VI

May you ne'er want a Court to see,
Nor Prelate Benefices giving,
But happy long enjoy like Me
A Livelihood, if not a Living:
So may You truly prove more great
And rich, than most of Your Estate.

VII

In Glo'ster-shire no Eden plan,
Nor fret at Crosses light or common;
Remember ev'ry Man is Man,
And ev'ry Woman is a Woman:
And who Perfection here below
Should look for, which they cannot show?

VIII

Time changes Thought, I'll tell You that,
For all things is a Season fitting;
Thus, what is graver than a Cat?
And what is merrier than a Kitten;
Yet Cats tho' old with young ones play,
And pat and pur when they are grey.

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IX

Long may You live in Health and Ease,
While Balm of Love each Ill asswages;
And Children dutiful increase,
Your Youths reviving in Your Ages.
With spotless Virtue let them shine,
And soften Life in its Decline.

X

May Death late close Your aged Eyes,
Your plighted Hands asunder rending;
Like a just Moral good and wise,
A pleasing well-drawn Fable ending;
Your Deaths be as Your Life-time spent,
Easy and calm and innocent.