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

I

Let Others write for By-Designs,
I seek some Moral in my Lines,
Which whosoever reads must bear,
Or Great, or Learn'd, or Young, or Fair.
Permit me then, with friendly Lay,
To moralize Your April Day.

II

Chequer'd Your native Month appears,
With sunny Gleams and cloudy Tears;
'Tis thus the World our Trust beguiles,
Its Frowns as transient as its Smiles;
Nor Pain nor Pleasure long will stay,
For Life is but an April Day.

168

III

Health will not always last in Bloom,
But Age or Sickness surely come;
Are Friends belov'd? why Fate must seize
Or These from You, or You from These:
Forget not Earnest in your Play,
For Youth is but an April Day.

IV

When Piety and Fortune move
Your Heart to try the Bands of Love,
As far as Duty gives you pow'r,
Guiltless enjoy the present Hour;
“Gather your Rose-buds while you may,”
For Love is but an April Day.

V

What Clouds soe'er without are seen,
Oh, may they never reach within!
But Virtue's stronger Fetters bind
The strongest Tempest of the Mind:
Calm may you shoot your setting Ray,
And Sunshine end your April Day.