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Matthew Prior. Dialogues of the Dead and Other Works

in Prose and Verse. The Text Edited by A. R. Waller
Prior, Matthew (1664-1721)

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DIALOGUES OF THE DEAD AND OTHER WORKS IN PROSE AND VERSE
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A SUPPLEMENT TO Mr. Prior's POEMS. Consisting Of such Pieces as are Omitted in the late Collection of his Works, and Others, now first Published, from his Original Manuscripts, in the Custody of his Friends.
  
To the Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of DEVONSHIRE, ON A Piece of Wissin's; Whereon were all her Grandsons Painted.
  
The Female PHAETON.
  
The Judgment of VENUS.
  
SONG To his Mistress.
  
AN ODE,
  
AN EPISTLE TO Sir Fleetwood Sheppard.
  
A SATIRE ON THE Modern Translators.
  
A Satire upon the Poets, in Imitation of the Seventh Satire of Juvenal.
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[POEMS FROM THE New Collection, 1725]
  
Epitaph Extempore.
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THE Turtle and the Sparrow.
  
[section]
  
APPLICATION OF THE TURTLE and SPARROW.
  
DOWN-HALL;
  
VERSES Spoke to the Lady Henrietta-Cavendish Holles Harley, In the LIBRARY of St. John's College, Cambridge
  
PROLOGUE TO THE ORPHAN.
  
THE CONVERSATION,
  
COLIN's MISTAKES.
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[MISCELLANEOUS POEMS ETC., FROM THE COLLECTION OF DRIFT]
  
Considerations on part of the 88th Psalm.
  
ON THE TAKING OF NAMUR, 1692.
  
TO A CHILD of QUALITY, FIVE YEARS OLD, The AUTHOR Forty.
  
TWO RIDDLES.
  
A FABLE.
  
A SONG.
  
CONSUMMATION.
  
THE FORTUNE-TELLER.
  
AN ENIGMA.
  
CUPID Turned STROLLER.
  
SNUFF.
  
DAPHNE and APOLLO.
  
PROLOGUE, SPOKEN BY Lord BUCKHURST, AT WESTMINSTER-SCHOOL,
  
[THE SECRETARY.]
  
THE MICE
  
THE VICEROY.
  
UPON THIS PASSAGE IN SCALIGERIANA.
  
Nell and John.
  
Bibo.
  
Gabriel and his Wives.
  
Silvia.
  
Richard and Nelly.
  
CUPID IN AMBUSH.
  
Nannette.
  
The Priest and the Shepherd.
  
ON A FART, LET IN THE HOUSE of COMMONS.
  
On Hall's Death.
  
Prometheus.
  
THE WANDERING PILGRIM.
  
THE ADVICE OF VENUS.
  
CUPID TURNED PLOWMAN.
  
HUSBAND AND WIFE.
  
TO FORTUNE.
  
CHAST FLORIMEL.
  
PARTIAL FAME.
  
A SONG.
  
NON PAREIL.
  
UPON HONOUR.
  
THE OLD GENTRY.
  
THE INCURABLE.
  
THE Insatiable PRIEST.
  
DOCTORS Differ.
  
PONTIUS AND PONTIA.
  
Cautious Alice.
  
TO A POET of Quality, PRAISING THE Lady HINCHINBROKE.
  
The PRATER.
  
TRUTH TOLD AT LAST.
  
AN ENIGMA.
  
TWO BEGGARS Disputing their Right to an Oyster they had Found; a Lawyer thus decides the Cause.
  
A FRENCH SONG.
  
HUMAN LIFE.
  
A CASE STATED.
  
FOR My own Monument.
  
TO My Lord HARLEY.
  
A LETTER TO The Honourable LADY Miss Margaret-Cavendish-Holles-Harley.
  
TRUTH AND FALSHOOD.
  
Nelly's Picture.
  
PROLOGUE FOR DELIA's PLAY.
  
AMARYLLIS.
  
CUPID's Promise.
  
Lamentation for DORINDA.
  
On Absence.
  
TO LEONORA.
  
ON A PRETTY MADWOMAN.
  
The Torment of ABSENCE.
  
THE NEW-YEAR'S GIFT TO PHYLLIS.
  
Coy Jenny.
  
TO CELIA.
  
Upon a FRIEND, WHO HAD A Pain in his Left-Side.
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THE EXAMINER. 7 SEPTEMBER 1710
  
To the Earl of Godolphin.
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[MISCELLANEOUS POEMS, FROM THE COLLECTION OF EVANS, INCLUDING TWENTY-FOUR SONGS.]
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[subsection]
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II. PARTING WITH FLAVIA.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV. TO PHILLIS.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII. A TWO PART SONG.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI. LES ESTREINES.
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII.
 XIX. 
XIX. ADVICE TO A LADY.
 XX. 
XX.
 XXI. 
XXI.
 XXII. 
XXII.
 XXIII. 
XXIII.
 XXIV. 
XXIV.
  
TO THE REV. DR. FRANCIS TURNER, BISHOP OF ELY WHO HAD ADVISED A TRANSLATION OF PRUDENTIUS.
  
A PASTORAL.
  
THE REMEDY WORSE THAN THE DISEASE.
  
EPIGRAM, EXTEMPORE.
  
EPIGRAM ON BISHOP ATTERBURY.
  
ON BISHOP ATTE[R]BURY'S BURYING THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, MDCCXX.
  
LINES WRITTEN UNDER THE PRINT OF TOM BRITTON, the Small-coal-man, PAINTED BY Mr. WOOLASTON.
  
WRITTEN IN LADY HOWE'S OVID'S EPISTLES.
  
AN EPISTLE, MDCCXVI.
  
ANOTHER EPISTLE.
  
TRUE'S EPITAPH.
  
EPIGRAM.
  
UPON Playing at OMBRE, WITH TWO LADIES.
  
ON MY BIRTH-DAY.
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POEMS FROM THE LONGLEAT MSS.
  
To Madam K. P.
  
To a Lady Sleeping.
  
Charity never faileth.
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There be Those that leave Their Names behind them.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
  
Many Daughters have done well, But Thou Excellest them all.
  
On the Coronation.
  
Not Writing to K. P.
  
Arria and Petus out of Martial.
  
To the Countess of Dorset walking in a Garden.
  
To the E. of D. upon His Marriage.
  
Journey to Copt-Hall.
  
On Mr Fleetwood Shephards Killing the French K***
  
Advice to the Painter, Upon the defeat of the Rebels in the West, and the Execution of the late D. of Monmouth.
  
To the Bishop of Rochester Upon His Account of the Whiggish Conspir[a]cy by His late Majesty's order.
  
God is Love.
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To the E. of Dorset on the Birth of His Son.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
  
A Hymn to the Spring.
  
A Session of the Poets
  
To a Friend on his Marriage.
  
Letter to J****
  
To Dr F********* in a Letter to Beverley disswading him from drinking Waters.
  
[Inspired Wit.]
  
Epistle to Lord ---.
  
To My Lady Exeter, on New Years day.
  
[Answer to an] Orange.
  
Song
  
Song
  
[Great Nassau rise from Beauty]
  
Cælia.
  
The same Varied.
  
A Hymn to Venus, upon a Marriage.
  
A Fable.
  
A new Answer to an Argument against a Standing-Army.
  
[A Prophecy.]
  
Ballad.
  
[A Ballad of Vigour.]
  
Seneca, Troas. Act 2d.
  
Translated from the Original French.
  
[Reality and Image.]
  
Verses Intended for Lock and Montaigne.
  
Fragments Written At Down-Hall.
  
Fragments for Alma.
  
The World was 200 Year in the Dark following Aristotle.
  
Fragments.
  
To Florimel.
  
Written under a Picture painted by Mr Howard.
  
True Statesmen.
  
Simile.
  
The Courtier.
  
Fragments.
  
Beauty.
  
Narcissus.
  
On the Marchioness of Caermarthen.
  
Virgils Georgic 4 Verse 511 Qualis ------ implet
  
Answer to the Female Phaeton.
  
In a Window in Lord Villiers house.
  
To a Painter (fragments).
  
A Prologue intended to the Play of Chit Chat, but never finished.
  
Prelude to a Tale from Boccace in blank Verse.
  
PREDESTINATION.
  
[Fragment from Britanicus.]
  
To Cloe.
  
Epigram.
  
Translation of an Epitaph upon Gilbert Glanville Bishop of Rochester as written in Rochester Cathedral.
  
From Ronsard's Franciade Book the IVth Folio 465.
  
[Fragments in Prose and Verse.]
  
Song.
  
[Jinny the Just.]
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FRAGMENTS FROM PRIOR'S LETTERS, ETC.
  
FROM A LETTER TO THE EARL OF DORSET.
  
ON THE DEATH OF QUEEN MARY.
  
WRITTEN IN THE LIBRARY, [Wimpole] Dec. 2, 1720. M.P.
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POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO PRIOR
  
AN ANSWER TO THE Curious MAID. A TALE.
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THE LYON AND THE FOX.
  
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THE MORAL.
  
An EPISTLE from the Elector of BAVARIA to the FRENCH King, after the Battle of Ramillies.
  
An Apology to a Lady, who told me, I cou'd not love her heartily, because I had lov'd others.
  
Against Modesty in Love.
  
On a young Lady's going to Town in the Spring.
  
When the Cat's away, The Mice may play.
  
A FABLE OF THE WIDOW AND HER CAT.
  
A Paraphrase on the French.

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294

God is Love.

I.

Almighty Power!
Whom Angells Hymns, men's Prayers adore.
For whom no Speech, no thought cou'd frame
A comprehensive Name;
Till Thou from Heav'n vouchsafst a ray,
Thy glory and our knowledge to improve;
Thou mixt Thy beams with our exalted Clay,
And we, enlightened, learn to call thee Love.

II.

All was in Chaos and confusion laid
Till by Loves creating word
The melancholy Mass was stir'd
And the commanded Elements with hasty joy obey'd.
Then peaceful Sphears with wond'rous Music roll'd,
Time his harmonious course began,
The circling Years in glad procession ran,
Order and beauty blest the New-born World.
And every object strove to prove
That all was made and all preserv'd by love.

III.

When Heav'ns last noblest Masterpiece was made
Love, pow'rful love, unlockt his pregnant side
And kindly thence call'd forth the blushing Bride
Love to his heart a secret was convey'd
And made him bless the wound --- court the Maid
Love did the willing Souls unite
Whilst he became her strength She his delight
This happy Pair more truly One
Then when both Sexes lay in Adams side alone.
295

IV.

Thus they liv'd and thus they Lov'd
Each smiling Hour their bliss improv'd
But when for knowledge and Sins sake they stray'd
When God and love were disobey'd
By God and love the mild decree was giv'n
Which threw them down from Paradise and rais'd them up to Heav'n.

V.

Exalted Lyre thy tuneful sinews move
Teach Man divinity and love
Forgetfull Man in Bethlems poor abode
Behold new born Eternity
And hear the Thunderers voice chang'd to an Infants cry
Nourish'd like Thee with circulating blood
Compound like Thee with limbs and cloath'd with skin
Like Thee in every thing, but Sin.

VI.

Then cast (if Tears restrain not) cast thy Eye
Up to the dismal top of frighted Calvary
See whom thy Pray'rs so oft invok'd
To whom thy fatlings fell, thy Altars smoak'd
See to the fatal Cross he's ty'd
The thorns his temples wound, the spear his side:
And to compleat his glorious Miserys,
Imperious Love, what wou'dst thou more? he Dyes.
What wou'dst Thou more? Thy Deity we own
By thy mysterious Power alone
The World was fram'd, Man sav'd, God crucified.
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