I. Silence! coeval with Eternity; Thou wert, ere Nature's-self began to be, 'Twas one vast Nothi
NOTHING so true as what you once let fall, "Most Women have no Characters at all." Matter too so
Tho' Artemisia talks, by fits, Of councils, classics, fathers, wits; Reads Malbranche, Boyle, and
I. Descend ye Nine! descend and sing; The breathing instruments inspire, Wake into voice each
Of Manners gentle, of Affections mild; In Wit, a Man; Simplicity, a Child: With native Humour temp
Say, lovely youth, that dost my heart command, Can Phaon's eyes forget his Sappho's hand? Must the
Muse, 'tis enough: at length thy labour ends, And thou shalt live, for Buckingham commends. Let Cr
True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, As those move easiest who have learned to dance.
Happy the man, whose wish and care A few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air
When simple Macer, now of high renown, First fought a Poet's Fortune in the Town, 'Twas all th' Am
In these deep solitudes and awful cells, Where heav'nly-pensive contemplation dwells, And ever-mu
I. Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Plac'd on t
Dear, damn'd distracting town, farewell! Thy fools no more I'll tease: This year in peace, ye crit
All hail, once pleasing, once inspiring shade! Scene of my youthful loves and happier hours! Where
I. Flutt'ring spread thy purple Pinions, Gentle Cupid, o'er my Heart; I a Slave in thy Dominions
INTRODUCTION. That it is as great a fault to judge ill as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to
In vain you boast Poetic Names of yore, And cite those Sapho's we admire no more: Fate doom'd the
I But our Great Turks in wit must reign alone And ill can bear a Brother on the Throne. II
Fain would my Muse the flow'ry Treasures sing, And humble glories of the youthful Spring; Where op
So when Curll's Stomach the strong Drench o'ercame, (Infus'd in Vengenance of insulted Fame) Th' A
The Mighty Mother, and her son who brings The Smithfield muses to the ear of kings, I sing. Say
Phryne had talents for mankind, Open she was, and unconfin'd, Like some free port of trade: Merch
To Henry St. John, Lord Bolingbroke Awake, my St. John! leave all meaner things To low ambition,
Parson, these things in thy possessing Are better than the Bishop's blessing. A Wife that makes co
When other fair ones to the shades go down, Still Chloe, Flavin, Delia, stay in town: Those ghost
Come gentle Air! th' AEolian shepherd said, While Procris panted in the secret shade: Come, gentle
Women ben full of Ragerie, Yet swinken not sans secresie. Thilke Moral shall ye understond, From
As some fond virgin, whom her mother's care Drags from the town to wholesome country air, Just whe
Ye Lords and Commons, Men of Wit, And Pleasure about Town; Read this ere you translate one Bit
Est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, neu se Impediat verbis lassas onerantibus aures: Et ser
I. How happy he, who free from care The rage of courts, and noise of towns; Contented breaths
Cardelia. Smilinda. Cardelia. The Basset-Table spread, the Tallier come; Why stays Smilinda i
Vital spark of heav’nly flame! Quit, O quit this mortal frame: Trembling, hoping, ling’ring, f
Ne Rubeam, Pingui donatus Munere (Horace, Epistles II.i.267) While you, great patron of mankind, s
First in these fields I try the sylvan strains, Nor blush to sport on Windsor's blissful plains: F
Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of fate, All but the page prescrib'd, their present state:
Strophe I. Ye shades, where sacred truth is sought; Groves, where immortal Sages taught; Where he
Thou art my God, sole object of my love; Not for the hope of endless joys above; Nor for the fear
Pallas grew vapourish once, and odd, She would not do the least right thing, Either for goddess, o
I am his Highness' dog at Kew; Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you? Alexander Pope
Authors the world and their dull brains have traced To fix the ground where Paradise was placed; M
I. To one fair lady out of Court, And two fair ladies in, Who think the Turk and Pope a sport,
Happy the man, whose wish and care A few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air,
Here, shunning idleness at once and praise, This radiant pile nine rural sisters raise; The glitte
Thou who shalt stop, where Thames' translucent wave Shines a broad Mirror thro' the shadowy Cave;
Semichorus. Oh Tyrant Love! hast thou possest The prudent, learn'd, and virtuous breast? Wisdom a
Awake, my ST. JOHN!(1) leave all meaner things To low ambition, and the pride of Kings. Let us (
Celia, we know, is sixty-five, Yet Celia's face is seventeen; Thus winter in her breast must live,
When wise Ulysses, from his native coast Long kept by wars, and long by tempests toss'd, Arrived
I know the thing that's most uncommon; (Envy be silent and attend!) I know a Reasonable Woman, Ha
Shut, shut the door, good John! fatigu'd, I said, Tie up the knocker, say I'm sick, I'm dead. The
See what delights in sylvan scenes appear! Descending Gods have found Elysium here. In woods bri
What beck'ning ghost, along the moon-light shade Invites my steps, and points to yonder glade? 'Ti