Where fair Sabrina’s wand’ring currents flow by William Somervile
Where fair Sabrina’s wand’ring currents flow, A large smooth plain extends its verdant brow; Here ev’ry morn, while fruitful vapours feed The swelling blade and bless the smoking mead, A cruel tyrant reigns: like Time, the swain Whets his unrighteous scythe, and shaves the plain. Beneath each stroke the peeping flow’rs decay, And all th’ […]
To the Right Hon. The Earl of Halifax , with the Fable of the Two Springs by William Somervile
WITH THE FABLE OF THE TWO SPRINGS . O H ALIFAX ! a name for ever dear To Phaebus, and which all the Nine revere, Accept this humble pledge of my esteem, So justly thine, benevolence my theme. In mystic tales and parables, of old, Grave Eastern seers instructive lessons told; Wise Greece from them […]
To the Right Hon. Lady Anne Coventry by William Somervile
Upon viewing her fine Chimney piece of Shell-work. The greedy merchant ploughs the sea for gain, And rides exulting o’er the watery plain, While howling tempests, from their rocky bed, Indignant break around his careful head. The royal fleet the liquid waste explores, And speaks in thunder to the trembling shores; The voice of wrath […]
To the Duke of Marlborough, upon His Removal From All His Places by William Somervile
When , in meridian glory bright, You shine with more illustrious rays, Above the Muse’s weaker flight, Above the poet’s praise; In vain the goddess mounts her native skies, In vain, with feeble wings, attempts to rise; In vain she tolls to do her hero right, Lost in excessive day and boundless tracts of light. […]
To the Author of the The Essay on Man by William Somervile
Was ever work to such perfection wrought? How elegant the diction! pure the thought! Not sparingly adorn’d with scatter’d rays, But one bright beauty, one collected blaze; So breaks the day upon the shades of night, Enlivening all with one unbounded light. To humble man’s proud heart thy great design; But who can read this […]
To Dr. MReading Mathmatics by William Somervile
Vain our pursuits of knowledge, vain our care; The cost and labour we may justly spare: Death from this coarse alloy refines the mind, Leaves us at large to’ expatiate unconfin’d; All science opens to our wondering eyes, And the good man is in a moment wise. ————— The End And that’s the End of […]
To a Young Lady, with the Illiad of Homer Translated by William Somervile
WITH THE ILIAD OF HOMER TRANSLATED . GO , happy Volume! to the fair impart The secret wishes of a wounded heart: Kind advocate! exert thy utmost zeal, Describe my passion, and my woes reveal. Oft shalt thou kiss that hand where roses bloom. And the white lily breathes its rich perfume; On thee her […]
To a Lady, Who Made Me a Present of a Silver Pen by William Somervile
WHO MADE ME A PRESENT OF A SILVER PEN . F AIR-ONE ! accept the thanks I owe; ‘Tis all a grateful heart can do. If e’er my soul the muse inspire With raptures and poetic fire, Your kind munificence I’ll praise, To you a thousand altars raise; Jove shall descend in golden rain, Or […]
To a Gentleman, Who Married His Cast Mistress by William Somervile
WHO MARRIED HIS CAST MISTRESS . HOR. LIB. III. ODE IX . D. While I was yours, and yours alone, Proud, and transported with your charms, I envied not the Persian throne, But reign’d more glorious in your arms. B. While you were true, nor Sukey fair Had chas’d poor Bruny from your breast, Not […]
To a Discarded Toast by William Somervile
C ELIA , confess ’tis all in vain To patch the ruins of thy face; Nor of ill-natur’d Time complain, That robs it of each blooming grace. If Love no more shall bend his bow, Nor point his arrows from thine eye, If no lac’d fop nor feather’d beau Despairing at thy feet shall die; […]
The Yeoman of Kent by William Somervile
AY EOMAN bold (suppose of Kent) Liv’d on his own, and paid no rent; Manur’d his own paternal land, Had always money at command To purchase bargains, or to lend, To’ improve his stock, or help a friend; At Cressy and Poictiers of old His ancestors were bowmen bold, Whose good yew bows and sinews […]
The Wolf and the Dog by William Somervile
A PROWLING Wolf, that scour’d the plains To ease his hunger’s griping pains, Ragged as courtier in disgrace, Hide-bound, and lean, and out of case, By chance a well-fed dog espied, And being kin, and near allied, He civilly salutes the cur: — ” How do you, Cuz? ” ” Your servant, Sir! “ ” […]
The Wise Builder by William Somervile
Wise Socrates had built a farm, Little, convenient, snug, and warm, Secured from rain and wind: A gallant whispered in his ear, Shall the great Socrates live here, To this mean cell confined? The furniture’s my chiefest care, Replied the sage; here’s room to spare, Sweet sir! for I and you; When this with faithful […]
The Two Springs by William Somervile
Two sister Springs, from the same parent hill, Born on the same propitious day, Through the cleft rock distill; Adown the reverend mountain’s side Through groves of myrtle glide, Or through the violet beds obliquely stray. The laurel, each proud victor’s crown, From them receives her high renown; From them the curling vine Her clusters […]
The True Use of the Looking-Glass by William Somervile
TOM Careful had a son and heir, Exact his shape, genteel his air, Adoms was not half so fair; But then, alas! his daughter Jane Was but so-so; a little plain. In mam’s apartment, as one day The little romp and hoyden play, Their faces in the glass they view’d, Which then upon her toilette […]
The Superannuated Lover by William Somervile
Dead to the soft delights of love, Spare me, O! spare me, cruel boy! Nor seek in vain that heart to move Which pants no more with amorous joy. Of old, thy faithful hardy swain, (When smit with fair Pastora’s charms) I serv’d thee many a long campaign, And wide I spread thy conquering arms. […]
The Sheep and the Bush by William Somervile
A SHEEP , well-meaning brute! one morn Retir’d beneath a spreading thorn, A pealing storm to shun; Escap’d indeed both rain and wind, But left, alas! his fleece behind: Was it not wisely done? MORAL . Beneath the blast while pliant osiers bend, The stubborn oak each furious wind shall rend. Discreetly yield, and patiently […]
The Lamentation of David Over Saul and Jonathan by William Somervile
Prostrate on earth the bleeding warrior lies, And Israel’s beauty on the mountains dies. How are the mighty fallen! Hushed be my sorrows, gently fall my tears, Lest my sad tale should reach the aliens ears: Bid fame be dumb, and tremble to proclaim In heathen Gath, or Ascalon, our shame, Lest proud Philistia, lest […]
The Incurious Bencher by William Somervile
At Jenny Mann’s, where heroes meet, And lay their laurels at her feet, The modern Pallas, at whose shrine They bow, and by whose aid they dine, Col’nel Brocade, among the rest, Was every day a welcome guest. One night, as carelessly he stood, Cheering his reins before the fire, (So every true-Briton should) Like […]
The Hip by William Somervile
TO WILLIAM COLMORE, ESQ . The Day after the great Meteor, in March 1715. This dismal morn, when east winds blow, And every languid pulse beats low, With face most sorrowfully grim, And head oppress’d with wind and whim, Grave as an owl, and just as witty, To thee I twang my doleful ditty, And […]
The Happy Lunatic by William Somervile
TO DR. — — When saints were cheap in good Nol’s reign, As sinners now in Drury-Lane, Wrapp’d up in mysteries profound, A saint perceiv’d his head turn round: Whether the sweet and savoury wind, That should have been discharg’d behind, For want of vent had upward fled, And seiz’d the fortress of his head, […]
The Frog’s Choice by William Somervile
In a wild state of nature long The Frogs at random liv’d, The weak a prey unto the strong, With anarchy oppress’d and griev’d. At length the lawless rout, Taught by their sufferings, grew devout; An embassy to Jove they sent, And begg’d his highness would bestow Some settled form of government, A king to […]
The Dog and the Bear by William Somervile
Towser , of right Hockleian sire, A dog of mettie and of fire, With Ursin grim, an errant Bear, Maintain’d a long and dubious war: Oft Ursin on his back was tost, And Towser many a collop lost; Capricious fortune would declare Now for the Dog, then for the Bear, Thus having tried their courage […]
The Devil Outwitted by William Somervile
A Vicar liv’d on this side Trent, Religious, learn’d, benevolent, Pure was his life in deed, word, thought, A comment on the truths he taught; His parish large, his income small, Yet seldom wanted wherewithal, For against every merry tide Madam would carefully provide. A painful pastor, but his sheep, Alas! within no bounds would […]
The Coquette by William Somervile
When tortured by the cruel fair, And almost mad with wild despair, My fleeting spirits rove, One cordial glance restores her slave, Redeems me from the gaping grave, And soothes my soul to love. Thus in a sea of doubt, I’m tost, Now sunk, now thrown upon the coast: What wretch can long endure Such […]
The Captive Trumpeter by William Somervile
A PARTY of hussars, of late, For prog and plunder scour’d the plains, Some French gens d’ armes surpris’d and beat, And brought their trumpeter in chains. In doleful plight the unhappy bard For quarter begg’d on bended knee, ” Pity, Messieurs! in truth ’tis hard To kill a harmless enemy: These hands, of slaughter […]
The Busy Indolent by William Somervile
JACK Careless was a man of parts, Well skill’d in the politer arts, With judgment read, with humour writ, Among his friends pass’d for a wit, But lov’d his ease more than his meat, And wonder’d knaves could toil and cheat, To’ expose themselves by being great. At no levees the suppliant bow’d, Nor courted […]
The Bowling-Green by William Somervile
Where fair Sabrina’s wandering currents flow, A large smooth plain extends its verdant brow; Here every morn, while fruitful vapours feed The swelling blade, and bless the smoking mead, A cruel tyrant reigns: like Time, the swain Whets his unrighteous scythe, and shaves the plain: Beneath each stroke the peeping flowers decay, And all the’ […]
The Bald-Pated Welshman and the Fly by William Somervile
A SQUIRE of Wales, whose blood ran higher Than that of any other squire Hasty and hot, whose peevish honor Revenged each slight was put upon her, Upon a mountain’s top one day Exposed to Soles meridian ray, He fumed, he raved, he cursed, he swore, Exhaled a sea at every pore; At last, such […]
Song by William Somervile
When o’er Asteria’s fields I rove, The blissful seat of peace and love, Ten thousand beauties round me rise, And mingle pleasure with surprise. By Nature blessed in every part, Adorned with every grace of art, This paradise of blooming joys Each raptured sense at once employs.” But when I view the radiant queen Who […]
On Presenting to a Lady a White Rose and a Red on the Tenth of June by William Somervile
If this pale Rose offend your sight, It in your bosom wear, ‘Twill blush to find itself less white, And turn Lancastrian there: But, Celia, should the red be chose, With gay vermilion bright, ‘Twould sicken at each blush that glows, And in despair turn white. Let politicians idly prate, Their Babels build in vain; […]
On Miranda’s Leaving the Country by William Somervile
The sun departing, hides his head, The lily and the rose are dead, The birds forget to sing; The cooing turtles now no more Repeat their amorous ditties o’er, But watch the approaching Spring. For soon the merry month of May Restores the bright all-cheering ray; Soft notes charm every grove: The flow’rs ambrosial incense […]
Mahomet Ali Beg; Or, the Faithful Minister of State by William Somervile
OR, THE FAITHFUL MINISTER OF STATE . A LONG descent and noble blood Is but a vain fantastic good, Unless with inbred virtues join’d, An honest, brave, and generous mind All that our ancestors have done, Nations reliev’d and battles won, The trophies of each bloody field, Can only then true honour yield, When, like […]
Liberty, and Love; or, the Two Sparrows by William Somervile
A SPARROW and his mate, (Believe me, gentle Kate!) Once lov’d like I and you; With mutual ardour join’d, No turtles e’er so kind, So constant and so true. They hopp’d from spray to spray; They bill’d, they chirp’d all day, They cuddled close all night; To bliss they wak’d each morn, In every bush […]
Hunting Song by William Somervile
Behold , my friend! the rosy-finger’d morn With blushes on her face, Peeps o’er yon azure hill; Rich gems the trees enchase, Pearls from each bush distill; Arise, arise, and hail the light new-born. Hark! hark! the merry horn calls, Come away: Quit, quit thy downy bed; Break from Amynta’s arms; Oh! let it ne’er […]
Hudibras and Milton Reconciled by William Somervile
TO SIR ADOLPHUS OUGHTON . Dear Knight! how great a drudge is he Who would excel in poetry; And yet how few have learn’d the art To’ inform the head or touch the heart! Some with a dry and barren brain, Poor rogues! like costive lapdogs strain; While others with a flux of wit The […]
Hobbinol; or The Rural Games by William Somervile
CANTO I. What old Menalcas at his feast reveal’d, I sing; strange feats of antient prowess, deeds Of high renown, while all his listening guests With eager Joy receiv’d the pleasing tale. O thou who late on Vaga’s flowery banks Slumbering secure, with Stirom well bedew’d, Fallacious cask, in sacred dreams wert taught By ancient […]
Hobbinol; or The Rural Games – Canto 3 by William Somervile
CANTO III. Though some of old, and some of modern date, Penurious, their victorious heroes fed With barren praise alone; yet thou, my Muse! Benevolent with more indulgent eyes Behold the’ immortal Hobbinol; reward With due regalement his triumphant toils. Let Quixote’s hardy courage, and renown, With Sancho’s prudent care be meetly join’d. O thou […]
Hobbinol; or The Rural Games – Canto 2 by William Somervile
CANTO II. Long while an universal hubbub loud, Deafening each ear, had drown’d each accent mild; Till biting taunts, and harsh opprobrious words Vile utterance found. How weak are human minds! How impotent to stem the swelling tide, And without insolence enjoy success! The vale-inhabitants, proud, and elate With victory, know no restraint, but give […]
Hare-hunting by William Somervile
Hark! from yon covert, where those tow’ring oaks Above the humble copse aspiring rise, What glorious triumphs burst in ev’ry gale Upon our ravished ears! The hunters shout, The clanging horns swell their sweet-winding notes, The pack wide-op’ning load the trembling air With various melody; from tree to tree The propagated cry redoubling bounds, And […]