Complete Works of Samuel Johnson, page 605
LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
LONDON.
THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES;
PROLOGUE, SPOKEN BY MR. GARRICK, AT THE OPENING OF THE THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY LANE, 1747.
PROLOGUE; SPOKEN BY MR. GARRICK, APRIL 5, 1750, BEFORE THE MASQUE OF COMUS.
PROLOGUE TO THE COMEDY OF THE GOOD-NATUR’D MAN, 1769,
PROLOGUE TO THE COMEDY OF A WORK TO THE WISE SPOKEN BY MR. HULL.
SPRING; AN ODE.
MIDSUMMER; AN ODE.
AUTUMN; AN ODE.
WINTER; AN ODE.
THE WINTER’S WALK.
TO MISS **** ON HER GIVING THE AUTHOR A GOLD AND SILK NETWORK PURSE OF HER OWN WEAVING.
TO MISS **** ON HER PLAYING UPON THE HARPSICHORD, IN A ROOM HUNG WITH FLOWER-PIECES OF HER OWN PAINTING.
EVENING; AN ODE. TO STELLA.
TO THE SAME.
TO A FRIEND.
STELLA IN MOURNING.
TO STELLA.
VERSES, WRITTEN AT THE REQUEST OF A GENTLEMAN, TO WHOM A LADY HAD GIVEN A SPRIG OF MYRTLE .
TO LADY FIREBRACE. AT BURY ASSIZES.
TO LYCE, AN ELDERLY LADY.
ON THE DEATH OF MR. ROBERT LEVET, A PRACTISER IN PHYSICK.
EPITAPHIUM IN THOMAM HANMER, BARONETTUM.
PARAPHRASE OF THE ABOVE EPITAPH. BY DR. JOHNSON.
TO MISS HICKMAN, PLAYING ON THE SPINET.
PARAPHRASE OF PROVERBS, CHAP. VI. VERSES 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
HORACE, LIB. IV. ODE VII. TRANSLATED.
ANACREON, ODE IX.
LINES WRITTEN IN RIDICULE OF CERTAIN POEMS PUBLISHED IN 1777.
PARODY OF A TRANSLATION. FROM THE MEDEA OF EURIPIDES.
TRANSLATION FROM THE MEDEA OF EURIPIDES, V. 196
TRANSLATION OF THE FIRST TWO STANZAS OF THE SONG “RIO VERDE, RIO VERDE,” PRINTED IN BISHOP PERCY’S RELIQUES OF ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY.
IMITATION OF THE STYLE OF ****.
BURLESQUE OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF LOPEZ DE VEGA. AN IMPROMPTU.
TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING LINES AT THE END OF BARETTI’S EASY PHRASEOLOGY.
AN IMPROMPTU.
IMPROVISO TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING DISTICH ON THE DUKE OF MODENA’S RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMET IN 1742 OR 1743.
IMPROVISO TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF M. BENSERADE A SON LIT.
TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING LINES, WRITTEN UNDER A PRINT REPRESENTING PERSONS SKATING.
IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF THE SAME.
TO MRS. THRALE, ON HER COMPLETING HER THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR. AN IMPROMPTU.
IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF AN AIR IN THE CLEMENZA DI TITO OF METASTASIO, BEGINNING “DEH SE PIACERMI VUOI.”
TRANSLATION OF A SPEECH OF AQUILEIO, IN THE ADRIANO OF METASTASIO, BEGINNING “TU CHE IN CORTE INVECCHIASTI.”
BURLESQUE OF THE MODERN VERSIFICATIONS OF ANCIENT LEGENDARY TALES. AN IMPROMPTU.
FRIENDSHIP; AN ODE.
ON SEEING A BUST OF MRS. MONTAGUE.
IMPROVISO ON A YOUNG HEIR’S COMING OF AGE
EPITAPHS
EPITAPH ON CLAUDE PHILLIPS, AN ITINERANT MUSICIAN.
EPITAPH FOR MR. HOGARTH.
AT LICHFIELD. H. S. E. MICHAEL JOHNSON,
IN WATFORD CHURCH.
IN STRETHAM CHURCH.
IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
IN STRETHAM CHURCH.
POEMATA
CHRISTIANUS PERFECTUS.
JEJUNIUM ET CIBUS.
IN RIVUM A MOLA STOANA LICHFELDIAE DIFFLUENTEM.
AD THOMAM LAURENCE, MEDICUM DOCTISSIMUM,
IN THEATRO, MARCH 8, 1771.
INSULA KENNETHI, INTER HEBRIDAS.
SKIA.
ODE DE SKIA INSULA.
SPES.
VERSUS COLLARI CAPRAE DOMINI BANKS INSCRIBENDI.
AD FOEMINAM QUANDAM GENEROSAM QUAE LIBERTATIS CAUSAE IN SERMONE PATROCINATA FUERAT.
JACTURA TEMPORIS.
IN ELIZAE AENIGMA.
PSALMUS CXVII.
E WALTONI PISCATORE PERFECTO EXCERPTUM.
GRAECORTUM EPIGRAMMATUM VERSIONES METRICAE.
POMPEII.
EPICTETI.
E THEOCRITO.
EUR. MED. 193 — 203.
SEPTEM AETATES.
TRANSLATION OF DRYDEN’S EPIGRAM ON MILTON.
EPILOGUE TO THE CARMEN SAECULARE OF HORACE; PERFORMED AT FREEMASONS’ HALL.
TRANSLATION OF A WELSH EPITAPH (IN HERBERT’S TRAVELS) ON PRINCE MADOCK.
LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
AD FOEMINAM QUANDAM GENEROSAM QUAE LIBERTATIS CAUSAE IN SERMONE PATROCINATA FUERAT.
AD THOMAM LAURENCE, MEDICUM DOCTISSIMUM,
AN IMPROMPTU.
ANACREON, ODE IX.
AT LICHFIELD. H. S. E. MICHAEL JOHNSON,
AUTUMN; AN ODE.
BURLESQUE OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF LOPEZ DE VEGA. AN IMPROMPTU.
BURLESQUE OF THE MODERN VERSIFICATIONS OF ANCIENT LEGENDARY TALES. AN IMPROMPTU.
CHRISTIANUS PERFECTUS.
E THEOCRITO.
E WALTONI PISCATORE PERFECTO EXCERPTUM.
EPICTETI.
EPILOGUE TO THE CARMEN SAECULARE OF HORACE; PERFORMED AT FREEMASONS’ HALL.
EPITAPH FOR MR. HOGARTH.
EPITAPH ON CLAUDE PHILLIPS, AN ITINERANT MUSICIAN.
EPITAPHIUM IN THOMAM HANMER, BARONETTUM.
EUR. MED. 193 — 203.
EVENING; AN ODE. TO STELLA.
FRIENDSHIP; AN ODE.
GRAECORTUM EPIGRAMMATUM VERSIONES METRICAE.
HORACE, LIB. IV. ODE VII. TRANSLATED.
IMITATION OF THE STYLE OF ****.
IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF AN AIR IN THE CLEMENZA DI TITO OF METASTASIO, BEGINNING “DEH SE PIACERMI VUOI.”
IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF THE SAME.
IMPROVISO ON A YOUNG HEIR’S COMING OF AGE
IMPROVISO TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING DISTICH ON THE DUKE OF MODENA’S RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMET IN 1742 OR 1743.
IMPROVISO TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF M. BENSERADE A SON LIT.
IN ELIZAE AENIGMA.
IN RIVUM A MOLA STOANA LICHFELDIAE DIFFLUENTEM.
IN STRETHAM CHURCH.
IN STRETHAM CHURCH.
IN THEATRO, MARCH 8, 1771.
IN WATFORD CHURCH.
IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
INSULA KENNETHI, INTER HEBRIDAS.
JACTURA TEMPORIS.
JEJUNIUM ET CIBUS.
LINES WRITTEN IN RIDICULE OF CERTAIN POEMS PUBLISHED IN 1777.
LONDON.
MIDSUMMER; AN ODE.
ODE DE SKIA INSULA.
ON SEEING A BUST OF MRS. MONTAGUE.
ON THE DEATH OF MR. ROBERT LEVET, A PRACTISER IN PHYSICK.
PARAPHRASE OF PROVERBS, CHAP. VI. VERSES 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
PARAPHRASE OF THE ABOVE EPITAPH. BY DR. JOHNSON.
PARODY OF A TRANSLATION. FROM THE MEDEA OF EURIPIDES.
POMPEII.
PROLOGUE TO THE COMEDY OF A WORK TO THE WISE SPOKEN BY MR. HULL.
PROLOGUE TO THE COMEDY OF THE GOOD-NATUR’D MAN, 1769,
PROLOGUE, SPOKEN BY MR. GARRICK, AT THE OPENING OF THE THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY LANE, 1747.
PROLOGUE; SPOKEN BY MR. GARRICK, APRIL 5, 1750, BEFORE THE MASQUE OF COMUS.
PSALMUS CXVII.
SEPTEM AETATES.
SKIA.
SPES.
SPRING; AN ODE.
STELLA IN MOURNING.
THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES;
THE WINTER’S WALK.
TO A FRIEND.
TO LADY FIREBRACE. AT BURY ASSIZES.
TO LYCE, AN ELDERLY LADY.
TO MISS **** ON HER GIVING THE AUTHOR A GOLD AND SILK NETWORK PURSE OF HER OWN WEAVING.
TO MISS **** ON HER PLAYING UPON THE HARPSICHORD, IN A ROOM HUNG WITH FLOWER-PIECES OF HER OWN PAINTING.
TO MISS HICKMAN, PLAYING ON THE SPINET.
TO MRS. THRALE, ON HER COMPLETING HER THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR. AN IMPROMPTU.
TO STELLA.
TO THE SAME.
TRANSLATION FROM THE MEDEA OF EURIPIDES, V. 196
TRANSLATION OF A SPEECH OF AQUILEIO, IN THE ADRIANO OF METASTASIO, BEGINNING “TU CHE IN CORTE INVECCHIASTI.”
TRANSLATION OF A WELSH EPITAPH (IN HERBERT’S TRAVELS) ON PRINCE MADOCK.
TRANSLATION OF DRYDEN’S EPIGRAM ON MILTON.
TRANSLATION OF THE FIRST TWO STANZAS OF THE SONG “RIO VERDE, RIO VERDE,” PRINTED IN BISHOP PERCY’S RELIQUES OF ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY.
TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING LINES AT THE END OF BARETTI’S EASY PHRASEOLOGY.
TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING LINES, WRITTEN UNDER A PRINT REPRESENTING PERSONS SKATING.
VERSES, WRITTEN AT THE REQUEST OF A GENTLEMAN, TO WHOM A LADY HAD GIVEN A SPRIG OF MYRTLE .
VERSUS COLLARI CAPRAE DOMINI BANKS INSCRIBENDI.
WINTER; AN ODE.
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
LONDON.
A POEM IN IMITATION OF
THE THIRD SATIRE OF JUVENAL
WRITTEN IN 1738.
— Quis ineptae
Tam patiens urbis, tam ferreus ut teneat se? JUV.
Though grief and fondness in my breast rebel,
When injur’d Thales bids the town farewell,
Yet still my calmer thoughts his choice commend,
I praise the hermit, but regret the friend;
Resolv’d at length, from vice and London far,
To breathe, in distant fields, a purer air,
And, fix’d on Cambria’s solitary shore,
Give to St. David one true Briton more.
For who would leave, unbrib’d, Hibernia’s land,
Or change the rocks of Scotland for the Strand?
There none are swept by sudden fate away,
But all, whom hunger spares, with age decay:
Here malice, rapine, accident, conspire,
And now a rabble rages, now a fire;
Their ambush here relentless ruffians lay,
And here the fell attorney prowls for prey;
Here falling houses thunder on your head,
And here a female atheist talks you dead.
While Thales waits the wherry, that contains
Of dissipated wealth the small remains,
On Thames’s banks, in silent thought, we stood
Where Greenwich smiles upon the silver flood;
Struck with the seat that gave Eliza birth,
We kneel, and kiss the consecrated earth;
In pleasing dreams the blissful age renew,
And call Britannia’s glories back to view;
Behold her cross triumphant on the main,
The guard of commerce, and the dread of Spain,
Ere masquerades debauch’d, excise oppress’d
Or English honour grew a standing jest.
A transient calm the happy scenes bestow,
And, for a moment, lull the sense of woe.
At length awaking, with contemptuous frown,
Indignant Thales eyes the neighb’ring town.
Since worth, he cries, in these degen’rate days,
Wants ev’n the cheap reward of empty praise;
In those curs’d walls, devote to vice and gain,
Since unrewarded science toils in vain;
Since hope but sooths to double my distress,
And ev’ry moment leaves my little less;
While yet my steady steps no staff sustains,
And life, still vig’rous, revels in my veins;
Grant me, kind heaven, to find some happier place,
Where honesty and sense are no disgrace;
Some pleasing bank where verdant osiers play,
Some peaceful vale, with nature’s paintings gay;
Where once the harass’d Briton found repose,
And, safe in poverty, defied his foes;
Some secret cell, ye pow’rs, indulgent give,
Let — live here, for — has learn’d to live.
Here let those reign, whom pensions can incite
To vote a patriot black, a courtier white;
Explain their country’s dear-bought rights away,
And plead for pirates in the face of day;
With slavish tenets taint our poison’d youth,
And lend a lie the confidence of truth.
Let such raise palaces, and manors buy,
Collect a tax, or farm a lottery;
With warbling eunuchs fill a licens’d stage,
And lull to servitude a thoughtless age.
Heroes, proceed! what bounds your pride shall hold,
What check restrain your thirst of pow’r and gold?
Behold rebellious virtue quite o’erthrown,
Behold our fame, our wealth, our lives, your own.
To such the plunder of a land is giv’n,
When publick crimes inflame the wrath of heaven:
But what, my friend, what hope remains for me.
Who start at theft, and blush at perjury?
Who scarce forbear, though Britain’s court he sing,
To pluck a titled poet’s borrow’d wing;
A statesman’s logick unconvinc’d can hear.
And dare to slumber o’er the Gazetteer;
Despise a fool in half his pension dress’d,
And strive, in vain, to laugh at Clodio’s jest.
Others, with softer smiles, and subtler art,
Can sap the principles, or taint the heart;
With more address a lover’s note convey,
Or bribe a virgin’s innocence away.
Well may they rise, while I, whose rustick tongue
Ne’er knew to puzzle right, or varnish wrong,
Spurn’d as a beggar, dreaded as a spy,
Live unregarded, unlamented die.
For what but social guilt the friend endears?
Who shares Orgilio’s crimes, his fortune shares.
But thou, should tempting villany present
All Marlb’rough hoarded, or all Villiers spent,
Turn from the glitt’ring bribe thy scornful eye,
Nor sell for gold, what gold could never buy,
The peaceful slumber, self-approving day,
Unsullied fame, and conscience ever gay.
The cheated nation’s happy fav’rites, see!
Mark whom the great caress, who frown on me!
London! the needy villain’s gen’ral home,
The common sewer of Paris and of Rome;
With eager thirst, by folly or by fate,
Sucks in the dregs of each corrupted state.
Forgive my transports, on a theme like this,
I cannot bear a French metropolis.
Illustrious Edward! from the realms of day,
The land of heroes and of saints survey;
Nor hope the British lineaments to trace,
The rustick grandeur, or the surly grace;
But, lost in thoughtless ease and empty show,
Behold the warriour dwindled to a beau;
Sense, freedom, piety, refin’d away,
Of France the mimick, and of Spain the prey.
All that at home no more can beg or steal,
Or like a gibbet better than a wheel;
Hiss’d from the stage, or hooted from the court,
Their air, their dress, their politicks, import;
Obsequious, artful, voluble and gay,
On Britain’s fond credulity they prey.
No gainful trade their industry can ‘scape,
They sing, they dance, clean shoes, or cure a clap:
All sciences a fasting Monsieur knows,
And, bid him go to hell, to hell he goes.
Ah! what avails it, that, from slav’ry far,
I drew the breath of life in English air;
Was early taught a Briton’s right to prize,
And lisp the tale of Henry’s victories;
If the gull’d conqueror receives the chain,
And flattery prevails, when arms are vain!
Studious to please, and ready to submit,
The supple Gaul was born a parasite:
Still to his int’rest true, where’er he goes,
Wit, brav’ry, worth, his lavish tongue bestows;
In ev’ry face a thousand graces shine,
From ev’ry tongue flows harmony divine.
These arts in vain our rugged natives try,
Strain out, with fault’ring diffidence, a lie,
And get a kick for awkward flattery.
Besides, with justice, this discerning age
Admires their wondrous talents for the stage:
Well may they venture on the mimick’s art,
Who play from morn to night a borrow’d part;
Practis’d their master’s notions to embrace,
Repeat his maxims, and reflect his face;
With ev’ry wild absurdity comply,
And view each object with another’s eye;
To shake with laughter, ere the jest they hear,
To pour at will the counterfeited tear;
And, as their patron hints the cold or heat.
To shake in dog-days, in December sweat.
How, when competitors, like these, contend,
Can surly virtue hope to fix a friend?
Slaves that with serious impudence beguile,
And lie without a blush, without a smile;
Exalt each trifle, ev’ry vice adore,
Your taste in snuff, your judgment in a whore:
Can Balbo’s eloquence applaud, and swear,
He gropes his breeches with a monarch’s air.
For arts, like these, preferr’d, admir’d, caress’d,
They first invade your table, then your breast;
Explore your secrets with insidious art,
Watch the weak hour, and ransack all the heart;
Then soon your ill-placed confidence repay,
Commence your lords, and govern or betray.
By numbers here from shame or censure free,
All crimes are safe, but hated poverty.
This, only this, the rigid law pursues,
This, only this, provokes the snarling muse.
The sober trader at a tatter’d cloak
Wakes from his dream, and labours for a joke;
With brisker air the silken courtiers gaze,
And turn the varied taunt a thousand ways.
Of all the griefs, that harass the distress’d,
Sure the most bitter is a scornful jest;
Fate never wounds more deep the gen’rous heart,
Than when a blockhead’s insult points the dart.
Has heaven reserv’d, in pity to the poor,
No pathless waste, or undiscover’d shore?
No secret island in the boundless main?
No peaceful desert, yet unclaim’d by Spain?
