BY

WILLIAM COWPER,

Of the Inner Temple, Esq.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

Sicut aquz tremulum labris ubi lumen ahenis
Sole repercussum, aut radiantis imagine lunæ,
Omnia pervolitat late loca, jamque sub auras
Erigitur, summique ferit laquearia tecti.

Virg. Æn, viii.
So water, trembling in a polished vase,
Reflects the beam that plays upon its face;
The sportive light, uncertain where it falls,
Now strikes the roof, now flashes on the walls.

A NEW EDITION.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON AND CO. ST. PAUL'S

CHURCH-YARD.

1810.

( 287.1915 CONTENTS

Page

TABLE TALK . ...... .

Progress of Errour . . . . . . . . 35

Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Expostulation . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Charity . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Conversalion . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Retirement . . . . . . . . . . . 222

The Yearly Distress, or Tithing time at Stock

in Essex . . . . . . . . . . . 257

Sonnet to Henry Couper, Esq. . . . . . 261

Lines addressed to Dr. Darwin . . . . 262

On Mrs. Montagu's Feather Hangings . . 263

1 Verses supposed to be written by Alexander.

Selkirk, during his Abode in the Island of

Juan Fernandez . . . . . . . 266

On the Promotion of Edward Thurlow Esq.,

to the Chancellorship of England ... 269

Ode to Peace , · · · · · · · · · 270

Human Frailty · :........ 272

The modern Patriot ........ 273

On observing some Names of little Note record-

ed in the Biographia Britannica ... 275

Report of an adjudged Case, not to be found

in any of the Books . . . . . . . 276

On the Burning of Lord Mansfield's Library 278

On the same . . . . . . . . . . . 279

The Love of the World reproved . . . . 280

Onthe Death of Lady Throckmorton's Bulfinch 282

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Page

The Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

The Doves . . . . . . . . . . . 287

A Fable . . . .

289

A Comparison . . . . . . . . . . 291

Another, addressed to a young Lady . . . 292

The Poet's New-Year's Gift . . . . . 293

Ode to Apollo . . . . . . . . . . 294

Pairing Time anticipated, a Fable . . . . 296

The Dog and the Water-Lily . . . . . 299

The Poet, the Oyster, and the Sensitive Plant 302

The Shrubbery . : . . . . . . . . 305

The Winter Nosegay . . . . . . . . 307

Mutual Forbearance necessary to the Happiness

of the Married State . . . . . . . 308

The Negro's Complaint · · · · · · · 311

Pity for poor Africans . . . . . . . 314

The Morning Dream . . . . . . . . 317

The Nightingale and Glow-worm . . . . 320

On a Goldfinch starved to Death in his Cage 322

The Pineapple and the Beé . : i . . . 323

Horace, Book II, Ode X.. . .'. . . . 325

A Reflection on the foregoing Ode. . . .

The Lily and the Rose . . . . . . . 328

Idem Latine Redditum . . . . . . . 330

The Poplar Field . . . . . . . . . 331

Idem Latine Redditum . . . . . . . 333

Votum . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

Translations from Vincent Bourne ..

Translation of Prior's Chloe and Euphelia' . 349

The history of John Gilpin ...... 350

Epistle to an afflicted Protestant Lady in

France . . . . . . . . . . . . 364

To the Rev. W. C. Unwin . . . . . . . 367

:

PR E F A C E

TO The

FIRST VOLUME.

.When an Author, by appearing in print, requests an audience of the Public, and is upon the point of speaking for himself, whoever presumes to step before him with a preface, and to say, “ Nay, but hear me first,” should have something worthy of attention to offer, or he will be justly deemed officious and impertinent. The judicious reader has probably, upon other occasions, been beforehand with me in this reflection: and I am not very willing it should now be applied to me, however I may seem to expose myself to the danger of it. But the thought of having my own name perpetuated in connexion with the name in the title page is so