Jonathan Swift

"The glass, by lovers' nonsense blurr'd,         Dims and obscures our sight;     So, when our passions Love has stirr'd,         It darkens Rea"

"BEING AN EXCELLENT NEW SONG UPON THE SURRENDER OF DUNKIRK TO GENERAL HILL     1712     To the tune of "The King shall enjoy his own again.""

"WRITTEN IN APRIL 1709, AND FIRST PRINTED IN "THE TATLER"[1]     Now hardly here and there an hackney-coach     Appearing, show'd the ruddy mor"

"Fluttering spread thy purple pinions,         Gentle Cupid, o'er my heart:     I a slave in thy dominions;         Nature must give way to art."

""Qui color ater erat, nunc est contrarius atro."[1]     With singing of ballads, and crying of news,     With whitening of buckles, and blackin"

"WRITTEN AT MOOR-PARK IN JUNE 1689     I     Virtue, the greatest of all monarchies!                 Till its first emperor, rebellious man,"

"From Heaven I fall, though from earth I begin,     No lady alive can show such a skin.     I'm bright as an angel, and light as a feather,"

"On his sending about specimens to force people to subscribe to his Longinus.     Thus vagrant beggars, to extort     By charity a mean support,"

"Dear Sir, Since you in humble wise         Have made a recantation,     From your low bended knees arise;         I hate such poor prostration."

"The Dean would visit Market-Hill,         Our invitation was but slight;     I said - "Why let him, if he will:"         And so I bade Sir Arth"

"This day, whate'er the Fates decree,     Shall still be kept with joy by me:     This day then let us not be told,     That you are sick, and I"

"By long observation I have understood,     That two little vermin are kin to Will Wood.     The first is an insect they call a wood-louse,"

"Fool, to put up four crosses at your door,     Put up your wife, she's CROSSER than all four."

"WHETHER HAMILTON'S BAWN[1] SHOULD BE TURNED INTO A BARRACK OR MALT-HOUSE.     1729     THE PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION     The author of t"

"I     In pity to the empty'ng Town,         Some God May Fair invented,     When Nature would invite us down,         To be by Art prevented."

"Better we all were in our graves,     Than live in slavery to slaves;     Worse than the anarchy at sea,     Where fishes on each other prey;"

"1710     Whoever pleases to inquire     Why yonder steeple wants a spire,     The grey old fellow, Poet Joe,[1]     The philosophic cau"

"1723-4     Returning Janus[2] now prepares,     For Bec, a new supply of cares,     Sent in a bag to Dr. Swift,     Who thus displays the ne"

"To the Tune of "Derry Down."         Jolly boys of St. Kevan's,[2] St. Patrick's, Donore     And Smithfield, I'll tell you, if not told befor"

"SIR,         Pray discruciate what follows.     The dullest beast, and gentleman's liquor,     When young is often due to the vicar,[1]"

"You have undone Horace, - what should hinder     Thy Muse from falling upon Pindar?     But ere you mount his fiery steed,     Beware, O Bard,"

"An orator dismal of Nottinghamshire,     Who has forty years let out his conscience to hire,     Out of zeal for his country, and want of a plac"

"M.     I own, 'tis not my bread and butter,     But prithee, Tim, why all this clutter?     Why ever in these raging fits,     Damning to hel"

"For saying he could not live by the profits of Carthy's works, as they did not sell.     I must confess that I was somewhat warm,     I broke h"

"Dear Sherry, I'm sorry for your bloodsheded sore eye,     And the more I consider your case, still the more I     Regret it, for see how the pai"

"One time a mighty plague did pester     All beasts domestic and sylvester,     The doctors all in concert join'd,     To see if they the cause"

"Collated with Stella's copy. - Forster.     Midas, we are in story told,[2]     Turn'd every thing he touch'd to gold:     He chipp'd his brea"

"Stella this day is thirty-four, (We shan't dispute a year or more:) However, Stella, be not troubled, Although thy size and years are doubled, Since f"

"As Rochefoucauld his maxims drew From nature, I believe 'em true: They argue no corrupted mind In him; the fault is in mankind. This maxim more than"

"Ye poets ragged and forlorn, Down from your garrets haste; Ye rhymers, dead as soon as born, Not yet consign'd to paste; I know a trick to make you th"

"-    - Quid non mortalia pectora cogis,         Auri sacra fames! -    - VIRG., Aen., iii.     This poem partly relates to Wood's halfpe"

"WOULD you that Delville I describe?     Believe me, Sir, I will not gibe:     For who would be satirical     Upon a thing so very small?"

"Apollo, god of light and wit,     Could verse inspire, but seldom writ,     Refined all metals with his looks,     As well as chemists by their"

"TO THOMAS SHERIDAN     SIR,     I cannot but think that we live in a bad age,      O tempora, O mores! as 'tis in the adage.     My foot was"

"WRITTEN IN MAY, 1689, AT THE DESIRE OF THE LATE LORD BISHOP OF ELY     I     Truth is eternal, and the Son of Heaven,             Bright eff"

"As, when a lofty pile is raised,     We never hear the workmen praised,     Who bring the lime, or place the stones.     But all admire Inigo J"

"Pray steal me not; I'm Mrs. Dingley's,     Whose heart in this four-footed thing lies."

"Old Latimer preaching did fairly describe     A bishop, who ruled all the rest of his tribe;     And who is this bishop? and where does he dwell"

"Harley, the nation's great support,     Returning home one day from court,     His mind with public cares possest,     All Europe's business in"

"SENT TO HIM WHEN IN THE TOWER, 1716     These spirited verses, although they have not the affecting pathos of those addressed by Pope to the"

"Come buy my fine oranges, sauce for your veal,     And charming, when squeezed in a pot of brown ale;     Well roasted, with sugar and wine in a"

"As clever Tom Clinch, while the rabble was bawling,     Rode stately through Holborn to die in his calling,     He stopt at the George for a bot"

"With a whirl of thought oppress'd,     I sunk from reverie to rest.     An horrid vision seized my head;     I saw the graves give up their dea"

"On Britain Europe's safety lies,     Britain is lost if Harley dies:     Harley depends upon your skill:     Think what you save, or what you k"

"Petronii Fragmenta, xxx.     THOSE dreams, that on the silent night intrude,     And with false flitting shades our minds delude     Jove nev"

"Come hither, and behold the fruits,     Vain man! of all thy vain pursuits.     Take wise advice, and look behind,     Bring all past actions t"

"By something form'd, I nothing am,     Yet everything that you can name;     In no place have I ever been,     Yet everywhere I may be seen;"

"When Margery chastises Ned,     She calls it combing of his head;     A kinder wife was never born:     She combs his head, and finds him horn."

"1729     To form a just and finish'd piece,     Take twenty gods of Rome or Greece,     Whose godships are in chief request,     And fit y"

"Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto,     Arma virm, tabulaeque, et Troa gaza per undas.     VIRG.     For particulars of this famous schem"

"Serus in coelum redeas, diuque         Laetus intersis populo. - HOR., Carm. I, ii, 45.     Great, good, and just, was once applied     T"

"If Noisy Tom[1] should in the senate prate,     "That he would answer both for church and state;     And, farther, to demonstrate his affection,"

"PREFACE     I have been long of opinion, that there is not a more general and greater mistake, or of worse consequences through the commerce of"

"THE INSCRIPTION         Poor floating isle, tost on ill fortune's waves,         Ordain'd by fate to be the land of slaves;         Shall movi"

"As a thorn bush, or oaken bough,     Stuck in an Irish cabin's brow,     Above the door, at country fair,     Betokens entertainment there;"

"Venus one day, as story goes,     But for what reason no man knows,     In sullen mood and grave deport,     Trudged it away to Jove's high cou"

"Illustrious prince, we're come before ye,     Who, more than in our founders, glory                 To be by you protected;     Deign to descen"

"From the Gentleman's London Magazine for January.     My lines to him you give; to speak your due,     'Tis what no man alive will say of you."

"Dick, thou'rt resolved, as I am told,     Some strange arcana to unfold,     And with the help of Buckley's[1] pen,     To vamp the good old ca"

"Blow, ye zephyrs, gentle gales;     Gently fill the swelling sails.     Neptune, with thy trident long,     Trident three-fork'd, trident stron"