Matthew Prior

"Out from the injured canvas, Kneller, strike These lines too faint; the picture is not like. Exalt thy thought, and try thy toil again: Dreadful in"

"In awful pomp and melancholy state, See settled Reason on the judgement-seat; Around her crowd Distrust, and Doubt, and Fear, And thoughtful Foresi"

"To John I owed great obligation, But John unhappily thought fit To publish it to all the nation: Sure John and I are more than quit."

"Come, weep no more, for 'tis in vain; Torment not thus your pretty heart; Think, Flavia, we may meet again, As well as that we now must part. You"

"When future ages shall with wonder view These glorious lines which Harley's daughter drew, They shall confess that Britain could not raise A fairer"

"When Cloe's Picture was to Venus shown; Surpriz'd, the Goddess took it for Her own. And what, said She, does this bold Painter mean? When was I Bat"

"While from our looks, fair nymph, you guess The secret passions of our mind; My heavy eyes, you say, confess A heart to love and grief inclined."

"Sir, As once a twelvemonth to the priest, Holy at Rome, here Antichrist, The Spanish king presents a jennet To show his love, that's all that's in"

"As Nancy at her toilette sat, Admiring this, and blaming that, Tell me, she said, but tell me true, The nymph who could your heart subdue. What so"

"Thy nags, the leanest things alive, So very hard thou lovest to drive, I heard thy anxious coachman say It costs thee more in whips than hay."

"Morella, charming without art, And kind without design, Can never lose the smallest part Of such a heart as mine. Obliged a thousand several ways"

"Is it, O love, thy want of eyes, Or by the Fates decreed, That hearts so seldom sympathise, Or for each other bleed? If thou wouldst make two you"

"What can I say? What Arguments can prove My Truth? What Colors can describe my Love? If it's Excess and Fury be not known, In what Thy Celia has al"

"Whilst I am scorch'd with hot desire, In vain cold Friendship you return, Your drops of pity on my fire, Alas! but make it fiercer burn. Ah! woul"

"The Trojan swain had judged the great dispute, And beauty's power obtain'd the golden fruit, When Venus, loose in all her naked charms, Met Jove's"

"Apollo. Abate, fair fugitive, abate thy speed, Dismiss thy fears, and turn thy beauteous head; With kind regard a panting lover view; Less swiftly"

"Well, I will never more complain, Or call the Fates unkind; Alas! how fond it is, how vain! But self-conceitedness does reign I nevery mortal mind"

"No,    I'll endure ten thousand deaths Ere any further I'll comply: Oh! Sir, no man on earth that breathes Had ever yet his hand so high. Oh! tak"

"Celia and I the other Day Walk'd o'er the Sand-Hills to the Sea: The setting Sun adorn'd the Coast, His Beams entire, his Fierceness lost: And, on"

"Dum studeo fungi fallentis munere vitae, Adfectoque viam sedibus Elysiis Arctoa florens sophia, Samiisque superbus Discipulis, animas morte carere"

"Prometheus, forming Mr. Day, Carved something like a man in clay: The mortal's work might well miscarry; He that does heaven and earth control Has"

"The Argument Solomon considers man through the several stages and conditions of life, and concludes, in general, that we are all miserable. He reflec"

"LORDS, knights, and squires, the numerous band That wear the fair Miss Mary's fetters, Were summoned by her high command To show their passions"

"I, MY dear, was born to-day-- So all my jolly comrades say: They bring me music, wreaths, and mirth, And ask to celebrate my birth: Little, alas! my c"

"MY noble, lovely, little Peggy, Let this my First Epistle beg ye, At dawn of morn, and close of even, To lift your heart and hands to Heaven. In doubl"

"Her time with equal prudence Silvia shares, First writes her billet-doux, then says her prayers, Her mass and toilette, vespers, and the play; Thus"

"Cloe beauty has, and wit, And an air that is not common; Every charm in her does meet, Fit to make a handsome woman. But we do not only find Her"

"Beyond the fix'd and settl'd Rules Of Vice and Virtue in the Schools, Beyond the Letter of the Law, Which keeps our Men and Maids in Awe, The bett"

"Still, Dorinda, I adore; Think I mean not to deceive you, For I loved you much before, And, alas! now love you more Though I force myself to leave"

"Resolve Me, Cloe, what is This: Or forfeit me One precious Kiss. 'Tis the first Off-spring of the Graces; Bears diff'rent Forms in diff'rent Places"

"From publick Noise and factious Strife, From all the busie Ills of Life, Take me, My Celia, to Thy Breast; And lull my wearied Soul to Rest: For e"

"Phillis, since we have both been kind, And of each other had our fill, Tell me what pleasure you can find In forcing Nature 'gainst her will. 'Ti"

"Tune, "Lady Isabella's Tragedy." or "The Stepmother's cruelty." Of Nero, tyrant, petty king, Who heretofore did reign In famed Hibernia, I will si"

"Honour, I say, or honest Fame, I mean the substance, not the name; (Not that light heap of tawdry wares, Ermin, Coronets, and Stars, Which often i"

"The train of equipage and pomp of state, The shining sideboard and the burnish'd plate, Let other ministers, great Anne, require, And partial fall"

"No, no; for my virginity, When I lose that, says Rose, I'll die: Behind the elms last night, cried Dick, Rose, were you not extremely sick?"

"Once on a time, in sunshine weather, Falsehood and Truth walk'd out together, The neighbouring woods and lawns to view, As opposites will sometimes"

"Fair Susan did her wif-hede well menteine, Algates assaulted sore by letchours tweine; Now, and I read aright that auncient song, Olde were the par"

"Thus to the Muses spoke the Cyprian Dame, Adorn my altars, and revere my name. My son shall else assume his potent darts; Twang goes the bow; my gi"

"Recit. Beneath a verdant laurel's ample shade His lyre to mournful numbers strung, Horace, immortal bard supinely laid, To Venus thus address'd th"

"The amorous youth, whose tender breast Was by his darling Cat possest, Obtain'd of Venus his desire, Howe'er irregular his fire: Nature the power"

"Lords, knights, and squires, the numerous band That wear the fair Miss Mary's fetters, Were summoned by her high command To show their passions by"

"At Mary's tomb (sad sacred place!) The Virtues shall their vigils keep, And every Muse and every Grace In solemn state shall ever weep. The futur"

"Interr'd beneath this marble stone, Lie saunt'ring Jack and idle Joan. While rolling threescore years and one Did round this globe their courses ru"

"Reading ends in melancholy, Wine breeds vices and diseases, Wealth is but care, and love but folly, Only friendship truly pleases. My wealth, my b"

"The merchant, to secure his treasure, Conveys it in a borrow'd name: Euphelia serves to grace my measure: But Cloe is my real flame. My softest v"

"Love! inform thy faithful creature How to keep his fair one's heart; Must it be by truth of nature, Or by poor dissembling art? Tell the secret, s"

"On his death-bed poor Lubin lies: His spouse is in despair; With frequent cries, and mutual sighs, They both express their care. "A different cau"

"Two mice, dear boy, of genteel fashion, And, what is more, good education, Frolic and gay, in infant years Equally shared their parents' cares. Th"

"His lamp, his bow, and quiver laid aside, A rustic wallet o'er his shoulders tied, Sly Cupid, always on new mischief bent, To the rich field and fu"

"Tway Mice, full Blythe and Amicable, Batten beside Erle Robert's Table. Lies there ne Trap their Necks to catch, Ne old black Cat their Steps to wa"

"The bewailing of man's miseries hath been elegantly and copiously set forth by many, in the writings as well of philosophers as divines; and it is bot"

"When Bibo thought fit from the world to retreat, As full of Champagne as an egg's full of meat, He waked in the boat, and to Charon he said, He wou"

"Soft Cupid, wanton, amorous boy, The other day, moved with my lyre, In flattering accents spoke his joy, And uttered thus his fond desire. Oh! ra"

"Sphinx was a monster that would eat Whatever stranger she could get, Unless his ready wit disclosed The subtile riddle she proposed. OEdipus was"

"While blooming youth and gay delight Sit on thy rosy cheeks confess'd, Thou hast, my dear, undoubted right To triumph o'er this destined breast. M"

"Ovid is the surest guide You can name to show the way To any woman, maid, or bride, Who resolves to go astray."

"Hier, l'Amour touche du son Que rendoit ma lire qu'il aime, Me promit pour une chanson, Deux baisers de sa mere mesme. Non, luy dis-je, tu scals"

"While we to Jove select the holy victim Whom apter shall we sing than Jove himself, The god for ever great, for ever king, Who slew the earthborn r"

"Howe'er, 'tis well that, while mankind Through fate's perverse meander errs, He can imagined pleasures find To combat against real cares. Fancies"