When fortune smil’d, his friendly careWas to relieve distress;And ease the wretched in dispair,Or make their troubles less.When to him misfortune stray’d,No brothers gave relief;To assist the man each seem’d afraid,Or ease the brow of grief.A trifling pittance neighbours say,The elder B—r sent;Not half enough in life’s decay,To pay his nurse and rent.From his misfortunes […]

I’ve pac’d the sacred yard, oh death! thy sting,Expunge from earth the beggar and the king;A marble monument, a stone foretell,The characters below, here acted well:Each grave a warning give, and yet we see,Few strive to gain a bless’d eternity:Kindred and neighbours with departing sigh,Cry, write o’er me, ‘remember all must die!’Can we these warnings […]

My pen cannot describe or tears convey,The pangs I felt when late I bad farewell;I view’d in death’s embrace a parent lay,And heard the passing of the mournful bell. Nine month’s disease its ravages had made,E’er death reliev’d her from all sufferings here;I saw the Sexton with his Iron spade,Mark out the spot, and place […]

Embarress’d man be just and true,Insolvent acts releases you;I mean your person from a jail,Tho’ keen reproach the man assail.Take my advice when e’er you find,Misfortunes canker in your mind;Resign your trade give up your store,For going on will hurt you more.When e’er you find you cannot pay,Your trade give up without delay;Too apt we […]

Oft have you pray’d me, when in youth,Never to err from paths of truth;But youth to vice is much too prone,And mine by far too much, I own.Induced to riot, swear, and game,I thought in vice t’acquire fame;But found the pois’ning scenes of riotSoon robb’d my mind of joy and quiet.The usual course of rakes […]

Oh Betsy hide that starting tear,That fain would speak distress;A cherub’s aid will soon appear,And make your sufferings less. You say no pity you can crave,For misery here below;Then rest your hopes beyond the grave,Where God great mercy show. To every damsel in distress,If penitents they prove;He quickly make their sorrows less,And send again his […]

The fleets of haughty France and Spain,No more will triumph on the main,Though Nelson is no more:Our hero’s blood was dearly bought;To conquer them he bravely fought,And died in vict’ry’s arms. ‘We’ll avenge his death,’ the seamen cry,‘We’ll fight, we’ll conquer, or we’ll die,And will their force deride:Our little ones shall lisp his name,And to […]

You vilest of the human race,A traitorous fiend with double face;A fawning sycophant from youth,Who never spoke a word of truth:Who shed thy tears like crocodile;Apparent virtue prov’d all vile:You ask’d for cash the other day;And for your coach hire home to pay.Poor needy wretch I lent you gold,You in return my credit sold:But vile […]

Faithful in friendship kind to all,The needy poor around;And those who gave a friendly call,A hearty welcome found. Deceit ne’er harbour’d in his breast,Or flattery in his mind;From troubles here he surely rest,And hope forgiveness find.

I’ve read your letter o’er and o’er again,Happy to find you faithful do remain,Besides forgiveness; though too much I fear,I long have made you victim to despair.You say two years with fervency I stroveTo keep affection, constancy, and love;But soon as crosses came upon my mind,Was careless of you, and appear’d unkind.I knew my home […]

Canst thou see my wasted frame,And hear aloud sad Betsy’s name,And still unmov’d remain;Yes, thou canst hear it every day,And to it oft attention pay:Without a sigh or pain. But when ye do in heaven appear,My Father’s spirit will be there;And hear thy awful doom.Thy soul will then tormented be,For dealing so unjust with me;Who […]

The victim of sorrow with gloom on his mind,Sighs for those pleasures he late left behind;The bottle, the play-house, card-room and ball,And the fine guilded chariot kept at the hall;Enjoy’d but at night in dreams mix’d with sorrow,That leaves the imprudent as hopeless to morrow.With anguish he views his now alter’d state,Laments his past folly […]

Accept oh Lord! a mother’s prayer,And shield my child from sickness here;May Judah, ever constant proveHerself deserving of thy love:Sweet Robert in this vale of tears,Survived with me three sickening years,Before it was thy will to say,He shall the debt of nature pay:On lov’d Maria now I dwell,My grief for her no pen can tell;To […]

Oh gracious God, her peace restore,And make her sufferings less;Let frenzied thoughts disturb no more,Or sorrow on her press. Pour down thy blessings, on a mindEncompass’d round by grief;Let fortune smile and friends be kind,To nature grant relief. ’Twas pure affection caus’d her tears,And furrow’d beauty’s face;But thou can lull to rest her fears,By thy […]

Three Jackalls were a prawling sentIt is supposed with ill intent,At least to make a prey:On any thing they saw was good;So dashing furious in a wood,They seiz’d without delay, An Orange Tree well hung with fruit,It apt the Lion’s taste to suit,By Jackalls forced away.The owner of the tree declares,He’ll strip the Lion of […]

Berkley, the female champion of our cause,While gratitude exists demands applause;The morn was fine and pleasant was the scene,The sons of Briton met on Writtle green:To church repair’d with fervency and grace,And loyalty appear’d on every face;Prayers were read with energy and truth,To give instructions to the British youth;The same good order then was plainly […]

The wealthy farmer with a rosy hue,Weekly attends the hardy scot to view;The pretty homebred soon his eye detain,Views and admires, then chat in lively strain;Of natures produce till his business callHim from such pleasing sights to pace the hall;Soon as he sees his merchant at his stand,He shows the produce of his fertile land;I’ll […]

Excess to mankind oft’times brings,Remorse with all its bitter stings;When cares oppress us in this life.At times we drink to banish strife;But when its feeble aid is o’er,We are more wretched then before.Oft poverty the man disgrace,And shows a drunkard in his face;Suppose he is a man of wealth,Excess of liquor injures health;Not only health […]

Calista, tho’ you waft a smile,And blithsome still appear;It does not censure ought beguile,Or stop the stifled tear. Its levity your conduct sway,And tarnish much your name;Too much her dictates you obey,The prudent must you blame. A married woman never can,Meet in a secret place;An artful gay and single man,And not incur disgrace. Censure you […]

My life is embittered with cares,The reason to me is quite plain;I have caused many sighs and sad tears,To her I shall ne’er see again. She is fled from my presence above,I shortened her days in this life;To share true angelical love,She is free’d from all pain care and stife. How could I the dictates […]