The Works of the English Poets: With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical

My Delia's hopes I would no more deceive,
But whom my paffion hurt, through friendship leave;
I chofe the coldeft words my heart to hide,
And cure her sex's weakness through its pride:
The prudence which I taught, I ill pursued,
The charm my reafon broke, my heart renew'd:
Again fubmiffive to her feet I came,

And prov'd too well my paffion by my fhame;
While fhe, fecure in coldnefs, or disdain,
Forgot my love, or triumph'd in its pain,
Began with higher views her thoughts to raise,
And fcorn'd the humble poet of her praise :
She let each little lie o'er truth prevail,
And strengthen'd by her faith each groundless tale,
Believ'd the groffeft arts that malice try'd,
Nor once in thought was on her lover's fide:
Oh, where were then the fcenes of fancied life?
Oh, where the friend, the mistress, and the wife?
Her years of promis'd love were quickly past,
Not two revolving moons could fee them laft.-
To Stow's delightful fcenes I now repair,
In Cobham's fmile to lofe the gloom of care t
Nor fear that he my weakness fhould defpife,
In nature learned, and humanely wife :

There Pitt, in manners foft, in friendship warm,
With mild advice my listening grief fhall charm,
With fenfe to counsel, and with wit to please,
A Roman's virtue with a courtier's eafe.
Nor you, my friend, whofe heart is ftill at reft,
Contemn the human weakness of my breaft;

Reafon chide the faults the cannot cure,

may

And pains, which long we scorn'd, we oft endure;
Though wifer cares employ your studious mind,
Form'd with a soul so elegantly kind,

Your breaft may lose the calm it long has known,
And learn my woes to pity, by its own.

PROLOGUE to Lillo's Elmerick.*

TO labour'd fcenes to-night adorn our stage, Lillo's plain fense would here the heart engage. He knew no art, no rule; but warmly thought From paffion's force, and, as he felt, he wrote. His Barnwell once no critic's teft could bear, Yet from each eye ftill draws the natural tear. With generous candour hear his latest strains, And let kind pity fhelter his remains. Depreft by want, afflicted by disease, Dying he wrote, and dying wifh'd to please. Oh, may that wish be now humanely paid, And no harsh critic vex his gentle fhade. 'Tis yours his unfupported fame to fave, And bid one laurel grace his humble grave.

See the Epilogue to this Tragedy among the Poems of Lord Lyttelton. In the Life of Lillo, however, that Epilogue is confidently ascribed to Mr. Hammond.

CON

CONTENTS.

O F

HAMMOND'S

POEM S.

Page

OVE ELEGIES.

Elegy I. On his falling in Love with Neæra. 205
Elegy II. Unable to fatisfy the covetous Temper

of Neæra, he intends to make a Campaign, and
try, if poffible, to forget her.

Elegy III. He upbraids and threatens the Avarice
of Neæra, and refolves to quit her.
Elegy IV. To his Friend, written under the Con-
finement of a long Indifpofition.

Elegy V. The Lover is at first introduced speaking
to his Servant, he afterwards addreffes himself to
his Mistress, and at last there is a fuppofed In-
terview between them.

Elegy VI. He adjures Delia to pity him, by their
Friendship with Cælia, who was lately dead.
Elegy VII. On Delia's being in the Country,
where he supposes she stays to fee the Harvest.
Elegy VIII. He despairs that he shall ever poffefs

Delia.

Elegy IX. He has lost Delia.

Elegy X. On Delia's Birth-Day.

207

208

209