To The Lady Elizabeth Harley, Since Marchioness Of Carmarthen, On A Column Of Her Drawing

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 column to the father's praise.

poem by Matthew Prior
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Songs Set To Music: 21. Set By Mr. De Fesch

Touch the lyre, touch every string;
Touch it, Orpheus; I will sing
A song which shall immortal be,
Since she I sing's a deity;
A Leonora, whose bless'd birth
Has no relation to this earth.

poem by Matthew Prior
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The Pedant

Lysander talks extremely well;
On any subject let him dwell
His tropes and figures will content ye
He should possess to all degrees
The art of talk; he practises
Full fourteen hours in four-and-twenty.

poem by Matthew Prior
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Songs Set To Music: 1. Set By Mr. Abel

Reading ends in melancholy,
Wine breeds vices and diseases,
Wealth is but care, and love but folly,
Only friendship truly pleases.
My wealth, my books, my flask, my Molly,
Farewell all if friendship ceases.

poem by Matthew Prior
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Full Oft Doth Matt. With Topaz Dine - In Chaucer's Style

Full oft doth Matt. with Topaz dine,
Eateth baked meats, drinketh Greek wine:
But Topas his own worke rehearseth,
And Matt. mote praise what Topaz verseth.
Now shure as priest did e'er shrive sinner,
Full hardly earneth Matt. his dinner.

poem by Matthew Prior
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Songs Set To Music: 11. Set By Mr. De Fesch

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,
It ne'er can break her chains,
While passion which her beauties raise
My gratitude maintains.

poem by Matthew Prior
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Songs Set To Music: 3. Set By Mr. De Fesch

Strephonetta, why d'ye fly me,
With such rigour in your eyes:
Oh! 'tis cruel to deny me,
Since your charms I so much prize.

But I plainly see the reason
Why in vain I you pursued,
Her to gain 'twas out of season,
Who before the chaplain woo'd.

poem by Matthew Prior
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Democritus And Heraclitus

Democritus, dear droll, revisit earth,
And with our follies glut thy heighten'd mirth:
Sad Heraclitus, serious wretch, return,
In louder grief our greater crimes to mourn,
Between you both I unconcern'd stand by;
Hurt can I lauh? and honest need I cry?

poem by Matthew Prior
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Songs Set To Music: 13. Set By Mr. De Fesch

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, show the wonder,
How we both may gain our ends;
I am lost if we're asunder,
Ever tortured if we're friends.

poem by Matthew Prior
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Songs Set To Music: 2. Set By Mr. Purcell

Whither would my passion run?
Shall I fly her, or pursue her?
Losing her I am undone,
Yet would not gain her to undo her.

Ye tyrants of the human breast,
Love and Reason, cease your war,
And order Death to give me rest,
So each will equal triumph share.

poem by Matthew Prior
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