Song Ii – Thomas Parnell

When thy Beauty appears
In its Graces and Airs,
All bright as an Angel new dropt from the Sky;
At distance I gaze, and am aw’d by my Fears,
So strangely you dazzle my Eye!
But when without Art,
Your kind Thoughts you impart,
When your Love runs in Blushes thro’ ev’ry Vein;
When it darts from your Eyes, when it pants in your Heart,
Then I know you’re a Woman again.
There’s a Passion and Pride
In our Sex, (she reply’d,)
And thus (might I gratify both) I wou’d do:
Still an Angel appear to each Lover beside,
But still be a Woman to you. 

On Content – Thomas Parnell

Grant heav’n that I may chuse my bliss
If you design me worldly Happiness
Tis not Honour thats but air
Glory has but fancied light
Fame as oft speak’s false as right 
Riches have wings & ever dwell with care
Give me an undistemperd mind
As ye third region undisturbd by wind
Content from passions ever free
to rule ones selfs indeed a monarchy
this I request of thee

Tho all we see are fortunes apes
& change as oft as she their shapes
Tho my kinder fortune leave me
Tho my dearest friends deceive me
I in this universall tide
firm on heav’ns mercy would abide
& ‘mongst ye giddy waves securely ride
Tho they should die
Who never did my love abuse
Perhaps in tears I would my passion vent
But straight again I’de be content
Remembring ’twas th’ almighty’s deed tho I
should my best relations loose
Ide sighing cry Heav’ns will be done
It did but lend them now it has its own.
Fortune should never be
Adored as a deity by me
She onely makes them fooles who make her great
But still content on earth intent on heav’n I’de be
an equall temper keep in ev’ry state
nor Care nor fear my destiny
Death when most dreadfull should not fright
Wn ere he comes Ide patiently submitt
Content thus in my soul should build its halcyons nest
As did thy spirit on ye waters rest
& keep an everlasting calm with in my breast. 

The Convert’s Love – Thomas Parnell

Blessed Light of saints on high
Who fill the mansions of the sky,
Sure defence, whose mercy still
Preserves thy subjects here from ill,
O my Jesus! make me know
How to pay the thanks I owe.

As the fond sheep that id’ly strays
With wanton play thro’ winding ways,
Which never hits the road of home,
O’er Wilds of danger learns to roam,
‘Till weari’d out with idle fear
And passing there and turning here,
He will for rest to covert run
And meet the wolf he wish’d to shun;
Thus wretched I, thro’ wanton will
Run blind and headlong on in ill:
‘Twas thus from sin to sin I flew
And thus I might have perish’d too;
But mercy dropt the likeness here
And shew’d and sav’d me from my fear;
While o’er the darkness of my mind
The sacred spirit purely shin’d,
And mark’d and bright’ned all the way
Which leads to everlasting day,
And broke the thick’ning clouds of sin
And fix’d the light of love within.

From hence my ravish’d soul aspires
And dates the rise of its desires.
From hence to thee my God! I turn,
And fervent wishes say I burn,
I burn thy glorious face to see
And live in endless joy with thee.

There’s no such ardent kind of flame
Between the lover and the dame,
Nor such affection parents bear
To their young and only heir, 
Tho’ join’d together both conspire
And boast a doubled force of fire.
My tender heart within its seat
Dissolves before the scorching heat,
As soft’ning wax is taught to run
Before the warmness of the sun.

O my flame my pleasing pain
Burn and purify my stain,
Warm me, burn me, day by day
‘Till you purge my earth away,
‘Till at the last I throughly shine
And turn a torch of love divine. 

A Riddle – Thomas Parnell

Upon a Bed of humble clay
In all her Garments loose
A Prostitute my Mother lay
To ev’ry Comer’s use.
‘Till one Gallant in heat of love
His Own Peculiar made her
And to a Region far above
And softer Beds convey’d her.
But in his Absence, to his Place
His rougher Rival came
And with a cold constrain’d Embrace
Begat me on the Dame.
I then appear’d to Publick View
A Creature wondrous bright
But shortly perishable too
Inconstant, nice and light.
On Feathers not together fast
I wildly flew about
And from my Father’s country past
To find my Mother out.
Where her Gallant of her beguil’d
With me enamour’d grew
And I that was my Mother’s Child
Brought forth my Mother too. 

Love In Disguise – Thomas Parnell

To stifle Passion is no easy Thing,
A Heart in Love is always on the Wing;
The bold Betrayer flutters still,
And fans the Breath prepar’d to tell:
It melts the Tongue, and tunes the Throat,
And moves the Lips to form the Note;
And when the Speech is lost,
It then sends out its Ghost,
A little Sigh,
To say we dye.
‘Tis strange the Air that Cools, a Flame shou’d prove,
But wonder not, it is the Air of Love. 
Yet Chloris I can make my Love look well,
And cover bleeding Wounds I can’t conceal,
My Words such artful Accents break,
You think I rather act than speak:
My Sighs enliven’d thro’ a Smile,
Your unsuspecting Thoughts beguile;
My Eyes are vary’d so,
You can’t their Wishes know:
And I’m so gay,
You think I play.
Happy Contrivance! such as can’t be priz’d,
To Live in Love, and yet to Live disguis’d. 

Poem – On The Number Three

Beauty rests not in one fix’d Place,
But seems to reign in every Face;
‘Tis nothing sure, but Fancy then,
In various Forms bewitching Men;
Or is it Shape and Colour fram’d,
Proportion just, and woman nam’d?
If Fancy only rul’d in Love,
Why shou’d it then so strongly move?
Or why shou’d all that Look, agree
To own its mighty Pow’r in three?
In Three it shews a different Face,
Each shining with peculiar Grace;
Kindred a Native Likeness gives,
Which pleases, as in All it lives;
And where the Features disagree,
We praise the dear Variety.
Then Beauty surely ne’er was yet,
So much unlike it self and so complete.

Poem – 51 Psalm

Look mercyfully down O Lord
& wash us from our sinn
Cleanse us from wicked deeds without
from wicked thoughts within
Lord I Confess my many sinns
that I against thee doe
Each minute they’re before my face
& wound my soul anew
So Great my god my ills have been
Gainst thee & onely thee
Thy Justice tho’ I were Condemnd
would good & righteous bee
For att my birth I wickedness
Did with my breath suck in
But thou shalt teach me in thy ways
& keep me pure from sinn
Thoult me with hyssopp purge who am
all over soil’s & stain’s
Thou with thy sanctifiyng grace
shalt wash & make me clean
Thoult bless my days with peace no sound
But Joy shall reach mine ear
That where thy Justice wounded Lord
There Gladness may appear
Blott from thy thoughts past faults & from
The present turn thy face
O make my spirit right & good
Confirm my heart with grace
thy Presence & thy mercy lett
Me ever Ld possess
Me with the comfort of thy help
& with thy love still bless
Then shall the wicked know thy pow’r
& turn ym from theyr wayes
Deliver me from blood my god
& I will sing thy praise.
Unseal my lips & to ye Bad
I will thy mercy shew
For since thou lovest not sacrifice
Tis all that I can doo
A heart that is with sorrow pierct
My God thou wilt receive
this is ye sweetest offering
that we to thee can give
On Sion Graciously look down
Preserve us still we pray
& hearts upon thine altars Lord
Instead of beasts we’el Lay.

Poem – On Content

Grant heav’n that I may chuse my bliss
If you design me worldly Happiness
Tis not Honour thats but air
Glory has but fancied light
Fame as oft speak’s false as right
Riches have wings & ever dwell with care
Give me an undistemperd mind
As ye third region undisturbd by wind
Content from passions ever free
to rule ones selfs indeed a monarchy
this I request of thee

Tho all we see are fortunes apes
& change as oft as she their shapes
Tho my kinder fortune leave me
Tho my dearest friends deceive me
I in this universall tide
firm on heav’ns mercy would abide
& ‘mongst ye giddy waves securely ride
Tho they should die
Who never did my love abuse
Perhaps in tears I would my passion vent
But straight again I’de be content
Remembring ’twas th’ almighty’s deed tho I
should my best relations loose
Ide sighing cry Heav’ns will be done
It did but lend them now it has its own.
Fortune should never be
Adored as a deity by me
She onely makes them fooles who make her great
But still content on earth intent on heav’n I’de be
an equall temper keep in ev’ry state
nor Care nor fear my destiny
Death when most dreadfull should not fright
Wn ere he comes Ide patiently submitt
Content thus in my soul should build its halcyons nest
As did thy spirit on ye waters rest
& keep an everlasting calm with in my breast.

Poem – Health, An Eclogue

Now early Shepherds o’er the Meadow pass,
And print long Foot-steps in the glittering Grass;
The Cows neglectful of their Pasture stand,
By turns obsequious to the Milker’s Hand.

When Damon softly trod the shaven Lawn,
Damon a Youth from City Cares withdrawn;
Long was the pleasing Walk he wander’d thro’,
A cover’d Arbour clos’d the distant view;
There rests the Youth, and while the feather’d Throng
Raise their wild Musick, thus contrives a Song.

Here wafted o’er by mild Etesian Air,
Thou Country Goddess, beauteous Health! repair;
Here let my Breast thro’ quiv’ring Trees inhale
Thy rosy Blessings with the Morning Gale.
What are the Fields, or Flow’rs, or all I see?
Ah! tastless all, if not enjoy’d with thee.

Joy to my Soul! I feel the Goddess nigh,
The Face of Nature cheers as well as I;
O’er the flat Green refreshing Breezes run,
The smiling Dazies blow beneath the Sun,
The Brooks run purling down with silver Waves,
The planted Lanes rejoice with dancing Leaves,
The chirping Birds from all the Compass rove
To tempt the tuneful Echoes of the Grove:
High sunny Summits, deeply shaded Dales,
Thick Mossy Banks, and flow’ry winding Vales,
With various Prospect gratify the Sight,
And scatter fix’d Attention in Delight.

Come, Country Goddess, come, nor thou suffice,
But bring thy Mountain-Sister, Exercise.
Call’d by thy lively Voice, she turns her Pace,
Her winding Horn proclaims the finish’d Chace;
She mounts the Rocks, she skims the level Plain,
Dogs, Hawks, and Horses, crowd her early Train;
Her hardy Face repels the tanning Wind,
And Lines and Meshes loosely float behind.
All these as Means of Toil the Feeble see,
But these are helps to Pleasure join’d with thee.

Let Sloth lye softning ’till high Noon in Down,
Or lolling fan her in the sult’ry Town,
Unnerv’d with Rest; and turn her own Disease,
Or foster others in luxurious Ease:
I mount the Courser, call the deep mouth’d Hounds,
The Fox unkennell’d flies to covert Grounds;
I lead where Stags thro’ tangled Thickets tread,
And shake the Saplings with their branching Head;
I make the Faulcons wing their airy Way,
And soar to seize, or stooping strike their Prey;
To snare the Fish I fix the luring Bait;
To wound the Fowl I load the Gun with Fate.
‘Tis thus thro’ change of Exercise I range,
And Strength and Pleasure rise from ev’ry Change.
Here beautious Health for all the Year remain,
When the next comes, I’ll charm thee thus again.

Oh come, thou Goddess of my rural Song,
And bring thy Daughter, calm Content, along,
Dame of the ruddy Cheek and laughing Eye,
From whose bright Presence Clouds of Sorrow fly:
For her I mow my Walks, I platt my Bow’rs,
Clip my low Hedges, and support my Flow’rs;
To welcome her, this Summer Seat I drest,
And here I court her when she comes to Rest;
When she from Exercise to learned Ease
Shall change again, and teach the Change to please.

Now Friends conversing my soft Hours refine,
And Tully’s Tusculum revives in mine:
Now to grave Books I bid the Mind retreat,
And such as make me rather Good than Great.
Or o’er the Works of easy Fancy rove,
Where Flutes and Innocence amuse the Grove:
The native Bard that on Sicilian Plains
First sung the lowly Manners of the Swains;
Or Maro’s Muse, that in the fairest Light
Paints rural Prospects and the Charms of Sight;
These soft Amusements bring Content along,
And Fancy, void of Sorrow, turns to Song.
Here beauteous Health for all the Year remain,
When the next comes, I’ll charm thee thus again.

Poem – Untitled Fragment

When Pop’ry s arbitrary yoak
Britannia feard of late
To liberty Religion spoke
To save ye sinking state
Joy of the World the Goddess said
Can no great soul be found
To move for this
Ore
Joy of both worlds the nymph replyd

poem – song

When thy beauty appears
In its graces and airs
All bright as an angel new dropp’d from the sky,
At distance I gaze and am awed by my fears:
So strangely you dazzle my eye!

But when without art
Your kind thoughts you impart,
When your love runs in blushes through every vein;
When it darts from your eyes, when it pants in your heart,
Then I know you’re a woman again.

There ‘s a passion and pride
In our sex (she replied),
And thus, might I gratify both, I would do:
Still an angel appear to each lover beside,
But still be a woman to you.