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[Page 33]
The Vanity of the World, In a Poem to the Athenians.
1 WHat if serenely blest with Calms I swam
2 Pactolus! in thy golden Sanded stream?
3 Not all the wealth that lavish Chance cou'd give
4 My soul from Death cou'd one short Hour reprieve.
5 When from my Heart the wandring Life must move
6 No Cordial all my useless Gold cou'd prove.
7 What tho' I plung'd in Ioys so deep and wide,
8 'Twou'd tire my Thoughts to reach the distant side,
9 Fancy it self 'twou'd tire to plumb the Abyss;
10 If I for an uncertain Lease of this
11 Sold the fair hopes of an eternal bliss?
[Page 34]12 What if invested with the Royal State
13 Of dazling Queens, ador'd by Kings I sat?
14 Yet when my trembling Soul's dislodg'd wou'd be
15 No Room of State within the Grave for me.
16 What if my Youth, in Wits and Beautys bloom
17 Shou'd promise many a flatt'ring Year to come:
18 Tho' Death shou'd pass the beauteous Flourisher,
19 Advancing Time wou'd all its Glory marr.
20 What if the Muses loudly sang my Fame,
21 The barren Mountains ecchoing with my Name?
22 An envious puff might blast the rising Pride.
23 And all its bright conspicuous Lustre hide.
24 If o're my Relicks Monuments they raise
25 And fill the World with Flattery, or with Praise,
26 What wou'd they all avail, if sink I must,
27 My Soul to endless shades, my Body to the dust?
About this text
Author: Elizabeth Rowe (née Singer)
Themes:
vanity of life
Genres:
heroic couplet; address
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Rowe, Elizabeth Singer, 1674-1737. Poems on several occasions. Written by Philomela. London: Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-street, 1696, pp. 33-34. [24],72,69,[11]p.; 8⁰ (ESTC R7317; OTA A57734)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Elizabeth Rowe (née Singer)
- And, though after my Skin, Worms destroy this Body, yet in my Flesh shall I see God, Job 19. 26. ()
- The ATHENIANS ()
- The Athenians Answer, to the Foregoing Poem. ()
- The Athenians Answer. ()
- The Athenians Answer. ()
- The Athenians Answer. ()
- By Dispair. ()
- THE Expostulation. ()
- THE FABLE of PHAETON Paraphrased From OVID's METAMORPHOSIS. ()
- A Farewel to LOVE. ()
- THE Female Passion, ()
- THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH: A POEM ()
- HUMANE LOVE: ()
- LOVE and FRIENDSHIP: A PASTORAL. ()
- On Mrs. Rebecka. ()
- PARAPHRASE ()
- Paraphrase on Cant. 5. 6. &c. ()
- Paraphrase on Canticles, 7. 11. ()
- Paraphrase on Malachy 3. 14. ()
- Paraphrase on Micha. 6. 6, 7. ()
- Paraphrase on Revel. chap. 1. from v. 13. to v. 18. ()
- A Paraphrase on the CANTICLES. ()
- Parthenea, an ELEGY. ()
- A Pastoral Elegy. ()
- A Pastoral on the QUEEN. ()
- A PASTORAL. ()
- Pharaphrase on John 21. 17. ()
- A Pindarick POEM on HABBAKUK. ()
- A Pindarick, to the Athenian Society. ()
- Platonick Love. ()
- A POEM Occasioned by the report of the Queens Death. ()
- A Poetical Question concerning the Jacobites, sent to the Athenians. ()
- The RAPTURE. ()
- The Reflection. ()
- The Reply to Mr. — ()
- A SONG. ()
- Thoughts on Death. ()
- To a very Young Gentleman at a Dancing-School. ()
- TO CELINDA. ()
- To Madam S— at the Court. ()
- To Mr. — — on his POEM. ()
- TO Mrs. MARY FRIEND; Knowing her but by Report. ()
- To my Lady CARTERET. ()
- To one that perswades me to leave the Muses. ()
- TO ORESTES. ()
- TO Sir CHAREES SEDLEY. ()
- TO STREPHON. ()
- To the Honourable Mrs. E— Stretchy. ()
- To the same Gentleman. ()
- Upon King William's passing the Boyn, &c. ()
- Verses written by Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe, on her drawing the Lord Boyle's Picture. ()
- The Vision. To Theron. ()
- THE WISH, IN A POEM TO THE ATHENIANS. ()