[Page 275]
To a Lady, who commanded me to send her an Account in Verse, how I succeeded in my Subscription.
1 How I succeed, you kindly ask;
2 Yet set me on a grievous Task,
3 When you oblige me to rehearse,
4 The Censures past upon my Verse.
5 Tho' I with Pleasure may relate,
6 That many, truly good, and great,
7 With candid Eye my Lines survey,
8 And smile upon the artless Lay;
9 To those with grateful Heart I bend —
10 But your Commands I must attend.
[Page 276]11 SERVILLA cries, I hate a Wit;
12 Women should to their Fate submit,
13 Should in the Needle take Delight;
14 'Tis out of Character to write:
15 She may succeed among the Men;
16 They tell me, Swift subscribes for Ten;
17 And some say, Dorset does the same;
18 But she shall never have my Name:
19 Her Poetry has cost me dear;
20 When Lady Carteret was here,
21 The Widow Gordon got my Guinea;
22 For which I own myself a Ninny.
23 OLIVIA loses oft at Play;
24 So will not throw her Gold away.
25 Thus Silvia, of the haughty Tribe:
26 She never ask'd me to subscribe,
[Page 277]27 Nor ever wrote a Line on me,
28 I was no Theme for Poetry!
29 She rightly judg'd; I have no Taste —
30 For Womens Poetry, at least.
31 Then Fulvia made this sage Reply;
32 (And look'd with self-sufficient Eye:)
33 I oft have said, and say again,
34 Verses are only writ by Men;
35 I know a Woman cannot write;
36 I do not say this out of Spite;
37 Nor shall be thought, by those who know me,
38 To envy one so much below me.
39 SABINA, fam'd in Wisdom's School,
40 Allows I write — but am a Fool:
41 "What! — must our Sons be form'd by Rhyme?
42 "A fine Way to employ one's Time! "
[Page 278]43 ALBINO has no gold to waste,
44 Far gone in the Italian Taste:
45 He vows he must subscribe this Year,
46 To keep dear*
* Two famous Italian Singers, zealously supported by different Parties.
Carestini here;47 Not from a narrow Party View;
48 He doats on*
*
Senesino too;49 By Turns their Int'rest he'll espouse;
50 He's for the public Good, he vows;
51 A gen'rous Ardor fires his Breast.
52 Hail, Britain, in such Patriots blest!
53 Says Belvidera, Since a Wit
54 Or Friend or Foe alike will hit,
55 Deliver me from Wits, I say;
56 Grant Heav'n, they ne'er may cross my Way!
57 Besides, I oft have heard it hinted,
58 Her Poems never will be printed:
[Page 279]59 Her Sickness is a Feint, no doubt,
60 To keep her Book from coming out.
61 Of Wit, says Celia, I'll acquit her;
62 Then archly fell into a Titter.
63 A Female Bard! Pulvillio cries;
64 'Tis possible she may be wise;
65 But I could never find it yet,
66 Tho' oft in Company we met:
67 She talks just in the common Way:
68 Sure Wits their Talents should display;
69 Their Language surely should be bright,
70 Before they should pretend to write:
71 I'll ne'er subscribe for Books, says he;
72 'Fore Gad, it looks like Pedantry.
73 High-born Belinda loves to blame;
74 On Criticism founds her Fame:
[Page 280]75 Whene'er she thinks a Fault she spies
76 How Pleasure sparkles in her Eyes!
77 Call it not Poetry, she says;
78 No — Call it Rhyming, if you please:
79 Her Numbers might adorn a Ring,
80 Or serve along the Streets to sing:
81 Stella and Flavia's well enough;
82 What else I saw, was stupid Stuff;
83 Nor Love nor Satire in her Lays,
84 Insipid! neither pain nor please:
85 I promis'd once to patronize her;
86 But on Reflection, I was wiser:
87 Yet I subscrib'd among the rest;
88 I love to carry on a Jest.
89 BELINDA thus her Anger shows,
90 Nor tells the World, from whence it flows:
91 With more Success to wound my Lays,
92 She gilds the Dart with other Praise:
[Page 281]93 To her own Breast I leave the Fair
94 Convinc'd I stand acquitted there.
95 AMANDA, your Commands, you see,
96 Tho' grievous, are obey'd by me.
97 What my Friends told me had been said,
98 Just as it came into my Head,
99 No matter for the Place or Time,
100 To shew your Pow'r, I tag with Rhyme.
101 Now let some News salute your Ear,
102 Tho' I have weary'd you, I fear:
103 Know, — has Vengeance vow'd,
104 And in the Furies Temple bow'd:
105 He but suspends his Wrath, he says,
106 Till he can criticise my Lays.
107 Malice, thy Rancour I expect,
108 And shall return it — with Neglect:
109 Go on, display your treasur'd Rage;
110 Invectives shall not blot my Page:
[Page 282]111 What real Faults you note, I'll mend:
112 Proceed, your Efforts I attend;
113 Taught early, Dryden, by thy Song,
114 They ne'er forgive, who do the Wrong.
115 Now to the Muse I bid Adieu;
116 Nor rail at her, as Poets do:
117 Protected by the Good and Great,
118 I'll not repine, but bless my Fate.
119 You, Madam, who your Sex adorn,
120 Who Malice and Detraction scorn,
121 Who with superior Sense are bless'd,
122 Of ev'ry real Worth possess'd;
123 With Eye indulgent view my Lays:
124 You know to blame, but love to praise:
125 You know my Faults, and know beside,
126 I want not to be mortify'd.
127 One Merit I presume to boast,
128 And dare to plead but one at most:
[Page 283]129 The Muse I never have debas'd;
130 My Lays are innocent at least;
131 Were ever ardently design'd
132 To mend and to enlarge the Mind.
133 This must be own'd a virtuous Aim.
134 The Praise of Wit — let others claim.
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About this text
Title (in Source Edition): To a Lady, who commanded me to send her an Account in Verse, how I succeeded in my Subscription.
Author: Mary Barber
Themes:
patronage; poetry; literature; writing; printing; publishing
Genres:
satire
References:
DMI 11654
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Barber, Mary, ca. 1690-1757. Poems on Several Occasions [poems only]. London: Printed for C. Rivington, at the Bible and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1734, pp. 275-283. xlviii,283,[7]p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T42622; DMI 519; Foxon p. 45) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 3644].)
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Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. 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 Mary Barber
- Apollo's Edict. ()
- An Apology for my Son to his Master, for not bringing an Exercise on the Coronation Day. ()
- An Apology for the Clergy, who were present when the Minister of the Parish read Prayers and preach'd twice in one Day, at Tunbridge-Wells. Written at the Request of a Layman. ()
- An Apology to Dr. Clayton, Bishop of Killala, and his Lady, who had promis'd to dine with the Author. ()
- An Apology to the Earl of Orrery, Dr. Swift, and some others of my Friends, for falling into Tears before them, on my leaving Ireland. ()
- An Apology written for my Son to his Master, who had commanded him to write Verses on the Death of the late Lord —. ()
- An Apology written for my Son to the Reverend Mr. Sampson, who had invited some Friends to celebrate Lord Carteret's Birth-Day, at Mount-Carteret near Dublin; and desir'd my Son to write on that Occasion. ()
- By a Person of Quality. ()
- Conclusion of a Letter to the Rev. Mr. C—. ()
- The Earl's Answer, written extempore. ()
- An Epigram on the Battle of the Books. ()
- An Epigram on the same Occasion. ()
- An EPIGRAM. ()
- Epilogue to a Comedy acted at Bath, where the Dutchess of Ormond was present. ()
- An Epitaph on the late Lord Mount-Cashel. ()
- An Hymn to Sleep. Written when the Author was sick. ()
- An Invitation to Edward Walpole, Esq; upon hearing he was landed in Dublin. ()
- Jupiter and Fortune. A Fable. ()
- A Letter for my Son to one of his School-fellows, Son to Henry Rose, Esq; ()
- A Letter to a Friend, on Occasion of some Libels written against him. ()
- A Letter written for my Daughter to a Lady, who had presented her with a Cap. ()
- A Letter written for my Son to a young Gentleman, who was sent to be educated at the Jesuits College in Flanders. ()
- A Letter written from London to Mrs. Strangeways Horner, whom the Author had left the Day before at Tunbridge-Wells. Oct. 1730. ()
- News from St. James's. ()
- The Oak and its Branches. A Fable. Occasion'd by seeing a dead Oak beautifully encompass'd with Ivy. ()
- Occasion'd by reading the Memoirs of Anne of Austria, written by Madam de Motteville. Inscrib'd to the Right Honourable the Countess of Hertford. ()
- Occasion'd by seeing some Verses written by Mrs. Constantia Grierson, upon the Death of her Son. ()
- Occasion'd by seeing the Honourable — treat a Person of Merit with Insolence, who came to make a Request to her. ()
- On imagining a Friend had treated the Author with Indifference. ()
- On leaving Bath. ()
- On seeing an Officer's Widow distracted who had been driven to Despair, by a long and fruitless Sollicitation for the Arrears of her Pension. ()
- On seeing the Captives, lately redeem'd from Barbary by His Majesty. ()
- On sending my Son, as a Present, to Dr. Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's, on his Birth-Day. ()
- On the Dutchess of Newcastle's Picture. ()
- On the Earl of Oxford and Mortimer's giving his Daughter in Marriage in Oxford-Chapel. ()
- The Peacock. A Fable. ()
- The Prodigy. A Letter to a Friend in the Country. ()
- The RECANTATION: To the same Lady. ()
- Reply to the foregoing Verses. ()
- The RESOLUTION. ()
- Sent as from a School-fellow to my Son Anno 1727. ()
- SINCERITY. A Poem. Occasion'd by a Friend's resenting some Advice I gave. ()
- SONG. (); Stella and Flavia. ()
- Spoken extempore, to the Right Honourable the Lady Barbara North, on her presenting the Author with a white Ribband at Tunbridge-Wells. ()
- To a Gentleman, who had abus'd Waller. ()
- To a Gentleman, who shew'd a fine Poem as his own. ()
- To a Gentleman, who took a very grave Friend of his, to visit one of quite a different Turn. ()
- To a Lady at Bath. ()
- To a Lady in the Spleen, whom the Author was desir'd to amuse. ()
- To a Lady who was libell'd. ()
- To a Lady, who invited the Author into the Country. ()
- To a Lady, who valu'd herself on speaking her Mind in a blunt Manner, which she call'd being sincere. ()
- To Alexander Pope, Esq; Intreating him to write Verses to the Memory of Thomas, late Earl of Thanet. ()
- To Dr. Mead, on his Cape Wine. ()
- To Dr. Richard Helsham. Upon my Recovery from a dangerous Fit of Sickness. ()
- To her Grace the Dutchess of Manchester, and Lady Diana Spencer, now Dutchess of Bedford. The humble Petition of little Jemmy Pen, at Tunbridge-Wells. ()
- To her Grace the Dutchess of Portland, with the foregoing Lines. ()
- To his Excellency the Lord Carteret. Occasion'd by seeing a Poem, intitled, The Birth of Manly Virtue. ()
- To his Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, at the Camp before Philipsburgh. ()
- To his Grace the Duke of Chandos. ()
- To Lady H—r, who ask'd, Had the Author done writing Verses? ()
- To Mrs. Anne Donnellan, with the fourth Essay on MAN. ()
- To Mrs. Armine Cartwright, at Bath. ()
- To Mrs. CÆsar, at the Speaker's Lodgings at Bath. ()
- To Mrs. Frances-Arabella Kelly. ()
- To Mrs. Mary CÆsar, upon seeing her just after the Marriage of her Friend, the Lady Margaret Harley. ()
- To Mrs. Newans, encouraging her to draw Lady Killmorey's Picture. ()
- To Mrs. Putland. ()
- To Mrs. Strangeways Horner, with a Letter from my Son; wherein he desires me to accept his first Prize of Learning, conferr'd on him by the University of Dublin. ()
- To Mrs. S—. Written in my Sickness. ()
- To Mrs. — ()
- To Novella, on her saying deridingly, that a Lady of great Merit, and fine Address, was bred in the Old Way. An EPIGRAM. ()
- To Robert Barber Esq; Deputy to the Treasurer's Remembrancer in the Court of Exchequer, on his attending, whilst his Son repeated Gay's Fable of the Hare and Many Friends. ()
- To Sophronia. ()
- To the Honble. Miss Carteret, now Countess of Dysert. ()
- To the Honourable Mrs. Percival. ()
- To the Honourable Mrs. Spencer, on her removing from Windsor to Rookly in Hampshire. ()
- To the Reverend Dr. L—. Occasion'd by his Sermon for the Support of the Charity-Children at Tunbridge-Wells, where the Collection was small. ()
- To the Right Hon. the Earl of Orrery, on his Promise to sup with the Author. ()
- To the Right Honble. the Lady Dowager Torrington, with some Verses her Ladyship commanded me to send her. ()
- To the Right Honourable John Barber, Esq; Lord Mayor of London, on committing one of my Sons to his Care. ()
- To the Right Honourable John Earl of Orrery, at Bath, after the Death of the late Earl. ()
- To the Right Honourable the Earl of Thomond, at Bath; who charg'd the Author with making an Irish Bull. ()
- To the Right Honourable the Lady Elizabeth Brownlow, upon desiring me to send her some of my Poems. ()
- To the Right Honourable the Lady Elizabeth Germain, upon seeing her do a generous Action. Written as from the Person reliev'd. ()
- To the Right Honourable the Lady Kilmorey, with a Letter, which was written by the late Lady Roydon, of the Kingdom of Ireland, just before her Death. ()
- To the Right Honourable the Lady Sarah Cowper. Written when the Author was sick at Tunbridge-Wells. ()
- To the Rt. Hon. Charlotte Lady Conway, on her resolving to leave Bath. ()
- A True TALE. ()
- An unanswerable Apology for the Rich. ()
- Upon seeing a Raffle for Addison's Works unfill'd. ()
- Verses occasion'd by the Sickness of Mrs. Anne Donnellan. ()
- Verses sent to a Lady, who took Delight in ridiculing a Person of very weak Under-standing, whom she reliev'd from Want. ()
- The Widow Gordon's Petition To the Right Hon. the Lady Carteret. ()
- Written at Bath to a young Lady, who had just before given me a short Answer. ()
- Written at Camberwell, near London, in the Study of Mr. Wainwright, now Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland, where the Author accidentally din'd alone. ()
- Written at Dr. Mead's House in Ormond-Street, to Mrs. Mead. ()
- Written at Tunbridge-Wells, where the Author had, the Year before, been honour'd with the Acquaintance of Mrs. Strangeways Horner, who, after, went abroad on account of her Health. ()
- Written at Tunbridge-Wells. To the Right Honourable the Lady Barbara North,[ed.][ed.] "Lady Barbara North was the daughter of Thomas, eighth Earl of Pembroke". (Tucker [1992], 210) (AH) occasion'd by some of the Company's saying they would go to Faint-Fair, and act a Play. ()
- Written for a Gentlewoman in Distress. To her Grace Adelida, Dutchess of Shrewsbury. ()
- Written for my Son in his Sickness, to one of his School fellows. ()
- Written for my Son to his Master, on the Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. ()
- Written for my Son, and spoken by him at his first putting on Breeches. ()
- Written for my Son, and spoken by him at School to some of the Fellows of the College of Dublin, at a public Examination for Victors. ()
- Written for my Son, and spoken by him in School, upon his Master's first bringing in a Rod. ()
- Written for my Son, and spoken by him, at a public Examination for Victors. ()
- Written for my Son, in a Bible which was presented to him. ()
- Written for my Son, to Mr. Barry; occasion'd by the foregoing Verses. ()
- Written for my Son, to some of the Fellows of the College, who took care of the School in his Master's Absence. ()
- Written for my Son, upon Lady Santry's coming to School, to see her Son, and getting the Scholars a Play-Day. ()
- Written from Dublin, to a Lady in the Country. ()
- Written in the Conclusion of a Letter to Mr. Tickel, intreating him to recommend the Widow Gordon's Petition. ()
- Written upon the Rocks at Tunbridge, on seeing the Names of several Persons written there. ()