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[Page 125]
An ENIGMA.
1 I Come, a friend to man, I'm ne'er his foe
2 But when he indiscreetly makes me so.
3 My name is — Stop tho' — what am I about?
4 They that would know my name may find it out.
5 I'm seen in Summer in the shady grove,
6 Where pensive speculating maidens rove;
7 And when the verdure of the forest flies
8 Before th' Autumnal winds, that blust'ring rise
9 To wast the yellow fragments o'er the plain,
10 Firm and unshaken still my leaves remain;
11 But in the Winter I some covert crave,
12 Nor dare the rigour of that season brave:
13 Yet if too near the fire I take my stand,
14 My rind contracts, and leaves too much expand;
15 Doctors extract my essence and apply't
16 To stop disorders, and to give delight;
17 And some that would my properties define,
18 Declare I am essentially divine:
19 Nay some, by arrant superstition taught,
20 Say I immediately from Heav'n was brought;
21 But that I am in Heav'n, let none deny,
22 The Scripture says it, can the Scripture lye?
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(Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Dunston B 961 (1)].)
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About this text
Author: Elizabeth Hands (née Herbert)
Themes:
Genres:
heroic couplet; riddle
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Source edition
Hands, Elizabeth, 1746-1815. The death of Amnon. A poem. With an appendix: containing pastorals, and other poetical pieces. By Elizabeth Hands. [Coventry]: Printed for the author, by N. Rollason, Coventry, M,DCCLXXXIX., 1789, p. 125. [40],127,[1]p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T141063) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Dunston B 961 (1)].)
Editorial principles
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 Elizabeth Hands (née Herbert)
- ABSENCE AND DEATH. A PASTORAL. ()
- ABSENCE. ()
- CONTENTMENT. ()
- CORINNA TO LYCIDAS. ()
- CRITICAL FRAGMENTS, ON SOME OF THE ENGLISH POETS. ()
- THE DEATH OF AMNON. A POEM. ()
- An ELEGY. ()
- An EPISTLE. ()
- The FAVOURITE SWAIN. ()
- FRIENDSHIP. An ODE. ()
- LEANDER AND BELINDA. A TALE. ()
- LOB's COURTSHIP. ()
- LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP. A PASTORAL. ()
- OBSERVATION ON THE WORKS of NATURE. ()
- OBSERVATION, On an EVENING. ()
- OBSERVATION. ()
- On a WEDDING. ()
- On an UNSOCIABLE FAMILY. ()
- On CONTEMPLATIVE EASE. ()
- On reading Pope's Eloiza to Abelard. ()
- On the Author's LYING-IN, AUGUST, 1785. ()
- A PASTORAL DIALOGUE. ()
- A PASTORAL SONG. ()
- A PASTORAL. [As Thirsis and Daphne, upon the new hay] ()
- A PASTORAL. [Young Corydon, a blithesome swain] ()
- A PASTORAL. [Young Damon gay, a faithful-hearted swain] ()
- PERPLEXITY. A POEM. ()
- PHILLIS TO DAMON. A SONG. ()
- A POEM, On the Supposition of an Advertisement appearing in a Morning Paper, of the Publication of a Volume of Poem, by a Servant Maid. ()
- A POEM, On the Supposition of the Book having been published and read. ()
- REFLECTION on MEDITATION. ()
- REFLECTION. ()
- The RURAL MAID in LONDON, To her FRIEND in the COUNTRY. An EPISTLE. ()
- A SONG. [Far from the woods, alas, I rove] ()
- A SONG. [When Chloe, smiling, gave consent] ()
- A SONG. [Ye swains cease to flatter, our hearts to obtain] ()
- THIRSIS AND DAPHNE. A POEM. ()
- To THIRSIS, On his signifying his intention to lay aside his Hautboy. ()
- The WIDOWER's COURTSHIP. ()
- WIT AND BEAUTY. A PASTORAL. ()
- Written on Their MAJESTIES coming to Kew. ()
- Written while the Author sat on a COOK of HAY. ()
- Written, originally extempore, on seeing a Mad HEIFER run through the Village where the Author lives. ()