ΤΟ THE REV. MR NEWTON. AN INVITATION INTO THE

TO THE REV. MR NEWTON ON HIS RETURN FROM RAMS-

PAGE

177

178

179

LINES COMPOSED FOR A MEMORIAL OF ASHLEY COWPER, ESQ.,

IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS DEATH

198

STANZAS SUBJOINED TO THE YEARLY BILL OF MORTALITY OF

THE PARISH OF ALL-SAINTS, NORTHAMPTON, ANNO DOMINI

1787..

199

ON A SIMILAR OCCASION. FOR THE YEAR 1788

ON A SIMILAR OCCASION.

ON A SIMILAR OCCASION.

ON A SIMILAR OCCASION.

ON A SIMILAR OCCASION.

200

FOR THE YEAR 1789

FOR THE YEAR 1790

FOR THE YEAR 1792

201

202

204

FOR THE YEAR 1793

205

ON THE RECEIPT OF MY MOTHER'S PICTURE OUT OF NORFOLK 211

HYMN FOR THE USE OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AT OLNEY

EPITAPH ON JOHNSON

TO MISS C--, ON HER BIRTHDAY

PAGE

214

215

TO MKS KING, ON HER KIND PRESENT TO THE AUTHOR

IN MEMORY OF THE LATE JOHN THORNTON, ESQ.

.. 215

216

217

THE FOUR AGES. A BRIEF FRAGMENT OF AN EXTENSIVE

PROJECTED POEM

218

YARDLEY OAK

220

TO THE NIGHTINGALE, WHICH THE AUTHOR HEARD SING ON

CATHARINA: THE SECOND PART. ON HER MARRIAGE TO GEO.

COURTENAY, ESQ., JUNE, 1792..

228

SONNET TO GEORGE ROMNEY, ESQ., ON HIS PICTURE OF ME IN

CRAYONS

229

ON A PLANT OF VIRGIN'S-BOWER

229

TO MY COUSIN, ANNE BODHAM, ON RECEIVING FROM HER A

NETWORK PURSE

230

TO MRS UNWIN

231

TO JOHN JOHNSON, ON HIS PRESENTING ME WITH AN ANTIQUE

BUST OF HOMER

TO A YOUNG FRIEND, ON HIS ARRIVING AT CAMBRIDGE WET,

PAGE

THE POPLAR FIELD

237

ON A GOLDFINCH STARVED TO DEATH IN HIS CAGE!

238

ODE TO APOLLO. ON AN INKGLASS ALMOST DRIED IN THE

SUN..

247

MUTUAL FORBEARANCE NECESSARY TO THE HAPPINESS OF THE

MARRIED STATE

248

ON THE ICE ISLANDS, SEEN FLOATING IN THE GERMAN OCEAN

TO SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS

260

261

THE CASTAWAY

263

THE TASK.

BOOK I.THE SOFA.

['THE history of the following production is briefly this: A lady. fond of blank verse, demanded a poem of that kind from the author, and gave him the SOFA for a subject. He obeyed; and having much leisure, connected another subject with it; and, pursuing the train of thought to which his situation and turn of mind led him, brought forth, at length, instead of the trifle which he at first intended, a serious affair-a Volume.']

I SING the Sofa. I, who lately sang

Truth, Hope, and Charity, and touch'd with awe
The solemn chords, and with a trembling hand,
Escaped with pain from that advent'rous flight,
Now seek repose upon a humbler theme:
The theme though humble, yet august and proud
Th' occasion-for the Fair commands the song.

Time was, when clothing sumptuous or for use,
Save their own painted skins, our sires had none.
As yet black breeches were not; satin smooth,
Or velvet soft, or plush with shaggy pile:
The hardy chief upon the rugged rock

B

Wash'd by the sea, or on the grav'ly bank
Thrown up by wintry torrents roaring loud,
Fearless of wrong, reposed his weary strength.
Those barb'rous ages past, succeeded next
The birth-day of invention; weak at first,
Dull in design, and clumsy to perform.
Joint-stools were then created; on three legs
Upborne they stood. Three legs upholding firm
A massy slab, in fashion square or round.
On such a stool immortal Alfred sat,

And sway'd the sceptre of his infant realms;
And such in ancient halls and mansions drear
May still be seen, but perforated sore
And drill'd in holes the solid oak is found,
By worms voracious eating through and through

At length a generation more refined
Improved the simple plan, made three legs four,
Gave them a twisted form vermicular,

And o'er the seat, with plenteous wadding stuff'd,
Induced a splendid cover green and blue,
Yellow and red, of tap'stry richly wrought
And woven close, or needle-work sublime.
There might ye see the piony spread wide,
The full-blown rose, the shepherd and his lass,
Lap-dog and lambkin with black staring eyes,
And parrots with twin cherries in their beak.

Now came the cane from India, smooth and bright, With Nature's varnish; sever'd into stripes That interlaced each other, these supplied, Of texture firm, a lattice-work that braced The new machine, and it became a chair. But restless was the chair; the back erect Distress'd the weary loins that felt no ease; The slipp'ry seat betray'd the sliding part That press'd it, and the feet hung dangling down, Anxious in vain to find the distant floor