James Henderson (Ann Julia Hatton, Nee Kemble, 1764-1838)
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JAMES HENDERSON AN EDITION OF THE POEMS OF ANN OF SWANSEA (ANN JULIA HATTON, NEE KEMBLE, 1764-1838) INCLUDING UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL IN Two VOLUMES VOLUME II UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy 2005 Contents page Volume II Poetic Trifles (\*\\) Tell me, is it love? 10 Impromptu to Miss J____, on her presenting me with a Sprig of Love in Vain 13 To _____. 14 A Man Without Deceit 15 The Dawn of Morning 17 Roses have Thorns 19 Sonnet 20 On a beautiful but inanimate young Lady 21 Omnia vincit Amor 22 Invitation to a Robin 23 Elegy 25 To a Lady, chiding her Son 27 Sonnet to the Power of Sweetness 28 Sonnet to Love 29 Sonnet to Lycidas, renouncing Music 30 Sonnet to a dying Myrtle 31 Edwy's Urn 32 To the World 34 Imitated from Petrarch 36 Expectation 37 To_____ 38 Sonnet to a Primrose 40 To H. L., Esq. 41 Tears of Love 42 Like and Unlike Love 43 To 46 The First Kiss. An Imitation 49 The Passing Wave. To____ 51 To Mary 53 Swansea Bay 56 A Ballad 58 The White Hyacinth. Addressed to Mary 62 Sonnet 63 Kidwelly Castle 64 Rosa's Grave 67 Sonnet to the Virginian Hyacinth 68 The Goblet. To ___ ___Esq. 69 Epigram 70 A Walk on the Sands 70 Blushes. Addressed to Mary 74 Delia 75 An Imitation 78 An Imitation 80 Lovers' Vows 81 Hope 83 Lines wrote on Penbray Mountain 84 Elegy on an old Wig 86 Impromptu to Miss B_____e, on her Father presenting her with a Locket 91 To_____ 92 Nova Scotia 96 To R.W. who discovered an early Genius for Poetry 98 Inscription for a Temple, in a Wood, belonging to the Residence of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, near Halifax, Nova Scotia 101 An Imitation 102 To the Cuckoo 104 Evening 106 Monody on the death of a young Officer belonging to the Royal Western Glamorgan Rangers 108 To him who will understand 112 The Faded Leaf. To Caroline 113 Lines to H. P. Esq 118 To 120 Elegy on the death of G. B. Esq 122 Morning Ode to Love 124 Ovisa, a Fragment 125 Epigram 127 Anacreontique, to B. S. Esq 128 The Bridal Night 129 Elegy on the death of Miss M , of LI hP k 139 To-morrow. To 141 To Esq. 142 To 145 Oppression 147 To the Sun 172 To 174 Epigram. To , attempting to play the Flute 175 To Mary 175 Dreams 177 Answer to Him, who marked for my particular observation 'La Rose Fletrie' of Miss Owenson 178 Impromptu to 182 To Sleep 183 Lines addressed to Miss S n, of V 11 L y 185 To 189 The Amulet. To 191 To a Raven 193 To Mrs. F s 195 Answer to my Husband, who, after proposing a Voyage to America, sang to me the beautiful Ballad, 'Oh, Nanny! Wilt thou gang with me' 199 To Mrs B. 201 To___ 202 To Love 205 Julia to her Harp 207 To____ 212 To______,Esq. 214 To Miss D__ 216 To____ 217 To a Ring 219 To Caroline 220 To Mrs. S___ 222 HoePsHarp 224 Beauty. To Mary 243 To ____ 246 The White Rose. To ___ 248 Sonnet 249 To___ 250 To the Aeolian Lyre 252 To R.W. who vowed his Life should be devoted to the Muses 255 To ___ 258 Whiskey 260 To____ 261 Sonnet 264 The Invitation. To ____ 265 Amor Fugit 267 To __, on seeing a Rose I had given her withered 269 The Evening Star 270 The Chaplet 272 The Midnight Hour 273 The Confession 274 Address to Mr. Taylor, on seeing the Miniature Picture of a young Lady, painted by him 276 To Lieut. J. G. of the Swansea Rangers 277 On hearing Miss ____ sing 278 To____ 279 The Twenty-ninth of April 283 To Recollection 287 Invocation to Evening 288 Lines to ___, suggested by a Rose Tree recovering, that was supposed to be dead 290 The Encounter. To ___ 292 Anacreontique to B. S. Esq. 295 Evening Address to the Sea Gull 296 Lines to Capt. D. 298 Lines to the Officers of the Royal West Glamorgan Regiment of Local Militia 299 The Toast 302 Nature's Vindication. A Fragment 303 To Mary 306 To ____ 308 To____ 310 An Imitation 312 The Sigh. An Imitation 315 Separate Beds. A Hint to Married Men 316 Man as he is. To Delia, from___ . 320 To ____. Wishing and the Crime are one 323 An Imitation. To__. 323 To the Muse 326 Bibliography 331 4. Poetic Trifles (1811) Note on the Text The text given here is taken from the first edition of Poetic Trifles printed for the author and published in Waterford, Ireland, in 1811 by John Bull. This edition has not here been modernized. The occasional erratic punctuation and capitalization - sometimes clearly typographical errors - have been retained. A few obvious misspellings have been corrected. POETIC TRIFLES BY ANN OF SWANSEA; AUTHORESS OF CAMBRIAN PICTURES, & < . $< IfEEMJfG, NOT GENIUS, PKOIWPTS THE An ! who can fell how luird it is to climb The sleep where Fame's proud iemplc shines afar j Al) ! who can tell how many a soul sublime Hatli fell the influence of malignant star, And wa«-'d Avitli Fortune an eternal war ; CJieck'clhy the scoil' of i'ride, by Envy's frowDA And Poverty's unconquerable liar, In life's low vaie remote hath pin'd alone, Then dropt into Ihe grave, unpilicd and unknown! IJEAIIJE'S COaterforD.' Printed for the AUTHORESSJ by JOHN : IS I DEDICATION This Collection of Poetry is respectfully dedicated to the Officers of the Royal Western Regiment of Local Militia, By their most obedient, and devoted Servant, Ann of Swansea. Swansea College Street, June 6, 1811. PREFACE When many of these poems were written, their Authoress had never seen LORD STRANGFORD's elegant Translation of CAMOENS, nor the beautiful METRICAL FRAGMENTS contained in MISS OWENSON's 'LAY OF AN IRISH HARP.' Should any thing, therefore, like imitation appear, except when acknowledged, she begs leave to declare such similarity the mere effect of chance. It is not without apprehension, ANN of SWANSEA sends her 'POETIC TRIFLES' into the world, in defence of which, she takes the liberty of observing, that she left no useful avocation - neglected no duties - to follow the allurements of the Muse. It will perhaps be necessary to avow, that some of the Poems contained in this volume, have already appeared in the 'Cambrian,' 'BristolMercury,'' 'Carmarthen Journal,' and in a novel lately published under the Signature of ANN of SWANSEA, entitled 'CAMBRIAN PICTURES; or, EVERY ONE HAS ERRORS'.1 1 London: Minerva Press, 1810. 10 TELL ME, IS IT LOVE? Oh! if when every mortal slept, And only silence vigils kept; Oh! if when Morpheus2 o'er my head The softest dream of pleasure shed: If midst the starry noon of night I wake from visions of delight, To gaze and think, my eyes are blest To see each planet sink to rest: To watch the east 'til early day Pours her first doubtful trembling ray; 10 To mark her fingers dropping dew, Tinge the light clouds with saffron hue While many a wishing tender sigh Will cross yon lofty mountain fly, Which, dimly gleaming, meets my sight, Its blue top streak'd with new-born light. Oh! if my pulses nimbly beat, If then my fancy soar to meet That form, which hov'ring in my dreams, To me all grace and beauty seems. 20 Oh! if imperious in my heart, 2 In Ovid, one of the sons of the god of sleep 11 One passion wild and lofty prove, Oh! if it bliss and grief impart, Say, is that lordly passion LOVE? Say, if at mention of a name, My cheek with crimson blushes flame? If at a voice, my throbbing breast Be with such strong emotion prest, That, in confusion sunk and tost, Breath and reflection both are lost? 30 Oh! if when gazing on an eye, My fainting senses almost fly; If when effusing heav'nly rays, I on those sunny eye-beams gaze; Their radiance pouring floods of light, Dazzle my reason and my sight: If at a touch, keen subtle fire Shoots through my breast, and I expire In sweet delirium, raptur'd bliss! Tell me, Oh! tell me, what is this? 40 It is not friendship's holy glow, That thus with transport fills my soul, That bids my blood impetuous roll: That rushing through my beating heart, 12 Can such ecstatic joy impart, As bids soft tears delicious flow. Friendship could ne'er thus wildly move, Tell me, Oh! tell me, is it LOVE? When evening's banner, dusky gray, 50 Waves o'er the sun's departing ray; When she, with dew-bespangled feet, Glides slowly through each green retreat; And as her deep'ning shades prevail, Draws o'er each sleeping flow'r her veil: If then alive to feeling's pow'r, I court the soft, the shadowy hour; If then, enthusiastic, hail The sighing spirit of the gale, That loves his flutt'ring wing to lave 60 In the clear ocean's em'rald wave; That wave which, shook with storms no more, Soft murm'ring woos the distant shore. If then emotions, sad and sweet, In my thrill'd bosom wildly beat; If then my eyes suffuse with tears, If then a thousand hopes and fears Should in my wilder'd fancy stray, 13 And chase tranquility away; 70 Ye that these mingled feelings know; Ye that from sad experience prove, Tell me what means this joy and woe, Oh! say, are these sensations LOVE? IMPROMPTU TO MISS I ON HER PRESENTING ME WITH A SPRIG OF 'LOVE IN VAIN'3 Ah! cruel maid, I fear too true The hint thy flow'rs present; Yet, yet, conceal it from my view, Lest I too much lament.