john wilmot's (earl of rochester) poems

8/12/2019 John Wilmot's (Earl of Rochester) Poems

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John Wilmots (Earl of Rochester) poems

A Fragment of Seneca TranslatedAfter Death nothing is, and nothing, death,

The utmost limit of a gasp of breath.

et the ambitious !ealot la" aside

#is hopes of hea$en, %hose faith is but his pride&

et sla$ish souls la" b" their fear

'or be concerned %hich %a" nor %here

After this life the" shall be hurled.

Dead, %e become the lumber of the %orld,

And to that mass of matter shall be s%ept

Where things destro"ed %ith things unborn are ept.

De$ouring time s%allo%s us %hole.mpartial death confounds bod" and soul.

*or #ell and the foul fiend that rules

+ods e$erlasting fier" -ails

(De$ised b" rogues, dreaded b" fools),

With his grim, grisl" dog that eeps the door,

Are senseless stories, idle tales,

Dreams, %himse"s, and no more.

A Satyre Against MankindWere %ho to m" cost alread" am

/ne of those strange, prodigious creatures, man

A spirit free to choose for m" o%n share

What sort of flesh and blood pleased to %ear,

d be a dog, a mone", or a bear,

/r an"thing but that $ain animal,

Who is so proud of being rational.

#is senses are too gross& and hell contri$e

A si0th, to contradict the other fi$e&And before certain instinct %ill prefer

Reason, %hich fift" times for one does err.

Reason, an ignis fatuus of the mind,

Which lea$ing light of nature, sense, behind,

1athless and dangerous %andring %a"s it taes,

Through Errors fenn" bogs and thorn" braes&

Whilst the misguided follo%er climbs %ith pain

2ountains of %himse"s, heaped in his o%n brain&

3tumbling from thought to thought, falls headlong do%n,

nto Doubts boundless sea %here, lie to dro%n,


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4oos bear him up a%hile, and mae him tr"

To s%im %ith bladders of 1hilosoph"&

n hopes still to oertae the escaping light&

The $apour dances, in his dancing sight,

Till spent, it lea$es him to eternal night.Then old age and e0perience, hand in hand,

ead him to death, mae him to understand,

After a search so painful, and so long,

That all his life he has been in the %rong5

#uddled n dirt the reasoning engine lies,

Who %as so proud, so %itt", and so %ise.

1ride dre% him in, as cheats their bubbles catch,

And made him $enture& to be made a %retch.

#is %isdom did has happiness destro",

Aiming to no% that %orld he should en-o"&

And Wit %as his $ain, fri$olous pretence

/f pleasing others, at his o%n e0pense.

*or %its are treated -ust lie common %hores,

*irst the"re en-o"ed, and then iced out of doors&

The pleasure past, a threatening doubt remains,

That frights th en-o"er %ith succeeding pains5

Women and men of %it are dangerous tools,

And e$er fatal to admiring fools.1leasure allures, and %hen the fops escape,

Tis not that the"re belo$ed, but fortunate,

And therefore %hat the" fear, at heart the" hate5

4ut no%, methins some formal band and beard

Taes me to tas& come on sir, m prepared5

6Then b" "our *a$our, an"thing thats %rit

Against this -ibing, -ingling nac called Wit

ies me abundantl"5 but "ou tae care

7pon this point not to be too se$ere.

1erhaps m" 2use %ere fitter for this part,

*or profess can be $er" smart

/n Wit, %hich abhor %ith all m" heart&

long to lash it in some sharp essa",

4ut "our grand indiscretion bids me sta",

And turns m" tide of in another %a".

What rage Torments in "our degenerate mind,

To mae "ou rail at reason, and manind4lessed glorious man8 To %hom alone ind hea$en


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An e$erlasting soul hath freel" gi$en&

Whom his great maer too such care to mae,

That from himself he did the image tae&

And this fair frame in shining reason dressed,

To dignif" his nature abo$e beast.Reason, b" %hose aspiring influence

We tae a flight be"ond material sense,

Di$e into m"steries, then soaring pierce

The flaming limits of the uni$erse,

3earch hea$en and hell, *ind out %hats acted there,

And gi$e the %orld true grounds of hope and fear.6

#old might" man, cr", all this %e no%,

*rom the pathetic pen of ngelo&

*rom 1atrlcs 1ilgrim, 3ibbes 3olilo9uies,

And tis this $er" reason despise,

This supernatural gift that maes a mite

Thin hes an image of the infinite&

:omparing his short life, $oid of all rest,

To the eternal, and the e$erblessed.

This bus", pushing stirrerup of doubt,

That frames deep m"steries, then finds them out&

*illing %ith frantic cro%ds of thining fools

The re$erend bedlams, colleges and schools&4orne on %hose %ings each hea$" sot can pierce

The limits of the boundless uni$erse&

3o charming ointments mae an old %itch fl",

And bear a crippled carcass through the s".

Tis the e0alted po%er %hose businesslies

n nonsense and impossibilities.

This made a %himsical philosopher

4efore the spacious %orld his tub prefer,

And %e ha$e modern cloistered co0combs, %ho

Retire to thin cause the" ha$e nought to do.

4ut thoughts are gi$en for actions go$ernment&

Where action ceases, thoughts impertinent5

/ur sphere of action is lifes happiness,

And he that thins be"ond thins lie an ass.

Thus, %hilst against false reasoning in$eigh.

o%n right reason, %hich %ould obe"5

That reason %hich distinguishes b" sense,

And gi$es us rules of good and ill from thence&That bounds desires. %ith a reforming %ill
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-satyre-against-mankind-2/http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-satyre-against-mankind-2/


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To eep em more in $igour, not to ill.

;our reason hinders, mine helps to en-o",

Rene%ing appetites "ours %ould destro".

2" reason is m" friend, "ours is a cheat,

#unger calls out, m" reason bids me eat&1er$ersel". "ours "our appetite does moc5

This ass for food, that ans%ers, %hats ocloc

This plain distinction, sir, "our doubt secures,

Tis not true reason despise, but "ours.

Thus thin reason righted, but for man,

ll neer recant, defend him if "ou can5

*or all his pride, and his philosoph",

Tis e$ident5 beasts are in their o%n degree

As %ise at least, and better far than he.

Those creatures are the %isest %ho attain.

4" surest means. the ends at %hich the" aim.

f therefore Jo%ler finds and ills the hares,

4etter than 2eres supplies committee chairs&

Though ones a statesman, th other but a hound,

Jo%ler in -ustice %ould be %iser found.

;ou see ho% far mans %isdom here e0tends.

oo ne0t if human nature maes amends&

Whose principles are most generous and -ust, And to %hose morals "ou %ould sooner trust5

4e -udge "ourself, ll bring it to the test,

Which is the basest creature, man or beast

4irds feed on birds, beasts on each other pre",

4ut sa$age man alone does man betra"5

1ressed b" necessit"& the" ill for food,

2an undoes man, to do himself no good.

With teeth and cla%s, b" nature armed, the" hunt

'atures allo%ance, to suppl" their %ant.

4ut man, %ith smiles, embraces. friendships. 1raise,

nhumanel" his fello%s life betra"s&

With $oluntar" pains %ors his distress,

'ot through necessit", but %antonness.

*or hunger or for lo$e the" bite, or tear,

Whilst %retched man is still in arms for fear.

*or fear he arms, and is of arms afraid5

*rom fear, to fear, successi$el" betra"ed.

4ase fear, the source %hence his best passions came.#is boasted honour, and his dearbought fame.


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The lust of po%er, to %hom hes such a sla$e,

And for the %hich alone he dares be bra$e&

To %hich his $arious pro-ects are designed,

Which maes him generous, affable, and ind.

*or %hich he taes such pains to be thought %ise,And scre%s his actions, in a forced disguise&

eads a most tedious life in miser",

7nder laborious, mean h"pocris".

oo to the bottom of his $ast design,

Wherein mans %isdom, po%er, and glor" -oin5

The good he acts. the ill he does endure.

Tis all from fear, to mae himself secure.

2erel" for safet" after fame the" thirst,

*or all men %ould be co%ards if the" durst.

And honest"s against all common sense,

2en must be na$es, tis in their o%n defence.

2aninds dishonest5 if "ou thin it fair

Among no%n cheats to pla" upon the s9uare,

;oull be undone.

'or can %ea truth "our reputation sa$e,

The na$es %ill all agree to call "ou na$e.

Wronged shall he li$e, insulted oer, oppressed,

Who dares be less a $illain than the rest.

Thus sir, "ou see %hat human nature cra$es,

2ost men are co%ards, all men should be na$es&

The difference lies, as far as can see.

'ot in the thing itself, but the degree&

And all the sub-ect matter of debate

s onl", %hos a na$e of the first rate

All this %ith indignation ha$e hurled

At the pretending part of the proud %orld,

Who, s%ollen %ith selfish $anit", de$ise,

*alse freedoms, hol" cheats, and formal lies,

/$er their fello% sla$es to t"rannise.

4ut if in :ourt so -ust a man there be,

(n :ourt, a -ust man "et unno%n to me)

Who does his needful flatter" direct

'ot to oppress and ruin, but protect5

3ince flatter", %hich %a" soe$er laid,

s still a ta05 on that unhapp" trade.f so upright a statesman "ou can find,


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A Song of a Young Lady to Her Ancient LoverAncient 1erson, for %hom

All the flattering "outh def",

ong be it eer thou gro% old,Aching, shaing, cra!" cold&

4ut still continue as thou art,

Ancient 1erson of m" heart.

/n th" %ithered lips and dr",

Which lie barren furro%s lie,

4rooding isses %ill pour,

3hall th" "outhful heart restore,

3uch ind sho%rs in autumn fall,

And a second spring recall&

'or from thee %ill e$er part,


Th" nobler parts, %hich but to name

n our se0 %ould be counted shame,

4" ages fro!en grasp possest,

*rom their ice shall be released,

And, soothed b" m" re$i$ing hand,

n former %armth and $igour stand.All a lo$ers %ish can reach,

*or th" -o" m" lo$e shall teach&

And for th" pleasure shall impro$e

All that art can add to lo$e.

;et still lo$e thee %ithout art,


A Woman's Honour

o$e bade me hope, and obe"ed&1h"llis continued still unind5

Then "ou ma" een despair, he said,

n $ain stri$e to change her mind.

#onours got in, and eeps her heart,

Durst he but $enture once abroad,

n m" o%n right d tae "our part,

And sho% m"self the mightier +od.

This huffing #onour domineers


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n breasts alone %here he has place5

4ut if true generous o$e apppears,

The hector dares not sho% his face.

et me still languish and complain,4e most unhumanl" denied5

ha$e some pleasure in m" pain,

3he can ha$e none %ith all her pride.

fall a sacrifice to o$e,

3he li$es a %retch for #onours sae&

Whose t"rant does most cruel pro$e,

The difference is not hard to mae.

:onsider real #onour then,

;oull find hers cannot be the same&

Tis noble confidence in men,

n %omen, mean, mistrustful shame.

Absent of Thee Languish StillAbsent from thee languish still&

Then as me not, %hen return

john wilmot's (earl of rochester) poems

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