| Ben Jonson.
1572–1637. |
Critical Introduction by Adolphus William Ward |
| Echo’s Lament of Narcissus (from Cynthia’s Revels) |
| Venetian Song (from Volpone) |
| Song: ‘Still to be neat, still to be drest’ (from Epicæne) |
| Charis’ Triumph (from Underwoods) |
| Truth (from Hymenæi) |
| The Shepherds’ Holiday (from Pan’s Anniversary) |
| Song before the Entry of the Masquers (from The Fortunate Isles) |
| Ode to Himself (after the failure of The New Inn) |
| Song—To Celia: ‘Drink to me only with thine eyes’ (from The Forest) |
| Epigrams: To My Mere English Censurer |
| On Court-Worm |
| To Fool or Knave |
| On Lucy, Countess of Bedford |
| An Epitaph on Salathiel Pavy, a Child of Queen Elizabeth’s Chapel |
| Epitaph on Elizabeth L. H. |
| An Ode to Himself (from Underwoods) |
| To the Memory of My Beloved Master William Shakespeare, and What He Hath Left Us (from the First Folio) |
| Epitaph on the Countess of Pembroke (from Underwoods) |
| An Epitaph on Master Philip Gray (from Underwoods) |
| Epode (from The Forest) |
| To Heaven (from The Forest) |
| William Drummond of Hawthornden.
1585–1649. |
Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward |
| Extracts from the Poems: Sonnets |
| Sextain |
| Song: ‘Phœbus, arise’ |
| To Chloris |
| Sonnet to Sir W. Alexander |
| Extracts from The Flowers of Sion: Sonnet: ‘Look how the flower which ling’ringly doth fade’ |
| For the Baptist |
| To the Nightingale |
| Madrigal: ‘This world a hunting is’ |
| Sonnet to Sir W. Alexander (from The Cypresse Grove) |
| William Alexander, Earl of Stirling.
1567?–1640. |
Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward |
| Sonnets from Aurora |
| Third Chorus from The Tragedy of Darius |
| Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. |
Critical Introduction by Andrew Cecil Bradley |
| Francis Beaumont.
1584–1616. |
Lines on the Tombs in Westminster |
| Beaumont and Fletcher. |
Song from The Maid’s Tragedy |
| John Fletcher.
1579–1625. |
The Satyr, I (from The Faithful Shepherdess) |
| The River God to Amoret (from The Faithful Shepherdess) |
| The Satyr, II (from The Faithful Shepherdess) |
| Song (from The Two Noble Kinsmen) |
| Song: ‘Hear, ye ladies that despise’ (from Valentinian) |
| Song to Bacchus: ‘God Lyæus, ever young’ (from Valentinian) |
| Invocation to Sleep (from Valentinian) |
| Song: ‘Weep no more, nor sigh, nor groan’ (from The Queen of Corinth) |
| Song: ‘Hence, all you vain delights’ (from The Nice Valour) |
| Thomas Dekker.
c. 1570–1632. |
Critical Introduction by William Minto |
| Content (from Patient Grissil) |
| Lullaby (from Patient Grissil) |
| The Praise of Fortune (from Old Fortunatus) |
| Rustic Song: ‘Haymakers, rakers, reapers, and mowers’ (from The Sun’s Darling) |
| John Ford.
1586–c. 1640. |
Critical Introduction by William Minto |
| Penthea’s Dying Song (from The Broken Heart) |
| Calantha’s Dirge (from The Broken Heart) |
| Awakening Song (from The Lover’s Melancholy) |
| William Browne.
c. 1590–c. 1645. |
Critical Introduction by William Thomas Arnold |
| Extracts from Britannia’s Pastorals: Marina and the River-God |
| The Scented Grove |
| The Music Lesson |
| The Hunted Squirrel |
| A Metamorphosis |
| The Poet’s Ambition |
| The Praise of Spenser |
| A Lament for His Friend |
| The Praise of Sydney |
| A Colour Passage |
| The Description of Walla |
| The Song of Tavy |
| The Complaint of Pan |
| The Song of Celadyne |
| A Comparison |
| Song: ‘Welcome, welcome do I sing’ (from Minor Poems) |
| The Charm (from The Inner Temple Masque) |
| Sonnet: ‘Fairest, when by the rules of palmistry’ |
| George Wither.
1588–1667. |
Critical Introduction by William Thomas Arnold |
| Weakness (from Abuses Stript and Whipt) |
| Eclogue 4 (from The Shepherd’s Hunting) |
| The Author’s Resolution in a Sonnet (from Fidelia) |
| Love-poems (from The Mistress of Philarete) |
| A Christmas Carol |
| Extracts from Hallelujah: When We Are upon the Seas |
| For Summer Time |
| The Prayer of Old Age |
| Giles Fletcher.
1586?–1623. |
Critical Introduction by John W. Hales |
| Christ’s Victory in Heaven |
| Sir Henry Wotton.
1568–1639. |
Critical Introduction by John W. Hales |
| The Character of a Happy Life |
| On His Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia |
| Thomas Carew.
1595?–1639?. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Song: ‘Ask me no more where Jove bestows’ |
| A Prayer to the Wind |
| The Cruel Mistress |
| A Deposition from Love |
| Disdain Returned |
| Celia Singing |
| The Lady to Her Inconstant Servant |
| A Pastoral Dialogue |
| Extract from The Rapture |
| Epitaph on the Lady Mary Villers |
| Song: ‘Would you know what ’s soft?’ |
| The Protestation |
| In Praise of His Mistress |
| Robert Herrick.
1591–1674. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| The Argument of the Hesperides |
| When He Would Have His Verses Read |
| Corinna’s Going a Maying |
| The Rock of Rubies |
| Candlemas Eve |
| The Night Piece |
| To the Virgins |
| To Blossoms |
| To Primroses Filled with Morning Dew |
| To Daffadils |
| To Meadows |
| A Thanksgiving to God |
| The Mad Maid’s Song |
| Upon Julia’s Clothes |
| Delight in Disorder |
| Art above Nature |
| Cherry-Ripe |
| The Bride-Cake |
| His Prayer to Ben Jonson |
| An Ode for Ben Jonson |
| To Anthea, I |
| To Anthea, II |
| To Perilla |
| The Wake |
| To Robin Red-breast |
| To the Lark |
| To the Rose |
| The Bag of the Bee |
| To the Duke of York |
| The Litany |
| Grace for a Child |
| The Dirge of Jephthah’s Daughter |
| Ode to Endymion Porter |
| What Love Is |
| Upon Prew His Maid |
| The White Island |
| Music |
| Oberon’s Feast |
| To Phillis |
| William Habington.
1605–1654. |
Critical Introduction by William Thomas Arnold |
| To Roses in the Bosom of Castara |
| To Cupid, upon a Dimple in Castara’s Cheek |
| The Description of Castara |
| To Castara, in a Trance |
| To Castara, upon the Death of a Lady |
| Against Them Who Lay Unchastity to the Sex of Women |
| To Castara. Of True Delight |
| Nox Nocti Indicat Scientiam |
| Sir John Suckling.
1609–1642. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| A Ballad upon a Wedding |
| Truth in Love |
| The Dance |
| Orsames’ Song in Aglaura |
| Song: ‘I prithee send me back my heart’ |
| The Lute Song in The Sad One |
| Constancy |
| Richard Lovelace.
1618–1658. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Going to the Wars |
| The Rose |
| To Althea from Prison |
| The Grasshopper |
| To Lucasta |
| Lord Herbert of Cherbury.
1583–1648. |
Critical Introduction by John Churton Collins |
| An Ode upon a Question Moved Whether Love Should Continue for Ever |
| Upon Combing Her Hair |
| Sandys, Herbert, Crashaw, Vaughan. |
Critical Introduction by George Augustus Simcox |
| From the Paraphrase upon Luke I |
| George Herbert.
1593–1633. |
The Collar |
| Aaron |
| The Quip |
| Misery |
| Love |
| The Pulley |
| Employment |
| The World |
| Richard Crashaw.
c. 1613–1649. |
Wishes. To His Supposed Mistress |
| The Flaming Heart |
| Description of a Religious House |
| Henry Vaughan.
1621–1695. |
The Retreat |
| The Burial of an Infant |
| The World |
| Beyond the Veil |
| James Shirley.
1596–1666. |
Critical Introduction by William Minto |
| A Lullaby (from The Triumph of Beauty, a Masque) |
| The Garden (from Poems) |
| The Might of Death (from Cupid and Death, a Masque) |
| A Dirge (from The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses) |
| Thomas Randolph.
1605–1635. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Ode to Master Anthony Stafford |
| Extract from The Cotswold Eclogue |
| Extract from A Pastoral Courtship |
| To Ben Jonson |
| William Cartwright.
1611–1643. |
Critical Introduction by Adolphus William Ward |
| On His Majesty’s Recovery from the Small-Pox, 1633 |
| A New Year’s Gift to Brian Lord Bishop of Sarum upon the Author’s Entering into Holy Orders, 1638 |
| On a Virtuous Young Gentlewoman That Died Suddenly |
| Abraham Cowley.
1618–1667. |
Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward |
| Extract from Poetical Blossomes: A Wish |
| Extracts from The Miscellanies: Ode of Wit |
| On the Death of Mr. William Hervey |
| The Chronicle. A Ballad |
| On the Death of Mr. Crashaw |
| Extracts from Anacreontiques: Drinking |
| The Swallow |
| Extracts from The Mistress: The Spring |
| The Wish |
| Extracts from Pindarique Odes: To Mr. Hobbes |
| Brutus |
| Extracts from Verses Written on Several Occasions: Stanzas from The Hymn to Light |
| Extract from The Ode to the Royal Society |
| Extract from Discourses by Way of Essays: On Solitude |
| Edmund Waller.
1606–1687. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| On a Girdle |
| Song: ‘Go, lovely Rose’ |
| Extract from His Majesty’s Escape at St. Andrews |
| To One Who Wrote against a Fair Lady |
| The Bud |
| The Marriage of the Dwarfs |
| Extract from The Battle of the Summer’s Islands |
| Sir John Denham.
1615–1669. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| View of London from Cooper’s Hill |
| Praise of the Thames |
| Against Love |
| Song: ‘Morpheus, the humble god, that dwells’ |
| Extract from The Elegy on Cowley |
| Thomas Stanley.
1625–1678. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Celia Singing |
| The Tomb |
| Sir William Davenant.
1606–1668. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Extract from Gondibert |
| Song: ‘The lark now leaves his watery nest’ |
| On the Captivity of the Countess of Anglesey |
| John Milton.
1608–1674. |
Critical Introduction by Mark Pattison |
| An Epitaph on the Admirable Dramatic Poet, William Shakespeare |
| L’Allegro |
| Il Penseroso |
| Extract from Comus |
| Lycidas |
| Sonnets: On His Being Arrived at the Age of Twenty-three |
| On His Blindness |
| On the Late Massacre in Piedmont |
| To the Lord General Cromwell |
| Extracts from Paradise Lost: Book I |
| Book IV |
| Book X |
| Extracts from Paradise Regained: Book I |
| Book III |
| Extract from Samson Agonistes |
| Andrew Marvell.
1621–1678. |
Critical Introduction by Goldwin Smith |
| The Garden |
| A Drop of Dew |
| The Bermudas |
| Young Love |
| A Horatian Ode upon Cromwell’s Return from Ireland |
| On Milton’s Paradise Lost |
| Samuel Butler.
1612–1680. |
Critical Introduction by William Ernest Henley |
| Extracts from Hudibras: Argumentative Theology |
| The Presbyterians |
| ‘New Light’ |
| The Muse of Doggerel |
| Martial Music |
| Honour |
| Night |
| Morning |
| Spiritual Trimmers |
| Marriage |
| Amantium Irae |
| Extracts from Miscellanies: An Apology for Plagiaries |
| Upon the Weakness and Misery of Man |
| Distichs and Saws (from Hudibras and Miscellanies) |
| Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Roscommon.
1633?–1685. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Extract from the Essay on Translated Verse |
| Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset.
1638–1706. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Song Written at Sea |
| Songs |
| Sir Charles Sedley.
1639–1701. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Song: ‘Love still has something of the Sea’ |
| Song (from The Mulberry Garden): ‘Ah! Chloris’ |
| Song: ‘Phillis is my only joy’ |
| Aphra Behn.
1640–1689. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Song (from Abdelazar): ‘Love in fantastic triumph sate’ |
| The Dream |
| On the Death of Waller |
| John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester.
1647–1680. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Song: ‘My dear Mistress’ |
| Constancy |
| The Bowl |
| Song (from Valentinian): ‘Injurious charmer of my vanquished heart’ |
| Song: ‘When on those lovely looks’ |
| Song: ‘Absent from thee I languish still’ |
| Epitaph on Charles II. |
| Thomas Otway.
1652–1685. |
Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse |
| Extract from The Poet’s Complaint of His Muse |
| John Oldham.
1653–1683. |
Critical Introduction by Adolphus William Ward |
| The Jesuits (from the Second Satire upon them) |
| The Domestic Chaplain (from A Satire addressed to a Friend) |
| John Dryden.
1631–1700. |
Critical Introduction by Adolphus William Ward |
| Verses to her Royal Highness the Duchess [of York] |
| Extracts from Annus Mirabilis: The Attempt at Berghen |
| The Fire of London |
| Extracts from Absalom and Achitophel: Achitophel |
| The Malcontents. Zimri |
| Shadwell (from Mac Flecknoe) |
| Extracts from Absalom and Achitophel: Doeg and Og |
| Tradition (from Religio Laici) |
| Extracts from The Hind and the Panther: The Sects. Private Judgment |
| The Unity of the Catholic Church |
| The Buzzard |
| Prologue to Aureng-Zebe, or the Great Mogul |
| To the Pious Memory of Mrs. Anne Killigrew |
| A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day |
| Alexander’s Feast; or, The Power of Music |
| Lines Printed under the Engraved Portrait of Milton |
| To My Friend, Mr. Congreve |
| Palamon and Arcite |
| To My Honoured Kinsman, John Dryden |
| Veni Creator Spiritus |
