The Kings and Queens of England with Other Poems

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Title: The Kings and Queens of England with Other Poems
Author: Mary Ann H. T. Bigelow
Release Date: February 7, 2005 [EBook #14955]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Inscription: I will add a few words respecting my kings and Queens.
They were hastily written from the impulse of the moment, for my own entertainment, and that of my youngest grand-daughter, without the remotest idea of printing them. This is my apology for the careless, familiar style in which they were composed. At the request of my children I concluded to print them, when it would have been highly proper to have furnished my royal personages with a dress more befitting the occasion. But the state of my eyes rendered it very inconvenient, if not hazardous to attempt it. And as they are only intended to visit a few of my friends, I trust to their good nature to excuse the homely garb in which they are presented.]
THE
KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND
WITH
OTHER POEMS
BY
MARY ANN H.T. BIGELOW
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR
MDCCCLIII.
TO THE?COMPANION OF HER YOUTH, MIDDLE AGE, AND DECLINING YEARS,?THE FOLLOWING POEMS ARE INSCRIBED?BY HIS?AFFECTIONATE WIFE,
MARY ANN H.T. BIGELOW.
PREFACE.
I must claim the indulgence of my friends for the many defects they will find in my poems, which they will please wink at, remembering that I was sixty years old when I commenced rhyming; and this by way of experiment, while on a visit to my daughter, in Brooklyn.
My first essay, was The Monarchs of England. I took it up for my amusement, wishing to ascertain how much of that history I could recollect without help from any other source than memory.
The rhyme is in many places far from smooth, and there are many redundances that might with advantage be lopped off; and were it to come under the critic's eye to be reviewed, I should feel it quite necessary to improve it, (the poetry, I mean.) But as it would require quite too much exertion for my eyes in their present state, and as the history, dates, &c., I believe, are correct, I send it to the press "with all its imperfections on its head."
CONTENTS.
Kings and Queens of England?To my Daughter Elizabeth?Acrostic?The Evening of Life?An Acrostic?An Acrostic?Written upon receiving a New Year's Gift?Lines to the Memory of Patrick Kelley?My S.S. Class?For my Grandsons, Eddie and Allie?For my Granddaughters, M. and L., an Acrostic?To my Friend, Mrs.R.?To my Niece, Angeline?An Acrostic?An Acrostic?She slumbers still?To a Friend in the City?Reply?Rejoinder to the foregoing Reply?To my Friend, Mr.J. Ellis?A Pastoral?The Jessamine?For the Sabbath School Concert?Feed my Lambs?God is Love?To my Friend, Mrs. Lloyd?Escape of the Israelites?Ordination Hymn?Margaret's Remembrance of Lightfoot?The Clouds return after the Rain?The Nocturnal Visit?Sovereignty and Free Agency?Autumn and Sunset?"My times are in thy hand"?November?Winter?Life's Changes?"They will not frame their doings"?"Take no thought for the morrow"?Reminiscences of the Departed?"Let me die the death of the righteous"?The Great Physician?To my Niece, Mrs. M.A. Caldwell?The Morning Drive, for my Daughter Margaret?Reply to a Toast?To Mr. C.R.?To my Missionary Friends?To my Husband
POEMS.
THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND,
FROM THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS OR THE NORMAN CONQUEST, TO THE PRESENT REIGN, INCLUSIVE.
First, William the Norman lays claim to the crown?And retains it till death; then follows his son?The red headed William, whose life is cut short?By a shot from his friend, when hunting for sport.?Then Henry his brother takes quiet possession,?As Henry the first, of the great English nation.?Next Stephen, a kinsman gets the crown by his might,?But no one pretends to say he had a right.?Then comes Hal the second, who cuts a great figure?With Becket, fair Rosamond and Queen Eliner.?The Lion-hearted Richard, first of that name,?Succeeded his father in power and in fame;?He joined the Crusade to a far distant land?But his life was cut short by a murderous hand.?Next comes the cruel_ and _cowardly John,?From whose hand, reluctant, Magna Charta was won.?Then his son Henry third, deny it who can??Though unfit for a King, was yet a good man,?And his reign though a long one of fifty-six years?Was full of perplexities, sorrows, and fears.?His son Edward first next governs the nation,?Much respected and feared, in holding that station.?The Principality of Wales was annexed in his reign,?And his son Edward second, first Prince of that name.?But what shall I say of King Edward the third,?The most remarkable reign, that yet had occurred;?Fire arms in the war, were first