Poetry Codex

Metaphysical & Cavalier

Richard Brathwaite

1588?–1673

Richard Brathwaite (also spelled Brathwait, c. 1588-1673) was an English poet and prose writer from Westmorland, in the north of England. He studied at Oxford and Cambridge, spent most of his life in the north, and wrote a long run of conduct books, moral treatises and verse, among them The English Gentleman (1630).

The poems here come from two early volumes. A Strappado for the Divell (1615) mixes satirical epigrams, verse addresses to the townsfolk of Kendal, and the Ovidian tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. Natures Embassie (1621) gathers satires, funeral elegies, pastoral eclogues and the bird poems that give the book its name. Poems too badly damaged in the digital transcription of the printed text have been left out.

Poems (112)

  1. To his Booke
  2. To the True Discouerer of secrets Mounsieur Bacchus
  3. To the Queene of Haruest
  4. To the Amarous Queene of Delights
  5. An Heroycke Embleme vpon the Warriour called Honora
  6. Vpon the Generall Sciolists or Poettasters of Britannie. A Satyre
  7. An Epigramme called the Ciuill Deuell
  8. The Authors Morall to his Ciuell Diuell
  9. The Occasion of This Epigram
  10. To My Approved Friend T. P.
  11. An Epigramme called the Honest Lawyer
  12. Vpon a Patron, who was at home, and yet abroad
  13. An Epigram in Curium Lampetram: A Cashierd Courtier
  14. An Epigram vpon the Anagram
  15. To the hopefull young Gentleman
  16. An Embleme which the Author composed in honour of his Mistris
  17. Vpon his Mistris Nuptiall, Enstiled: His Frankes Farewell
  18. An Epigramme called the Wooer
  19. Admetus Sonnet
  20. How Fancie is a Phrensie. An Epigram
  21. Certaine Select Epigrams
  22. To the Precisian
  23. The Church-Knight
  24. An Epigramme alluding to the second Satyre of Ariosto
  25. An Epigramme called the Cambrian Alchymist
  26. Vpon diuine Roscius
  27. Vpon Roscius Hackney, in a Dialogue betwixt Expedition, & Endimion
  28. Vpon Tarbon the Countrey Gentleman
  29. An Epigram called the Court-Attourney
  30. An Epigramme called the Winde-fall
  31. Another Epigram called, a Cuckold with a witnesse
  32. In Romanum Mnestorem
  33. In Poetam Hippodramum. Or Post-riding Poet
  34. In Numularium antiphylon
  35. In Phylaetum
  36. An Epigram called the Couriter
  37. Vpon his much honoured friend Master William Ascam
  38. Epigram
  39. An Eglogue betweene Billie and Iockie called the Mushrome
  40. A Panegirick Embleame
  41. A Victorious Paean to our Albions Saint
  42. A Satyre called the Coniborrowe
  43. Vpon a Poets Palfrey
  44. Hymens Satyre
  45. A Marriage song called by the Author in and Out
  46. An Epigramme, Like to like
  47. To the truely worthy, the Alderman of Kendall and his brethren
  48. To all true-bred Northerne Sparks
  49. To the Worshipfull Recorder of Kendall
  50. To the Lands-lord wheresoeuer
  51. To the Tennant howsoeuer
  52. Upon the Premature death of the most Generous and Ingenious
  53. A Funerall Elegie
  54. In Musgraues hearse I finde the Muses graue
  55. Faire England gaue me breeding, birth, and name
  56. Doe not contemne my corps Italian
  57. To speake well of the dead is charitie
  58. To all vnhappy Louers
  59. The Author vpon his infant Poeme
  60. Vpon the Presse
  61. Pyramus and Thysbe
  62. Thysbees replie
  63. Thisbees reply
  64. Thysbees Epicaedium
  65. Siluan. Epicaedium
  66. Siluanor: Threnodia
  67. The answere of Hipolitus vnto Phaedra
  68. Riddle me this. An Embleame including the Authors name
  69. The Second Satyre
  70. The Third Satyre
  71. The Fourth Satyre
  72. The Fift Satyre
  73. The Sixt Satyre
  74. The Seventh Satyre
  75. The Eight Satyre
  76. The Ninth Satyre
  77. The Tenth Satyre
  78. The Eleventh Satyre
  79. A Conclusive Admonition to the Reader
  80. I. Elegie
  81. II. Elegie
  82. III. Elegie
  83. An Elegie Upon These Elegies
  84. The First Satyre
  85. The Second Satyre (II)
  86. The Fourth Satyre (II)
  87. The Fift Satyre (II)
  88. The Sixt Satyre (II)
  89. The Seventh Satyre (II)
  90. The Embleme
  91. Pseudophilia
  92. Poligonia
  93. The First Eglogue
  94. The Second Eglogue
  95. The Third Eglogue
  96. The shepheards holy-day
  97. Omphale, or, the Inconsant Shepheardesse
  98. A Poem describing the leuitie of a woman
  99. The Travellour, Dilating Upon the sundrie changes of humane affaires
  100. The Nightingall
  101. The Lapwing
  102. The Owle
  103. The Merlin
  104. The Swallow
  105. The Fall of the Leafe
  106. To my knowing and worthie esteemed friend Augustine Vincent, all meriting content
  107. Brittans Blisse
  108. Vpon the worthie and sincere Proficients and Professants of the common Law
  109. In Momum
  110. In Zoilum
  111. Ad Invidum
  112. Ad Seipsum

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