Metaphysical & Cavalier

William Hammond

b. 1614


William Hammond is a Royalist-period lyric poet known from a single book, Poems, published in London by Thomas Dring in 1655. Its title page gives only the initials "W. H."; the attribution to William Hammond, born in 1614, comes from the library catalogue record of the volume.

The book gathers love lyrics, pastoral dialogues, verse letters, elegies and English versions of Horace. Many of the poems are addressed to a close family circle: his kinsman T. S., a brother, H. S., mourned as drowned, a sister, Mrs. S., and an uncle, Mr. G. Sandys. Little else about his life can be stated from the book itself.

  1. Commanded to Write Verses
  2. The Walke
  3. Husbandry
  4. Mutuall Love
  5. The Forsaken Maid
  6. Another (The Forsaken Maid)
  7. J. C., Anagr. I Can Be Any Lover
  8. De Melidoria (è Joh. Barclaij, Poem. lib. 2)
  9. Delay, Upon Advice to Deferr Loves Consummation
  10. Upon Cloris Her Visit After Marriage, A Pastorall Dialogue betwixt Codrus and Damon Forsaken Rivalls
  11. On the Infrequency of Celias Letters
  12. To Her Questioning His Estate
  13. The Spring
  14. The Cruell Mistresse
  15. To His Mistresse, Desiring Him to Absent Himselfe
  16. To His Scornfull Mistresse
  17. To Mr. J. L., Upon His Treatise of Dialling
  18. Epithalamium, To the L. T. Marryed in the North
  19. To Eugenio, A Discription of the Love of True Friendship
  20. To the Same (T. S.), Being Sicke of a Feavour. Horat: Od. 2. 17
  21. To the Same (T. S.), Recovered of the Small Pox
  22. To the Same (T. S.) (Let Me Not Live If I Not Wonder Why)
  23. To the Same (T. S.), On My Library, A Satyre
  24. To the Same (T. S.), on His Poems and Translations
  25. To the Same (T. S.), on His Poems, That He Would Likewise Manifest His More Serious Labours
  26. To the Same (T. S.), On His Translation of Two Spanish Novells
  27. To the Same (T. S.) (Damon, Thrice Happy Are Thy Layes)
  28. On the Marriage of My Deare Kinsman T. S. Esq and Mrs. D. E.
  29. To Mrs. D. S. on the Birth of Sidney, Her Second Son
  30. Horat: Od. 3. 3., A Man Endeed with Virtue Feares Nothing
  31. To Sr. J. G. Wishing Me to Regain My Fortunes by Complyance with the Parliament
  32. The World
  33. Gray Haires
  34. A Dialogue upon Death
  35. Death
  36. On the Death of My Dear Brother Mr. H. S. Drown'd, The Tomb
  37. On the Same (His Brother H. S. Drown'd), The Boast
  38. On the Same (His Brother H. S. Drown'd), The Tempers
  39. To My Dear Sister Mrs. S., The Chamber
  40. To the Same (Mrs. S.), Thursday
  41. To the Same (Mrs. S.), The Rose
  42. To the Same (Mrs. S.), Mans Life
  43. To the Same (Mrs. S.), The Excuse
  44. To the Same (Mrs. S.), The Reasons
  45. To the Same (Mrs. S.), The Teares
  46. On the Death of My Much Honourd Uncle Mr. G. Sandys
  47. Epitaph on Sir R. D.
  48. Grace Compar'd to the Sun
  49. Upon the Nativity of Our Saviour and Sacrament Then Received

See William Hammond in the full archive →