Poetry Codex

Metaphysical & Cavalier

Thomas Stanley

1625–1678

Thomas Stanley (1625–1678) was an English poet, translator and scholar, remembered for his History of Philosophy (1655–62) and for his edition of Aeschylus. Educated at Cambridge, he lived in London and moved among Royalist writers such as Shirley and Fanshawe.

His own poems, first printed in 1647 and reprinted in 1651 and 1656, are polished, graceful love lyrics addressed mostly to a lady called Chariessa or Celia. This selection takes his original poems from George Saintsbury's Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, vol. III (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1921) and leaves out the pieces that Stanley translated from other poets.

Poems (68)

  1. Despair
  2. The Picture
  3. Opinion
  4. The Dream
  5. To Chariessa, Beholding Herself in a Glass
  6. The Blush
  7. The Cold Kiss
  8. The Idolater
  9. The Magnet
  10. On a Violet in Her Breast
  11. Song: 'Foolish Lover, go and seek'
  12. The Parting
  13. Counsel
  14. Expostulation with Love in Despair
  15. Song: 'Faith, 'tis not worth thy pains and care'
  16. Expectation
  17. The Dedication: To Love
  18. The Glow-worm
  19. The Breath
  20. Desiring Her to Burn His Verses
  21. The Night
  22. Excuse for Wishing Her Less Fair
  23. Chang'd, Yet Constant
  24. The Cure
  25. Celia Singing
  26. Song: 'When I lie burning in thine eye'
  27. Song: 'Celinda, by what potent art'
  28. Song: 'Fool, take up thy shaft again'
  29. Delay
  30. The Repulse
  31. The Tomb
  32. To Celia Pleading Want of Merit
  33. Love's Innocence
  34. The Kiss
  35. Speaking and Kissing
  36. The Snow-ball
  37. The Deposition
  38. Love's Heretic
  39. La Belle Confidente
  40. La Belle Ennemie
  41. To the Lady D
  42. Love Deposed
  43. The Divorce
  44. The Bracelet
  45. The Farewell
  46. The Exchange
  47. Unaltered by Sickness
  48. The Exequies
  49. The Silkworm
  50. Ambition
  51. Song: 'When, dearest beauty, thou shalt pay'
  52. Song: 'I will not trust thy tempting graces'
  53. Song: 'No, I will sooner trust the wind'
  54. Song: 'I Prithee let my heart alone'
  55. The Loss
  56. The Self-Cruel
  57. The Relapse
  58. To the Countess of S. with the Holy Court
  59. Drawn for Valentine by the L. D. S.
  60. On the Edition of Mr. Fletcher's Works
  61. To Mr. W. Hammond
  62. On Mr. Shirley's Poems
  63. On Mr. Sherburn's Translation of Seneca's Medea, and Vindication of the Author
  64. On Mr. Hall's Essays
  65. On Sir John Suckling, his Picture and Poems
  66. On this swelling bank, once proud
  67. Dear, fold me once more in thine arms
  68. The lazy hours move slow

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