Horae Lyricae (Isaac Watts)

General Information

This is a list of poems in Horae Lyricae (Lyric Poems) written by Isaac Watts in 1705 and thereafter. Text pages should be created for these poems as they are needed in Works Pages.
In the table below, a blank for Meter or Lines signifies that the meter or number of lines per stanza is irregular. The numbering in column one is not in the original, but has been added to maintain the sequence in the original publication.

Publication date and place: 1705 in London.

1. Poems in Book 1

No.	Title	Meter	Lines	Stanzas	First Line
1	Worshipping With Fear	C. M.	4	9	Who dares attempt the eternal name
2	Asking Leave to Sing	C. M.	4	5	Yet, mighty God, indulge my tongue
3	Divine Judgments		9	6	Not from the dust my sorrows spring
4	Earth and Heaven		12	4	Hast thou not seen, impatient boy
5	Felicity Above	C. M.	4	5	No, 'tis in vain to seek for bliss
6	God's Dominion and Decrees	C. M.	4	12	Keep silence, all created things
7	Self-Consecration	886. 8886.	7	5	It grieves me, Lord, it grieves me sore
8	The Creator and Creatures	L. M.	4	8	God is a name my soul adores
9	The Nativity of Christ	C. M.	4	8	Shepherds, rejoice! lift up your eyes
10	God Glorious and Sinners Saved	C. M.	4	9	Father, how wide Thy glory shines
11	The Humble Inquiry	10.10.10.	3	6	Grace rules below, and sits enthroned above
12	The Penitent Pardoned	L. M.	4	8	Hence from my soul, my sins, depart
13	A Hymn of Praise, Part 1	L. M.	4	8	Infinite God! Thy counsels stand
14	A Hymn of Praise, Part 2	L. M.	4	10	Assume, my tongue, a nobler strain
15	The Incomprehensible		6	4	Far in the heavens my God retires
16	Death and Eternity	C. M.	4	9	My thoughts, that often mount the skies
17	A Sight of Heaven in Sickness	C. M.	4	9	Oft have I sat in secret sighs
18	The Universal Hallelujah (Psalm 148)	C. M.	4	14	Praise ye the Lord with joyful tongue
19	The Atheist's Mistake	C. M.	4	9	Laugh, ye profane, and swell and burst
20	The Law Given At Sinai		12	11	Arm thee with thunder, heavenly muse
21	Remember Your Creator (Ecclesiastes 7)	C. M.	4	10	Children, to your Creator, God
22	Sun, Moon, and Stars, Praise Ye the Lord	L. M.	4	9	Fairest of all the lights above
23	The Welcome Messenger	C. M.	4	8	Lord, when we see a saint of Thine
24	Sincere Praise	S. M.	4	11	Almighty Maker, God
25	True Learning			10	Happy the feet that shining truth has led
26	True Wisdom			11	Pronounce him blest, my muse, whom wisdom guides
27	A Song To Creating Wisdom	C. M.	4	18	Eternal wisdom, thee we praise
28	God's Absolute Dominion			4	Lord, when my thoughtful soul surveys
29	Condescending Grace (Psalm 114)	C. M.	4	6	When the Eternal bows the skies
30	The Infinite	C. M.	4	7	Some seraph, lend your heavenly tongue
31	Confession and Pardon	S. M.	4	17	Alas, my aching heart
32	Young Men and Maidens (Psalm 148:12)			4	Sons of Adam, bold and young
33	Flying Fowl and Creeping Things (Psalm 148:10)			3	Sweet flocks, whose soft enameled wing
34	The Comparison and Complaint	C. M.	4	10	Infinite power, eternal Lord
35	God Supreme and Self-Sufficient	L. M.	4	6	What is our God, or what his name
36	Jesus the Only Savior	L. M.	4	13	Adam, our father and our head
37	Looking Upward	S. M.	4	5	The heavens invite mine eye
38	Christ Dying, Rising, and Reigning	L. M.	4	6	He dies! The heavenly lover dies
39	The God of Thunder	L. M.	4	6	O the immense, the amazing height
40	The Day of Judgment	10 10. 10 6.	4	9	When the fierce north wind with his airy forces
41	The Song of Angels Above	C. M.	4	22	Earth has detained me prisoner long
42	Fire, Air, Earth, and Sea			5	Earth, thou great footstool of our God
43	The Farewell	L. M.	4	5	Dead be my heart to all below
44	God Only Known to Himself	L. M.	4	6	Stand and adore! How glorious he
45	Pardon and Sanctification	C. M.	4	7	My crimes awake; and hideous fear
46	Sovereignty and Grace	C. M.	4	7	The Lord! how fearful is His name
47	The Law and Gospel	L. M.	4	6	Cursed be the man, forever cursed
48	Seeking a Divine Calm in a Restless World	886. 886.	6	4	Eternal mind, who rules the fates
49	Happy Frailty	C. M.	4	12	How meanly dwells the immortal mind
50	Launching Into Eternity		23	1	It was a brave attempt! Adventurous he
51	A Prospect of the Resurrection	C. M.	4	9	How long shall death, the tyrant, reign
52	Ad Dominum nostrum et Servatorem, Jesum Christum (Nov. 1694)	10 10. 8 10.	4	21	Te, grande numen, corporis incola
53	Sui - Ipsius Increpatio		14	1	Corpora cur haeres, Wattsi? Cur incola terrae
54	Excitatio Cordis Caelum Versus (1694)	10 10. 10 6.	4	4	Heu quod secla terris carcere corporis
55	Breathing Towards the Heavenly Country			2	The beauty of my native land
56	Casimiri Epigramma 100		8	1	Ardalio sacros deridet carmine ritus
57	On Saint Ardalio	10 10 10.	3	5	Ardalio jeers, and in his comic strains
58	When the Protestant Church at Montpelier Was Demolished		11	1	A Hugonot church, once at Montpelier built
59	The Answer		11	1	A Christian church, once at Montpelier stood
60	Two Happy Rivals, Devotion and the Muse				Wild as the lightning, various as the moon
61	The Hazard of Loving the Creatures	C. M.	4	6	Where-e'er my flattering passions rove
62	Desiring to Love Christ	L. M.	4	7	Come, let me love: or is my mind
63	The Heart Given Away	C. M.	4	7	If there aare passions in my soul
64	Meditation in a Grove	C. M.	4	7	Sweet muse, descend and bless the shade
65	The Fairest and the Only Beloved	886. 8886.	7	6	Honor to that diviner ray
66	Mutual Love Stronger Than Death	886. 8886.	7	3	Not the rich world of mines above
67	A Sight of Christ (By Mr. W. Nokes)			7	Angels of light, your God and King surround
68	Love On a Cross and a Throne	L. M.	4	6	Now let my faith grow strong, and rise
69	A Preparatory Thought For the Lord's Supper (Isaiah 63:1-3)	L. M.	4	6	What heavenly man, or lovely God
70	Converse With Christ	886. 8886.	7	8	I'm tired with visits, modes, and forms
71	Grace Shining, and Nature Fainting (Song 1:3, 2:5, 6:5)		9	8	Tell me, fairest of thy kind
72	Love to Christ, Present or Absent	L. M.	4	8	Of all the joys we mortals know
73	The Absence of Christ	C. M.	4	7	Come, lead me to some lofty shade
74	Desiring His Descent to Earth	L. M.	4	6	Jesus I love, come dearest name
75	Ascending to Him in Heaven	C. M.	4	6	Tis pure delight without alloy
76	The Presence of God Worth Dying For	C. M.	4	8	Lord, tis an infinite delight
77	Longing for His Return	C. M.	4	5	O twas a mournful parting day
78	Hope in Darkness (1694)			4	Yet, gracious God
79	Come, Lord Jesus	C. M.	4	12	When shall Thy lovely face be seen
80	Bewailing My Own Inconstancy	L. M.	4	10	I love the Lord, but ah, how far
81	Forsaken, Yet Hoping	L. M.	4	8	Happy the hours, the golden days
82	God Exalted Above All Praise	L. M.	4	6	Eternal power! Whose high abode

2. Poems in Book 2

No.	Title	Meter	Lines	Stanzas	First Line	Dated
1	To Her Majesty			6	Queen of the northern world, whose gentle sway	August 1, 1721
2	Palinodia			2	Britons, forgive the forward muse	August 1, 1721
3	To John Locke, Esq.			2	Angels are made of heavenly things
4	To John Shute, Esq.	886. 8886.	7	3	And must the man of wondrous mind	June, 1704
5	Friendship	C. M.	4	5	Friendship, thou charmer of the mind	1702
6	To Nathaniel Gould, Esq.			3	Tis not by splendor, but by state	1704
7	The Life of Souls	86. 86. 86. 8886.	8	5	Swift as the sun revolves the day	1704
8	False Greatness	88. 88. 88. 8686.	8	3	Mylo, forbear to call him blessed
9	To Sarissa			5	Bear up, Sarissa, through the ruffling storms
10	Paradise			6	Young as I am, I quit the stage	1708
11	Strict Religion Very Rare	886. 8886	7	6	I'm borne aloft, and leave the crowd
12	To Mr. C. and S. Fleetwood			4	Fleetwoods, young generous pair
13	To William Blackbourn, Esq.	10 10. 10 10.	4	6	Mark how it snows! How fast the valley fills
14	True Monarchy			7	The rising year beheld the imperious Gaul
15	True Courage			7	Honor demands my song. Forget the ground
16	Free Philosophy			3	Custom, that tyraness of fools
17	The Way of the Multitude			4	Rowe, if we make the crowd our guide
18	To The Rev. Mr. John Howe			3	Great man, permit the muse to climb	1704
19	The Disappointment and Relief			3	Virtue, permit my fancy to impose
20	The Hero's School of Morality			3	Theron, among his travels, found
21	Freedom			3	Tempt me no more; my soul can ne'er comport	1697
22	On Mr. Locke's Annotations			4	Thus reason learns, by slow degrees
23	True Riches	77. 77. 77. 77.	8	6	I am not concerned to know
24	The Adventurous Muse			6	Urania takes her morning flight
25	The Complaint	886. 886.	6	8	Twas in a vale, where osiers grow
26	The Afflictions of a Friend	C. M.	4	8	Now let my cares all buried lie	1702
27	The Comforts of a Friend	C. M.	4	8	Thus nature tuned her mournful tongue
28	The Hardy Soldier	L. M.	4	6	Why is man so thoughtless grown
29	Burning Several Poems			3	I judge the muse of lewd desire
30	Against Tears	L. M.	4	7	Madam, persuade me tears are good	1699
31	Few Happy Matches	886. 886.	6	9	Say, mighty love, and teach my song	August 1701
32	To David Polhill, Esq.	888.	3	8	Let useless souls to woods retreat	December 1702
33	The Celebrated Victory			19	Gador, the wealthy and the strong
34	The Indian Philosopher	886. 886.	6	10	Why should our joys transform to pain	August 24, 1705
35	The Happy Man			6	Serene as light is Myron's soul
36	Answer To An Infamous Satire, Part 1			5	And must the hero that redeemed our land
37	Answer To An Infamous Satire, Part 2			2	Now, muse, pursue the satirist again
38	To the Discontented and Unquiet			5	Varia, there's nothing here that's free
39	To John Hartopp, Esq.	886. 886.	6	6	Live, my dear Hartopp, live today
40	Happy Solitude			6	The noisy world complains of me
41	The Disdain			2	Hartopp, I love the soul that dares
42	The Mourning Piece			22	Life's a long tragedy; this globe the stage
43	On the Death of the Duke of Gloucester			1	Dryden is dead! Dryden alone could sing
44	An Epigram of Martial to Cirinus			2	So smooth your numbers, friend
45	Epistola Fratri Suo Dilecto			5	Qui quondam aeterno delapsus ab aethere vultus
46	Fratris E. W. Olim Navigaturo			2	I, Felix, pede prospero	Sept. 30, 1691
47	Ad Rev. Vir. Dm. Joannem Pinhorne			5	Et te, Pinhorni, musa trisantica	1694
48	Ad Vir. Dignissimum Johannem Hartoppium			7	Hartoppi eximio stemmate nobilis	1702
49	On the Sight of Some of Her Divine Poems			2	On the fair banks of gentle Thames	July 19, 1706

3. Poems in Book 3

No.	Title	Meter	Lines	Stanzas	First Line	Subtitle
1	An Epitaph on King William III	L. M.	4	12	Beneath these honors of a tomb	Died March 8, 1701
2	On the Sudden Death of Mrs. Mary Peacock	L. M.	4	8	Hark! She bids all her friends adieu
3	Epitaphium Vir. Venerabilis Dom. N. Mather			2	Quod mori potuit hic subtus depositum est	Rev. admodum viri Nathanielis Matheri
4	An Elegiac Thought			8	Awake, my muse, range the wide world of souls	On Mrs. Anne Warner
5	On the Death of an Aged and Honored Relative			6	I knew the kindred mind. 'Tis she, 'tis she	Mrs. M. W.; July 13, 1693
6	A Funeral Poem			30	Of blasted hopes, and of short withering joys	On the death of Thomas Gunston
7	To the Memory of the Rev. Mr. Thomas Gouge			16	Ye virgin souls, whose sweet complaint