Kings and Queens of England with Other Poems — Dedication and Preface

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