From Gilden's 1701 New Miscellany, one of five poems (pp 288-292) which may be by wholly or in part by Anne Finch. This one, another piece on the stage (in effect, although an epistle) precedes the autobiographical The Retirement (pp 288-292), followed by the next, a song ( "The pretious hours of flying Youth," p 293-4), forms a pair with another song ("Whilst Thirsis, in his Pride of Youth") which appears in both MS Finch-Hatton and Folger MS. The fifth is a pastoral dialogue between Aminta and Dafnis (pp 332-4).

See Annotated Chronology No. 76. I am not sure this is by Ann in the way I am about "Mourn all ye loves" and "All flie th'unhappy". I print it so that others can read it and see what they think. It has all Ann's attitudes towards the drama, and towards Dryden in particular. She seems not to have liked Dryden; anyone who could "trim" (change position) would not have been looked upon with favor by Anne and her husband. This may well be another collaboration by the same group that wrote the Prologue, Design'd for Mr D ---'s last PlayWritten by several Hands, pp. 40-41, "GROWN OLD in Rhyme, 'twere barbarous to discard" printed in Steele's 1714 Miscellanies For full listing of poems by and to and about Ann Finch in this 1701 Gilden see "Mourn all ye Loves".

To Mr. Granville, on his Comedy (The She-Gallants, 1696?): said by Downes to have (apparently) outraged the "virtue" of the female members of the audience.

As Servile Preachers, who Preferment wait,
At Court, in Sermons dare not task the Great;
The fawning Stage has not our Vices shewn,
Or drawn so ill, none wou'd the Picture own.
The bolder Muse impartially, like Fate
Strikes all, nor Stop's before the Pallace gate
No pitch of Greatness from thy Rage can save
The Scarlet Coward, or the Purple Knave
But save thy Muse, My Friend, for better days,
There hardly now is any Charm in Praise
The Time shall come if Poets--presage,
When happier Stars shall rule the British Stage
When Peace shall Reign, and the good-humour'd Town
Dissolv'd in Pleasures know not know to frown
When that Great Patroness of Wit, who first
The rising Muse, when young, and tender, Nurst.
Again the shining Circle shall adorn,
New Muses shall arise, new Bards be born.
That shining dame shall every Voice engage,
Support, and be the Subject of the Stage.
Then thou shalt pay with nobler Ardour fir'd,
The Tribute of that Muse, she first inspir'd.
Thus the great Maro, while intestine Jars
Involv'd the frantic World in civil Wars,
On slender Reeds Content with humble Strains
Th'Adventures told of lovely Boys, and Swains;
But when the great Augustus had appear'd
And with soft Peace the drooping Nation cheer'd,
To bolder Tunes his louder Chords he strung,
Then rais'd his Voice and the great Trojan sung.

The poet commends Granville's loyalty to Tories which forced him into retirement, and sees him as another Virgil; it must be admitted this is not convincingly hers. I put it here so as not to dismiss it out of hand.