Gilbert West

Gilbert West Poems

Gilbert West Biography

Gilbert West (1703–1756) was a minor English poet, translator and Christian apologist in the early and middle eighteenth century. Samuel Johnson included him in his Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets. The son of a minister, West was educated at Winchester, Eton and Christ Church, Oxford; his father intended a career in the Church for him. However, he was persuaded by his uncle, Lord Cobham to take a commission in the army but soon left to work under Lord Townshend, a prominent Whig. West left this position when it became clear that he had no prospect of advancement in such a career. West married a Miss Bartlett with whom he lived in Wickham in Kent and was appointed Treasurer of Chelsea Hospital which provided him a modest income. During this period he published the essay Observations on the history and evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1747) for which Oxford University awarded him an LLD. In 1749 West published his translations of the odes of Pindar; his translation of Pindar remained the standard version throughout the following century. Only late in his life did West achieve a measure of financial success when he was appointed to a clerkship of the Privy Council in 1752. He died four years later.)

The Best Poem Of Gilbert West

Good Counsell

Starre of the Senate, light of all the land,
Truths cheese supporter, piller of aduice,
Mishaps preuenter, leader of the band,
Out of Captiuitie Iewell of great price.
Guard to thy King, country and peoples health,
Wisdomes way-maker roote of common-wealth.
Vigilant waker when that others sleepe,
The King and Countries good, that seekst to find:
To heare the wofull plaints of such as weepe,
Opprest by their superiors most vnkinde.
Helping with thy aduice that to redresse,
That otherwise would countries bane encrease.
To framing of good lawes thou lend'st thine eare,
With purse and helpe in seruice of thy Prince;
Countrie and neighbours with a tender care,
Of being forward people to incense.
To the right seruice of Almighty God,
And breaking superstitious heauie clod.
Be thou as fore-man in this Iewrie graue,
Receiue a robe befitting such a wight:
Let giue thy sentence, 'gainst deceiptfull knaue,
Be to his hid deceit an open light.
Receiue of people thankes and worthy praise,
In heauen of God, the crowne which neuer decaies.

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