A russet stole was o'er her shoulders thrown,
A russet kirtle fenced the nipping air;
'Twas simple russet, but it was her own:
'Twas her own country bred the flock so fair,
'Twas her own labour did the fleece prepare, &c.
The additions made to the first edition consist of the 11, 12, 13, 14,
and 15th stanzas, in which are so beautifully introduced the herbs and
garden stores, and the psalmody of the schoolmistress; the 29th and 30th
stanzas were also subsequent insertions. But those lines which give so
original a view of genius in its infancy,
A little bench of heedless bishops here,
And there a chancellor in embryo, &c.
were printed in 1742; and I cannot but think that the far-famed stanza
in Gray's Elegy, where he discovers men of genius in peasants, as
Shenstone has in children, was suggested by this original conception:
Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,
Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood,
is, to me, a congenial thought, with an echoed turn of expression of the
lines from the School-Mistress.
I shall now restore the ludicrous INDEX, and adapt it to the stanzas of
the later edition.
Stanza
Introduction 1
The subject proposed 2
A circumstance in the situation of the MANSION OF EARLY
DISCIPLINE, discovering the surprising influence of the
connexions of ideas 3
A simile; introducing a deprecation of the joyless effects
of BIGOTRY and SUPERSTITION 4
Some peculiarities indicative of a COUNTRY SCHOOL, with a
short sketch of the SOVEREIGN presiding over it 5
Some account of her NIGHTCAP, APRON, and a tremendous
description of her BIRCHEN SCEPTER 6
A parallel instance of the advantages of LEGAL GOVERNMENT
with regard to children and the wind 7
Her gown 8
Her TITLES, and punctilious nicety in the ceremonious
assertion of them
A digression concerning her HEN'S presumptuous behaviour, with
a circumstance tending to give the cautious reader a more
accurate idea of the officious diligence and economy
of an old woman. 10
A view of this RURAL POTENTATE as seated in her chair of state,
conferring HONOURS, distributing BOUNTIES, and dispersing
PROCLAMATIONS 16
Her POLICIES 17
The ACTION of the poem commences with a general summons,
follows a particular description of the artful structure,
decoration, and fortifications of an HORN-BIBLE 18
A surprising picture of sisterly affection
by way of episode 20, 21
A short list of the methods now in use to avoid a
whipping--which nevertheless follows 22
The force of example 23
A sketch of the particular symptoms of obstinacy as they
discover themselves in a child, with a simile illustrating
a blubbered face 24, 25, 26
A hint of great importance 27
The piety of the poet in relation to that school-dame's memory,
who had the first formation of a CERTAIN patriot.
[This stanza has been left out in the later editions; it refers
to the Duke of Argyle.]
The secret connexion between WHIPPING and RISING IN THE WORLD,
with a view, as it were, through a perspective, of the same
LITTLE FOLK in the highest posts and reputation 28
An account of the nature of an EMBRYO-FOX-HUNTER.--
[Another stanza omitted.]
A deviation to an huckster's shop 32
Which being continued for the space of three stanzas, gives the
author an opportunity of paying his compliments to a particular
county, which he gladly seizes; concluding his piece with
respectful mention of the ancient and loyal city of SHREWSBURY.