That work a living landscape fair and bright;
Nor hallowed less with musical delight
Than those soft scenes through which thy childhood strayed,
Those southern tracts of Cambria, deep embayed, 5
With green hills fenced, with[1] ocean's murmur lull'd;[A]
Though hasty Fame hath many a chaplet culled
For worthless brows, while in the pensive shade
Of cold neglect she leaves thy head ungraced,
Yet pure and powerful minds, hearts meek and still, 10
A grateful few, shall love thy modest Lay,
Long as the shepherd's bleating flock shall stray
O'er naked Snowdon's wide aerial waste;
Long as the thrush shall pipe on Grongar Hill!
John Dyer, author of _Grongar Hill_ (1726), and _The Fleece_ (1757), was
born at Aberglasney, in Caermarthenshire, in 1698, and died in 1758.
Both Akenside and Gray, before Wordsworth's time, had signalised his
merit, in opposition to the dicta of Johnson and Horace Walpole. The
passage which Wordsworth quotes is from _The Fleece_, in which Dyer is
referring to his own ancestors, who were weavers, and "fugitives from
superstition's rage," and who brought the art of weaving "from Devon" to
that soft tract
Of Cambria, deep-embayed, Dimetian land,
By green hills fenced, by ocean's murmur lulled.
It will be observed that Wordsworth quotes this last line of Dyer
accurately in the edition of 1815, but changed it in 1827.
This sonnet was possibly written before 1811, as in a letter to Lady
Beaumont, dated November 20, 1811, he speaks of it as written "some time
ago." In that letter Wordsworth writes thus of Dyer:--"His poem is in
several places dry and heavy, but its beauties are innumerable, and of a
high order. In point of _imagination_ and purity of style, I am not sure
that he is not superior to any writer of verse since the time of
Milton." He then transcribes his sonnet, and adds--"In the above is one
whole line from _The Fleece_, and also other expressions. When you read
_The Fleece_, you will recognise them."--ED.
VARIANTS:
[1] 1827.
By green hills fenced, by ... 1815.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Compare Dyer's _Fleece_, book iii.--ED.
1812
The years 1812 and 1813 were poetically even less productive than 1811
had been. The first of them was saddened by domestic losses, which
deprived the poet, for a time, of the power of work, and almost of any
interest in the labour to which his life was devoted. Three short pieces
are all that belong to 1812 and 1813 respectively.--ED.
SONG FOR THE SPINNING WHEEL
FOUNDED UPON A BELIEF PREVALENT AMONG THE PASTORAL VALES OF WESTMORELAND
Composed 1812.--Published 1820
[The belief on which this is founded I have often heard expressed by an
old neighbour of Grasmere.--I. F.]
One of the "Poems of the Fancy."--ED.
Swiftly turn the murmuring wheel!
Night has brought the welcome hour,
When the weary fingers feel
Help, as if from faery power;
Dewy night o'ershades the ground; 5
Turn the swift wheel round and round!
Now, beneath the starry sky,
Couch[1] the widely-scattered sheep;--
Ply the pleasant labour, ply!
For the spindle, while they sleep, 10
Runs with speed more smooth and fine,
Gathering[2] up a trustier line.
Short-lived likings may be bred
By a glance from fickle eyes;
But true love is like the thread 15
Which the kindly wool supplies,
When the flocks are all at rest
Sleeping on the mountain's breast.
It was for Sarah Hutchinson that this _Song_ was written. She lived, for
the most part, either at Brinsop Court Herefordshire, or at Rydal Mount
Westmoreland, or at Greta Hall Keswick. When living at Greta Hall, she
acted as Southey's amanuensis. She also frequently transcribed poems for
Wordsworth, at Grasmere, Coleorton, and Rydal Mount.
Compare the sonnet addressed _To S. H._ in the "Miscellaneous Sonnets,"
I. xx.--ED.
VARIANTS:
[1] 1827.
Rest ... 1820.
[2] 1832.
With a motion smooth and fine
Gathers ... 1820.
Runs with motion smooth and fine,
Gathering ... 1827.
COMPOSED ON THE EVE OF THE MARRIAGE OF A FRIEND IN THE VALE OF
GRASMERE, 1812
Composed 1812.--Published 1815
Classed among the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
What need of clamorous bells, or ribands gay,
These humble nuptials to proclaim or grace?
Angels of love, look down upon the place;
Shed on the chosen vale a sun-bright day!
Yet no proud gladness would the Bride display 5
Even for such promise:[1]--serious is her face,
Modest her mien; and she, whose thoughts keep pace
With gentleness, in that becoming way
Will thank you. Faultless does the Maid appear;
No disproportion in her soul, no strife: 10
But, when the closer view of wedded life
Hath shown that nothing human can be clear
From frailty, for that insight may the Wife
To her indulgent Lord become more dear.
This refers to the marriage of Thomas Hutchinson (Mrs. Wordsworth's
brother) to Mary Monkhouse, sister of the Mr. Monkhouse with whom
Wordsworth afterwards travelled on the Continent. The marriage took
place on November 1, 1812. They lived at Nadnorth for eighteen years,
and afterwards at Brinsop Court, Herefordshire, for twenty-one years. To
their son--the Rev. Thomas Hutchinson of Kimbolton, Leominster,
Herefordshire--and to their daughter--Miss Elizabeth Hutchinson of Rock
Villa, West Malvern--I am indebted for much information in reference to
their uncle and aunts. The portrait of Wordsworth in his forty-seventh
year, by Richard Carruthers, is in Mr. Hutchinson's possession at the
Rectory, Kimbolton.--ED.
VARIANTS:
[1] 1827.
Even for such omen would the Bride display
No mirthful gladness:-- 1815.
WATER-FOWL[A]
Composed 1812.--Published 1827
"Let me be allowed the aid of verse to describe the evolutions
which these visitants sometimes perform, on a fine day towards the
close of winter."--_Extract from the Author's Book on the
Lakes._--W. W. 1827.
[Observed frequently over the lakes of Rydal and Grasmere.--I. F.]
Placed among the "Poems of the Imagination."--ED.
Mark how the feathered tenants of the flood,
With grace of motion that might scarcely seem[B]
Inferior to angelical, prolong
Their curious pastime! shaping in mid air
(And sometimes with ambitious wing that soars 5
High as the level of the mountain-tops)
A circuit ampler than the lake beneath--
Their own domain; but ever, while intent
On tracing and retracing that large round,
Their jubilant activity evolves 10
Hundreds of curves and circlets, to and fro,
Upward and downward, progress intricate
Yet unperplexed, as if one spirit swayed
Their indefatigable flight. 'Tis done--
Ten times, or more, I fancied it had ceased; 15
But lo! the vanished company again
Ascending; they approach--I hear their wings,
Faint, faint at first; and then an eager sound,
Past in a moment--and as faint again!
They tempt the sun to sport amid their plumes; 20
They tempt the water, or the gleaming ice,
To show them a fair image; 'tis themselves,
Their own fair forms, upon the glimmering plain,
Painted more soft and fair as they descend
Almost to touch;--then up again aloft, 25
Up with a sally and a flash of speed,
As if they scorned both resting-place and rest!
FOOTNOTES:
[A] This is part of the canto of _The Recluse_, entitled "Home at
Grasmere."--ED.
[B] For the original text, which differs from this, see _The Recluse_,
vol. viii. of this edition.--ED.
1813
See the note to the previous year, 1812.--ED.
VIEW FROM THE TOP OF BLACK COMB
Composed 1813.--Published 1815
Black Comb stands at the southern extremity of Cumberland: its base
covers a much greater extent of ground than any other mountain in these
parts; and, from its situation, the summit commands a more extensive
view than any other point in Britain.--W. W. 1827.
[Mrs. Wordsworth and I, as mentioned in the _Epistle to Sir G.
Beaumont_, lived sometime under its shadow.--I. F.]
Included among the "Poems of the Imagination." (See the editorial note
to the following poem.)--ED.
This Height a ministering Angel might select:
For from the summit of BLACK COMB (dread name
Derived from clouds and storms!) the amplest range
Of unobstructed prospect may be seen
That British ground commands:--low dusky tracts, 5
Where Trent is nursed, far southward! Cambrian hills
To the south-west, a multitudinous show;
And, in a line of eye-sight linked with these,
The hoary peaks of Scotland that give birth
To Tiviot's stream, to Annan, Tweed, and Clyde:-- 10
Crowding the quarter whence the sun comes forth
Gigantic mountains rough with crags; beneath,
Right at the imperial station's western base
Main ocean, breaking audibly, and stretched
Far into silent regions blue and pale;-- 15
And visibly engirding Mona's Isle
That, as we left the plain, before our sight
Stood like a lofty mount, uplifting slowly
(Above the convex of the watery globe)
Into clear view the cultured fields that streak 20
Her[1] habitable shores, but now appears
A dwindled object, and submits to lie
At the spectator's feet.--Yon azure ridge,
Is it a perishable cloud? Or there
Do we behold the line[2] of Erin's coast?[A] 25
Land sometimes by the roving shepherd-swain
(Like the bright confines of another world)
Not doubtfully perceived.--Look homeward now!
In depth, in height, in circuit, how serene
The spectacle, how pure!--Of Nature's works, 30
In earth, and air, and earth-embracing sea,
A revelation infinite it seems;
Display august of man's inheritance,
Of Britain's calm felicity and power![B]
VARIANTS:
[1] 1827.
Its ... 1815.
[2] 1832.
... the frame ... 1815.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] The Irish coast can be seen from Black Comb, but it is seldom
visible till after sundown.--ED.
[B] Compare, in _The Minstrels of Winandermere_, by Charles Farish, p.
33--
Close by the sea, lone sentinel,
Black Comb his forward station keeps;
He breaks the sea's tumultuous swell,
And ponders o'er the level deeps. ED.
WRITTEN WITH A SLATE PENCIL ON A STONE, ON THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN OF
BLACK COMB
Composed 1813.--Published 1815
[The circumstance, alluded to at the conclusion of these verses, was
told me by Dr. Satterthwaite, who was Incumbent of Bootle, a small town
at the foot of Black Comb. He had the particulars from one of the
engineers who was employed in making trigonometrical surveys of that
region.--I. F.]
Included among the "Inscriptions."--ED.
Stay, bold Adventurer; rest awhile thy limbs
On this commodious Seat! for much remains
Of hard ascent before thou reach the top
Of this huge Eminence,--from blackness named,
And, to far-travelled storms of sea and land, 5
A favourite spot of tournament and war!
But thee may no such boisterous visitants
Molest; may gentle breezes fan thy brow;
And neither cloud conceal, nor misty air
Bedim, the grand terraqueous spectacle, 10
From centre to circumference, unveiled!
Know, if thou grudge not to prolong thy rest,
That on the summit whither thou art bound,
A geographic Labourer pitched his tent,
With books supplied and instruments of art, 15
To measure height and distance; lonely task,
Week after week pursued!--To him was given
Full many a glimpse (but sparingly bestowed
On timid man) of Nature's processes
Upon the exalted hills. He made report 20
That once, while there he plied his studious work
Within that canvass Dwelling, colours, lines,
And the whole surface of the out-spread map,[1]
Became invisible: for all around
Had darkness fallen--unthreatened, unproclaimed-- 25
As if the golden day itself had been
Extinguished in a moment; total gloom,
In which he sate alone, with unclosed eyes,
Upon the blinded mountain's silent top!
In the editions of 1815 and 1820, the note to the previous poem, _View
from the top of Black Comb_, was appended to this one. In 1827 it was
transferred to its appropriate and permanent place.--ED.
VARIANTS:
[1] 1837.
Within that canvass Dwelling, suddenly
The many-coloured map before his eyes 1815.
NOVEMBER, 1813
Composed November 1813.--Published 1815
Included among the "Sonnets dedicated to Liberty."--ED.
Now that all hearts are glad, all faces bright,
Our aged Sovereign sits, to the ebb and flow
Of states and kingdoms, to their joy or woe,
Insensible. He sits deprived of sight,
And lamentably wrapped in twofold night, 5
Whom no weak hopes deceived; whose mind ensued,
Through perilous war, with regal fortitude,
Peace that should claim respect from lawless Might.
Dread King of Kings, vouchsafe a ray divine
To his forlorn condition! let thy grace 10
Upon his inner[1] soul in mercy shine;
Permit his heart to kindle, and to embrace[2]
(Though it were[3] only for a moment's space)
The triumphs of this hour; for they are THINE!
The reference is to the rejoicings on the Leipzig victory of the Allied
Forces, October 16 to 19, 1813. Napoleon crossed the Rhine on the 2nd
November, and returned to Paris with the wreck of his army. George III.
was English Sovereign; but, owing to his illness, the Prince of Wales
had been appointed Regent, and assumed executive power in January 1811.
The King died at Windsor in 1820, being eighty-two years of age. He had
been entirely blind for some years before his death. The "twofold night"
referred to in the sonnet is sufficiently obvious.--ED.
VARIANTS:
[1] 1815.
... inmost ... 1838.
The text of 1840 returns to that of 1815.
[2] C. and 1838.
... and embrace, 1815.
[3] 1832.
(Though were it ...) 1815.
END OF VOL. IV
_Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, _Edinburgh_.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
1. The Tyrolese Sonnets in German were originally printed in the
Fraktur Black Letter font and are unmarked. Within these sonnets
several words appear in gesperrt (s p a c e d), these words have been
surrounded by ~tilde signs~.
2. A full line ellipsis in poetry is represented by a single "..." and
a full line ellipsis in quoted text is represented by a row of spaced
periods, " . . . . . "
3. Minor punctuation errors have been corrected.
4. All footnotes have been moved to the chapter or sub-chapter ends
EXCEPTING the footnote at the end of Tyrolese Sonnet VI which has
been placed immediately after the sonnet though the chapter continues
and other succeeding footnotes appear at the end.
Numbered footnotes are "variants" of words or phrases changed by Mr.
Wordsworth in various published versions of his work. Lettered
footnotes are those of the Editor Mr. Knight.
In the original text the printer used multiple periods to push
single and multiple word "Variants" into the place in the notes where
they occured in the poem. In this e-text a single ellipsis (...) is
used to represent positioning of preceeding and succeeding words.
The variant anchor point indicates the relative position of the word
variant in the poem.
In footnote [A] to the poem "In the Grounds of Coleorton", p. 79 "l.
7." has been changed to p. 79 "l. 13." While the note correctly
identifies the 7th line of the text of the poem printed on p. 79, it
is actually l. 13. of the poem.
5. All poetry line markers have been retained as placed and numbered
by the printer at 5, 4 or 6 line intervals.
6. No spelling alterations have been made. A number of alternate and/or
inconsistent spellings appear in this text, including but not limited
to:
"achieves" and "atchieved"
"antient", "ancyent", and "ancient"
"beloved" and "beloved"
"birthplace" (by ED.) and "birth-place" (in poetry and notes)
"blessed" and "blessed"
"Buonaparte" and "Buonaparte"
"cheer(ed)(ful)" and "chear(ed)(ful)"
"eye-sight" and "eyesight"
"farm-house" and "farmhouse"
"Mauleverers" and "Mauliverers"
"negociation" and "negotiation"
"out-spread" and "outspread"
"re-appearing" and "reappearing"
"recognised" and "recognized"
"Shakspeare('s)" (3) and "Shakespeare('s)" (3)
"Stockton-on-Tees" and "Stockton-upon-Tees"
"strong-hold" (in poetry) and "stronghold" (in letter)
"winged" and "winged"
"wreathed" and "wreathed"
Printers error corrections:
7. Pg. 5. "in" to "on" (befell him on the way.)
8. Pg. 197, Note II. corrected p. "201" to "204" (Founding of Bolton
Priory, p. 204.)