Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Chuck Greif and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
POEMS.
BY
THE REV. GEORGE CRABBE, LL.B.
Ipse per Ausonias Æneïa carmina gentes
Qui sonat, ingenti qui nomine pulsat Olympum;
Mæöniumque senem Romano provocat ore:
Forsitan illius nemoris latuisset in umbrâ
Quod canit, et sterili tantum cantâsset avenâ
Ignotus populi; si Mæcenate careret.
Paneg. ad Pisones, LUCAN.
THIRD EDITION.
London:
PRINTED FOR J. HATCHARD,
BOOKSELLER TO HER MAJESTY, OPPOSITE ALBANY,
PICCADILLY.
1808.
_Brettell & Co. Printers,
Marshall-Street, Golden-Square._
_Dedication._
TO
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
HENRY-RICHARD FOX,
LORD HOLLAND,
OF HOLLAND, IN LINCOLNSHIRE;
LORD HOLLAND, OF FOXLEY;
AND
FELLOW OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.
MY LORD;
That the longest Poem in this Collection was honoured by the notice of
your Lordship’s Right Honourable and ever-valued Relation, Mr. Fox; that
it should be the last which engaged his attention; and that some parts
of it were marked with his approbation; are circumstances productive of
better hopes of ultimate success, than I had dared to entertain before
I was gratified with a knowledge of them: And the hope thus raised,
leads me to ask permission that I may dedicate this Book to your
Lordship, to whom that truly great and greatly lamented Personage was so
nearly allied in family, so closely bound in affection, and in whose
mind presides the same critical taste which he exerted to the delight of
all who heard him. He doubtless united with his unequalled abilities, a
fund of good-nature; and this possibly led him to speak favourably of,
and give satisfaction to writers, with whose productions he might not be
entirely satisfied; nor must I allow myself to suppose his desire of
obliging was withholden, when he honoured any effort of mine with his
approbation: But, my Lord, as there was discrimination in the opinion he
gave; as he did not veil indifference for insipid mediocrity of
composition under any general expression of cool approval; I allow
myself to draw a favourable conclusion from the verdict of One who had
the superiority of intellect few would dispute, which he made manifest
by a force of eloquence peculiar to himself; whose excellent judgement,
no one of his friends found cause to distrust, and whose acknowledged
candour no enemy had the temerity to deny.
With such encouragement, I present my Book to your Lordship: the Account
of the _Life and Writings of Lopez de Vega_, has taught me what I am to
expect; I there perceive how your Lordship can write, and am there
taught how you can judge of writers: my faults, however numerous, I know
will none of them escape through inattention, nor will any merit be lost
for want of discernment: My verses are before him who has written
elegantly, who has judged with accuracy, and who has given unequivocal
proof of abilities in a work of difficulty;--a translation of poetry,
which few persons in this kingdom are able to read, and in the
estimation of talents not hitherto justly appreciated: In this view, I
cannot but feel some apprehension: but I know also, that your Lordship
is apprised of the great difficulty of writing well; that you will make
much allowance for failures, if not too frequently repeated; and, as
you can accurately discern, so you will readily approve, all the better
and more happy efforts of one, who places the highest value upon your
Lordship’s approbation; and who has the honour to be,
MY LORD,
Your Lordship’s most faithful,
and
obliged humble Servant,
GEO. CRABBE.
_PREFACE._
About twenty-five years since, was published a Poem called _The
Library_; which, in no long time, was followed by two others, _The
Village_, and _The Newspaper_: These, with a few alterations and
additions, are here reprinted; and are accompanied by a Poem of greater
length, and several shorter attempts, now, for the first time, before
the Public; whose reception of them creates in their Author, something
more than common solicitude, because he conceives that, with the
judgement to be formed of these latter productions, upon whatever may be
found intrinsically meritorious or defective, there will be united an
enquiry into the relative degree of praise or blame, which they may be
thought to deserve, when compared with the more early attempts of the
same Writer.
And certainly, were it the principal employment of a man’s life, to
compose Verses, it might seem reasonable to expect, that he would
continue to improve as long as he continued to live; though, even then,
there is some doubt whether such improvement would follow, and perhaps
proof might be adduced to shew, it would not: but when to this “_idle
trade_,” is added some “_calling_,” with superior claims upon his time
and attention, his progress in the art of Versification will probably be
in proportion neither to the years he has lived, nor even to the
attempts he has made.
While composing the first-published of these Poems, the Author was
honoured with the notice and assisted by the advice of the _Right
Honourable_ EDMUND BURKE: Part of it was written in his presence, and
the whole submitted to his judgement; receiving, in its progress, the
benefit of his correction: I hope therefore to obtain pardon of the
reader, if I eagerly seize the occasion, and, after so long a silence,
endeavour to express a grateful sense of the benefits I have received
from this Gentleman, who was solicitous for my more essential interests,
as well as benevolently anxious for my credit as a writer.
I will not enter upon the subject of his extraordinary abilities; it
would be vanity, it would be weakness in me to believe that I could
make them better known or more admired than they now are; but of his
private worth, of his wishes to do good, of his affability and
condescension; his readiness to lend assistance when he knew it was
wanted, and his delight to give praise where he thought it was deserved;
of these I may write with some propriety: all know that his powers were
vast, his acquirements various, and I take leave to add, that he applied
them, with unremitted attention, to those objects which he believed
tended to the honour and welfare of his country; but it may not be so
generally understood that he was ever assiduous in the more private
duties of a benevolent nature, that he delighted to give encouragement
to any promise of ability and assistance to any appearance of desert; to
what purposes he employed his pen, and with what eloquence he spake in
the senate, will be told by many, who yet may be ignorant of the solid
instruction as well as the fascinating pleasantry found in his common
conversation, among his friends, and his affectionate manners, amiable
disposition, and zeal for their happiness, which he manifested in the
hours of retirement with his family.
To this Gentleman I was indebted for my knowledge of _Sir_ JOSHUA
REYNOLDS, who was as well known to his friends, for his perpetual fund
of good-humour, and his unceasing wishes to oblige, as he was to the
public, for the extraordinary productions of his pencil and his pen: By
him I was favoured with an introduction to _Doctor_ JOHNSON, who
honoured me with his notice and assisted me, as Mr. BOSWELL has told,
with Remarks and Emendations for a Poem I was about to publish[1]: The
_Doctor_ had been often wearied by applications, and did not readily
comply with requests, for his opinion; not from any unwillingness to
oblige, but from a painful contention in his mind, between a desire of
giving pleasure and a determination to speak truth. No man can, I think,
publish a work without some expectation of satisfying those who are to
judge of its merit: but I can, with the utmost regard to veracity, speak
my fears, as predominating over every pre-indulged thought of a more
favourable nature, when I was told that a judge so discerning, had
consented to read and give his opinion of the VILLAGE, the poem I had
prepared for publication. The time of suspence was not long protracted;
I was soon favoured with a few words from _Sir_ JOSHUA, who
observed,--‘If I knew how cautious _Doctor_ JOHNSON was in giving
commendation, I should be well satisfied with the portion dealt to me in
his letter.’--Of that letter the following is a copy:
“SIR;
“I have sent you back Mr. CRABBE’s Poem; which I read with great
delight. It is original, vigorous, and elegant.--The alterations
which I have made, I do not require him to adopt; for, my lines
are, perhaps, not often better [than] his own: but he may take mine
and his own together, and perhaps, between them, produce something
better than either.--He is not to think his copy wantonly defaced:
A wet sponge will wash all the red lines away, and leave the pages
clean.--His Dedication[2] will be least liked: it were better to
contract it into a short sprightly Address.--I do not doubt of Mr.
CRABBE’s success.
“I am, SIR, your most humble servant,
“_March 4 1783._” “SAM: JOHNSON.”
That I was fully satisfied, my readers will do me the justice to
believe; and I hope they will pardon me, if there should appear to them
any impropriety in publishing the favourable opinion expressed in a
private letter; they will judge, and truly, that by so doing I wish to
bespeak their good opinion, but have no design of extorting their
applause: I would not hazard an appearance so ostentatious, to gratify
my vanity, but, I venture to do it, in compliance with my fears.
After these was published the NEWSPAPER: it had not the advantage of
such previous criticism from my friends, nor perhaps so much of my own
attention as I ought to have given to it; but the impression was
disposed of, and I will not pay so little respect to the judgement of my
readers, as now to suppress, what they then approved.
Since the publication of this Poem, more than twenty years have elapsed,
and I am not without apprehension, lest so long a silence should be
construed into a blameable neglect of my own interest which those
excellent friends were desirous of promoting; or what is yet worse, into
a want of gratitude for their assistance; since it becomes me to
suppose, they considered these first attempts as promises of better
things, and their favours as stimulants to future exertion; and here,
be the construction put upon my apparent negligence what it _may_, let
me not suppress my testimony to the liberality of those who are looked
up to, as patrons and encouragers of literary merit, or indeed of merit
of any kind: their patronage has never been refused, I conceive, when it
has been reasonably expected or modestly required, and it would be
difficult, probably, to instance, in these times and in this country,
any one who merited or was supposed to merit assistance, but who
nevertheless languished in obscurity or necessity for want of it; unless
in those cases, where it was prevented by the resolution of impatient
pride, or wearied by the solicitations of determined profligacy.--And
while the subject is before me, I am unwilling to pass silently over the
debt of gratitude which I owe to the memory of two deceased noblemen,
_His Grace the late Duke of_ RUTLAND, and _The Right Honourable the
Lord_ THURLOW: sensible of the honour done me by their notice and the
benefits received from them, I trust this acknowledgement will be
imputed to its only motive, a grateful sense of their favours.
Upon this subject I could dwell with much pleasure; but to give a reason
for that appearance of neglect, as it is more difficult, so happily it
is less required: In truth I have, for many years, intended a
republication of these Poems, as soon as I should be able to join with
them, such other of later date, as might not deprive me of the little
credit, the former had obtained. Long indeed has this purpose been
procrastinated: and if the duties of a profession, not before pressing
upon me; if the claims of a situation, at that time untried; if
diffidence of my own judgement, and the loss of my earliest friends,
will not sufficiently account for my delay, I must rely upon the
good-nature of my reader, that he will let them avail as far as he can,
and find an additional apology in my fears of his censure.
These fears being so prevalent with me, I determined not to publish any
thing more, unless I could first obtain the sanction of such opinion, as
I might with some confidence rely upon: I looked for a friend who,
having the discerning taste of _Mr._ BURKE, and the critical sagacity of
_Doctor_ JOHNSON, would bestow upon my MS. the attention requisite to
form his opinion, and would then favour me with the result of his
observations: and it was my singular good fortune to gain such
assistance; the opinion of a critic so qualified, and a friend so
disposed to favour me. I had been honoured by an introduction to the
_Right Honourable_ CHARLES-JAMES FOX, some years before, at the seat of
_Mr._ BURKE; and being again with him, I received a promise that he
would peruse any work I might send to him previous to its publication,
and would give me his opinion. At that time, I did not think myself
sufficiently prepared; and when, afterwards, I had collected some Poems
for his inspection, I found my Right Honourable Friend engaged by the
affairs of a great empire, and struggling with the inveteracy of a fatal
disease: at such time, upon such mind, ever disposed to oblige as that
mind was, I could not obtrude the petty business of criticizing verses:
but he remembered the promise he had kindly given, and repeated an
offer, which though I had not presumed to expect, I was happy to
receive. A copy of the Poems, now first published, was immediately sent
to him, and (as I have the information from _Lord_ HOLLAND, and his
Lordship’s permission to inform my Readers) the Poem which I have named
THE PARISH REGISTER, was heard by Mr. FOX, and it excited interest
enough, by some of its parts, to gain for me the benefit of his
judgement upon the whole: Whatever he approved, the Reader will readily
believe, I have carefully retained; the parts he disliked are totally
expunged, and others are substituted, which I hope resemble those, more
conformable to the taste of so admirable a judge; nor can I deny myself
the melancholy satisfaction of adding that this Poem, (and more
especially the story of _Phœbe Dawson_[3], with some parts of the second
book) were the last compositions of their kind, that engaged and amused
the capacious, the candid, the benevolent mind of this great Man.
The above information I owe to the favour of _The Right Honourable Lord_
HOLLAND; nor this only, but to his Lordship I am indebted for some
excellent remarks upon other parts of my MS. It was not indeed my good
fortune then to know that my verses were in the hands of a Nobleman who
had given proof of his accurate judgement as a critic, and his elegance
as a writer, by favouring the public with an easy and spirited
translation of some interesting scenes of a dramatic poet, not often
read in this kingdom: The Life of Lope de Vega was then unknown to me; I
had, in common with many English readers, heard of him, but could not
judge whether his far-extended reputation was caused by the sublime
efforts of a mighty genius, or the unequalled facility of a rapid
composer, aided by peculiar and fortunate circumstances.--That any part
of my MS. was honoured by the remarks of _Lord_ HOLLAND, yields me an
high degree of satisfaction, and his Lordship will perceive the use I
have made of them, but I must feel some regret when I know to what
small portion they were limited; and discerning as I do, the taste and
judgement bestowed upon the verses of Lope de Vega, I must perceive how
much my own needed the assistance afforded to one, who cannot be
sensible of the benefit he has received.
But how much soever I may lament the advantages lost, let me remember
with gratitude the helps I have obtained: With a single exception, every
poem in the ensuing collection has been submitted to the critical
sagacity of a gentleman, upon whose skill and candour their Author could
rely: to publish by advice of friends, has been severely ridiculed, and
that too by a poet, who probably without such advice, never made public
any verses of his own; in fact, it may not be easily determined who acts
with less discretion, the writer who is encouraged to publish his works,
merely by the advice of friends whom he consulted, or he who against
advice publishes from the sole encouragement of his own opinion: these
are deceptions to be carefully avoided, and I was happy to escape the
latter, by the friendly attentions of the _Reverend_ RICHARD TURNER,
Minister of Great Yarmouth. To this gentleman I am indebted, more than I
am able to describe, or than he is willing to allow, for the time he
has bestowed upon the attempts I have made. He is indeed, the kind of
critic for whom every poet should devoutly wish, and the friend whom
every man would be happy to acquire; he has taste to discern all that is
meritorious, and sagacity to detect whatsoever should be discarded; he
gives just the opinion an author’s wisdom should covet, however his
vanity might prompt him to reject it; what altogether to expunge and
what to improve he has repeatedly taught me, and, could I have obeyed
him in the latter direction as I invariably have in the former, the
public would have found this collection more worthy its attention, and I
should have sought the opinion of the critic more void of apprehension.
But whatever I may hope or fear, whatever assistance I have had or have
needed, it becomes me to leave my verses to the judgement of the reader,
without my endeavour to point out their merit or an apology for their
defects: yet as, among the poetical attempts of one who has been for
many years a priest, it may seem a want of respect for the legitimate
objects of his study, that nothing occurs, unless it be incidentally, of
the great subjects of Religion; so it may appear a kind of ingratitude
in a beneficed clergyman, that he has not employed his talent (be it
estimated as it may) to some patriotic purpose; as in celebrating the
unsubdued spirit of his countrymen in their glorious resistance of
those enemies, who would have no peace throughout the world, except that
which is dictated to the drooping spirit of suffering humanity by the
triumphant insolence of military success.
Credit will be given to me I hope, when I affirm that subjects so
interesting have the due weight with me, which the sacred nature of the
one and the national importance of the other must impress upon every
mind, not seduced into carelessness for religion, by the lethargic
influence of a perverted philosophy, nor into indifference for the cause
of our country, by hyperbolical or hypocritical professions of universal
philanthropy; but after many efforts to satisfy myself by various trials
on these subjects, I declined all further attempt, from a conviction
that I should not be able to give satisfaction to my readers: poetry of
religious nature must indeed ever be clogged with almost insuperable
difficulty: but there are doubtless to be found, poets who are well
qualified to celebrate the unanimous and heroic spirit of our
countrymen, and to describe in appropriate colours some of those
extraordinary scenes, which have been and are shifting in the face of
Europe, with such dreadful celerity; and to such I relinquish the duty.
It remains for me to give the reader, a brief view of those articles in
the following collection, which for the first time solicit his
attention.
In the PARISH-REGISTER, he will find an endeavour once more to describe
Village-Manners, not by adopting the notion of pastoral simplicity or
assuming ideas of rustic barbarity, but by more natural views of the
peasantry, considered as a mixed body of persons sober or profligate,
and from hence, in a great measure, contented or miserable. To this more
general description are added, the various characters which occur in the
three parts of a Register; Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials.
If the BIRTH OF FLATTERY offer no moral, as an appendage to the fable,
it is hoped, that nothing of an immoral, nothing of improper tendency
will be imputed to a piece of poetical playfulness; in fact, genuine
praise, like all other species of truth, is known by its bearing full
investigation: it is what the giver is happy that he can justly bestow,
and the receiver conscious that he may boldly accept; but adulation must
ever be afraid of enquiry, and must, in proportion to their degrees of
moral sensibility,
Be shame “to him that gives and him that takes.”
The verses in p. 211, want a title, nor does the motto, although it gave
occasion to them, altogether express the sense of the writer, who meant
to observe that some of our best acquisitions, and some of our nobler
conquests are rendered ineffectual, by the passing away of opportunity
and the changes made by time; an argument that such acquirements and
moral habits are reserved for a state of being, in which they may have
the uses here denied them.
In the story of SIR EUSTACE GREY, an attempt is made to describe the
wanderings of a mind first irritated by the consequences of error and
misfortune, and afterwards soothed by a species of enthusiastic
conversion, still keeping him insane: a task very difficult, and if the
presumption of the attempt may find pardon, it will not be refused to
the failure of the poet. It is said of our Shakespeare, respecting
madness:
“In that circle none dare walk but he:”--
yet be it granted to one, who dares not to pass the boundary fixed for
common minds, at least to step near to the tremendous verge and form
some idea of the terrors that are stalking in the interdicted space.
“When first I had written AARON, or THE GIPSEY; I had no unfavourable
opinion of it; and had I been collecting my verses at that time for
publication, I should certainly have included this tale. Nine years have
since elapsed, and I continue to judge the same of it, thus literally
obeying one of the directions given by the prudence of criticism to the
eagerness of the poet: but how far I may have conformed to rules of
more importance, must be left to the less partial judgement of the
readers.
The concluding poem, intitled WOMAN!, was written at the time when the
quotation from Mr. LEDYARD was first made public; the expression has
since become hackneyed; but the sentiment is congenial with our
feelings, and though somewhat amplified in these verses, it is hoped
they are not so far extended as to become tedious.
After this brief account of his subjects, the Author leaves them to
their fate, not presuming to make any remarks upon the kinds of
versification he has chosen, or the merit of the execution; he has
indeed brought forward the favourable opinion of his friends, and for
that he earnestly hopes his motives will be rightly understood; it was a
step of which he felt the advantage while he foresaw the danger; he was
aware of the benefit, if his readers would consider him as one who puts
on a defensive armour against hasty and determined severity; but he
feels also the hazard, lest they should suppose be looks upon himself to
be guarded by his friends and so secure in the defence, that he may defy
the fair judgement of legal criticism: it will probably be said, ‘he has
brought with him his testimonials to the bar of the public;’ and he
must admit the truth of the remark: but he begs leave to observe in
reply, that, of those who bear testimonials of any kind, the greater
numbers feel apprehension, and not security; they are indeed so far from
the enjoyment of victory or the exultation of triumph, that, with all
they can do for themselves, with all their friends have done for them,
they are, like him, in dread of examination and in fear of
disappointment.
Muston, Leicestershire,
September 1807.
[Illustration: text decoration]
ADVERTISEMENT
TO
_THE READER_.
In this Edition of his Poems, the Author has endeavoured to avail
himself of such Remarks as have been communicated to him since the
publication of his Work; and so far as the time allowed, he has sought
to make the Improvements suggested: he is nevertheless conscious that
much remains to be done, and must intreat the Indulgence of his Readers,
if they still perceive many Places to which he ought to have directed
his Attention; some which required Retrenchment; and not a few, which
(with advantage to the Book) might have been altogether expunged.
July 26, 1808.
_CONTENTS._
PAGE
_The Village_ 1
_Book I._ 3
_Book II._ 19
_The Parish Register_ 31
_Part I.--Baptisms_ 33
_Part II.--Marriages_ 69
_Part III.--Burials_ 95
_The Library_ 137
_The Newspaper_ 167
_The Birth of Flattery_ 191
_Reflections upon the Subject_-- }
“Quid juvat errores, mersâ jam puppe, fateri? } 209
“Quid lacrymæ delicta juvant commissa secutæ?” }
_Sir Eustace Grey_ 217
_The Hall of Justice_ 239
_Part I._ 241
_Part II._ 247
_Woman!_ 255
THE VILLAGE:
A Poem.
IN TWO BOOKS.
BOOK I.
ARGUMENT.
The Subject proposed.--Remarks upon Pastoral Poetry.--A Tract of
Country near the Coast described.--An Impoverished
Borough.--Smugglers and their Assistants.--Rude Manners of the
Inhabitants.--Ruinous Effects of an high Tide.--The Village Life
more generally considered: Evils of it--The youthful Labourer.--The
Old Man: his Soliloquy.--The Parish Workhouse: its
Inhabitants.--The Sick Poor: their Apothecary.--The dying
Pauper.--The Village Priest.
THE
VILLAGE.