Ye wrangling Schoolmen, of the scarlet hood!
Who, with a keenness not to be withstood,
Press the point home, or falter and demur,
Checked in your course by many a teasing burr; 5
These natural council-seats your acrid blood
Might cool;--and, as the Genius of the flood
Stoops willingly to animate and spur
Each lighter function slumbering in the brain,
Yon eddying balls of foam, these arrowy gleams 10
That o'er the pavement of the surging streams
Welter and flash, a synod might detain
With subtle speculations, haply vain,
But surely less so than your far-fetched themes!
ON THE DEATH OF HIS MAJESTY (GEORGE THE THIRD)[396]
Composed 1820.--Published 1820
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
Ward of the LAW!--dread Shadow of a King!
Whose realm had dwindled to one stately room;
Whose universe was gloom immersed in gloom,
Darkness as thick as life o'er life could fling,
Save haply for some feeble glimmering[397] 5
Of Faith and Hope--if thou, by nature's doom,
Gently hast sunk into the quiet tomb,
Why should we bend in grief, to sorrow cling,
When thankfulness were best?--Fresh-flowing tears,
Or, where tears flow not, sigh succeeding sigh, 10
Yield to such after-thought the sole reply
Which justly it can claim. The Nation hears
In this deep knell, silent for threescore years,[EI]
An unexampled voice of awful memory!
His Majesty, George III., died on the 29th January 1820, in the 82nd
year of his age, and the 60th of his reign. His mental powers had given
way completely since 1810. See the sonnet, _November, 1813_ (vol. iv. p.
282) beginning,
Now that all hearts are glad, all faces bright.
On the 2nd of February 1820 Wordsworth wrote to the Earl of Lonsdale: "I
sincerely condole with you on the lamented death of our most gracious
and venerable Sovereign.... The best consolation for us all lies in the
reflection that George the Third will be ranked by posterity among the
best and wisest kings that ever sat upon the throne of England."--ED.
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 396: 1832.
ON THE DEATH OF HIS LATE MAJESTY. 1820.
]
[Footnote 397: 1827.
Yet haply cheered with some faint glimmering 1820.
]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote EI: His predecessor, George II., died in 1760.--ED.]
"THE STARS ARE MANSIONS BUILT BY NATURE'S HAND"
Composed 1820.--Published 1820
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
The stars are mansions built by Nature's hand,
And, haply, there the spirits of the blest
Dwell, clothed in radiance, their immortal vest;[398]
Huge Ocean shows, within his yellow strand,[399]
A habitation marvellously planned, 5
For life to occupy in love and rest;
All that we see--is dome, or vault, or nest,
Or fortress, reared at Nature's sage command.[400]
Glad thought for every season! but the Spring[401]
Gave it while cares were weighing on my heart, 10
'Mid song of birds, and insects murmuring;
And while the youthful year's prolific art--
Of bud, leaf, blade, and flower--was fashioning
Abodes where self-disturbance hath no part.
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 398: 1845 and C.
And, haply, there the spirits of the blest
Live, clothed in radiance, their immortal vest; 1820.
The Sun is peopled; and with Spirits blest,
Say, can the gentle Moon be unpossest? 1827.
The Sun, perchance, a Palace where the blest
Live clothed in radiance, their immortal vest; MS. 1817.
The text of 1840 returns to that of 1820.
]
[Footnote 399: 1827.
Huge Ocean frames, ... 1820.
]
[Footnote 400: 1837.
Or fort, erected at her sage command. 1820 and MS. 1817.
]
[Footnote 401: 1832.
Is this a vernal thought? Even so, the Spring
1820 and MS. 1817.
]
TO THE LADY MARY LOWTHER[EJ]
With a selection from the Poems of Anne, Countess of Winchelsea; and
extracts of similar character from other Writers; transcribed[402] by a
female friend.
Composed 1820.--Published 1820
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
Lady! I rifled a Parnassian cave
(But seldom trod) of mildly-gleaming ore;
And culled, from sundry beds, a lucid store
Of genuine crystals, pure as those that pave
The azure brooks, where Dian joys to lave 5
Her spotless limbs; and ventured to explore
Dim shades--for reliques, upon Lethe's shore,
Cast up at random by the sullen wave.
To female hands the treasures were resigned;
And lo this Work!--a grotto bright and clear 10
From stain or taint; in which thy blameless mind
May feed on thoughts though pensive not austere;
Or, if thy deeper spirit be inclined
To holy musing, it may enter here.
In the "Essay Supplementary to the Preface" of the Second Edition of
_Lyrical Ballads_ (see "Prose Works," vol. ii. p. 240), Wordsworth
wrote, "it is remarkable that, excepting _The Nocturnal Reverie_ of Lady
Winchelsea, and a passage or two in the _Windsor Forest_ of Pope, the
Poetry of the period intervening between the publication of _Paradise
Lost_ and _The Seasons_ does not contain a single new image of external
nature." _The Nocturnal Reverie_ was written by Anne, Countess of
Winchelsea, daughter of Sir William Kingsmill, Southampton.--ED.
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 402: 1827.
the whole transcribed ... 1820.
]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote EJ: In 1820 (first edition) the title was "To ----."--ED.]
ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED THE PUBLICATION OF A CERTAIN POEM
Composed 1820.--Published 1820
See Milton's Sonnet, beginning, "A book was writ of late called
_Tetrachordon_."
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
A book came forth of late, called PETER BELL;
Not negligent the style;--the matter?--good
As aught that song records of Robin Hood;
Or Roy, renowned through many a Scottish dell;
But some (who brook those hackneyed themes full well,
Nor heat,[403] at Tam o' Shanter's name, their blood) 6
Waxed wroth, and with foul claws, a harpy brood,
On Bard and Hero clamorously fell.
Heed not, wild Rover once through heath and glen,
Who mad'st at length the better life thy choice, 10
Heed not such onset! nay, if praise of men
To thee appear not an unmeaning voice,
Lift up that grey-haired forehead, and rejoice
In the just tribute of thy Poet's pen!
It may be useful, for comparison, to quote Milton's sonnet in full.
_On the Detraction which followed upon my writing certain Treatises_
A book was writ of late called _Tetrachordon_,
And woven close, both matter, form, and style;
The subject new: it walked the town a while,
Numbering good intellects; now seldom pored on.
Cries the stall-reader, "Bless us! what a word on
A title-page is this!"; and some in file
Stand spelling false, while one might walk to Mile-End
Green. Why, is it harder, sirs, than _Gordon_,
_Colkitto_, or _Macdonnel_, or _Galasp_?
Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek,
That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp.
Thy age, like ours, O soul of Sir John Cheek,
Hated not learning worse than toad or asp,
When thou taught'st Cambridge and King Edward Greek.
ED.
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 403: 1820.
1 vol. edition.
... (who brook these hacknied themes full well,
Nor chafe, ... 1820.
4 vol. edition.
Edition 1827 returns to text of 1820, 1 vol. edition.
]
OXFORD, MAY 30, 1820
Composed 1820.--Published 1820
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
Ye sacred Nurseries of blooming Youth!
In whose collegiate shelter England's Flowers
Expand, enjoying through their vernal hours
The air of liberty, the light of truth;
Much have ye suffered from Time's gnawing tooth: 5
Yet, O ye spires of Oxford! domes and towers!
Gardens and groves! your presence overpowers
The soberness of reason; till, in sooth,
Transformed, and rushing on a bold exchange,
I slight my own beloved Cam, to range 10
Where silver Isis leads my stripling feet;
Pace the long avenue, or glide adown
The stream-like windings of that glorious street--
An eager Novice robed in fluttering gown!
Wordsworth's love for his own university of Cambridge was strong; and he
has commemorated St. John's College, as well as King's, and Trinity, in
_The Prelude_ (book iii. ll. 4, 46, 53, etc.): but the enthusiasm,
expressed in this Sonnet, for "the spires of Oxford," and
The stream-like windings of that glorious street,
(High Street), and "the long avenue" (Broad Walk) was both natural and
generous.--ED.
OXFORD, MAY 30, 1820
Composed 1820.--Published 1820
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
Shame on this faithless heart! that could allow
Such transport, though but for a moment's space;
Not while--to aid the spirit of the place--
The crescent moon clove[404] with its glittering prow
The clouds, or night-bird sang[405] from shady bough; 5
But in plain daylight:--She, too, at my side,
Who, with her heart's experience satisfied,
Maintains inviolate its slightest vow!
Sweet Fancy! other gifts must I receive;
Proofs of a higher sovereignty I claim; 10
Take from _her_ brow the withering flowers of eve,
And to that brow life's morning wreath restore;
Let _her_ be comprehended in the frame
Of these illusions, or they please no more.
The reference (in lines 6-8) is probably to his sister Dorothy.
Wordsworth, his wife, and sister were at Oxford on the 30th of May 1820;
and they went on immediately afterwards to London: for H. C. Robinson
tells us that, on the 2nd of June, he met the Wordsworths at Charles
Lamb's.--ED.
JUNE, 1820
Composed 1820.--Published 1820
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
Fame tells of groves--from England far away--
[EK]Groves that inspire the Nightingale to trill
And modulate, with subtle reach of skill
Elsewhere unmatched, her ever-varying lay;
Such bold report I venture to gainsay: 5
For I have heard the quire of Richmond hill
Chanting, with indefatigable bill,
Strains that recalled to mind a distant day;[406]
When, haply under shade of that same wood,
And scarcely conscious of the dashing oars 10
Plied steadily between those willowy shores,
The sweet-souled Poet of the Seasons stood--
Listening, and listening long, in rapturous mood,
Ye heavenly Birds! to your Progenitors.[EL]
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 404: 1827.
... cleaves ... 1820.
]
[Footnote 405: 1827.
... sings ... 1820.
]
[Footnote 406: 1827.
While I bethought me of a distant day; 1820.
]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote EK: Wallachia is the country alluded to.--W. W. 1820.]
[Footnote EL: The Wordsworths remained some time in London in 1820,
before they started for the Continent, on the 1st of August. They came
up to be present at the marriage of Mr. Monkhouse. It is probable that
they visited Richmond during this visit, and that the above Sonnet was
suggested, both by the nightingale's song at Richmond, and by the
prospect of their own Continental Tour. In connection with the six last
lines of the Sonnet, it may be remembered that, when sailing between Kew
and Richmond, Thomson,
The sweet-souled Poet of the Seasons,
caught the cold which ended his days. He lies buried in Richmond Church.
In the first Book of _The Seasons_, on "Spring," he thus alludes to the
nightingales--
Lend me your song, ye nightingales! Oh pour
The mazy running soul of melody
Into my varied verse.
Again,
She sings
Her sorrows through the night; and, on the bough
Sole sitting, still at every dying fall
Takes up again her lamentable strain
Of winding woe.
Also in his _Hymn_,
Sweetest of birds! sweet Philomela, charm
The listening shades.
To Richmond he alludes frequently, _e.g._
Ascend
While radiant Summer opens all its pride
Thy hill, delightful Shene.
Shene was the old name for Richmond.--ED.]
THE GERMANS ON THE HEIGHTS OF HOCK HEIM[407]
Published 1822
This sonnet was first published in the "Memorials of a Tour on the
Continent, 1820"; the title being _Local Recollections on the Heights
near Hockheim_. In 1827 it became one of the "Sonnets dedicated to
Liberty."--ED.
Abruptly paused the strife;--the field throughout
Resting upon his arms each warrior stood,
Checked in the very act and deed of blood,
With breath suspended, like a listening scout.
O Silence! thou wert mother of a shout 5
That through the texture of yon azure dome
Cleaves its glad way, a cry of harvest home
Uttered to Heaven in ecstasy devout!
The barrier Rhine hath flashed, through battle-smoke,
On men who gaze[408] heart-smitten by the view, 10
As if all Germany had felt the shock!
--Fly, wretched Gauls! ere they the charge renew
Who have seen--themselves now casting off the yoke--[409]
The unconquerable Stream his course pursue.[EM]
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 407: 1827.
The title in 1822 was _Sonnet_. _Local Recollections on the Heights near
Hockheim._]
[Footnote 408: 1827.
... gazed ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 409: 1837.
... (themselves delivered from the yoke) 1822.
]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote EM: The event is thus recorded in the journals of the
day:--"When the Austrians took Hockheim, in one part of the engagement
they got to the brow of the hill, whence they had their first view of
the Rhine. They instantly halted--not a gun was fired--not a voice
heard: but they stood gazing on the river with those feelings which the
events of the last 15 years at once called up. Prince Schwartzenberg
rode up to know the cause of this sudden stop, they then gave three
cheers, rushed after the enemy, and drove them into the water."--W. W.
1822.
The only reference which Dorothy Wordsworth makes to Hockheim in her
Journal of the Tour on the Continent (1820) is as follows:--July
25th.--"We had a magnificent prospect down the Rhine into the Reingaw,
stretching towards Bingen. Hockheim is on the right bank, nearly
opposite to Mayence. The broad hills are enlivened by hamlets, villas,
villages, and churches."
Prince Schwartzenberg, referred to in Wordsworth's own note, was
Generalissimo of the allied armies of Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, and
Russia, who were victors in the battle of Leipsic in 1813. The retreat
of the French towards the Rhine after that battle was almost as
disastrous to them as the retreat from Moscow in the previous winter.
The incident described in the sonnet doubtless occurred during this
retreat, when the French were driven across the Rhine in November
1813.--ED.]
A PARSONAGE IN OXFORDSHIRE
Composed 1820.--Published 1822
[This Parsonage was the residence of my friend Jones, and is
particularly described in another note.[EN]--I. F.]
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.
Where holy ground begins, unhallowed ends,
Is marked by no distinguishable line;
The turf unites, the pathways intertwine;
And, wheresoe'er the stealing footstep tends,
Garden, and that Domain where kindred, friends, 5
And, neighbours rest together, here confound
Their several features, mingled like the sound
Of many waters, or as evening blends
With shady night. Soft airs, from shrub and flower,
Waft fragrant greetings to each silent grave; 10
And while those lofty poplars gently wave
Their tops, between them[410] comes and goes a sky
Bright as the glimpses of eternity,
To saints accorded in their mortal hour.
This sonnet was written at Brugès, during the Continental Tour of 1820
(see note p. 291). It was originally published in a note to one of the
"Ecclesiastical Sonnets," beginning
A genial hearth, a hospitable board.--ED.
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 410: 1827.
Meanwhile between those Poplars, as they wave
Their lofty summits, ... 1822.
]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote EN: See the note to _Pastoral Character_, in the
"Ecclesiastical Sonnets," Part III. xviii.--ED.]
TO ENTERPRISE
Composed 1820.--Published 1822.
_The Italian Itinerant_, etc. [see p. 338], led to the train of thought
which produced the annexed piece.--W. W. 1822.
This poem having risen out of the _Italian Itinerant_, etc. [page 338],
it is here annexed.--W. W. 1827.
From 1822 this poem was included in the "Memorials of a Tour on the
Continent." In 1845 it was placed among the "Poems of the
Imagination."--ED.
Keep for the Young the impassioned smile
Shed from thy countenance, as I see thee stand
High on that[411] chalky cliff of Britain's[412] Isle,
A slender volume grasping in thy hand--
(Perchance the pages that relate 5
The various turns of Crusoe's fate)--
Ah, spare the exulting smile,
And drop thy pointing finger bright
As the first flash of beacon light,
But neither veil thy head in shadows dim, 10
Nor turn thy face away
From One who, in the evening of his day,
To thee would offer no presumptuous hymn!
I
Bold Spirit! who art free to rove
Among the starry courts of Jove, 15
And oft in splendour dost appear
Embodied to poetic eyes,
While traversing this nether sphere,
Where Mortals call thee ENTERPRISE.
Daughter of Hope! her favourite Child, 20
Whom she to young Ambition[413] bore,
When hunter's arrow first defiled
The grove, and stained the turf with gore;
Thee wingèd Fancy took, and nursed
On broad Euphrates' palmy shore, 25
And[414] where the mightier Waters burst
From caves of Indian mountains hoar!
She wrapped thee in a panther's skin;
And Thou, thy favourite food to win,
The flame-eyed eagle oft would scare 30
From her rock-fortress in mid air,
With infant shout; and often sweep,[415]
Paired with the ostrich, o'er the plain;
Or,[416] tired with sport, wouldst sink asleep
Upon the couchant lion's mane! 35
With rolling years thy strength increased;
And, far beyond thy native East,
To thee, by varying titles known
As variously thy power was shown,
Did incense-bearing altars rise, 40
Which caught the blaze of sacrifice,
From suppliants panting for the skies!
II
What though this ancient Earth be trod
No more by step of Demi-god
Mounting from glorious deed to deed 45
As thou from clime to clime didst lead;
Yet still, the bosom beating high,
And the hushed farewell of an eye
Where no procrastinating gaze
A last infirmity betrays, 50
Prove that thy heaven-descended sway
Shall ne'er submit to cold decay.
By thy divinity impelled,
The Stripling seeks the tented field;
The aspiring Virgin kneels; and, pale 55
With awe, receives the hallowed veil,
A soft and tender Heroine
Vowed to severer discipline;
Inflamed by thee, the blooming Boy
Makes of the whistling shrouds a toy, 60
And of the ocean's dismal breast
A play-ground,--or a couch of rest;
'Mid the blank world of snow and ice,
Thou to his dangers dost enchain
The[417] Chamois-chaser awed in vain 65
By chasm or dizzy precipice;
And hast Thou not with triumph seen
How soaring Mortals glide between
Or through the clouds,[418] and brave the light
With bolder than Icarian flight? 70
How they, in bells[419] of crystal, dive--
Where winds and waters cease to strive--
For no unholy visitings,
Among the monsters of the Deep;
And all the sad and precious things 75
Which there in ghastly silence sleep?
Or, adverse tides and currents headed,
And breathless calms no longer dreaded,
In never-slackening voyage go
Straight as an arrow from the bow; 80
And, slighting sails and scorning oars,
Keep faith with Time on distant shores?
--Within[420] our fearless reach are placed
The secrets of the burning Waste;
Egyptian tombs unlock their dead, 85
Nile trembles at his fountain head;
Thou speak'st--and lo! the polar Seas
Unbosom their last mysteries.
--But oh! what transports, what sublime reward,
Won from the world of mind, dost thou prepare 90
For philosophic Sage; or high-souled Bard
Who, for thy service trained in lonely woods,
Hath fed on pageants floating through the air,
Or calentured in depth of limpid floods; 94
Nor grieves--tho' doomed thro' silent night to bear
The domination of his glorious themes,
Or struggle in the net-work of thy dreams!
III
If there be movements in the Patriot's soul,
From source still deeper, and of higher worth,
'Tis thine the quickening impulse to control, 100
And in due season send the mandate forth;
Thy call a prostrate[421] Nation can restore,
When but a single Mind resolves to crouch no more.[422]
IV
Dread Minister of wrath!
Who to their destined punishment dost urge 105
The Pharaohs of the earth, the men of hardened heart!
Not unassisted by the flattering stars,
Thou strew'st temptation o'er the path
When they in pomp depart
With trampling horses and refulgent cars-- 110
Soon to be swallowed by the briny surge;
Or cast, for lingering death, on unknown strands;
Or caught amid a whirl[423] of desert sands--
An Army now, and now a living hill 114
That a brief while heaves with convulsive throes--
Then all is still;[424][EO]
Or, to forget their madness and their woes,
Wrapt in a winding-sheet of spotless snows!
V
Back flows the willing current of my Song:
If to provoke such doom the Impious dare, 120
Why should it daunt a blameless prayer?
--Bold Goddess! range our Youth among;
Nor let thy genuine impulse fail to beat
In hearts no longer young;
Still may a veteran Few have pride 125
In thoughts whose sternness makes them sweet;
In fixed resolves by Reason justified;
That to their object cleave like sleet
Whitening a pine tree's northern side,
When fields are naked far and wide, 130
And withered leaves, from earth's cold breast
Up-caught in whirlwinds, nowhere can find rest.[425]
VI
But, if such homage thou disdain
As doth with mellowing years agree,
One rarely absent from thy train 135
More humble favours may obtain
For thy contented Votary.
She, who incites the frolic lambs
In presence of their heedless dams,
And to the solitary fawn 140
Vouchsafes her lessons, bounteous Nymph
That wakes the breeze, the sparkling lymph
Doth hurry to the lawn;
She, who inspires that strain of joyance holy 144
Which the sweet Bird, misnamed the melancholy,[EP]
Pours forth in shady groves, shall plead for me;
And vernal mornings opening bright
With views of undefined delight,
And cheerful songs, and suns that shine
On busy days, with thankful nights, be mine. 150
VII
But thou, O Goddess! in thy favourite Isle
(Freedom's impregnable redoubt,
The wide earth's store-house fenced about
With breakers roaring to the gales
That stretch a thousand thousand sails) 155
Quicken the slothful, and exalt the vile!--
Thy impulse is the life of Fame;
Glad Hope would almost cease to be
If torn from thy society;
And Love, when worthiest of his name,[426] 160
Is proud to walk the earth with Thee!
VARIANTS:
[Footnote 411: 1837.
... a ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 412: The edition of 1849 has "Briton's," evidently a
misprint.]
[Footnote 413: 1822.
... to youthful Courage ... C.
]
[Footnote 414: 1845.
Or ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 415: 1837.
And thou (if rightly I rehearse
What wondering Shepherds told in verse)
From rocky fortress in mid air
(The food which pleased thee best to win)
Did'st oft the flame-eyed Eagle scare
With infant shout,--as often sweep, 1822.
And thou, whose earliest thoughts held dear
Allurements that were edged with fear,
(The food that pleased thee best, to win)
From rocky fortress in mid air
The flame-eyed Eagle oft would scare
With infant shout,--as often sweep, 1827.
And thou, whose earliest thoughts held dear
Allurements that were edged with fear,
(The food that pleased thee best, to win)
With infant shout wouldst often scare
From her rock-fortress in mid air
The flame-eyed Eagle--often sweep, 1832.
]
[Footnote 416: 1837.
And, ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 417: 1837.
... and a couch of rest;
Thou to his dangers dost enchain,
'Mid the blank world of snow and ice,
The ... 1822.
... and a couch of rest;
'Mid the blank world of snow and ice,
Thou to his dangers dost enchain
The ... 1832.
]
[Footnote 418: 1837.
... glide serene
From cloud to cloud, ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 419: 1832.
Or, in their bells ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 420: 1832.
... in ghastly silence sleep?
--Within ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 421: 1832.
... an abject ... 1827.
]
[Footnote 422: This stanza was first added in the edition of 1827.]
[Footnote 423: 1837.
Or stifled under weight ... 1822.
]
[Footnote 424: 1845.
Heaving with convulsive throes,--
It quivers--and is still; 1822.
Raised in a moment; with convulsive throes
It heaved--and all is still; 1837.
]
[Footnote 425: 1840.
While ... 1822.
And withered leaves, from Earth's cold breast
Up-caught in whirlwinds, nowhere can find rest. 1832.
... like sleet
Clothing a tall pine's northern side,
In rough November days when winds have tried
Their force on all things else--left naked far and wide. 1837.
]
[Footnote 426: 1837.
... of the name, 1822.
]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote EO:
Awhile the living hill
Heaved with convulsive throes, and all was still.
--Dr. Darwin describing the destruction of the army of Cambyses.--W. W.
1822.
Compare _Memoirs of Wordsworth_, vol. ii. p. 225.--ED.]
[Footnote EP: The nightingale. Compare _Il Penseroso_, l. 62.--ED.]
THE RIVER DUDDON
A SERIES OF SONNETS
Composed 1820.--Published 1820