Chapter IV: Appendix (3)

Thus was a Brother by a Brother saved.
With whom a crown (temptation that hath set
Discord in hearts of men till they have braved
Their nearest kin in deadly battle met),
With duty weighed, and faithful love did seem
A thing of no esteem;
And from this triumph of affection pure,
He won the lasting name of "pious Elidure."
]

TO B. R. HAYDON

Composed December 1815.--Published March 31, 1816.

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets." The title "Esq." was appended to the name in the editions of 1820 to 1832.--ED.

High is our calling, Friend!--Creative Art
(Whether the instrument of words she use,
Or pencil pregnant with ethereal hues)
Demands the service of a mind and heart,
Though sensitive, yet, in their weakest part, 5
Heroically fashioned--to infuse
Faith in the whispers of the lonely Muse,
While the whole world seems adverse to desert.
And, oh! when Nature sinks, as oft she may
Through long-lived pressure of obscure distress, 10
Still to be strenuous for the bright reward,
And in the soul admit of no decay,
Brook no continuance of weak-mindedness--
Great is the glory, for the strife is hard!

This sonnet was first published in _The Examiner_ (March 31, 1816). It was composed in December 1815. On November 27, Haydon wrote to Wordsworth: "I have benefited, and have been supported in the troubles of life by your poetry. I will bear want, pain, misery, and blindness, but I will never yield one step I have gained on the road I am determined to travel over." (See his _Correspondence and Table Talk_, vol. ii. pp. 19, 20.) To this Wordsworth replied in the following letter which is explanatory of the above sonnet, and of the two sonnets that follow it.

"RYDAL MOUNT, near AMBLESIDE,
_December 21st, 1815_.

* * * * *

"Now for the poems, which are sonnets: one composed the evening I received your letter; the other the next day; and the third the day following. I shall not transcribe them in the order in which they were written, but inversely.

"The last you will find was occasioned, I might say inspired, by your last letter, if there be any inspiration in it; the second records a feeling excited in me by the object it describes in the month of October last; and the first by a still earlier sensation, which the revolution of the year impressed me with last autumn."

(Then follow the three sonnets transcribed in the following order--

"While not a leaf seems faded; while the fields."

"How clear, how keen, how marvellously bright."

"High is our calling, Friend!--Creative Art.")

* * * * *

"With high respect, I am, my dear sir, most faithfully yours.

"WILLIAM WORDSWORTH."

(See the _Autobiography of B. R. Haydon_, vol. i. chap. xvi. p. 325.)

Haydon replied to Wordsworth, December 29 (see his _Correspondence_, vol. ii. pp. 20-23): "I must say that I have felt melancholy ever since receiving your sonnets, as if I was elevated so exceedingly, with such a drunken humming in my brain, that my nature took refuge in quiet humbleness and gratitude to God."

It will be observed that in his letter of December 21, Wordsworth mentions the order in which these three sonnets were composed in three consecutive days. In his subsequent arrangement of the sonnets he altered this order, assigning "While not a leaf seems faded" to "September," and "How clear, how keen," to "November 1" (another instance of the inaccuracy of his dates). The detailed statement in this letter to Haydon must be trusted, however, in preference to the "afterthought" of the editions of 1820 and 1827. It may not be superfluous to note the dates of the first publication of this trilogy of sonnets, all of which Wordsworth sent to _The Examiner_.

"How clear, how keen," etc. Jan. 28th. }
"While not a leaf," etc. Feb. 11th. } 1816.
"High is our calling," etc. March 31st. }

ED.

NOVEMBER 1

Composed October 1815.--Published January 28, 1816

[Suggested on the banks of the Brathay by the sight of Langdale Pikes. It is delightful to remember these moments of far-distant days, which probably would have been forgotten if the impression had not been transferred to verse. The same observation applies to the next.[AK]--I. F.]

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets." In the editions of 1816 and 1820 the title was _November 1, 1815_.--ED.

How clear, how keen, how marvellously bright
The effluence from yon distant mountain's head,
Which, strewn with snow smooth as the sky can shed,[70]
Shines like another sun--on mortal sight
Uprisen, as if to check approaching Night, 5
And all her twinkling stars. Who now would tread,
If so he might, yon mountain's glittering head--
Terrestrial, but a surface, by the flight
Of sad mortality's earth-sullying wing,
Unswept, unstained? Nor shall the aërial Powers 10
Dissolve that beauty, destined to endure,
White, radiant, spotless, exquisitely pure,
Through all vicissitudes, till genial Spring
Has[71] filled the laughing vales with welcome flowers.

This sonnet originally appeared in _The Examiner_, January 28, 1816. It is rare indeed, if ever, that the Langdale Pikes retain the first snows of November till spring; although, as described in another poem, the cove on Helvellyn, in which Red Tarn lies--sheltered from the sun, and high up on the mountain--may

Keep till June December's snow.

See _Fidelity_ (vol. iii. p. 44), and the note to the sonnet addressed to Haydon, p. 62 of this vol.--ED.

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 70: 1837.

... as smooth as Heaven can shed, 1816.

... smooth as the heaven can shed, 1832.
]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AK: _i.e._ the sonnet entitled _Composed during a Storm_, which followed _November 1_ in the edition in which the Fenwick notes first appeared.]

SEPTEMBER, 1815

Composed October 1815.--Published February 11, 1816

["For me, who under kindlier laws." This conclusion has more than once, to my great regret, excited painfully sad feelings in the hearts of young persons fond of poetry and poetic composition, by contrast of their feeble and declining health with that state of robust constitution which prompted me to rejoice in a season of frost and snow as more favourable to the Muses than summer itself.--I. F.]

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

While not a leaf seems faded; while the fields,
With ripening harvest[72] prodigally fair,
In brightest sunshine bask; this nipping air,
Sent from some distant clime where Winter wields
His icy scimitar, a foretaste yields 5
Of bitter change, and bids the flowers beware;
And whispers to the silent birds, "Prepare
Against the threatening foe your trustiest shields."
For me, who under kindlier laws belong
To Nature's tuneful quire, this rustling dry 10
Through leaves yet green,[73] and yon crystalline sky,
Announce a season potent to renew,
'Mid frost and snow, the instinctive joys of song,
And nobler cares than listless summer knew.

This sonnet was first published in _The Examiner_, February 11, 1816. See the note to the sonnet addressed to Haydon, p. 62.--ED.

[Footnote 71: 1838.

Have ... 1816.
]

"THE FAIREST, BRIGHTEST, HUES OF ETHER FADE"

Published 1815

[Suggested at Hackett, which is on the craggy ridge that rises between the two Langdales, and looks towards Windermere. The Cottage of Hackett was often visited by us, and at the time when this Sonnet was written, and long after, was occupied by the husband and wife described in _The Excursion_, where it is mentioned that she was in the habit of walking in the front of the dwelling with a light to guide her husband home at night. The same cottage is alluded to in the _Epistle to Sir George Beaumont_, as that from which the female peasant hailed us on our morning journey. The musician mentioned in the sonnet was the Rev. Samuel Tillbrook of Peter-house, Cambridge, who remodelled the Ivy Cottage at Rydal after he had purchased it.--I. F.]

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

The fairest, brightest, hues of ether fade;
The sweetest notes must terminate and die;
O Friend! thy flute has breathed a harmony
Softly resounded through this rocky glade;
Such strains of rapture as[AL] the Genius played 5
In his still haunt on Bagdad's summit high;
He who stood visible to Mirza's eye,
Never before to human sight betrayed.
Lo, in the vale, the mists of evening spread!
The visionary Arches are not there, 10
Nor the green Islands, nor the shining Seas;
Yet sacred is to me this Mountain's head,
Whence I have risen, uplifted[74] on the breeze
Of harmony, above all earthly care.

The following reference to Mr. Tillbrook, referred to in the Fenwick note, is from the _Diary, Correspondence, etc._, of Henry Crabb Robinson, September 5, 1816:--"An evening was spent at Wordsworth's. Mr. Tillbrook, of Cambridge, formerly Thomas Clarkson's tutor, was there.... Mr. Walter sang some airs to Mr. Tillbrook's flute."--ED.

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 72: 1820.

With ripening harvests ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 73: 1827.

Through the green leaves, ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 74: 1837.

From which I have been lifted ... 1815.
]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AL: See the vision of Mirza in the _Spectator_.--W. W. 1815.]

"WEAK IS THE WILL OF MAN, HIS JUDGMENT BLIND"

Published 1815

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

"Weak is the will of Man, his judgment blind;
Remembrance persecutes, and Hope betrays;
Heavy is woe;--and joy, for human-kind,
A mournful thing, so transient is the blaze!"
Thus might _he_ paint our lot of mortal days 5
Who wants the glorious faculty assigned
To elevate the more-than-reasoning Mind,
And colour life's dark cloud with orient rays.
Imagination is that sacred power,[AM]
Imagination lofty and refined: 10
'Tis hers to pluck the amaranthine flower
Of Faith, and round the Sufferer's temples bind
Wreaths that endure affliction's heaviest shower,
And do not shrink from sorrow's keenest wind.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AM: Compare the distinction Wordsworth draws between Fancy and Imagination in his "Preface" to the Poems published in 1815, and his definition of the function of the Imagination in that essay.--ED.]

"HAIL, TWILIGHT, SOVEREIGN OF ONE PEACEFUL HOUR"

Published 1815

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

Hail, Twilight, sovereign of one peaceful hour!
Not dull art Thou as undiscerning Night;
But studious only to remove from sight
Day's mutable distinctions.--Ancient Power!
Thus did the waters gleam, the mountains lower, 5
To the rude Briton, when, in wolf-skin vest
Here roving wild, he laid him down to rest
On the bare rock, or through a leafy bower
Looked ere his eyes were closed. By him was seen
The self-same Vision which we now behold, 10
At thy meek bidding, shadowy Power! brought forth;
These mighty barriers, and the gulf between;
The flood,[75] the stars,--a spectacle as old
As the beginning of the heavens and earth!

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 75: 1837.

The floods,-- ... 1815.
]

"THE SHEPHERD, LOOKING EASTWARD, SOFTLY SAID"

Published 1815

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

The Shepherd, looking eastward, softly said,
"Bright is thy veil, O Moon, as thou art bright!"
Forthwith, that little cloud, in ether spread
And penetrated all with tender light,
She cast away, and showed her fulgent head 5
Uncovered; dazzling the Beholder's sight
As if to vindicate her beauty's right,
Her beauty thoughtlessly disparagèd.
Meanwhile that veil, removed or thrown aside,
Went floating from her, darkening as it went; 10
And a huge mass, to bury or to hide,
Approached this glory of the firmament;
Who meekly yields, and is obscured--content
With one calm triumph of a modest pride.

"EVEN AS A DRAGON'S EYE THAT FEELS THE STRESS"

Published 1815

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

Even as a dragon's eye that feels the stress
Of a bedimming sleep, or as a lamp
Suddenly[76] glaring through sepulchral damp,
So burns yon Taper 'mid a[77] black recess
Of mountains, silent, dreary, motionless: 5
The lake below reflects it not; the sky
Muffled in clouds, affords no company
To mitigate and cheer its loneliness.
Yet, round the body of that joyless Thing
Which sends so far its melancholy light, 10
Perhaps are seated in domestic ring
A gay society with faces bright,
Conversing, reading, laughing;--or they sing,
While hearts and voices in the song unite.

The light of the "Taper" referred to shone from Allan Bank; the "black recess of mountains" described the heights of Silver Howe, and Easdale, round to Helm Crag; the "lake below," which "reflected it not" (because of the distance of Allan Bank from the side of the mere), was, of course, Grasmere. Wordsworth is looking at this "lamp suddenly glaring through sepulchral damp," however, from the eastern side of the lake, perhaps from the neighbourhood of "The Wishing Gate." I am indebted to the Rev. W. A. Harrison, Vicar of St. Anne's, Lambeth, for the following note to this sonnet:--

'In the Sonnet No. xxiv., 'Poems of the Imagination,' [_i.e._ 'Miscellaneous Sonnets'] these lines occur:--

Even as a dragon's eye that feels the stress
Of a bedimming sleep, or as a lamp
Suddenly glaring through sepulchral damp,
So burns yon Taper 'mid a black recess
Of mountains, silent, dreary, motionless:
etc. etc. etc.

"In line 3, all the later editions read 'Suddenly glaring.' But why 'suddenly'? There is nothing in the imagery of the poem which is at all suggestive of suddenness or unexpectedness in the appearance of the burning taper. The idea is alien from the spirit of the context. The dragon is drowsy and overborne with sleep. The taper is 'dreary' and 'motionless.' Everything is suggestive of 'sluggish stillness,' not of rapid, flashing movement.

"Yet I find the reading '_suddenly_' in the one vol. ed. of 1828, which is said to be a reprint of the edition of 1827 in 5 vols.; in that of 1836-7; in that of 1840; and in all the later editions.

"In the edition of 1815, however, the reading given is one that is in strict keeping with the rest of the imagery, namely--

'_Sullenly_ glaring.'

"Is it likely that 'sullenly' was deliberately altered by Wordsworth to 'suddenly,' or is 'suddenly' a misprint that has been perpetuated through successive editions?

"The sonnet in question is not dated, but it was probably written after 1807 and before 1815.

"Now, in a well-known and often-quoted passage in Wordsworth's letter in answer to Mathetes (_Friend_, vol. iii. 35, etc.), he speaks of the '_sullen_ light' which survives the extinguished flame of the candle that the schoolboy has blown out. 'It continues,' he says, 'to shine with an endurance which in its apparent weakness is a mystery; it protracts its existence so long ... that the observer who had lain down in his bed so easy-minded, becomes sad and melancholy,' etc. etc. etc.

"In the sonnet the same ideas occur, only the 'melancholy' is here predicated figuratively of the 'light' itself:--

the sky,
Muffled in clouds, affords no company
To mitigate and cheer its loneliness.
Yet, round the body of that joyless Thing
Which sends so far its melancholy light,
Perhaps are seated, etc. etc.

"This paper in _The Friend_ was written in 1810; and it is possible that the sonnet was written at about the same time.--W. A. HARRISON."--ED.

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 76: 1827.

Sullenly ... 1815.
]

[Footnote 77: 1827.

... 'mid its ... 1815.
]

"MARK THE CONCENTRED HAZELS THAT ENCLOSE"

Published 1815

[Suggested in the wild hazel wood at the foot of Helm-crag, where the stone still lies, with others of like form and character, though much of the wood that veiled it from the glare of day has been felled. This beautiful ground was lately purchased by our friend Mrs. Fletcher; the ancient owners, most respected persons, being obliged to part with it in consequence of the imprudence of a son. It is gratifying to mention that, instead of murmuring and repining at this change of fortune, they offered their services to Mrs. Fletcher, the husband as an outdoor labourer, and the wife as a domestic servant. I have witnessed the pride and pleasure with which the man worked at improvements of the ground round the house. Indeed he expressed those feelings to me himself, and the countenance and manner of his wife always denoted feelings of the same character. I believe a similar disposition to contentment under change of fortune is common among the class to which these good people belong. Yet, in proof that to part with their patrimony is most painful to them, I may refer to those stanzas entitled _Repentance_, no inconsiderable part of which was taken verbatim from the language of the speaker herself.--I. F.]

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

Mark the concentred hazels that enclose
Yon old grey Stone, protected from the ray
Of noontide suns:--and even the beams that play
And glance, while wantonly the rough wind blows,
Are seldom free to touch the moss that grows 5
Upon that roof, amid embowering gloom,
The very image framing of a Tomb,
In which some ancient Chieftain finds repose
Among the lonely mountains.--Live, ye trees!
And thou, grey Stone, the pensive likeness keep 10
Of a dark chamber where the Mighty sleep:
For more than Fancy to the influence bends
When solitary Nature condescends
To mimic Time's forlorn humanities.

This "old grey Stone" is a prominent feature in the Lancrigg Terrace-Walk. It is still moss-grown, and embowered by the hazel underwood. Not far from it, the path opens to the spot where the most of _The Prelude_ was composed; first hummed aloud--as the poet walked to and fro along the terrace--and then dictated to his wife or sister. See Lady Richardson's account of this, in her article in _Sharpe's London Magazine_, in 1851, and in the _Autobiography of Mrs. Fletcher_ (her mother), p. 244; also her contributions to the _Memoirs of Wordsworth_, vol. ii. p. 438, etc.--ED.

"SURPRISED BY JOY--IMPATIENT AS THE WIND"

Published 1815

[This was in fact suggested by my daughter Catherine long after her death.[AN]--I. F.]

One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets."--ED.

Surprised by joy--impatient as the Wind
I turned[78] to share the transport--Oh! with whom
But Thee, deep buried [79] in the silent tomb,
That spot which no vicissitude can find?
Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind-- 5
But how could I forget thee? Through what power,
Even for the least division of an hour,
Have I been so beguiled as to be blind
To my most grievous loss?--That thought's return
Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore, 10
Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,
Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more;
That neither present time, nor years unborn
Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.

Compare the poem entitled _Characteristics of a Child three years old_ (vol. iv. p. 252), written in 1811, and which referred, like this one, to the poet's daughter Catherine, who died the year after. Compare also _The Excursion_, book iii. ll. 636-649, and the sonnet beginning, "Desponding Father! mark this altered bough," 1835.--ED.

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 78: 1820.

I wished ... 1815.
]

[Footnote 79: 1820.

... long buried ... 1815.
]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AN: Wordsworth's daughter, Catherine, was born on the 6th September 1808, and died 4th June 1812.--ED.]

1816

Most of the poems belonging to 1816 were suggested by the stirring political events of that year on the Continent of Europe. Four odes, and a number of sonnets,--referring to the Fall of Napoleon, the French army in Russia, the battle of Waterloo, etc.,--a translation of part of Virgil's _Æneid_, and one or two smaller fragments, make up the series. Wordsworth had not been so much inspired by the political events of his time, since the years 1809 and 1810--when he wrote the Tyrolese Sonnets, and others, "Dedicated to Liberty," etc.--but, both before and during the year 1816, he spent some time in preparing his eldest son for the University. He read the Latin poets with him; and very probably it was this that led him to translate into English verse, the three first books of the _Æneid_, which he did at this time. Some fragments of his Translations will be found in the Appendix to vol. viii.--ED.

ODE

THE MORNING OF THE DAY APPOINTED FOR A GENERAL THANKSGIVING. JANUARY 18, 1816

Composed 1816.--Published 1816.

[The first stanza of this _Ode_ was composed almost extempore, in front of Rydal Mount, before church-time, and on such a morning and precisely with such objects before my eyes as are here described. The view taken of Napoleon's character and proceedings is little in accordance with that taken by some historians and critical philosophers. I am glad and proud of the difference, and trust that this series of poems, infinitely below the subject as they are, will survive to counteract, in unsophisticated minds, the pernicious and degrading tendency of those views and doctrines that lead to the idolatry of power, as power, and, in that false splendour, to lose sight of its real nature and constitution as it often acts for the gratification of its possessor without reference to a beneficial end--an infirmity that has characterised men of all ages, classes, and employments, since Nimrod became a mighty hunter before the Lord.--I. F.]

"It is not to bespeak favour or indulgence, but to guard against misapprehension, that the author presumes to state that the present publication owes its existence to a patriotism, anxious to exert itself in commemorating that course of action, by which Great Britain has, for some time past, distinguished herself above all other countries.

"Wholly unworthy of touching upon so momentous a subject would that Poet be, before whose eyes the present distresses under which this kingdom labours, could interpose a veil sufficiently thick to hide, or even to obscure, the splendour of this great moral triumph. If the author has given way to exultation, unchecked by these distresses, it might be sufficient to protect him from a charge of insensibility, should he state his own belief that these sufferings will be transitory. On the wisdom of a very large majority of the British nation, rested that generosity which poured out the treasures of this country for the deliverance of Europe: and in the same national wisdom, presiding in time of peace over an energy not inferior to that which has been displayed in war, _they_ confide, who encourage a firm hope, that the cup of our wealth will be gradually replenished. There will, doubtless, be no few ready to indulge in regrets and repinings; and to feed a morbid satisfaction, by aggravating these burthens in imagination, in order that calamity so confidently prophesied, as it has not taken the shape which their sagacity allotted to it, may appear as grievous as possible under another. But the body of the nation will not quarrel with the gain, because it might have been purchased at a less price: and acknowledging in these sufferings, which they feel to have been in a great degree unavoidable, a consecration of their noble efforts, they will vigorously apply themselves to remedy the evil.

"Nor is it at the expense of rational patriotism, or in disregard of sound philosophy, that the author hath given vent to feelings tending to encourage a martial spirit in the bosoms of his countrymen, at a time when there is a general outcry against the prevalence of these dispositions. The British army, both by its skill and valour in the field, and by the discipline which has rendered it much less formidable than the armies of other powers, to the inhabitants of the several countries where its operations were carried on, has performed services for humanity too important and too obvious to allow any one to recommend, that the language of gratitude and admiration be suppressed, or restrained (whatever be the temper of the public mind), through a scrupulous dread, lest the tribute due to the past, should prove an injurious incentive for the future. Every man, deserving the name of Briton, adds his voice to the chorus which extols the exploits of his countrymen, with a consciousness, at times overpowering the effort, that they transcend all praise. But this particular sentiment, thus irresistibly excited, is not sufficient. The nation would err grievously, if she suffered the abuse which other states have made of military power, to prevent her from perceiving that no people ever was, or can be, independent, free, or secure, much less great, in any sane application of the word, without martial propensities, and an assiduous cultivation of military virtues[AO]. Nor let it be overlooked, that the benefits derivable from these sources, are placed within the reach of Great Britain, under conditions peculiarly favourable. The same insular position which, by rendering territorial incorporation impossible, utterly precludes the desire of conquest under the most seductive shape it can assume, enables her to rely, for her defence against foreign foes, chiefly upon a species of armed force from which her own liberties have nothing to fear. Such are the blessed privileges of her situation; and, by permitting, they invite her to give way to the courageous instincts of human nature, and to strengthen and to refine them by culture.

"But some have more than insinuated, that a design exists to subvert the civil character of the English people by unconstitutional applications and unnecessary increase of military power. The advisers and abettors of such a design, were it possible that it should exist, would be guilty of the most heinous crime, which, upon this planet, can be committed. The author, trusting that this apprehension arises from the delusive influences of an honourable jealousy, hopes that the martial qualities, which he venerates, will be fostered by adhering to those good old usages which experience has sanctioned; and by availing ourselves of new means of indisputable promise; particularly by applying, in its utmost possible extent, that system of tuition, of which the master-spring is a habit of gradually enlightened subordination; by imparting knowledge, civil, moral, and religious, in such measure that the mind, among all classes of the community, may love, admire, and be prepared and accomplished to defend that country, under whose protection its faculties have been unfolded, and its riches acquired; by just dealing towards all orders of the state, so that no members of it being trampled upon, courage may everywhere continue to rest immoveably upon its ancient English foundation, personal self-respect; by adequate rewards, and permanent honours, conferred upon the deserving; by encouraging athletic exercises and manly sports among the peasantry of the country; and by especial care to provide and support sufficient institutions, in which, during a time of peace, a reasonable proportion of the youth of the country may be instructed in military science.

"Bent upon instant savings, a member of the House of Commons lately recommended that the Military College should be suppressed as an unnecessary expense; for, said he, 'our best officers have been formed in the field.' More unwise advice has rarely been given! Admirable officers, indeed, have been formed in the field, but at how deplorable an expense of the lives of their surrounding brethren in arms, a history of the military operations in Spain, and particularly of the sieges, composed with thorough knowledge, and published without reserve, would irresistibly demonstrate.[AP]

"The author has only to add that he should feel little satisfaction in giving to the world these limited attempts to celebrate the virtues of his country, if he did not encourage a hope that a subject, which it has fallen within his province to treat only in the mass, will by other poets be illustrated in that detail which its importance calls for, and which will allow opportunities to give the merited applause to PERSONS as well as to THINGS."

W. WORDSWORTH.

"RYDAL MOUNT, _March_ 18, 1816."[AQ]

This _Ode_ was originally published--along with the three that follow it, and some sonnets--in 1816, under the title, _Thanksgiving Ode, January 18, 1816, with other short pieces, chiefly referring to recent public events_, and with the prefatory announcement: "This Publication may be considered as a sequel to the Author's 'Sonnets dedicated to Liberty.'" To the whole there was prefixed an "Advertisement," beginning as at p. 75, "It is not," etc., and continuing to "W. Wordsworth," p. 77.--ED.

I

Hail, orient Conqueror of gloomy Night![80]
Thou that canst shed the bliss of gratitude
On hearts howe'er insensible or rude;
Whether thy punctual[81] visitations smite
The haughty towers where monarchs dwell; 5
Or thou, impartial Sun, with presence bright
Cheer'st the low threshold of the peasant's cell!
Not unrejoiced I see thee climb the sky
In naked splendour, clear from mist or haze,
Or cloud approaching to divert the rays, 10
Which even in deepest winter testify
Thy power and majesty,
Dazzling the vision that presumes to gaze.
--Well does thine aspect usher in this Day;
As aptly suits therewith that modest pace 15
Submitted to the chains[82]
That bind thee to the path which God ordains
That thou shall trace,
Till, with the heavens and earth, thou pass away!
Nor less, the stillness of these frosty plains, 20
Their utter stillness, and the silent grace
Of yon ethereal summits white with snow,[AR]
(Whose tranquil pomp and spotless purity
Report of storms gone by
To us who tread below) 25
Do with the service of this Day accord.
--Divinest Object which the uplifted eye
Of mortal man is suffered to behold;
Thou, who upon those[83] snow-clad Heights hast poured
Meek lustre,[84] nor forget'st the humble Vale; 30
Thou who dost warm Earth's universal mould,
And for thy bounty wert not unadored
By pious men of old;
Once more, heart-cheering Sun, I bid thee hail!
Bright be thy course to-day, let not this promise fail!

II

'Mid the deep quiet of this morning hour, 36
All nature seems to hear me while I speak,
By feelings urged that do not vainly seek
Apt language, ready as the tuneful notes
That stream in blithe succession from the throats 40
Of birds, in leafy bower,
Warbling a farewell to a vernal shower.
--There is a radiant though[85] a short-lived flame,
That burns for Poets in the dawning east;
And oft my soul hath kindled at the same, 45
When the captivity of sleep had ceased;
But He who fixed immoveably the frame
Of the round world, and built, by laws as strong,
A solid refuge for distress--
The towers of righteousness; 50
He knows that from a holier altar came
The quickening spark of this day's sacrifice;
Knows that the source is nobler whence doth rise
The current of this matin song;
That deeper far it lies 55
Than aught dependent on the fickle skies.

III

Have we not conquered?--by the vengeful sword?
Ah no, by dint of Magnanimity;
That curbed the baser passions, and left free
A loyal band to follow their liege Lord, 60
Clear-sighted Honour, and his staid Compeers,
Along a track of most unnatural years;[AS]
In execution of heroic deeds
Whose memory, spotless as the crystal beads
Of morning dew upon the untrodden meads, 65
Shall live enrolled above the starry spheres.
He, who in concert with an earthly string[86]
Of Britain's acts would sing,
He with enraptured voice will tell
Of One whose spirit no reverse could quell; 70
Of One that 'mid the failing never failed[AT]--
Who paints how Britain struggled and prevailed
Shall represent her labouring with an eye
Of circumspect humanity;
Shall show her clothed with strength and skill, 75
All martial duties to fulfil;
Firm as a rock in stationary fight;
In motion rapid as the lightning's gleam;
Fierce as a flood-gate bursting at mid night[87]
To rouse the wicked from their giddy dream-- 80
Woe, woe to all that face her in the field!
Appalled she may not be, and cannot yield.

IV

And thus is _missed_[88] the sole true glory
That can belong to human story!
At which they[89] only shall arrive 85
Who through the abyss of weakness dive.
The very humblest are too proud of heart;
And one brief day is rightly set apart
For Him[90] who lifteth up and layeth low;
For that Almighty God to whom we owe, 90
Say not that we have vanquished--but that we survive.

V

How dreadful the dominion of the impure!
Why should the Song be tardy to proclaim
That less than power unbounded[91] could not tame
That soul of Evil--which, from hell let loose, 95
Had filled the astonished world with such abuse
As boundless patience only could endure?
--Wide-wasted regions--cities wrapt in flame--
Who sees,[92] may lift a streaming eye
To Heaven;--who never saw, may heave a sigh;
But the foundation of our nature shakes, 101
And with an infinite pain the spirit aches,
When desolated countries, towns on fire,
Are but the avowed attire
Of warfare waged with desperate mind 105
Against the life of virtue in mankind;[AU]
Assaulting without ruth
The citadels of truth;
While the fair gardens of civility,
By ignorance defaced, 110
By violence laid waste,
Perish without reprieve for flower or tree![93]

VI

A crouching purpose--a distracted will--
Opposed to hopes that battened upon scorn,
And to desires whose ever-waxing horn 115
Not all the light of earthly power could fill;
Opposed to dark, deep plots of patient skill,
And to[94] celerities of lawless force;
Which, spurning God, had flung away remorse--
What could they gain but shadows of redress? 120
--So bad proceeded propagating worse;
And discipline was passion's dire excess.[AV]
Widens the fatal web, its lines extend,
And deadlier poisons in the chalice blend.
When will your trials teach you to be wise? 125
--O prostrate Lands, consult your agonies!

VII

No more--the guilt is banish'd,
And, with the guilt, the shame is fled;
And, with the guilt and shame, the Woe hath vanish'd,
Shaking the dust and ashes from her head! 130
--No more--these lingerings of distress
Sully the limpid stream of thankfulness.
What robe can Gratitude employ
So seemly as the radiant vest of Joy?
What steps so suitable as those that move 135
In prompt obedience to spontaneous measures
Of glory, and felicity, and love,
Surrendering the whole heart to sacred pleasures?

VIII

O Britain! dearer far than life is dear,[AW]
If one there be 140
Of all thy progeny[95]
Who can forget thy prowess, never more
Be that[96] ungrateful Son allowed to hear
Thy green leaves rustle or thy torrents roar.
As springs the lion from his den, 145
As from a forest-brake
Upstarts a glistering snake,
The bold Arch-despot re-appeared;[97][AX]--again
Wide Europe heaves, impatient to be cast,
With all her armèd Powers, 150
On that offensive soil, like waves upon a thousand shores.[98]
The trumpet blew a universal blast![AY]
But Thou art foremost in the field:[AZ]--there stand:
Receive the triumph destined to thy hand!
All States have glorified themselves;--their claims 155
Are weighed by Providence, in balance even;
And now, in preference to the mightiest names,
To Thee the exterminating sword[99] is given.
Dread mark of approbation, justly gained!
Exalted office, worthily sustained! 160

IX

Preserve, O Lord! within our hearts
The memory of thy favour,
That else insensibly departs,
And loses its sweet savour!
Lodge it within us!--as the power of light 165
Lives inexhaustibly in precious gems,
Fixed on the front of Eastern diadems,
So shine our thankfulness for ever bright!
What offering, what transcendent monument
Shall our sincerity to Thee present? 170
--Not work of hands; but trophies that may reach
To highest Heaven--the labour of the Soul;
That builds, as thy unerring precepts teach,
Upon the internal conquests made by each,[100]
Her hope of lasting glory for the whole. 175
Yet will not heaven disown nor earth gainsay[101]
The outward service of this day;
Whether the worshippers entreat
Forgiveness from God's mercy-seat;
Or thanks and praises to His throne ascend 180
That He has[102] brought our warfare to an end,
And that we need no second[103] victory!--[BA]
Ha! what a ghastly sight for man to see;
And to the heavenly saints in peace who dwell,
For a brief moment, terrible; 185
But, to thy sovereign penetration, fair,
Before whom all things are, that were,
All judgments that have been, or e'er shall be;
Links in the chain of thy tranquillity!
Along the bosom of this favoured Nation, 190
Breathe Thou, this day, a vital undulation!
Let all who do this land inherit
Be conscious of thy moving spirit!
Oh, 'tis a goodly Ordinance,--the sight,
Though sprung from bleeding war, is one of pure delight; 195
Bless Thou the hour, or ere the hour arrive,
When a whole people shall kneel down in prayer,
And, at one moment, in one rapture,[104] strive
With lip and heart to tell their gratitude
For thy protecting care, 200
Their solemn joy--praising the Eternal Lord
For tyranny subdued,
And for the sway of equity renewed,
For liberty confirmed, and peace restored! 204

X

But hark--the summons!--down the placid lake
Floats the soft cadence of the church-tower bells;[BB]
Bright shines the Sun, as if his beams would wake[105]
The tender insects sleeping in their cells;
Bright shines the Sun--and not a breeze to shake
The drops that tip[106] the melting icicles. 210
_O, enter now his temple gate!_
Inviting words--perchance already flung
(As the crowd press devoutly down the aisle
Of some old Minster's venerable pile)
From voices into zealous passion stung, 215
While the tubed engine feels the inspiring blast,
And has begun--its clouds of sound to cast
Forth towards[107] empyreal Heaven,
As if the fretted roof were riven.
_Us_, humbler ceremonies now await; 220
But in the bosom, with devout respect
The banner of our joy we will erect,
And strength of love our souls shall elevate:
For to a few collected in his name,
Their heavenly Father will incline an ear 225
Gracious to service hallowed by its aim;--[108]
Awake! the majesty of God revere!
Go--and with foreheads meekly bowed
Present your prayers--go--and rejoice aloud--
The Holy One will hear! 230
And what, 'mid silence deep, with faith sincere,
Ye, in your low and undisturbed estate,
Shall simply feel and purely meditate--
Of warnings--from the unprecedented might,
Which, in our time, the impious have disclosed; 235
And of more arduous duties thence imposed
Upon the future advocates of right;
Of mysteries revealed,
And judgments unrepealed,
Of earthly revolution, 240
And final retribution,--
To his omniscience will appear
An offering not unworthy to find place,
On this high DAY OF THANKS, before the Throne of Grace!

Replying to some criticism on this _Ode_ by Southey, Wordsworth wrote to his friend as follows:--"I am much of your mind in respect to my Ode. Had it been a hymn, uttering the sentiments of a _multitude_, a _stanza_ would have been indispensable. But though I have called it a 'Thanksgiving Ode,' strictly speaking it is not so, but a poem, composed, or supposed to be composed, on the morning of the thanksgiving, uttering the sentiments of an _individual_ upon that occasion. It is a _dramatised ejaculation_; and this, if anything can, must excuse the irregular frame of the metre. In respect to a _stanza_ for a grand subject designed to be treated comprehensively, there are great objections. If the stanza be short, it will scarcely allow of fervour and importunity, unless so short, as that the sense is run perpetually from one stanza to another, as in Horace's Alcaics; and if it be long, it will be as apt to generate diffuseness as to check it. Of this we have innumerable instances in Spenser and the Italian poets. The sense required cannot be included in one given stanza, so that another whole stanza is added, not infrequently, for the sake of matter which would naturally include itself in a very few lines.

"If Gray's plan be adopted, there is not time to become acquainted with the arrangement, and to recognise with pleasure the recurrence of the movement.

"Be so good as let me know where you found most difficulty in following me. The passage which I most suspect of being misunderstood is

And thus is missed the sole true glory;

and the passage where I doubt most about the reasonableness of expecting that the reader should follow me in the luxuriance of the imagery and the language, is the one that describes, under so many metaphors, the spreading of the news of the Waterloo victory over the globe."

The last reference in this letter is to the lines in that part of the _Ode_, which follows--

Joyful annunciation!--it went forth--
It pierced the caverns of the sluggish North, etc."

ED.

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 80: 1837.

Hail, universal Source of pure delight! 1816.
]

[Footnote 81: 1837.

Whether thy orient ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 82: 1837.

... that timid pace,
Framed in subjection to the chains 1816.

... that timid pace
Submitted to the chains 1827.
]

[Footnote 83: 1850.

... yon ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 84: 1837.

... splendour, ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 85: 1837.

... but ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 86: 1837.

--Who to the murmurs of an earthly string 1816.
]

[Footnote 87: 1837.

... in the night 1816.
]

[Footnote 88: "Missed" italicised in 1837 and subsequent editions.]

[Footnote 89: "They" italicised in the editions from 1816 to 1832.]

[Footnote 90: 1837.

To Him ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 91: 1816.

... power eternal ... C.
]

[Footnote 92: 1837.

Who sees, and feels, ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 93: 1837.

While the old forest of civility
Is doomed to perish, to the last fair tree. 1816.

While the whole forest of civility
Is doomed to perish, to the last fair tree! 1827.
Perish without reprieve for herb, or flower, or tree. C.
]

[Footnote 94: 1827.

And the ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 95: 1816.

From shore to shore C.
]

[Footnote 96: 1845.

Land of our fathers! precious unto me
Since the first joys of thinking infancy;
When of thy gallant chivalry I read,
And hugged the volume on my sleepless bed!
O England!--dearer far than life is dear,
If I forget thy prowess, never more
Be thy ... 1816.
Land of our fathers! loved by me
Since the first joys of thinking infancy;
Loved with a passion since I caught thy praise
A Listener, at or on some patient knee,
With an ear fastened to rude ballad lays--
Or of thy gallant chivalry I read,
And hugged the volume on a sleepless bed!
O England!--dearer far, etc. 1837.
]

[Footnote 97: 1816

... reappears ... C.
]

[Footnote 98: 1845.

... torrents roar!
But how can _He_ be faithless to the past,
Whose soul, intolerant of base decline,
Saw in thy virtue a celestial sign,
That bade him hope, and to his hope cleave fast!
The nations strove with puissance;--at length
Wide Europe heaved, impatient to be cast,
With _all_ her living strength,
With _all_ her armed powers,
Upon the offensive shores. 1816.
]

[Footnote 99: The words "exterminating sword" were italicised in 1816 only. In Lord Coleridge's copy the MS. reading "vindicating sword" is given.]

[Footnote 100: 1845.

Upon the inward victories of each, 1816.
]

[Footnote 101: 1816.

Yet no one shall gainsay C.
]

[Footnote 102: 1820.

That Thou hast ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 103: 1820.

... further ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 104: 1827.

... spirit, ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 105: 1837.

... might wake 1816.
]

[Footnote 106: 1827.

... point ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 107: 1837.

Towards the ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 108: 1827.

... incline his ear,
Hallowing himself the service which they frame;-- 1816.
]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AO: "Without a cultivation of military virtues."--W. W. 1845.]

[Footnote AP: In all editions subsequent to that of 1816, this paragraph was omitted.--ED.]

[Footnote AQ: This "Advertisement" was prefixed to the poem, in all editions from 1816 to 1843. In 1845, when part of the _Ode_, beginning

Imagination--ne'er before content

was detached from the rest, and turned into a separate _Ode_, with the date 1815 appended, the "Advertisement" was thrown into a "note" at the end of the volume, and it retained this place in subsequent editions. In Lord Coleridge's copy of the edition of 1836-37--before the stanzas which were afterwards separated to form the second _Ode_--"Waterloo" is written.--ED.]

[Footnote AR: The heights of Wansfell and Loughrigg.--ED.]

[Footnote AS: The whole period of the Peninsular and Continental wars with Napoleon.--ED.]

[Footnote AT: Wellington.--ED.]

[Footnote AU: The outcome of Napoleonic ambition.--ED.]

[Footnote AV: "A discipline the rule whereof is passion" (LORD BROOKE).--W. W. 1816.]

[Footnote AW: Compare the lines beginning

O dearer far than light and life are dear,

addressed to Mrs. Wordsworth in 1824.--ED.]

[Footnote AX: Napoleon escaped from Elba in February 1815.--ED.]

[Footnote AY: The Allied Sovereigns declared against Napoleon, March 1815.--ED.]

[Footnote AZ: Wellington took the command in April 1815.--ED.]

[Footnote BA: Napoleon's power being finally broken at Waterloo.--ED.]

[Footnote BB: From Grasmere Church, over Rydal Mere.--ED.]

ODE

Composed 1816.--Published 1816

The first and the fourth stanzas of this _Ode_ formed stanzas ix. and xii. of the _Thanksgiving Ode_ from 1816 to 1842. In 1845 it was printed as number XLV. of the "Poems of the Imagination."--ED.

I

Imagination--ne'er before content,
But aye ascending, restless in her pride
From all that martial feats could yield
To her desires, or to her hopes present--
Stooped to the Victory, on that Belgic field 5
Achieved, this closing deed magnificent,[109]
And with the embrace was satisfied.[110]
--Fly, ministers of Fame,
With every help that ye from earth and heaven may claim![111]
Bear through the world these tidings of delight! 10
--Hours, Days, and Months, have borne them in the sight
Of mortals, hurrying like a sudden shower[112]
That land-ward stretches from the sea,
The morning's splendours to devour;
But this swift travel scorns the company 15
Of irksome change, or threats from saddening power.[113]
_--The shock is given--the Adversaries bleed--
Lo, Justice triumphs! Earth is freed!_
Joyful annunciation!--it went forth--[114]
It pierced the caverns of the sluggish North--[BC] 20
It found no barrier on the ridge
Of Andes--frozen gulphs became its bridge--
The vast Pacific gladdens with the freight--
Upon the Lakes of Asia 'tis bestowed--
The Arabian desert shapes a willing road 25
Across her burning breast,
For this refreshing incense from the West!--[BD]
--Where snakes and lions breed,
Where towns and cities thick as stars appear,
Wherever fruits are gathered, and where'er 30
The upturned soil receives the hopeful seed--
While the Sun rules, and cross the shades of night--
The unwearied arrow hath pursued its flight!
The eyes of good men thankfully give heed,
And in its sparkling progress read 35
Of virtue crowned with glory's deathless meed:[115]
Tyrants exult to hear of kingdoms won,
And slaves are pleased to learn that mighty feats are done;
Even the proud Realm, from whose distracted borders
This messenger of good was launched in air, 40
France, humbled[116] France, amid her wild disorders,
Feels, and hereafter shall the truth declare,
That she too lacks not reason to rejoice,
And utter England's name with sadly-plausive voice.

II

O genuine glory, pure renown! 45
And well might it beseem that mighty Town[BE]
Into whose bosom earth's best treasures flow,[117]
To whom all persecuted men retreat;
If a new Temple lift her[118] votive brow
High on[119] the shore of silver Thames--to greet 50
The peaceful guest advancing from afar.
Bright be the Fabric,[120] as a star
Fresh risen, and beautiful within!--there meet
Dependence infinite, proportion just;
A Pile that Grace approves, and Time can trust 55
With his most sacred wealth, heroic dust.[121]

III

But if the valiant of this land
In reverential modesty demand,
That all observance, due to them, be paid
Where their serene progenitors are laid; 60
Kings, warriors, high-souled poets, saint-like sages,
England's illustrious sons of long, long ages;
Be it not unordained that solemn rites,
Within the circuit of those Gothic walls,[BF]
Shall be performed at pregnant intervals; 65
Commemoration holy that unites
The living generations with the dead;
By the deep soul-moving sense
Of religious eloquence,--
By visual pomp, and by the tie 70
Of sweet and threatening harmony;
Soft notes, awful as the omen
Of destructive tempests coming,
And escaping from that sadness
Into elevated gladness; 75
While the white-rob'd choir attendant,
Under mouldering banners pendant,
Provoke all potent symphonies to raise
Songs of victory and praise,
For them who bravely stood unhurt, or bled 80
With medicable wounds, or found their graves
Upon the battle field, or under ocean's waves;
Or were conducted home in single state,
And long procession--there to lie,
Where their sons' sons, and all posterity, 85
Unheard by them, their deeds shall celebrate!

IV

Nor will the God of peace and love
Such martial service disapprove.
He guides the Pestilence--the cloud
Of locusts travels on his breath; 90
The region that in hope was ploughed
His drought consumes, his mildew taints with death;
He springs the hushed Volcano's mine,
He puts the Earthquake on her still design,[BG]
Darkens the sun, hath bade the forest sink, 95
And, drinking towns and cities, still can drink
Cities and towns--'tis Thou--the work is Thine!--
The fierce Tornado sleeps within thy courts--
He hears the word--he flies--
And navies perish in their ports; 100
For Thou art angry with thine enemies!
For these, and mourning for our errors,[122]
And sins, that point their terrors,
We bow our heads before Thee, and we laud
And magnify thy name, Almighty God! 105
But Man is thy most awful instrument,
In working out a pure intent;[123]
Thou cloth'st the wicked in their dazzling mail,
And for thy righteous purpose[124] they prevail;
Thine arm from peril guards the coasts 110
Of them who in thy laws delight:
Thy presence turns the scale of doubtful fight,
Tremendous God of battles, Lord of Hosts![BH]

V

Forbear:--to Thee--
Father and Judge of all, with fervent tongue 115
But in a gentler strain[125]
Of contemplation, by no sense of wrong
(Too quick and keen) incited to disdain
Of pity pleading from the heart in vain--[126]
TO THEE--TO THEE 120
Just God of christianised Humanity
Shall praises be poured forth, and thanks ascend,[127]
That thou hast brought our warfare to an end,
And that we need no second[128] victory!
Blest, above measure blest, 125
If on thy love our Land her hopes shall rest,
And all the Nations labour to fulfil
Thy law, and live henceforth in peace, in pure good will.[129]

In an early MS. copy of this _Ode_, it concludes thus, after the line "And that we need no further victory!"

Ha! what a ghastly sight for man to see;
And to the heavenly saints in peace who dwell,
For a brief moment, terrible;
But to thy sovereign penetration fair,
Before whom all things are that were,
All judgments that have been, or e'er shall be,
Links in the chain of thy tranquillity!
Along the bosom of this favoured nation,
Breathe thou, this day, a vital undulation!
Let all who do this land inherit
Be conscious of Thy moving spirit!
Oh, 'tis a goodly Ordinance,--the sight,
Though sprung from bleeding war, is one of pure delight;
Bless thou the hour, or ere the hour arrive,
When a whole people shall kneel down in prayer,
And, at one moment, in one spirit, strive
With lip and heart to tell their gratitude
For thy protecting care,
Their solemn joy--praising the Eternal Lord
For tyranny subdued,
And for the sway of equity renewed,
For liberty confirmed, and peace restored!

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 109: 1845.

From all that man's performance could present,
Stoops to that closing deed magnificent, 1816.
]

[Footnote 110: 1845.

... is satisfied. 1816.
]

[Footnote 111: 1845.

Whate'er your means, whatever help ye claim, 1816.
]

[Footnote 112: 1837.

... travelling faster than the shower, 1816.
]

[Footnote 113: 1845.

... to devour;
But this appearance scattered extacy,--
And heart-sick Europe blessed the healing power. 1816.

... to devour,
In summer's loveliest hour;
But this assurance travelled fraught with glee,
And heart-sick Europe blessed its healing power. 1837.

... to devour,
But this assurance travelled fraught with glee,
And heart-sick Europe blessed its healing power. 1841.
]

[Footnote 114: 1837.

Such glad assurance suddenly went forth-- 1816.
]

[Footnote 115: 1837.

How virtue triumphs, from her bondage freed! 1816.
]

[Footnote 116: 1845.

... conquered ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 117: 1845.

--Yet might it well become that City now,
Into whose breast the tides of grandeur flow, 1816.
]

[Footnote 118: 1820.

... its ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 119: 1837.

Upon ... 1819.
]

[Footnote 120: 1850.

Bright be the distant fabric, ... 1816.

Bright be the peaceful Fabric, ... 1845.
]

[Footnote 121: 1827.

... and time can trust. 1816.

The next line was omitted in 1816.
]

[Footnote 122: 1845.

... and for our errors, 1816.
]

[Footnote 123: 1845.

But thy most dreaded instrument,
In working out a pure intent,
Is Man--arrayed for mutual slaughter,--
Yea, Carnage is thy daughter! 1816.

But thy most awful instrument 1837.
]

[Footnote 124: 1837.

And by thy just permission ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 125: 1845.

... to Thee--
With fervent thoughts, but in a gentler strain 1837.
]

[Footnote 126: The above six lines were added in 1837.]

[Footnote 127: 1845.

... to THEE--
On this appointed Day shall thanks ascend, 1816.

... Humanity,
On this appointed day shall thanks ascend, 1837.
]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote BC: Compare this description of the news of Waterloo spreading over the nations with the effect of the lady's laugh in _To Joanna_. See "Poems on the Naming of Places" (vol. ii. p. 159).--ED.]

[Footnote BD: See note A on preceding page.--ED.]

[Footnote BE: London.--ED.]

[Footnote BF: In Westminster Abbey.--ED.]

[Footnote BG: Compare the Psalter, civ. 32.--ED.]

[Footnote BH: Compare the Psalter, _passim_, _e.g._ xlvi., lxvi., cvi., and Shakespeare, _Henry V._ act IV. scene i.: "If these men have defeated the law and outrun native punishment, though they can outstrip men, they have no wings to fly from God: war is his beadle, war is his vengeance."--ED.]

[Footnote 128: 1845.

... further ... 1816.
]

[Footnote 129: The last four lines were added in 1845, but another version of the last two lines was written by Wordsworth in MS. on his edition of 1837--