PENGUINENGLISHPOETSGENERALEDITOR:CHRISTOPHERRICKS

THEPRELUDETHEFOURTEXTS(1798,I799,1805,1850)

WILLIAMWORDSWORTHwasbornintheLakeDistrictinApril1770,anddiedthereeightyyears lateron23April1850.Hehadthreebrothersandasister, Dorothy, to whom throughout his life he was especially close.Whenshewassixandhewasnearlyeight, theirmotherdied.Dorothywas sent away to be brought up by relatives and a year laterWilliamwas sent toHawksheadGrammarSchool, sceneof thegreat childhoodepisodesofThePrelude.

Wordsworth was cared for in lodgings and led a life of exceptionalfreedom,rovingoverthefellsthatsurroundedthevillage.Thedeathofhis father, agent to the immensely powerful landowner Sir JamesLowther,broke inonthishappinesswhenhewasthirteen,butdidnothalt the education through nature that complemented hisHawks-headstudiesandbecamethethemeofhispoetry.

AsanundergraduateatCambridgeWordsworthtravelled(experiencingtheFrenchRevolutionatfirsthand)andwrotepoetry.Histwentieswerespent as awanderer, in France,Wales, London, the Lakes, Dorset andGermany.InFrancehefatheredachildwhomhedidnotmeetuntilshewasninebecauseoftheWar.In1795hewasreunitedwithDorothy,andmetColeridge,withwhomhepublishedLyricalBallads in1798,andtowhomheaddressedThePrelude,hisepicstudyofhumanconsciousness.

InthelastdaysofthecenturyWordsworthandDorothyfoundasettledhomeatDoveCottage,Grasmere.HereWordsworthwrotemuchofhisbest-loved poetry, and Dorothy her famous Journals. In 1802WordsworthmarriedDorothy’sclosestfriend,MaryHutchinson.

Graduallyheestablishedhimselfasthegreatpoetofhisage,aturning-pointcomingwiththecollectededitionof1815.From1813Wordsworthand his family lived at Rydal Mount in the neighbouring valley toGrasmere.In1843hebecamePoetLaureate.

JONATHAN WORDSWORTH, descended from the poet’s younger brotherChristopher, Master of Trinity, Cambridge, is Chairman of theWordsworthTrust,Grasmere,UniversityLecturerinRomanticStudiesatOxford, and a Fellow of St Catherine’s. He has edited much ofWordsworth’s poetry, and more than one hundred titles in theWoodstockFacsimileseriesRevolutionandRomanticism.He isauthorofThe Music of Humanity, The Borders of Vision, Ancestral Voices andVisionaryGleam.

WILLIAMWORDSWORTH

ThePreludeTHEFOURTEXTS(1798,I799,1805,1850)

EditedbyJONATHANWORDSWORTH

PENGUINBOOKS

ForA.S.W.

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Thiseditionpublished199511

Introductorymatter,NotesandAfterword,copyright©JonathanWordsworth,1995Allrightsreserved

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CONTENTS

AcknowledgementsTableofDatesIntroductionPreludeMSSTextsThisEditionAbbreviationsFurtherReading

ThePrelude:THEFOURTEXTSWASITFORTHIS

THETWO-PARTPRELUDEOF1799

FirstPartSecondPartTHETHIRTEEN-BOOKPRELUDEOF1805ANDTHEFOURTEEN-BOOKPRELUDEOF1850:PARALLELTEXT

BookFirstINTRODUCTION–CHILDHOODANDSCHOOL-TIME

BookSecondSCHOOL-TIME(CONTINUED)

BookThirdRESIDENCEATCAMBRIDGE

BookFourthSUMMERVACATION

BookFifthBOOKS

BookSixthCAMBRIDGEANDTHEALPS

BookSeventhRESIDENCEINLONDON

BookEighthRETROSPECT–LOVEOFNATURELEADINGTOLOVEOFMANKIND[MAN]

BookNinthRESIDENCEINFRANCE

BookTenthRESIDENCEINFRANCEANDFRENCHREVOLUTION

BookTenthandEleventhFRANCE(CONCLUDED)

BookEleventhandTwelfthIMAGINATION[ANDTASTE],HOWIMPAIREDANDRESTORED

BookTwelfthandThirteenthSAMESUBJECT(CONTINUED)

BookThirteenthandFourteenthCONCLUSION

NotesAfterword:ThePoetasRevisor

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I amgrateful tomy fellowTrustees forpermissionto publish texts based onMSS at theWordsworthLibrary, Grasmere. In making this new edition Ihave been conscious of a debt to the CornellEditors, Stephen Parrish, James Butler, and aboveall Mark Reed; to the Penguin team, especiallyChristopherRicks,PaulKeeganandAntonyWood;topasteditorsofThePrelude,ErnestdeSelincourt,Helen Darbishire and James Maxwell; to AnneSemmesandHenryWordsworth.JonathanWordsworth

TABLEOFDATES

1770 7AprilWilliamWordsworthbornatCockermouth,Cumberland,secondsonofJohnWordsworth(1741–83),lawyerandagenttoSirJamesLowther,laterEarlofLonsdale.

16AugustMaryHutchinsonbornatPenrith,Cumberland,homeofWordsworth’sgrandparents(marriespoet1802,dies1859).

1771 25DecemberBirthofDorothyWordsworth,onlysisterofpoet(d.1855).

1772 21OctoberBirthofSamuelTaylorColeridge(d.1834).4DecemberBirthofJohnWordsworth,sailorbrotherofpoetandDorothy(drowned5February1805).

1774 9JuneBirthofChristopher,fifthandlastchildofJohnandAnnWordsworth(laterMasterofTrinity,Cambridge;d.1846).

1778 c. 8 March Ann Wordsworth, poet’s mother, dies aged 30,probablyofpneumonia(1805V256–60).

JuneDorothysenttolivewithcousinsinHalifax,onthegroundsthatshecouldnotproperlybebroughtupinall-malehousehold.

1779 c. 15 May Wordsworth sent to Hawkshead Grammar School(1799 I 258 ff.), where he lives (at one point with all threebrothers)inlodgingswithAnnTyson(1805IV16–28,207–21).

1783 30 December Unexpected death of poet’s father, JohnWordsworth,aged42(1799I349–60).

1785 First extant poem, Bicentenary Verses, on the foundation ofHawksheadGrammarSchool.

1786 12JuneDeath, aged32,of theRevdWilliamTaylor,FellowofEmmanuel College, Cambridge, headmaster of HawksheadGrammarSchoolsince1781(1805X489–514).

1786–7

Composition of long, Gothic, partly autobiographical Vale ofEsthwaite(survivingonlyinfragments).

1787 MarchAppearanceinEuropeanMagazineoffirstpublishedpoem,Sonnet, On Seeing Miss Helen Maria WilliamsWeep at a Tale ofDistress.

Early summer Reunion at Penrith of Wordsworth and Dorothy(living with relatives at Halifax for previous nine years)coincideswith‘blessedtimeofearlylove’forMaryHutchinson,Dorothy’sclosefriend(1805VI208–45,XI315–25)

30October Takes up residence at St John’s College, Cambridge(1805,III,IV39–55,VI1–109,IX226–36).

1788 UnsuccessfulsuitagainstLordLonsdaleforrepaymentof£4,625owedtoJohnWordsworthathisdeath(repaidtothefamilybyLonsdale’sheir,1803).

Summer Wordsworth spends nine weeks of Cambridge longvacation at Hawkshead (1805 IV), giving rise to accounts ofDedicationScene(11.316–45)andDischargedSoldier(11.363–504).

1788–9

CompositionofAnEveningWalk(published1793).

1789 14JulyFallofBastille.

1790 10July-mid-OctoberWalkingtourwithRobertJones(CambridgestudentfrommountainousNorthWales)throughFranceandtheAlps, and back down the Rhine (1805 VI 332–705); notableespecially forCrossingof theAlps andSimplonPass (11. 494–572).

1791 21JanuaryWordsworthawardedBAwithouthonours;movestoLondon.

May-AugustStayswithJones inWales; remarkable forclimbingofSnowdon(1805XIII1–73).

26NovemberCrossestoFrance,visitingtheNationalAssemblyinParis, and probably the Jacobin Club (1805 IX 40–80), beforeleavingforOrleanson5December.

1792 SpringMeetsAnnetteVallon;movestoBloisandisconvertedbyFrencharmyofficerandnoblemanMichelBeaupuytothecauseofthepeople(1805IX127–550).

Early summer Writes Descriptive Sketches (published 1793);Beaupuy’s regiment leaves for service on Rhine, 27 July. 10AugustLouisXVIdeposed(1805X39–54).2–6 September Austrian invasion provokes massacre of royalistandotherprisonersinParis(1805X62–82).22SeptemberRepublicproclaimed,followingunexpectedvictoryoverinvadersatValmyon20th(1805X24–31).29OctoberWordsworthinParisenrouteforLondon(1805X1–188),presumablyintendingtoraisemoneyandreturntomarryAnnette;leavesFranceendofNovember.15 December Anne Caroline Wordsworth baptized in OrleansCathedral.

1793 21JanuaryExecutionofLouisXVI.

29 January Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches published. 1February France declareswar on England; England follows suiton nth, as it proves, dividing Wordsworth from Annette andCarolinetill1802(PeaceofAmiens).16FebruaryPublicationofWilliamGodwin’sEnquiryConcerningPolitical Justice (1805 X 805–29); approximate date ofWordsworth’s unpublished Painite, rather than Godwinian,politicaltractLettertotheBishopofLlandaff,attackinghereditarytitles,defendingexecutionofLouis.Late July–earlyAugustCrossesSalisburyPlainon foot (1805XII312–53),visitingTinternAbbeyforfirsttimeenrouteforNorthWales;whilestayingwithJones,August-September,composesaversionofSalisburyPlain.7OctoberExecutionofGorsas, firstofthe Girondins (with whom Wordsworth was politically insympathy) to be guillotined. Carlyle’s story that WordsworthreturnedtoParisatthistimeandsawGorsasdieisinthehighestdegreeimprobable.HewasnoScarletPimpernel.

1794 April-MayWordsworthandDorothyspendsixweekstogetheratWindyBrowinKeswick;SalisburyPlaincompleted,EveningWalkandDescriptiveSketchesheavilyandinterestinglyrevised.

10 June–26 July The Great Terror: Robespierre, presiding overthe Committee of Public Safety, sends 1,376 people to theguillotine inParis–asopposedto1,251inthepreviousfifteenmonths(1805X329–45).27 July Robespierre loses control in the National Convention,attemptssuicide,andisguillotinednextday;Wordsworthhearsthenewswith ‘glee’,while crossingLevens Sands c. 20August(1805X529–52).

1795 c.9 January Wordsworth receives legacy of £900 at the deathfrom tuberculosis of Raisley Calvert (younger brother of aHawkshead schoolfriend), designed to enable him to writeinsteadoftakingajob(1805XIII349–67).

February-August Wordsworth in London; becomes a disciple ofGodwin,whom hemeets nine times, after being introduced tohim on 27 February by William Frend (Unitarian mentor ofColeridge till sackedbyCambridge for his political views) at agathering of radicals that included Holcroft (lately on trial forhightreason).Late August–September Wordsworth, on visit to Bristol, meetsSoutheyandColeridge.26SeptemberWordsworthandDorothygotoliveatRacedown,asubstantial house lent them by the Pinneys near Bridport inDorset, taking with them the child Basil Montague (aged two-and-a-half)whohasbeenentrustedtotheircare.4OctoberColeridgemarriesSaraFrzicker.October-November Wordsworth rewrites Salisbury Plain asAdventures on Salisbury Plain with new Godwinian slant. LettergetsthroughfromAnnette,mentioninghalfadozenotherssentbutnotreceived.

1796 c.MarchWordsworthexperiencessomeformofmentalormoralcrisis, probably brought on by reading the second edition ofGodwin’sPoliticalJustice(1805X878–920).

16 April Publication of Coleridge’s Poems on Various Subjects,includingReligiousMusings,readandadmiredbyWordsworth.AutumnWordsworth’sonlyplay,TheBorderers,begun.

1797 c.MarchBordererscompleted.

May-JuneFirstversionofRuinedCottagewritten.c. 5 June Coleridge arrives on a visit to Racedown, taking theWordsworthsbackwithhimtoNetherStoweyon4July,whereonthe7ththeyleaseAlfoxdenHouse.c.5NovemberColeridgewritesKublaKhan;half-lengthversionofAncientMarinercompleteby20th.c. 10 December Borderers turned down by Covent Garden,togetherwithColeridge’sOsorio.

1798 10JanuaryColeridgereceivesannuityfromWedgwoodbrothers,enablinghimtowriteratherthanbecomingUnitarianminister.

February Discharged Soldier (1805 IX 363–504) written asindependentpoem;Coleridge’sFrostatMidnightcomposed,and,embodying the samepantheistmessage,Wordsworth’sPedlar iswrittenintoTheRuinedCottage,whichhasnowbecomepartofTheRecluse.6MarchSchemeforTheRecluseannouncedinletter.c.13MarchGoodyBlakeandHarryGill,earliestofWordsworth’slyrical ballads, completed (The Thorn and others following inquicksuccession).10–13 July Having taken Lyrical Ballads MSS to the press,WordsworthcomposesTinternAbbeyontourofWye.16–19 September Coleridge and Wordsworths journey toHamburg, he going on to Ratzeburg (30th), they to Goslar (6October).October First Prelude composition in MS JJ: Was It For Thiswritten,togetherwithdraftsoftheboat-stealingepisode(1799181–129),Nutting,andversionofThereWasABoy(1805V389–413)asfirst-personnarrative.November–December Composition (among other poetry) of firstthreeLucypoemsandskatingepisode(1799I150–85).

1799 January–earlyFebruary‘Spotsoftime’sequence(1799I258–374)composed;1799 Part I complete before theWordsworths leaveGoslaron23February.

LateFebruary–lateAprilWordsworthsonwalkingtourthatstartsin Harz Forest (1805 VII 347–90) and includes two visits toColeridge,nowatGöttingen.13 May Wordsworths at Sockburn-on-Tees, home of theHutchinsonfamily,wheretheystaytilltheendofyear.Autumn1799 Part II composed, andPart I revised; noworkingMSSsurvive.

25–6 October Coleridge, in England since mid-July, arrives atSockburn;accompaniesWordsworthandhisbrotherJohn(backfromtwo-yearvoyage)onLakeDistrictwalking tour,endingc.20November.18–19 November Wordsworth composes Glad Preamble(incorporated inPrelude as1805 1–54, January 1804) on two-day walk from Ullswater to Grasmere to rent Dove Cottage.ColeridgereturnstoSockburn,fallslastingly(andhopelessly)inlovewithMaryHutchinson’syoungersisterSara,andgoessouthtobeajournalistinLondon.EarlyDecember Transcription of 1799Prelude in twin fair copyMSS, MS V copied by Dorothy and MS U copied by MaryHutchinson.20December Having walked across the country from Sockburnvia Wensleydale, Wordsworth and Dorothy take possession ofDoveCottage,theirhometill1808.

1800 January-early March Composition of Prospectus to The Recluse,Brothers,Hart-LeapWellandbulkofHomeatGrasmere(intendedasfirstbookofTheRecluse).

6 April-4May Coleridge’s first visit to Dove Cottage; a secondvolumeforLyricalBalladsagreedupon.29 June Coleridges (poet, wife and Hartley) arrive at DoveCottage, stay till 23 July when theymove into Greta Hall, 12milesawayatKeswick.13SeptemberWordsworth atwork onPreface toLyrical Ballads(laterdescribedbyColeridgeas‘halfthechildofmyownbrain’).4 October Christabel Part II completed, for inclusion in LyricalBallads, second volume; two readings greeted with delight atDoveCottage,but followedon6thbydecision thatpoemshallbepublishedseparatelywithWordsworth’sPedlar(toolong?toodistinct from poetry of everyday life described in Preface?).ColeridgedoesnotgoontowritePartIIIofChristabel11OctoberWordsworthatworkonMichaelasLyricalBalladsreplacementforChristabel18DecemberLastsheetsofcopyforLyricalBalladssentoff.

1801 7JanuaryJohnWordsworth,aged28,sworninascaptainoftheEarl of Abergavenny, largest merchant ship in the East IndiaCompany’sfleet.

c.25JanuaryPublicationofLyricalBalladsintwovolumes,dated1800,withWordsworth’snameonthetitle-page.Spring1799PreluderevisedforJohntotakeonvoyage.EarlyDecemberWordsworthtranslatingChaucer.21DecemberWordsworthtakesupThePedlar,andon28thisatwork on a third part for 1799, bringing story down toCambridge; presumably composes 1805 III 1–167, in whichPedlarmaterialisincorporated(11.330–56).

1802 24 February Coleridge notebook-entry reveals Wordsworth’sintentiontomarryMaryHutchinson.

Spring–earlysummerWordsworthwritingshortpoemsandlyrics,including Intimations stanzas 1–4 and Leech Gatherer; Pedlarrevisions,butnoworkonPrelude.4 April Coleridge writes first version of Dejection: An Ode,addressed as despairing poetic love letter to Sara Hutchinson(1805XI332–4).27March-16May1803PeaceofAmiens:onlytruceinwarwithFrance,1793–1814.9July–6OctoberWordsworthandDorothyleaveGrasmereonajourney that takes them via the Hutchinsons’ new farm inYorkshire to London, Dover and Calais, where they spend amonthwithAnnetteandCaroline;thence,withaweekspentinLondon, back toGallowHill,whereWordsworth andMary aremarriedon4October,andfinally,withMary,toGrasmere.Thejourney produces many of Wordsworth’s greatest sonnets,includingWestminsterBridgeandToToussaintl’Ouverture.7 September Lamb shows the Wordsworths Bartholomew Fair(1805VII648–94)and,onthesamevisit,Tipu’sTiger(IV301–4).7NovemberWordsworthtranslatingTasso,OrlandoFurioso.

1803 Threats of French invasion cause Wordsworth to enlist inWestmorlandVolunteers,andcallforthpatrioticsonnets(amongthem To the Men of Kent, October 1803); otherwise littlecomposition.

18JuneBirthofpoet’seldestson,John(d.1875).c.mid-JulyHazlitt(expertportrait-painteraswellaswriter)visitsLakeDistrictandpaintsbothWordsworthandColeridge;neitherportraitseemstohavesurvived.15 August Wordsworth, Coleridge and Dorothy set out onScottishtour,Coleridgeonthe16thvisitinginCarlislegaoltheforgerHatfieldwhohadbigamouslymarriedMaryofButtermere(1805 VII 320–59). Tour includes visits to Burns’ house andgrave, and meeting with Walter Scott; provides material forpoemsof1804–5,includingYarrowUnvisited.October Wordsworth, said by Coleridge to be at work on TheRecluse,reincorporatesThePedlar inTheRuinedCottage(MSE),stronglysuggestingthathehasinmindaplanforTheExcursion(firstmentionedinMarch1804;publishedin1814as‘APortionofTheRecluse’,withthefull-lengthRuinedCottageasBookI).20 December Coleridge arrives at Dove Cottage, en route forLondonandtheMediterraneaninsearchofhealth.

1804 4 January Wordsworth reads Coleridge ‘the second part of hisdivineself-biography’(1799II) ‘inthehighestandoutermostofGrasmere’.

14JanuaryColeridgeleavesforsouth.LateJanuary–earlyMarchWordsworth at work on new five-book version of Prelude forColeridge to take abroad (comprising 1805 I–III, a single-bookversionofIVandV,plusthenewly-writtenClimbingofSnowdon(finally 1805 XIII 1–65) and revised Spots of Time (finally XI257–388). Also with Coleridge in mind, a collection ofWordsworth’sunpublishedverse(MSM) isprepared, Intimationsis completed, and a number of other lyrics are composed,

includingOdetoDutyandDaffodils.c. 10March Though the five-bookPrelude is complete, or verynearly so, Wordsworth decides to reorganize his material andworktowardsalongerversion;by18MarchColeridgehasbeensent1805I–Vinalmosttheirfinalshape.9AprilColeridgesailsforMaltaontheSpeedwell,Wordsworthatworkon1805VI(recordinghisownforeigntravels).29 April Book VI complete, Wordsworth probably goes on towriteXIandX (a)– carrying thepoet’sFrenchexperienceandinvolvement in revolutionary politics up to the death ofRobespierre,X566–beforeasummerbreak.16AugustDoraWordsworthborn(d.1847).7October Wordsworth back at work on Prelude; writes BooksVIII,VII(probably)andX(b)beforeChristmas.Early November Probable date of Kitten and the Falling Leaves(echoed1805VII294,387,470–3).2DecemberNapoleon,withPope in attendance, crownshimselfEmperor(1805X930–40).

1805 5 February John Wordsworth drowned as Earl of Aberga-vennysinksoffPortland;newsreachesDoveCottageonnth,puttingastoptoanycomposition.

c. 20 May Thirteen-book Prelude completed, Books XI-XIII (allshort,andcontainingmucholdwork)inpreviousthreeweeks.3 June Stepping Westward composed on basis of 1803 Scottishtour,newlywrittenupbyDorothy;SolitaryReaper followson5November.29 November Dorothy ‘engaged in making a fair and finaltranscript’ofPrelude(MSA).26 December Two-thirds of Prelude transcribed; Wordsworth,‘veryanxioustogetforwardwithTheRecluse’,is‘readingforthenourishmentofhismindpreparatorytobeginning’.

1806 January–early March Mary copying Prelude MS B; WordsworthalreadymakingearlycorrectionstoA.

EarlyJanuaryWaggonerwritten.LateMarch–mid-MayWordsworth spends three enjoyableweeksinLondon,visitsChristopher(nowChaplaintotheArchbishopatLambeth)andtheBeaumonts,seesSirGeorge’spicturePielCastleinaStorm(inspirationofElegiacStanzas, lastandgreatestofhiselegiesforJohn,composedonreturntoGrasmere).15JuneThomasWordsworthborn(d.1812).SummerWordsworth goes back toHome at Grasmere, adding afewlinesandswitchingProspectustoend,inefforttogetstartedoncentralsectionofRecluse.17August Coleridge, abroad for two-and-a-half years, lands onsouth coast; reluctant to meet friends and family, lingers inLondontilllateOctober.Early September Constable, on painting tour of Lake District,meetsWordsworth;notimpressed.26OctoberWordsworthfamily,nowtoolargeforDoveCottage,setsout forColeorton,Leicestershire,whereBeaumonthas lentthema farmhouse for thewinter; joinedbySaraHutchinson inKendalwithnewsthatColeridgehasatlastcomenorth.UneasymeetingwithColeridge,whohasputonweight and seemsnothimself.24 November Coleridge’s separation from his wife reported byDorothy.21 December Coleridge and Hartley come to stay with theWordsworthsatColeorton.

1807 Early January Wordsworth reads The Prelude to Coleridge (towhom it has been addressed from the first); reading promptsColeridgetowriteToWilliamWordsworth,lastmajorpoem.

SpringBlakepoems,includingTheDivineImageandTiger,copiedby Wordsworth into his commonplace-book (from BenjaminHeath Malkin, who had access to a copy of Innocence andExperience,Father’sMemoirsofHisChild,1806,xviii–xli).Mid-April-earlyMayWordsworthsinLondon.

8MayAppearanceofPoemsinTwoVolumes.10JuneWordsworthsleaveColeorton,returningtoGrasmereon10July,afterperiodinYorkshire.4NovemberDeQuincey,whohashero-worshippedWordsworthsince he was at school, and been in correspondence with himsince May 1803, arrives at Dove Cottage (where, as tenant insuccessiontoWordsworth,heistoexperiencehismostappallingopium-dreams).

1808 16 January White Doe of Rylstone completed (in emulation ofScott’spopularLayoftheLastMinstrel).

LateFebruary-earlyAprilWordsworth inLondon, seesColeridge,shilly-shalliesaboutpublishingWhiteDoe.LateMayWordsworthsmove half amile across valley toAllanBank, regarded by them as ‘temple of abomination’ when firstbuiltin1805.Summer Tuft of Primroses, including the sacking of the GrandeChartreuse(1850421–89),writtenforRecluse.30AugustSigningofConventionofCintra(Britishagreementtorepatriate French army captured in Peninsular War); seen byWordsworthandothersasbetrayaloffreedom-fighters.1September Coleridge comes to visit Allan Bank; stays for twonotalwayseasyyears.6SeptemberBirthofCatharineWordsworth(d.1812).October Protest meetings over Convention of Cintra;Wordsworth’s pamphlet (written with help from Coleridge)completeinoriginalformbyendofyear.EarlyNovemberDeQuinceytoocomestoliveatAllanBank;staystillFebruary.27December First instalment ofConvention of Cintra printed inCourier,othersdespatchedtoLondon.

1809 JanuaryWordsworthdecides topublishConvention in pamphletform; De Quincey leaves for London c. 20 February to see itthroughpress.

27MayConventionofCintrafinallypublished.1JuneFirstissueofColeridge’sFriendappears.Mid-June-earlyNovemberWordsworthatworkonIntroductionforJosephWilkinson’sSelectViews inCumberland,Westmorland andLancashire (first version of Guide to Lakes); copied by 17November.c.20OctoberDeQuinceymovesintoDoveCottage.26October1805X662–5,689–727(‘Blisswasitinthatdawntobealive’)publishedinFriendoverWordsworth’sname.December–May 1810 Probable date of Excursion Book II; BooksIII–VwrittenbyMarch1812.14 December Early part of Wordsworth’s essay on education,Reply toMathetes, published in Friend; concluded in issue of 4January(overinitialsM.M.).28December1805I428–89(‘Wisdomandspiritoftheuniverse’uptoskatingepisode)publishedinFriend.

1810 22 February First of Wordsworth’s three Essays upon Epitaphsappears in Friend (other two written at this stage, but neverpublishedbyWordsworth).

15MarchLastissueofFriend.12MayBirthofWilliamWordsworthJr(d.1883).4July-earlySeptemberWordsworthmakestriptoColeor-tonandHindwell(ThomasHutchinson’sfarminWales),accompaniedonfirstlegbyDorothy;periodremarkableforpassionatetendernessofpoet’scorrespondencewithMary(broughttolightin1977).LateOctoberBasilMontagupassesonWordsworth’s remarksonthe difficulty of livingwith Coleridge; Coleridgewounded andangry;friendshipneverfullyrecovers.

1811 c.earlyJuneWordsworthsmoveintoRectory,lastandsaddestoftheir homes at Grasmere (no longer standing). Mid-OctoberWordsworth teaches briefly at Grasmere school (now thegingerbread shop) to observe workings of Dr Bell’s MadrasSystemofeducation.

1812 Mid–April–mid–JuneWordsworth inLondon tomakepeacewithColeridge; reconciliation arranged through Lamb and CrabbRobinson, statements drawn up, meetings take place,Wordsworth attends Coleridge’s lectures, some degree ofharmonyrestored.

11MayChancemeetingswithByronandMoore;aswellastheBeaumonts, Lamb, De Quincey and Rogers (old friends),Wordsworth sees on this visit Uvedale Price, Constable,HumphryDavy,JoannaBaillie,MrsBarbauldandmanyothers.4 June Death of Catharine Wordsworth (who has always beenfrailandsubjecttoconvulsions);newsreachesLondonon10th.SurprisedbyJoy,Wordsworth’s sonnet forCatharine,belongs to1813–14.August–SeptemberVisitofDrBelltoGrasmere.1December ThomasWordsworth dies ofmeasles, buried besideCatharine.

1813 January 1813–late May 1814 Composition of Excursion VI–IX,togetherwith the lament fordeathof theSolitary’s children inBookIII(1814text,pp.124–6).26 April Through patronage of Lord Lonsdale, WordsworthbecomesDistributorofStamps (civil servantwith responsibilityforstampduties)forWestmorlandandpartofCumberland.12MayHouseholdmovestoRydalMountinneighbouringvalley(with deaths of the children andproximity of their graves, theanyhowdampandinconvenientRectoryhadbecomeimpossibletolivein).4NovemberSoutheybecomesPoetLaureate(Scotthavingturnedthehonourdown).

1814 Mid-July-early September Tour of ScotlandwithMary, and SaraHutchinson; remarkable chiefly for meeting with James Hogg,theEttrickshepherd,andcompositionofYarrowVisited.EarlyAugustExcursionpublished.LateOctoberLaodamiacomposed.

1815 JanuaryWritingPrefacetoPoems1815.EarlyAprilPublicationofPoems 1815, firstCollectedEditionofWordsworth.2JunePublicationofWhiteDoeofRylstone.11JuneHaydonmakeslife-maskofWordsworth,aspreparationfor introducinghim (withKeats,NewtonandVoltaire) intohis12 × 15 foot painting Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem - now inCincinnati.

1816 28FebruaryMarriageinParisofCarolineWordsworthandJean-Baptiste-Martin Beaudouin; Dorothy arranges to go, but allowspoliticalsituationtodeterher.May–June Coleridge’s Christabel, Kubla Khan and The Pains ofSleepgoesthroughthreeeditions.Late May Publication of Wordsworth’s Thanks giving Ode andLettertoaFriendofRobertBurns.

1817 17AprilVernalOdecomposed.SummerEveningofExtraordinarySplendourcomposed.JulyColeridgepublishesBiographiaLiterariaandSibyllineLeaves.28December ‘Immortal Dinner’ takes place in Haydon’s studio,withWordsworth,KeatsandaverytipsyLamb.

1818 c.13 April Wordsworth, canvassing energetically for the toryLowthers since previous December, publishes Two Addresses totheFreeholdersofWestmorland.Nosignificantpoetrycomposed.

1819 Probable date of the first major Prelude revision, maybepromptedbyJohnCarter’stranscriptionofMSC.LateAprilPeterBellpublished.JuneWaggonerpublished.NovemberThree-volumeeditionofColeridge’sFriend.

1820 May Duddon Sonnets published, Vaudracour and Julia (1805 IX556–935,tellingobliquelyofthepoet’sloveforAnnetteVallon)

extractedfromPreludeandpublishedseparately.11July̵7NovemberContinentaltourwithMaryandDorothyandCrabbRobinson, retracing in theAlps thepoet’s routeof1790;meeting inPariswithAnnette andCaroline andCaroline’s twodaughters.Late July Miscellaneous Poems (four-volume Collected Edition)published,plussecondeditionofExcursion.

1821 Dorothy and Mary writing accounts of the 1820 tour,Wordsworth composing his verse Memorials and sonnets forEcclesiasticalSketches(bothpublishedinMarch1822).23FebruaryKeatsdiesinRome,aged25.

1822 c. late April First separate publication of Wordsworth’s Guide,DescriptionoftheSceneryoftheLakes.8JulyShelleydrownsintheGulfofSpezia,aged29.

1824 First American Collected Edition of Wordsworth (4 volumes,Boston).19AprilDeathofByronatMissolonghi,aged36.August-OctoberTourofNorthWales.

1825 c.FebruaryPublicationofHazlitt’sSpiritoftheAge.MayColeridgepublishesAidstoReflection.

1827 7FebruaryDeathof SirGeorgeBeaumont (patronofColeridge,WordsworthandConstable,founderoftheNationalGallery).MayPoeticalWorkspublishedin5volumes;somenewwork,oldpoemscarefullyrevised(for theworse,asWordsworth’s friendsmakeclear).12AugustBlakedies.

1828 EarlyDecemberPowerofSounddrafted (completedc.November1829).21June–7AugustContinentaltourwithDoraandColeridge.August Coleridge’s Poetical Works in three volumes. Single-

volumepiracyofWordsworthbyGalignani,Paris.

1829 Galignani single-volume piracy of Coleridge–Shelley-Keats (forthelasttwo,withstatusofunauthorizedfirstCollectedWorks).

1830 18SeptemberDeathofHazlitt.

1831 19 September Wordsworth and Dora visit the dying Sir WalterScottatAbbotsfordbeforehisdepartureforItaly,thenmaketourofHighlands;YarrowRevisitedcomposed tocelebrate friendshipofalmost30years.

1832 Winter–spring Second major Prelude revision, leading totranscriptionofMSD.3FebruaryCrabbedies.JuneNewfour-volumePoeticalWorks.21SeptemberDeathofScott(afterreturntoAbbotsford).Autumn MS D already being submitted to revision; Dorothybecomeschronicinvalid.

1833 July–AugustSteamboattourwithCrabbRobinsontoIsleofMan,Staffaandlona;compositionofStBeesHead.

1834 DeathsofColeridge(25July)andLamb(27December).

1835 January Publication of Yarrow Revisited and Other Poems,Wordsworth’s most successful single volume, with importantpoliticalAppendix.16MayDeathofFeliciaHemans.23JuneDeathofSaraHutchinson,for30yearsamemberoftheWordsworthhousehold.21 November Death of James Hogg, following upon those ofScott, Coleridge, Lamb, Crabbe and Hemans, promptsWordsworth towriteExtempore Effusion (modelled onDunbar’sLamentfortheMakers).

1836–7

Six-volumePoeticalWorks(reprintedsixtimesbeforepublicationofthesingle-volumeeditionof1845).

1837 19March–AugustWordsworthvisitsRomeandVenicewithCrabbRobinson and Moxon (his publisher); poet 67, but highlyproductive.LastContinentaltour.

1838 JuneWordsworth’ssonnetscollectedinsinglevolume.July–April1839ThirdmajorperiodofPreluderevision:MSDtwicerevisedbeforetranscriptionofE(printer’scopy).

1841 10JanuaryAnnetteVallondies;buriedatPèreLachaise.11MayDoraWordsworthmarriesminorpoetandmanofletters,EdwardQuillinan,atBath.

1842 April Poems Chiefly of Early and Late Years, including firstpublication of Adventures on Salisbury Plain (1795, revised asGuilt and Sorrow) and Borderers, together withMemorials of aTourinItaly(notablyMusingsNearAqua-pendente)andthelastofhismajorlyrics,Airey-ForceValley.Winter 1842–3’Fenwick Notes’, on the circumstances ofWordsworth’s individual poems, dictated to Isabella Fenwick,friendofhislateyears.

1843 21 March Death of Southey; succeeded as Poet Laureate byWordsworthinApril.

1845 25 April Borrows Samuel Rogers’ court-dress, and HumphryDavy’s sword, to attend Queen’s Ball in London. 4 May MeetsTennyson (his successor as Poet Laureate). November Single-volume Poems, with vignette of Rydal Mount on title-page;reissued1847.

1847 9JulyDoraWordsworthdiesoftuberculosis,aged42.

1849 6JanuaryDeathofHartleyColeridge,‘childofalltheVale’.

1849–50

Six-volumePoeticalWorks,withWordsworth’sfinalrevisions.

1850 23AprilWordsworthdies,aged80.JulyPublicationofThePrelude(titlechosenbyMary).

1855 25 January Death of DorothyWordsworth (aftermore than 20yearsaninvalid).

1859 17January1859DeathofMaryWordsworth.

INTRODUCTION

The Prelude is a poem of many versions. LikeWhitman,Wordsworthlivedtobeanoldman,andkeptbringinghisworkuptodate.UnlikeWhitman,whoprintedninedifferenttextsofLeavesofGrassinthe years 1855–91, Wordsworth left his poem inmanuscript. His problem was that The Prelude(known inhis lifetimeas ‘ThePoemtoColeridge’)wasanautobiography.Itwas,WordsworthtoldSirGeorge Beaumont on 1 May 1805, ‘a thingunprecedentedinliteraryhistorythatamanshouldtalk so much about himself. Publication, he felt,couldbe justifiedonlyby completionof his grandschemeforTheRecluse,ofwhichThePreludewasasubordinatepart.In1814hefeltabletopublishthelessegocentricExcursion(withthewords‘APortionofTheRecluse’onthetitle-page),butevenwhenitbecameclearthatthelargerschemewouldneverbecompleted, he stuck to his view that The Preludecould not be printed on its own. As a result,

Wordsworth’s great epic of human consciousnesswas for almost half a century known only tomembersofhisimmediatecircle.ThePrelude finallyappeared inJuly1850, three

months afterWordsworth’s death. Concerned as itwas with the French Revolution, and finishedoriginally in the year of Beethoven’s Fidelio andScott’sLayoftheLastMinstrel,itseemedoutofdatenext to the poem of the moment, Tennyson’s InMemoriam.ManyVictorianscontinuedtopreferTheExcursion, on which they had been brought up. Ithas been left to twentieth-century scholars toconsolidateThePrelude’s position among the greatEnglish long poems by editing early versionspreserved among manuscripts at the WordsworthLibrary, Grasmere. Presented below are four textsspanningtheyears1798–1850:(1)thefirstPreludedraft,WasItForThis,aself-containedpoemof150lines composed in Germany in October 1798; (2)the two-part Prelude, completed in 968 lines inDecember 1799, and first published in 1973; (3)ThePrelude as completed in thirteenbooks inMay1805,revisedoverthecourseofthenextyear,andfirstpublished in1926; (4) the first editionofThePrelude, made ready for the press by Wordsworthandpublished (with someunwarranted tinkerings)

by his executors in 1850. The poems of 1805 and1850areofferedasparalleltexts.WasItForThis,hereforthefirsttimepresented

asaseparate,annotatedversionofThePrelude,isofimmense importance. Short as it is, it takes for itstheme‘TheGrowthofaPoet’sMind’,containinginembryothediscussionofeducationthroughnaturecentral to all later versions. As he began to writeWordsworthdidnotknowthathewasembarkedona major poem. He and his sister Dorothy hadrecentlycometotheGermantownofGoslarinEastSaxony, where they were to stay in cold anddiscomfort, and with very little money, until 23February 1799. The poet was worrying about hisfailure to get on with writing the philosophicalRecluse, planned with Coleridge in the spring andintendedtobehislife’swork.Ashisdraftopensheisaskinghimselfreproachfulquestionsinverse.Histhoughts are in mid-flow, seemingly in mid-sentence:

wasitforthisThatone,thefairestofallrivers,lovedToblendhismurmurswithmynurse’ssong…

Forthisdidstthou,OhDerwent,travellingoverthegreenplainsNearmysweetbirthplace,didstthou,beauteousstream,Giveceaselessmusictothenightandday…

WasitforthisthatI,afouryears’child,BeneaththyscarsandinthysilentpoolsMadeonelongbathingofasummer’sday…

Wordsworth iswriting fast, and his questioninghasanurgency,yetthepoetryformsitselfnaturallyintoarhetoricalpattern.Stylizedreiterationof‘Wasit for this’ had been used by a number ofeighteenth-century writers, Pope and Thomsonamong them, and is probably a development ofhints in Virgil. English examples tend to derivefrom a passage in Milton’s Samson Agonistes.Addressinghisfallenson,nowblindedandcaptivetothePhilistines,Manoahasks:

Forthisdidtheangeltwicedescend–forthisOrdainedthynurtureholy,asofaplant,Selectandsacred?(11.361–3)

Wordsworthhadnotfatallyabusedhispowersasapoet,butneverthelesssawhimselfinautumn1798as failing to put them to the purposes for whichthey had been ordained. As Was It For Thisdevelops, his sense of having been a ‘chosen son’sendshimbacktoexaminehis‘nurture’amongtheCumbrianhills.Therehefinds,notthechildhoodofreassuring nostalgic memory, but moments ofsublime intensity amid ‘high objects’ and ‘eternalthings’ofnature.Painandfear,exemplified inthe

bird’s-nesting and woodcock-snaring episodes(WIFT30–46,76–97), are seen in these conditionsto be ‘sanctified’ by the ‘discipline’ of nature’spresence. In amagnificent phrase the poet claims,not just forhimself, but for us all, the capacity to‘recognize|Agrandeurinthebeatingsoftheheart’.ThePreludehasfounditstheme.No one had ever written such poetry before.

Therehadbeenpainters–JohnRobertCozensandFrancisTowneamongthem–capableofembodyinginlandscapetheBurkeansublime,butnopoethademerged of sufficient stature to body it forth inwords.ExtendingWasItForThis,Wordsworthtakesa backward glance at Paradise Lost, the greatprecursor-poem that will be inspiration andchallenge to each successive Prelude version (seeWIFT98–9n.).Hethenpresents tousThePrelude’searliestmyth of origins. ‘… oh bounteous power’,hewrites,addressingaPlatonic‘eternalspirit’whohas ‘His life in unimaginable things’ and is‘apparent chiefly as the soul|Of our firstsympathies’:

ohbounteouspower,Inchildhood,inrememberabledays,HowoftendidthyloverenewformeThosenakedfeelingswhichwhenthouwouldstformAlivingthingthousendestlikeabreeze

Intoitsinfantbeing(WIFT109–14)

ForWordsworth inOctober1798(threemonthsafterthepantheistaffirmationsofTinternAbbey),itistheinspiringloveofthis‘Soulofthings’thatfits

Ournewexistencetoexistingthings,Andinourdawnofbeingconstitute[s]Thebondofunionbetwixtlifeandjoy.(WIFT121–3)

Inwhat is clearly a deliberate rounding off of hispoem, Wordsworth concludesWas It For This byasserting the importanceof ‘primordial feelings’ tothe‘noblestends’oflaterlife.Hethengoeson,withthe same inspired assurance, to compose theboat-stealing episode (1799 I 82–129), seemingly forinsertion within the structure ofWas It For This,togetherwithaversionofThereWasaBoy(1805V389–413)infirst-personnarrative,andanumberoflesser drafts. Effectively what is taking shape is aversion of 1799 Part I. Despite Wordsworth’swritingatthisperiodthreeoftheLucypoems,Ruth,andmuchelse,ashortformofPartIseemstohavebeencompletebeforeChristmas1798.ThereWasABoy and Nutting could have been included, butprobablyweren’t.Theskatingepisode(1799I150–85)toohadbeenwritten,butwasforsomereasonnot incorporated until the following year. Among

passagesinthefinaltextof1799PartIthathadnotyet been composed were the home-amusementssection (11. 206–33), added in late 1799, and the‘spots of time’ sequence (11. 258–374), insertedbeforetheWordsworthsleftGoslarinFebruary.For the composition of Part II in autumn 1799

there is little manuscript evidence. TheWordsworths were back in England, at Sockburn,County Durham, home of Mary Hutchinson, thepoet’s future wife. With a poem on childhoodcompleted in draft, there was an obvious logic towritingasequelonadolescence.IntermsofBurke’sfamousdefinitions, the child’s encounterswith thesublime in Part I gaveway in Part II to the boy’sgrowing response to the beautiful. In moving onfromWasItForThis,however,Wordsworthhadcuthis lines on the Platonic ‘soul of our firstsympathies’;amidthediscussionofboyhoodinPartIIwefind,unexpectedly,areplacement.Asbefore,Wordsworth is askingwhat have been the sourcesoftheimaginativepowersostrikinglyshowninhisearlymemories. And as before, the question takeshim back to infancy. He is thinking, though, indifferentterms.‘Subjectedtothedisciplineoflove’,theInfantBabeathismother’sbreastoffersanewhumanist myth with psychological implications a

hundred years ahead of its time.Where inWas ItForThis ithadbeenthe‘eternalspirit’whoselove,entering‘likeabreeze’,enlivenedthe‘infantbeing’,nowweareofferedachildwho ‘gather[s]passionfromhismother’seye’.‘Suchfeelings’,Wordsworthadds,

passintohistorpidlifeLikeanawakeningbreeze,andhencehismind,Eveninthefirsttrialofitspowers,Ispromptandwatchful…(1799II274–7)

It is now the mother – at once part of, andrepresentative of, general nature – who ‘fits|Ournewexistencetoexistingthings’.Alongthechild’s

infantveinsareinterfusedThegravitationandthefilialbondOfnaturethatconnecthimwiththeworld.(II292–4)

No longer is Wordsworth thinking, as in TinternAbbey, of a divine presence – ‘the life of things’ –‘interfused’ through every aspect of the naturalworld. The bond with nature that establishes thechild’shumanityisoneofblood.The two-part Prelude was finished and

transcribed early in December 1799, a matter ofdays before William and Dorothy Wordsworthmovedintotheirfirstpermanenthometogether,at

DoveCottage,Grasmere.DorothyconcludedMSV,her transcript of the 1799 Prelude, not with ‘TheEnd’ or ‘Finis’, but with the words ‘End of theSecondPart’,implyingpresumablythatshethoughtthepoemmightbeextended.Intheeventtherewasaperiodofrevisioninspring1801,associatedwithpreparing a manuscript for their sea-captainyounger brother John to take on voyage. And inDecemberWordsworthbeganworkontheopeningof a third part, bringing the account of hiseducation down to Cambridge, and probablycompletingaversionof1805III1–167.TheremayhavebeenunrecordedworkonThePreludeatothertimes(summer1803isapossibility),butinJanuary1804 thepoetmadeawhollynewstart.ColeridgewasillandheadingfortheMediterranean,asKeatswould laterdo, in searchofhealth.On the4thherecords in his Notebook, ‘in the highest andoutermostofGrasmere,Wordsworthreadtomethesecondpartofhisdivineself-biography’.ColeridgeleftGrasmereforLondon(andultimatelyMalta)onthe 14th; work probably began at once on a newversionofthe ‘self-biography’ forhimtotakewithhimwhenhesailed.Rather than just extending the poem,

Wordsworthat thispoint reorganizedhismaterial,

extracting the ‘spots of time’ sequence fromPart Iforuseatalaterstage.Probablythismeansthathehad already decided to incorporate the GladPreamble (1805 I 1–54) as an introduction, andeither written, or decided to write, the necessarylink-passage, 11. 55–271. The Preamble had, asJohn Finch showed in 1970, been composed as afree-standing effusion on 18–19 November 1799(see 1805 I 1–54n.). HadWordsworth intended itforThePrelude, itcouldhavebeen includedinthefaircopyMSSofthetwo-partpoem,transcribedthefollowing month. It is hard to believe, given theabruptness of its opening, that he didn’t regard1799 as needing an introduction. The joyousPreamble,however,wasnotdesignedforthejob–andcouldnotbeadaptedforitwithoutatransitionleading into the self-reproachful questioning, ‘Wasitforthis…’.MarkReedhassuggestedthatthePreamblewas

incorporated in The Prelude, and the link-passage(sometimesknownasthepost-Preamble)composed,as early as 1801. It may be so. As always, hisassessment of evidence is detailed and scrupulous.It hinges, however, on somewhat complexinterpretation of phrasing in letters of 1801 and1804, and I find myself not entirely convinced. I

don’t seewhyWordsworth should add a long andgrandioseintroductiontohispoematatimewhenhe was merely revising and extending the 1799text.CertainlyfailuretogetTheRecluseunderwayinHome atGrasmere (spring1800) couldhave ledtotheimageofthepoetasfalsestewardattheendof the post-Preamble, but why the Miltonicposturingin11.157–219overpossibletopicsforanepic? At no stage is it likely that Wordsworthseriously considered writing an epic in the old-fashionednarrativemode.Andthereisnosignthathe ever gave serious thought to the half-dozentopicsthathementions.HehastakenhiscuefromMilton’searlyambitiontowriteanationalepic,andisclaiming(asMiltondoes inParadiseLost)heroicstatus for the new and different poetry he iswriting.Thetimewhenthatclaimislikelytohavebeen made is January 1804, when (after yetanother failure, in October 1803, to engage withTheRecluse)WordsworthcametoseeThePreludeinlarger,moreMiltonic,terms.ByearlyMarch1804,Wordsworthwasembarked

on the fifth and final book of a new ambitiousPrelude, with a structure that shows a loss andregainingoftheparadiseofimaginativevision.Thefirst three books had reached the form taken in

1805;thefourthcontainedmateriallaterexpandedtocreate1805 IVandV;thefifthopenedwiththeClimbingofSnowdon(writtenFebruary1804,andappearingfinallyinBookXIII)andconcludedwitha revised version of the twomajor Spots of Time(written January 1799, and used finally in BookXI). In structural terms, imagination, fostered bynature in childhood and adolescence, is ‘impaired’(to use Wordsworth’s later term) as the poetexperiences‘aninnerfalling-off’atCambridge.Itisthen ‘restored’ in the epiphany on Snowdon, theSpotsofTimeservingasanexplanationas tohowthishascomeabout:

SofeelingcomesinaidOffeeling,anddiversityofstrengthAttendsusifbutoncewehavebeenstrong.(1805XI325–7)

Whether this impressive interim Prelude wascompletedwhen,c.10March,Wordsworthdecidedonce again to reorganize his material, it isimpossibletosay.Ifnot, itverynearlywas.DraftsinMS W, where the poem was being assembled,show that the most that Wordsworth had still towritewasabrieflinkingpassageinthefinalbook.OnceagainWordsworth’sdecisiontokeepgoing

onThePreludewasconnectedwithanxietyoverThe

Recluse. Coleridge, on whom he relied withtouching faith to provide material for a centralphilosophical section, was leaving the country,possibly dying. On 6MarchWordsworth wrote tohiminLondon:I finishedfiveorsixdaysagoanotherbookofmypoem,amountingto650 lines.AndnowIampositivelyarrivedat thesubject I spokeof inmylast.Whenthisnextbookisdone,whichIshallbeginintwoorthreedaystime,Ishallconsidertheworkasfinished.Farewell.I am very anxious to have your notes forTheRecluse. I cannot say

howmuch importance I attach to this. If it should please God that Isurviveyou, I should reproachmyself forever inwriting thework if Ihadneglectedtoprocurethishelp.

On the 29th, having heard from Coleridge of anattack of diarrhoea (described to many differentfriends: Coleridge was not one to waste potentialdrama),Wordsworthwrote in stillmore desperatetones:Your last letter but one, informing us of your late attack, was theseverestshocktome,Ithink,Ihaveeverreceived…IcannothelpsayingthatIwouldgladlyhavegiventhreefourthsofmypossessionsforyourletteronTheRecluseatthattime.Icannotsaywhataloaditwouldbetome,shouldIsurviveyouandyoudiewithoutthismemorialleftbehind.DoforHeaven’ssakeputthisoutofthereachofaccidentimmediately.

TowriteTheReclusewasforWordsworthadutytomankind,thepurposeofhislife.Unabletoproceedwith the central section, he went on with the

prefatorypoemthathedidknowhowtowrite.By18March1804Wordsworthwasabletosend

Coleridge the first five books of The Prelude inalmost their final shape.Toachieve thishehad inthepreviousweekturnedBookIVofthefive-bookpoemintoanear-finalversionof1805BooksIVandV.Ofthe400–500linesthatwereadded,nodoubtsome were old material, but Wordsworth waswritingfast;theonlymajorsequenceheislikelytohave had by him to incorporate at this stage wasthe Quixote Dream (1805 V 51–168), written inFebruary but probably not part of the five-bookpoem.TheSpotsofTimeandClimbingofSnowdonwerenowlaidasideforfutureuse,andWordsworthmovedrapidlyonintoBookVI(CambridgeandTheAlps), completed by 29 April. At this point heclaimedinalettertoRichardSharptohavewritten‘between two and three thousand lines, accuratelynear three thousand… namely four books, and athirdofanother’.Towhichheadded:Iamatpresentintheseventhbookofthiswork,whichwillturnoutfarlonger than I ever dreamed of. It seems a frightful deal to say aboutoneself, and of course will never be published (during my lifetime Imean)tillanotherwork[TheRecluse]hasbeenwrittenandpublished,ofsufficient importance to justify me in giving my own history to theworld.

WhenWordsworthoffersline-totalsforhisrecent

work,onecanseldombesureofwhatheistakingintoaccount.Inthiscaseitisfairlycertainthatthefour whole books he has completed are III, IV, VandVI; theproblemis to identify theextra ‘third’.Reed believes that the poet has gone straight onintoBookVII(London),andcompleted200linesorso. I thinkmyself thatwhetherornot thebookhehas embarked on is VII, the post-Preamble (I 55–271)isquiteaslikelytobetheextra‘third’thathehasinmind.Wordsworthhasinfactwrittenagreatdeal more than he claims. In reaching ourconclusions Reed and I both ignore the materialcomposed in February–early March for the finalbookofthefive-bookPrelude,onthegroundsthatithasnotyetfoundaplaceinthenewpoem.Afutureeditor could argue that half of the final Book XI(almostthewhole,ifoneincludestherevisedSpotsofTime)plusathirdofXIII(ClimbingofSnowdon)shouldbe taken into the equation.His casewouldbestrengthenedbecause,asReedpointsout,workon Book XI materials in MS W seems to havecontinued after the five-book scheme wasabandoned.It is in fact far from clear in what order the

booksofThePreludewerecomposed.InanattempttoinduceclarityIcommentedintheNortonCritical

Edition(1979):Theprobableorderpfcompositionof[Wordsworth’s]lasteightbooksisVI,IX,thefirsthalfofX,VIII,VII,thesecondhalfofX,XI,XII,XIII.Notthat the individual books were normally of a single moment: mostcontain earlier work, and many the work of several earlier periods.Thereisnothingcarelessorpiecemealaboutthestructureof1805,butitistheresultoffrequentrethinking,notofasinglewell-executedplan.(p.516)

Thelasttwosentencesremainusefulasacorrective,thefirstmaywellneed some correction itself. Since his great Cornell edition came out,ReedhasgenerouslyrespondedtomyrequestforabriefstatementofhispositiontoprintinthisIntroduction:

BookI1–54probablydatefromlate1799,andI55–271perhapsfromspring 1801 or, and certainly by, early 1804. The order of basicorganizationoftheseveralBooksIII–XIIImaybebroadlysummarizedas:III(late1801–early1804);IV–V(early1804);VI,XI,VII,IX,firsthalfofX(spring1804;VIIpossiblylate1804);VIII,XII,secondhalfofX,XIII(late1804–spring1805).

Some differences between the two accounts aremore apparent than real. Reed places Book XI inspring 1804,when thematerialswere gathered inMSW, I place it a year later when the materialswere adapted to forma bookof the 1805Prelude.ThesecondhalfofBookX(whichwasdraftedasaseparate book, and printed as such in 1850) is acase in which I have gone for the earlier dating,Reedforthelater.ThereisnodoubtthatmuchofX(b) was complete before Wordsworth’s letter toBeaumont of 30 November 1804; Reed places its

composition after that of XII on the evidence offurther drafting in MS Z c. April 1805. Morecontentious are the dating of the post-Preamble(whereReedcontinuestopreferspring1801,andIthink 1804decidedlymore probable) and of BookVII,Wordsworth’s partly satirical treatment of theUnderworldofLondon.As with our views on the post-Preamble, Reed

andIdifferinourdatingofBookVIIpartlybecausewearegivingweighttodifferentkindsofevidence.Hehasstraightforwardnessonhisside:whyshouldthe‘seventhbook’thatWordsworthwascomposinginlateApril1804notbeBookVII?Perhapsitwas.But supportingmanuscript evidence is sparse, andthere are different ways of assessing probabilities.Reed places London (Book VII) between the twoFrench books (VI and IX in the final order). Analternative logic would have Wordsworth movestraight on from his first unpolitical experience inFrance in 1790 (VI) to his commitment to theRevolution in the year-long visit of 1791–2 (IX),andtheperiodleadinguptoRobespierre’sdeathinJuly1794(X[a]).Thefact thatthesearetheonlybooks of The Prelude for which no drafts survivevery probably means that they were in a singlemanuscript, now lost, and strongly suggests that

theybelongedtoasingleperiod.My own positioning of VII in autumn 1804 to

someextentdependsontheconnection(notablyat11.294,387and470–3)withWordsworth’sKittenandtheFallingLeaves.Itshouldbesaidatoncethatthere is no firm dating for the poem. It is almostcertain,however,thatthebabywatchingthekittenisDora (bornAugust 1804) and highly likely thatthe leaves fell in that particular fall. Reed’ssuggestionofautumn1805asadate for thepoemis plausible on other grounds, but raises thequestion as to why there should be connectionswith The Prelude at all. The nature of the linksmakes it clear that the poem came first, yet ThePrelude was completed in May 1805. A singlereminiscencemight perhaps have been introducedin revision while Book VII was being copied(Dorothyrecordsthattwo-thirdsofThePreludehasbeentranscribedby26December1805),but therearethreesuchlinks–andwidelyspaced.In all probabilityWordsworth after breakingup

the five-book Prelude in early March 1804, andsendingColeridge1805I–VtotakewithhimtotheMediterranean,wrotetheFrenchbooks,VI,IXandX (a). This brought him up to the death ofRobespierre, and to what is effectively the end of

his direct political involvement in the Revolution.There he stopped for the summer. There wereexcellent reasons for doing so – he needed a rest,there were visitors to Dove Cottage, there wasDora’s impending birth – but it is also doubtfulwhether he had decided what to write next. ThedraftsofMSYshowthat intheeventhisthoughtswent back to childhood, the material of Book I.Prompted, as Dorothy tells us, by reading Cowper(almost certainly the recently published YardleyOak), Wordsworth in early October 1804 draftedBook VIII, ‘Retrospect: Love of Nature Leading toLove of Mankind’. The first lines that he wrote(latertransferred,toconfusescholarsofthefuture,totheopeningofVII)showhimtakingstock:

FiveyearsarevanishedsinceIfirstpouredout,SalutedbythatanimatingbreezeWhichmetmeissuingfromthecity’swalls,Agladpreambletothisverse.IsangAloudindithyrambicfervour,deepButshort-liveduproar,likeatorrentsentOutofthebowelsofaburstingcloudDownScafellorBlencathra’sruggedsides,Awaterspoutfromheaven.But‘twasnotlongEretheinterruptedstreambrokeforthoncemoreAndflowedawhileinstrength,thenstoppedforyears–NotheardagainuntilalittlespaceBeforelastprimrose-time.

RetrospectivelyWordsworthmakesThePreludeaGrasmere poem. Composition is taken back fiveyears to the date of the opening lines (the GladPreamble, November 1799), rather than six (as inthecorrectionof1850)tothepoem’strueoriginsatGoslarinOctober1798.Ontheotherhandhegivesa clear account of The Prelude’s growth, from theinitial‘waterspout’ofinspiredcreativity(1799PartI),tothesecond‘breaking-forth’ofthestream(PartII), the gap of years (with no substantialcomposition, 1800–3), and the new beginning inwinter 1804. ‘Beloved friend’, Wordsworthcontinues,insurelyneedlessself-reproach,

TheassurancesthengivenuntomyselfWhichdidbeguilemeofsomeheavythoughtsAtthydeparturetoaforeignlandHavefailed;forslowlydoththeworkadvance.ThroughthewholesummerhaveIbeenatrest,PartlyfromvoluntaryholidayAndpartthroughoutwardhindrance.ButIheardAfterthehourofsunsetyester-even,Sittingwithindoorsbetwixtlightanddark,Avoicethatstirredme.’Twasalittleband,Achoirofredbreasts……sentinbyWintertobespeakFortheoldmanawelcome…(VII13–27)

In his final text (VII 49–53) Wordsworthcontrivesat thispointanelegantbackward linkto

the‘mildcreativebreeze’ofthePreamble(I43)–

Thelastnight’sgenialfeelingoverflowedUponthismorning,andmyfavouritegrove–Nowtossingitsdarkboughsinsunandwind–Spreadsthroughmeacommotionlikeitsown,Somethingthatfitsmeforthepoet’stask–

–inMSYthelinkinghadbeenofmoreimmediaterelevance:

Thelastnight’sgenialfeelingoverflowsUponthismorning,efficaciousmoreByreasonthatmysongmustnowreturn,Ifshedesertnotherappointedpath,Backintonature’sbosom.SincethattimeWhenwithreluctanceIwithdrewfromFranceThestoryhathdemandedlessregardTotimeandplace;andwhereIlived,andhow,Hathbeennolongerscrupulouslytraced.

The first five lines take us on into Book VIII, thesecond(laterusedatXIII334–7)referusbacktoX188–9 – ‘In this frame of mind|Reluctantly toEngland I returned’ – confirming that a narrativecorresponding to Books IX and X (a) had beencomposedintheearlysummer.ItisdifficulttothinkBookVIIIentirelyasuccess.

WordsworthreturnedtohisCumbrianchildhoodinan attempt to show the dawn, not of imagination

(as inPart/Book I),butofhuman-heartedness, thelove of humanity that had underlain hiscommitment to the Revolution (‘my heart wasall|Giventothepeople,andmylovewastheirs’,IX125–6). Drafts inMS Y (not surprisingly unused)show that at the time he was feeling anextraordinaryambivalence.Becauseofthecontrastofferedhimbyhumanlittleness,thesensitivespirit‘cleaves|Exclusivelytonature’:

IfuponmankindHelooks,andonthehumanmaladiesBeforehiseyes,whatfindshetheretothisFramedanswerably?–whatbutsordidmen,Andtransientoccupations,anddesiresIgnobleanddepraved.

ItisinthiscontextthatWordsworthmovesonfromthepastoralismofVIII intohisstudyofcity life inVII.ReadersofThePreludemustoftenhavewondered

howitisthat,havingpassedthroughawholebookonLondontheycome,towardstheendofBookVIII,on the poet’s first entry into the city. Quite assurprisingistheclaimthat‘morethanelsewhere|Ispossible’, ‘theunityofman’ is set forth inLondon(VIII 826–7). ‘Turnwhere’erwemay’,we are toldat11.838–41,thetownis

ProfuselysownwithindividualsightsOfcourage,andintegrity,andtruthAndtenderness…

This after Londoners have been dismissed in theconclusionofBookVIIas ‘slavesunrespitedof lowpursuits’,whoseonlyunityistolive‘amidthesameperpetual flow|Of trivial objects, melted andreduced|To one identity’ (VII 700–3). Presumablywhat happened was that after trying in VIII tobelieveinaLondonfulloftendernessandintegrity– as he had tried to portray solitary Grasmereshepherds in terms of human-heartedness –Wordsworth decided to give the city a book toitself. He did so, it would seem, not entirely in asatiricalspirit.Thoughthreatenedbywhatseemedtohimanalienandanonymouswayoflife,hewasalso drawn to its hellish colour and bustle.DescendingintoitsUnderworldhecouldassesshisownimaginativepowerandresilience.Itisclearthatwhenhewrotewhatweknowas

Book VIII of The Prelude in October 1804Wordsworth regarded it as following the Frenchbooks(VI, IXandX[a]).GoingontocomposeVIIattheendofthemonth,heprobablythoughtof itasstandingnextinorder.Wedon’tknowwhentheFrench books assumed their final positions, and,

lacking the manuscript, we can’t tell how muchthey had to be adapted. Important changes weremade,however,ingivingVIIprecedenceoverVIII.‘Five years are vanished…’, which had been theopening of VIII, was switched to VII, creating theimpression that VII was the first work of autumn1804.AnewopeningwascomposedforVIII,settingup a contrast between the maniac energy ofLondon’s Bartholomew Fair (VII 648–94) and thepeacefulidyllofthefairbeneathHelvellyn(VIII1–61).And(wemustinfer,thoughinthiscasethereisno manuscript evidence) the address ‘Preceptressstern…totheeIwillinglyreturn’(11.678ff.)wasinserted in VIII to gloss over the awkwardness ofWordsworth’s retaining his original Londonmaterial.On30NovemberWordsworthtellsSharpthathe

has ‘dispatched1,600or1,700 lines’ of ‘thepoemon [his] own earlier life’ since the summer break.‘Dispatched’isnotaverypreciseterm,butitseemsthatthepoethasbothcompletedBookVIIandcutdowntheMSYdraftstoformacoherentversionofVIII. Intheirfinalshapethetwobookstotal1,609lines. On Christmas Day we have another helpfulline-count, Wordsworth telling Beaumont that hehas‘writtenupwardsof2,000versesduringthelast

ten weeks’. By a natural progression,WordsworthhasmovedfromLondoninVII,ontoX(b),withitstreatmentofpoliticalalienationandpersonalcrisisin the period following Robespierre’s death. Itseemsthat400orsolineshavebeencompletedofwhat is regarded at this stage as a separate book(and may, or may not, have been regarded asfollowing X [a]). As Reed has emphasized, thematerialwas to receive its final shape inMSX inApril 1805, but line-counting evidence suggestingthat the bulk had been written by Christmas hassupport in the text. At X 934–5 we come onWordsworth’s vehement biblical image of theFrench ‘dog’ returning to the ‘vomit’ ofmonarchy,asNapoleoncrownshimselfEmperor (2December1804)andtheRepubliccomestoanend.At Christmas 1804 it would seem that the first

ten books of the thirteen-book 1805 Prelude werecompletebutforfinalreworkings.Whatordertheystood in in the poet’smindwe have nomeans oftelling.Broadlyhecouldbesaidtobeworkingstillon the paradise-lost-and-regained patternestablished in the five-bookpoem.Therehadbeennoconcertedattempttoshowafallfrominnocenceintoexperience(primal imagination impaired),butin the poet’s history of developing consciousness

the ‘inner falling-off’ at Cambridge was nowparalleled in the turning aside from naturerepresented by London and by politicalinvolvement.AheadofWordsworthashewrotewasthe material he had set aside from his earlierconclusion, notably the Climbing of Snowdon andthe Spots of Time.His rationalization inMSW ofmaterialsthatweretoformBookXI(‘Imagination,How Impaired and Restored’) suggests that verysoonafterbreakingupthefive-bookpoeminMarch1804hehaddecidedonanewrolefortheSpotsofTime, leading up to the epiphany of Snowdon,rather than following it by way of explanation. Ifthiswasthecase,hismaintaskinthefirstweeksof1805wasprobablyreorganization,thewritinginoflink-passages and other revision designed to givethepoemanoverallcoherence.It seems thatwhennews of the death at sea of

theWordsworths’ brother John broughtwork to astopon11February,whatremainedtobedonewasto put finishing touches to X (b) and XI andcompose XII and XIII. Both these final bookscontainagreatdealofoldmaterial,andboth(likeBookXI)turnedouttobebrief.Wordsworth,whenhegotbacktoworkinearlyApril,wasinahurry.Writingwasdistractionfromhisgrief,andhecould

feelthathewasdoingitforJohn.On1MayhetellsBeaumont that, unable to write an elegy on hisbrother,hehasgonebacktoThePrelude: ‘youwillbegladtohearthatIhaveadded300linestoitinthe course of last week. Two books more willconclude it.’HowevermuchworkhehaddoneonXIinMarch1804,itsoundsasifheisnowclaimingcredit for its composition. On 3 June he tells thesamecorrespondent,‘IhavethepleasuretosaythatI finishedmypoemaboutafortnightago.’XIIandXIII, it seems, have also taken roughly a weekapiece.Pleasure in finishing The Prelude was muted. ‘I

had looked forward to the day’, Wordsworth tellsBeaumont,asamosthappyone,andwasindeedgratefultoGodforgivingmelifetocompletethework,suchasitis.Butitwasnotahappydayforme;Iwas dejected on many accounts. When I looked back upon theperformanceitseemedtohaveadeadweightaboutit,therealitysofarshortoftheexpectation.ItwasthefirstlonglabourthatIhadfinished,andthedoubtwhether I shouldever live towriteTheRecluse, and thesensewhich Ihadof thispoembeing so farbelowwhat Ihad seemedcapable of executing, depressed me much. Above all, many heavythoughtsofmypoordepartedbrotherhunguponme–thejoywhichIshouldhavehadinshowinghimthemanuscript,andathousandothervainfanciesanddreams.

‘ThisworkmaybeconsideredasasortofporticotoTheRecluse’,Wordsworthcontinues,

partofthesamebuilding,whichIhopeerelongtobeginwithinearnest;andifIampermittedtobringittoaconclusion,andtowrite,further,anarrativepoemof theepickind, I shall consider the taskofmy lifeasover.

WordsworthwouldnotbepermittedtobringTheRecluse toaconclusion. Insummer1806hewouldrationalizeHome at Grasmere (the attempt he hadmade on Book I in 1800), and he would returnmore than once to the manuscript in the hope ofmakingafreshstart,buttheonlynewworkhewasto produce for the daunting philosophicalcentrepieceofTheReclusewasthesadfragmentof1808,TheTuftofPrimroses.Thenarrativepoemwasless of a problem.Wordsworth’s reference to epichasconfusedcritics.Thetermwasusedloosely,andhas after all no single definition.Wordsworthwaswriting to his patron, and wished to soundimpressive.HeisreferringinfacttoTheExcursion,planned as early as the letter to De Quincey of 6March 1804, and published in 1814, with ‘APortionofTheRecluse’onthetitle-page.Publicationoftheautobiographical ‘portico’,meanwhile,couldnot in Wordsworth’s view be warranted until theunwritablecentralportionwascompleted.Dorothy put the situation very well to Lady

Beaumont on29November 1805.ThePreludewasinasortoflimbo,butthatwasnotlikelytomeanit

couldbeleftalone:Iamnowengagedinmakingafairandfinaltranscriptofthepoemonhisownlife–Imeanfinaltillitispreparedforthepress,whichwillnotbe formanyyears.Nodoubtbefore that timehewill, either from thesuggestionsofhisfriends,orhisown,orboth,havesomealterationstomake,butitappearstousatpresenttobefinished.

‘Us’ in the final clause was Dorothy andMary,Wordsworth’stwochiefamanuenses,eachofwhomhad transcribed the two-partPrelude in 1799, andeach of whom was now at work on an 1805 faircopy.Dorothyespeciallyknewthepoettoowelltosupposethattheirworkwouldbeallowedtostand.Comparisonofher text,MSA,withMary’s,MSB,shows that in addition to helping his helpers byreading difficult manuscripts and establishing thepoemforthemtocopy,Wordsworthinfactrevisedearly parts of the work in fair copy before laterparts had been transcribed. When, in February1806, the two copies were completed there is noevidencethathestoppedrevising.HowoftenWordsworthrevisedThePreludeinthe

years 1805–50 we cannot know. An entry in thepainter Joseph Farington’s Diary shows thatcorrectionswerebeingmadeasearlyasNovember1806 in preparation for meeting Coleridge (whohadreturnedfromMaltainAugust,butnotfeltup

to seeing either his family or his closest friends).Others certainly followed the reading of the poematColeortoninJanuarythatpromptedColeridgetowritehislastmajorpoem,theadmiringToWilliamWordsworth:

AnOrphictaleindeed,AtaledivineofhighandpassionatethoughtsTotheirownmusicchanted.Ah,greatbard,Ereyetthatlastswell,dying,awedtheair,WithstedfastkenIviewedtheeinthechoirOfever-enduringmen.(11.38–43)

ThefirstofthreewholesalePreluderevisionsthatweknowtohavetakenplace(eachassociatedwitha new fair copy manuscript) belongs to c. 1819.Whatpromptedthenewrevisionislessthanclear.Wordsworth had completed The Excursion, andpublished it in 1814 as ‘A Portion ofThe Recluse’,thenayearlatergoneontoprintthefirstCollectedEditionofhisPoems.HisPreface toThe Excursion,settingouttheschemeforTheRecluseinneedlesslyambitious terms,hadputhimundernewpressure.For no obvious reason two philosophical sectionswereprojected,whenforsixteenyearsWordsworthhadbeenunabletowritethesingleoneimpliedinearlier (private) references. At some point he didreturn briefly to Home at Grasmere in hopes ofmaking a new start, but the attempt was forlorn.

ThetaskofbringingThePreludeuptodatewasnodoubtawelcomealternative.The new fair copy, MS C, was transcribed by

Wordsworth’s 23-year-old clerk, John Carter, in ahandsome volume, bound in quarter-calf andseemingly bought for the purpose. Perhaps it wasdesigned by Wordsworth as a gift for patron orfriend; possibly it was to be retained by Carterhimself.Eitherway,itwasnevercompleted.Anditseems to have provoked – rather than followed –theextensivereworkingsfromthisperiodfoundinMSA(Dorothy’smanuscriptof1805).Inpublishingwhat he terms the ‘C-stage Prelude’, Reed hasspeculated impressively on the status of Carter’svolume, and particularly on why C never becametheauthoritativetext.RevisionsattheCStagewereheavy and largely unfortunate. Reed detects notmerely a tendency to poetic elaboration andartificiality, but ‘a strong infusion of body–spiritoppositionandofstoicandChristianpessimismandpiety’.Thereareoccasionalmomentsofinspiration– menacing new details, for instance, for theSimplonPass,

HugefragmentsofprimevalmountainspreadInpowerlessruin,blocksashugealoftImpending,norpermittedyettofall…(ReedII,p.109)

– and occasional surprises: the vehemence withwhich the poet (canvassing at this period for thetory Lowthers) describes the royalist officers atBlois: ‘Inflamed with passion, blind withprejudice|And stungwith injury’ (Reed II,p.162).But there can be no doubt that most of thereworkingisgratuitous.The details of 1805 VI 339–42, for example,

plainandvisibletothemind’seye–

Afellowstudentandmyself(hetooAmountaineer)togethersalliedforthAnd,staffinhand,onfootpursuedourwayTowardsthedistantAlps.

– are padded out to form a strained anddisembodieddialogue:

Afellowstudent,rearedonClywd’sbanksMidCambrianhills,acceptedfrommyvoiceBoldinvitationwithnotimidmindAnd,sallyingforthonfoot,wetookourwayTowardsthedistantAlps.(ReedII,p.101)

Thestrikinglinesfrom1805BookXIII–

Thyloveishumanmerely;thisproceedsMorefromthebroodingsoul,andisdivine.(11.164–5)

– come to seem too daring in their claim for

divinityinman,andarefollowedattheCStagebyapiouscorrective:

Passionfromalldisturbinginfluencepure,ForetasteofbeatificsentimentBestowedinmercyonaworldcondemnedTomutability,painandgrief,Terrestrialnature’ssureinheritance.(ReedII,p.225)

It isastrangefact thatnoneof thethree longerpassagesofC-stageelaborationcitedabovepersistsintothe1850Prelude. Indeednone is found in thebasetextofMSD,c.January1832.Reedallowsusto see for the first time that C has proved anaberration.MSAstillhasauthorityasthebasetextofD is created; new readings inC are ignored, oracceptedonlyinpart.Thereis,however,nosettledpattern of revision. Though D may rejectconcessionstoAnglicanismfoundinC,itintroduces‘Dustasweare,theimmortalspiritgrows’(1850I340)and replaces1805 ‘Iworshipped thenamongthe depths of things|As my soul bade me’, by‘Worshipping then among the depth of things|Aspiety ordained’ (1850 XII 184–5). On the creditside,Disresponsibleforthemovingaffirmation–

yetformeLife’smorningradiancehathnotleftthehills,Herdewisontheflowers.(1850VI50–2)

–butitproducestoothesentimentaldiminishmentoftheInfantBabe,once‘powerfulinallsentimentsof grief|Of exultation, fear, and joy’, now ‘Frailcreature…helplessasfrail’:

Isthereaflower,towhichhepointswithhandTooweaktogatherit,alreadyloveDrawnfromlove’spurestearthlyfountforhimHathbeautifiedthatflower…(1850II245–8)

AndD it is that introduces theobsequiousaddressto Burke (1850 VII 512–43), described by J. C.Maxwell in his edition of The Prelude (Penguin,1971)as ‘perhapsthemoststrikingsingleexampleofinsertioninlaterrevisionofsympathiesalientotheearlierWordsworth’.Mary Wordsworth’s transcription of MS D is

marked by a charming letter from her daughter,Dora,toMariaKinnaird,18February1832:Father is particularly well and busier than 1000 bees.Mother and heworklikeslavesfrommorningtonight–anarduouswork–correctingalongpoem,written30yearsback…andnottobepublishedduringhislife,TheGrowthofhisownMind–theante-chapel,ashecallsit,toTheRecluse.

Eight months later, on 15 October, Dora tells thesamecorrespondentthatthepoet‘isverybusy,butnotdoingmuchgood,Ifear,asheisonlycorrectingwhatwaswritten some30years ago’. Probably in

fact he was already revisingMS D, transcribed inthespring.Todogood,inthiscontext,wouldhavebeen to make progress with The Recluse.Manuscripts show that before starting the Preluderevisions that led toMS D,Wordsworth had goneback one last time to Home at Grasmere – theattempt on The Recluse which he had known asearly asMarch 1800wasn’t going towork. As hetook up The Prelude in 1832 he must have beenclose toadmitting that thephilosophical section(s)ofhisgreatworkwouldneverbewritten.The admission came finally inMay1838,when

Wordsworth told the Boston publisher, GeorgeTicknor,that‘hehadundertakensomethingbeyondhis powers to accomplish’. On 18 August, IsabellaFenwick,friendofthepoet’slateryears,tellsHenryTaylorthathehasbeenworkingatThePrelude forthe pastmonth, so as to ‘leave it in a state fit forpublication’. And on 28March she gives awhollyunthinkingaccountofhisprogress:Everyeveningthattheweatherwouldpermitofithehasbeenhereandhastoldmeofhisday’swork–ofthedifficultieshehashad,andhowhehadovercomethem,ofthebeautifuladditionshehadmade,andallthewhyandwhereforeofeachalteration…

Wordsworth was putting into these last intensivePrelude revisions all the energies that should have

gone into The Recluse. His posthumous fame wasgoing to rest onwhat he had been telling himselfforalmostfortyyearswasarelativelyunimportantpartofthescheme.Thepoemmustbeasgoodashecouldmake it.Fortunately therearenot toomany‘beautiful additions’.We hear thatman is ‘born|Ofdust,andkindred to theworm’ (1850VIII487–8),that imagination (which we have not regarded asmoralized) ‘trains|To meekness, and exalts byhumble faith’ (1830 XIII 27–8). And we watch asthe Climbing of Snowdon, great climax of ThePrelude,isfudgedintounmeaningbyaWordsworthfrightened at the boldness of his own earlier self.His intuitions may not have changed very much,buttimeshad–andattitudes,andthelanguageofspiritual experience. There was no longer thefreedomtospeculateseenintheperiodbeforeandjust after the Revolution. Though he left manystriking assertions untouched,Wordsworth did notfeel able to confront Victorian readers with the‘imageofamightymind’,human,yetfeedinguponthe ‘infinity’ of its own inner greatness. He couldnot portray such a mind as ‘exalted by anunderpresence’ that may be either ‘The sense ofGod,orwhatsoe’erisdim|Orvastinitsown[finite]being’.

Among Wordsworth’s latest revisions was hissaddest. Final corrections toMS D led in 1839 tothetranscriptionoftheprinter’scopy,E;butE tooseems to have been three times revised. On thesecondoccasionthepoetputthefinishingtouchtothenewconclusiontothe‘spotsoftime’sequence,which he had been fidgetingwith inD. ‘All thesewere spectacles and sounds’, Wordsworth hadwrittenimpressivelyin1799,

towhichIoftenwouldrepair,andthencewoulddrinkAsatafountain.AndIdonotdoubtThatinthislatertime,whenstormandrainBeatonmyroofatmidnight,orbydayWhenIaminthewoods,unknowntomeTheworkingsofmyspiritthencearebrought.(1805XI382–8)

‘AndIdonotdoubt’–thepoet’swordshadhadtheforceof a creed,proclaiminga faith in themind’sstrengthandself-sufficiencythatwascentraltoThePrelude. By 1839 ten gratuitous lines have beenadded to the sequence, but the final shaping hasespecial pathos, telling us of an oldmanwho hasquiteforgottenthepowerofhisoriginalexperience,the force of his original claims for inspiration andimaginativestrength:

Allthesewerekindredspectaclesandsounds

TowhichIoftrepaired,andthencewoulddrink,Asatafountain;andonwinternights,Downtothisverytime,whenstormandrainBeatonmyroof,or,haply,atnoon-day,WhileinagroveIwalk,whoseloftytrees,Ladenwithsummer’sthickestfoliage,rockInastrongwind,someworkingsofthespirit,Someinwardagitationsthencearebrought,Whate’ertheiroffice,whethertobeguileThoughtsoverbusyinthecoursetheytook,Oranimateanhourofvacantease.(1850XII324–35)

TheSpotsofTime,whichsinceJanuary1799havesupported each successive version of The Preludewiththeirtheoryoftheimaginationnourishedandinspired by early experience, dwindle now to thememories of an old-age pensioner –ways to headoffthoughts‘overbusy’,orwhilethetimeaway.

PRELUDEMANUSCRIPTS

MSJJ

NotebookinuseatGoslarinOctober–November1798,containingthe beginnings ofThe Prelude, includingWas It For This and theoriginalfirst-persondraftofThereWasABoy.

MS18A

Notebookusedtoassembleanear-completeversionof1799PartIbefore the Wordsworths left Goslar on 23 February 1799;containingalsoThereAreWhoTellUs(ThereWasABoy, inthirdperson,workedupintodiscussionofeducationforTheRecluse).

MSRV

Faircopyof1799PartII,autumn1799.

MSV

Fair copy of completed two-part Prelude, made by DorothyWordsworth,earlyDecember1799,andbasetextforthepoemasprintedinthisvolume.HeavilyrevisedJanuary–February1804.

MSU

Duplicate faircopyof two-partPrelude,madeat thesameperiodasMSVbyMaryHutchinson.

MSWW

Twenty-three leaves from tiny pocket-notebook used byWordsworth during outdoor composition in February 1804,containing barely legible pencil-drafts of Climbing of Snowdon,andmuchelse.

MS Notebook used to assemble short-lived five-book Prelude of

W February–earlyMarch1804.

MSY

Important notebook of October 1804, containing the Beaupuysectionof1805BookIX(writteninearlysummer),togetherwithoriginaldraftsofVIIIandmaterialfinallyusedinXIandXII.

MSX

NotebookofOctober1804containingearlyversionof1805VII.

MSZ

Notebook of April–May 1805with Books XI and XII of 1805 inoriginalform.

MSA Fair copy of Prelude in thirteen books, made by DorothyWordsworth,November 1804–February 1805, and base copy forthetextinthisvolume.Lastrevisedin1832.

MSB

Duplicatefaircopyof1805,madeatthesameperiodasMSAbyMaryWordsworth(néeHutchinson).

MSC

Faircopyofrevisedthirteen-bookPrelude,madebyWordsworth’sclerk,JohnCarter,c.1819.Lacks finalbookand lasthalfofXII,andneverregardedbythepoetasanauthoritativetext.

MSD

First MS of The Prelude in fourteen books, made by MaryWordsworthearlyin1832;heavilyrevisedattheendoftheyearandagainin1838–9.

MSE

Printer’s copy for the posthumous first edition of The Preludepublished in July 1850, inaccurately transcribed by the poet’sdaughter Dora and her cousin Elizabeth Cookson, March–May1839,andseveraltimesrevised.

TEXTS

Ofthefourtextspresentedbelow,thefirsttwooffernogreatproblems.WasItForThisderivesfromMSJJofOctober1798,thetwo-partPreludefromMSV(Dorothy Wordsworth’s fair copy of December1799) and, where that is defective, from MS U,transcribed by Mary Hutchinson at the samemoment. In both cases arriving at a text is helpedby the Cornell Prelude 1798–9 of Stephen Parrish(whose inspiration as General Editor of the Seriesgoes unseen and unsung). The full-length Preludesareanothermatter.Therecanbenoperfecttextof1805. Such is the complexity of the manuscriptsthat no two editors (and no single editor ondifferent occasions) will arrive at an identicalversion.Thetextof1850,whereitisbased(ashasbeennormal)on themanuscripts,willbesimilarlyvariable.DeSelincourtinhisgreatparallel-texteditionof

1926, to which all subsequent editors must be

indebted,madetwoimportantpolicydecisions.HeselectedMS A as his base text for 1805, and heconcludedthattheposthumousfirsteditionmustbecheckedagainstthemanuscriptstocreateatextof1850 more nearly representing the poet’s finalintentions.Thedecisiontobase1805onMSAhasbeen followed by all subsequent editors until theCornell Thirteen-book ‘Prelude’ of 1991, in whichReed has attempted to presentWordsworth’s finalintentionsat ‘theA/B stage’. Ina seriesconcerneddominantly with the manuscripts and theirimplications,itisaninterestingandvaluablethingtodo;butitisnotIthinkmorelikelytoprovideasound reading text. As De Selincourt noted,MS A(likeMSV of1799), is treated byWordsworth asthe authoritativemanuscript – being, for instance,usedforrevisionsattheCandDStages.MSBdoesattimeshavecorrectionsthatareindependentofA,and perhaps to be regarded as substantive, but isessentiallyasecondcopy.Ideallyonewouldavoidallquestionsofpriority

bychoosingasbasetexttheoriginalfaircopyofMSA. Butno such thing ever existed.Themanuscripthas been heavily revised, and corrections to earlyparts of the poemweremade – often, like Blake’searlycorrectionstoVala,madeovererasure–while

later bookswere being copied. There neverwas afair copy that represented a singlepoint in time –that is to say, a single version of The Prelude. Inpractice, transcription of MS A (whether as basetextor aspartof the compositeA/B)has tobeofthefaircopyasitstoodafterinitialcorrectionshadbeen completed. Though hard to retrieve, this didexist.We can get near it.Not so, inmy view, thefinalA|Bstage.TheprinciplebehindReed’schoiceis the same as De Selincourt’s (or mine) – heattempts to single out the Prelude of a particularmoment–butthetextinhiscaserestsonastateofaffairs in the poet’s head. We have to posit thatwhereMSSAandBdiffer,WordsworthknewwhichBreadingshefancied,regardingthemaspartofanideal text that existed in his mind, and not onpaper. I shouldmuch prefer to have followed theCornelltext,oratleastbeenabletoconformtoitsline-numbering, but have with great reluctancestayedintheDeSelincourtcamp.Thoughderivingmuch from Reed’s scholarship, the 1805 textprinted below is based on MS A after what isdeemedtobetheinitialstageofcorrection.Editors of the fourteen-book Prelude are faced

with a similarly difficult choice. In publishing thefirsteditioninJuly1850,thepoet’sexecutors–his

son-in-law,EdwardQuillinan(minorpoet,husbandof Dora), his clerk from the Stamp Office, JohnCarter (transcriber, thirty years earlier, of MS C,and thus with a stake in The Prelude), and hisnephew, Christopher (writer in 1851 of the poet’sofficial Memoirs and future Bishop of Lincoln) –madeunwarrantedalterationstotheprinter’scopy,MSE.LogicwouldthereforesuggestareprintingofE. But E turns out to be a poor manuscript,transcribed from the final state of D, not byDorothy,sadlynowinherdotage,orbyMary,butby younger helpers who did not have the sameexperience or skill. To retrieve the Prelude thatWordsworth’s executors should have printed, onehas to go back a stage further, to correctedMS D(followingEatpointswhereithasbeenrevisedbythe poet and therefore presumably represents anupdating).Theprocessofcorrectingtheprintedfirstedition

by reference to the manuscripts began with DeSelincourt in 1926, andwas taken a stage furtherby Maxwell in 1971. In 1979 the Norton CriticalEdition offered a text of 1850 actually foundedupon the manuscripts: Owen’s thoroughgoingCornell volume (1985) has a similar basis. Suchlogics are persuasive. The first edition of The

Preludeisnotanauthorizedtext.Weknowittobefallible.Manuscriptsenableustodeducethepoet’sintentions. But still, the first edition is a fact ofliteraryhistory, thepoemas itwas first known toWordsworth’s public. It is the poem greetedmemorably by theEclecticReview as ‘a large fossilrelic, imperfect and magnificent… newly dug up,and with the fresh earth and the old dim subsoilmeetingandminglingroundit’–thepoemslightedbyMacaulayinhisjournalon28July1850:‘Itistothe last degree Jacobinical, indeed Socialist. Iunderstand perfectly why Wordsworth did notchoosetopublishitinhislifetime.’Inasituationinwhichtextsof1850basedonthemanuscriptshavebeen progressively refined, the time may now berightforareturntotheversionoriginallyprinted.

THISEDITION

ThePreludeisinmanywaysaveryaccessiblepoem;itisalsonearlytwohundredyearsold.Theaimofthis new Penguin edition has been to present thedifferent versions in a way that is helpful andundistracting. Spelling in the three early texts ismodernized,andpunctuationeditorial.Clearlythisdifferentiatesthemfrom1850,wherethetextofthefirst edition has been reproduced exactly. It hasseemed best, however, to aim at integrity withinthe individual textsrather thanoverallconsistency(toprovideintheearlytextsonlysuchpunctuationasexistsinthemanuscriptswouldbeunhelpful,torepunctuate the first edition seems probably amistake). Particular care has been taken in thenotes to discuss instances where the poetry isconfusing or unclear. References and scholarlyparaphernalia have been kept to a workableminimum.Ithasbeenassumedthatthosewhowishto follow the textual historyof thepoem indetail

will turn to photographs and transcripts of themanuscriptsintheCornelleditionsofParrish,ReedandOwen.Noapparatuscriticus isoffered,butallmajorcasesarenotedinwhichthetextofthefirstedition appears, on the basis ofMSS D and E, todiverge from Wordsworth’s intention. In general,textual variants are noted when they contributesignificantlytooursenseofthepoet’screativityorofthepoem’sdevelopment.Modernizing the spelling of Wordsworth’s

manuscript-poetry,likeestablishingthetext,forcestheeditorintocontroversialdecisions.Thereader’sconvenience has to be weighed against claims forauthenticity,scholarlyrigour.OnlyWasItForThis,however, survives in the poet’s hand. To preserveoriginalspellingin1799and1805istopreservethechoicesand idiosyncrasiesofhishelpers. Itcanbeargued that period spelling is a guide topronunciation, but even where this is true it isdoubtfullyuseful.ItcouldonlybedistractingifweasreadersattemptedtohearWordsworth’sversionofRegencyEnglish,with its ‘strong tinctureof thenorthernburr, like the crust onwine’ (Hazlitt,MyFirst Acquaintance With Poets). Pronunciation haschangedagreatdealintwohundredyears(usuallyleaving the spelling unaffected), and English is

spoken far more widely. As a poet Wordsworthwished above all to reach out, andwas above allsensitive to the tendency of language to createbarriers.ThoughheregardedChaucer’slanguageasstill intelligible, he spent much time in 1801–2translating him, attempting to make him moreavailable. He would have had no sympathy forpreserving old spellings/forms when theirunfamiliaritymightbethecauseofuncertainty,orgive his poetry an antiquated air. His writing, hetellsusinthePrefacetoLyricalBallads,isdesigned‘to interest mankind permanently’. He sought apermanent language to embody what seemed tohimabidinghumanvalues.Spellingsthatdonotaffectpronunciation(‘eugh-

trees’,‘craggs’,‘untill,’‘chace’,forinstance,andthenames ‘Trompington’, ‘Gloster’, ‘Beaupuis’) havebeen corrected without hesitation; others that domakeadifferencetothesoundoftheverse(‘sate’,‘spake’, ‘hath’, ‘doth’) are modernized on thegrounds of gain outweighing loss. Contractions(‘slippry’, ‘givst’) have been spelt out, on theassumption that few readers would in practicestress the extra syllable. Final ‘ed’s have beenmarked where they should be sounded (‘fixèdface’), and monosyllabic forms (notably ‘blest’ as

opposedto‘blessed’)usedwheretheyexistandareappropriate. Capitalization – used with littlediscrimination in the manuscripts, and nowincorrectly taken to be a form of emphasis – hasbeenretainedonlyforreferencestoGod(directandindirect) and for personifications that assertthemselvesassuch(LadySorrow).Old spelling has been retained in certain cases

wherethepoetseemstobehighlightinganarchaicform forpoeticeffect: the strongpastparticipleofthe verb ‘to climb’ (‘having clomb|The Heights ofKendal’,1805 IV1–2), or theword ‘enough’ in itsrare plural form (‘Enow there are… Enow tothink…’, V 153, 156). More significant isWordsworgth’s use of verbal forms that cannot bemodernized because of the metre: ‘morningshines,|Norheedethman’sperverseness’ (XI22–3),‘Herekeepest thou thy individual state’ (XIII190).Frequently these are associated with the pronoun‘thou’;andasthatcannotbealtered,ithasseemedlogical to retain the few examples of ‘ye’ in thesecond person plural: ‘ye knew him well, yecliffs|AndislandsofWinander’(V389–90).Wordsworth’sowncommentsonediting(quoted

with effect by Maxwell) show a strong sense ofpriorities. ‘A correct text is the first object of an

editor’,hetellsWalterScotton7November1805,thensuchnotesasexplaindifficultorunintelligiblepassages,or throwlight upon them; and lastly, which is of much less importance, notespointingoutpassagesorauthorstowhichthepoethasbeenendebted–not in the piddling way of phrase here and phrase there (which isdetestable as a general practice), but where the poet has really hadessentialobligationseitherastomatterormanner.

Scott was editing Dryden. Wordsworth wassuperintending the transcription ofThe Prelude, ineffect editing himself. His text now needs a greatdealmoreannotationthanheenvisaged–notleastin the area of borrowings that causes him suchirritation.He could take for granted, as amoderneditor cannot, that readers would appreciatepassing allusion: to the Bible, to Coleridge, toShakespeare, to Cowper, above all to Milton.Describing The Prelude’s new theme of innerconsciousness, Wordsworth asserts grandly at III182–3, ‘This is in truth heroic argument|Andgenuine prowess.’ The poetry has little meaningunless we make the implied comparison withParadiseLostIX13–47,whereMiltonplaceshimselfintheepictradition,assertingthesuperiorityofhisown Christian ‘argument’ over the war poetry ofHomerandVirgil:

sadtask,yetargument

NotlessbutmoreheroicthanthewrathOfsternAchillesonhisfoepursuedThricefugitiveaboutTroywall,orrageOfTurnusforLaviniadisespoused…

‘Essentialobligation’doesnotalwaystaketheformofallusionsthatasktoberecognized.Itmayindeedbreak the surface ‘phrase here and phrase there’.Butalmostalwaysitcontributestoalargerpattern.For theeditorofWordsworth there is littledangerofdescendingto‘piddling’indebtedness.Notesofferreadersthechancetotraceunderlyingrelationship,andtotakethesubtlerpointsofallusion.With his anxieties about ‘the sad incompetence

of human speech’ and his demand that the readerbe ‘inahealthfulstateofassociation’,Wordsworthmight well have accepted that The Prelude wouldcome to require ‘such notes as explain difficult orunintelligible passages, or throw light upon them’.Manycasesofdifficultyhavebeensortedoutinthepresent edition by repunctuation (that of 1805throwinglightuponparallelpassagesin1850),butnodoubtfulmeaninginanyversionofthepoemhasgone unnoted. One or two have proved whollybaffling. Only the writer could tell us what hemeant by capping his lucid and remarkablestatement ‘Points have we all of us within oursouls|Whereall standsingle’withthewords ‘this I

feel, and make|Breathings for incommunicablepowers’(III186–8).

ABBREVIATIONS

Preludeversions:

WIFT:Was It For This (original Prelude draft of October1798)1799:Two-partPreludeof1798–91805:Thirteen-bookPreludeof18051850:Fourteen-bookPreludeof1850

AM SamuelTaylorColeridge,TheAncientMariner(1798text)

BicentenaryStudies

Bicentenary Wordsworth Studies, ed. JonathanWordsworth(Ithaca,NY,1970)

Butler ‘The Ruined Cottage’ and ‘The Pedlar’, ed. JamesButler,CornellWordsworth(Ithaca,NY,1979)

BV Jonathan Wordsworth, William Wordsworth: TheBordersofVision(OxfordandNewYork,1982)

BNYPL BulletinoftheNewYorkPublicLibrary

Chronology Mark L. Reed, (i) Wordsworth: Chronology of the

EarlyYears,1770–99;(ii)Wordsworth:ChronologyoftheMiddle Years, 1800–15 (Cambridge,MA, 1967,1975)

FM Samuel Taylor Coleridge,Frost atMidnight, text of1798(WoodstockFacsimile, ‘Fears inSolitude’, etc,OxfordandNewYork,1989)

JEGP JournalofEnglishandGermanicPhilology

Johnson SamuelJohnson,Dictionary of the English Language(2vols,1786)

LakesTour RevdWilliamGilpin,Observations,RelativeChieflytoPicturesque Beauty, made in Cumberland andWestmorland(2vols,1786)

Maxwell WilliamWordsworth, The Prelude: A Parallel Text,ed. J. C. Maxwell, Penguin Classics (London andNewYork,1971)

Memoirs Christopher Wordsworth, Memoirs of WilliamWordsworth(2vols,1851)

NortonPrelude

William Wordsworth: ‘The Prelude’, 1799, 1805,1850,ed.JonathanWordsworth,M.H.AbramsandStephenGill(NewYork,1979)

Notebooks Notebooks of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ed. KathleenCoburn(8vols,NewYork,1957–90)

NQ NotesandQueries

Oxford Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, ed. E. deSelincourtandHelenDarbishire(5vols,OxfordandNewYork,1940–9)

OED OxfordEnglishDictionary

OxfordPrelude

William Wordsworth, ‘The Prelude’, ed. E. deSelincourt(1926),2nded.revisedHelenDarbishire(OxfordandNewYork,1959)

Owen The Fourteen-book ‘Prelude’, ed. W. J. B. Owen,CornellWordsworth(Ithaca,NY,1985)

Parrish ‘ThePrelude’,1798–9, ed. Stephen Parrish, CornellWordsworth(Ithaca,NY,1977)

PL JohnMilton,ParadiseLost

PMLA Publications of the Modern Language Association ofAmerica

ProseWorks Prose Works of William Wordsworth, ed. W. J. B.Owen and J.W. Smyser (3 vols, Oxford andNewYork,1974)

Recollections Thomas deQuincey,Recollections of the Lakes and

the Lake Poets, ed. DavidWright, Penguin Classics(London,1970;NewYork,1971)

Reed The Thirteen-book ‘Prelude’, ed. Mark L. Reed,CornellWordsworth(2vols,Ithaca,NY,1991)

RES ReviewofEnglishStudies

Rooke Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Friend, ed. BarbaraRooke, Bollingen Coleridge (2 vols, Princeton, NJ,1969)

Sublime andBeautiful

Edmund Burke, Enquiry into the Sublime andBeautiful,ed.JamesT.Boulton(London,1958)

TA TinternAbbey

Ward Thomas de Quincey, Confessions of an EnglishOpium-Eater and Other Writings, ed. Aileen Ward,SignetClassics(NewYork,1966)

WC TheWordsworthCircle

West,Guide ThomasWest,AGuide to theLakes,3rded.,1784,WoodstockFacsimile(OxfordandNewYork,1989)

Wordsworth’sHawkshead

T. W. Thompson, Wordsworth’s Hawks-head, ed.RobertWoof(Oxford,1970)

WyeTour RevdWilliamGilpin,ObservationsontheRiverWye,1782,WoodstockFacsimile(OxfordandNewYork,1991)

FURTHERREADING

EditionsofWordsworthandColeridge

Beer, John, Poems of S. T. Coleridge, selected anded.,Everyman,(reviseded.London,1993)

BollingenColeridge(Princeton,NJ),especially:(i) Lectures 1795 on Politics and Religion, ed.LewisPattonandPeterMann(1971)

(ii) Essays on His Times, ed. David Erdman (3vols,1978)

(iii)TheFriend,ed.BarbaraRooke(2vols,1969)

Coburn, Kathleen, ed.,Notebooks of Samuel TaylorColeridge(8vols,NewYork,1957–90)

CornellWordsworth(Ithaca),especially:(i) ‘The Ruined Cottage’ and ‘The Pedlar’, ed.JamesButler(1979)

(ii) ‘The Prelude’ 1798–9, ed. Stephen Parrish

(1977)(iii)TheThirteen-book‘Prelude’,ed.MarkL.Reed(1991)

(iv) The Fourteen-book ‘Prelude’, ed. W. J. B.Owen(1985)

deSelincourt,E.,andHelenDarbishire,eds,PoeticalWorks ofWilliamWordsworth (5 vols, OxfordandNewYork,1940–9)

deSelincourt,E.,ed.,LettersofWilliamandDorothyWordsworth(OxfordandNewYork):TheEarlyYears, 1787–1805, revised Chester L. Shaver(1967); The Middle Years, 1806–11, revisedMary Moorman (1969); The Middle Years,1812–20,revisedMaryMoormanandAlanG.Hill(1970);TheLaterYears,1821–53,revisedAlanG.Hill (4 vols, 1978–88);ASupplementofNewLetters,ed.AlanG.Hill(1993)

deSelincourt,E.,ed.,WilliamWordsworth,GuidetotheLakes,OxfordReprints(Oxford,1970)

Gill,Stephen,PoemsofWilliamWordsworth,selectedand ed., New Oxford Standard Authors(OxfordandNewYork,1984)

Griggs, Earl Leslie, ed., Collected Letters of Samuel

TaylorColeridge(6vols,Oxford,1956–71)

Owen,W.J.B.andJaneWorthingtonSmyser,ProseWorks ofWilliamWordsworth (3 vols, OxfordandNewYork,1974)

Walford Davies, Damian, ed.,WilliamWordsworth,SelectedPoems,Everyman(London,1994)

Woodstock Facsimile Series, Revolution andRomanticism, selected and introduced,Jonathan Wordsworth (Oxford and NewYork),especially:

(i) Wordsworth, The Excursion, first ed., 1814(1991)

(ii)Wordsworth,Poems,2vols,1815(1989)(iii) Wordsworth, The Prelude, first ed., 1850(1993)

(iv) Coleridge,Poems on Various Subjects, 1796(1990)

(v)Coleridge,‘FearsinSolitude’,‘France,AnOde’and‘FrostatMidnight’,firsted.,1798(1989)

(vi)Coleridge,SibyllineLeaves,1817(1990)

Woof, Pamela, ed., Dorothy Wordsworth: TheGrasmere Journals (Oxford, 1990; New York,1993)

Wordsworth, Jonathan, ed., ‘The Pedlar’, ‘TinternAbbey’ and the Two-part ‘Prelude’ (CambridgeandNewYork,1985)

Wordsworth,Jonathan,M.H.AbramsandStephenGill,eds, ‘ThePrelude’,1799,1805and1850,NortonCriticalEdition(NewYork,1979)

Background

Abrams,M.H.,TheMirrorandtheLamp(NewYork,1953)

Burke, Edmund, Enquiry into the Sublime andBeautiful, 1757, ed. James T. Boulton(London,1958);ReflectionsontheRevolutioninFrance, 1790, ed. C. C. O’Brien (London,1968)

George, M. Dorothy, London Life in the EighteenthCentury,1925(reissuedLondon,1965)

Gill, Stephen,William Wordsworth: A Life (OxfordandNewYork,1989)

Gilpin, RevdWilliam,Observations, Relative ChieflytoPicturesqueBeauty,madeinCumberlandandWestmorland (2 vols, 1786); Observations on

theRiverWye(1782)

Godwin,William,Political Justice, first ed., 2 vols,1793,WoodstockFacsimile (OxfordandNewYork, 1992);CalebWilliams, 1794, ed.DavidMcCracken,OxfordNovels(Oxford,1970)

Goodwin, Albert, Friends of Liberty: The EnglishDemocraticMovement in the Age of the FrenchRevolution(London,1979)

Hartley, David, Observations on Man, 1749, withnotesbyHermanPistorius(3vols,1791)

Hayden, Donald E., Wordsworth’s Walking-tour of1790(Tulsa,1983)

Lefebvre,Georges,The French Revolution, trans. (i)E. M. Evan-son (London, 1962), (ii) J. H.StewartandJ.Friguglietti(London,1964)

Legouis, Emile, William Wordsworth and AnnetteVallon (London, 1922; Reprint Services,Temecula,CA)

Locke,John,TheEducationalWritingsofJohnLocke,ed.JamesL.Axtell(Cambridge,1968)

Moorman,Mary,WilliamWordsworth: A Biography:The Early Years: 1770–1803 (Oxford, 1957);

TheLaterYears:1803–50(Oxford,1968)

Paine, Thomas, Thomas Paine Reader, ed. MichaelFoot and Isaac Kramnick, Penguin Classics(London,1987)

Price, Richard, A Discourse of the Love of OurCountry, 1789, Woodstock Facsimile (OxfordandNewYork,1992)

Robinson,HenryCrabb,OnBooksandTheirWriters,ed.E.J.Morley(3vols,London,1938)

Roe, Nicholas, Wordsworth and Coleridge: TheRadicalYears(Oxford,1988;NewYork,1990)

Roland, JeanneMarie de la Platière,An Appeal toImpartialPosterity,1795,WoodstockFacsimile(OxfordandNewYork,1990)

Schneider, Ben Ross Jr, Wordsworth’s CambridgeEducation(Cambridge,1957)

Thompson,E.P.,TheMakingoftheEnglishWorkingClass(London,1963;reissued1968)

Thompson, T. W., Wordsworth’s Hawkshead, ed.RobertWoof(Oxford,1970)

West,Thomas,AGuidetotheLakes,3rded.,1784,

Woodstock Facsimile (Oxford andNewYork,1989)

Williams, HelenMaria, LettersWritten in France inthe Summer of 1790, Woodstock Facsimile(OxfordandNewYork,1989)

Wollstonecraft, Mary, A Wollstonecraft Anthology,ed.JanetTodd(Bloomington,IN,1977)

Wordsworth, Christopher, Memoirs of WilliamWordsworth(2vols,1851)

Wordsworth, Jonathan, ‘The Infinite I AM:ColeridgeandtheAscentofBeing’,Coleridge’sImagination, ed.RichardGravil, LucyNewlynandNicholasRoe(CambridgeandNewYork,1985), 22–52; Ancestral Voices: Fifty Booksfrom the Romantic Period (Oxford and NewYork,1991);VisionaryGleam:FortyBooksfromthe Romantic Period (Oxford and New York,1993)

Criticalworks

Abrams, M. H., Natural Supernaturalism: Traditionand Revolution in Romantic Literature (Oxford

and New York, 1971); ‘The CorrespondentBreeze: A Romantic Metaphor’, EnglishRomantic Poets, ed. M. H. Abrams (Oxford,1960;revised,1965),37–54

Ellis,David,Wordsworth,FreudandtheSpotsofTime(CambridgeandNewYork,1985)

Finch, John Alban, ‘Wordsworth’s Two-HandedEngine’, Bicentenary Wordsworth Studies, ed.JonathanWordsworth (Ithaca,NY,1970), 1–13

Gill, Stephen, William Wordsworth: ‘The Prelude’,LandmarksofLiterature(CambridgeandNewYork,1991)

Hanley, Keith, ‘Crossings Out: The Problem ofTextual Passage in The Prelude’, RomanticRevisions, ed. Robert Brinkley and KeithHanley (Cambridge and New York, 1992),103–36

Havens, RaymondDexter,TheMind of the Poet (2vols,Baltimore,MD,1941)

Jacobus, Mary, Romanticism, Writing and SexualDifference:Essayson‘ThePrelude’(OxfordandNewYork,1989)

Johnston,KennethR.,Wordsworthand‘TheRecluse’(NewHaven,CT,1984)

Landon, Carol, ‘Some Sidelights on The Prelude’,Bicentenary Wordsworth Studies, ed. JonathanWordsworth(Ithaca,NY,1970),359–76

Lindenberger, Herbert, On Wordsworth’s ‘Prelude’(Princeton,NJ, 1963); ‘TheReception ofThePrelude’, Bulletin of the New York PublicLibrary,lxiv(1960),196–208

McFarland, Thomas,Romanticism and the Forms ofRuin(Princeton,NJ,1981)

Rehder, Robert, ‘Wordsworth’s Imagination’,forthcominginWordsworthCircle

Roe, Nicholas, ‘Imagining Robespierre’, Coleridge’sImagination, ed.RichardGravil, LucyNewlynandNicholasRoe(CambridgeandNewYork,1985), 161–78; ‘Revising the Revolution’,Romantic Revisions, ed. Robert Brinkley andKeith Hanley (Cambridge and New York,1992),87–103

Wordsworth, Jonathan, ‘The Five-Book Prelude ofEarly Spring 1804’, Journal of English andGermanic Philology, lxxvi (January 1977), 1–

25; ‘That Wordsworth Epic’, WordsworthCircle, xi (winter 1980), 34–5; WilliamWordsworth:TheBordersofVision(OxfordandNew York, 1983); ‘Wordsworth’s “Dim andPerilous Way”’, Revolution and EnglishRomanticism, ed. Keith Hanley and RamanSelden (Hassocks, Sussex, 1990), 205–23;‘Revision as Making: The Prelude and itsPeers’,RomanticRevisions,ed.RobertBrinkleyandKeithHanley(CambridgeandNewYork,1992),18–43

ThePreludeTHEFOURTEXTS

WASITFORTHIS

WasitforthisThatone,thefairestofallrivers,lovedToblendhismurmurswithmynurse’ssong,Andfromhisaldershadesandrockyfalls,Andfromhisfordsandshallows,sentavoiceTointertwinemydreams?Forthisdidstthou,ODerwent,travellingoverthegreenplainsNearmysweetbirth-place,didstthou,beauteousstream,Giveceaselessmusictothenightandday,

10WhichwithitssteadycadencetemperingOurhumanwaywardness,composedbythoughtsTomorethaninfantsoftness,givingmeAmidthefretfultenementsofmanAknowledge,adimearnest,ofthecalmThatnaturebreathesamongherwoodlandhaunts?Wasitforthis(andnowIspeakofthingsThathavebeen,andthatare,nogentledreamsComplacent,fashionedfondlytoadornThetimeofunrememberablebeing),

20WasitforthisthatI,afouryears’child,Beneaththyscarsandinthysilentpools

Madeonelongbathingofasummer’sday,Baskedinthesun,orplungedintothystreams,Alternate,allasummer’sday,orcoursedOverthysandyplains,anddashedtheflowersOfyellowgroundsel–or,whenthehill-tops,Thewoods,andallthedistantmountains,Werebronzedwithadeepradiance,stoodaloneAnakedsavageinthethunder-shower?

30Forthisinspringtime,whenonsouthernbanksTheshiningsunhadfromhisknotofleavesDecoyedtheprimroseflower,andwhenthevalesAndwoodswerewarm,wasIaroverthenInthehighplaces,onthelonelypeaks,Amongthemountainsandthewinds?Thoughmean,Andthoughinglorious,weremyviews,theendWasnotignoble.Oh,whenIhavehungAbovetheraven’snest,havehungaloneByhalf-inchfissuresintheslipperyrock

40Butillsustained,andalmost(asitseemed)SuspendedbythewindwhichblewamainAgainstthenakedcrag,ah,then,WhileontheperilousedgeIhungalone,WithwhatstrangeutterancedidthelouddrywindBlowthroughmyears!TheskyseemednotaskyOfearth–andwithwhatmotionmovedtheclouds!

Ah,notinvainyebeingsofthehills,AndyethatwalkthewoodsandopenheathsBymoonorstarlight,thus,frommyfirstday

50Ofchildhood,didyelovetointerweaveThepassionsthatbuildupourhumansoulNotwiththemeanandvulgarworksofman,Butwithhighobjects,witheternalthings,Withlifeandnature,purifyingthusTheelementsoffeelingandofthought,

AndsanctifyingbysuchdisciplineBothpainandfear,untilwerecognizeAgrandeurinthebeatingsoftheheart.Ah,notinvainyespiritsofthesprings,

60Andyethathaveyourvoicesintheclouds,AndyethatarefamiliarsofthelakesAndstandingpools,ah,notfortrivialendsThroughsnowandsunshineandthesparklingplainsOfmoonlightfrost,andthroughthestormyday,DidyewithsuchassiduouslovepursueYourfavouriteandyourjoy.ImaynotthinkAvulgarhopewasyourswhenyeemployedSuchministry,whenyethroughmanyayearThus,bytheagencyofboyishsports,

70Impresseduponthestreams,thewoods,thehills–Impresseduponallforms–thecharactersOfdangeranddesire,andthusdidmakeThesurfaceoftheuniversalearthWithmeaningsofdelight,ofhopeandfear,Worklikeasea.

Forthis,whenonthewitheredmountain-slopeThefrostandbreathoffrostywindhadnippedThelastautumnalcrocus,didIloveTorangethroughhalfthenightamongthecliffs

80AndthesmoothhollowswherethewoodcocksranAlongthemoonlightturf?InthoughtandwishThattime,myshoulderallwithspringeshung,Iwasafelldestroyer.Gentlepowers,Whogiveushappinessandcallitpeace,WhenscuddingonfromsnaretosnareIpliedMyanxiousvisitation,hurryingon,Stillhurrying,hurryingonward,howmyheartPanted;amongthelonelyyew-treesandthecragsThatlookeduponme,howmybosombeat

90Withhopeandfear!SometimesstrongdesireResistlessovercamemeandthebirdThatwasthecaptiveofanother’stoilsBecamemyprey,andwhenthedeedwasdoneIheardamongthesolitaryhillsLowbreathingscomingaftermeandsoundsOfundistinguishablemotion,stepsAlmostassilentastheturftheytrod.

Norwhile,thoughdoubtingyetnotlost,ItreadThemazesofthisargument,andpaint

100HownaturebycollateralinterestAndbyextrinsicpassionpeopledfirstMymindwithbeauteousobjects,mayIwellForgetwhatmightdemandaloftiersong,Howofttheeternalspirit–hethathasHislifeinunimaginablethings,AndhewhopaintingwhatheisinallThevisibleimageryofalltheworldsIsyetapparentchieflyasthesoulOfourfirstsympathies–ohbounteouspower,

110Inchildhood,inrememberabledays,HowoftendidthyloverenewformeThosenakedfeelingswhichwhenthouwouldstformAlivingthingthousendestlikeabreezeIntoitsinfantbeing.Soulofthings,HowoftendidthyloverenewformeThosehallowedandpuremotionsofthesenseWhichseemintheirsimplicitytoownAnintellectualcharm–thatcalmdelightWhich(ifIerrnot)surelymustbelong

120Tothosefirst-bornaffinitieswhichfitOurnewexistencetoexistingthings,AndinourdawnofbeingconstituteThebondofunionbetwixtlifeandjoy.

Yes,IrememberwhenthechangefulearthAndtwicefiveseasonsonmymindhadstampedThefacesofthechangefulyear,eventhen,Achild,IheldunconsciousintercourseWiththeeternalbeauty,drinkinginApureorganicpleasurefromthelines

130Ofcurlingmist,orfromthesmoothexpanseOfwaterscolouredbythecloudlessmoon.ThesandsofWestmorland,thecreeksandbaysOfCumbria’srockylimits,theycantellHowwhentheseathrewoffhiseveningshadeAndtotheshepherd’shutbeneaththecragsDidsendsweetnoticeoftherisingmoon,HowIhavestood,toimageslikethisAstranger,linkingwiththespectacleNobodyofassociatedforms,

140AndbearingwithmenopeculiarsenseOfquietnessorpeace–yetIhavestoodEvenwhilemyeyehasmovedo’erthreelongleaguesOfshiningwater,gathering,asitseemed,Newpleasurelikeabeeamongtheflowers.NorunsubservienteventonoblestendsAretheseprimordialfeelings.Howserene,HowcalmtheseseemamidtheswellOfhumanpassion–evenyetIfeel

150Theirtranquillizingpower.

THETWO-PARTPRELUDEOF1799

FirstPart

WasitforthisThatone,thefairestofallrivers,lovedToblendhismurmurswithmynurse’ssong,Andfromhisaldershadesandrockyfalls,Andfromhisfordsandshallows,sentavoiceThatflowedalongmydreams?Forthisdidstthou,ODerwent,travellingoverthegreenplainsNearmy‘sweetbirthplace’,didstthou,beauteousstream,Makeceaselessmusicthroughthenightandday,

10WhichwithitssteadycadencetemperingOurhumanwaywardness,composedmythoughtsTomorethaninfantsoftness,givingmeAmongthefretfuldwellingsofmankindAknowledge,adimearnest,ofthecalmWhichnaturebreathesamongthefieldsandgroves?BelovedDerwent,fairestofallstreams,WasitforthisthatI,afouryears’child,Anakedboy,amongthysilentpoolsMadeonelongbathingofasummer’sday,

20Baskedinthesun,orplungedintothystreams,Alternate,allasummer’sday,orcoursedOverthesandyfields,anddashedtheflowers

Ofyellowgroundsel–or,whencragandhill,Thewoods,anddistantSkiddaw’sloftyheight,Werebronzedwithadeepradiance,stoodaloneAnakedsavageinthethunder-shower?

Andafterwards(’twasinalaterday,Thoughearly),whenuponthemountain-slopeThefrostandbreathoffrostywindhadsnapped

30Thelastautumnalcrocus,’twasmyjoyTowanderhalfthenightamongthecliffsAndthesmoothhollowswherethewoodcocksranAlongthemoonlightturf.InthoughtandwishThattime,myshoulderallwithspringeshung,Iwasafelldestroyer.Gentlepowers,Whogiveushappinessandcallitpeace,WhenscuddingonfromsnaretosnareIpliedMyanxiousvisitation,hurryingon,Stillhurrying,hurryingonward,howmyheart

40Panted;amongthescatteredyew-treesandthecragsThatlookeduponme,howmybosombeatWithexpectation!SometimesstrongdesireResistlessoverpoweredme,andthebirdWhichwasthecaptiveofanother’stoilsBecamemyprey,andwhenthedeedwasdoneIheardamongthesolitaryhillsLowbreathingscomingafterme,andsoundsOfundistinguishablemotion,stepsAlmostassilentastheturftheytrod.

50Norlessinspringtime,whenonsouthernbanksTheshiningsunhadfromhisknotofleavesDecoyedtheprimroseflower,andwhenthevalesAndwoodswerewarm,wasIaroverthenInthehighplaces,onthelonesomepeaks,Amongthemountainsandthewinds.Thoughmean,

Andthoughinglorious,weremyviews,theendWasnotignoble.Oh,whenIhavehungAbovetheraven’snest,byknotsofgrassOrhalf-inchfissuresintheslipperyrock

60Butillsustained,andalmost(asitseemed)SuspendedbytheblastwhichblewamainShoulderingthenakedcrag,oh,atthattime,WhileontheperilousridgeIhungalone,WithwhatstrangeutterancedidthelouddrywindBlowthroughmyears!TheskyseemednotaskyOfearth–andwithwhatmotionmovedtheclouds!ThemindofmanisfashionedandbuiltupEvenasastrainofmusic.IbelieveThattherearespiritswhich,whentheywouldform

70Afavouredbeing,fromhisverydawnOfinfancydoopenoutthecloudsAsatthetouchoflightning,seekinghimWithgentlevisitation–quietpowers,Retired,andseldomrecognized,yetkind,Andtotheverymeanestnotunknown–Withme,though,rarelyinmyearlydaysTheycommuned.Otherstoothereare,whouse,Yethaplyaimingattheself-sameend,Severerinterventions,

80ministryMorepalpable–andoftheirschoolwasI.

Theyguidedme:oneeveningledbythemIwentaloneintoashepherd’sboat,Askiffthattoawillow-treewastiedWithinarockycave,itsusualhome.Themoonwasup,thelakewasshiningclearAmongthehoarymountains;fromtheshoreIpushed,andstrucktheoars,andstruckagainIncadence,andmylittleboatmovedonJustlikeamanwhowalkswithstatelystep

90Thoughbentonspeed.ItwasanactofstealthAndtroubledpleasure.NotwithoutthevoiceOfmountainechoesdidmyboatmoveon,LeavingbehindherstilloneithersideSmallcirclesglitteringidlyinthemoonUntiltheymeltedallintoonetrackOfsparklinglight.

ArockysteepuproseAbovethecavernofthewillow-tree,Andnow,assuitedonewhoproudlyrowedWithhisbestskill,Ifixedasteadyview

100Uponthetopofthatsamecraggyridge,Theboundofthehorizon–forbehindWasnothingbutthestarsandthegreysky.Shewasanelfinpinnace;twentytimesIdippedmyoarsintothesilentlake,AndasIroseuponthestrokemyboatWentheavingthroughthewaterlikeaswan–When,frombehindthatrockysteep(tillthenTheboundofthehorizon)ahugecliff,Asifwithvoluntarypowerinstinct,

110Upreareditshead.Istruck,andstruckagain,And,growingstillinstature,thehugecliffRoseupbetweenmeandthestars,andstill,Withmeasuredmotion,likealivingthingStrodeafterme.WithtremblinghandsIturnedAndthroughthesilentwaterstolemywayBacktothecavernofthewillow-tree.Thereinhermooring-placeIleftmybark,AndthroughthemeadowshomewardwentwithgraveAndseriousthoughts;andafterIhadseen

120Thatspectacle,formanydaysmybrainWorkedwithadimandundeterminedsenseOfunknownmodesofbeing.Inmythoughts

Therewasadarkness–callitsolitude,Orblankdesertion.NofamiliarshapesOfhourlyobjects,imagesoftrees,Ofseaorsky,nocoloursofgreenfields,ButhugeandmightyformsthatdonotliveLikelivingmenmovedslowlythroughmymindByday,andwerethetroubleofmydreams.

130Ah,notinvainyebeingsofthehills,AndyethatwalkthewoodsandopenheathsBymoonorstar-light,thus,frommyfirstdawnOfchildhood,didyelovetointertwineThepassionsthatbuildupourhumansoulNotwiththemeanandvulgarworksofman,Butwithhighobjects,witheternalthings,Withlifeandnature,purifyingthusTheelementsoffeelingandofthought,Andsanctifyingbysuchdiscipline

140Bothpainandfear,untilwerecognizeAgrandeurinthebeatingsoftheheart.NorwasthisfellowshipvouchsafedtomeWithstintedkindness.InNovemberdaysWhenvapoursrollingdownthevalleysmadeAlonelyscenemorelonesome,amongwoodsAtnoon,andmidthecalmofsummernightsWhenbythemarginofthetremblinglakeBeneaththegloomyhillsIhomewardwentInsolitude,suchintercoursewasmine.

150Andinthefrostyseason,whenthesunWasset,andvisibleformanyamileThecottage-windowsthroughthetwilightblazed,Iheedednotthesummons.ClearandloudThevillageclocktolledsix;IwheeledaboutProudandexulting,likeanuntiredhorseThatcaresnotforitshome.Allshodwithsteel

WehissedalongthepolishediceingamesConfederate,imitativeofthechaseAndwoodlandpleasures–theresoundinghorn,

160Thepackloudbellowing,andthehuntedhare.Sothroughthedarknessandthecoldweflew,Andnotavoicewasidle.Withthedin,Meanwhile,theprecipicesrangaloud,TheleaflesstreesandeveryicycragTinkledlikeiron;whilethedistanthillsIntothetumultsentanaliensoundOfmelancholy,notunnoticed–whilethestarsEastwardweresparklingclear,andinthewestTheorangeskyofeveningdiedaway.

170NotseldomfromtheuproarIretiredIntoasilentbay,orsportivelyGlancedsideway,leavingthetumultuousthrong,TocutacrosstheshadowofastarThatgleamedupontheice.Andoftentimes,WhenwehadgivenourbodiestothewindAndalltheshadowybanksoneithersideCamesweepingthroughthedarkness,spinningstillTherapidlineofmotion,thenatonceHaveI,recliningbackuponmyheels,

180Stoppedshort–yetstillthesolitarycliffsWheeledbyme,evenasiftheearthhadrolledWithvisiblemotionherdiurnalround!Behindmedidtheystretchinsolemntrain,Feeblerandfeebler,andIstoodandwatchedTillallwastranquilasasummersea.

Yepowersofearth,yegeniiofthesprings,Andyethathaveyourvoicesintheclouds,AndyethatarefamiliarsofthelakesAndofthestandingpools,Imaynotthink

190AvulgarhopewasyourswhenyeemployedSuchministry–whenyethroughmanyayearThus,bytheagencyofboyishsports,Oncavesandtrees,uponthewoodsandhills,ImpresseduponallformsthecharactersOfdangerordesire,andthusdidmakeThesurfaceoftheuniversalearthWithmeaningsofdelight,ofhopeandfear,Worklikeasea.

Notuselesslyemployed,Imightpursuethisthemethrougheverychange

200OfexerciseandsporttowhichtheyearDidsummonusinitsdelightfulround.Wewereanoisycrew;thesuninheavenBeheldnotvalesmorebeautifulthanours,NorsawaraceinhappinessandjoyMoreworthyofthefieldswheretheyweresown.IwouldrecordwithnoreluctantvoiceOurhomeamusementsbythewarmpeat-fireAtevening,whenwithpencilandwithslate(Insquaredivisionsparcelledout,andall

210Withcrossesandwithcyphersscribbledo’er)Weschemedandpuzzled,headopposedtohead,Instrifetoohumbletobenamedinverse;Orroundthenakedtable,snow-whitedeal,Cherryormaple,satinclosearray,Andtothecombat–looorwhist–ledonAthick-ribbedarmy,not,asintheworld,DiscardedandungratefullythrownbyEvenfortheveryservicetheyhadwrought,Buthusbandedthroughmanyalongcampaign.

220Oh,withwhatechoesontheboardtheyfell–Ironicdiamonds,heartsofsablehue,Queensgleamingthroughtheirsplendour’slastdecay,

Knaveswraptinoneassimilatinggloom,AndkingsindignantattheshameincurredByroyalvisages.MeanwhileabroadTheheavyrainwasfalling,orthefrostRagedbitterlywithkeenandsilenttooth,And,interruptingtheimpassionedgame,Oftfromtheneighbouringlakethesplittingice,

230Whileitsankdowntowardsthewater,sentAmongthemeadowsandthehillsitslongAndfrequentyellings,imitativesomeOfwolvesthathowlalongtheBothnicmain.

NorwithlesswillingheartwouldIrehearseThewoodsofautumn,andtheirhiddenbowersWithmilk-whiteclustershung;therodandline(Truesymbolofthefoolishnessofhope)WhichwithitsstrongenchantmentledmeonByrocksandpools,whereneversummerstar

240Impresseditsshadow,toforlorncascadesAmongthewindingsofthemountain-brooks;ThekiteinsultrycalmsfromsomehighhillSentup,ascendingthencetillitwaslostAmongthefleecyclouds–ingustydaysLaunchedfromthelowergrounds,andsuddenlyDashedheadlongandrejectedbythestorm.Allthese,andmore,withrivalclaimsdemandGratefulacknowledgement.ItwereasongVenial,andsuchas(ifIrightlyjudge)

250Imightprotractunblamed,butIperceiveThatmuchisoverlooked,andweshouldillAttainourobjectif,fromdelicatefearsOfbreakinginupontheunityOfthismyargument,IshouldomitTospeakofsucheffectsascannothereBeregularlyclassed,yettendnoless

Tothesamepoint,thegrowthofmentalpowerAndloveofnature’sworks.

EreIhadseenEightsummers–and’twasintheveryweek

260WhenIwasfirsttransplantedtothyvale,BelovèdHawkshead,whenthypaths,thyshoresAndbrooks,werelikeadreamofnoveltyTomyhalf-infantmind–IchancedtocrossOneofthoseopenfieldswhich,shapedlikeears,MakegreenpeninsulasonEsthwake’slake.Twilightwascomingon,yetthroughthegloomIsawdistinctlyontheoppositeshore,Beneathatreeandclosebythelakeside,Aheapofgarments,asifleftbyone

270Whotherewasbathing.HalfanhourIwatchedAndnooneownedthem;meanwhilethecalmlakeGrewdarkwithalltheshadowsonitsbreast,AndnowandthenaleapingfishdisturbedThebreathlessstillness.ThesucceedingdayTherecameacompany,andintheirboatSoundedwithironhooksandwithlongpoles.Atlengththedeadman,midthatbeauteoussceneOftreesandhillsandwater,boltuprightRosewithhisghastlyface.Imightadvert

280Tonumerousaccidentsinfloodorfield,Quarryormoor,ormidthewintersnows,Distressesanddisasters,tragicfactsOfruralhistorythatimpressedmymindWithimagestowhichinfollowingyearsFarotherfeelingswereattached–withformsThatyetexistwithindependentlife,And,liketheirarchetypes,knownodecay.ThereareinourexistencespotsoftimeWhichwithdistinctpreeminenceretain

290Afructifyingvirtue,whence,depressedBytrivialoccupationsandtheroundOfordinaryintercourse,ourminds–Especiallytheimaginativepower–Arenourishedandinvisiblyrepaired;SuchmomentschieflyseemtohavetheirdateInourfirstchildhood.

Irememberwell(’TisofanearlyseasonthatIspeak,Thetwilightofrememberablelife),WhileIwasyetanurchin,onewhoscarce

300Couldholdabridle,withambitioushopesImounted,andwerodetowardsthehills.Wewereapairofhorsemen:honestJamesWaswithme,myencouragerandguide.WehadnottravelledlongeresomemischanceDisjoinedmefrommycomrade,and,throughfearDismounting,downtheroughandstonymoorIledmyhorse,andstumblingon,atlengthCametoabottomwhereinformertimesAman,themurdererofhiswife,washung

310Inirons.Moulderedwasthegibbet-mast;Thebonesweregone,theironandthewood;OnlyalonggreenridgeofturfremainedWhoseshapewaslikeagrave.Ileftthespot,AndreascendingthebareslopeIsawAnakedpoolthatlaybeneaththehills,Thebeacononthesummit,andmorenearAgirlwhoboreapitcheronherheadAndseemedwithdifficultstepstoforceherwayAgainsttheblowingwind.Itwasintruth

320Anordinarysight,butIshouldneedColoursandwordsthatareunknowntomanTopaintthevisionarydreariness

Which,whileIlookedallroundformylostguide,Didatthattimeinvestthenakedpool,Thebeacononthelonelyeminence,ThewomanandhergarmentsvexedandtossedBythestrongwind.

NorlessIrecollect(Longafter,thoughmychildhoodhadnotceased)Anotherscenewhichleftakindredpower

330Implantedinmymind.OneChristmas-time,Thedaybeforetheholidaysbegan,Feverish,andtired,andrestless,IwentforthIntothefields,impatientforthesightOfthosethreehorseswhichshouldbearushome,Mybrothersandmyself.Therewasacrag,Aneminence,whichfromthemeeting-pointOftwohighwaysascendingoverlookedAtleastalonghalf-mileofthosetworoads,Byeachofwhichtheexpectedsteedsmightcome–

340Thechoiceuncertain.ThitherIrepairedUptothehighestsummit.’TwasadayStormy,andrough,andwild,andonthegrassIsathalfshelteredbyanakedwall.Uponmyrighthandwasasinglesheep,Awhistlinghawthornonmyleft,andthere,Thosetwocompanionsatmyside,IwatchedWitheyesintenselystraining,asthemistGaveintermittingprospectsofthewoodAndplainbeneath.

EreItoschoolreturned350Thatdrearytime,ereIhadbeentendays

Adwellerinmyfather’shouse,hedied,AndIandmytwobrothers(orphansthen)Followedhisbodytothegrave.Theevent,Withallthesorrowwhichitbrought,appeared

Achastisement;andwhenIcalledtomindThatdaysolatelypassed,whenfromthecragIlookedinsuchanxietyofhope,Withtritereflectionsofmorality,Yetwiththedeepestpassion,Ibowedlow

360ToGodwhothuscorrectedmydesires.AndafterwardsthewindandsleetyrainAndallthebusinessoftheelements,Thesinglesheep,andtheoneblastedtree,Andthebleakmusicofthatoldstonewall,Thenoiseofwoodandwater,andthemistWhichonthelineofeachofthosetworoadsAdvancedinsuchindisputableshapes–AllthesewerespectaclesandsoundstowhichIoftenwouldrepair,andthencewoulddrink

370Asatafountain.AndIdonotdoubtThatinthislatertime,whenstormandrainBeatonmyroofatmidnight,orbydayWhenIaminthewoods,unknowntomeTheworkingsofmyspiritthencearebrought.

Nor,sedulousasIhavebeentotraceHownaturebycollateralinterest,Andbyextrinsicpassion,peopledfirstMymindwithformsorbeautifulorgrandAndmademelovethem,mayIwellforget

380Howotherpleasureshavebeenmine,andjoysOfsubtlerorigin–howIhavefeltNotseldom,eveninthattempestuoustime,ThosehallowedandpuremotionsofthesenseWhichseemintheirsimplicitytoownAnintellectualcharm,thatcalmdelightWhich(ifIerrnot)surelymustbelongTothosefirst-bornaffinitiesthatfitOurnewexistencetoexistingthings,

Andinourdawnofbeingconstitute390Thebondofunionbetwixtlifeandjoy.

Yes,IrememberwhenthechangefulearthAndtwicefiveseasonsonmymindhadstampedThefacesofthemovingyear,eventhen,Achild,IheldunconsciousintercourseWiththeeternalbeauty,drinkinginApureorganicpleasurefromthelinesOfcurlingmist,orfromthelevelplainOfwaterscolouredbythesteadyclouds.ThesandsofWestmorland,thecreeksandbays

400OfCumbria’srockylimits,theycantellHowwhentheseathrewoffhiseveningshadeAndtotheshepherd’shutbeneaththecragsDidsendsweetnoticeoftherisingmoon,HowIhavestood,toimagesliketheseAstranger,linkingwiththespectacleNobodyofassociatedforms,AndbringingwithmenopeculiarsenseOfquietnessorpeace–yetIhavestoodEvenwhilemyeyehasmovedo’erthreelongleagues

410Ofshiningwater,gathering,asitseemed,ThroughthewidesurfaceofthatfieldoflightNewpleasure,likeabeeamongtheflowers.

ThusofteninthosefitsofvulgarjoyWhichthroughallseasonsonachild’spursuitsArepromptattendants,midthatgiddyblissWhichlikeatempestworksalongthebloodAndisforgotten,eventhenIfeltGleamsliketheflashingofashield.TheearthAndcommonfaceofnaturespoketome

420Rememberablethings–sometimes,’tistrue,Byquaintassociations,yetnotvain

Norprofitless,ifhaplytheyimpressedCollateralobjectsandappearances,AlbeitlifelessthenanddoomedtosleepUntilmaturerseasonscalledthemforthToimpregnateandtoelevatethemind.AndifthevulgarjoybyitsownweightWearieditselfoutofthememory,Thesceneswhichwereawitnessofthatjoy

430RemainedintheirsubstantiallineamentsDepictedonthebrain,andtotheeyeWerevisible,adailysight.AndthusBytheimpressiveagencyoffear,Bypleasureandrepeatedhappiness–Sofrequentlyrepeated–andbyforceOfobscurefeelingsrepresentativeOfjoysthatwereforgotten,thesesamescenes,Sobeauteousandmajesticinthemselves,Thoughyetthedaywasdistant,didatlength

440Becomehabituallydear,andallTheirhuesandformswerebyinvisiblelinksAlliedtotheaffections.

IbeganMystoryearly,feeling(asIfear)TheweaknessofahumanlovefordaysDisownedbymemory–erethebirthofspringPlantingmysnowdropsamongwintersnows.Norwillitseemtothee,myfriend,sopromptInsympathy,thatIhavelengthenedoutWithfondandfeebletongueatedioustale.

450MeanwhilemyhopehasbeenthatImightfetchReproachesfrommyformeryears,whosepowerMayspurmeon,inmanhoodnowmature,Tohonourabletoil.YetshoulditbeThatthisisbutanimpotentdesire–ThatIbysuchinquiryamnottaught

Tounderstandmyself,northoutoknowWithbetterknowledgehowtheheartwasframedOfhimthoulovest–needIdreadfromtheeHarshjudgementsifIamsolothtoquit

460ThoserecollectedhoursthathavethecharmOfvisionarythings,andlovelyformsAndsweetsensations,thatthrowbackourlifeAndmakeourinfancyavisiblesceneOnwhichthesunisshining?

SecondPart

Thusfar,myfriend,haveweretracedthewayThroughwhichItravelledwhenIfirstbeganTolovethewoodsandfields.ThepassionyetWasinitsbirth,sustainedasmightbefallBynourishmentthatcameunsought;forstillFromweektoweek,frommonthtomonth,welivedAroundoftumult.DulywereourgamesProlongedinsummertillthedaylightfailed.Nochairremainedbeforethedoors,thebench

10Andthresholdstepswereempty;fastasleepThelabourerandtheoldmanwhohadsatAlaterlingerer–yettherevelryContinuedandthelouduproar!Atlast,WhenallthegroundwasdarkandthehugecloudsWereedgedwithtwinklingstars,tobedwewentWithwearyjointsandwithabeatingmind.Ah,isthereonewhoeverhasbeenyoungAndneedsamonitoryvoicetotameTheprideofvirtueandofintellect?

20Andisthereone,thewisestandthebestOfallmankind,whodoesnotsometimeswish

Forthingswhichcannotbe–whowouldnotgive,Ifsohemight,todutyandtotruthTheeagernessofinfantinedesire?AtranquillizingspiritpressesnowOnmycorporealframe,sowideappearsThevacancybetweenmeandthosedays,Whichyethavesuchself-presenceinmyheartThatsometimeswhenIthinkofthemIseem

30Twoconsciousnesses–consciousofmyself,Andofsomeotherbeing.

AgreystoneOfnativerock,leftmidwayinthesquareOfoursmallmarket-village,wasthehomeAndcentreofthesejoys;andwhen,returnedAfterlongabsence,thitherIrepaired,Ifoundthatitwassplit,andgonetobuildAsmartassembly-roomthatperkedandflaredWithwashandrough-cast,elbowingthegroundWhichhadbeenours.Butletthefiddlescream,

40Andbeyehappy!YetIknow,myfriends,ThatmorethanoneofyouwillthinkwithmeOfthosesoftstarrynights,andthatolddameFromwhomthestonewasnamed,whotherehadsatAndwatchedhertablewithitshuckster’swares,Assiduousforthelengthofsixtyyears.

Weranaboisterousrace:theyearspunroundWithgiddymotion:ButthetimeapproachedThatbroughtwithitaregulardesireForcalmerpleasures–whenthebeauteousscenes

50OfnaturewerecollaterallyattachedToeveryschemeofholidaydelight,Andeveryboyishsport,lessgratefulelseAndlanguidlypursued.Whensummercame

ItwasthepastimeofourafternoonsTobeatalongtheplainofWindermereWithrivaloars,andtheselectedbourneWasnowanislandmusicalwithbirdsThatsangforever,nowasisterisleBeneaththeoak’sumbrageouscovert,sown,

60Withlilies-of-the-valleylikeafield,AndnowathirdsmallislandwhereremainedAnoldstonetableandonemoulderedcave–Ahermit’shistory.Insucharace,Soended,disappointmentcouldbenone,Uneasiness,orpain,orjealousy;Werestedintheshade,allpleasedalike,Conqueredorconqueror.ThusourselfishnessWasmelloweddown,andthustheprideofstrengthAndthevaingloryofsuperiorskill

70WereinterfusedwithobjectswhichsubduedAndtemperedthem,andgraduallyproducedAquietindependenceoftheheart.AndtomyfriendwhoknowsmeImayaddUnapprehensiveofreproofthathenceEnsuedadiffidenceandmodesty,AndIwastaughttofeel(perhapstoomuch)Theself-sufficingpowerofsolitude.

Nodelicateviandssappedourbodilystrength:Morethanwewishedweknewtheblessingthen

80Ofvigoroushunger,forourdailymealsWerefrugal,Sabinefare–andthen,excludeAlittleweeklystipend,andwelivedThroughthreedivisionsofthequarteredyearInpennilesspoverty.Butnow,toschoolReturnedfromthehalf-yearlyholidaysWecamewithpursesmoreprofuselyfilled,Allowancewhichabundantlysufficed

TogratifythepalatewithrepastsMorecostlythanthedameofwhomIspoke,

90Thatancientwoman,andherboard,supplied.Henceinroadsintodistantvales,andlongExcursionsfarawayamongthehills,Hencerusticdinnersonthecoolgreenground–Orinthewoods,orbyariver-sideOrfountain–festivebanquets,thatprovokedThelanguidactionofanaturalsceneBypleasureofcorporealappetite.

NorismyaimneglectedifItellHowtwiceinthelonglengthofthosehalf-years

100WefromourfundsperhapswithbolderhandDrewlargely,anxiousforonedayatleastTofeelthemotionofthegallopingsteed.Andwiththegoodoldinnkeeper,intruthIneedsmustsay,thatsometimeswehaveusedSlysubterfuge,fortheintendedboundOftheday’sjourneywastoodistantfarForanycautiousman:astructurefamedBeyonditsneighbourhood–theantiquewallsOfalargeabbey,withitsfracturedarch,

110Belfry,andimages,andlivingtrees,Aholyscene!AlongthesmoothgreenturfOurhorsesgrazed.InmorethaninlandpeaceLeftbythewindsthatoverpassthevale,Inthatsequesteredruintreesandtowers–lBothsilentandbothmotionlessalike–HearalldaylongthemurmuringseathatbeatsIncessantlyuponacraggyshore.

Oursteedsremountedandthesummonsgiven,Withwhipandspurwebythechantryflew

120Inuncouthrace,andleftthecross-leggedknight

Andthestoneabbot,andthatsinglewrenWhichonedaysangsosweetlyinthenaveOftheoldchurchthat,thoughfromrecentshowersTheearthwascomfortless,and,touchedbyfaintInternalbreezes,fromtherooflesswallsTheshudderingivydrippedlargedrops,yetstillSosweetlymidthegloomtheinvisiblebirdSangtoitselfthatthereIcouldhavemadeMydwelling-place,andlivedforeverthere

130Tohearsuchmusic.ThroughthewallsweflewAnddownthevalley,and,acircuitmadeInwantonnessofheart,throughroughandsmoothWescamperedhomeward.Oh,yerocksandstreams,Andthatstillspiritoftheeveningair,EveninthisjoyoustimeIsometimesfeltYourpresence,whenwithslackenedstepwebreathedAlongthesidesofthesteephills,orwhen,Lightenedbygleamsofmoonlightfromthesea,Webeatwiththunderinghoofsthelevelsand.

140Therewasarowofancienttrees,sincefallen,ThatonthemarginofajuttinglandStoodneartheLakeofConiston,andmade,Withitslongboughsabovethewaterstretched,AgloomthroughwhichaboatmightsailalongAsinacloister.Anoldhallwasnear,Grotesqueandbeautiful,itsgavel-endAndhugeroundchimneystothetopo’ergrownWithfieldsofivy.Thitherwerepaired(’Twasevenacustomwithus)totheshore,

150Andtothatcoolpiazza.TheywhodweltIntheneglectedmansion-housesuppliedFreshbutter,tea-kettleandearthenware,Andchafing-dishwithsmokingcoals;andsoBeneaththetreeswesatinoursmallboat,Andinthecovertateourdelicatemeal

Uponthecalmsmoothlake.ItwasajoyWorthytheheartofonewhoisfullgrownTorestbeneaththosehorizontalboughsAndmarktheradianceofthesettingsun,

160Himselfunseen,reposingonthetopOfthehigheasternhills.AndthereIsaid,Thatbeauteoussightbeforeme,thereIsaid(ThenfirstbeginninginmythoughtstomarkThatsenseofdimsimilitudewhichlinksOurmoralfeelingswithexternalforms)ThatinwhateverregionIshouldcloseMymortallifeIwouldrememberyou,Fairscenes–thatdyingIwouldthinkonyou,Mysoulwouldsendalonginglooktoyou,

170Evenasthatsettingsun,whileallthevaleCouldnowherecatchonefaintmemorialgleam,YetwiththelastremainsofhislastlightStilllingered,andafarewelllustrethrewOnthedearmountain-topswherefirstherose.’Twasthenmyfourteenthsummer,andthesewordsWereutteredinacasualaccessOfsentiment,amomentarytranceThatfaroutranthehabitofmymind.

UpontheeasternshoreofWindermere180Abovethecrescentofapleasantbay

Therewasaninn–nohomely-featuredshed,Brotherofthesurroundingcottages,But’twasasplendidplace,thedoorbesetWithchaises,grooms,andliveries,andwithinDecanters,glassesandtheblood-redwine.Inancienttimes,oreretheHallwasbuiltOnthelargeisland,hadthedwellingbeenMoreworthyofapoet’slove,ahutProudofitsonebrightfireandsycamoreshade.

190ButthoughtherhymesweregonewhichonceinscribedThethreshold,andlargegoldencharactersOntheblue-frostedsignboardhadusurpedTheplaceoftheoldlion,incontemptAndmockeryoftherusticpainter’shand,YettothishourthespottomeisdearWithallitsfoolishpomp.ThegardenlayUponaslopesurmountedbytheplainOfasmallbowling-green;beneathusstoodAgrove,withgleamsofwaterthroughthetrees

200Andoverthetree-tops–nordidwewantRefreshment,strawberriesandmellowcream–Andthere,throughhalfanafternoon,weplayedOnthesmoothplatform,andtheshoutswesentMadeallthemountainsring.ButerethefallOfnight,wheninourpinnacewereturnedOvertheduskylake,andtothebeachOfsomesmallislandsteeredourcourse,withone,Theminstrelofourtroop,andlefthimthere,Androwedoffgentlywhileheblewhisflute

210Aloneupontherock,oh,thenthecalmAnddeadstillwaterlayuponmymindEvenwithaweightofpleasure,andthesky,Neverbeforesobeautiful,sankdownIntomyheartandheldmelikeadream.

Thusdaybydaymysympathiesincreased,AndthusthecommonrangeofvisiblethingsGrewdeartome.AlreadyIbeganTolovethesun–aboyIlovedthesunNotasIsincehavelovedhim(asapledge

220Andsuretyofmyearthlylife,alightWhichwhileIviewIfeelIamalive),Butforthiscause,thatIhadseenhimlayHisbeautyonthemorninghills,hadseen

ThewesternmountaintouchhissettingorbInmanyathoughtlesshour,whenfromexcessOfhappinessmybloodappearedtoflowWithitsownpleasure,andIbreathedwithjoy.Andfromlikefeelings,humblethoughintense(Topatrioticanddomesticlove

230Analogous)themoontomewasdear,ForIwoulddreamawaymypurposesStandingtolookuponherwhileshehungMidwaybetweenthehills,asifsheknewNootherregion,butbelongedtothee–Yea,appertainedbyapeculiarrightTotheeandthygreyhuts,mynativevale!

ThoseincidentalcharmswhichfirstattachedMyhearttoruralobjectsdaybydayGrewweaker,andIhastenontotell

240Hownature–intervenienttillthistime,Andsecondary–nowatlengthwassoughtForherownsake.ButwhoshallparceloutHisintellectbygeometricrules,Splitlikeaprovinceintoroundandsquare?WhoknowstheindividualhourinwhichHishabitswerefirstsown,evenasaseed?Whothatshallpointaswithawand,andsay‘ThisportionoftheriverofmymindCamefromyonfountain’?Thou,myfriend,artone

250Moredeeplyreadinthyownthoughts,noslaveOfthatfalsesecondarypowerbywhichInweaknesswecreatedistinctions,thenBelieveourpunyboundariesarethingsWhichweperceive,andnotwhichwehavemade.Tothee,unblindedbytheseoutwardshows,Theunityofallhasbeenrevealed,Andthouwiltdoubtwithme,lessaptlyskilled

ThanmanyaretoclassthecabinetOftheirsensations,andinvolublephrase

260RunthroughthehistoryandbirthofeachAsofasingleindependentthing.Hardtasktoanalyseasoul,inwhichNotonlygeneralhabitsanddesires,Buteachmostobviousandparticularthought–Notinamysticalandidlesense,Butinthewordsofreasondeeplyweighed–Hasnobeginning.

Blesttheinfantbabe(ForwithmybestconjecturesIwouldtraceTheprogressofourbeing),blestthebabe

270Nursedinhismother’sarms,thebabewhosleepsUponhismother’sbreast,whowhenhissoulClaimsmanifestkindredwithanearthlysoul,Doesgatherpassionfromhismother’seye.SuchfeelingspassintohistorpidlifeLikeanawakeningbreeze,andhencehismind,Eveninthefirsttrialofitspowers,Ispromptandwatchful,eagertocombineInoneappearancealltheelementsAndpartsofthesameobject,elsedetached

280Andlothtocoalesce.ThusdaybydaySubjectedtothedisciplineoflove,HisorgansandrecipientfacultiesArequickened,aremorevigorous;hismindspreads,Tenaciousoftheformswhichitreceives.Inonebelovedpresence–nayandmore,InthatmostapprehensivehabitudeAndthosesensationswhichhavebeenderivedFromthisbelovedpresence–thereexistsAvirtuewhichirradiatesandexalts

290Allobjectsthroughallintercourseofsense.

Nooutcasthe,bewilderedanddepressed!–AlonghisinfantveinsareinterfusedThegravitationandthefilialbondOfnaturethatconnecthimwiththeworld.EmphaticallysuchabeinglivesAninmateofthisactiveuniverse.Fromnaturelargelyhereceives,norsoIssatisfied,butlargelygivesagain;Forfeelinghastohimimpartedstrength,

300And–powerfulinallsentimentsofgrief,Ofexultation,fear,andjoy–hismind,Evenasanagentoftheonegreatmind,Creates,creatorandreceiverboth,WorkingbutinalliancewiththeworksWhichitbeholds.Such,verily,isthefirstPoeticspiritofourhumanlife–ByuniformcontrolofafteryearsInmostabatedandsuppressed,insomeThrougheverychangeofgrowthorofdecay310Preeminenttilldeath.

Fromearlydays,BeginningnotlongafterthatfirsttimeInwhich,ababe,byintercourseoftouchIheldmutedialogueswithmymother’sheart,IhaveendeavouredtodisplaythemeansWherebythisinfantsensibility,Greatbirthrightofourbeing,wasinmeAugmentedandsustained.YetisapathMoredifficultbeforeme,andIfearThatinitsbrokenwindingsweshallneed

320Thechamois’sinewsandtheeagle’swing.FornowatroublecameintomymindFromobscurecauses.IwasleftaloneSeekingthisvisibleworld,norknowingwhy.Thepropsofmyaffectionswereremoved,

AndyetthebuildingstoodasifsustainedByitsownspirit.AllthatIbeheldWasdeartome,andfromthiscauseitcameThatnowtonature’sfinerinfluxesMymindlayopen–tothatmoreexact

330AndintimatecommunionwhichourheartsMaintainwiththeminuterpropertiesOfobjectswhichalreadyarebeloved,Andofthoseonly.

ManyarethejoysOfyouth,butoh,whathappinesstoliveWheneveryhourbringspalpableaccessOfknowledge,whenallknowledgeisdelight,Andsorrowisnotthere!Theseasonscame,AndeveryseasonbroughtacountlessstoreOfmodesandtemporaryqualities

340WhichbutforthismostwatchfulpowerofloveHadbeenneglected,leftaregisterOfpermanentrelationselseunknown.Hencelife,andchange,andbeauty,solitudeMoreactiveeventhan‘bestsociety’,SocietymadesweetassolitudeBysilentinobtrusivesympathies,AndgentleagitationsofthemindFrommanifolddistinctions(differencePerceivedinthingswheretothecommoneye

350Nodifferenceis),andhence,fromthesamesource,Sublimerjoy.ForIwouldwalkaloneInstormandtempest,orinstarlightnightsBeneaththequietheavens,andatthattimeWouldfeelwhate’erthereisofpowerinsoundTobreatheanelevatedmood,byformOrimageunprofaned.AndIwouldstandBeneathsomerock,listeningtosoundsthatareTheghostlylanguageoftheancientearth,

Ormaketheirdimabodeindistantwinds.360ThencedidIdrinkthevisionarypower.

IdeemnotprofitlessthesefleetingmoodsOfshadowyexaltation;notforthis,ThattheyarekindredtoourpurermindAndintellectuallife,butthatthesoul–Rememberinghowshefelt,butwhatshefeltRememberingnot–retainsanobscuresenseOfpossiblesublimity,towhichWithgrowingfacultiesshedothaspire,Withfacultiesstillgrowing,feelingstill

370ThatwhatsoeverpointtheygaintheystillHavesomethingtopursue.

AndnotaloneIngrandeurandintumult,butnolessIntranquilscenes,thatuniversalpowerAndfitnessinthelatentqualitiesAndessencesofthings,bywhichthemindIsmovedwithfeelingsofdelight,tomeCamestrengthenedwithasuperaddedsoul,Avirtuenotitsown.MymorningwalksWereearly:oftbeforethehoursofschool

380Itravelledroundourlittlelake,fivemilesOfpleasantwandering.Happytime!–moredearForthis,thatonewasbymyside,afriendThenpassionatelyloved.WithhearthowfullWillheperusetheselines–thispage,perhapsAblanktoothermen–formanyyearsHavesinceflowedinbetweenus,and(ourmindsBothsilenttoeachother)atthistimeWeliveasifthosehourshadneverbeen.NorseldomdidIliftourcottagelatch

390Farearlier,andbeforethevernalthrushWasaudible,amongthehillsIsat

AloneuponsomejuttingeminenceAtthefirsthourofmorning,whenthevaleLayquietinanuttersolitude.HowshallItracethehistory,whereseekTheoriginofwhatIthenhavefelt?OftinthosemomentssuchaholycalmDidoverspreadmysoulthatIforgotTheagencyofsight,andwhatIsaw

400Appearedlikesomethinginmyself,adream,Aprospectinmymind.

’TwerelongtotellWhatspringandautumn,whatthewintersnows,Andwhatthesummershade,whatdayandnight,Theeveningandthemorning,whatmydreamsAndwhatmywakingthoughts,suppliedtonurseThatspiritofreligiousloveinwhichIwalkedwithnature.ButletthisatleastBenotforgotten,thatIstillretainedMyfirstcreativesensibility,

410ThatbytheregularactionoftheworldMysoulwasunsubdued.AplasticpowerAbodewithme,aforminghand,attimesRebellious,actinginadeviousmood,Alocalspiritofitsown,atwarWithgeneraltendency,butforthemostSubservientstrictlytotheexternalthingsWithwhichitcommuned.AnauxiliarlightCamefrommymind,whichonthesettingsunBestowednewsplendour;themelodiousbirds,

420Thegentlebreezes,fountainsthatranonMurmuringsosweetlyinthemselves,obeyedAlikedominion,andthemidnightstormGrewdarkerinthepresenceofmyeye.Hencemyobeisance,mydevotionhence,Andhencemytransport!

Norshouldthis,perchance,Passunrecorded,thatIstillhadlovedTheexerciseandproduceofatoilThananalyticindustrytomeMorepleasing,andwhosecharacterIdeem

430Ismorepoetic,asresemblingmoreCreativeagency–ImeantospeakOfthatinterminablebuildingrearedByobservationofaffinitiesInobjectswherenobrotherhoodexistsTocommonminds.Myseventeenthyearwascome,And,whetherfromthishabitrootednowSodeeplyinmymind,or,fromexcessOfthegreatsocialprincipleoflifeCoercingallthingsintosympathy,

440TounorganicnaturesItransferredMyownenjoyments,or,thepoweroftruthCominginrevelation,IconversedWiththingsthatreallyare,IatthistimeSawblessingsspreadaroundmelikeasea.Thusdidmydayspasson,andnowatlengthFromnatureandheroverflowingsoulIhadreceivedsomuchthatallmythoughtsWeresteepedinfeeling.

IwasonlythenContentedwhenwithblissineffable

450Ifeltthesentimentofbeing,spreadO’erallthatmoves,andallthatseemethstill;O’erallthat,lostbeyondthereachofthoughtAndhumanknowledge,tothehumaneyeInvisible,yetlivethtotheheart;O’erallthatleaps,andruns,andshouts,andsings,Orbeatsthegladsomeair;o’erallthatglidesBeneaththewave,yea,inthewaveitself

Andmightydepthofwaters.WondernotIfsuchmytransportswere,forinallthings

460Isawonelife,andfeltthatitwasjoy;Onesongtheysang,anditwasaudible–Mostaudiblethenwhenthefleshlyear,O’ercomebygrosserpreludeofthatstrain,Forgotitsfunctionsandsleptundisturbed.

Ifthisbeerror,andanotherfaithFindeasieraccesstothepiousmind,YetwereIgrosslydestituteofallThosehumansentimentswhichmakethisearthSodear,ifIshouldfailwithgratefulvoice

470Tospeakofyou,yemountainsandyelakesAndsoundingcataracts,yemistsandwindsThatdwellamongthehillswhereIwasborn.IfinmyyouthIhavebeenpureinheart,If,minglingwiththeworld,IamcontentWithmyownmodestpleasures,andhavelivedWithGodandnaturecommuning,removedFromlittleenmitiesandlowdesires,Thegiftisyours–ifinthesetimesoffear,Thismelancholywasteofhopeso’erthrown,

480If,midindifferenceandapathyAndwickedexultation,whengoodmenOneverysidefalloff,weknownothow,Toselfishness(disguisedingentlenamesOfpeaceandquietanddomesticlove,Yetmingled,notunwillingly,withsneersOnvisionaryminds),ifinthistimeOfderelictionanddismayIyetDespairnotofournature,butretainAmorethanRomanconfidence,afaith

490Thatfailsnot,inallsorrowmysupport,Theblessingofmylife,thegiftisyours,

Yemountains,thineonature!ThouhastfedMyloftyspeculations,andintheeForthisuneasyheartofoursIfindAnever-failingprincipleofjoyAndpurestpassion.

Thou,myfriend,wastrearedInthegreatcity,midfarotherscenes,ButwebydifferentroadsatlengthhavegainedTheself-samebourne.Andfromthiscausetothee

500Ispeakunapprehensiveofcontempt,Theinsinuatedscoffofcowardtongues,AndallthatsilentlanguagewhichsooftInconversationbetwixtmanandmanBlotsfromthehumancountenancealltraceOfbeautyandoflove.ForthouhastsoughtThetruthinsolitude,andthouartoneThemostintenseofnature’sworshippers–Inmanythingsmybrother,chieflyhereInthismydeepdevotion.Faretheewell!

510HealthandthequietofahealthfulmindAttendthee,seekingoftthehauntsofmen–Butyetmoreoftenlivingwiththyself,Andforthyself–sohaplyshallthydaysBemany,andablessingtomankind.

THETHIRTEEN-BOOKPRELUDEOF1805

BookFirstINTRODUCTION–CHILDHOODANDSCHOOL–TIME

OhthereisblessinginthisgentlebreezeThatblowsfromthegreenfieldsandfromthecloudsAndfromthesky;itbeatsagainstmycheek,Andseemshalfconsciousofthejoyitgives.Ohwelcomemessenger!Ohwelcomefriend!Acaptivegreetsthee,comingfromahouseOfbondage,fromyoncity’swallssetfree,Aprisonwherehehasbeenlongimmured.NowIamfree,enfranchisedandatlarge,

10MayfixmyhabitationwhereIwill.Whatdwellingshallreceiveme?InwhatvaleShallbemyharbour?UnderneathwhatgroveShallItakeupmyhome,andwhatsweetstreamShallwithitsmurmurslullmetomyrest?Theearthisallbeforeme!WithaheartJoyous,norscaredatitsownliberty,Ilookabout,andshouldtheguideIchooseBenothingbetterthanawanderingcloud,Icannotmissmyway.Ibreatheagain!

20Trancesofthoughtandmountingsofthemind

Comefastuponme.Itisshakenoff–Asbymiraculousgift’tisshakenoff–Thatburdenofmyownunnaturalself,TheheavyweightofmanyawearydayNotmine,andsuchaswerenotmadeforme.Longmonthsofpeace(ifsuchboldwordaccordWithanypromisesofhumanlife),LongmonthsofeaseandundisturbeddelightAremineinprospect.WhithershallIturn,

THEFOURTEEN-BOOKPRELUDEOF1850

BookFirstINTRODUCTION–CHILDHOODANDSCHOOL-TIME

Othereisblessinginthisgentlebreeze,AvisitantthatwhileitfansmycheekDothseemhalf-consciousofthejoyitbringsFromthegreenfields,andfromyonazuresky.Whate’eritsmission,thesoftbreezecancomeTononemoregratefulthantome;escapedFromthevastcity,whereIlonghadpinedAdiscontentedsojourner:nowfree,FreeasabirdtosettlewhereIwill.

10Whatdwellingshallreceiveme?inwhatvaleShallbemyharbour?underneathwhatgroveShallItakeupmyhome?andwhatclearstreamShallwithitsmurmurlullmeintorest?Theearthisallbeforeme.WithaheartJoyous,norscaredatitsownliberty,Ilookabout;andshouldthechosenguide

Benothingbetterthanawanderingcloud,Icannotmissmyway.Ibreatheagain!Trancesofthoughtandmountingsofthemind

20Comefastuponme:itisshakenoff,Thatburthenofmyownunnaturalself,TheheavyweightofmanyawearydayNotmine,andsuchaswerenotmadeforme.Longmonthsofpeace(ifsuchboldwordaccordWithanypromisesofhumanlife),LongmonthsofeaseandundisturbeddelightAremineinprospect;whithershallIturn,

30Byroadorpathway,orthroughopenfield,Orshallatwig,oranyfloatingthingUpontheriver,pointmeoutmycourse?

EnoughthatIamfree,formonthstocomeMaydedicatemyselftochosentasks–Mayquitthetiresomeseaanddwellonshore,Ifnotasettleronthesoil,atleastTodrinkwildwater,andtopluckgreenherbs,Andgatherfruitsfreshfromtheirnativetree.Naymore–ifImaytrustmyself,thishour

40Hathbroughtagiftthatconsecratesmyjoy,ForI,methought,whilethesweetbreathofheavenWasblowingonmybody,feltwithinAcorrespondingmildcreativebreeze,AvitalbreezewhichtravelledgentlyonO’erthingswhichithadmade,andisbecomeAtempest,aredundantenergyVexingitsowncreation.’TisapowerThatdoesnotcomeunrecognized,astormWhich,breakingupalong-continuedfrost,

50Bringswithitvernalpromises,thehopeOfactivedays,ofdignityandthought,Ofprowessinanhonourablefield,

Purepassions,virtue,knowledge,anddelight,Theholylifeofmusicandofverse.

Thusfar,ofriend,didI,notusedtomakeApresentjoythematterofmysong,PouroutthatdaymysoulinmeasuredstrainsEvenintheverywordswhichIhavehereRecorded.TotheopenfieldsItold

60Aprophecy:poeticnumberscameSpontaneously,andclothedinpriestlyrobeMyspirit,thussingledout,asitmightseem,Forholyservices.Greathopesweremine!Myownvoicecheeredme,and–farmore–themind’sInternalechooftheimperfectsound.TobothIlistened,drawingfromthembothByroadorpathway,orthroughtracklessfield,Uphillordown,orshallsomefloatingthing

30Upontheriverpointmeoutmycourse?

DearLiberty!YetwhatwoulditavailButforagiftthatconsecratesthejoy?ForI,methought,whilethesweetbreathofheavenWasblowingonmybody,feltwithinAcorrespondentbreeze,thatgentlymovedWithquickeningvirtue,butisnowbecomeAtempest,a redundantenergy,Vexing itsowncreation.Thankstoboth,Andtheircongenialpowers,that,whiletheyjoin

40Inbreakingupalong-continuedfrost,Bringwiththemvernalpromises,thehopeOfactivedaysurgedonbyflyinghours,–Daysofsweetleisure,taxedwithpatientthoughtAbstruse,norwantingpunctualservicehigh,Matinsandvespersofharmoniousverse!

Thusfar,OFriend!didI,notusedtomakeApresentjoythematterofasong,PourforththatdaymysoulinmeasuredstrainsThatwouldnotbeforgotten,andarehere

50Recorded:totheopenfieldsItoldAprophecy:poeticnumberscameSpontaneouslytoclotheinpriestlyrobeArenovatedspiritsingledout,Suchhopewasmine,forholyservices.Myownvoicecheeredme,and,farmore,themind’sInternalecho,oftheimperfectsound;TobothIlistened,drawingfromthembothAcheerfulconfidenceinthingstocome.

Whereat,beingnotunwillingnowtogiveArespitetothispassion,Ipacedon

70Gently,withcarelesssteps,andcameerelongToagreenshadyplacewheredownIsatBeneathatree,slackeningmythoughtsbychoiceAndsettlingintogentlerhappiness.’Twasautumn,andacalmandplaciddayWithwarmthasmuchasneededfromasunTwohoursdeclinedtowardsthewest,adayWithsilvercloudsandsunshineonthegrass,And,intheshelteredgrovewhereIwascouched,Aperfectstillness.OnthegroundIlay

80Passingthroughmanythoughts,yetmainlysuchAstomyselfpertained.ImadeachoiceOfonesweetvalewhithermystepsshouldturn,Andsaw,methought,theveryhouseandfieldsPresentbeforemyeyes.NordidIfailTo add meanwhile assurance of some work Of glory thereforthwithtobebegun–Perhapstoothereperformed.ThuslongIlayCheeredbythegenialpillowoftheearth

Beneathmyhead,soothedbyasenseoftouch90Fromthewarmground,thatbalancedme(elselost

Entirely),seeingnought,noughthearing,saveWhenhereandthere,aboutthegroveofoaksWherewasmybed,anacornfromthetreesFellaudiblyandwithastartlingsound.

Thusoccupiedinmind,IlingeredhereContented,norroseupuntilthesunHadalmosttouchedthehorizon;biddingthenAfarewelltothecityleftbehind,Evenwiththechanceequipmentofthathour

100IjourneyedtowardsthevalewhichIhadchosen.Itwasasplendidevening,andmysoulDidonceagainmaketrialofthestrengthRestoredtoherafresh.NordidshewantAcheerfulconfidenceinthingstocome.

Contentandnotunwillingnowtogive60Arespitetothispassion,Ipacedon

Withbriskandeagersteps;andcame,atlength,Toagreenshadyplace,wheredownIsateBeneathatree,slackeningmythoughtsbychoice,Andsettlingintogentlerhappiness.’Twasautumn,andaclearandplacidday,Withwarmth,asmuchasneeded,fromasunTwohoursdeclinedtowardsthewest;adayWithsilverclouds,andsunshineonthegrass,Andintheshelteredandtheshelteringgrove

70Aperfectstillness.ManywerethethoughtsEncouragedanddismissed,tillchoicewasmadeOfaknownVale,whithermyfeetshouldturn,NorresttilltheyhadreachedtheverydoorOftheonecottagewhichmethoughtIsaw.Nopictureofmerememoryeverlooked

Sofair;andwhileuponthefanciedsceneIgazedwithgrowinglove,ahigherpowerThanFancygaveassuranceofsomeworkOfglorythereforthwithtobebegun,

80Perhapstoothereperformed.ThuslongImused,Nore’erlostsightofwhatImusedupon,Savewhen,amidthestatelygroveofoaks,Nowhere,nowthere,anacorn,fromitscupDislodged,throughsereleavesrustled,oratonceTothebareearthdroppedwithastartlingsound.FromthatsoftcouchIrosenot,tillthesunHadalmosttouchedthehorizon;castingthenAbackwardglanceuponthecurlingcloudOfcitysmoke,bydistanceruralised;

90KeenasaTruantoraFugitive,ButasaPilgrimresolute,Itook,Evenwiththechanceequipmentofthathour,TheroadthatpointedtowardthechosenVale.Itwasasplendidevening,andmysoulOncemoremadetrialofherstrength,norlackedEolianvisitations,buttheharpWassoondefrauded,andthebandedhostOfharmonydispersedinstragglingsounds–Andlastlyuttersilence.‘Beitso!Itisaninjury’,saidI,‘tothisdayTothinkofanythingbutpresentjoy.’no

110So,likeapeasant,IpursuedmyroadBeneaththeeveningsun,norhadonewishAgaintobendthesabbathofthattimeToaservileyoke.Whatneedofmanywords?–Apleasantloiteringjourney,throughtwodaysContinued,broughtmetomyhermitage.

Isparetospeak,myfriend,ofwhatensued:Theadmirationandthelove,thelife

Incommonthings–theendlessstoreofthingsRare,oratleastsoseeming,everyday

120Foundallaboutmeinoneneighbourhood–Theself-congratulation,thecompleteComposure,andthehappinessentire.ButspeedilyalonginginmeroseTobracemyselftosomedeterminedaim,Readingorthinking,eithertolayupNewstores,orrescuefromdecaytheoldBytimelyinterference.IhadhopesStillhigher,thatwithaframeofoutwardlifeImightendue,mightfixinavisiblehome,

130SomeportionofthosephantomsofconceitThathadbeenfloatinglooseaboutsolong,AndtosuchbeingstemperatelydealforthThemanyfeelingsthatoppressedmyheart.ButIhavebeendiscouraged:gleamsoflightFlashoftenfromtheeast,thendisappearAndmockmewithaskythatripensnotIntoasteadymorning.Ifmymind,Rememberingthesweetpromiseofthepast,Wouldgladlygrapplewithsomenobletheme,

140Vainisherwish–where’ersheturnsshefindsImpedimentsfromdaytodayrenewed.Æolianvisitations;buttheharpWassoondefrauded,andthebandedhostOfharmonydispersedinstragglingsounds,Andlastlyuttersilence!‘Beitso;

100Whythinkofanythingbutpresentgood?’So,likeahome-boundlabourerIpursuedMywaybeneaththemellowingsun,thatshedMildinfluence;norleftinmeonewishAgaintobendtheSabbathofthattimeToaservileyoke.Whatneedofmanywords?Apleasantloiteringjourney,throughthreedays

Continued,broughtmetomyhermitage.Isparetotellofwhatensued,thelifeIncommonthings–theendlessstoreofthings,

110Rare,oratleastsoseeming,everydayFoundallaboutmeinoneneighbourhood–Theself-congratulation,and,frommornTonight,unbrokencheerfulnessserene.ButspeedilyanearnestlongingroseTobracemyselftosomedeterminedaim,Readingorthinking;eithertolayupNewstores,orrescuefromdecaytheoldBytimelyinterference:andtherewithCamehopesstillhigher,thatwithoutwardlife

120ImightenduesomeairyphantasiesThathadbeenfloatinglooseaboutforyears,AndtosuchbeingstemperatelydealforthThemanyfeelingsthatoppressedmyheart.Thathopehathbeendiscouraged;welcomelightDawnsfromtheeast,butdawnstodisappearAndmockmewithaskythatripensnotIntoasteadymorning:ifmymind,Rememberingtheboldpromiseofthepast,Wouldgladlygrapplewithsomenobletheme,

130Vainisherwish;where’ersheturnsshefindsImpedimentsfromdaytodayrenewed.

AndnowitwouldcontentmetoyieldupThoseloftyhopesawhile,forpresentgiftsOfhumblerindustry.But,odearfriend,Thepoet,gentlecreatureasheis,Hasliketheloverhisunrulytimes–Hisfitswhenheisneithersicknorwell,ThoughnodistressbenearhimbuthisownUnmanageablethoughts.Theminditself,

150Themeditativemind,bestpleasedperhaps

WhilesheasduteousasthemotherdoveSitsbrooding,livesnotalwaystothatend,Buthaslessquietinstincts–goadings-onThatdriveherasintroublethroughthegroves.Withmeisnowsuchpassion,whichIblameNootherwisethanasitlaststoolong.

When,asbecomesamanwhowouldprepareForsuchagloriouswork,IthroughmyselfMakerigorousinquisition,thereport

160Isoftencheering;forIneitherseemTolackthatfirstgreatgift,thevitalsoul,Norgeneraltruths,whicharethemselvesasortOfelementsandagents,Under-powers,Subordinatehelpersofthelivingmind.NoramInakedinexternalthings–Forms,images–nornumerousotheraidsOflessregard,thoughwonperhapswithtoilAndneedfultobuildupapoet’spraise.Time,place,andmanners,theseIseek,andthese

170Ifindinplenteousstore,butnowheresuchAsmaybesingledoutwithsteadychoice;NolittlebandofyetrememberednamesWhomI,inperfectconfidence,mighthopeTosummonbackfromlonesomebanishmentAndmaketheminmatesintheheartsofmenNowliving,ortoliveintimestocome.Sometimes,mistakingvainly(asIfear)Proudspring-tideswellingsforaregularsea,IsettleonsomeBritishtheme,someoldAndnowitwouldcontentmetoyieldupThoseloftyhopesawhile,forpresentgiftsOfhumblerindustry.But,oh,dearFriend!ThePoet,gentlecreatureasheis,Hath,liketheLover,hisunrulytimes;Hisfitswhenheisneithersicknorwell,

ThoughnodistressbenearhimbuthisownUnmanageablethoughts:hismind,bestpleased

140WhilesheasduteousasthemotherdoveSitsbrooding,livesnotalwaystothatend,Butliketheinnocentbird,hathgoadingsonThatdriveherasintroublethroughthegroves;Withmeisnowsuchpassion,tobeblamedNootherwisethanasitlaststoolong.

When,asbecomesamanwhowouldprepareForsuchanarduouswork,IthroughmyselfMakerigorousinquisition,thereportIsoftencheering;forIneitherseem

150Tolackthatfirstgreatgift,thevitalsoul,Norgeneraltruths,whicharethemselvesasortOfelementsandAgents,under-powers,Subordinatehelpersofthelivingmind.NoramInakedofexternalthings,–Forms,images,nornumerousotheraidsOflessregard,thoughwonperhapswithtoilAndneedfultobuildupapoet’spraise.Time,place,andmanners,doIseek,andtheseArefoundinplenteousstore,butnowheresuch

160Asmaybesingledoutwithsteadychoice–NolittlebandofyetrememberednamesWhomI,inperfectconfidence,mighthopeTosummonbackfromlonesomebanishmentAndmaketheminmatesintheheartsofmenNowliving,ortoliveinfutureyears.SometimestheambitiousPowerofchoice,mistakingProudspring-tideswellingsforaregularsea,WillsettleonsomeBritishtheme,someold

180RomantictalebyMiltonleftunsung;Moreoften,restingatsomegentleplaceWithinthegrovesofchivalry,Ipipe

Amongtheshepherds,withreposingknightsSitbyafountain-side,andheartheirtales.

Sometimes,moresternlymoved,IwouldrelateHowvanquishedMithridatesnorthwardpassed,And,hiddeninthecloudofyears,becameThatOdin,fatherofaracebywhomPerishedtheRomanEmpire;howthefriends

190AndfollowersofSertorius,outofSpainFlying,foundshelterintheFortunateIslesAndlefttheirusages,theirartsandlaws,Todisappearbyaslowgradualdeath,Todwindleandtoperishonebyone,Starvedinthosenarrowbounds–butnotthesoulOfliberty,whichfifteenhundredyearsSurvived,and,whentheEuropeancameWithskillandpowerthatcouldnotbewithstood,Did,likeapestilence,maintainitshold

200AndwasteddownbygloriousdeaththatraceOfnaturalheroes.OrIwouldrecordHow,intyrannictimes,someunknownman,Unheardofinthechroniclesofkings,Sufferedinsilencefortheloveoftruth;HowthatoneFrenchman,throughcontinuedforceOfmeditationontheinhumandeedsRomantictalebyMiltonleftunsung;

170MoreoftenturningtosomegentleplaceWithinthegrovesofChivalry,IpipeToshepherdswains,orseatedharpinhand,AmidreposingknightsbyariversideOrfountain,listentothegravereportsOfdireenchantmentsfacedandovercomeBythestrongmind,andtalesofwarlikefeats,Wherespearencounteredspear,andswordwithswordFought,asifconsciousoftheblazonry

Thattheshieldbore,sogloriouswasthestrife;180Whenceinspirationforasongthatwinds

ThrougheverchangingscenesofvotivequestWrongstoredress,harmonioustributepaidTopatientcourageandunblemishedtruth,Tofirmdevotion,zealunquenchable,AndChristianmeeknesshallowingfaithfulloves.Sometimes,moresternlymoved,IwouldrelateHowvanquishedMithridatesnorthwardpassed,And,hiddeninthecloudofyears,becameOdin,theFatherofaracebywhom

190PerishedtheRomanEmpire:howthefriendsAndfollowersofSertorius,outofSpainFlying,foundshelterintheFortunateIsles,Andlefttheirusages,theirartsandlaws,Todisappearbyaslowgradualdeath,Todwindleandtoperishonebyone,Starvedinthosenarrowbounds:butnotthesoulOfLiberty,whichfifteenhundredyearsSurvived,and,whentheEuropeancameWithskillandpowerthatmightnotbewithstood,

200Did,likeapestilence,maintainitsholdAndwasteddownbygloriousdeaththatraceOfnaturalheroes:orIwouldrecordHow,intyrannictimes,somehigh-souledman,Unnamedamongthechroniclesofkings,SufferedinsilenceforTruth’ssake:ortell,HowthatoneFrenchman,throughcontinuedforceOfmeditationontheinhumandeedsOfthefirstconquerorsoftheIndianIsles,WentsingleinhisministryacrossTheocean(nottocomforttheoppressed,

210But,likeathirstywind,toroamaboutWitheringtheoppressor);howGustavusfoundHelpathisneedinDalecarlia’smines;

HowWallacefoughtforScotland,leftthenameOfWallacetobefoundlikeawildflowerAlloverhisdearcountry–leftthedeedsOfWallace,likeafamilyofghosts,Topeoplethesteeprocksandriverbanks,Hernaturalsanctuaries,withalocalsoulOfindependenceandsternliberty.

220SometimesitsuitsmebettertoshapeoutSometalefrommyownheart,morenearakinTomyownpassionsandhabitualthoughts,Somevariegatedstory,inthemainLofty,withinterchangeofgentlerthings.ButdeadeningadmonitionswillsucceedAndthewholebeauteousfabricseemstolackFoundation,andwithalappearsthroughoutShadowyandunsubstantial.

Then,lastwish–Mylastandfavouriteaspiration–then

230IyearntowardssomephilosophicsongOftruththatcherishesourdailylife,WithmeditationspassionatefromdeepRecessesinman’sheart,immortalverseThoughtfullyfittedtotheOrpheanlyre;ButfromthisawfulburdenIfullsoonTakerefugeandbeguilemyselfwithtrustThatmelloweryearswillbringaripermindAndclearerinsight.ThusfromdaytodayIliveamockeryofthebrotherhood

240Ofviceandvirtue,withnoskilltopartVaguelongingthatisbredbywantofpowerFromparamountimpulsenottobewithstood;Atimorouscapacityfromprudence;OfthosewhoconqueredfirsttheIndianIsles,Wentsingleinhisministryacross

210TheOcean;nottocomforttheoppressed,But,likeathirstywind,toroamaboutWitheringtheOppressor:howGustavussoughtHelpathisneedinDalecarlia’smines:HowWallacefoughtforScotland;leftthenameOfWallacetobefound,likeawildflower,AlloverhisdearCountry;leftthedeedsOfWallace,likeafamilyofGhosts,Topeoplethesteeprocksandriverbanks,Hernaturalsanctuaries,withalocalsoul

220Ofindependenceandsternliberty.SometimesitsuitsmebettertoinventAtalefrommyownheart,morenearakinTomyownpassionsandhabitualthoughts;Somevariegatedstory,inthemainLofty,buttheunsubstantialstructuremeltsBeforetheverysunthatbrightensit,Mistintoairdissolving!Thenawish,Mybestandfavouriteaspiration,mountsWithyearningtowardsomephilosophicsong

230OfTruththatcherishesourdailylife;WithmeditationspassionatefromdeepRecessesinman’sheart,immortalverseThoughtfullyfittedtotheOrpheanlyre;ButfromthisawfulburthenIfullsoonTakerefugeandbeguilemyselfwithtrustThatmelloweryearswillbringaripermindAndclearerinsight.ThusmydaysarepastIncontradiction;withnoskilltopartVaguelonging,haplybredbywantofpower,

240Fromparamountimpulsenottobewithstood,Atimorouscapacityfromprudence,Fromcircumspection,infinitedelay.HumilityandmodestawethemselvesBetrayme,servingoftenforacloak

Toamoresubtleselfishness;thatnowDoeslockmyfunctionsupinblankreserve,Nowdupesmebyanover-anxiouseye

250ThatwithafalseactivitybeatsoffSimplicityandself-presentedtruth.Ah,betterfarthanthistostrayaboutVoluptuouslythroughfieldsandruralwalksAndasknorecordofthehoursgivenupTovacantmusing,unreprovedneglectOfallthings,anddeliberateholiday.FarbetternevertohaveheardthenameOfzealandjustambition,thantoliveThusbaffledbyamindthateveryhour

260Turnsrecreanttohertask,takesheartagain,ThenfeelsimmediatelysomehollowthoughtHanglikeaninterdictuponherhopes.Thisismylot;foreitherstillIfindSomeimperfectioninthechosentheme,OrseeofabsoluteaccomplishmentMuchwanting–somuchwantinginmyselfThatIrecoilanddroop,andseekreposeInindolencefromvainperplexity,Unprofitablytravellingtowardsthegrave

270LikeafalsestewardwhohasmuchreceivedAndrendersnothingback.

WasitforthisThatone,thefairestofallrivers,lovedToblendhismurmurswithmynurse’ssong,Andfromhisaldershadesandrockyfalls,Andfromhisfordsandshallows,sentavoiceThatflowedalongmydreams?Forthis,didstthou,ODerwent,travellingoverthegreenplainsNearmy‘sweetbirthplace’,didstthou,beauteousstream,Makeceaselessmusicthroughthenightandday

280WhichwithitssteadycadencetemperingFromcircumspection,infinitedelay.HumilityandmodestawethemselvesBetrayme,servingoftenforacloakToamoresubtleselfishness,thatnowLockseveryfunctionupinblankreserve,Nowdupesme,trustingtoananxiouseyeSimplicityandself-presentedtruth.

250Ah!betterfarthanthis,tostrayaboutVoluptuouslythroughfieldsandruralwalks,Andasknorecordofthehours,resignedTovacantmusing,unreprovedneglectOfallthings,anddeliberateholiday.FarbetternevertohaveheardthenameOfzealandjustambition,thantoliveBaffledandplaguedbyamindthateveryhourTurnsrecreanttohertask;takesheartagain,Thenfeelsimmediatelysomehollowthought

260Hanglikeaninterdictuponherhopes.Thisismylot;foreitherstillIfindSomeimperfectioninthechosentheme,OrseeofabsoluteaccomplishmentMuchwanting,somuchwanting,inmyself,ThatIrecoilanddroop,andseekreposeInlistlessnessfromvainperplexity,Unprofitablytravellingtowardthegrave,LikeafalsestewardwhohathmuchreceivedAndrendersnothingback.

Wasitforthis270Thatone,thefairestofallrivers,loved

Toblendhismurmurswithmynurse’ssong,And,fromhisaldershadesandrockyfalls,Andfromhisfordsandshallows,sentavoiceThatflowedalongmydreams?Forthis,didstthou,ODerwent!windingamonggrassyholms

WhereIwaslookingon,ababeinarms,MakeceaselessmusicthatcomposedmythoughtsTomorethaninfantsoftness,givingmeOurhumanwaywardness,composedmythoughtsTomorethaninfantsoftness,givingmeAmongthefretfuldwellingsofmankindAknowledge,adimearnest,ofthecalmWhichnaturebreathesamongthehillsandgroves?When,havinglefthismountains,tothetowersOfCockermouththatbeauteousrivercame,Behindmyfather’shousehepassed,closeby,Alongthemarginofourterrace-walk.

290Hewasaplaymatewhomwedearlyloved–Oh,manyatimehaveI,afiveyears’child,Anakedboy,inonedelightfulrill,Alittlemill-raceseveredfromhisstream,Madeonelongbathingofasummer’sday,Baskedinthesun,andplungedandbaskedagainAlternate,allasummer’sday,orcoursedOverthesandyfields,leapingthroughgrovesOfyellowgroundsel;or,whencragandhill,Thewoods,anddistantSkiddaw’sloftyheight,

300Werebronzedwithadeepradiance,stoodaloneBeneaththeskyasifIhadbeenbornOnIndianplainsandfrommymother’shutHadrunabroadinwantonnesstosport,Anakedsavageinthethunder-shower.

Fairseed-timehadmysoul,andIgrewupFosteredalikebybeautyandbyfear,Muchfavouredinmybirthplace,andnolessInthatbelovèdvaletowhicherelongIwastransplanted.WellIcalltomind

310(’Twasatanearlyage,ereIhadseenNinesummers)whenuponthemountain-slope

Thefrost,andbreathoffrostywind,hadsnappedThelastautumnalcrocus,’TwasmyjoyTowanderhalfthenightamongthecliffsAndthesmoothhollowswherethewoodcocksranAlongtheopenturf.InthoughtandwishThattime,myshoulderallwithspringeshung,Iwasafelldestroyer.OntheheightsAmidthefretfuldwellingsofmankind

280Aforetaste,adimearnest,ofthecalmThatNaturebreathesamongthehillsandgroves.WhenhehadleftthemountainsandreceivedOnhissmoothbreasttheshadowofthosetowersThatyetsurvive,ashatteredmonumentOffeudalsway,thebrightblueriverpassedAlongthemarginofourterracewalk;Atemptingplaymatewhomwedearlyloved.Oh,manyatimehaveI,afiveyears’child,Inasmallmill-raceseveredfromhisstream,

290Madeonelongbathingofasummer’sday;Baskedinthesun,andplungedandbaskedagainAlternate,allasummer’sday,orscouredThesandyfields,leapingthroughflowerygrovesOfyellowragwort;orwhenrockandhill,Thewoods,anddistantSkiddaw’sloftyheight,Werebronzedwithdeepestradiance,stoodaloneBeneaththesky,asifIhadbeenbornOnIndianplains,andfrommymother’shutHadrunabroadinwantonness,tosport

300Anakedsavage,inthethundershower.

Fairseed-timehadmysoul,andIgrewupFosteredalikebybeautyandbyfear:Muchfavouredinmybirth-place,andnolessInthatbelovedValetowhicherelongWeweretransplanted–therewereweletlooseForsportsofwiderrange.EreIhadtold

Tenbirth-days,whenamongthemountainslopesFrost,andthebreathoffrostywind,hadsnappedThelastautumnalcrocus,’twasmyjoy

310Withstoreofspringeso’ermyshoulderhungTorangetheopenheightswherewoodcocksrunAlongthesmoothgreenturf.Throughhalfthenight,Scuddingawayfromsnaretosnare,IpliedThatanxiousvisitation;–moonandstarsScuddingawayfromsnaretosnare,Iplied

320Myanxiousvisitation,hurryingon,Stillhurrying,hurryingonward.MoonandstarsWereshiningo’ermyhead;Iwasalone,AndseemedtobeatroubletothepeaceThatwasamongthem.SometimesitbefellInthesenightwanderingsthatastrongdesireO’erpoweredmybetterreason,andthebirdWhichwasthecaptiveofanother’stoilsBecamemyprey;andwhenthedeedwasdoneIheardamongthesolitaryhills

330Lowbreathingscomingafterme,andsoundsOfundistinguishablemotion,stepsAlmostassilentastheturftheytrod.

Norlessinspringtime,whenonsouthernbanksTheshiningsunhadfromhisknotofleavesDecoyedtheprimroseflower,andwhenthevalesAndwoodswerewarm,wasIaplundererthenInthehighplaces,onthelonesomepeaksWhere’eramongthemountainsandthewindsThemother-birdhadbuiltherlodge.Thoughmean

340Myobjectandinglorious,yettheendWasnotignoble.Oh,whenIhavehungAbovetheraven’snest,byknotsofgrassAndhalf-inchfissuresintheslipperyrockButillsustained,andalmost(asitseemed)

SuspendedbytheblastwhichblewamainShoulderingthenakedcrag,oh,atthattimeWhileontheperilousridgeIhungalone,WithwhatstrangeutterancedidthelouddrywindBlowthroughmyears!Theskyseemednotasky350Ofearth–andwithwhatmotionmovedtheclouds!Themindofmanisframedevenlikethebreath

Andharmonyofmusic;thereisadarkInvisibleworkmanshipthatreconcilesDiscordantelements,andmakesthemmoveInonesociety.Ahme,thatallWereshiningo’ermyhead.Iwasalone,AndseemedtobeatroubletothepeaceThatdweltamongthem.SometimesitbefelInthesenightwanderings,thatastrongdesireO’erpoweredmybetterreason,andthebird

320Whichwasthecaptiveofanother’stoilBecamemyprey;andwhenthedeedwasdoneIheardamongthesolitaryhillsLowbreathingscomingafterme,andsoundsOfundistinguishablemotion,stepsAlmostassilentastheturftheytrod.NorlesswhenspringhadwarmedtheculturedVale,Movedweasplundererswherethemother-birdHadinhighplacesbuiltherlodge;thoughmeanOurobjectandinglorious,yettheend

330Wasnotignoble.Oh!whenIhavehungAbovetheraven’snest,byknotsofgrassAndhalf-inchfissuresintheslipperyrockButillsustained,andalmost(soitseemed)Suspendedbytheblastthatblewamain,Shoulderingthenakedcrag,oh,atthattimeWhileontheperilousridgeIhungalone,WithwhatstrangeutterancedidthelouddrywindBlowthroughmyear!theskyseemednotaskyOfearth–andwithwhatmotionmovedtheclouds!

340Dustasweare,theimmortalspiritgrowsLikeharmonyinmusic;thereisadarkInscrutableworkmanshipthatreconcilesDiscordantelements,makesthemclingtogetherInonesociety.HowstrangethatallTheterrors,alltheearlymiseries,Regrets,vexations,lassitudes,thatallThethoughtsandfeelingswhichhavebeeninfusedIntomymind,shouldeverhavemadeup

360ThecalmexistencethatisminewhenIAmworthyofmyself.Praisetotheend–Thankslikewiseforthemeans!ButIbelieveThatnature,oftentimes,whenshewouldframeAfavouredbeing,fromhisearliestdawnOfinfancydothopenoutthecloudsAsatthetouchoflightning,seekinghimWithgentlestvisitation;nottheless,Thoughhaplyaimingattheself-sameend,Doesitdelighthersometimestoemploy

370Severerinterventions,ministryMorepalpable–andsoshedealtwithme.

Oneevening(surelyIwasledbyher)Iwentaloneintoashepherd’sboat,Askiffthattoawillow-treewastiedWithinarockycave,itsusualhome.’TwasbytheshoresofPatterdale,avaleWhereinIwasastranger,thithercomeAschoolboy-travellerattheholidays.Forthrambledfromthevillageinnalone

380NosoonerhadIsightofthissmallskiff,Discoveredthusbyunexpectedchance,ThanIunloosedhertetherandembarked.Themoonwasup,thelakewasshiningclearAmongthehoarymountains;fromtheshore

Ipushed,andstrucktheoars,andstruckagainIncadence,andmylittleboatmovedonEvenlikeamanwhowalkswithstatelystepThoughbentonspeed.ItwasanactofstealthAndtroubledpleasure,norwithoutthevoice

390Ofmountain-echoesdidmyboatmoveon,LeavingbehindherstilloneithersideSmallcirclesglitteringidlyinthemoonUntiltheymeltedallintoonetrackTheterrors,pains,andearlymiseries,Regrets,vexations,lassitudesinterfusedWithinmymind,shoulde’erhaveborneapart,Andthataneedfulpart,inmakingupThecalmexistencethatisminewhenI

350Amworthyofmyself!Praisetotheend!ThankstothemeanswhichNaturedeignedtoemploy;Whetherherfearlessvisitings,orthoseThatcamewithsoftalarm,likehurtlesslightOpeningthepeacefulclouds;orshemayuseSevererinterventions,ministryMorepalpable,asbestmightsuitheraim.

Onesummerevening(ledbyher)IfoundAlittleboattiedtoawillowtreeWithinarockycave,itsusualhome.

360StraightIunloosedherchain,andsteppinginPushedfromtheshore.ItwasanactofstealthAndtroubledpleasure,norwithoutthevoiceOfmountain-echoesdidmyboatmoveon;Leavingbehindherstill,oneitherside,Smallcirclesglitteringidlyinthemoon,UntiltheymeltedallintoonetrackOfsparklinglight.

Arockysteepuprosey

Abovethecavernofthewillow-tree,Andnow,assuitedonewhoproudlyrowedWithhisbestskill,IfixedasteadyviewUponthetopofthatsamecraggyridge,Theboundofthehorizon–forbehind

400Wasnothingbutthestarsandthegreysky.Shewasanelfinpinnace;lustilyIdippedmyoarsintothesilentlake,AndasIroseuponthestrokemyboatWentheavingthroughthewaterlikeaswan–When,frombehindthatcraggysteep(tillthenTheboundofthehorizon)ahugecliff,Asifwithvoluntarypowerinstinct,Upreareditshead.Istruckandstruckagain,And,growingstillinstature,thehugecliff

410Roseupbetweenmeandthestars,andstill,Withmeasuredmotion,likealivingthingStrodeafterme.WithtremblinghandsIturnedAndthroughthesilentwaterstolemywayBacktothecavernofthewillow-tree.Thereinhermooring-placeIleftmybark,AndthroughthemeadowshomewardwentwithgraveAndseriousthoughts;andafterIhadseenThatspectacle,formanydaysmybrainWorkedwithadimandundeterminedsense

420Ofunknownmodesofbeing.InmythoughtsTherewasadarkness–callitsolitudeOrblankdesertion.NofamiliarshapesOfhourlyobjects,imagesoftrees,Ofseaorsky,nocoloursofgreenfields,ButhugeandmightyformsthatdonotliveLikelivingmenmovedslowlythroughmymindByday,andwerethetroubleofmydreams.

Wisdomandspiritoftheuniverse–

Thousoulthatarttheeternityofthought,Ofsparklinglight.Butnow,likeonewhorows,Proudofhisskill,toreachachosenpointWithanunswervingline,Ifixedmyview

370Uponthesummitofacraggyridge,Thehorizon’sutmostboundary;faraboveWasnothingbutthestarsandthegreysky.Shewasanelfinpinnace;lustilyIdippedmyoarsintothesilentlake,And,asIroseuponthestroke,myboatWentheavingthroughthewaterlikeaswan;When,frombehindthatcraggysteeptillthenThehorizon’sbound,ahugepeak,blackandhuge,Asifwithvoluntarypowerinstinct

380Upreareditshead.Istruckandstruckagain,AndgrowingstillinstaturethegrimshapeToweredupbetweenmeandthestars,andstill,Forsoitseemed,withpurposeofitsownAndmeasuredmotionlikealivingthing,Strodeafterme.WithtremblingoarsIturned,AndthroughthesilentwaterstolemywayBacktothecovertofthewillowtree;Thereinhermooring-placeIleftmybark,–Andthroughthemeadowshomewardwent,ingrave

390Andseriousmood;butafterIhadseenThatspectacle,formanydays,mybrainWorkedwithadimandundeterminedsenseOfunknownmodesofbeing;o’ermythoughtsTherehungadarkness,callitsolitudeOrblankdesertion.NofamiliarshapesRemained,nopleasantimagesoftrees,Ofseaorsky,nocoloursofgreenfields;Buthugeandmightyforms,thatdonotliveLikelivingmen,movedslowlythroughthemind400Byday,andwereatroubletomydreams.

WisdomandSpiritoftheuniverse!ThouSoulthatarttheeternityofthought,

430ThatgivesttoformsandimagesabreathAndeverlastingmotion–notinvainBydayorstar-lightthusfrommyfirstdawnOfchildhooddidstthouintertwineformeThepassionsthatbuildupourhumansoul,Notwiththemeanandvulgarworksofman,Butwithhighobjects,withenduringthings,Withlifeandnature,purifyingthusTheelementsoffeelingandofthought,Andsanctifyingbysuchdiscipline

440Bothpainandfear,untilwerecognizeAgrandeurinthebeatingsoftheheart.NorwasthisfellowshipvouchsafedtomeWithstintedkindness.InNovemberdaysWhenvapoursrollingdownthevalleysmadeAlonelyscenemorelonesome,amongwoodsAtnoon,andmidthecalmofsummernightsWhenbythemarginofthetremblinglakeBeneaththegloomyhillsIhomewardwentInsolitude,suchintercoursewasmine–

450’Twasmineamongthefieldsbothdayandnight,Andbythewatersallthesummerlong.

Andinthefrostyseason,whenthesunWasset,andvisibleformanyamileThecottage-windowsthroughthetwilightblazed,Iheedednotthesummons.HappytimeItwasindeedforallofus–tomeItwasatimeofrapture!ClearandloudThevillageclocktolledsix;IwheeledaboutProudandexultinglikeanuntiredhorse

460Thatcaresnotforitshome.AllshodwithsteelWehissedalongthepolishediceingames

Confederate,imitativeofthechaseAndwoodlandpleasures–theresoundinghorn,Thepackloudbellowing,andthehuntedhare.Sothroughthedarknessandthecoldweflew,Andnotavoicewasidle.Withthedin,Meanwhile,theprecipicesrangaloud,ThatgivesttoformsandimagesabreathAndeverlastingmotion,notinvainBydayorstar-lightthusfrommyfirstdawnOfchildhooddidstthouintertwineformeThepassionsthatbuildupourhumansoul;Notwiththemeanandvulgarworksofman,Butwithhighobjects,withenduringthings–

410Withlifeandnature,purifyingthusTheelementsoffeelingandofthought,Andsanctifying,bysuchdiscipline,Bothpainandfear,untilwerecogniseAgrandeurinthebeatingsoftheheart.NorwasthisfellowshipvouchsafedtomeWithstintedkindness.InNovemberdays,WhenvapoursrollingdownthevalleymadeAlonelyscenemorelonesome,amongwoods,Atnoonand’midthecalmofsummernights,

420When,bythemarginofthetremblinglake,BeneaththegloomyhillshomewardIwentInsolitude,suchintercoursewasmine;Minewasitinthefieldsbothdayandnight,Andbythewaters,allthesummerlong.

Andinthefrostyseason,whenthesunWasset,andvisibleformanyamileThecottagewindowsblazedthroughtwilightgloom,Iheedednottheirsummons:happytimeItwasindeedforallofus–forme

430Itwasatimeofrapture!Clearandloud

Thevillageclocktolledsix,–Iwheeledabout,ProudandexultinglikeanuntiredhorseThatcaresnotforhishome.Allshodwithsteel,WehissedalongthepolishediceingamesConfederate,imitativeofthechaseAndwoodlandpleasures,–theresoundinghorn,Thepackloudchiming,andthehuntedhare.Sothroughthedarknessandthecoldweflew,Andnotavoicewasidle;withthedin

440Smitten,theprecipicesrangaloud;TheleaflesstreesandeveryicycragTinkledlikeiron;whilethedistanthills

470IntothetumultsentanaliensoundOfmelancholy,notunnoticed–whilethestarsEastwardweresparklingclear,andinthewestTheorangeskyofeveningdiedaway.

NotseldomfromtheuproarIretiredIntoasilentbay,orsportivelyGlancedsideway,leavingthetumultuousthrong,TocutacrosstheimageofastarThatgleamedupontheice.Andoftentimes,Whenwehadgivenourbodiestothewind

480AndalltheshadowybanksoneithersideCamesweepingthroughthedarkness,spinningstillTherapidlineofmotion,thenatonceHaveI,recliningbackuponmyheels,Stoppedshort–yetstillthesolitarycliffsWheeledbyme,evenasiftheearthhadrolledWithvisiblemotionherdiurnalround!Behindmedidtheystretchinsolemntrain,Feeblerandfeebler,andIstoodandwatchedTillallwastranquilasadreamlesssleep.

490Yepresencesofnature,inthesky

Orontheearth,yevisionsofthehillsAndsoulsoflonelyplaces,canIthinkAvulgarhopewasyourswhenyeemployedSuchministry–whenyethroughmanyayearHauntingmethusamongmyboyishsports,Oncavesandtrees,uponthewoodsandhills,ImpresseduponallformsthecharactersOfdangerordesire,andthusdidmakeThesurfaceoftheuniversalearth

500Withtriumphanddelight,andhopeandfear,Worklikeasea?

Notuselesslyemployed,ImightpursuethisthemethrougheverychangeTheleaflesstreesandeveryicycragTinkledlikeiron;whilefardistanthillsIntothetumultsentanaliensoundOfmelancholynotunnoticed,whilethestarsEastwardweresparklingclear,andinthewestTheorangeskyofeveningdiedaway.NotseldomfromtheuproarIretiredIntoasilentbay,orsportivelyGlancedsideway,leavingthetumultuousthrong,

450TocutacrossthereflexofastarThatfled,and,flyingstillbeforeme,gleamedUpontheglassyplain;andoftentimes,Whenwehadgivenourbodiestothewind,AndalltheshadowybanksoneithersideCamesweepingthroughthedarkness,spinningstillTherapidlineofmotion,thenatonceHaveI,recliningbackuponmyheels,Stoppedshort;yetstillthesolitarycliffsWheeledbyme–evenasiftheearthhadrolled

460Withvisiblemotionherdiurnalround!Behindmedidtheystretchinsolemntrain,Feeblerandfeebler,andIstoodandwatched

Tillallwastranquilasadreamlesssleep.

YePresencesofNatureintheskyAndontheearth!YeVisionsofthehills!AndSoulsoflonelyplaces!canIthinkAvulgarhopewasyourswhenyeemployedSuchministry,whenyethroughmanyayearHauntingmethusamongmyboyishsports,

470Oncavesand,trees,uponthewoodsandhills,ImpresseduponallformsthecharactersOfdangerordesire;andthusdidmakeThesurfaceoftheuniversalearthWithtriumphanddelight,withhopeandfear,Worklikeasea?

Notuselesslyemployed,MightIpursuethisthemethrougheverychangeOfexerciseandplaytowhichtheyearDidsummonusinitsdelightfulround.Wewereanoisycrew;thesuninheavenBeheldnotvalesmorebeautifulthanours,NorsawaraceinhappinessandjoyMoreworthyofthefieldswheretheyweresown.Iwouldrecordwithnoreluctantvoice

510Thewoodsofautumn,andtheirhazel-bowersWithmilk-whiteclustershung,therodandline(Truesymbolofthefoolishnessofhope)WhichwithitsstrongenchantmentledusonByrocksandpoolsshutoutfromeverystarAllthegreensummer,toforlorncascadesAmongthewindingsofthemountainbrooks.Unfadingrecollections!–atthishourTheheartisalmostminewithwhichIfeltFromsomehill-toponsunnyafternoons

520Thekitehighupamongthefleecyclouds

Pullatitsreinlikeanimpatientcourser,Or,fromthemeadowssentongustydays,Beheldherbreastthewind,thensuddenlyDashedheadlongandrejectedbythestorm.

Yelowlycottagesinwhichwedwelt,Aministrationofyourownwasyours,Asanctity,asafeguard,andalove!CanIforgetyou,beingasyewereSobeautifulamongthepleasantfields

530Inwhichyestood?OrcanIhereforgetTheplainandseemlycountenancewithwhichYedealtoutyourplaincomforts?YethadyeDelightsandexultationsofyourown:EagerandneverwearywepursuedOurhomeamusementsbythewarmpeat-fireAtevening,whenwithpencilandwithslate(Insquaredivisionsparcelledout,andallWithcrossesandwithcyphersscribbledo’er)Weschemedandpuzzled,headopposedtohead,

540Instrifetoohumbletobenamedinverse;Ofexerciseandplay,towhichtheyearDidsummonusinhisdelightfulround.

Wewereanoisycrew;thesuninheaven480Beheldnotvalesmorebeautifulthanours;

NorsawabandinhappinessandjoyRicher,orworthierofthegroundtheytrod.IcouldrecordwithnoreluctantvoiceThewoodsofautumn,andtheirhazelbowersWithmilk-whiteclustershung;therodandline,Truesymbolofhope’sfoolishness,whosestrongAndunreprovedenchantmentledusonByrocksandpoolsshutoutfromeverystar,Allthegreensummer,toforlorncascades

490Amongthewindingshidofmountainbrooks.–Unfadingrecollections!atthishourTheheartisalmostminewithwhichIfelt,Fromsomehill-toponsunnyafternoons,ThepaperkitehighamongfleecycloudsPullatherreinlikeanimpetuouscourser;Or,fromthemeadowssentongustydays,Beheldherbreastthewind,thensuddenlyDashedheadlong,andrejectedbythestorm.Yelowlycottageswhereinwedwelt,

500Aministrationofyourownwasyours;CanIforgetyou,beingasyouwereSobeautifulamongthepleasantfieldsInwhichyestood?orcanIhereforgetTheplainandseemlycountenancewithwhichYedealtoutyourplaincomforts?YethadyeDelightsandexultationsofyourown.EagerandneverwearywepursuedOurhome-amusementsbythewarmpeat-fireAtevening,whenwithpencil,andsmoothslate

510InsquaredivisionsparcelledoutandallWithcrossesandwithcyphersscribbledo’er,Weschemedandpuzzled,headopposedtoheadInstrifetoohumbletobenamedinverse:Orroundthenakedtable,snow-whitedeal,Cherryormaple,satinclosearray,Andtothecombat–looorwhist–ledonAthick-ribbedarmy,not,asintheworld,NeglectedandungratefullythrownbyEvenfortheveryservicetheyhadwrought,Buthusbandedthroughmanyalongcampaign.Uncouthassemblagewasit,wherenofewHadchangedtheirfunctions–some,plebeiancards

550Whichfate,beyondthepromiseoftheirbirth,Hadglorified,andcalledtorepresent

Thepersonsofdepartedpotentates.Oh,withwhatechoesontheboardtheyfell!Ironicdiamonds–clubs,hearts,diamonds,spades,Acongregationpiteouslyakin!Cheapmatterdidtheygivetoboyishwit,Thosesootyknaves,precipitateddownWithscoffsandtauntslikeVulcanoutofheaven;Theparamountace,amooninhereclipse;

560Queensgleamingthroughtheirsplendour’slastdecay,AndmonarchssurlyatthewrongssustainedByroyalvisages.MeanwhileabroadTheheavyrainwasfalling,orthefrostRagedbitterlywithkeenandsilenttooth,And,interruptingtheimpassionedgame,FromEsthwaite’sneighbouringlakethesplittingice,Whileitsankdowntowardsthewater,sentAmongthemeadowsandthehillsitslongAnddismalyellings,likethenoiseofwolves570WhentheyarehowlingroundtheBothnicMain.Nor,sedulousasIhavebeentotraceHownaturebyextrinsicpassionfirstPeopledmymindwithbeauteousformsorgrandAndmademelovethem,mayIwellforgetHowotherpleasureshavebeenmine,andjoysOfsubtlerorigin–howIhavefelt,Notseldomeveninthattempestuoustime,ThosehallowedandpuremotionsofthesenseOrroundthenakedtable,snow-whitedeal,Cherryormaple,sateinclosearray,Andtothecombat,LooorWhist,ledonAthick-ribbedarmy;not,asintheworld,NeglectedandungratefullythrownbyEvenfortheveryservicetheyhadwrought,

520Buthusbandedthroughmanyalongcampaign.Uncouthassemblagewasit,wherenofewHadchangedtheirfunctions;some,plebeiancards

WhichFate,beyondthepromiseoftheirbirth,Haddignified,andcalledtorepresentThepersonsofdepartedpotentates.Oh,withwhatechoesontheboardtheyfell!Ironicdiamonds,–clubs,hearts,diamonds,spades,Acongregationpiteouslyakin!Cheapmatterofferedtheytoboyishwit,

530Thosesootyknaves,precipitateddownWithscoffsandtaunts,likeVulcanoutofheaven:Theparamountace,amooninhereclipse,Queensgleamingthroughtheirsplendour’slastdecay,AndmonarchssurlyatthewrongssustainedByroyalvisages.MeanwhileabroadIncessantrainwasfalling,orthefrostRagedbitterly,withkeenandsilenttooth;And,interruptingoftthateagergame,FromunderEsthwaite’ssplittingfieldsofice

540Thepent-upair,strugglingtofreeitself,GaveouttomeadowgroundsandhillsaloudProtractedyelling,likethenoiseofwolvesHowlingintroopsalongtheBothnicMain.Nor,sedulousasIhavebeentotraceHowNaturebyextrinsicpassionfirstPeopledthemindwithformssublimeorfair,Andmademelovethem,mayIhereomitHowotherpleasureshavebeenmine,andjoysOfsubtlerorigin;howIhavefelt,

550Notseldomeveninthattempestuoustime,ThosehallowedandpuremotionsofthesenseWhichseemintheirsimplicitytoown

580Anintellectualcharm–thatcalmdelightWhich(ifIerrnot)surelymustbelongTothosefirst-bornaffinitiesthatfitOurnewexistencetoexistingthings,Andinourdawnofbeingconstitute

Thebondofunionbetwixtlifeandjoy.Yes,IrememberwhenthechangefulearthAndtwicefiveseasonsonmymindhadstampedThefacesofthemovingyear–eventhen,Achild,Iheldunconsciousintercourse

590Withtheeternalbeauty,drinkinginApureorganicpleasurefromthelinesOfcurlingmist,orfromthelevelplainOfwaterscolouredbythesteadyclouds.ThesandsofWestmorland,thecreeksandbaysOfCumbria’srockylimits,theycantellHowwhentheseathrewoffhiseveningshadeAndtotheshepherd’shutbeneaththecragsDidsendsweetnoticeoftherisingmoon,HowIhavestood,tofanciessuchasthese

600(Engraftedinthetendernessofthought)Astranger,linkingwiththespectacleNoconsciousmemoryofakindredsight,AndbringingwithmenopeculiarsenseOfquietnessorpeace–yetIhavestoodEvenwhilemineeyehasmovedo’erthreelongleaguesOfshiningwater,gatheringasitseemedThrougheveryhair-breadthofthatfieldoflightNewpleasurelikeabeeamongtheflowers.Thusofteninthosefitsofvulgarjoy

610Whichthroughallseasonsonachild’spursuitsArepromptattendants,midthatgiddyblissWhichlikeatempestworksalongthebloodAndisforgotten,eventhenIfeltGleamsliketheflashingofashield.TheearthWhichseem,intheirsimplicity,toownAnintellectualcharm;thatcalmdelightWhich,ifIerrnot,surelymustbelongTothosefirst-bornaffinitiesthatfitOurnewexistencetoexistingthings,

And,inourdawnofbeing,constituteThebondofunionbetweenlifeandjoy.Yes,Irememberwhenthechangefulearth,

560AndtwicefivesummersonmymindhadstampedThefacesofthemovingyear,eventhenIheldunconsciousintercoursewithbeautyOldascreation,drinkinginapureOrganicpleasurefromthesilverwreathsOfcurlingmist,orfromthelevelplainOfwaterscolouredbyimpendingclouds.ThesandsofWestmoreland,thecreeksandbaysOfCumbria’srockylimits,theycantellHow,whentheSeathrewoffhiseveningshade,

570Andtotheshepherd’shutondistanthillsSentwelcomenoticeoftherisingmoon,HowIhavestood,tofanciessuchastheseAstranger,linkingwiththespectacleNoconsciousmemoryofakindredsight,AndbringingwithmenopeculiarsenseOfquietnessorpeace;yethaveIstood,Evenwhilemineeyehathmovedo’ermanyaleagueOfshiningwater,gatheringasitseemedThrougheveryhair-breadthinthatfieldoflight580Newpleasurelikeabeeamongtheflowers.ThusoftamidthosefitsofvulgarjoyWhich,throughallseasons,onachild’spursuitsArepromptattendants,’midthatgiddyblissWhich,likeatempest,worksalongthebloodAndisforgotten;eventhenIfeltGleamsliketheflashingofashield;–theearthAndcommonfaceofnaturespoketomeRememberablethings–sometimes,’tistrue,Bychancecollisionsandquaintaccidents(Likethoseill-sortedunions,worksupposedOfevil-mindedfairies),yetnotvain

620NorprofitlessifhaplytheyimpressedCollateralobjectsandappearances,AlbeitlifelessthenanddoomedtosleepUntilmaturerseasonscalledthemforthToimpregnateandtoelevatethemind.AndifthevulgarjoybyitsownweightWearieditselfoutofthememory,ThesceneswhichwereawitnessofthatjoyRemainedintheirsubstantiallineamentsDepictedonthebrain,andtotheeye

630Werevisible,adailysight.Andthus,Bytheimpressivedisciplineoffear,Bypleasureandrepeatedhappiness–Sofrequentlyrepeated–andbyforceOfobscurefeelingsrepresentativeOfjoysthatwereforgotten,thesesamescenes,Sobeauteousandmajesticinthemselves,Thoughyetthedaywasdistant,didatlengthBecomehabituallydear,andallTheirhuesandformswerebyinvisiblelinks640Alliedtotheaffections.

IbeganMystoryearly,feeling(asIfear)TheweaknessofahumanlovefordaysDisownedbymemory–erethebirthofspringPlantingmysnowdropsamongwintersnows.Norwillitseemtothee,myfriend,sopromptInsympathy,thatIhavelengthenedoutWithfondandfeebletongueatedioustale.Meanwhile,myhopehasbeenthatImightfetchInvigoratingthoughtsfromformeryears,

650Mightfixthewaveringbalanceofmymind,AndhaplymeetreproachestoowhosepowerAndcommonfaceofNaturespaketomeRememberablethings;sometimes,’tistrue,

Bychancecollisionsandquaintaccidents590(Likethoseill-sortedunions,worksupposed

Ofevil-mindedfairies),yetnotvainNorprofitless,ifhaplytheyimpressedCollateralobjectsandappearances,Albeitlifelessthen,anddoomedtosleepUntilmaturerseasonscalledthemforthToimpregnateandtoelevatethemind.–AndifthevulgarjoybyitsownweightWearieditselfoutofthememory,Thesceneswhichwereawitnessofthatjoy

600RemainedintheirsubstantiallineamentsDepictedonthebrain,andtotheeyeWerevisible,adailysight;andthusBytheimpressivedisciplineoffear,Bypleasureandrepeatedhappiness,Sofrequentlyrepeated,andbyforceOfobscurefeelingsrepresentativeOfthingsforgotten,thesesamescenessobright,Sobeautiful,somajesticinthemselves,Thoughyetthedaywasdistant,didbecome

610Habituallydear,andalltheirformsAndchangefulcoloursbyinvisiblelinksWerefastenedtotheaffections.

IbeganMystoryearly–notmisled,Itrust,ByaninfirmityoflovefordaysDisownedbymemory–erethebreathofspringPlantingmysnowdropsamongwintersnows:Norwillitseemtothee,OFriend!sopromptInsympathy,thatIhavelengthenedoutWithfondandfeebletongueatedioustale.

620Meanwhile,myhopehasbeen,thatImightfetchInvigoratingthoughtsfromformeryears;

Mightfixthewaveringbalanceofmymind,Andhaplymeetreproachestoo,whosepowerMayspurmeon,inmanhoodnowmature,Tohonourabletoil.YetshouldthesehopesBevain,andthusshouldneitherIbetaughtTounderstandmyself,northoutoknowWithbetterknowledgehowtheheartwasframedOfhimthoulovest,needIdreadfromtheeHarshjudgementsifIamsolothtoquitThoserecollectedhoursthathavethecharm

660Ofvisionarythings,andlovelyformsAndsweetsensations,thatthrowbackourlifeAndalmostmakeourinfancyitselfAvisiblesceneonwhichthesunisshining?Oneendherebyatleasthasbeenattained–Mymindhasbeenrevived–andifthismoodDesertmenot,IwillforthwithbringdownThroughlateryearsthestoryofmylife.Theroadliesplainbeforeme;’tisathemeSingleandofdeterminedbounds,andhence

670IchooseitratheratthistimethanworkOfamplerormorevariedargument.Mayspurmeon,inmanhoodnowmature,Tohonourabletoil.YetshouldthesehopesProvevain,andthusshouldneitherIbetaughtTounderstandmyself,northoutoknowWithbetterknowledgehowtheheartwasframedOfhimthoulovest;needIdreadfromthee

630Harshjudgments,ifthesongbelothtoquitThoserecollectedhoursthathavethecharmOfvisionarythings,thoselovelyformsAndsweetsensationsthatthrowbackourlife,AndalmostmakeremotestinfancyAvisiblescene,onwhichthesunisshining?Oneendatleasthathbeenattained;mymind

Hathbeenrevived,andifthisgenialmoodDesertmenot,forthwithshallbebroughtdownThroughlateryearsthestoryofmylife.

640Theroadliesplainbeforeme;–’tisathemeSingleandofdeterminedbounds;andhenceIchooseitratheratthistime,thanworkOfamplerormorevariedargument,WhereImightbediscomfitedandlost:Andcertainhopesarewithme,thattotheeThislabourwillbewelcome,honouredFriend!

BookSecondSCHOOL-TIME(CONTINUED)

Thusfar,ofriend,havewe,thoughleavingmuchUnvisited,endeavouredtoretraceMylifethroughitsfirstyears,andmeasuredbackThewayItravelledwhenIfirstbeganTolovethewoodsandfields.ThepassionyetWasinitsbirth,sustainedasmightbefallBynourishmentthatcameunsought;forstillFromweektoweek,frommonthtomonth,welivedAroundoftumult.Dulywereourgames

10Prolongedinsummertillthedaylightfailed;Nochairremainedbeforethedoors,thebenchAndthresholdstepswereempty;fastasleepThelabourer,andtheoldmanwhohadsatAlaterlingerer–yettherevelryContinuedandthelouduproar.Atlast,Whenallthegroundwasdark,andthehugecloudsWereedgedwithtwinklingstars,tobedwewentWithwearyjointsandwithabeatingmind.

Ah,isthereonewhoeverhasbeenyoung20Andneedsamonitoryvoicetotame

Theprideofvirtueandofintellect?Andisthereone,thewisestandthebestOfallmankind,whodoesnotsometimeswishForthingswhichcannotbe–whowouldnotgive,Ifsohemight,todutyandtotruthTheeagernessofinfantinedesire?AtranquillizingspiritpressesnowOnmycorporealframe,sowideappearsThevacancybetweenmeandthosedays

BookSecondSCHOOL-TIME(CONTINUED)

Thusfar,OFriend!havewe,thoughleavingmuchUnvisited,endeavouredtoretraceThesimplewaysinwhichmychildhoodwalked;ThosechieflythatfirstledmetotheloveOfrivers,woods,andfields.ThepassionyetWasinitsbirth,sustainedasmightbefalBynourishmentthatcameunsought;forstillFromweektoweek,frommonthtomonth,welivedAroundoftumult.Dulywereourgames

10Prolongedinsummertilltheday-lightfailed:Nochairremainedbeforethedoors;thebenchAndthresholdstepswereempty;fastasleepThelabourer,andtheoldmanwhohadsateAlaterlingerer;yettherevelryContinuedandthelouduproar:atlast,Whenallthegroundwasdark,andtwinklingstarsEdgedtheblackclouds,homeandtobedwewent,Feverishwithwearyjointsandbeatingminds.Ah!isthereonewhoeverhasbeenyoung,

20NorneedsawarningvoicetotametheprideOfintellectandvirtue’sself-esteem?Oneisthere,thoughthewisestandthebestOfallmankind,whocovetsnotattimesUnionthatcannotbe;–whowouldnotgive,Ifsohemight,todutyandtotruthTheeagernessofinfantinedesire?AtranquillisingspiritpressesnowOnmycorporealframe,sowideappearsThevacancybetweenmeandthosedays

30Whichyethavesuchself-presenceinmymind

ThatsometimeswhenIthinkofthemIseemTwoconsciousnesses–consciousofmyselfAndofsomeotherbeing.AgreystoneOfnativerock,leftmidwayinthesquareOfoursmallmarket-village,wasthehomeAndcentreofthesejoys;andwhen,returnedAfterlongabsence,thitherIrepaired,Ifoundthatitwassplit,andgonetobuildAsmartassembly-roomthatperkedandflared

40Withwashandrough-cast,elbowingthegroundWhichhadbeenours.Butletthefiddlescream,Andbeyehappy!Yet,myfriends,IknowThatmorethanoneofyouwillthinkwithmeOfthosesoftstarrynights,andthatolddameFromwhomthestonewasnamed,whotherehadsatAndwatchedhertablewithitshuckster’swaresAssiduousthroughthelengthofsixtyyears.

Weranaboisterousrace:theyearspunroundWithgiddymotion.Butthetimeapproached

50ThatbroughtwithitaregulardesireForcalmerpleasures–whenthebeauteousformsOfnaturewerecollaterallyattachedToeveryschemeofholidaydelight,Andeveryboyishsport,lessgratefulelseAndlanguidlypursued.WhensummercameItwasthepastimeofourafternoonsTobeatalongtheplainofWindermereWithrivaloars,andtheselectedbourneWasnowanislandmusicalwithbirds

60Thatsangforever,nowasisterisleBeneaththeoak’sumbrageouscovert,sownWithlilies-of-the-valleylikeafield,AndnowathirdsmallislandwhereremainedAnoldstonetableandamoulderedcave–Ahermit’shistory.Insucharace,

30Whichyethavesuchself-presenceinmymind,That,musingonthem,oftendoIseemTwoconsciousnesses,consciousofmyselfAndofsomeotherBeing.ArudemassOfnativerock,leftmidwayinthesquareOfoursmallmarketvillage,wasthegoalOrcentreofthesesports;andwhen,returnedAfterlongabsence,thitherIrepaired,Gonewastheoldgreystone,andinitsplaceAsmartAssembly-roomusurpedtheground

40Thathadbeenours.Thereletthefiddlescream,Andbeyehappy!Yet,myFriends!IknowThatmorethanoneofyouwillthinkwithmeOfthosesoftstarrynights,andthatoldDameFromwhomthestonewasnamed,whotherehadsate,Andwatchedhertablewithitshuckster’swaresAssiduous,throughthelengthofsixtyyears.

Weranaboisterouscourse;theyearspanroundWithgiddymotion.ButthetimeapproachedThatbroughtwithitaregulardesire

50Forcalmerpleasures,whenthewinningformsOfNaturewerecollaterallyattachedToeveryschemeofholidaydelightAndeveryboyishsport,lessgratefulelseAndlanguidlypursued.

Whensummercame,Ourpastimewas,onbrighthalf-holidays,TosweepalongtheplainofWindermereWithrivaloars;andtheselectedbourneWasnowanIslandmusicalwithbirdsThatsangandceasednot;nowaSisterIsle

60Beneaththeoaks’umbrageouscovert,sownWithliliesofthevalleylikeafield;

AndnowathirdsmallIsland,wheresurvivedInsolitudetheruinsofashrineOncetoOurLadydedicate,andservedDailywithchauntedrites.InsucharaceSoended,disappointmentcouldbenone,Uneasiness,orpain,orjealousy;Werestedintheshade,allpleasedalike,Conqueredandconqueror.Thustheprideofstrength

70AndthevaingloryofsuperiorskillWereinterfusedwithobjectswhichsubduedAndtemperedthem,andgraduallyproducedAquietindependenceoftheheart.AndtomyfriendwhoknowsmeImayaddUnapprehensiveofreproofthathenceEnsuedadiffidenceandmodesty,AndIwastaughttofeel(perhapstoomuch)Theself-sufficingpowerofsolitude.

Nodelicateviandssappedourbodilystrength:80Morethanwewishedweknewtheblessingthen

Ofvigoroushunger,forourdailymealsWerefrugal,Sabinefare–andthen,excludeAlittleweeklystipend,andwelivedThroughthreedivisionsofthequarteredyearInpennilesspoverty.ButnowtoschoolReturnedfromthehalf-yearlyholidaysWecamewithpursesmoreprofuselyfilled,AllowancewhichabundantlysufficedTogratifythepalatewithrepasts

90MorecostlythanthedameofwhomIspoke,Thatancientwoman,andherboard,supplied.Henceinroadsintodistantvales,andlongExcursionsfarawayamongthehills,Hencerusticdinnersonthecoolgreenground–Orinthewoods,ornearariver-side,Orbysomeshadyfountain–whilesoftairs

Amongtheleaveswerestirring,andthesunUnfeltshonesweetlyroundusinourjoy.

NorismyaimneglectedifItell100Howtwiceinthelonglengthofthosehalf-years

WefromourfundsperhapswithbolderhandDrewlargely,anxiousforonedayatleastSoended,disappointmentcouldbenone,Uneasiness,orpain,orjealousy:Werestedintheshade,allpleasedalike,Conqueredandconqueror.Thustheprideofstrength,

70Andthevain-gloryofsuperiorskill,Weretempered;thuswasgraduallyproducedAquietindependenceoftheheart;AndtomyFriendwhoknowsmeImayadd,Fearlessofblame,thathenceforfuturedaysEnsuedadiffidenceandmodesty,AndIwastaughttofeel,perhapstoomuch,Theself-sufficingpowerofSolitude.

Ourdailymealswerefrugal,Sabinefare!Morethanwewishedweknewtheblessingthen

80Ofvigoroushunger–hencecorporealstrengthUnsappedbydelicateviands;for,excludeAlittleweeklystipend,andwelivedThroughthreedivisionsofthequarteredyearInpennilesspoverty.ButnowtoschoolFromthehalf-yearlyholidaysreturned,Wecamewithweightierpurses,thatsufficedTofurnishtreatsmorecostlythantheDameOftheoldgreystone,fromherscantboard,supplied.Hencerusticdinnersonthecoolgreenground,

90Orinthewoods,orbyariversideOrshadyfountains,whileamongtheleavesSoftairswerestirring,andthemid-daysunUnfeltshonebrightlyroundusinourjoy.

NorismyaimneglectedifItellHowsometimes,inthelengthofthosehalf-years,Wefromourfundsdrewlargely;–proudtocurb,Tofeelthemotionofthegallopingsteed.Andwiththegoodoldinnkeeper,intruth,OnsuchoccasionsometimesweemployedSlysubterfuge;fortheintendedboundOftheday’sjourneywastoodistantfarForanycautiousman:astructurefamedBeyonditsneighbourhood–theantiquewalls

110OfthatlargeabbeywhichwithintheValeOfNightshade,toStMary’shonourbuilt,Standsyetamoulderingpilewithfracturedarch,Belfry,andimages,andlivingtrees,Aholyscene!AlongthesmoothgreenturfOurhorsesgrazed.TomorethaninlandpeaceLeftbytheseawindpassingoverhead(Thoughwindofroughesttemper)treesandtowersMayinthatvalleyoftentimesbeseenBothsilentandbothmotionlessalike,

120Suchistheshelterthatisthere,andsuchThesafeguardforreposeandquietness.

Oursteedsremountedandthesummonsgiven,WithwhipandspurwebythechantryflewInuncouthrace,andleftthecross-leggedknight,Andthestone-abbot,andthatsinglewrenWhichonedaysangsosweetlyinthenaveOftheoldchurchthat,thoughfromrecentshowersTheearthwascomfortless,and,touchedbyfaintInternalbreezes–sobbingsoftheplace

130Andrespirations–fromtherooflesswallsTheshudderingivydrippedlargedrops,yetstillSosweetlymidthegloomtheinvisiblebirdSangtoitselfthatthereIcouldhavemadeMydwelling-place,andlivedforeverthere

Tohearsuchmusic.ThroughthewallsweflewAnddownthevalley,and,acircuitmadeInwantonnessofheart,throughroughandsmoothWescamperedhomeward.Oh,yerocksandstreams,Andthatstillspiritoftheeveningair,

140EveninthisjoyoustimeIsometimesfeltAndeagertospuron,thegallopingsteed;Andwiththecourteousinn-keeper,whosestudSuppliedourwant,wehaplymightemploy

100Slysubterfuge,iftheadventure’sboundWeredistant:somefamedtemplewhereofyoreTheDruidsworshipped,ortheantiquewallsOfthatlargeabbey,wherewithintheValeOfNightshade,toSt.Mary’shonourbuilt,Standsyetamoulderingpilewithfracturedarch,Belfry,andimages,andlivingtrees,Aholyscene!AlongthesmoothgreenturfOurhorsesgrazed.TomorethaninlandpeaceLeftbythewestwindsweepingoverhead

110Fromatumultuousocean,treesandtowersInthatsequesteredvalleymaybeseen,Bothsilentandbothmotionlessalike;Suchthedeepshelterthatisthere,andsuchThesafeguardforreposeandquietness.

Oursteedsremountedandthesummonsgiven,WithwhipandspurwethroughthechauntryflewInuncouthrace,andleftthecross-leggedknight,Andthestone-abbot,andthatsinglewrenWhichonedaysangsosweetlyinthenave

120Oftheoldchurch,that–thoughfromrecentshowersTheearthwascomfortless,andtouchedbyfaintInternalbreezes,sobbingsoftheplaceAndrespirations,fromtherooflesswallsTheshudderingivydrippedlargedrops–yetstill

Sosweetly’midthegloomtheinvisiblebirdSangtoherself,thatthereIcouldhavemadeMydwelling-place,andlivedforeverthereTohearsuchmusic.ThroughthewallsweflewAnddownthevalley,and,acircuitmade

130Inwantonnessofheart,throughroughandsmoothWescamperedhomewards.Oh,yerocksandstreams,Andthatstillspiritshedfromeveningair!EveninthisjoyoustimeIsometimesfeltYourpresence,whenwithslackenedstepwebreathedAlongthesidesofthesteephills,orwhen,Lightedbygleamsofmoonlightfromthesea,Webeatwiththunderinghoofsthelevelsand.

UpontheeasternshoreofWindermereAbovethecrescentofapleasantbay,Therewasaninn–nohomely-featuredshed,Brotherofthesurroundingcottages,But’twasasplendidplace,thedoorbeset

150Withchaises,grooms,andliveries,andwithinDecanters,glasses,andtheblood-redwine.Inancienttimes,oreretheHallwasbuiltOnthelargeisland,hadthisdwellingbeenMoreworthyofapoet’slove,ahutProudofitsonebrightfireandsycamoreshade.ButthoughtherhymesweregonewhichonceinscribedThethreshold,andlargegoldencharactersOntheblue-frostedsignboardhadusurpedTheplaceoftheoldlion,incontempt

160Andmockeryoftherusticpainter’shand,YettothishourthespottomeisdearWithallitsfoolishpomp.ThegardenlayUponaslopesurmountedbytheplainOfasmallbowling-green;beneathusstoodAgrove,withgleamsofwaterthroughthetreesAndoverthetree-tops–nordidwewant

Refreshment,strawberriesandmellowcream–Andthere,throughhalfanafternoon,weplayedOnthesmoothplatform,andtheshoutswesent

170Madeallthemountainsring.ButerethefallOfnight,wheninourpinnacewereturnedOvertheduskylake,andtothebeachOfsomesmallislandsteeredourcourse,withone,Theminstrelofourtroop,andlefthimthere,AndrowedoffgentlywhileheblewhisfluteAloneupontherock,ohthenthecalmAnddeadstillwaterlayuponmymindYourpresence,whenwithslackenedstepwebreathedAlongthesidesofthesteephills,orwhenLightedbygleamsofmoonlightfromtheseaWebeatwiththunderinghoofsthelevelsand.

MidwayonlongWinander’seasternshore,Withinthecrescentofapleasantbay,

140Atavernstood;nohomely-featuredhouse,Primevallikeitsneighbouringcottages,But’twasasplendidplace,thedoorbesetWithchaises,grooms,andliveries,andwithinDecanters,glasses,andtheblood-redwine.Inancienttimes,anderetheHallwasbuiltOnthelargeisland,hadthisdwellingbeenMoreworthyofapoet’slove,ahut,Proudofitsownbrightfireandsycamoreshade.But–thoughtherhymesweregonethatonceinscribed

150Thethreshold,andlargegoldencharacters,Spreado’erthespangledsign-board,haddislodgedTheoldLionandusurpedhisplace,inslightAndmockeryoftherusticpainter’shand–Yet,tothishour,thespottomeisdearWithallitsfoolishpomp.ThegardenlayUponaslopesurmountedbyaplainOfasmallbowling-green;beneathusstood

Agrove,withgleamsofwaterthroughthetreesAndoverthetree-tops;nordidwewant

160Refreshment,strawberriesandmellowcream.There,whilethroughhalfanafternoonweplayedOnthesmoothplatform,whetherskillprevailedOrhappyblundertriumphed,burstsofgleeMadeallthemountainsring.But,erenight-fall,WheninourpinnacewereturnedatleisureOvertheshadowylake,andtothebeachOfsomesmallislandsteeredourcoursewithone,TheMinstreloftheTroop,andlefthimthere,Androwedoffgently,whileheblewhisflute

170Aloneupontherock–oh,then,thecalmAnddeadstillwaterlayuponmymindEvenwithaweightofpleasure,andthesky,Neverbeforesobeautiful,sankdown

180Intomyheart,andheldmelikeadream!Thusweremysympathiesenlarged,andthusDailythecommonrangeofvisiblethingsGrewdeartome:alreadyIbeganTolovethesun;aboyIlovedthesun,NotasIsincehavelovedhim(asapledgeAndsuretyofourearthlylife,alightWhichwhileweviewwefeelwearealive),Butforthiscause,thatIhadseenhimlayHisbeautyonthemorninghills,hadseen

190ThewesternmountaintouchhissettingorbInmanyathoughtlesshour,whenfromexcessOfhappinessmybloodappearedtoflowWithitsownpleasure,andIbreathedwithjoy.Andfromlikefeelings,humblethoughintense(TopatrioticanddomesticloveAnalogous)themoontomewasdear,ForIwoulddreamawaymypurposesStandingtolookuponherwhileshehung

Midwaybetweenthehills,asifsheknew200Nootherregion,butbelongedtothee–

Yea,appertainedbyapeculiarrightTotheeandthygreyhuts,mydarlingvale!

ThoseincidentalcharmswhichfirstattachedMyhearttoruralobjectsdaybydayGrewweaker,andIhastenontotellHownature–intervenienttillthistime,Andsecondary–nowatlengthwassoughtForherownsake.ButwhoshallparceloutHisintellectbygeometricrules,

210Splitlikeaprovinceintoroundandsquare?WhoknowstheindividualhourinwhichHishabitswerefirstsown,evenasaseed?Whothatshallpointaswithawand,andsay‘ThisportionoftheriverofmymindEvenwithaweightofpleasure,andthesky,Neverbeforesobeautiful,sankdownIntomyheart,andheldmelikeadream!

Thusweremysympathiesenlarged,andthusDailythecommonrangeofvisiblethingsGrewdeartome:alreadyIbeganTolovethesun;aboyIlovedthesun,NotasIsincehavelovedhim,asapledge

180Andsuretyofourearthlylife,alightWhichwebeholdandfeelwearealive;Norforhisbountytosomanyworlds–Butforthiscause,thatIhadseenhimlayHisbeautyonthemorninghills,hadseenThewesternmountaintouchhissettingorb,Inmanyathoughtlesshour,when,fromexcessOfhappiness,mybloodappearedtoflowForitsownpleasure,andIbreathedwithjoy.And,fromlikefeelings,humblethoughintense,

190TopatrioticanddomesticloveAnalogous,themoontomewasdear;ForIcoulddreamawaymypurposes,StandingtogazeuponherwhileshehungMidwaybetweenthehills,asifsheknewNootherregion,butbelongedtothee,Yea,appertainedbyapeculiarrightTotheeandthygreyhuts,thouonedearVale!

ThoseincidentalcharmswhichfirstattachedMyhearttoruralobjects,daybyday

200Grewweaker,andIhastenontotellHowNature,intervenienttillthistimeAndsecondary,nowatlengthwassoughtForherownsake.ButwhoshallparceloutHisintellectbygeometricrules,Splitlikeaprovinceintoroundandsquare?WhoknowstheindividualhourinwhichHishabitswerefirstsown,evenasaseed?Whothatshallpointaswithawandandsay‘ThisportionoftheriverofmymindCamefromyonfountain’?Thou,myfriend,artoneMoredeeplyreadinthyownthoughts;totheeScienceappearsbutwhatintruthsheis,Notasourgloryandourabsoluteboast,Butasasuccedaneumandaprop

220Toourinfirmity.ThouartnoslaveOfthatfalsesecondarypowerbywhichInweaknesswecreatedistinctions,thenDeemthatourpunyboundariesarethingsWhichweperceive,andnotwhichwehavemade.Tothee,unblindedbytheseoutwardshows,Theunityofallhasbeenrevealed,Andthouwiltdoubtwithme,lessaptlyskilledThanmanyaretoclassthecabinetOftheirsensations,andinvolublephrase

230RunthroughthehistoryandbirthofeachAsofasingleindependentthing.Hardtasktoanalyseasoul,inwhichNotonlygeneralhabitsanddesires,Buteachmostobviousandparticularthought–NotinamysticalandidlesenseButinthewordsofreasondeeplyweighed–Hasnobeginning.

Blesttheinfantbabe(ForwithmybestconjecturesIwouldtraceTheprogressofourbeing),blestthebabe

240Nursedinhismother’sarms,thebabewhosleepsUponhismother’sbreast,whowhenhissoulClaimsmanifestkindredwithanearthlysoul,Doesgatherpassionfromhismother’seye!SuchfeelingspassintohistorpidlifeLikeanawakeningbreeze,andhencehismind,Eveninthefirsttrialofitspowers,Ispromptandwatchful,eagertocombineInoneappearancealltheelementsAndpartsofthesameobject,elsedetached

250Andlothtocoalesce.ThusdaybydaySubjectedtothedisciplineoflove,

210Camefromyonfountain?’Thou,myFriend!artoneMoredeeplyreadinthyownthoughts;totheeScienceappearsbutwhatintruthsheis,Notasourgloryandourabsoluteboast,Butasasuccedaneum,andapropToourinfirmity.NoofficiousslaveArtthouofthatfalsesecondarypowerBywhichwemultiplydistinctions,thenDeemthatourpunyboundariesarethingsThatweperceive,andnotthatwehavemade.

220Tothee,unblindedbytheseformalarts,

Theunityofallhathbeenrevealed,Andthouwiltdoubt,withmelessaptlyskilledThanmanyaretorangethefacultiesInscaleandorder,classthecabinetOftheirsensations,andinvolublephraseRunthroughthehistoryandbirthofeachAsofasingleindependentthing.Hardtask,vainhope,toanalysethemind,Ifeachmostobviousandparticularthought,

230Notinamysticalandidlesense,ButinthewordsofReasondeeplyweighed,Hathnobeginning.

BlesttheinfantBabe,(ForwithmybestconjectureIwouldtraceOurBeing’searthlyprogress,)blesttheBabe,NursedinhisMother’sarms,whosinkstosleepRockedonhisMother’sbreast;whowithhissoulDrinksinthefeelingsofhisMother’seye!Forhim,inonedearPresence,thereexistsAvirtuewhichirradiatesandexalts

240Objectsthroughwidestintercourseofsense.Nooutcasthe,bewilderedanddepressed:AlonghisinfantveinsareinterfusedThegravitationandthefilialbondOfnaturethatconnecthimwiththeworld.Isthereaflower,towhichhepointswithhandTooweaktogatherit,alreadyloveHisorgansandrecipientfacultiesArequickened,aremorevigorous;hismindspreadsTenaciousoftheformswhichitreceives.Inonebelovèdpresence–nayandmore,InthatmostapprehensivehabitudeAndthosesensationswhichhavebeenderivedFromthisbelovedpresence–thereexistsAvirtuewhichirradiatesandexalts

260Allobjectsthroughallintercourseofsense.Nooutcasthe,bewilderedanddepressed!–AlonghisinfantveinsareinterfusedThegravitationandthefilialbondOfnaturethatconnecthimwiththeworld.EmphaticallysuchabeinglivesAninmateofthisactiveuniverse.Fromnaturelargelyhereceives,norsoIssatisfied,butlargelygivesagain;Forfeelinghastohimimpartedstrength,

270And–powerfulinallsentimentsofgrief,Ofexultation,fear,andjoy–hismind,Evenasanagentoftheonegreatmind,Creates,creatorandreceiverboth,WorkingbutinalliancewiththeworksWhichitbeholds.Such,verily,isthefirstPoeticspiritofourhumanlife–ByuniformcontrolofafteryearsInmostabatedandsuppressed,insomeThrougheverychangeofgrowthorofdecay

280Pre-eminenttilldeath.

Fromearlydays,BeginningnotlongafterthatfirsttimeInwhich,ababe,byintercourseoftouchIheldmutedialogueswithmymother’sheart,IhaveendeavouredtodisplaythemeansWherebytheinfantsensibility,Greatbirthrightofourbeing,wasinmeAugmentedandsustained.YetisapathMoredifficultbeforeme,andIfearDrawnfromlove’spurestearthlyfountforhimHathbeautifiedthatflower;alreadyshadesOfpitycastfrominwardtenderness

250DofallaroundhimuponaughtthatbearsUnsightlymarksofviolenceorharm.

EmphaticallysuchaBeinglives,Frailcreatureasheis,helplessasfrail,Aninmateofthisactiveuniverse.ForfeelinghastohimimpartedpowerThatthroughthegrowingfacultiesofsenseDothlikeanagentoftheonegreatMindCreate,creatorandreceiverboth,Workingbutinalliancewiththeworks

260Whichitbeholds.–Such,verily,isthefirstPoeticspiritofourhumanlife,Byuniformcontrolofafteryears,Inmost,abatedorsuppressed;insome,Througheverychangeofgrowthandofdecay,Pre-eminenttilldeath.

Fromearlydays,BeginningnotlongafterthatfirsttimeInwhich,aBabe,byintercourseoftouchIheldmutedialogueswithmyMother’sheart,Ihaveendeavouredtodisplaythemeans

270Wherebythisinfantsensibility,Greatbirthrightofourbeing,wasinmeAugmentedandsustained.YetisapathMoredifficultbeforeme;andIfearThatinitsbrokenwindingsweshallneed

290Thechamois’sinewsandtheeagle’swing.FornowatroublecameintomymindFromunknowncauses:IwasleftaloneSeekingthevisibleworld,norknowingwhy.Thepropsofmyaffectionswereremoved,AndyetthebuildingstoodasifsustainedByitsownspirit!AllthatIbeheldWasdeartome,andfromthiscauseitcameThatnowtonature’sfinerinfluxesMymindlayopen–tothatmoreexact

300AndintimatecommunionwhichourheartsMaintainwiththeminuterpropertiesOfobjectswhichalreadyarebeloved,Andofthoseonly.

ManyarethejoysOfyouth,butoh,whathappinesstoliveWheneveryhourbringspalpableaccessOfknowledge,whenallknowledgeisdelight,Andsorrowisnotthere!Theseasonscame,AndeveryseasontomynoticebroughtAstoreoftransitoryqualities

310WhichbutforthismostwatchfulpowerofloveHadbeenneglected,leftaregisterOfpermanentrelations,elseunknown.Hencelife,andchange,andbeauty,solitudeMoreactiveeventhan‘bestsociety’,SocietymadesweetassolitudeBysilentinobtrusivesympathies,AndgentleagitationsofthemindFrommanifolddistinctions(differencePerceivedinthingswheretothecommoneye

320Nodifferenceis),andhence,fromthesamesource,Sublimerjoy.ForIwouldwalkaloneInstormandtempest,orinstarlightnightsBeneaththequietheavens,andatthattimeHavefeltwhate’erthereisofpowerinsoundTobreatheanelevatedmood,byformThatinitsbrokenwindingsweshallneedThechamois’sinews,andtheeagle’swing:FornowatroublecameintomymindFromunknowncauses.IwasleftaloneSeekingthevisibleworld,norknowingwhy.Thepropsofmyaffectionswereremoved,

280Andyetthebuildingstood,asifsustained

Byitsownspirit!AllthatIbeheldWasdear,andhencetofinerinfluxesThemindlayopentoamoreexactAndclosecommunion.ManyareourjoysInyouth,butoh!whathappinesstoliveWheneveryhourbringspalpableaccessOfknowledge,whenallknowledgeisdelight,Andsorrowisnotthere!Theseasonscame,Andeveryseasonwheresoe’erImoved

290Unfoldedtransitoryqualities,Which,butforthismostwatchfulpoweroflove,Hadbeenneglected;leftaregisterOfpermanentrelations,elseunknown.Hencelife,andchange,andbeauty,solitudeMoreactiveeventhan‘bestsociety’–SocietymadesweetassolitudeBysilentinobtrusivesympathies,AndgentleagitationsofthemindFrommanifolddistinctions,difference

300Perceivedinthings,where,totheunwatchfuleye,Nodifferenceis,andhence,fromthesamesource,Sublimerjoy;forIwouldwalkalone,Underthequietstars,andatthattimeHavefeltwhate’erthereisofpowerinsoundTobreatheanelevatedmood,byformOrimageunprofaned.AndIwouldstandBeneathsomerock,listeningtosoundsthatareTheghostlylanguageoftheancientearth,Ormaketheirdimabodeindistantwinds.

330ThencedidIdrinkthevisionarypower.IdeemnotprofitlessthosefleetingmoodsOfshadowyexultation;notforthis,ThattheyarekindredtoourpurermindAndintellectuallife,butthatthesoul–Rememberinghowshefelt,butwhatshefeltRememberingnot–retainsanobscuresense

Ofpossiblesublimity,towhichWithgrowingfacultiesshedothaspire,Withfacultiesstillgrowing,feelingstill

340ThatwhatsoeverpointtheygaintheystillHavesomethingtopursue.

AndnotaloneIngrandeurandintumult,butnolessIntranquilscenes,thatuniversalpowerAndfitnessinthelatentqualitiesAndessencesofthings,bywhichthemindIsmovedbyfeelingsofdelight,tomeCamestrengthenedwithasuperaddedsoul,Avirtuenotitsown.MymorningwalksWereearly:oftbeforethehoursofschool

350Itravelledroundourlittlelake,fivemilesOfpleasantwandering.Happytime!–moredearForthis,thatonewasbymyside,afriendThenpassionatelyloved.WithhearthowfullWillheperusetheselines–thispage,perhapsAblanktoothermen–formanyyearsHavesinceflowedinbetweenus,and(ourmindsBothsilenttoeachother)atthistimeWeliveasifthosehourshadneverbeen.NorseldomdidIliftourcottagelatch

360Farearlier,andbeforethevernalthrushWasaudible,amongthehillsIsatOrimageunprofaned;andIwouldstand,Ifthenightblackenedwithacomingstorm,Beneathsomerock,listeningtonotesthatareTheghostlylanguageoftheancientearth,

310Ormaketheirdimabodeindistantwinds.ThencedidIdrinkthevisionarypower;AnddeemnotprofitlessthosefleetingmoodsOfshadowyexultation:notforthis,

ThattheyarekindredtoourpurermindAndintellectuallife;butthatthesoul,Rememberinghowshefelt,butwhatshefeltRememberingnot,retainsanobscuresenseOfpossiblesublimity,wheretoWithgrowingfacultiesshedothaspire,

320Withfacultiesstillgrowing,feelingstillThatwhatsoeverpointtheygain,theyyetHavesomethingtopursue.

Andnotalone,’Midgloomandtumult,butnoless’midfairAndtranquilscenes,thatuniversalpowerAndfitnessinthelatentqualitiesAndessencesofthings,bywhichthemindIsmovedwithfeelingsofdelight,tomeCame,strengthenedwithasuperaddedsoul,Avirtuenotitsown.Mymorningwalks

330Wereearly;–oftbeforethehoursofschoolItravelledroundourlittlelake,fivemilesOfpleasantwandering.Happytime!moredearForthis,thatonewasbymyside,aFriend,Thenpassionatelyloved;withhearthowfullWouldheperusetheselines!FormanyyearsHavesinceflowedinbetweenus,and,ourmindsBothsilenttoeachother,atthistimeWeliveasifthosehourshadneverbeen.NorseldomdidIliftourcottagelatch

340Farearlier,ereonesmoke-wreathhadrisenFromhumandwelling,orthevernalthrushWasaudible;andsateamongthewoodsAloneuponsomejuttingeminenceAtthefirsthourofmorning,whenthevaleLayquietinanuttersolitude.HowshallItracethehistory,whereseekTheoriginofwhatIthenhavefelt?

OftinthosemomentssuchaholycalmDidoverspreadmysoulthatIforgotThatIhadbodilyeyes,andwhatIsaw

370Appearedlikesomethinginmyself,adream,Aprospectinmymind.

’TwerelongtotellWhatspringandautumn,whatthewintersnows,Andwhatthesummershade,whatdayandnight,Theeveningandthemorning,whatmydreamsAndwhatmywakingthoughts,suppliedtonurseThatspiritofreligiousloveinwhichIwalkedwithnature.ButletthisatleastBenotforgotten,thatIstillretainedMyfirstcreativesensibility,

380ThatbytheregularactionoftheworldMysoulwasunsubdued.AplasticpowerAbodewithme,aforminghand,attimesRebellious,actinginadeviousmood,Alocalspiritofitsown,atwarWithgeneraltendency,butforthemostSubservientstrictlytotheexternalthingsWithwhichitcommuned.AnauxiliarlightCamefrommymind,whichonthesettingsunBestowednewsplendour;themelodiousbirds,

390Thegentlebreezes,fountainsthatranonMurmuringsosweetlyinthemselves,obeyedAlikedominion,andthemidnightstormGrewdarkerinthepresenceofmyeye.Hencemyobeisance,mydevotionhence,Andhencemytransport!

NorshouldthisperchancePassunrecorded,thatIstillhadlovedAloneuponsomejuttingeminence,Atthefirstgleamofdawn-light,whentheVale,

Yetslumbering,layinuttersolitude.HowshallIseektheorigin?wherefindFaithinthemarvellousthingswhichthenIfelt?OftinthesemomentssuchaholycalmWouldoverspreadmysoul,thatbodilyeyes

350Wereutterlyforgotten,andwhatIsawAppearedlikesomethinginmyself,adream,Aprospectinthemind.

’TwerelongtotellWhatspringandautumn,whatthewintersnows,Andwhatthesummershade,whatdayandnight,Eveningandmorning,sleepandwaking,thoughtFromsourcesinexhaustible,pouredforthTofeedthespiritofreligiousloveInwhichIwalkedwithNature.ButletthisBenotforgotten,thatIstillretained

360Myfirstcreativesensibility;ThatbytheregularactionoftheworldMysoulwasunsubdued.AplasticpowerAbodewithme;aforminghand,attimesRebellious,actinginadeviousmood;Alocalspiritofhisown,atwarWithgeneraltendency,but,forthemost,SubservientstrictlytoexternalthingsWithwhichitcommuned.AnauxiliarlightCamefrommymind,whichonthesettingsun

370Bestowednewsplendour;themelodiousbirds,Theflutteringbreezes,fountainsthatrunonMurmuringsosweetlyinthemselves,obeyedAlikedominion,andthemidnightstormGrewdarkerinthepresenceofmyeye:Hencemyobeisance,mydevotionhence,Andhencemytransport.

Norshouldthis,perchance,

Passunrecorded,thatIstillhadlovedTheexerciseandproduceofatoilThananalyticindustrytomeMorepleasing,andwhosecharacterIdeem

400Ismorepoetic,asresemblingmoreCreativeagency–ImeantospeakOfthatinterminablebuildingrearedByobservationofaffinitiesInobjectswherenobrotherhoodexistsTocommonminds.Myseventeenthyearwascome,And,whetherfromthishabitrootednowSodeeplyinmymind,or,fromexcessOfthegreatsocialprincipleoflifeCoercingallthingsintosympathy,

410TounorganicnaturesItransferredMyownenjoyments,or,thepoweroftruthCominginrevelation,IconversedWiththingsthatreallyare,IatthistimeSawblessingsspreadaroundmelikeasea.Thusdidmydayspasson,andnowatlengthFromnatureandheroverflowingsoulIhadreceivedsomuchthatallmythoughtsWeresteepedinfeeling.

IwasonlythenContentedwhenwithblissineffable

420Ifeltthesentimentofbeing,spreadO’erallthatmoves,andallthatseemethstill;O’erallthat,lostbeyondthereachofthoughtAndhumanknowledge,tothehumaneyeInvisible,yetlivethtotheheart;O’erallthatleapsandruns,andshoutsandsings,Orbeatsthegladsomeair;o’erallthatglidesBeneaththewave,yea,inthewaveitselfAndmightydepthofwaters.WondernotIfsuchmytransportswere,forinallthings

430Isawonelife,andfeltthatitwasjoy.Onesongtheysang,anditwasaudibleMostaudiblethenwhenthefleshlyear,Theexerciseandproduceofatoil,Thananalyticindustrytome

380Morepleasing,andwhosecharacterIdeemIsmorepoeticasresemblingmoreCreativeagency.ThesongwouldspeakOfthatinterminablebuildingrearedByobservationofaffinitiesInobjectswherenobrotherhoodexistsTopassiveminds.Myseventeenthyearwascome;And,whetherfromthishabitrootednowSodeeplyinmymind,orfromexcessInthegreatsocialprincipleoflife

390Coercingallthingsintosympathy,TounorganicnaturesweretransferredMyownenjoyments;orthepoweroftruthCominginrevelation,didconverseWiththingsthatreallyare;I,atthistime,Sawblessingsspreadaroundmelikeasea.Thuswhilethedaysflewby,andyearspassedon,FromNatureandheroverflowingsoul,Ihadreceivedsomuch,thatallmythoughtsWeresteepedinfeeling;Iwasonlythen

400Contented,whenwithblissineffableIfeltthesentimentofBeingspreadO’erallthatmovesandallthatseemethstill;O’erallthat,lostbeyondthereachofthoughtAndhumanknowledge,tothehumaneyeInvisible,yetlivethtotheheart;O’erallthatleapsandruns,andshoutsandsings,Orbeatsthegladsomeair;o’erallthatglidesBeneaththewave,yea,inthewaveitself,Andmightydepthofwaters.Wondernot

410Ifhighthetransport,greatthejoyIfelt,CommuninginthissortthroughearthandheavenWitheveryformofcreature,asitlookedTowardstheUncreatedwithacountenanceOfadoration,withaneyeoflove.Onesongtheysang,anditwasaudible,Mostaudible,then,whenthefleshlyear,O’ercomebygrosserpreludeofthatstrain,Forgotitsfunctionsandsleptundisturbed.

Ifthisbeerror,andanotherfaithFindeasieraccesstothepiousmind,YetwereIgrosslydestituteofallThosehumansentimentswhichmakethisearthSodear,ifIshouldfailwithgratefulvoice

440Tospeakofyou,yemountainsandyelakesAndsoundingcataracts,yemistsandwindsThatdwellamongthehillswhereIwasborn.IfinmyyouthIhavebeenpureinheart,If,minglingwiththeworld,IamcontentWithmyownmodestpleasures,andhavelivedWithGodandnaturecommuning,removedFromlittleenmitiesandlowdesires,Thegiftisyours–ifinthesetimesoffear,Thismelancholywasteofhopeso’erthrown,

450If,midindifferenceandapathyAndwickedexultation,whengoodmenOneverysidefalloff,weknownothow,Toselfishness(disguisedingentlenamesOfpeaceandquietanddomesticlove,YetminglednotunwillinglywithsneersOnvisionaryminds),ifinthistimeOfderelictionanddismayIyetDespairnotofournature,butretainAmorethanRomanconfidence,afaith

460Thatfailsnot,inallsorrowmysupport,

Theblessingofmylife,thegiftisyours,Yemountains,thine,onature!ThouhastfedMyloftyspeculations,andintheeForthisuneasyheartofoursIfindAnever-failingprincipleofjoyAndpurestpassion.

Thou,myfriend,wertrearedInthegreatcity,midfarotherscenes,O’ercomebyhumblestpreludeofthatstrain,Forgotherfunctions,andsleptundisturbed.

Ifthisbeerror,andanotherfaith420Findeasieraccesstothepiousmind,

YetwereIgrosslydestituteofallThosehumansentimentsthatmakethisearthSodear,ifIshouldfailwithgratefulvoiceTospeakofyou,yemountains,andyelakesAndsoundingcataracts,yemistsandwindsThatdwellamongthehillswhereIwasborn.IfinmyyouthIhavebeenpureinheart,If,minglingwiththeworld,IamcontentWithmyownmodestpleasures,andhavelived

430WithGodandNaturecommuning,removedFromlittleenmitiesandlowdesires,Thegiftisyours;ifinthesetimesoffear,Thismelancholywasteofhopeso’erthrown,If,’midindifferenceandapathy,AndwickedexultationwhengoodmenOneverysidefalloff,weknownothow,Toselfishness,disguisedingentlenamesOfpeaceandquietanddomesticlove,Yetminglednotunwillinglywithsneers

440Onvisionaryminds;if,inthistimeOfderelictionanddismay,Iyet

Despairnotofournature,butretainAmorethanRomanconfidence,afaithThatfailsnot,inallsorrowmysupport,Theblessingofmylife;thegiftisyours,Yewindsandsoundingcataracts!’tisyours,Yemountains!thine,ONature!ThouhastfedMyloftyspeculations;andinthee,Forthisuneasyheartofours,Ifind

450Anever-failingprincipleofjoyAndpurestpassion.

Thou,myFriend!wertrearedInthegreatcity,’midfarotherscenes;ButwebydifferentroadsatlengthhavegainedTheself-samebourne.Andforthiscausetothee

470Ispeakunapprehensiveofcontempt,Theinsinuatedscoffofcowardtongues,AndallthatsilentlanguagewhichsooftInconversationbetwixtmanandmanBlotsfromthehumancountenancealltraceOfbeautyandoflove.ForthouhastsoughtThetruthinsolitude,andthouartone,Themostintenseofnature’sworshippers–Inmanythingsmybrother,chieflyhereInthismydeepdevotion.Faretheewell!

480HealthandthequietofahealthfulmindAttendthee–seekingoftthehauntsofmen,Andyetmoreoftenlivingwiththyself,Andforthyself–sohaplyshallthydaysBemany,andablessingtomankind.Butwe,bydifferentroads,atlengthhavegainedTheself-samebourne.AndforthiscausetotheeIspeak,unapprehensiveofcontempt,Theinsinuatedscoffofcowardtongues,Andallthatsilentlanguagewhichsooft

InconversationbetweenmanandmanBlotsfromthehumancountenancealltrace

460Ofbeautyandoflove.ForthouhastsoughtThetruthinsolitude,and,sincethedaysThatgavetheeliberty,fulllongdesiredToserveinNature’stemple,thouhastbeenThemostassiduousofherministers;Inmanythingsmybrother,chieflyhereInthisourdeepdevotion.

Faretheewell!HealthandthequietofahealthfulmindAttendthee!seekingoftthehauntsofmen,Andyetmoreoftenlivingwiththyself,

470Andforthyself,sohaplyshallthydaysBemany,andablessingtomankind.

BookThirdRESIDENCEATCAMBRIDGE

ItwasadrearymorningwhenthechaiseRolledovertheflatplainsofHuntingdonAndthroughtheopenwindowsfirstIsawThelong-backedchapelofKing’sCollegerearHispinnaclesabovetheduskygroves.Soonafterwards,weespiedupontheroadAstudentclothedingownandtasselledcap;Hepassed–norwasImasterofmyeyesTillhewasleftahundredyardsbehind.

10Theplace,asweapproached,seemedmoreandmoreTohaveaneddy’sforce,andsuckedusinMoreeagerlyateverystepwetook.Onwardwedrovebeneaththecastle;downByMagdaleneBridgewewentandcrossedtheCam,AndattheHoopwelanded,famousinn.

Myspiritwasup,mythoughtswerefullofhope;SomefriendsIhad–acquaintanceswhothereSeemedfriends–poorsimpleschoolboys,nowhungroundWithhonourandimportance.Inaworld

20OfwelcomefacesupanddownIroved;Questions,directions,counselandadvice,Flowedinuponmefromallsides.FreshdayOfprideandpleasure!–TomyselfIseemedAmanofbusinessandexpense,andwentFromshoptoshopaboutmyownaffairs,Totutorsortotailorsasbefell,

BookThirdRESIDENCEATCAMBRIDGE

ItwasadrearymorningwhenthewheelsRolledoverawideplaino’erhungwithclouds,AndnothingcheeredourwaytillfirstwesawThelong-roofedchapelofKing’sCollegeliftTurretsandpinnaclesinansweringfiles,Extendedhighaboveaduskygrove.

Advancing,weespiedupontheroadAstudentclothedingownandtasselledcap,Stridingalongasifo’ertaskedbyTime,

10Orcovetousofexerciseandair;Hepassed–norwasImasterofmyeyesTillhewasleftanarrow’sflightbehind.Asnearandnearertothespotwedrew,Itseemedtosuckusinwithaneddy’sforce.OnwardwedrovebeneaththeCastle;caught,WhilecrossingMagdaleneBridge,aglimpseofCam;AndattheHoopalighted,famousInn.

Myspiritwasup,mythoughtswerefullofhope;SomefriendsIhad,acquaintanceswhothere

20Seemedfriends,poorsimpleschool-boys,nowhungroundWithhonourandimportance:inaworldOfwelcomefacesupanddownIroved;Questions,directions,warningsandadvice,Flowedinuponme,fromallsides;freshdayOfprideandpleasure!tomyselfIseemedAmanofbusinessandexpense,andwentFromshoptoshopaboutmyownaffairs,Totutorortotailor,asbefell,Fromstreettostreetwithlooseandcarelessheart.

Iwasthedreamer,theythedream!IroamedDelightedthroughthemotleyspectacle:

30Gowns,graveorgaudy,doctors,students,streets,Lamps,gateways,flocksofchurches,courtsandtowers–Strangetransformationforamountainyouth,Anorthernvillager.AsifbywordOfmagicorsomefairy’spower,atonceBeholdmerichinmoneysandattiredInsplendidclothes,withhoseofsilk,andhairGlitteringlikerimytreeswhenfrostiskeen–Mylordlydressing-gown,Ipassitby,Withothersignsofmanhoodwhichsupplied

40Thelackofbeard!Theweekswentroundlyon,Withinvitations,suppers,wineandfruit,Smoothhousekeepingwithin,andallwithoutLiberalandsuitinggentleman’sarray.

TheEvangelistStJohnmypatronwas:Threegloomycourtsarehis,andinthefirstWasmyabiding-place,anookobscure.Rightunderneath,theCollegekitchensmadeAhummingsound,lesstuneablethanbeesButhardlylessindustrious,withshrillnotes

50Ofsharpcommandandscoldingintermixed.NearmewasTrinity’sloquaciousclockWhoneverletthequarters,nightorday,Slipbyhimunproclaimed,andtoldthehoursTwiceoverwithamaleandfemalevoice.Herpealingorganwasmyneighbourtoo,AndfrommybedroomIinmoonlightnightsCouldseerightopposite,afewyardsoff,TheantechapelwherethestatuestoodOfNewtonwithhisprismandsilentface.Fromstreettostreetwithlooseandcarelessmind.

30

IwastheDreamer,theytheDream;IroamedDelightedthroughthemotleyspectacle;Gownsgrave,orgaudy,doctors,students,streets,Courts,cloisters,flocksofchurches,gateways,towers:Migrationstrangeforastriplingofthehills,Anorthernvillager.

AsifthechangeHadwaitedonsomeFairy’swand,atonceBeholdmerichinmonies,andattiredInsplendidgarb,withhoseofsilk,andhairPowderedlikerimytrees,whenfrostiskeen.

40Mylordlydressing-gown,Ipassitby,WithothersignsofmanhoodthatsuppliedThelackofbeard.–Theweekswentroundlyon,Withinvitations,suppers,wineandfruit,Smoothhousekeepingwithin,andallwithoutLiberal,andsuitinggentleman’sarray.

TheEvangelistSt.Johnmypatronwas:ThreeGothiccourtsarehis,andinthefirstWasmyabiding-place,anookobscure;Rightunderneath,theCollegekitchensmade

50Ahummingsound,lesstuneablethanbees,Buthardlylessindustrious;withshrillnotesOfsharpcommandandscoldingintermixed.NearmehungTrinity’sloquaciousclock,Whoneverletthequarters,nightorday,Slipbyhimunproclaimed,andtoldthehoursTwiceoverwithamaleandfemalevoice.Herpealingorganwasmyneighbourtoo;Andfrommypillow,lookingforthbylightOfnoonorfavouringstars,Icouldbehold

60TheantechapelwherethestatuestoodOfNewtonwithhisprismandsilentface,Themarbleindexofamindforever

VoyagingthroughstrangeseasofThought,alone.60

OfCollegelabours,ofthelecturer’sroom(Allstuddedround,asthickaschairscouldstand,Withloyalstudentsfaithfultotheirbooks,Half-and-halfidlers,hardyrecusants,Andhonestdunces),ofimportantdays–Examinations,whenthemanwasweighedAsinthebalance!–ofexcessivehopes,Tremblingswithalandcommendablefears,Smalljealousiesandtriumphsgoodorbad,Imakeshortmention.Thingstheywerewhichthen

70Ididnotlove,nordoIlovethemnow:Suchglorywasbutlittlesoughtbyme,Andlittlewon.ButitisrighttosayThatevensoearly,fromthefirstcrudedaysOfsettling-timeinthismynewabode,NotseldomIhadmelancholythoughtsFrompersonalandfamilyregards(Wishingtohopewithoutahope),somefearsAboutmyfutureworldlymaintenance,And,morethanall,astrangenessinmymind,

80AfeelingthatIwasnotforthathour,Norforthatplace.Butwhereforebecastdown?WhyshouldIgrieve?Iwasachosenson.ForhitherIhadcomewithholypowersAndfaculties(whethertoworkorfeel)ToapprehendallpassionsandallmoodsWhichtimeandplaceandseasondoimpressUponthevisibleuniverse,andworkLikechangestherebyforceofmyownmind.Iwasafreeman–inthepurestsense

90Wasfree–andtomajesticendswasstrong.Idonotspeakoflearning,moraltruth

Orunderstanding,’twasenoughformeToknowthatIwasotherwiseendowed.

Whenthefirstglitteroftheshowwaspassed,Andthefirstdazzleofthetaper-light,AsifwithareboundmymindreturnedIntoitsformerself.OftdidIleave

OfCollegelabours,oftheLecturer’sroomAllstuddedround,asthickaschairscouldstand,Withloyalstudentsfaithfultotheirbooks,Half-and-halfidlers,hardyrecusants,Andhonestdunces–ofimportantdays,Examinations,whenthemanwasweighed

70Asinabalance!ofexcessivehopes,Tremblingswithalandcommendablefears,Smalljealousies,andtriumphsgoodorbad,Letothersthatknowmorespeakastheyknow.Suchglorywasbutlittlesoughtbyme,Andlittlewon.YetfromthefirstcrudedaysOfsettlingtimeinthisuntriedabode,Iwasdisturbedattimesbyprudentthoughts,Wishingtohopewithoutahope,somefearsAboutmyfutureworldlymaintenance,

80And,morethanall,astrangenessinthemind,AfeelingthatIwasnotforthathour,Norforthatplace.Butwhereforebecastdown?For(nottospeakofReasonandherpureReflectiveactstofixthemorallawDeepintheconscience,norofChristianHope,BowingherheadbeforehersisterFaithAsonefarmightier),hitherIhadcome,BearwitnessTruth,endowedwithholypowersAndfaculties,whethertoworkorfeel.

90OftwhenthedazzlingshownolongernewHadceasedtodazzle,ofttimesdidIquit

Mycomrades,andthecrowd,buildingsandgroves,Andwalkedalongthefields,thelevelfields,

100Withheaven’sblueconcaverearedabovemyhead.Andnowitwasthat,throughsuchchangeentireAndthisfirstabsencefromthoseshapessublimeWherewithIhadbeenconversant,mymindSeemedbusierinitselfthanheretofore–AtleastImoredirectlyrecognizedMypowersandhabits.LetmedaretospeakAhigherlanguage,saythatnowIfeltThestrengthandconsolationwhichweremine.Asifawakened,summoned,roused,constrained,

110Ilookedforuniversalthings,perusedThecommoncountenanceofearthandheaven,AndturningthemindinuponitselfPored,watched,expected,listened,spreadmythoughtsAndspreadthemwithawidercreeping;feltIncumbenciesmoreawful,visitingsOftheupholderofthetranquilsoul,WhichunderneathallpassionlivessecureAsteadfastlife.Butpeace,itisenoughTonoticethatIwasascendingnow

120Tosuchcommunitywithhighesttruth.

Atrackpursuingnotuntrodbefore,FromdeepanalogiesbythoughtsuppliedOrconsciousnessesnottobesubdued,Toeverynaturalform,rock,fruitorflower,Mycomrades,leavethecrowd,buildingsandgroves,AndasIpacedalonethelevelfieldsFarfromthoselovelysightsandsoundssublimeWithwhichIhadbeenconversant,themindDroopednot;butthereintoherselfreturning,Withpromptreboundseemedfreshasheretofore.AtleastImoredistinctlyrecognisedHernativeinstincts:letmedaretospeak

100Ahigherlanguage,saythatnowIfeltWhatindependentsolacesweremine,TomitigatetheinjuriousswayofplaceOrcircumstance,howfarsoeverchangedInyouth,ortobechangedinmanhood’sprime;OrforthefewwhoshallbecalledtolookOnthelongshadowsinoureveningyears,Ordainedprecursorstothenightofdeath.Asifawakened,summoned,roused,constrained,Ilookedforuniversalthings;perused

110Thecommoncountenanceofearthandsky:Earth,nowhereunembellishedbysometraceOfthatfirstParadisewhencemanwasdriven;Andsky,whosebeautyandbountyareexpressedBytheproudnameshebears–thenameofHeaven.Icalledonbothtoteachmewhattheymight;OrturningthemindinuponherselfPored,watched,expected,listened,spreadmythoughtsAndspreadthemwithawidercreeping;feltIncumbenciesmoreawful,visitings

120OftheUpholderofthetranquilsoul,ThattoleratestheindignitiesofTime,And,fromthecentreofEternityAllfinitemotionsoverruling,livesIngloryimmutable.Butpeace!enoughHeretorecordthatIwasmountingnowTosuchcommunitywithhighesttruth–Atrackpursuing,notuntrodbefore,FromstrictanalogiesbythoughtsuppliedOrconsciousnessesnottobesubdued.

130Toeverynaturalform,rock,fruitorflower,Eventheloosestonesthatcoverthehighway,Igaveamorallife–Isawthemfeel,Orlinkedthemtosomefeeling.ThegreatmassLaybeddedinaquickeningsoul,andall

ThatIbeheldrespiredwithinwardmeaning.130Thusmuchfortheonepresence,andthelife

Ofthegreatwhole;sufficeitheretoaddThatwhatsoe’erofterrororofloveOrbeauty,nature’sdailyfaceputonFromtransitorypassion,untothisIwasaswakefulevenaswatersareTothesky’smotion,inakindredsenseOfpassionwasobedientasaluteThatwaitsuponthetouchesofthewind.Sowasitwithmeinmysolitude:

140So,oftenamongmultitudesofmen.Unknown,unthoughtof,yetIwasmostrich,Ihadaworldaboutme–’twasmyown,Imadeit;foritonlylivedtomeAndtotheGodwholookedintomymind.

SuchsympathieswouldsometimesshowthemselvesByoutwardgesturesandbyvisiblelooks–Somecalleditmadness–suchindeeditwas,Ifchildlikefruitfulnessinpassingjoy,Ifsteadymoodsofthoughtfulnessmatured

150Toinspiration,sortwithsuchaname;Ifprophecybemadness;ifthingsviewedBypoetsofoldtime,andhigherupBythefirstmen,earth’sfirstinhabitants,MayinthesetutoreddaysnomorebeseenWithundisorderedsight.Butleavingthis,Itwasnomadness;forIhadaneyeWhichinmystrongestworkingsevermoreWaslookingfortheshadesofdifferenceAstheyliehidinallexteriorforms,

160Nearorremote,minuteorvast–aneyeWhichfromastone,atree,awitheredleaf,Tothebroadoceanandtheazureheavens

Eventheloosestonesthatcoverthehigh-way,Igaveamorallife:Isawthemfeel,Orlinkedthemtosomefeeling:thegreatmassLaybeddedinaquickeningsoul,andallThatIbeheldrespiredwithinwardmeaning.Addthatwhate’erofTerrororofLoveOrBeauty,Nature’sdailyfaceputonFromtransitorypassion,untothisIwasassensitiveaswatersare

140Tothesky’sinfluenceinakindredmoodOfpassion;wasobedientasaluteThatwaitsuponthetouchesofthewind.Unknown,unthoughtof,yetIwasmostrich–Ihadaworldaboutme–’twasmyown;Imadeit,foritonlylivedtome,AndtotheGodwhoseesintotheheart.Suchsympathies,thoughrarely,werebetrayedByoutwardgesturesandbyvisiblelooks:Somecalleditmadness–soindeeditwas,

150Ifchild-likefruitfulnessinpassingjoy,IfsteadymoodsofthoughtfulnessmaturedToinspiration,sortwithsuchaname;Ifprophecybemadness;ifthingsviewedBypoetsinoldtime,andhigherupBythefirstmen,earth’sfirstinhabitants,MayinthesetutoreddaysnomorebeseenWithundisorderedsight.Butleavingthis,Itwasnomadness,forthebodilyeyeAmidmystrongestworkingsevermore

160WassearchingoutthelinesofdifferenceAstheyliehidinallexternalforms,Nearorremote,minuteorvast,aneyeWhichfromatree,astone,awitheredleaf,TothebroadoceanandtheazureheavensSpangledwithkindredmultitudesofstars,Couldfindnosurfacewhereitspowermightsleep,

Whichspakeperpetuallogictomysoul,AndbyanunrelentingagencyDidbindmyfeelingsevenasinachain.

Andhere,ofriend,haveIretracedmylifeUptoaneminence,andtoldatale

170OfmatterswhichnotfalselyImaycallThegloryofmyyouth.Ofgenius,power,CreationanddivinityitselfIhavebeenspeaking,formythemehasbeenWhatpassedwithinme!NotofoutwardthingsDonevisiblyforotherminds–words,signs,Symbolsoractions–butofmyownheartHaveIbeenspeaking,andmyyouthfulmind.Oheavens,howawfulisthemightofsouls,Andwhattheydowithinthemselveswhileyet

180Theyokeofearthisnewtothem,theworldNothingbutawildfieldwheretheyweresown!ThisisintruthheroicargumentAndgenuineprowess,whichIwishedtotouchWithhandhoweverweak,butinthemainItliesfarhiddenfromthereachofwords.PointshaveweallofuswithinoursoulsWhereallstandsingle;thisIfeel,andmakeBreathingsforincommunicablepowers.Yeteachmanisamemorytohimself,

190Andtherefore,nowthatImustquitthistheme,Iamnotheartless,forthere’snotamanThatliveswhohathnothadhisgodlikehours,AndknowsnotwhatmajesticswaywehaveAsnaturalbeingsinthestrengthofnature.

Enough,fornowintoapopulousplainWemustdescend.AtravellerIam,Andallmytaleisofmyself–evenso–Sobeit,ifthepureinheartdelight

Tofollowme,andthou,ohonouredfriend,Spangledwithkindredmultitudesofstars,Couldfindnosurfacewhereitspowermightsleep;Whichspakeperpetuallogictomysoul,AndbyanunrelentingagencyDidbindmyfeelingsevenasinachain.

170

Andhere,OFriend!haveIretracedmylifeUptoaneminence,andtoldataleOfmatterswhichnotfalselymaybecalledThegloryofmyyouth.Ofgenius,power,CreationanddivinityitselfIhavebeenspeaking,formythemehasbeenWhatpassedwithinme.NotofoutwardthingsDonevisiblyforotherminds,words,signs,Symbolsoractions,butofmyownheartHaveIbeenspeaking,andmyyouthfulmind.

180OHeavens!howawfulisthemightofsouls,AndwhattheydowithinthemselveswhileyetTheyokeofearthisnewtothem,theworldNothingbutawildfieldwheretheyweresown.Thisis,intruth,heroicargument,Thisgenuineprowess,whichIwishedtotouchWithhandhoweverweak,butinthemainItliesfarhiddenfromthereachofwords.PointshaveweallofuswithinoursoulsWhereallstandsingle;thisIfeel,andmake

190Breathingsforincommunicablepowers;Butisnoteachamemorytohimself,And,therefore,nowthatwemustquitthistheme,Iamnotheartless,forthere’snotamanThatliveswhohathnotknownhisgod-likehours,AndfeelsnotwhatanempireweinheritAsnaturalbeingsinthestrengthofNature.

Nomore:fornowintoapopulousplainWemustdescend.ATravellerIam,Whosetaleisonlyofhimself;evenso,

200Sobeit,ifthepureofheartbepromptTofollow,andifthou,myhonouredFriend!

200Whoinmythoughtsarteveratmyside,Upholdasheretoforemyfaintingsteps.

IthasbeentoldalreadyhowmysightWasdazzledbythenovelshow,andhowErelongIdidintomyselfreturn.Sodiditseem,andsointruthitwas–Yetthiswasbutshortlived.ThereaftercameObservancelessdevout:IhadmadeachangeInclimate,andmynature’soutwardcoatChangedalso,slowlyandinsensibly.

210TothedeepquietandmajesticthoughtsOflonelinesssucceededemptynoiseAndsuperficialpastimes,nowandthenForcedlabour,andmorefrequentlyforcedhopes,And(worsethanall)atreasonablegrowthOfindecisivejudgementsthatimpairedAndshookthemind’ssimplicity.AndyetThiswasagladsometime.CouldIbehold–Who,lessinsensiblethansoddenclayOnasea-river’sbedatebboftide,

220Couldhavebeheld–withundelightedheartSomanyhappyyouths(sowideandfairAcongregationinitsbudding-timeOfhealth,andhope,andbeauty),allatonceSomanydiverssamplesofthegrowthOflife’ssweetseason–couldhaveseenunmovedThatmiscellaneousgarlandofwildflowersUponthematrontemplesofaplaceSofamousthroughtheworld?Tomeatleast

Itwasagoodlyprospect;for,throughyouth,230ThoughIhadbeentraineduptostandunpropped,

AndindependentmusingspleasedmesoThatspellsseemedonmewhenIwasalone,YetcouldIonlycleavetosolitudeInlonesomeplaces.Ifathrongwasnear,ThatwayIleanedbynature,formyheartWassocialandlovedidlenessandjoy.Whointhesethoughtsarteveratmyside,Support,asheretofore,myfaintingsteps.

Ithathbeentold,thatwhenthefirstdelightThatflasheduponmefromthisnovelshowHadfailed,themindreturnedintoherself;Yettrueitis,thatIhadmadeachangeInclimate,andmynature’soutwardcoatChangedalsoslowlyandinsensibly.

210FulloftthequietandexaltedthoughtsOflonelinessgavewaytoemptynoiseAndsuperficialpastimes;nowandthenForcedlabour,andmorefrequentlyforcedhopes;And,worstofall,atreasonablegrowthOfindecisivejudgments,thatimpairedAndshookthemind’ssimplicity.–AndyetThiswasagladsometime.CouldIbehold–Who,lessinsensiblethansoddenclayInasea-river’sbedatebboftide,

220Couldhavebeheld,–withundelightedheart,Somanyhappyyouths,sowideandfairAcongregationinitsbudding-timeOfhealth,andhope,andbeauty,allatonceSomanydiverssamplesfromthegrowthOflife’ssweetseason–couldhaveseenunmovedThatmiscellaneousgarlandofwildflowersDeckingthematrontemplesofaplaceSofamousthroughtheworld?Tome,atleast,

Itwasagoodlyprospect:for,insooth,230ThoughIhadlearntbetimestostandunpropped,

AndindependentmusingspleasedmesoThatspellsseemedonmewhenIwasalone,YetcouldIonlycleavetosolitudeInlonelyplaces;ifathrongwasnearThatwayIleanedbynature;formyheartWassocial,andlovedidlenessandjoy.

NotseekingthosewhomightparticipateMydeeperpleasures(nay,Ihadnotonce,Thoughnotunusedtomutterlonesomesongs,

240Evenwithmyselfdividedsuchdelight,OrlookedthatwayforaughtthatmightbeclothedInhumanlanguage),easilyIpassedFromtheremembrancesofbetterthings,Andslippedintotheweekdayworksofyouth,Unburdened,unalarmed,andunprofaned.CavernstherewerewithinmymindwhichsunCouldneverpenetrate,yetdidtherenotWantstoreofleafyarbourswherethelightMightenterinatwill.Companionships,

250Friendships,acquaintances,werewelcomeall;Wesauntered,played,werioted,wetalkedUnprofitabletalkatmorninghours,Driftedaboutalongthestreetsandwalks,Readlazilyinlazybooks,wentforthTogallopthroughthecountryinblindzealOfsenselesshorsemanship,oronthebreastOfCamsailedboisterously,andletthestarsComeout,perhaps,withoutonequietthought.

Suchwasthetenoroftheopeningact260Inthisnewlife.Imaginationslept,

Andyetnotutterly.IcouldnotprintGroundwherethegrasshadyieldedtothesteps

Ofgenerationsofillustriousmen,Unmoved.IcouldnotalwayslightlypassThroughthesamegateways,sleepwheretheyhadslept,Wakewheretheywaked,rangethatenclosureold,Thatgardenofgreatintellects,undisturbed.PlacealsobythesideofthisdarksenseOfnoblerfeeling,thatthosespiritualmen,

270EventhegreatNewton’sownetherealself,Seemedhumbledintheseprecincts,thencetobeThemorebelovèd–investedherewithtasksOflife’splainbusiness,asadailygarb

NotseekingthosewhomightparticipateMydeeperpleasures(nay,Ihadnotonce,Thoughnotunusedtomutterlonesomesongs,

240Evenwithmyselfdividedsuchdelight,OrlookedthatwayforaughtthatmightbeclothedInhumanlanguage),easilyIpassedFromtheremembrancesofbetterthings,AndslippedintotheordinaryworksOfcarelessyouth,unburthened,unalarmed.CavernstherewerewithinmymindwhichsunCouldneverpenetrate,yetdidtherenotWantstoreofleafyarbourswherethelightMightenterinatwill.Companionships,

250Friendships,acquaintances,werewelcomeall.Wesauntered,played,orrioted;wetalkedUnprofitabletalkatmorninghours;Driftedaboutalongthestreetsandwalks,Readlazilyintrivialbooks,wentforthTogallopthroughthecountryinblindzealOfsenselesshorsemanship,oronthebreastOfCamsailedboisterously,andletthestarsComeforth,perhapswithoutonequietthought.

Suchwasthetenorofthesecondact

260Inthisnewlife.Imaginationslept,Andyetnotutterly.IcouldnotprintGroundwherethegrasshadyieldedtothestepsOfgenerationsofillustriousmen,Unmoved.IcouldnotalwayslightlypassThroughthesamegateways,sleepwheretheyhadslept,Wakewheretheywaked,rangethatinclosureold,Thatgardenofgreatintellects,undisturbed.PlacealsobythesideofthisdarksenseOfnoblefeeling,thatthosespiritualmen,

270EventhegreatNewton’sownetherealself,SeemedhumbledintheseprecinctsthencetobeThemoreendeared.Theirseveralmemorieshere(EvenliketheirpersonsintheirportraitsclothedWiththeaccustomedgarbofdailylife)(Dictatorsattheplough),achangethatleftAllgenuineadmirationunimpaired.

BesidethepleasantmillsofTrumpingtonIlaughedwithChaucer;inthehawthorn-shadeHeardhim,whilebirdswerewarbling,tellhistalesOfamorouspassion.Andthatgentlebard,

280Chosenbythemusesfortheirpageofstate–SweetSpenser,movingthroughhiscloudedheavenWiththemoon’sbeautyandthemoon’ssoftpace—Icalledhimbrother,Englishman,andfriend!Yea,ourblindpoet,whoinhislaterdayStoodalmostsingle,utteringodioustruth(Darknessbefore,anddanger’svoicebehind),Soulawful,iftheearthhaseverlodgedAnawfulsoul,IseemedtoseehimhereFamiliarly,andinhisscholar’sdress

290Boundingbeforeme,yetastriplingyouth–Aboy,nobetter,withhisrosycheeksAngelical,keeneye,courageouslook,Andconsciousstepofpurityandpride.

Amongthebandofmycompeerswasone,Myclass-fellowatschool,whosechanceitwasTolodgeintheapartmentswhichhadbeen,Timeoutofmind,honouredbyMilton’sname–TheveryshellreputedoftheabodeWhichhehadtenanted.Otemperatebard!

300Oneafternoon,thefirsttimeIsetfootInthisthyinnocentnestandoratory,SeatedwithothersinafestiveringOfcommonplaceconvention,ItotheePouredoutlibations,tothymemorydrankWithinmyprivatethoughts,tillmybrainreeled,NeversocloudedbythefumesofwineBeforethathour,orsince.ThenceforthIranFromthatassembly,throughalengthofstreetsRanostrich-like,toreachourchapel-doorPutonalowlyandatouchinggraceOfmoredistincthumanity,thatleftAllgenuineadmirationunimpaired.

BesidethepleasantMillofTrompingtonIlaughedwithChaucerinthehawthornshade;

280Heardhim,whilebirdswerewarbling,tellhistalesOfamorouspassion.AndthatgentleBard,ChosenbytheMusesfortheirPageofState–SweetSpenser,movingthroughhiscloudedheavenWiththemoon’sbeautyandthemoon’ssoftpace,IcalledhimBrother,Englishman,andFriend!Yea,ourblindPoet,who,inhislaterday,Stoodalmostsingle;utteringodioustruth–Darknessbefore,anddanger’svoicebehind,Soulawful–iftheearthhaseverlodged

290Anawfulsoul–IseemedtoseehimhereFamiliarly,andinhisscholar’sdressBoundingbeforeme,yetastriplingyouth–Aboy,nobetter,withhisrosycheeks

Angelical,keeneye,courageouslook,Andconsciousstepofpurityandpride.AmongthebandofmycompeerswasoneWhomchancehadstationedintheveryroomHonouredbyMilton’sname.OtemperateBard!Beitconfestthat,forthefirsttime,seated

300Withinthyinnocentlodgeandoratory,Oneofafestivecircle,IpouredoutLibations,tothymemorydrank,tillprideAndgratitudegrewdizzyinabrainNeverexcitedbythefumesofwineBeforethathour,orsince.Then,forthIranFromtheassembly;throughalengthofstreets,Ran,ostrich-like,toreachourchapeldoor

310Innotadesperateoropprobrioustime,AlbeitlongaftertheimportunatebellHadstopped,withwearisomeCassandra-voiceNolongerhauntingthedarkwinternight.(Callback,ofriend,amomenttothymind,Theplaceitselfandfashionoftherites.)UpshoulderinginadislocatedlumpWithshallowostentatiouscarelessnessMysurplice,gloriedinandyetdespised,Icloveinpridethroughtheinferiorthrong

320Oftheplainburghers,whoinaudiencestoodOnthelastskirtsoftheirpermittedground,Beneaththepealingorgan.Emptythoughts!–Iamashamedofthem;andthatgreatbard,Andthou,ofriend,whointhyamplemindHasstationedmeforreverenceandlove,Yewillforgivetheweaknessofthathour,InsomeofitsunworthyvanitiesBrotherofmanymore.

InthismixedsortThemonthspassedon,remissly,notgivenup

330Towilfulalienationfromtheright,Orwalksofopenscandal,butinvagueAndlooseindifference,easylikings,aimsOfalowpitch–dutyandzealdismissed,Yetnature,orahappycourseofthings,Notdoingintheirsteadtheneedfulwork.Thememorylanguidlyrevolved,theheartReposedinnoontiderest,theinnerpulseOfcontemplationalmostfailedtobeat.Rottedasbyacharm,mylifebecame

340Afloatingisland,anamphibiousthing,Unsound,ofspongytexture,yetwithalNotwantingafairfaceofwaterweedsAndpleasantflowers.Thethirstoflivingpraise,Areverenceforthegloriousdead,thesightOfthoselongvistas,catacombsinwhichPerennialmindslievisiblyentombed,Innotadesperateoropprobrioustime,Albeitlongaftertheimportunatebell

310Hadstopped,withwearisomeCassandravoiceNolongerhauntingthedarkwinternight.Callback,OFriend!amomenttothymindTheplaceitselfandfashionoftherites.WithcarelessostentationshoulderingupMysurplice,throughtheinferiorthrongIcloveOftheplainBurghers,whoinaudiencestoodOnthelastskirtsoftheirpermittedground,Underthepealingorgan.Emptythoughts!Iamashamedofthem:andthatgreatBard,

320Andthou,OFriend!whointhyamplemindHastplacedmehighabovemybestdeserts,Yewillforgivetheweaknessofthathour,Insomeofitsunworthyvanities,Brothertomanymore.

Inthismixedsort

Themonthspassedon,remissly,notgivenupTowilfulalienationfromtheright,Orwalksofopenscandal,butinvagueAndlooseindifference,easylikings,aimsOfalowpitch–dutyandzealdismissed,

330YetNature,orahappycourseofthingsNotdoingintheirsteadtheneedfulwork.Thememorylanguidlyrevolved,theheartReposedinnoontiderest,theinnerpulseOfcontemplationalmostfailedtobeat.SuchlifemightnotinaptlybecomparedToafloatingisland,anamphibiousspotUnsound,ofspongytexture,yetwithalNotwantingafairfaceofwaterweedsAndpleasantflowers.Thethirstoflivingpraise,

340FitreverenceforthegloriousDead,thesightOfthoselongvistas,sacredcatacombs,Wheremightymindslievisiblyentombed,Haveoftenstirredtheheartofyouth,andbredAferventloveofrigorousdiscipline.Alas,suchhighcommotiontouchednotme!

350NolookwasinthesewallstoputtoshameMyeasyspiritsanddiscountenanceTheirlightcomposure,farlesstoinstilAcalmresolveofmind,firmlyaddressedTopuissantefforts.NorwasthistheblameOfothersbutmyown;IshouldintruthAsfarasdothconcernmysingleself,Misdeemmostwidely,lodgingitelsewhere.ForI,bredupinnature’slap,wasevenAsaspoiledchild,and(ramblinglikethewind

360AsIhaddoneindailyintercourseWiththosedeliciousrivers,solemnheightsAndmountains,ranginglikeafowloftheair)Iwasill-tutoredforcaptivity–

Toquitmypleasure,andfrommonthtomonthTakeupastationcalmlyontheperchOfsedentarypeace.ThoselovelyformsHadalsoleftlessspacewithinmymind,Which,wroughtuponinstinctively,hadfoundAfreshnessinthoseobjectsofitslove,

370Awinningpowerbeyondallotherpower.NotthatIslightedbooks–thatweretolackAllsense–butotherpassionshadbeenmine,Morefervent,makingmelesspromptperhapsToindoorstudythanwaswiseorwell,Orsuitedtomyyears.

YetIcouldshapeTheimageofaplacewhich–soothedandlulledAsIhadbeen,trainedupinparadiseAmongsweetgarlandsanddelightfulsounds,Accustomedinmylonelinesstowalk

380Withnaturemagisterially–yetIMethinkscouldshapetheimageofaplaceWhichwithitsaspectshouldhavebentmedownToinstantaneousservice,shouldatonceHaveoftenstirredtheheartofyouth,andbredAferventloveofrigorousdiscipline.–Alas!suchhighemotiontouchednotme.LookwastherenonewithinthesewallstoshameMyeasyspirits,anddiscountenanceTheirlightcomposure,farlesstoinstilAcalmresolveofmind,firmlyaddressed

350Topuissantefforts.NorwasthistheblameOfothersbutmyown;Ishould,intruth,Asfarasdothconcernmysingleself,Misdeemmostwidely,lodgingitelsewhere:ForI,bredup’midNature’sluxuries,Wasaspoiledchild,andramblinglikethewind,AsIhaddoneindailyintercourse

Withthosecrystallinerivers,solemnheights,Andmountains,ranginglikeafowloftheair,Iwasill-tutoredforcaptivity;

360Toquitmypleasure,and,frommonthtomonth,TakeupastationcalmlyontheperchOfsedentarypeace.ThoselovelyformsHadalsoleftlessspacewithinmymind,Which,wroughtuponinstinctively,hadfoundAfreshnessinthoseobjectsofherlove,Awinningpower,beyondallotherpower.NotthatIslightedbooks,–thatweretolackAllsense,–butotherpassionsinmeruled,Passionsmorefervent,makingmelessprompt

370Toin-doorstudythanwaswiseorwell,Orsuitedtothoseyears.YetI,thoughusedInmagisteriallibertytorove,CullingsuchflowersoflearningasmighttemptArandomchoice,couldshadowforthaplace(IfnowIyieldnottoaflatteringdream)WhosestudiousaspectshouldhavebentmedownToinstantaneousservice;shouldatonceHavemademepaytoscienceandtoartsAndwrittenlore–acknowledgedmyliegelord–Ahomagefranklyofferedup,likethatWhichIhadpaidtonature.ToilandpainsInthisrecesswhichIhavebodiedforthShouldspreadfromhearttoheart,andstatelygroves,

390Majesticedifices,shouldnotwantAcorrespondingdignitywithin.ThecongregatingtemperwhichpervadesOurunripeyears,notwasted,shouldbemadeToministertoworksofhighattempt,Whichtheenthusiastwouldperformwithlove.Youthshouldbeawed,possessed,aswithasenseReligious,ofwhatholyjoythereisInknowledge,ifitbesincerelysought

Foritsownsake–inglory,andinpraise,400Ifbutbylabourwon,andtoendure.

ThepassingdayshouldlearntoputasideHertrappingshere,shouldstripthemoffabashedBeforeantiquityandsteadfasttruthAndstrongbook-mindedness;andoverallShouldbeahealthysoundsimplicity,Aseemlyplainness–nameitasyouwill,Republican,orpious.

IfthesethoughtsBeagratuitousemblazonryThatdoesbutmockthisrecreantage,atleast

410Letfollyandfalse-seeming(wemightsay)BefreetoaffectwhateverformalgaitOfmoralorscholasticdisciplineShallraisethemhighestintheirownesteem–Letthemparadeamongtheschoolsatwill,ButsparethehouseofGod.WaseverknownThewitlessshepherdwhowoulddrivehisflockWithseriousrepetitiontoapoolOfwhich’tisplaintosighttheynevertaste?Aweightmustsurelyhangondaysbegun

420Andendedwithworstmockery.Bewise,HavemademepaytoscienceandtoartsAndwrittenlore,acknowledgedmyliegelord,

380Ahomagefranklyofferedup,likethatWhichIhadpaidtoNature.ToilandpainsInthisrecess,bythoughtfulFancybuilt,Shouldspreadfromhearttoheart;andstatelygroves,Majesticedifices,shouldnotwantAcorrespondingdignitywithin.ThecongregatingtemperthatpervadesOurunripeyears,notwasted,shouldbetaughtToministertoworksofhighattempt–

Workswhichtheenthusiastwouldperformwithlove.390Youthshouldbeawed,religiouslypossessed

WithaconvictionofthepowerthatwaitsOnknowledge,whensincerelysoughtandprizedForitsownsake,ongloryandonpraiseIfbutbylabourwon,andfittoendureThepassingday;shouldlearntoputasideHertrappingshere,shouldstripthemoffabashedBeforeantiquityandstedfasttruthAndstrongbook-mindedness;andoverallAhealthysoundsimplicityshouldreign,

400Aseemlyplainness,nameitwhatyouwill,Republicanorpious.

IfthesethoughtsAreagratuitousemblazonryThatmockstherecreantagewelivein,thenBeFollyandFalse-seemingfreetoaffectWhateverformalgaitofdisciplineShallraisethemhighestintheirownesteem–LetthemparadeamongtheSchoolsatwill,ButsparetheHouseofGod.WaseverknownThewitlessshepherdwhopersiststodrive

410Aflockthatthirstsnottoapooldisliked?AweightmustsurelyhangondaysbegunAndendedwithsuchmockery.Bewise,Yepresidentsanddeans,andtoyourbellsGiveseasonablerest,for’tisasoundHollowasevervexedthetranquilair,AndyourofficiousdoingsbringdisgraceOntheplainsteeplesofourEnglishChurchWhoseworshipmidremotestvillagetreesSuffersforthis.Evensciencetoo,athandIndailysightofsuchirreverence,Issmittenthencewithanunnaturaltaint,

430Losesherjustauthority,fallsbeneathCollateralsuspicion,elseunknown.Thisobvioustruthdidnotescapemethen,UnthinkingasIwas,andIconfessThat,havinginmynativehillsgivenlooseToaschoolboy’sdreaming,IhadraisedapileUponthebasisofthecomingtime,Whichnowbeforememeltedfastaway–Whichcouldnotlive,scarcelyhadlifeenoughTomockthebuilder

Oh,whatjoyitwere440Toseeasanctuaryforourcountry’syouth

WithsuchaspiritinitasmightbeProtectionforitself,avirgingrovePrimevalinitspurityanddepth,Where,thoughtheshadeswerefilledwithcheerfulness,NorindigentofsongswarbledfromcrowdsInunder-coverts,yetthecountenanceOfthewholeplaceshouldwearastampofawe–AhabitationsoberanddemureForruminatingcreatures,adomain

450Forquietthingstowanderin,ahauntInwhichtheheronmightdelighttofeedBytheshyrivers,andthepelicanUponthecypress-spireinlonelythoughtMightsitandsunhimself.Alas,alas,Invainforsuchsolemnitywelook!Oureyesarecrossedbybutterflies,ourearsHearchatteringpopinjays–theinnerheartYePresidentsandDeans,and,tillthespiritOfancienttimesrevive,andyouthbetrainedAthomeinpiousservice,toyourbellsGiveseasonablerest,for’tisasoundHollowasevervexedthetranquilair;Andyourofficiousdoingsbringdisgrace

OntheplainsteeplesofourEnglishChurch,420Whoseworship,’midremotestvillagetrees,

Suffersforthis.EvenScience,too,athandIndailysightofthisirreverence,Issmittenthencewithanunnaturaltaint,Losesherjustauthority,fallsbeneathCollateralsuspicion,elseunknown.Thistruthescapedmenot,andIconfess,Thathaving’midmynativehillsgivenlooseToaschoolboy’svision,IhadraisedapileUponthebasisofthecomingtime,

430Thatfellinruinsroundme.Oh,whatjoyToseeasanctuaryforourcountry’syouthInformedwithsuchaspiritasmightbeItsownprotection;aprimevalgrove,Where,thoughtheshadeswithcheerfulnesswerefilled,NorindigentofsongswarbledfromcrowdsInunder-coverts,yetthecountenanceOfthewholeplaceshouldbearastampofawe;AhabitationsoberanddemureForruminatingcreatures;adomain

440Forquietthingstowanderin;ahauntInwhichtheheronshoulddelighttofeedBytheshyrivers,andthepelicanUponthecypressspireinlonelythoughtMightsitandsunhimself.–Alas!Alas!InvainforsuchsolemnityIlooked;Mineeyeswerecrossedbybutterflies,earsvexedBychatteringpopinjays;theinnerheartIstrivial,andtheimpresseswithoutAreofagaudyregion.

Differentsight460Thosevenerabledoctorssawofold,

Whenallwhodweltwithinthesefamouswalls

Ledinabstemiousnessastudiouslife,When,inforlornandnakedchamberscoopedAndcrowded,o’ertheirponderousbookstheysatLikecaterpillarseatingouttheirwayInsilence,orwithkeendevouringnoiseNottobetrackedorfathered.PrincesthenAtmatinsfroze,andcouchedatcurfew-time,Trainedupthroughpietyandzealtoprize

470Sparediet,patientlabour,andplainweeds.Oseatofarts,renownedthroughouttheworld,FardifferentserviceinthosehomelydaysThenurslingsofthemusesunderwentFromtheirfirstchildhood–inthatglorioustimeWhenlearning,likeastrangercomefromfar,SoundingthroughChristianlandshertrumpet,rousedThepeasantandtheking;whenboysandyouths,Thegrowthofraggedvillagesandhuts,Forsooktheirhomes,and(errantinthequest

480Ofpatron,famousschoolorfriendlynookWhere,pensioned,theyinsheltermightsitdown)FromtowntotownandthroughwidescatteredrealmsJourneyedwiththeirhugefoliosintheirhands,Andoften,startingfromsomecovertplace,SalutedthechancecomerontheroadCrying,‘Anobolus,apennygiveToapoorscholar’;whenillustriousmen,Loversoftruthbypenuryconstrained—Bucer,Erasmus,orMelanchthon–read

490BeforethedoorsandwindowsoftheircellsBymoonshine,throughmerelackoftaper-light.

Butpeacetovainregrets!WeseebutdarklyEvenwhenwelookbehindus,andbestthingsSeemedtrivial,andtheimpresseswithoutOfatoogaudyregion.

Differentsight450ThosevenerableDoctorssawofold,

WhenallwhodweltwithinthesefamouswallsLedinabstemiousnessastudiouslife;When,inforlornandnakedchamberscoopedAndcrowded,o’ertheponderousbookstheyhungLikecaterpillarseatingouttheirwayInsilence,orwithkeendevouringnoiseNottobetrackedorfathered.PrincesthenAtmatinsfroze,andcouchedatcurfew-time,Trainedupthroughpietyandzealtoprize

460Sparediet,patientlabour,andplainweeds.OseatofArts!renownedthroughouttheworld!FardifferentserviceinthosehomelydaysTheMuses’modestnurslingsunderwentFromtheirfirstchildhood:inthatglorioustimeWhenLearning,likeastrangercomefromfar,SoundingthroughChristianlandshertrumpet,rousedPeasantandking;whenboysandyouths,thegrowthOfraggedvillagesandcrazyhuts,Forsooktheirhomes,and,errantinthequest

470OfPatron,famousschoolorfriendlynook,Where,pensioned,theyinsheltermightsitdown.FromtowntotownandthroughwidescatteredrealmsJourneyedwithponderousfoliosintheirhands;Andoften,startingfromsomecovertplace,Salutedthechancecomerontheroad,Crying,‘Anobolus,apennygiveToapoorscholar!’–whenillustriousmen,Loversoftruth,bypenuryconstrained,Bucer,Erasmus,orMelancthon,read

480BeforethedoorsorwindowsoftheircellsBymoonshinethroughmerelackoftaperlight.

Butpeacetovainregrets!Weseebutdarkly

Evenwhenwelookbehindus,andbestthingsArenotsopurebynaturethattheyneedsMustkeeptoall(asfondlyallbelieve)Theirhighestpromise.Ifthemariner,WhenatreluctantdistancehehaspassedSomefairenticingisland,didbutknowWhatfatemighthavebeenhis,couldhehavebrought

500Hisbarktolanduponthewished-forspot,GoodcausefulloftenwouldhehavetoblessThebeltofchurlishsurfthatscaredhimthence,Orhasteoftheinexorablewind.Forme,Igrievenot;happyisthemanWhoonlymisseswhatImissed,whofallsNolowerthanIfell.

Ididnotlove(Ashathbeennoticedheretofore)theguiseOfourscholasticstudies,couldhavewishedTherivertohavehadanamplerrange

510Andfreerpace.ButthisItaxnot;far,FarmoreIgrievedtoseeamongthebandOfthosewhointhefieldofconteststoodAscombatants,passionsthatdidtomeSeemlowandmean–fromignoranceofmine,Inpart,andwantofjustforbearance,yetMywisermindgrievesnowforwhatIsaw.WillinglydidIpartfromthese,andturnOutoftheirtracktotravelwiththeshoalOfmoreunthinkingnatures:easyminds

520Andpillowy,andnotwantinglovethatmakesThedaypasslightlyonwhenforesightsleeps,AndwisdomandthepledgesinterchangedWithourowninnerbeingareforgot.

Tobooks,ourdailyfareprescribed,IturnedWithsicklyappetite,andwhenIwent

AtothertimesinquestofmyownfoodIchasednotsteadilythemanlydeer,ButlaidmedowntoanycasualfeastOfwildwood-honey,or,withtruanteyesArenotsopurebynaturethattheyneedsMustkeeptoall,asfondlyallbelieve,Theirhighestpromise.Ifthemariner,WhenatreluctantdistancehehathpassedSometemptingisland,couldbutknowtheillsThatmusthavefallenuponhimhadhebrought

490Hisbarktolanduponthewished-forshore,GoodcausewouldoftbehistothankthesurfWhosewhitebeltscaredhimthence,orwindthatblewInexorablyadverse:formyselfIgrievenot;happyisthegownedyouth,WhoonlymisseswhatImissed,whofallsNolowerthanIfell.

Ididnotlove,Judgingnotillperhaps,thetimidcourseOfourscholasticstudies;couldhavewishedToseetheriverflowwithamplerrange

500Andfreerpace;butmore,farmore,IgrievedToseedisplayedamonganeagerfew,Whointhefieldofcontestpersevered,Passionsunworthyofyouth’sgenerousheartAndmountingspirit,pitiablyrepaid,Whensodisturbed,whateverpalmsarewon.FromtheseIturnedtotravelwiththeshoalOfmoreunthinkingnatures,easymindsAndpillowy;yetnotwantinglovethatmakesThedaypasslightlyon,whenforesightsleeps,

510AndwisdomandthepledgesinterchangedWithourowninnerbeingareforgot.

530Unruly,peepedaboutforvagrantfruit.

Andasforwhatpertainstohumanlife,Thedeeperpassionsworkingroundmehere(Whetherofenvy,jealousy,pride,shame,Ambition,emulation,fear,orhope,Orthoseofdissolutepleasure)werebymeUnshared,andonlynowandthenobserved–Solittlewastheirholduponmybeing,AsoutwardthingsthatmightadministerToknowledgeorinstruction.Hushed,meanwhile,

540Wastheunder-soul,lockedupinsuchacalmThatnotaleafofthegreatnaturestirred.

YetwasthisdeepvacationnotgivenupToutterwaste.HithertoIhadstoodInmyownmindremotefromhumanlife—Atleastfromwhatwecommonlysoname–EvenasashepherdonapromontoryWholackingoccupationlooksfarforthIntotheendlesssea,andrathermakesThanfindswhathebeholds.Andsureitis

550ThatthisfirsttransitfromthesmoothdelightsAndwildoutlandishwalksofsimpleyouthTosomethingthatresembledanapproachTowardsmortalbusiness(toaprivilegedworldWithinaworld,amidwayresidenceWithallitsintervenientimagery)Didbettersuitmyvisionarymind,Farbetter,thantohavebeenboltedforth,Thrustoutabruptlyintofortune’swayAmongtheconflictsofsubstantiallife–

560ByamorejustgradationdidleadonTohigherthings,morenaturallymaturedForpermanentpossession,betterfruits,Whetheroftruthorvirtue,toensue.

Inplayfulzestoffancydidwenote

(Howcouldweless?)themannersandthewaysOfthosewhointheliverywerearrayedYetwasthisdeepvacationnotgivenupToutterwaste.HithertoIhadstoodInmyownmindremotefromsociallife,(Atleastfromwhatwecommonlysoname,)LikealoneshepherdonapromontoryWholackingoccupationlooksfarforthIntotheboundlesssea,andrathermakesThanfindswhathebeholds.Andsureitis,

520ThatthisfirsttransitfromthesmoothdelightsAndwildoutlandishwalksofsimpleyouthTosomethingthatresemblesanapproachTowardshumanbusiness,toaprivilegedworldWithinaworld,amidwayresidenceWithallitsintervenientimagery,Didbettersuitmyvisionarymind,Farbetter,thantohavebeenboltedforth,ThrustoutabruptlyintoFortune’swayAmongtheconflictsofsubstantiallife;

530ByamorejustgradationdidleadonTohigherthings;morenaturallymatured,Forpermanentpossession,betterfruits,Whetheroftruthorvirtue,toensue.Inseriousmood,butoftener,Iconfess,Withplayfulzestoffancydidwenote(Howcouldweless?)themannersandthewaysOfthosewholiveddistinguishedbythebadgeOfgoodorevilfame–ofthosewithwhomByframeofacademicdisciplinePerforcewewereconnected,menwhosesway

570AndwhoseauthorityofofficeservedTosetourmindsonedge,anddidnomore.Norwantedwerichpastimeofthiskind,Foundeverywherebutchieflyinthering

Ofthegraveelders,menunscoured,grotesqueIncharacter,trickedoutlikeagedtreesWhichthroughthelapseoftheirinfirmityGivereadyplacetoanyrandomseedThatchoosestoberearedupontheirtrunks.Hereonmyview,confrontingasitwere

580ThoseshepherdswainswhomIhadlatelyleft,Didflashadifferentimageofoldage(Howdifferent!)yetbothwithalalikeAbookofrudimentsfortheunpractisedsight–Objectsembossed,andwhichwithsedulouscareNatureholdsupbeforetheeyeofyouthInhergreatschool,withfurtherviewperhapsToenterearlyonhertenderschemeOfteachingcomprehensionwithdelightAndminglingplayfulwithpatheticthoughts.

590

ThesurfacesofartificiallifeAndmannersfinelyspun,thedelicateraceOfcolours,lurking,gleamingupanddownThroughthatstatearraswovenwithsilkandgold–Thiswilyinterchangeofsnakyhues,Willinglyandunwillinglyrevealed–Ihadnotlearnedtowatch;andatthistime,Perhaps,hadsuchbeeninmydailysightImighthavebeenindifferenttheretoAshermitsaretotalesofdistantthings.

600HencefortheseraritieselaborateHavingnorelishyet,IwascontentWiththemorehomelyproducerudelypiledOfgoodorillreport;orthosewithwhomByframeofAcademicdiscipline

540Wewereperforceconnected,menwhoseswayAndknownauthorityofofficeservedTosetourmindsonedge,anddidnomore.

Norwantedwerichpastimeofthiskind,Foundeverywhere,butchieflyintheringOfthegraveElders,menunscoured,grotesqueIncharacter,trickedoutlikeagedtreesWhichthroughthelapseoftheirinfirmityGivereadyplacetoanyrandomseedThatchoosestoberearedupontheirtrunks.

550

Hereonmyview,confrontingvividlyThoseshepherdswainswhomIhadlatelyleft,Appearedadifferentaspectofoldage;Howdifferent!yetbothdistinctlymarked,Objectsembossedtocatchthegeneraleye,Orportraituresforspecialusedesigned,Assomemightseem,soaptlydotheyserveToillustrateNature’sbookofrudiments–ThatbookupheldaswithmaternalcareWhenshewouldenteronhertenderscheme

560Ofteachingcomprehensionwithdelight,Andminglingplayfulwithpatheticthoughts.

ThesurfacesofartificiallifeAndmannersfinelywrought,thedelicateraceOfcolours,lurking,gleamingupanddownThroughthatstatearraswovenwithsilkandgold;Thiswilyinterchangeofsnakyhues,Willinglyorunwillinglyrevealed,Ineitherknewnorcaredfor;andassuchWerewantinghere,ItookwhatmightbefoundInthisourcoarserwarehouse.AtthisdayIsmileinmanyamountain-solitudeAtpassagesandfragmentsthatremainOfthatinferiorexhibition,playedBywoodenimages,atheatreForwakeorfair.Andoftentimesdoflit

Remembrancesbeforemeofoldmen,610Oldhumourists,whohavebeenlongintheirgraves,

AndhavingalmostinmymindputoffTheirhumannames,haveintophantomspassedOftexturemidwaybetwixtlifeandbooks.

Iplaytheloiterer,’tisenoughtonoteThathereindwarfproportionswereexpressedThelimbsofthegreatworld–itsgoings-onCollaterallyportrayedasinmockfight,Atournamentofblows,somehardlydealtThoughshortofmortalcombat–andwhate’er

620MightofthispageantbesupposedtohitAsimplerustic’snotice,thiswayless,Morethatway,wasnotwasteduponme.AndyetthisspectaclemaywelldemandAmoresubstantialname:nomimicshow,Itselfalivingpartofalivewhole,Acreekofthevastsea.ForalldegreesAndshapesofspuriousfameandshort-livedpraiseHeresatinstate,and,fedwithdailyalms,Retainerswonawayfromsolidgood.

630Andherewaslabour,hisownbond-slave;hope,Thatneversetthepainsagainsttheprize;Idlenesshaltingwithhiswearyclog,Andpoormisguidedshame,andwitlessfear,Andsimplepleasure,foragingfordeath;Honourmisplaced,anddignityastray;Feuds,factions,flatteries,enmity,andguile;Murmuringsubmission,andbaldgovernment(Theidolweakastheidolator),Anddecencyandcustomstarvingtruth,

570Oflesselaboratefabric.AtthisdayIsmile,inmanyamountainsolitudeConjuringupscenesasobsoleteinfreaks

Ofcharacter,inpointsofwitasbroad,AsaughtbywoodenimagesperformedForentertainmentofthegapingcrowdAtwakeorfair.AndoftentimesdoflitRemembrancesbeforemeofoldmen–Oldhumourists,whohavebeenlongintheirgraves,Andhavingalmostinmymindputoff

580Theirhumannames,haveintophantomspassedOftexturemidwaybetweenlifeandbooks.

Iplaytheloiterer:’tisenoughtonoteThathereindwarfproportionswereexpressedThelimbsofthegreatworld;itseagerstrifesCollaterallypourtrayed,asinmockfight,Atournamentofblows,somehardlydealtThoughshortofmortalcombat;andwhate’erMightinthispageantbesupposedtohitAnartlessrustic’snotice,thiswayless,

590Morethatway,wasnotwasteduponme–AndyetthespectaclemaywelldemandAmoresubstantialname,nomimicshow,Itselfalivingpartofalivewhole,Acreekinthevastsea;for,alldegreesAndshapesofspuriousfameandshort-livedpraiseHeresateinstate,andfedwithdailyalmsRetainerswonawayfromsolidgood;AndherewasLabour,hisownbond-slave;Hope,Thatneversetthepainsagainsttheprize;

600Idlenesshaltingwithhiswearyclog,AndpoormisguidedShame,andwitlessFear,AndsimplePleasureforagingforDeath;Honourmisplaced,andDignityastray;Feuds,factions,flatteries,enmity,andguileMurmuringsubmission,andbaldgovernment,(Theidolweakastheidolater,)AndDecencyandCustomstarvingTruth,

640AndblindauthoritybeatingwithhisstaffThechildthatmighthaveledhim;emptinessFollowedasofgoodomen,andmeekworthLefttoitselfunheardofandunknown.

OftheseandotherkindrednoticesIcannotsaywhatportionisintruthThenakedrecollectionofthattime,AndwhatmayratherhavebeencalledtolifeByafter-meditation.ButdelightThat,inaneasytemperlulledasleep,

650Isstillwithinnocenceitsownreward,Thissurelywasnotwanting.CarelesslyIgazed,rovingasthroughacabinetOrwidemuseum(throngedwithfishes,gems,Birds,crocodiles,shells)wherelittlecanbeseenWellunderstood,ornaturallyendeared,YetstilldoeseverystepbringsomethingforthThatquickens,pleases,stings–andhereandthereAcasualrarityissingledoutAndhasitsbriefperusal,thengivesway

660Toothers,allsupplantedintheirturn.Meanwhileamidthisgaudycongress,framedOfthingsbynaturemostunneighbourly,Theheadturnsroundandcannotrightitself,AndthoughanachingandabarrensenseOfgayconfusionstillbeuppermost,Withfewwiselongingsandbutlittlelove,YetsomethingtothememorysticksatlastWhenceprofitmaybedrawnintimestocome.

Thusinsubmissiveidleness,myfriend,670Thelabouringtimeofautumn,winter,spring–

Ninemonths–rolledpleasinglyaway;thetenthReturnedmetomynativehillsagain.AndblindAuthoritybeatingwithhisstaff

Thechildthatmighthaveledhim;Emptiness610Followedasofgoodomen,andmeekWorth

Lefttoherselfunheardofandunknown.

OftheseandotherkindrednoticesIcannotsaywhatportionisintruthThenakedrecollectionofthattime,AndwhatmayratherhavebeencalledtolifeByafter-meditation.ButdelightThat,inaneasytemperlulledasleep,IsstillwithInnocenceitsownreward,Thiswasnotwanting.CarelesslyIroamed

620AsthroughawidemuseumfromwhosestoresAcasualrarityissingledoutAndhasitsbriefperusal,thengiveswayToothers,allsupplantedintheirturn;Till’midthiscrowdedneighbourhoodofthingsThatarebynaturemostunneighbourly,Theheadturnsroundandcannotrightitself;AndthoughanachingandabarrensenseOfgayconfusionstillbeuppermost,Withfewwiselongingsandbutlittlelove,

630Yettothememorysomethingcleavesatlast,Whenceprofitmaybedrawnintimestocome.

Thusinsubmissiveidleness,myFriend!Thelabouringtimeofautumn,winter,spring,Eightmonths!rolledpleasinglyaway;theninthCameandreturnedmetomynativehills.

BookFourthSUMMERVACATION

Apleasantsightitwaswhen,havingclombTheHeightsofKendal,andthatdrearymoorWascrossed,atlengthasfromarampart’sedgeIoverlookedthebedofWindermere.Iboundeddownthehill,shoutingamainAlustysummonstothefarthershoreFortheoldferryman,andwhenhecameIdidnotstepintothewell-knownboatWithoutacordialwelcome.Thencerightforth

10Itookmyway,nowdrawingtowardshome,TothatsweetvalleywhereIhadbeenreared;’Twasbutashorthour’swalkere,veeringround,Isawthesnow-whitechurchuponitshillSitlikeathronèdlady,sendingoutAgraciouslookalloveritsdomain.GladgreetingshadI,andsometearsperhaps,Frommyolddame,somotherlyandgood,Whilesheperusedmewithaparent’spride.Thethoughtsofgratitudeshallfalllikedew

BookFourthSUMMERVACATION

Brightwasthesummer’snoonwhenquickeningstepsFollowedeachothertilladrearymoorWascrossed,abareridgeclomb,uponwhosetopStandingalone,asfromarampart’sedge,IoverlookedthebedofWindermere,Likeavastriver,stretchinginthesun.Withexultation,atmyfeetIsawLake,islands,promontories,gleamingbays,AuniverseofNature’sfairestforms

10Proudlyrevealedwithinstantaneousburst,Magnificent,andbeautiful,andgay.IboundeddownthehillshoutingamainFortheoldFerryman;totheshouttherocksReplied,andwhentheCharonofthefloodHadstaidhisoars,andtouchedthejuttingpier,Ididnotstepintothewell-knownboatWithoutacordialgreeting.ThencewithspeedUpthefamiliarhillItookmywayTowardsthatsweetValleywhereIhadbeenreared;

20’Twasbutashorthour’swalk,ereveeringroundIsawthesnow-whitechurchuponherhillSitlikeathronedLady,sendingoutAgraciouslookalloverherdomain.Yonazuresmokebetraysthelurkingtown;WitheagerfootstepsIadvanceandreachThecottagethresholdwheremyjourneyclosed.GladwelcomehadI,withsometears,perhaps,FrommyoldDame,sokindandmotherly,Whilesheperusedmewithaparent’spride.

30Thethoughtsofgratitudeshallfalllikedew

20Uponthygrave,goodcreature!WhilemyheartCanbeatIneverwillforgetthyname.Heaven’sblessingbeupontheewherethouliestAfterthyinnocentandbusystirInnarrowcares,thylittledailygrowthOfcalmenjoyments–aftereightyyears,Andmorethaneighty,ofuntroubledlife–Childless,yetbythestrangerstothybloodHonouredwithlittlelessthanfiliallove.Greatjoywasminetoseetheeonceagain,

30Theeandthydwelling,andathrongofthingsAboutitsnarrowprecincts,allbelovedAndmanyofthemseemingyetmyown!

WhyshouldIspeakofwhatathousandheartsHavefelt,andeverymanalivecanguess?Therooms,thecourt,thegardenwerenotleftLongunsaluted,andthespreadingpineAndbroadstonetableunderneathitsboughs–Oursummerseatinmanyafestivehour–Andthatunrulychildofmountainbirth,

40Thefrowardbrook,which,soonashewasboxedWithinourgarden,foundhimselfatonceAsifbytrickinsidiousandunkind,StrippedofhisvoiceandlefttodimpledownWithoutaneffortandwithoutawillAchannelpavedbythehandofman.Ilookedathimandsmiled,andsmiledagain,Andinthepressoftwentythousandthoughts,‘Ha’,quothI,‘prettyprisoner,areyouthere!’Andnow(reviewingsoberlythathour)

50ImarvelthatafancydidnotflashUponme,andastrongdesire,straightway–AtsightofsuchanemblemthatshowedforthSoaptlymylatecourseofevendaysAndalltheirsmoothenthralment–topendown

Asatireonmyself.MyageddameWaswithme,atmyside;sheguidedme,Iwilling–nay,nay,wishing–tobeled.Uponthygrave,goodcreature!WhilemyheartCanbeatneverwillIforgetthyname.Heaven’sblessingbeupontheewherethouliestAfterthyinnocentandbusystirInnarrowcares,thylittledailygrowthOfcalmenjoyments,aftereightyyears,Andmorethaneighty,ofuntroubledlife,Childless,yetbythestrangerstothybloodHonouredwithlittlelessthanfiliallove.

40Whatjoywasminetoseetheeonceagain,Theeandthydwelling,andacrowdofthingsAboutitsnarrowprecinctsallbeloved,Andmanyofthemseemingyetmyown!WhyshouldIspeakofwhatathousandheartsHavefelt,andeverymanalivecanguess?Therooms,thecourt,thegardenwerenotleftLongunsaluted,northesunnyseatRoundthestonetableunderthedarkpine,Friendlytostudiousortofestivehours;

50Northatunrulychildofmountainbirth,Thefamousbrook,who,soonashewasboxedWithinourgarden,foundhimselfatonce,Asifbytrickinsidiousandunkind,Strippedofhisvoiceandlefttodimpledown(Withoutaneffortandwithoutawill)Achannelpavedbyman’sofficiouscare.Ilookedathimandsmiled,andsmiledagain,Andinthepressoftwentythousandthoughts,’Ha,’quothI,‘prettyprisoner,areyouthere!’

60WellmightsarcasticFancythenhavewhispered,‘Anemblemherebeholdofthyownlife;InitslatecourseofevendayswithallTheirsmoothenthralment;’buttheheartwasfull,

Toofullforthatreproach.MyagedDameWalkedproudlyatmyside:sheguidedme;Iwilling,nay–nay,wishingtobeled.ThefaceofeveryneighbourwhomImetWasasavolumetome;someIhailed

60Faroff,upontheroadorattheirwork,UnceremoniousgreetingsinterchangedWithhalfthelengthofalongfieldbetween.AmongmyschoolfellowsIscatteredroundAsalutationthatwasmoreconstrained,Thoughearnest–doubtlesswithalittlepride,Butwithmoreshame,formyhabiliments,Thetransformationandthegayattire.

DelighteddidItakemyplaceagainAtourdomestictable,and,dearfriend,

70RelatingsimplyasmywishhasbeenApoet’shistory,canIleaveuntoldThejoywithwhichIlaidmedownatnightInmyaccustomedbed,morewelcomenowPerhapsthanifithadbeenmoredesiredOrbeenmoreoftenthoughtofwithregret?–ThatbedwhenceIhadheardtheroaringwindAndclamorousrain–thatbedwhereIsooftHadlainawakeonbreezynightstowatchThemooninsplendourcouchedamongtheleaves

80Ofatallashthatnearourcottagestood,HadwatchedherwithfixedeyeswhiletoandfroInthedarksummitofthemovingtreeSherockedwitheveryimpulseofthewind.

AmongthefaceswhichitpleasedmewellToseeagainwasonebyancientrightOurinmate,aroughterrierofthehills,BybirthandcallofnaturepreordainedTohuntthebadgerandunearththefox

Amongtheimperviouscrags,buthavingbeen90Fromyouthourownadopted,hehadpassed

Intoagentlerservice.AndwhenfirstTheboyishspiritflagged,anddaybydayAlongmyveinsIkindledwiththestir,Thefermentation,andthevernalheat–ThefaceofeveryneighbourwhomImetWaslikeavolumetome;somewerehailedUpontheroad,somebusyattheirwork,

70UnceremoniousgreetingsinterchangedWithhalfthelengthofalongfieldbetween.AmongmyschoolfellowsIscatteredroundLikerecognitions,butwithsomeconstraintAttended,doubtless,withalittlepride,Butwithmoreshame,formyhabiliments,Thetransformationwroughtbygayattire.NotlessdelighteddidItakemyplaceAtourdomestictable:and,dearFriend!Inthisendeavoursimplytorelate

80APoet’shistory,mayIleaveuntoldThethankfulnesswithwhichIlaidmedownInmyaccustomedbed,morewelcomenowPerhapsthanifithadbeenmoredesiredOrbeenmoreoftenthoughtofwithregret;ThatlowlybedwhenceIhadheardthewindRoarandtherainbeathard,whereIsooftHadlainawakeonsummernightstowatchThemooninsplendourcouchedamongtheleavesOfatallash,thatnearourcottagestood;

90HadwatchedherwithfixedeyeswhiletoandfroInthedarksummitofthewavingtreeSherockedwitheveryimpulseofthebreeze.

AmongthefavouriteswhomitpleasedmewellToseeagain,wasonebyancientright

Ourinmate,aroughterrierofthehills;Bybirthandcallofnaturepre-ordainedTohuntthebadgerandunearththefoxAmongtheimperviouscrags,buthavingbeenFromyouthourownadopted,hehadpassed

100Intoagentlerservice.AndwhenfirstTheboyishspiritflagged,anddaybydayAlongmyveinsIkindledwiththestir,Thefermentation,andthevernalheatOfpoesy,affectingprivateshadesLikeasicklover,thenthisdogwasusedTowatchme,anattendantandafriend,Obsequioustomystepsearlyandlate–Thoughoftenofsuchdilatorywalk

100Tired,anduneasyatthehaltsImade.Ahundredtimes,wheninthesewanderingsIhavebeenbusywiththetoilofverse(Greatpainsandlittleprogress)andatonceSomefairenchantingimageinmymindRoseupfull-formedlikeVenusfromthesea,HaveIsprungforthtowardshimandletlooseMyhanduponhisbackwithstormyjoy,Caressinghimagainandyetagain.Andwheninthepublicroadsateventide

110Isauntered,likearivermurmuringAndtalkingtoitself,atsuchaseasonItwashiscustomtojogonbefore;Butduly,whensoeverhehadmetApassengerapproaching,wouldheturnTogivemetimelynotice,andstraightway,Punctualtosuchadmonishment,IhushedMyvoice,composedmygait,andshapedmyselfTogiveandtakeagreetingthatmightsaveMynamefrompiteousrumourssuchaswait

120Onmensuspectedtobecrazedinbrain.

Thosewalkswellworthytobeprizedandloved–Regretted,thatwordtoowasonmytongue,ButtheywererichlyladenwithallgoodAndcannotberememberedbutwiththanksAndgratitudeandperfectjoyofheart–ThosewalksdidnowlikeareturningspringComebackonmeagain.WhenfirstImadeOncemorethecircuitofourlittlelake,Ifeverhappinesshathlodgedwithman

130Thatdayconsummatehappinesswasmine,Wide-spreading,steady,calm,contemplative.Ofpoesy,affectingprivateshadesLikeasickLover,thenthisdogwasusedTowatchme,anattendantandafriend,Obsequioustomystepsearlyandlate,ThoughoftenofsuchdilatorywalkTired,anduneasyatthehaltsImade.

110Ahundredtimeswhen,rovinghighandlow,Ihavebeenharassedwiththetoilofverse,Muchpainsandlittleprogress,andatonceSomelovelyImageinthesongroseupFull-formed,likeVenusrisingfromthesea;ThenhaveIdartedforwardstoletlooseMyhanduponhisbackwithstormyjoy,Caressinghimagainandyetagain.AndwhenateveningonthepublicwayIsauntered,likearivermurmuring

120AndtalkingtoitselfwhenallthingselseArestill,thecreaturetrottedonbefore;Suchwashiscustom;butwhene’erhemetApassengerapproaching,hewouldturnTogivemetimelynotice,andstraightway,Gratefulforthatadmonishment,IhushedMyvoice,composedmygait,and,withtheairAndmienofonewhosethoughtsarefree,advancedTogiveandtakeagreetingthatmightsave

Mynamefrompiteousrumours,suchaswait130Onmensuspectedtobecrazedinbrain.

Thosewalkswellworthytobeprizedandloved–Regretted!–thatword,too,wasonmytongue,Buttheywererichlyladenwithallgood,AndcannotberememberedbutwiththanksAndgratitude,andperfectjoyofheart–ThosewalksinalltheirfreshnessnowcamebackLikeareturningSpring.WhenfirstImadeOncemorethecircuitofourlittlelake,Ifeverhappinesshathlodgedwithman,

140Thatdayconsummatehappinesswasmine,Wide-spreading,steady,calm,contemplative.Thesunwasset,orsetting,whenIleftOurcottage-door,andeveningsoonbroughtonAsoberhour–notwinningorserene,Forcoldandrawtheairwas,anduntuned–ButasafaceweloveissweetestthenWhensorrowdampsit,or,whateverlookItchancetowearissweetestiftheheartHavefulnessinitself,evensowithme

140Itfaredthatevening.GentlydidmysoulPutoffherveil,andself-transmutedstoodNakedasinthepresenceofherGod.AsonIwalked,acomfortseemedtotouchAheartthathadnotbeendisconsolate;Strengthcamewhereweaknesswasnotknowntobe,Atleastnotfelt;andrestorationcameLikeanintruderknockingatthedoorOfunacknowledgedweariness.

ItookThebalanceinmyhandandweighedmyself.

150Isawbutlittle,andthereatwaspleased!–LittledidIremember,andeventhis

Stillpleasedmemore.ButIhadhopesandpeaceAndswellingsofthespirits,wasraptandsoothed,Conversedwithpromises,hadglimmeringviewsHowlifepervadestheundecayingmind–HowtheimmortalsoulwithgodlikepowerInforms,creates,andthawsthedeepestsleepThattimecanlayuponher–how,onearth,Man,ifhedobutlivewithinthelight

160Ofhighendeavours,dailyspreadsabroadHisbeingwithastrengththatcannotfail.Norwastherewantofmilderthoughts:oflove,Ofinnocenceandholidayrepose,AndmorethanpastoralquietintheheartOfamplestprojects,andapeacefulendAtlast,orglorious,byendurancewon.Thusmusing,inawoodIsatmedownAlone,continuingtheretomuse;meanwhileThesunwasset,orsetting,whenIleftOurcottagedoor,andeveningsoonbroughtonAsoberhour,notwinningorserene,Forcoldandrawtheairwas,anduntuned;ButasafaceweloveissweetestthenWhensorrowdampsit,or,whateverlookItchancetowear,issweetestiftheheartHavefulnessinherself;evensowithme

150Itfaredthatevening.GentlydidmysoulPutofficerveil,and,self-transmuted,stoodNaked,asinthepresenceofherGod.WhileonIwalked,acomfortseemedtotouchAheartthathadnotbeendisconsolate:Strengthcamewhereweaknesswasnotknowntobe,Atleastnotfelt;andrestorationcameLikeanintruderknockingatthedoorOfunacknowledgedweariness.ItookThebalance,andwithfirmhandweighedmyself.

160–Ofthatexternalscenewhichroundmelay,

Little,inthisabstraction,didIsee;Rememberedless;butIhadinwardhopesAndswellingsofthespirit,wasraptandsoothed,Conversedwithpromises,hadglimmeringviewsHowlifepervadestheundecayingmind;HowtheimmortalsoulwithGod-likepowerInforms,creates,andthawsthedeepestsleepThattimecanlayuponher;howonearth,Man,ifhedobutlivewithinthelight

170Ofhighendeavours,dailyspreadsabroadHisbeingarmedwithstrengththatcannotfail.Norwastherewantofmilderthoughts,ofloveOfinnocence,andholidayrepose;Andmorethanpastoralquiet,’midthestirOfboldestprojects,andapeacefulendAtlast,orglorious,byendurancewon.Thusmusing,inawoodIsatemedownAlone,continuingtheretomuse:theslopesThemountain-heightswereslowlyoverspread

170Withdarkness,andbeforearipplingbreezeThelonglakelengthenedoutitshoaryline.AndintheshelteredcoppicewhereIsat,Aroundmefromamongthehazelleaves(Nowhere,nowthere,stirredbythestragglingwind)Cameintermittinglyabreath-likesound,Arespirationshortandquick,whichoft–Yea,mightIsay,againandyetagain–Mistakingforthepantingofmydog,Theoff-and-oncompanionofmywalk,

180Iturnedmyheadtolookifhewerethere.

AfreshnessalsofoundIatthistimeInhumanlife–thelifeImeanofthoseWhoseoccupationsreallyIloved–Theprospectoftentouchedmewithsurprise,Crowdedandfullandchanged,asseemedtome,

EvenasagardenintheheatofspringAfteraneight-days’absence.For–toomitThethingswhichwerethesameandyetappearedSodifferent–amidthissolitude,

190Thelittlevalewherewasmychiefabode,’TwasnotindifferenttoayouthfulmindTonoteperhapssomeshelteredseatinwhichAnoldmanhadbeenusedtosunhimself,Nowempty;pale-facedbabeswhomIhadleftInarms,knownchildrenoftheneighbourhood,Nowrosyprattlerstotteringupanddown;Andgrowinggirlswhosebeauty,filchedawayWithallitspleasantpromises,wasgoneTodecksomeslightedplaymate’shomelycheek.

200Yes,Ihadsomethingofanothereye,AndoftenlookingroundwasmovedtosmilesSuchasadelicateworkofhumourbreeds.Iread,withoutdesign,theopinions,thoughtsOfthoseplain-livingpeople,inasenseOfloveandknowledge;withanothereyeAndheightsmeanwhilewereslowlyoverspread

180Withdarkness,andbeforearipplingbreezeThelonglakelengthenedoutitshoaryline,AndintheshelteredcoppicewhereIsate,Aroundmefromamongthehazelleaves,Nowhere,nowthere,movedbythestragglingwind,Cameeverandanonabreath-likesound,Quickasthepantingsofthefaithfuldog,Theoffandoncompanionofmywalk;Andsuch,attimes,believingthemtobe,Iturnedmyheadtolookifhewerethere;

190ThenintosolemnthoughtIpassedoncemore.

AfreshnessalsofoundIatthistimeInhumanLife,thedailylifeofthoseWhoseoccupationsreallyIloved;

ThepeacefulsceneoftfilledmewithsurpriseChangedlikeagardenintheheatofspringAfteraneight-days’absence.For(toomitThethingswhichwerethesameandyetappearedFarotherwise)amidthisruralsolitude,AnarrowValewhereeachwasknowntoall,

200’TwasnotindifferenttoayouthfulmindTomarksomeshelteringbowerorsunnynook,Whereanoldmanhadusedtositalone,Nowvacant;pale-facedbabeswhomIhadleftInarms,nowrosyprattlersatthefeetOfapleasedgrandametotteringupanddown;Andgrowinggirlswhosebeauty,filchedawayWithallitspleasantpromises,wasgoneTodecksomeslightedplaymate’shomelycheek.

Yes,Ihadsomethingofasubtlersense,210Andoftenlookingroundwasmovedtosmiles

Suchasadelicateworkofhumourbreeds;Iread,withoutdesign,theopinions,thoughts,Ofthoseplain-livingpeoplenowobservedWithclearerknowledge;withanothereyeIsawthequietwoodmaninthewoods,Theshepherdonthehills.Withnewdelight,Thischiefly,didIviewmygrey-hairedDame,Sawhergoforthtochurchorotherwork

210Ofstate,equippedinmonumentaltrim:Shortvelvetcloak,(herbonnetofthelike),AmantlesuchasSpanishcavaliersWoreinoldtime.Hersmoothdomesticlife–Affectionatewithoutdisquietude,–Hertalk,herbusiness,pleasedme;andnolessHerclearthoughshallowstreamofpietyThatranonsabbathdaysafreshercourse;WiththoughtsunfelttillnowIsawherreadHerBibleontheSundayafternoons,

220AndlovedthebookwhenshehaddroppedasleepAndmadeofitapillowforherhead.

NorlessdoIremembertohavefelt,Distinctlymanifestedatthistime,Ahuman-heartednessaboutmyloveForobjectshithertotheabsolutewealthOfmyownprivatebeingandnomore;WhichIhadloved,evenasablessèdspiritOrAngelifheweretodwellonearth

230Mightlove,inindividualhappiness.ButnowthereopenedonmeotherthoughtsOfchange,congratulationorregret,Anew-bornfeeling!Itspreadfarandwide;Thetrees,themountainssharedit,andthebrooks,ThestarsofHeaven–nowseenintheiroldhaunts–WhiteSiriusglitteringo’erthesoutherncrags,Orionwithhisbelt,andthosefairSeven,AcquaintancesofeverylittlechildAndJupiter,myownbelovèdstar!

240Whatevershadingsofmortality250Hadcomeamongtheseobjectsheretofore,Were,inthemain,ofmoodlesstender:strong,Deep,gloomywerethey,andsevere;thescatteringsIsawthequietwoodmaninthewoods,Theshepherdroamthehills.Withnewdelight,Thischiefly,didInotemygrey-hairedDame;SawhergoforthtochurchorotherworkOfstate,equippedinmonumentaltrim;

220Shortvelvetcloak,(herbonnetofthelike),AmantlesuchasSpanishCavaliersWoreinoldtime.Hersmoothdomesticlife,Affectionatewithoutdisquietude,Hertalk,herbusiness,pleasedme;andnolessHerclearthoughshallowstreamofpietyThatranonSabbathdaysafreshercourse;

WiththoughtsunfelttillnowIsawherreadHerBibleonhotSundayafternoons,Andlovedthebook,whenshehaddroppedasleep230Andmadeofitapillowforherhead.NorlessdoIremembertohavefelt,Distinctlymanifestedatthistime,Ahuman-heartednessaboutmyloveForobjectshithertotheabsolutewealthOfmyownprivatebeingandnomore:WhichIhadloved,evenasablessèdspiritOrAngel,ifheweretodwellonearth,Mightloveinindividualhappiness.Butnowthereopenedonmeotherthoughts

240Ofchange,congratulationorregret,Apensivefeeling!Itspreadfarandwide;Thetrees,themountainssharedit,andthebrooks,ThestarsofHeaven,nowseenintheiroldhaunts–WhiteSiriusglitteringo’erthesoutherncrags,Orionwithhisbelt,andthosefairSeven,Acquaintancesofeverylittlechild,AndJupiter,myownbelovèdstar!Whatevershadingsofmortality,Whateverimportsfromtheworldofdeath

250Hadcomeamongtheseobjectsheretofore,Were,inthemain,ofmoodlesstender:strong,Deep,gloomywerethey,andsevere;thescatteringsOfchildhood)–andmoreoverhadgivenwayInlateryouthtobeauty,andtoloveEnthusiastic,todelightandjoy.Asonewhohangsdown-bendingfromthesideOfaslow-movingboatuponthebreastOfastillwater,solacinghimself

250WithsuchdiscoveriesashiseyecanmakeBeneathhiminthebottomofthedeeps,Seesmanybeauteoussights(weeds,fishes,flowers,

Grots,pebbles,rootsoftrees)andfanciesmore,YetoftenisperplexedandcannotpartTheshadowfromthesubstance–rocksandsky,Mountainsandclouds,fromthatwhichisindeedTheregion,andthethingswhichthereabideIntheirtruedwelling–nowiscrossedbygleamOfhisownimage,byasunbeamnow,

260Andmotionsthataresentheknowsnotwhence,Impedimentsthatmakehistaskmoresweet;SuchpleasantofficehavewelongpursuedIncumbento’erthesurfaceofpasttimeWithlikesuccess.NorhaveweoftenlookedOnmorealluringshows(tome,atleast),Moresoft,orlessambiguouslydescried,Thanthosewhichnowwehavebeenpassingby,Andwherewestillarelingering.

YetinspiteOfallthesenewemploymentsofthemind,

270Therewasaninnerfallingoff.Iloved,Loveddeeply,allthathadlovedbefore–Moredeeplyeventhanever–butaswarmOfheadythoughtsjostlingeachother,gaudsAndfeastanddanceandpublicrevelryAndsportsandgames(lesspleasinginthemselves,ThanastheywereabadgeglossyandfreshOfmanlinessandfreedom),thesedidnowSeducemefromthefirmhabitualquestOffeedingpleasures,fromthateagerzeal,Ofaweortremulousdread,thathadgivenwayInlateryouthtoyearningsofaloveEnthusiastic,todelightandhope.Asonewhohangsdown-bendingfromthesideOfaslow-movingboat,uponthebreastOfastillwater,solacinghimselfWithsuchdiscoveriesashiseyecanmake

260Beneathhiminthebottomofthedeep,Seesmanybeauteoussights–weeds,fishes,flowers,Grots,pebbles,rootsoftrees,andfanciesmore,YetoftenisperplexedandcannotpartTheshadowfromthesubstance,rocksandsky,Mountainsandclouds,reflectedinthedepthOftheclearflood,fromthingswhichthereabideIntheirtruedwelling;nowiscrossedbygleamOfhisownimage,byasun-beamnow,Andwaveringmotionssentheknowsnotwhence,

270Impedimentsthatmakehistaskmoresweet;SuchpleasantofficehavewelongpursuedIncumbento’erthesurfaceofpasttimeWithlikesuccess,noroftenhaveappearedShapesfairerorlessdoubtfullydiscernedThanthesetowhichtheTale,indulgentFriend!Wouldnowdirectthynotice.YetinspiteOfpleasurewon,andknowledgenotwithheld,Therewasaninnerfallingoff–Iloved,Loveddeeplyallthathadbeenlovedbefore,

280Moredeeplyeventhanever:butaswarmOfheadyschemesjostlingeachother,gawds,Andfeastanddance,andpublicrevelry,Andsportsandgames(toogratefulinthemselves,Yetinthemselveslessgrateful,Ibelieve,ThanastheywereabadgeglossyandfreshOfmanlinessandfreedom)allconspiredToluremymindfromfirmhabitualquestOffeedingpleasures,todepressthezeal

280Thoseyearnings,whichhadeverydaybeenmine–Awild,unworldly-mindedyouth,givenupTonatureandtobooks,or,atthemost,Fromtimetotime,byinclinationshippedOneamongmanyinsocietiesThatwere,orseemed,assimpleasmyself.

Butnowwascomeachange.ItwoulddemandSomeskill,andlongertimethanmaybespared,Topainteventomyselfthesevanities,Andhowtheywrought.Butsureitisthatnow

290Contagiousairdidoftenvironme,Unknownamongthesehauntsinformerdays.TheverygarmentsthatIworeappearedTopreyuponmystrength,andstoppedthecourseAndquietstreamofself-forgetfulness.SomethingtherewasaboutmethatperplexedTheauthenticsightofreason,pressedtoocloselyOnthatreligiousdignityofmindThatistheveryfacultyoftruth–Whichwanting(eitherfromtheveryfirst

300Afunctionneverlightedup,orelseExtinguished),man,acreaturegreatandgood,Seemsbutapageantplaythingwithvileclaws,Andthisgreatframeofbreathingelements,Asenselessidol.

ThisvagueheartlesschaseOftrivialpleasureswasapoorexchangeForbooksandnatureatthatearlyage.’TistruesomecasualknowledgemightbegainedOfcharacterorlife;butatthattime,OfmannersputtoschoolItooksmallnote,

310Andallmydeeperpassionslayelsewhere.FarbetterhaditbeentoexaltthemindBysolitarystudy,toupholdIntensedesirebythoughtandquietness–Andyet,inchastisementoftheseregrets,ThememoryofoneparticularhourAnddampthoseyearningswhichhadoncebeenmine–

290Awild,unworldly-mindedyouth,givenupTohisowneagerthoughts.Itwoulddemand

Someskill,andlongertimethanmaybespared,Topaintthesevanities,andhowtheywroughtInhauntswherethey,tillnow,hadbeenunknown.ItseemedtheverygarmentsthatIworePreyedonmystrength,andstoppedthequietstreamOfself-forgetfulness.

Yes,thatheartlesschaseOftrivialpleasureswasapoorexchangeForbooksandnatureatthatearlyage.

300’Tistrue,somecasualknowledgemightbegainedOfcharacterorlife;butatthattime,OfmannersputtoschoolItooksmallnote,Andallmydeeperpassionslayelsewhere.FarbetterhaditbeentoexaltthemindBysolitarystudy,toupholdIntensedesirethroughmeditativepeace;Andyet,forchastisementoftheseregrets,ThememoryofoneparticularhourDoeshereriseupagainstme!

Inathrong,Afestalcompanyofmaidsandyouths,Oldmenandmatronsstaid–promiscuousrout,Amedleyofalltempers–Ihadpassed

320Thenightindancing,gaiety,andmirth,WithdinofinstrumentsandshufflingfeetAndglancingformsandtapersglitteringAndunaimedprattleflyingupanddown,Spiritsuponthestretch,andhereandthereSlightshocksofyounglove-likinginterspersedThatmounteduplikejoyintotheheadAndtingledthroughtheveins.EreweretiredThecockhadcrowed,theskywasbrightwithday;TwomilesIhadtowalkalongthefields

330BeforeIreachedmyhome.Magnificent

Themorningwas,amemorablepomp,MoregloriousthanIeverhadbeheld.Theseawaslaughingatadistance;allThesolidmountainswereasbrightasclouds,Grain-tinctured,drenchedinempyreanlight;AndinthemeadowsandthelowergroundsWasallthesweetnessofacommondawn–Dews,vapours,andthemelodyofbirds,Andlabourersgoingforthintothefields.340Ah,needIsay,dearfriend,thattothebrimMyheartwasfull?Imadenovows,butvowsWerethenmadeforme:bondunknowntomeWasgiventhatIshouldbe,elsesinninggreatly,Adedicatedspirit.OnIwalkedInblessedness,whichevenyetremains.

Strangerendezvousmymindwasatthattime,Aparti-colouredshowofgraveandgay,Solidandlight,short-sightedandprofound–Ofinconsideratehabitsandsedate

350Consortinginonemansionunreproved.IknewtheworthofthatwhichIpossessed,Dothhereriseupagainstme.‘Midathrong

310Ofmaidsandyouths,oldmen,andmatronsstaid,Amedleyofalltempers,IhadpassedThenightindancing,gaiety,andmirth,Withdinofinstrumentsandshufflingfeet,Andglancingforms,andtapersglittering,Andunaimedprattleflyingupanddown;Spiritsuponthestretch,andhereandthereSlightshocksofyounglove-likinginterspersed,Whosetransientpleasuremountedtothehead,Andtingledthroughtheveins.Ereweretired,

320Thecockhadcrowed,andnowtheeasternskyWaskindling,notunseen,fromhumblecopse

Andopenfield,throughwhichthepathwaywound,Andhomewardledmysteps.MagnificentThemorningrose,inmemorablepomp,Gloriousase’erIhadbeheld–infront,Thesealaylaughingatadistance;near,Thesolidmountainsshone,brightastheclouds,Grain-tinctured,drenchedinempyreanlight;Andinthemeadowsandthelowergrounds

330Wasallthesweetnessofacommondawn–Dews,vapours,andthemelodyofbirds,Andlabourersgoingforthtotillthefields.

Ah!needIsay,dearFriend!thattothebrimMyheartwasfull;Imadenovows,butvowsWerethenmadeforme;bondunknowntomeWasgiven,thatIshouldbe,elsesinninggreatly,AdedicatedSpirit.OnIwalkedInthankfulblessedness,whichyetsurvives.Strangerendezvous!Mymindwasatthattime

340Aparti-colouredshowofgraveandgay,Solidandlight,short-sightedandprofound;Ofinconsideratehabitsandsedate,Consortinginonemansionunreproved.TheworthIknewofpowersthatIpossessed,Thoughslightedandmisused.BesidesintruthThatsummer,swarmingasitdidwiththoughtsTransientandloose,yetwantednotastoreOfprimitivehours,when–bythesehindrancesUnthwarted–IexperiencedinmyselfConformityasjustasthatofoldTotheendandwrittenspiritofGod’sworks,Whetherheldforthinnatureorinman.

360FrommanywanderingsthathaveleftbehindRemembrancesnotlifeless,IwillhereSingleoutone,thenpasstootherthemes.Afavouritepleasurehathitbeenwithme

FromtimeofearliestyouthtowalkaloneAlongthepublicway,when,forthenightDeserted,initssilenceitassumesAcharacterofdeeperquietnessThanpathlesssolitudes.AtsuchanhourOnce,erethesesummermonthswerepassedaway,

370IslowlymountedupasteepascentWheretheroad’swaterysurface,totheridgeThoughslightedandtoooftmisused.Besides,Thatsummer,swarmingasitdidwiththoughtsTransientandidle,lackednotintervalsWhenFollyfromthefrownoffleetingTimeShrunk,andthemindexperiencedinherself

350ConformityasjustasthatofoldTotheendandwrittenspiritofGod’sworks,WhetherheldforthinNatureorinMan,Throughpregnantvision,separateorconjoined.

WhenfromourbetterselveswehavetoolongBeenpartedbythehurryingworld,anddroop,Sickofitsbusiness,ofitspleasurestired,Howgracious,howbenign,isSolitude;Howpotentamereimageofhersway;Mostpotentwhenimpresseduponthemind

360Withanappropriatehumancentre–hermit,Deepinthebosomofthewilderness;Votary(invastcathedral,wherenofootIstreading,wherenootherfaceisseen)Kneelingatprayers;orwatchmanonthetopOflighthouse,beatenbyAtlanticwaves;OrasthesoulofthatgreatPowerismetSometimesembodiedonapublicroad,When,forthenightdeserted,itassumesAcharacterofquietmoreprofound

370Thanpathlesswastes.

Once,whenthosesummermonthsWereflown,andautumnbroughtitsannualshowOfoarswithoarscontending,sailswithsails,UponWinander’sspaciousbreast,itchancedThat–afterIhadleftaflower-deckedroom(Whosein-doorpastime,lightedup,survivedToalatehour),andspiritsoverwroughtWeremakingnightdopenanceforadaySpentinaroundofstrenuousidleness–Myhomewardcourseledupalongascent,

380Wheretheroad’swaterysurface,tothetopOfthatsharprising,glitteredinthemoonAndseemedbeforemyeyesanotherstreamCreepingwithsilentlapsetojointhebrookThatmurmuredinthevalley.

OnIwentTranquil,receivinginmyowndespiteAmusement,asIslowlypassedalong,FromsuchnearobjectsasfromtimetotimePerforceintrudedonthelistlesssense

380Quiescentanddisposedtosympathy,WithanexhaustedmindwornoutbytoilAndallunworthyofthedeeperjoyWhichwaitsondistantprospect–clifforsea,Thedarkbluevaultanduniverseofstars.ThusdidIstealalongthatsilentroad,MybodyfromthestillnessdrinkinginArestorationlikethecalmofsleep,Butsweeterfar.Above,before,behind,Aroundme,allwaspeaceandsolitude:

390Ilookednotround,nordidthesolitudeSpeaktomyeye,butitwasheardandfelt.Ohhappystate–whatbeauteouspicturesnowRoseinharmoniousimagery!Theyrose

AsfromsomedistantregionofmysoulAndcamealonglikedreams;yetsuchasleftObscurelymingledwiththeirpassingformsAconsciousnessofanimaldelight,Aself-possessionfeltineverypauseAndeverygentlemovementofmyframe.

400WhilethusIwandered,stepbystepledon,ItchancedasuddenturningoftheroadPresentedtomyviewanuncouthshape,Sonearthat,slippingbackintotheshadeOfathickhawthorn,Icouldmarkhimwell,Myselfunseen.Hewasofstaturetall,Afootaboveman’scommonmeasuretall,Ofthatsharprising,glitteredtothemoonAndborethesemblanceofanotherstreamStealingwithsilentlapsetojointhebrookThatmurmuredinthevale.Allelsewasstill;Nolivingthingappearedinearthorair,And,savetheflowingwater’speacefulvoice,Soundtherewasnone–but,lo!anuncouthshape,Shownbyasuddenturningoftheroad,Sonearthat,slippingbackintotheshade

390Ofathickhawthorn,Icouldmarkhimwell,Myselfunseen.Hewasofstaturetall,Aspanaboveman’scommonmeasure,tall,Stiffinhisform,andupright,lankandlean–Amanmoremeagre,asitseemedtome,Wasneverseenabroadbynightorday.

410Hisarmswerelong,andbarehishands;hismouthShowedghastlyinthemoonlight;frombehind,Amilestoneproppedhim,andhisfigureseemedHalfsitting,andhalfstanding.IcouldmarkThathewascladinmilitarygarb,Thoughfadedyetentire.Hewasalone,Hadnoattendant,neitherdog,norstaff,Norknapsack;inhisverydressappeared

Adesolation,asimplicity,Thatseemedakintosolitude.Longtime

420DidIperusehimwithamingledsenseOffearandsorrow.FromhislipsmeanwhileThereissuedmurmuringsounds,asifofpainOrofuneasythought;yetstillhisformKeptthesamesteadiness,andathisfeetHisshadowlay,andmovednot.InaglenHardby,avillagestood,whoseroofsanddoorsWerevisibleamongthescatteredtrees,Scarcedistantfromthespotanarrow’sflight.Iwishedtoseehimmove,butheremained

430Fixedtohisplace,andstillfromtimetotimeSentforthamurmuringvoiceofdeadcomplaint,Groansscarcelyaudible.

Withoutself-blameIhadnotthusprolongedmywatch;andnow,Subduingmyheart’sspeciouscowardice,IlefttheshadynookwhereIhadstoodAndhailedhim.Slowlyfromhisresting-placeHerose,andwithaleanandwastedarmInmeasuredgestureliftedtohisheadReturnedmysalutation,thenresumed

440Hisstationasbefore.AndwhenerelongIaskedhishistory,heinreplyWasneitherslownoreager,butunmovedAndwithaquietuncomplainingvoice,Stiff,lank,andupright;amoremeagremanWasneverseenbeforebynightorday.Longwerehisarms,pallidhishands;hismouthLookedghastlyinthemoonlight:frombehind,Amile-stoneproppedhim;IcouldalsokenThathewasclothedinmilitarygarb,Thoughfaded,yetentire.Companionless,

400Nodogattending,bynostaffsustained,Hestood,andinhisverydressappearedAdesolation,asimplicity,TowhichthetrappingsofagaudyworldMakeastrangeback-ground.Fromhislips,erelong,Issuedlowmutteredsounds,asifofpainOrsomeuneasythought;yetstillhisformKeptthesameawfulsteadiness–athisfeetHisshadowlay,andmovednot.Fromself-blameNotwhollyfree,Iwatchedhimthus;atlength

410Subduingmyheart’sspeciouscowardice,IlefttheshadynookwhereIhadstoodAndhailedhim.Slowlyfromhisresting-placeHerose,andwithaleanandwastedarmInmeasuredgestureliftedtohisheadReturnedmysalutation;thenresumedHisstationasbefore;andwhenIaskedHishistory,theveteran,inreply,Wasneitherslownoreager;but,unmoved,Andwithaquietuncomplainingvoice,Astatelyairofmildindifference,Hetoldinsimplewordsasoldier’stale–Thatinthetropicislandshehadserved,Whencehehadlandedscarcelytendayspast;Thatonhislandinghehadbeendismissed,Andnowwastravellingtohisnativehome.

450Atthis,IturnedandlookedtowardsthevillageButallweregonetorest,thefiresallout,AndeverysilentwindowtothemoonShonewithayellowglitter.‘Noonethere’,SaidI,‘iswaking;wemustmeasurebackThewaywhichwehavecome.BehindyonwoodAlabourerdwells,and(takeitonmyword)Hewillnotmurmurshouldwebreakhisrest,AndwithareadyheartwillgiveyoufoodAndlodgingforthenight.’Atthishestooped

460AndfromthegroundtookupanoakenstaffBymeyetunobserved–atraveller’sstaffWhichIsupposefromhisslackhandhaddropped,Andlaintillnowneglectedinthegrass.

TowardsthecottagewithoutmoredelayWeshapedourcourse.AsitappearedtomeHetravelledwithoutpain,andIbeheldWithill-suppressedastonishmenthistallAndghastlyfiguremovingatmyside;Nor,whilewejourneyedthus,couldIforbear

470ToquestionhimofwhathehadenduredFromhardship,battle,orthepestilence.Heallthewhilewasindemeanourcalm,Conciseinanswer.SolemnandsublimeHemighthaveseemed,butthatinallhesaidTherewasastrangehalf-absence,andatoneOfweaknessandindifference,asofoneRememberingtheimportanceofhisthemeButfeelingitnolonger.WeadvancedSlowly,anderewetothewoodwerecome

480Discoursehadceased.TogetheronwepassedInsilencethroughtheshadesgloomyanddark;

420Astatelyairofmildindifference,Hetoldinfewplainwordsasoldier’stale–ThatintheTropicIslandshehadserved,Whencehehadlandedscarcelythreeweekspast;Thatonhislandinghehadbeendismissed,Andnowwastravellingtowardshisnativehome.Thisheard,Isaid,inpity,‘Comewithme.’Hestooped,andstraightwayfromthegroundtookupAnoakenstaffbymeyetunobserved–Astaffwhichmusthavedroptfromhisslackhand

430Andlaytillnowneglectedinthegrass.Thoughweakhisstepandcautious,heappeared

Totravelwithoutpain,andIbeheld,Withanastonishmentbutillsuppressed,Hisghostlyfiguremovingatmyside;NorcouldI,whilewejourneyedthus,forbearToturnfrompresenthardshipstothepast,Andspeakofwar,battle,andpestilence,Sprinklingthistalkwithquestions,betterspared,Onwhathemighthimselfhaveseenorfelt.

440Heallthewhilewasindemeanourcalm,Conciseinanswer;solemnandsublimeHemighthaveseemed,butthatinallhesaidTherewasastrangehalf-absence,asofoneKnowingtoowelltheimportanceofhistheme,Butfeelingitnolonger.OurdiscourseSoonended,andtogetheronwepassedInsilencethroughawoodgloomyandstill.Then,turningupalonganopenfield,Wegainedthecottage.AtthedoorIknocked,Callingaloud‘Myfriend,hereisamanBysicknessovercome.BeneathyourroofThisnightlethimfindrest,andgivehimfood,Iffoodheneed,forheisfaintandtired.’AssuredthatnowmycomradewouldreposeIncomfort,Ientreatedthathenceforth

490HewouldnotlingerinthepublicwaysButaskfortimelyfurtherance,andhelpSuchashisstaterequired.Atthisreproof,WiththesameghastlymildnessinhislookHesaid‘MytrustisintheGodofHeaven,Andintheeyeofhimthatpassesme!’

Thecottagedoorwasspeedilyunlocked;AndnowthesoldiertouchedhishatagainWithhisleanhand,andinavoicethatseemedTospeakwitharevivinginterest

500Tillthenunfelt,hethankedme.Ireturned

Theblessingofthepoorunhappyman,Andsoweparted.BackIcastalook,Andlingerednearthedooralittlespace,Thensoughtwithquietheartmydistanthome.Up-turning,then,alonganopenfield,Wereachedacottage.AtthedoorIknocked,

450AndearnestlytocharitablecareCommendedhimasapoorfriendlessman,Belatedandbysicknessovercome.AssuredthatnowthetravellerwouldreposeIncomfort,IentreatedthathenceforthHewouldnotlingerinthepublicways,ButaskfortimelyfurtheranceandhelpSuchashisstaterequired.Atthisreproof,Withthesameghastlymildnessinhislook,Hesaid,‘MytrustisintheGodofHeaven,

460Andintheeyeofhimwhopassesme!’

Thecottagedoorwasspeedilyunbarred,AndnowthesoldiertouchedhishatoncemoreWithhisleanhand,andinafalteringvoice,WhosetonebespakerevivinginterestsTillthenunfelt,hethankedme;IreturnedThefarewellblessingofthepatientman,Andsoweparted.BackIcastalook,Andlingerednearthedooralittlespace,Thensoughtwithquietheartmydistanthome.

BookFifthBOOKS

Eveninthesteadiestmoodofreason,whenAllsorrowforthytransitorypainsGoesout,itgrievesmeforthystate,oman,Thouparamountcreature,andthyrace,whileyeShallsojournonthisplanet–notforwoesWhichthouendurest(thatweight,albeithuge,Icharmaway),butforthosepalmsachievedThroughlengthoftime,bystudyandhardthought,Thehonoursofthyhighendowments.There

10Mysadnessfindsitsfuel.

HithertoInprogressthroughthisversemymindhathlookedUponthespeakingfaceofearthandheavenAsherprimeteacher,intercoursewithmanEstablishedbythesovereignintellect,WhothroughthatbodilyimagehasdiffusedAsouldivinewhichweparticipate,Adeathlessspirit.Thoualso,man,hastwrought,Forcommerceofthynaturewithitself,Thingsworthyofunconquerablelife;

20Andyetwefeel–wecannotchoosebutfeel–Thatthesemustperish.TremblingsoftheheartItgivestothinkthattheimmortalbeingNomoreshallneedsuchgarments.Andyetman,Aslongasheshallbethechildofearth,Mightalmost‘weeptohave’whathemaylose,Norbehimselfextinguished,butsurviveAbject,depressed,forlorn,disconsolate.Athoughtiswithmesometimes,andIsay

BookFifthBOOKS

WhenContemplation,likethenight-calmfeltThroughearthandsky,spreadswidely,andsendsdeepIntothesoulitstranquillisingpower,EventhenIsometimesgrieveforthee,OMan,Earth’sparamountCreature!notsomuchforwoesThatthouendurest;heavythoughthatweightbe,Cloud-likeitmounts,ortouchedwithlightdivineDothmeltaway;butforthosepalmsachieved,Throughlengthoftime,bypatientexercise

10Ofstudyandhardthought;there,there,itisThatsadnessfindsitsfuel.Hitherto,InprogressthroughthisVerse,mymindhathlookedUponthespeakingfaceofearthandheavenAsherprimeteacher,intercoursewithmanEstablishedbythesovereignIntellect,Whothroughthatbodilyimagehathdiffused,Asmightappeartotheeyeoffleetingtime,Adeathlessspirit.Thoualso,man!hastwrought,Forcommerceofthynaturewithherself,

20Thingsthataspiretounconquerablelife;Andyetwefeel–wecannotchoosebutfeel–Thattheymustperish.TremblingsoftheheartItgives,tothinkthatourimmortalbeingNomoreshallneedsuchgarments;andyetman,Aslongasheshallbethechildofearth,Mightalmost‘weeptohave’whathemaylose,Norbehimselfextinguished,butsurvive,Abject,depressed,forlorn,disconsolate.Athoughtiswithmesometimes,andIsay,–‘Shouldearthbyinwardthroesbewrenchedthroughout,

30OrfirebesentfromfartowitherallHerpleasanthabitations,anddryupOldoceaninhisbed,leftsingedandbare,YetwouldthelivingpresencestillsubsistVictorious,andcomposurewouldensue,Andkindlingslikethemorning–presagesure,Thoughslowperhaps,ofareturningday.Butallthemeditationsofmankind,Yea,alltheadamantineholdsoftruthByreasonbuilt,orpassion(whichitself

40Ishighestreasoninasoulsublime),Theconsecratedworksofbardandsage,Sensuousorintellectual,wroughtbymen,Twinlabourersandheirsofthesamehopes–Wherewouldtheybe?Oh,whyhasnotthemindSomeelementtostampherimageonInnaturesomewhatnearertoherown?Why,giftedwithsuchpowerstosendabroadHerspirit,mustitlodgeinshrinessofrail?’

Oneday,wheninthehearingofafriend50Ihadgivenutterancetothoughtslikethese,

Heansweredwithasmilethatinplaintruth’Twasgoingfartoseekdisquietude;ButonthefrontofhisreproofconfessedThatheatsundryseasonshadhimselfYieldedtokindredhauntings–andforthwithAddedthatonceuponasummer’snoonWhilehewassittinginarockycaveBythesea-side(perusing,asitchanced,Thefamoushistoryoftheerrantknight

60RecordedbyCervantes)thesesamethoughtsCametohim,andtoheightunusualroseWhilelistlesslyhesat,andhavingclosedThebook,hadturnedhiseyestowardsthesea.Onpoetryandgeometrictruth

(Theknowledgethatendures),uponthesetwoAndtheirhighprivilegeoflastinglife

30ShouldthewholeframeofearthbyinwardthroesBewrenched,orfirecomedownfromfartoscorchHerpleasanthabitations,anddryupOldOcean,inhisbedleftsingedandbare,YetwouldthelivingPresencestillsubsistVictorious,andcomposurewouldensue,Andkindlingslikethemorning–presagesureOfdayreturningandofliferevived.Butallthemeditationsofmankind,Yea,alltheadamantineholdsoftruth

40Byreasonbuilt,orpassion,whichitselfIshighestreasoninasoulsublime;TheconsecratedworksofBardandSage,Sensuousorintellectual,wroughtbymen,Twinlabourersandheirsofthesamehopes;Wherewouldtheybe?Oh!whyhathnottheMindSomeelementtostampherimageonInnaturesomewhatnearertoherown?Why,giftedwithsuchpowerstosendabroadHerspirit,mustitlodgeinshrinessofrail?

50

Oneday,whenfrommylipsalikecomplaintHadfalleninpresenceofastudiousfriend,Hewithasmilemadeanswer,thatintruth’Twasgoingfartoseekdisquietude;ButonthefrontofhisreproofconfessedThathehimselfhadoftentimesgivenwayTokindredhauntings.WhereuponItold,Thatonceinthestillnessofasummer’snoon,WhileIwasseatedinarockycaveBythesea-side,perusing,soitchanced,

60ThefamoushistoryoftheerrantknightRecordedbyCervantes,thesesamethoughts

Besetme,andtoheightunusualrose,WhilelistlesslyIsate,and,havingclosedThebook,hadturnedmyeyestowardthewidesea.Onpoetryandgeometrictruth,Andtheirhighprivilegeoflastinglife,Exemptfromallinternalinjury,Hemused–uponthesechiefly–andatlength,Hissensesyieldingtothesultryair,

70Sleepseizedhimandhepassedintoadream.

Hesawbeforehimanarabianwaste,Adesert,andhefanciedthathimselfWassittingthereinthewidewildernessAloneuponthesands.DistressofmindWasgrowinginhimwhen,behold,atonceTohisgreatjoyamanwasathisside,Uponadromedarymountedhigh!HeseemedanaraboftheBedouintribes;Alancehebore,andunderneathonearm

80Astone,andintheoppositehandashellOfasurpassingbrightness.MuchrejoicedThedreamingmanthatheshouldhaveaguideToleadhimthroughthedesert,andhethought–WhilequestioninghimselfwhatthisstrangefreightWhichthenewcomercarriedthroughthewasteCouldmean–thearabtoldhimthatthestone(Togiveitinthelanguageofthedream)WasEuclid’sElements.‘Andthis’,saidhe,‘Thisother’,pointingtotheshell,‘thisbook

90Issomethingofmoreworth.’AndatthewordThestranger,saidmyfriendcontinuing,Stretchedforththeshelltowardsme,withcommandThatIshouldholdittomyear.IdidsoAndheardthatinstantinanunknowntongue,WhichyetIunderstood,articulatesounds,Aloudpropheticblastofharmony,

Anodeinpassionuttered,whichforetoldDestructiontothechildrenoftheearthBydelugenowathand.

Nosoonerceased100Thesong,butwithcalmlookthearabsaid

Thatallwastrue,thatitwasevensoAshadbeenspoken,andthathehimselfFromallinternalinjuryexempt,Imused,uponthesechiefly:andatlength,Mysensesyieldingtothesultryair,

70Sleepseizedme,andIpassedintoadream.IsawbeforemestretchedaboundlessplainOfsandywilderness,allblackandvoid,AndasIlookedaround,distressandfearCamecreepingoverme,whenatmyside,Closeatmyside,anuncouthshapeappearedUponadromedary,mountedhigh.HeseemedanAraboftheBedouintribes:Alancehebore,andunderneathonearmAstone,andintheoppositehandashell

80Ofasurpassingbrightness.AtthesightMuchIrejoiced,notdoubtingbutaguideWaspresent,onewhowithunerringskillWouldthroughthedesertleadme;andwhileyetIlookedandlooked,self-questionedwhatthisfreightWhichthenew-comercarriedthroughthewasteCouldmean,theArabtoldmethatthestone(Togiveitinthelanguageofthedream)Was‘Euclid’sElements;’and‘This,’saidhe,‘Issomethingofmoreworth;’andattheword

90Stretchedforththeshell,sobeautifulinshape,Incoloursoresplendent,withcommandThatIshouldholdittomyear.Ididso,Andheardthatinstantinanunknowntongue,

WhichyetIunderstood,articulatesounds,Aloudpropheticblastofharmony;AnOde,inpassionuttered,whichforetoldDestructiontothechildrenoftheearthBydeluge,nowathand.NosoonerceasedThesong,thantheArabwithcalmlookdeclared

100ThatallwouldcometopassofwhichthevoiceHadgivenforewarning,andthathehimselfWasgoingthentoburythosetwobooks–TheonethatheldacquaintancewiththestarsAndweddedmantomanbypurestbondOfnature,undisturbedbyspaceortime;Theotherthatwasagod,yeamanygods,Hadvoicesmorethanallthewinds,andwasAjoy,aconsolation,andahope.

110Myfriendcontinued,strangeasitmayseemIwonderednot,althoughIplainlysawTheonetobeastone,theotherashell,Nordoubtedoncebutthattheybothwerebooks,Havingaperfectfaithinallthatpassed.

AwishwasnowengenderedinmyfearTocleaveuntothisman,andIbeggedleaveTosharehiserrandwithhim.OnhepassedNotheedingme;Ifollowed,andtooknoteThathelookedoftenbackwardwithwildlook,

120Graspinghistwofoldtreasuretohisside.Uponadromedary,lanceinrestHerode,Ikeepingpacewithhim;andnowIfanciedthathewastheveryknightWhosetaleCervantestells,yetnottheknight,Butwasanarabofthedeserttoo–Ofthesewasneither,andwasbothatonce.Hiscountenancemeanwhilegrewmoredisturbed,And,lookingbackwardswhenhelooked,IsawAglitteringlight,andaskedhimwhenceitcame.

130‘Itis’,saidhe,‘thewatersofthedeepGatheringuponus.’Quickeningthenhispace,Heleftme.Icalledafterhimaloud;Heheedednot,butwithhistwofoldchargeBeneathhisarm,beforeme,fullinview,Isawhimridingo’erthedesertsandsWiththefleetwatersofthedrowningworldInchaseofhim.WhereatIwakedinterror,Andsawtheseabeforeme,andthebookInwhichIhadbeenreadingatmyside.Wasgoingthentoburythosetwobooks:Theonethatheldacquaintancewiththestars,AndweddedsoultosoulinpurestbondOfreason,undisturbedbyspaceortime;Theotherthatwasagod,yeamanygods,Hadvoicesmorethanallthewinds,withpowerToexhilaratethespirit,andtosoothe,Througheveryclime,theheartofhumankind.

110Whilethiswasuttering,strangeasitmayseem,Iwonderednot,althoughIplainlysawTheonetobeastone,theotherashell;Nordoubtedoncebutthattheybothwerebooks,Havingaperfectfaithinallthatpassed.Farstronger,now,grewthedesireIfeltTocleaveuntothisman;butwhenIprayedTosharehisenterprise,hehurriedonRecklessofme:Ifollowed,notunseen,Foroftentimeshecastabackwardlook,

120Graspinghistwofoldtreasure.–Lanceinrest,Herode,Ikeepingpacewithhim;andnowHe,tomyfancy,hadbecometheknightWhosetaleCervantestells;yetnottheknight,ButwasanArabofthedeserttoo;Ofthesewasneither,andwasbothatonce.Hiscountenance,meanwhile,grewmoredisturbed;And,lookingbackwardswhenhelooked,mineeyes

Saw,overhalfthewildernessdiffused,Abedofglitteringlight:Iaskedthecause:

130‘Itis,’saidhe,‘thewatersofthedeepGatheringuponus;’quickeningthenthepaceOftheunwieldlycreaturehebestrode,Heleftme:Icalledafterhimaloud;Heheedednot;but,withhistwofoldchargeStillinhisgrasp,beforeme,fullinview,Wenthurryingo’ertheillimitablewaste,WiththefleetwatersofadrowningworldInchaseofhim;whereatIwakedinterror,Andsawtheseabeforeme,andthebook,

140InwhichIhadbeenreading,atmyside.140

Fulloften,takingfromtheworldofsleepThisarabphantomwhichmyfriendbeheld,Thissemi-Quixote,ItohimhavegivenAsubstance,fanciedhimalivingman–Agentledwellerinthedesert,crazedByloveandfeelingandinternalthoughtProtractedamongendlesssolitudes–Haveshapedhim,intheoppressionofhisbrain,Wanderinguponthisquest,andthusequipped.AndIhavescarcelypitiedhim,havefelt

150Areverenceforabeingthusemployed,AndthoughtthatintheblindandawfullairOfsuchamadnessreasondidliecouched.EnowthereareonearthtotakeinchargeTheirwives,theirchildren,andtheirvirginloves,Orwhatsoeverelsetheheartholdsdear–Enowtothinkofthese–yea,willIsay,InsobercontemplationoftheapproachOfsuchgreatoverthrow,mademanifestBycertainevidence,thatImethinks

160Couldsharethatmaniac’sanxiousness,couldgo

Uponlikeerrand.OftentimesatleastMehathsuchdeepentrancementhalfpossessedWhenIhaveheldavolumeinmyhand(Poorearthlycasketofimmortalverse),Shakespeare,orMilton,labourersdivine!

Mighty,indeedsupreme,mustbethepowerOflivingnature,whichcouldthussolongDetainmefromthebestofotherthoughts.Eveninthelispingtimeofinfancy

170And(laterdown)inprattlingchildhood–evenWhileIwastravellingbackamongthosedays–HowcouldIeverplayaningrate’spart?OncemoreshouldIhavemadethosebowersresound,AndintermingledstrainsofthankfulnessWiththeirownthoughtlessmelodies.AtleastItmighthavewellbeseemedmetorepeat

Fulloften,takingfromtheworldofsleepThisArabphantom,whichIthusbeheld,Thissemi-Quixote,ItohimhavegivenAsubstance,fanciedhimalivingman,Agentledwellerinthedesert,crazedByloveandfeeling,andinternalthoughtProtractedamongendlesssolitudes;Haveshapedhimwanderinguponthisquest!NorhaveIpitiedhim;butratherfelt

150Reverencewasduetoabeingthusemployed;Andthoughtthat,intheblindandawfullairOfsuchamadness,reasondidliecouched.EnowthereareonearthtotakeinchargeTheirwives,theirchildren,andtheirvirginloves,Orwhatsoeverelsetheheartholdsdear;Enowtostirforthese;yea,willIsay,ContemplatinginsobernesstheapproachOfaneventsodire,bysignsinearth

Orheavenmademanifest,thatIcouldshare160Thatmaniac’sfondanxiety,andgo

Uponlikeerrand.OftentimesatleastMehathsuchstrongentrancementovercome,WhenIhaveheldavolumeinmyhand,Poorearthlycasketofimmortalverse,Shakespeare,orMilton,labourersdivine!

Greatandbenign,indeed,mustbethepowerOflivingnature,whichcouldthussolongDetainmefromthebestofotherguidesAnddearesthelpers,leftunthanked,unpraised,

170Eveninthetimeoflispinginfancy;Andlaterdown,inprattlingchildhoodeven,WhileIwastravellingbackamongthosedays,HowcouldIeverplayaningrate’spart?OncemoreshouldIhavemadethosebowersresound,ByinterminglingstrainsofthankfulnessWiththeirownthoughtlessmelodies;atleastItmighthavewellbeseemedmetorepeatSomesimplyfashionedtale,totellagainInslenderaccentsofsweetversesometaleThatdidbewitchmethenandsoothesmenow.

180Ofriend,opoet,brotherofmysoul,ThinknotthatIcouldeverpassalongUntouchedbytheseremembrances–no,no,ButIwashurriedforwardbyastreamAndcouldnotstop.YetwhereforeshouldIspeak?WhycalluponafewweakwordstosayWhatisalreadywrittenintheheartsOfallthatbreathe–whatinthepathofallDropsdailyfromthetongueofeverychild,Wherevermanisfound?Thetricklingtear

190UponthecheekoflisteninginfancyTellsit,andtheinsuperablelook

Thatdrinksasifitnevercouldbefull.

ThatportionofmystoryIshallleaveThereregistered.WhateverelsetherebeOfpowerorpleasure,sownorfosteredthus,Peculiartomyself,letthatremainWhereitlieshiddeninitsendlesshomeAmongthedepthsoftime.AndyetitseemsThathere,inmemoryofallbookswhichlay

200Theirsurefoundationsintheheartofman(Whetherbynativeprose,ornumerousverse)Thatinthenameofallinspiredsouls,FromHomerthegreatthunderer,fromthevoiceWhichroarsalongthebedofJewishsong,Andthat,morevariedandelaborate,Thosetrumpet-tonesofharmonythatshakeOurshoresinEngland–fromthoseloftiestnotesDowntothelowandwren-likewarblingsmadeForcottagersandspinnersatthewheel

210AndwearytravellerswhentheyrestthemselvesBythehighwaysandhedges,balladtunes,FoodforthehungryearsoflittleonesAndofoldmenwhohavesurvivedtheirjoy–Itseemeth,inbehalfofthese,theworks,Somesimplyfashionedtale,totellagain,Inslenderaccentsofsweetverse,sometale

180Thatdidbewitchmethen,andsoothesmenow.OFriend!OPoet!brotherofmysoul,ThinknotthatIcouldpassalonguntouchedBytheseremembrances.Yetwhereforespeak?WhycalluponafewweakwordstosayWhatisalreadywrittenintheheartsOfallthatbreathe?–whatinthepathofallDropsdailyfromthetongueofeverychild,Wherevermanisfound?ThetricklingtearUponthecheekoflisteningInfancy

190Proclaimsit,andtheinsuperablelookThatdrinksasifitnevercouldbefull.

ThatportionofmystoryIshallleaveThereregistered:whateverelseofpowerOrpleasuresown,orfosteredthus,maybePeculiartomyself,letthatremainWherestillitworks,thoughhiddenfromallsearchAmongthedepthsoftime.YetisitjustThathere,inmemoryofallbookswhichlayTheirsurefoundationsintheheartofman,

200Whetherbynativeprose,ornumerousverse,Thatinthenameofallinspirèdsouls,FromHomerthegreatThunderer,fromthevoiceThatroarsalongthebedofJewishsong,Andthatmorevariedandelaborate,Thosetrumpet-tonesofharmonythatshakeOurshoresinEngland,–fromthoseloftiestnotesDowntothelowandwren-likewarblings,madeForcottagersandspinnersatthewheel,Andsun-burnttravellersrestingtheirtiredlimbs,

210Stretchedunderwaysidehedge-rows,balladtunes,Foodforthehungryearsoflittleones,Andofoldmenwhohavesurvivedtheirjoys:’Tisjustthatinbehalfofthese,theworks,Andofthemenwhoframedthem(whetherknown,Orsleepingnamelessintheirscatteredgraves),ThatIshouldhereasserttheirrights,attestTheirhonours,andshouldonceforallpronounceTheirbenediction,speakofthemaspowers

220Forevertobehallowed–onlyless,Forwhatwemaybecomeandwhatweneed,Thannature’sself,whichisthebreathofGod.

RarelyandwithreluctancewouldIstoopTotransitorythemes,yetIrejoice–

And,bythesethoughtsadmonished,mustspeakoutThanksgivingsfrommyheart–thatIwasrearedSafefromanevilwhichthesedayshavelaidUponthechildrenoftheland,apestThatmighthavedriedmeupbodyandsoul.

230Thisverseisdedicatetonature’sself,Andthingsthatteachasnatureteaches;thenOhwherehadbeentheman,thepoetwhere–Wherehadwebeen,wetwo,belovedfriend–Ifwe,inlieuofwanderingaswedidThroughheightsandhollowsandbye-spotsoftalesRichwithindigenousproduce(opengroundOffancy,happypasturesrangedatwill)Hadbeenattended,followed,watched,andnoosed,Eachinhisseveralmelancholywalk

240Stringedlikeapoorman’sheiferatitsfeed,Ledthroughthelanesinforlornservitude–Orrather,likeastallèdoxshutoutFromtouchofgrowinggrass,thatmaynottasteAflowertillithaveyieldedupitssweetsAprelibationtothemower’sscythe.

Beholdtheparenthenamidherbrood–Thoughfledgedandfeathered,andwellpleasedtopartAndstragglefromherpresence,stillabrood,Andsheherselffromthematernalbond

250Stillundischarged.YetdoesshelittlemoreAndofthementhatframedthem,whetherknown,Orsleepingnamelessintheirscatteredgraves,ThatIshouldhereasserttheirrights,attestTheirhonours,andshould,onceforall,pronounceTheirbenediction;speakofthemasPowersForevertobehallowed;onlyless,

220Forwhatweareandwhatwemaybecome,ThanNature’sself,whichisthebreathofGod,

OrHispureWordbymiraclerevealed.

RarelyandwithreluctancewouldIstoopTotransitorythemes;yetIrejoice,And,bythesethoughtsadmonished,willpouroutThankswithupliftedheart,thatIwasrearedSafefromanevilwhichthesedayshavelaidUponthechildrenoftheland,apestThatmighthavedriedmeup,bodyandsoul.

230ThisverseisdedicatetoNature’sself,AndthingsthatteachasNatureteaches:then,Oh!wherehadbeentheMan,thePoetwhere,Wherehadwebeen,wetwo,belovedFriend!Ifintheseasonofunperilouschoice,Inlieuofwandering,aswedid,throughvalesRichwithindigenousproduce,opengroundOfFancy,happypasturesrangedatwill,Wehadbeenfollowed,hourlywatched,andnoosed,Eachinhisseveralmelancholywalk

240Stringedlikeapoorman’sheiferatitsfeed,Ledthroughthelanesinforlornservitude;OrratherlikeastallèdoxdebarredFromtouchofgrowinggrass,thatmaynottasteAflowertillithaveyieldedupitssweetsAprelibationtothemower’sscythe.

Beholdtheparenthenamidherbrood,Thoughfledgedandfeathered,andwellpleasedtopartAndstragglefromherpresence,stillabrood,Andsheherselffromthematernalbond

250Stillundischarged;yetdothshelittlemoreThanmovewiththemintendernessandlove,Acentreofthecirclewhichtheymake;Andnowandthen–alikefromneedoftheirsAndcallofherownnaturalappetites–Shescratches,ransacksuptheearthforfood,

Whichtheypartakeatpleasure.EarlydiedMyhonouredmother,shewhowastheheartAndhingeofallourlearningsandourloves;Sheleftusdestituteand,aswemight,

260Troopingtogether.

LittlesuitsitmeTobreakuponthesabbathofherrestWithanythoughtthatlooksatothers’blame,NorwouldIpraiseherbutinperfectlove.HenceamIchecked,butIwillboldlysayIngratitude,andforthesakeoftruth,Unheardbyher,thatshe(notfalselytaught,FetchinghergoodnessratherfromtimespastThanshapingnoveltiesfromthosetocome)Hadnopresumption,nosuchjealousy,

270NordidbyhabitofherthoughtsmistrustOurnature,buthadvirtualfaiththatheWhofillsthemother’sbreastswithinnocentmilkDoesalsoforournoblerpartprovide,Underhisgreatcorrectionandcontrol,Asinnocentinstincts,andasinnocentfood.Thiswashercreed,andthereforeshewaspureFromfeverishdreadoferrorandmishapAndevil(overweeninglysocalled)Wasnotpuffedupbyfalseunnaturalhopes,

280Norselfishwithunnecessarycares,NorwithimpatiencefromtheseasonaskedMorethanitstimelyproduce–ratherlovedThehoursforwhattheyare,thanfromregardsGlancedontheirpromisesinrestlesspride.Suchwasshe;notfromfacultiesmorestrongThanothershave,butfromthetimesperhapsThanmovewiththemintendernessandlove,Acentretothecirclewhichtheymake;Andnowandthen,alikefromneedoftheirs

Andcallofherownnaturalappetites,Shescratches,ransacksuptheearthforfood,Whichtheypartakeatpleasure.EarlydiedMyhonouredMother,shewhowastheheartAndhingeofallourlearningsandourloves:Sheleftusdestitute,and,aswemight,

260Troopingtogether.LittlesuitsitmeTobreakuponthesabbathofherrestWithanythoughtthatlooksatothers’blame;NorwouldIpraiseherbutinperfectlove.HenceamIchecked:butletmeboldlysay,Ingratitude,andforthesakeoftruth,Unheardbyher,thatshe,notfalselytaught,Fetchinghergoodnessratherfromtimespast,Thanshapingnoveltiesfortimestocome,Hadnopresumption,nosuchjealousy,

270NordidbyhabitofherthoughtsmistrustOurnature,buthadvirtualfaiththatHeWhofillsthemother’sbreastwithinnocentmilk,Dothalsoforournoblerpartprovide,UnderHisgreatcorrectionandcontrol,Asinnocentinstincts,andasinnocentfood;OrdrawsformindsthatareleftfreetotrustInthesimplicitiesofopeninglifeSweethoneyoutofspurnedordreadedweeds.Thiswashercreed,andthereforeshewaspure

280Fromanxiousfearoferrorormishap,Andevil,overweeninglysocalled;Wasnotpuffedupbyfalseunnaturalhopes,Norselfishwithunnecessarycares,NorwithimpatiencefromtheseasonaskedMore,thanitstimelyproduce,ratherlovedThehoursforwhattheyare,thanfromregardGlancedontheirpromisesinrestlesspride.Suchwasshe–notfromfacultiesmorestrongThanothershave,butfromthetimes,perhaps,

Andspotinwhichshelived,andthroughagraceOfmodestmeekness,simple-mindedness,Aheartthatfoundbenignityandhope,

290Beingitselfbenign.

MydrifthasscarcelyIfearbeenobvious,forIhaverecoiledFromshowingasitisthemonsterbirthEngenderedbythesetooindustrioustimes.Letfewwordspaintit!’Tisachild–nochild,Butadwarfman!–inknowledge,virtue,skill,Inwhatheisnotandinwhatheis,Thenoontideshadowofamancomplete.Aworshipperofworldlyseemliness,Notquarrelsome(forthatwerefarbeneath

300Hisdignity),withgiftshebubbleso’erAsgenerousasafountain.SelfishnessMaynotcomenearhim,gluttonyorpride;Thewanderingbeggarspropagatehisname,Dumbcreaturesfindhimtenderasanun.YetdeemhimnotforthisanakeddishOfgoodnessmerely,heisgarnishedout.Archarehisnotices,andnicehissenseOftheridiculous;deceitandguile,Meannessandfalsehood,hedetects,cantreat

310Withaptandgracefullaughter;norisblindTothebroadfolliesofthelicensedworld;Thoughshrewd,yetinnocenthimselfwithal,Andcanreadlecturesuponinnocence!

Heisfencedround(nayarmed,foraughtweknow,Inpanoplycomplete)andfearitself,Naturalorsupernaturalalike,Unlessitleapuponhiminadream,Toucheshimnot.Briefly,themoralpartIsperfect,andinlearningandinbooks

320Heisaprodigy.Hisdiscoursemovesslow,Massyandponderousasaprisondoor,Tremendouslyembossedwithtermsofart;

290Andspotinwhichshelived,andthroughagraceOfmodestmeekness,simple-mindedness,Aheartthatfoundbenignityandhope,Beingitselfbenign.

MydriftIfearIsscarcelyobvious;but,thatcommonsenseMaytrythismodernsystembyitsfruits,LeaveletmetaketoplacebeforehersightAspecimenpourtrayedwithfaithfulhand.Fullearlytrainedtoworshipseemliness,Thismodelofachildisneverknown

300Tomixinquarrels;thatwerefarbeneathItsdignity;withgiftshebubbleso’erAsgenerousasafountain;selfishnessMaynotcomenearhim,northelittlethrongOfflittingpleasurestempthimfromhispath;Thewanderingbeggarspropagatehisname,Dumbcreaturesfindhimtenderasanun,Andnaturalorsupernaturalfear,Unlessitleapuponhiminadream,Toucheshimnot.Toenhancethewonder,see

310Howarchhisnotices,hownicehissenseOftheridiculous;notblindisheTothebroadfolliesofthelicensedworld,Yetinnocenthimselfwithal,thoughshrewd,Andcanreadlecturesuponinnocence;RankgrowthofpropositionsoverrunsThestripling’sbrain;thepathinwhichhetreadsIschokedwithgrammars;cushionofdivineWasneversuchatypeofthoughtprofoundAsisthepillowwhereherestshishead.

Theensignsoftheempirewhichheholds,Theglobeandsceptreofhisroyalties,

330Aretelescopesandcruciblesandmaps.Shipshecanguideacrossthepathlesssea,Andtellyoualltheircunning;hecanreadTheinsideoftheearth,andspellthestars;Heknowsthepoliciesofforeignlands,Canstringyounamesofdistricts,cities,towns,Thewholeworldover,tightasbeadsofdewUponagossamerthread!Hesifts,heweighs,Takesnothingupontrust:histeachersstare,ThecountrypeopleprayforGod’sgoodgrace

340Andtrembleathisdeepexperiments.Allthingsareputtoquestion.HemustliveKnowingthathegrowswisereverydayOrelsenotliveatall–andseeingtooEachlittledropofwisdomasitfallsIntothedimplingcisternofhisheart.MeanwhileoldgrandameearthisgrievedtofindTheplaythingswhichherlovedesignedforhimUnthoughtof:intheirwoodlandbedstheflowersWeep,andtheriversidesareallforlorn.

350

Nowthisishollow–’tisalifeofliesFromthebeginning,andinliesmustend.ForthbringhimtotheairofcommonsenseAnd,freshandshowyasitis,thecorpseSlipsfromusintopowder.Vanity,Thatishissoul.Thereliveshe,andtheremoves–Itisthesoulofeverythingheseeks–Thatgone,nothingisleftwhichhecanlove.Nay,ifathoughtofpurerbirthshouldriseTocarryhimtowardsabetterclime,

360SomebusyhelperstillisonthewatchAmiracleofscientificlore,

Shipshecanguideacrossthepathlesssea,Andtellyoualltheircunning;hecanreadTheinsideoftheearth,andspellthestars;Heknowsthepoliciesofforeignlands;

320Canstringyounamesofdistricts,cities,towns,Thewholeworldover,tightasbeadsofdewUponagossamerthread;hesifts,heweighs;Allthingsareputtoquestion;hemustliveKnowingthathegrowswisereverydayOrelsenotliveatall,andseeingtooEachlittledropofwisdomasitfallsIntothedimplingcisternofhisheart:Forthisunnaturalgrowththetrainerblame,Pitythetree.–Poorhumanvanity,

330Wertthouextinguished,littlewouldbeleftWhichhecouldtrulylove;buthowescape?For,everasathoughtofpurerbirthRisestoleadhimtowardabetterclime,SomeintermeddlerstillisonthewatchTodrivehimback,andpoundhim,likeastray,Withinthepinfoldofhisownconceit.MeanwhileoldgrandameearthisgrievedtofindTheplaythings,whichherlovedesignedforhim,Unthoughtof:intheirwoodlandbedstheflowers

340Weep,andtheriversidesareallforlorn.Todrivehimback,andpoundhimlikeastrayWithinthepinfoldofhisownconceit,Whichishishome,hisnaturaldwellingplace.Oh,giveusonceagainthewishing-capOfFortunatusandtheinvisiblecoatOfJacktheGiant-killer,RobinHoodAndSabraintheforestwithStGeorge!Thechildwhoseloveishere,atleastdoesreapOnepreciousgain–thatheforgetshimself.

370

ThesemightyworkmenofourlaterageWhowithabroadhighwayhaveoverbridgedThefrowardchaosoffuturity,Tamedtotheirbidding;theywhohavetheartTomanagebooks,andthings,andmakethemworkGentlyoninfantmindsasdoesthesunUponaflower–thetutorsofouryouth,Theguides,thewardensofourfacultiesAndstewardsofourlabour,watchfulmenAndskilfulintheusuryoftime,

380SageswhointheirpresciencewouldcontrolAllaccidents,andtotheveryroadWhichtheyhavefashionedwouldconfineusdownLikeengines–whenwilltheybetaughtThatintheunreasoningprogressoftheworldAwiserspiritisatworkforus,Abettereyethantheirs,mostprodigalOfblessingsandmoststudiousofourgood,Eveninwhatseemourmostunfruitfulhours?

Therewasaboy–yeknewhimwell,yecliffs390AndislandsofWinander!–manyatime

Atevening,whenthestarshadjustbegunTomovealongtheedgesofthehills,Risingorsetting,wouldhestandaloneBeneaththetreesorbytheglimmeringlake,Andthere,withfingersinterwoven,bothhandsPressedcloselypalmtopalmandtohismouthUplifted,heasthroughaninstrumentOh!giveusonceagainthewishingcapOfFortunatus,andtheinvisiblecoatOfJacktheGiant-killer,RobinHood,AndSabraintheforestwithSt.George!Thechild,whoseloveishere,atleast,dothreapOnepreciousgain,thatheforgetshimself.

Thesemightyworkmenofourlaterage,Who,withabroadhighway,haveoverbridgedThefrowardchaosoffuturity,

350Tamedtotheirbidding;theywhohavetheskillTomanagebooks,andthings,andmakethemactOninfantmindsassurelyasthesunDealswithaflower;thekeepersofourtime,Theguidesandwardensofourfaculties,SageswhointheirpresciencewouldcontrolAllaccidents,andtotheveryroadWhichtheyhavefashionedwouldconfineusdown,Likeengines;whenwilltheirpresumptionlearn,Thatintheunreasoningprogressoftheworld

360Awiserspiritisatworkforus,Abettereyethantheirs,mostprodigalOfblessings,andmoststudiousofourgood,Eveninwhatseemourmostunfruitfulhours?

TherewasaBoy:yeknewhimwell,yecliffsAndislandsofWinander!–manyatimeAtevening,whentheearlieststarsbeganTomovealongtheedgesofthehills,Risingorsetting,wouldhestandaloneBeneaththetreesorbytheglimmeringlake,

370Andthere,withfingersinterwoven,bothhandsPressedcloselypalmtopalm,andtohismouthUplifted,he,asthroughaninstrument,BlewmimichootingstothesilentowlsThattheymightanswerhim.Andtheywouldshout

400Acrossthewateryvale,andshoutagainResponsivetohiscall,withquiveringpealsAndlonghalloosandscreams,andechoesloudRedoubledandredoubled–concoursewildOfmirthandjocunddin.AndwhenitchancedThatpausesofdeepsilencemockedhisskill,

ThensometimesinthatsilencewhilehehungListening,agentleshockofmildsurpriseHascarriedfarintohisheartthevoiceOfmountaintorrents;orthevisiblescene

410WouldenterunawaresintohismindWithallitssolemnimagery,itsrocks,Itswoods,andthatuncertainheaven,receivedIntothebosomofthesteadylake.

Thisboywastakenfromhismates,anddiedInchildhooderehewasfulltenyearsold.Fairarethewoods,andbeauteousisthespot,Thevalewherehewasborn.ThechurchyardhangsUponaslopeabovethevillage-school,Andthere,alongthatbank,whenIhavepassed

420Atevening,IbelievethatoftentimesAfullhalf-hourtogetherIhavestoodMute,lookingatthegraveinwhichhelies.Evennow,methinks,IhavebeforemysightThatself-samevillagechurch;Iseehersit(Thethronèdladyspokenoferewhile)Onhergreenhill,forgetfulofthisboyWhoslumbersatherfeet–forgetfultooOfallhersilentneighbourhoodofgraves,Andlisteningonlytothegladsomesounds

430That,fromtheruralschoolascending,playBeneathherandabouther.MayshelongBeholdaraceofyoungonesliketothoseWithwhomIherded!–easilyindeedWemighthavefeduponafattersoilOfartsandletters,butbethatforgiven–Blewmimichootingstothesilentowls,Thattheymightanswerhim;andtheywouldshoutAcrossthewateryvale,andshoutagain,Responsivetohiscall,withquiveringpeals,Andlonghalloosandscreams,andechoesloud,

Redoubledandredoubled,concoursewildOfjocunddin;and,whenalengthenedpause

380Ofsilencecameandbaffledhisbestskill,Thensometimes,inthatsilencewhilehehungListening,agentleshockofmildsurpriseHascarriedfarintohisheartthevoiceOfmountaintorrents;orthevisiblesceneWouldenterunawaresintohismind,Withallitssolemnimagery,itsrocks,Itswoods,andthatuncertainheaven,receivedIntothebosomofthesteadylake.

ThisBoywastakenfromhismates,anddied390Inchildhood,erehewasfulltwelveyearsold.

Fairisthespot,mostbeautifulthevaleWherehewasborn;thegrassychurchyardhangsUponaslopeabovethevillageschool,AndthroughthatchurchyardwhenmywayhasledOnsummerevenings,IbelievethatthereAlonghalfhourtogetherIhavestoodMute,lookingatthegraveinwhichhelies!Evennowappearsbeforethemind’scleareyeThatself-samevillagechurch;Iseehersit

400(ThethronèdLadywhomerewhilewehailed)Onhergreenhill,forgetfulofthisBoyWhoslumbersatherfeet,–forgetful,too,Ofallhersilentneighbourhoodofgraves,AndlisteningonlytothegladsomesoundsThat,fromtheruralschoolascending,playBeneathherandabouther.MayshelongBeholdaraceofyoungonesliketothoseWithwhomIherded!–(easily,indeed,Wemighthavefeduponafattersoil

410Ofartsandletters–butbethatforgiven)–Araceofrealchildren,nottoowise,

Toolearnèd,ortoogood,butwanton,fresh,Andbandiedupanddownbyloveandhate;Fierce,moody,patient,venturous,modest,shy,

440Madattheirsportslikewitheredleavesinwinds;Thoughdoingwrongandsuffering,andfulloftBendingbeneathourlife’smysteriousweightOfpainandfear,yetstillinhappinessNotyieldingtothehappiestuponearth.Simplicityinhabit,truthinspeech,Bethesethedailystrengthenersoftheirminds;Maybooksandnaturebetheirearlyjoy,Andknowledgerightlyhonouredwiththatname–Knowledgenotpurchasedwiththelossofpower!

450

WelldoIcalltomindtheveryweekWhenIwasfirstentrustedtothecareOfthatsweetvalley–whenitspaths,itsshoresAndbrooks,werelikeadreamofnoveltyTomyhalf-infantthoughts–thatveryweek,WhileIwasrovingupanddownaloneSeekingIknewnotwhat,IchancedtocrossOneofthoseopenfieldswhich,shapedlikeears,MakegreenpeninsulasonEsthwaite’sLake.Twilightwascomingon,yetthroughthegloom

460IsawdistinctlyontheoppositeshoreAheapofgarments,left,asIsupposed,Byonewhotherewasbathing.LongIwatched,Butnooneownedthem;meanwhilethecalmlakeGrewdarkwithalltheshadowsonitsbreast,Andnowandthenafishup-leapingsnappedThebreathlessstillness.Thesucceedingday(Thoseunclaimedgarmentstellingaplaintale)Wentthereacompany,andintheirboatSoundedwithgrapplingironsandlongpoles.

470

Atlength,thedeadman,midthatbeauteoussceneAraceofrealchildren;nottoowise,Toolearned,ortoogood;butwanton,fresh,Andbandiedupanddownbyloveandhate;Notunresentfulwhereself-justified;Fierce,moody,patient,venturous,modest,shy;Madattheirsportslikewitheredleavesinwinds;Thoughdoingwrongandsuffering,andfulloftBendingbeneathourlife’smysteriousweightOfpain,anddoubt,andfear,yetyieldingnot

420Inhappinesstothehappiestuponearth.Simplicityinhabit,truthinspeech,Bethesethedailystrengthenersoftheirminds;MaybooksandNaturebetheirearlyjoy!Andknowledge,rightlyhonouredwiththatname–Knowledgenotpurchasedbythelossofpower!

WelldoIcalltomindtheveryweekWhenIwasfirstintrustedtothecareOfthatsweetValley;whenitspaths,itsshores,Andbrookswerelikeadreamofnovelty

430Tomyhalf-infantthoughts;thatveryweek,WhileIwasrovingupanddownalone,SeekingIknewnotwhat,IchancedtocrossOneofthoseopenfields,which,shapedlikeears,MakegreenpeninsulasonEsthwaite’sLake:Twilightwascomingon,yetthroughthegloomAppeareddistinctlyontheoppositeshoreAheapofgarments,asifleftbyoneWhomighthavetherebeenbathing.LongIwatched,Butnooneownedthem;meanwhilethecalmlake

440Grewdarkwithalltheshadowsonitsbreast,And,nowandthen,afishup-leapingsnappedThebreathlessstillness.Thesucceedingday,ThoseunclaimedgarmentstellingaplaintaleDrewtothespotananxiouscrowd;somelooked

Inpassiveexpectationfromtheshore,Whilefromaboatothershungo’erthedeep,Soundingwithgrapplingironsandlongpoles.Atlast,thedeadman,‘midthatbeauteoussceneOftreesandhillsandwater,boltuprightRosewithhisghastlyface–aspectreshape,Ofterroreven.Andyetnovulgarfear,YoungasIwas(achildnotnineyearsold),Possessedme,formyinnereyehadseenSuchsightsbeforeamongtheshiningstreamsOffairyland,theforestsofromance.ThencecameaspirithallowingwhatIsawWithdecorationandidealgrace,

480Adignity,asmoothness,liketheworksOfGrecianartandpurestpoesy.

Ihadaprecioustreasureatthattime,Alittleyellowcanvas-coveredbook,AslenderabstractoftheArabianTales;AndwhenIlearned,asnowIfirstdidlearnFrommycompanionsinthisnewabode,ThatthisdearprizeofminewasbutablockHewnfromamightyquarry–inaword,Thattherewerefourlargevolumes,ladenall

490Withkindredmatter–‘twasintruthtomeApromisescarcelyearthly.InstantlyImadealeague,acovenantwithafriendOfmyownage,thatweshouldlayasideThemoneyswepossessed,andhoardupmore,TillourjointsavingshadamassedenoughTomakethisbookourown.ThroughseveralmonthsReligiouslydidwepreservethatvow,AndspiteofalltemptationhoardedupAndhoardedup;butfirmnessfailedatlength,

500Norwereweevermastersofourwish.

Andafterwards,whentomyfather’shouseReturningattheholidaysIfoundThatgoldenstoreofbookswhichIhadleftOpentomyenjoymentonceagain,Whatheartwasmine!FulloftenthroughthecourseOfthosegladrespitesinthesummer-timeWhenarmedwithrodandlinewewentabroadOftreesandhillsandwater,boltupright

450Rose,withhisghastlyface,aspectreshapeOfterror;yetnosoul-debasingfear,YoungasIwas,achildnotnineyearsold,Possessedme,formyinnereyehadseenSuchsightsbefore,amongtheshiningstreamsOffaëryland,theforestofromance.TheirspirithallowedthesadspectacleWithdecorationofidealgrace;Adignity,asmoothness,liketheworksOfGrecianart,andpurestpoesy.

460

AprecioustreasurehadIlongpossessed,Alittleyellow,canvas-coveredbook,AslenderabstractoftheArabiantales;And,fromcompanionsinanewabode,WhenfirstIlearnt,thatthisdearprizeofmineWasbutablockhewnfromamightyquarry–Thattherewerefourlargevolumes,ladenallWithkindredmatter,‘twastome,intruth,Apromisescarcelyearthly.Instantly,Withonenotricherthanmyself,Imade

470AcovenantthateachshouldlayasideThemoneyshepossessed,andhoardupmore,TillourjointsavingshadamassedenoughTomakethisbookourown.Throughseveralmonths,Inspiteofalltemptation,wepreservedReligiouslythatvow;butfirmnessfailed,

Norwereweevermastersofourwish.

Andwhenthereaftertomyfather’shouseTheholidaysreturnedme,theretofindThatgoldenstoreofbookswhichIhadleft,

480Whatjoywasmine!HowofteninthecourseOfthosegladrespites,thoughasoftwestwindRuffledthewaterstotheangler’swishForawholedaytogether,IhavelainDownbythyside,oDerwent,murmuringstream,

510Onthehotstonesandintheglaringsun,Andtherehaveread,devouringasIread,Defraudingtheday’sglory–desperate–TillwithasuddenboundofsmartreproachSuchasanidlerdealswithinhisshameItomysportbetookmyselfagain.

Agraciousspirito’erthisearthpresides,Ando’ertheheartofman:invisiblyItcomes,directingthosetoworksofloveWhocarenot,knownot,thinknotwhattheydo.

520ThetalesthatcharmawaythewakefulnightInAraby,romances,legendspennedForsolacebythelightofmonkishlamps;Fictionsforladies,oftheirlove,devisedByyouthfulsquires;adventuresendless,spunBythedismantledwarriorinoldageOutofthebowelsofthoseverythoughtsInwhichhisyouthdidfirstextravagate–Thesespreadlikeday,andsomethingintheshapeOfthesewilllivetillmanshallbenomore.

530Dumbyearnings,hiddenappetites,areours,Andtheymusthavetheirfood.Ourchildhoodsits,Oursimplechildhoodsits,uponathroneThathasmorepowerthanalltheelements.Iguessnotwhatthistellsofbeingpast,

Norwhatitaugursofthelifetocome,Butsoitis.Andinthatdubioushour,ThattwilightwhenwefirstbegintoseeThisdawningearth,torecognize,expect,And,inthelongprobationthatensues

540(Thetimeoftrial,erewelearntoliveInreconcilementwithourstintedpowers),Toendurethisstateofmeagrevassalage,Unwillingtoforego,confess,submit,Uneasyandunsettled–yoke-fellowsForawholedaytogether,haveIlainDownbythyside,ODerwent!murmuringstream,Onthehotstones,andintheglaringsun,Andtherehaveread,devouringasIread,Defraudingtheday’sglory,desperate!Tillwithasuddenboundofsmartreproach,Suchasanidlerdealswithinhisshame,

490Itothesportbetookmyselfagain.

Agraciousspirito’erthisearthpresides,Ando’ertheheartofman:invisiblyItcomes,toworksofunreproveddelight,Andtendencybenign,directingthoseWhocarenot,knownot,thinknotwhattheydo.ThetalesthatcharmawaythewakefulnightInAraby,romances;legendspennedForsolacebydimlightofmonkishlamps;Fictions,forladiesoftheirlove,devised

500Byyouthfulsquires;adventuresendless,spunBythedismantledwarriorinoldage,OutofthebowelsofthoseveryschemesInwhichhisyouthdidfirstextravagate;Thesespreadlikeday,andsomethingintheshapeOfthesewilllivetillmanshallbenomore.Dumbyearnings,hiddenappetites,areours,Andtheymusthavetheirfood.Ourchildhoodsits,

Oursimplechildhood,sitsuponathroneThathathmorepowerthanalltheelements.

510IguessnotwhatthistellsofBeingpast,Norwhatitaugursofthelifetocome;Butsoitis,and,inthatdubioushour,ThattwilightwhenwefirstbegintoseeThisdawningearth,torecognise,expect,Andinthelongprobationthatensues,Thetimeoftrial,erewelearntoliveInreconcilementwithourstintedpowers;Toendurethisstateofmeagrevassalage,Unwillingtoforego,confess,submit,

520Uneasyandunsettled,yoke-fellowsTocustom,mettlesome,andnotyettamedAndhumbleddown–oh,thenwefeel,wefeel,Weknow,whenwehavefriends!Yedreamers,then–Forgersoflawlesstales!–weblessyouthen(Impostors,drivellers,dotards,astheape

550Philosophywillcallyou),thenwefeelWithwhat,andhowgreatmightyeareinleague,Whomakeourwish,ourpower,ourthoughtadeed,Anempire,apossession;yewhomtimeAndseasonsserve–allfaculties–towhomEarthcrouches,theelementsarepotter’sclay,Spacelikeaheavenfilledupwithnorthernlights,Here,nowhere,there,andeverywhereatonce.

ItmightdemandamoreimpassionedstrainTotelloflaterpleasures,linkedtothese,

560AtractofthesameisthmuswhichwecrossInprogressfromournativecontinentToearthandhumanlife–ImeantospeakOfthatdelightfultimeofgrowingyouthWhencravingsforthemarvellousrelent,

Andwebegintolovewhatwehaveseen;Andsobertruth,experience,sympathy,Takestrongerholdofus,andwordsthemselvesMoveuswithconsciouspleasure.IamsadAtthoughtofrapturesnowforeverflown;

570EvenuntotearsIsometimescouldbesadTothinkof,toreadover,manyapage–Poemswithalofname–whichatthetimeDidneverfailtoentranceme,andarenowDeadinmyeyesasisatheatreFreshemptiedofspectators.Thirteenyears,Orhaplyless,ImighthaveseenwhenfirstMyearsbegantoopentothecharmOfwordsintunefulorder,foundthemsweetFortheirownsakes–apassionandapower–Tocustom,mettlesome,andnotyettamedAndhumbleddown;oh!thenwefeel,wefeel,Weknowwherewehavefriends.Yedreamers,then,Forgersofdaringtales!weblessyouthen,Impostors,drivellers,dotards,astheapePhilosophywillcallyou:thenwefeelWithwhat,andhowgreatmightyeareinleague,Whomakeourwish,ourpower,ourthoughtadeed,Anempire,apossession,–yewhomtime

530Andseasonsserve;allFacultiestowhomEarthcrouches,theelementsarepotter’sclay,Spacelikeaheavenfilledupwithnorthernlights,Here,nowhere,there,andeverywhereatonce.

RelinquishingthisloftyeminenceForground,thoughhumbler,notthelessatractOfthesameisthmus,whichourspiritscrossInprogressfromtheirnativecontinentToearthandhumanlife,theSongmightdwellOnthatdelightfultimeofgrowingyouth,

540Whencravingforthemarvellousgivesway

Tostrengtheningloveforthingsthatwehaveseen;Whensobertruthandsteadysympathies,Offeredtonoticebylessdaringpens,Takefirmerholdofus,andwordsthemselvesMoveuswithconsciouspleasure.

IamsadAtthoughtofrapturesnowforeverflown;AlmosttotearsIsometimescouldbesadTothinkof,toreadover,manyapage,Poemswithalofname,whichatthattime

550Didneverfailtoentranceme,andarenowDeadinmyeyes,deadasatheatreFreshemptiedofspectators.TwicefiveyearsOrlessImighthaveseen,whenfirstmymindWithconsciouspleasureopenedtothecharmOfwordsintunefulorder,foundthemsweetFortheirownsakes,apassion,andapower;

580Andphrasespleasedmechosenfordelight,Forpomp,orlove.

Oftinthepublicroads,Yetunfrequented,whilethemorninglightWasyellowingthehill-tops,withthatdearfriend(ThesamewhomIhavementionedheretofore)Iwentabroad,andforthebetterpartOftwodelightfulhourswestrolledalongBythestillbordersofthemistylakeRepeatingfavouriteverseswithonevoice,Orconningmore,ashappyasthebirds

590Thatrounduschanted.Wellmightwebeglad,LiftedabovethegroundbyairyfanciesMorebrightthanmadnessorthedreamsofwine.AndthoughfullofttheobjectsofourloveWerefalse,andintheirsplendouroverwrought,Yetsurelyatsuchtimenovulgarpower

Wasworkinginus–nothinglessintruthThanthatmostnobleattributeofman(Thoughyetuntutoredandinordinate),Thatwishforsomethingloftier,moreadorned,

600Thanisthecommonaspect,dailygarb,Ofhumanlife.WhatwonderthenifsoundsOfexultationechoedthroughthegroves!Forimages,andsentiments,andwords,AndeverythingwithwhichwehadtodoInthatdeliciousworldofpoesy,Keptholiday,anever-endingshowWithmusic,incense,festival,andflowers!

HeremustIpause:thisonlywillIadd,Fromheart-experience,andinhumblestsense

610Ofmodesty,thathe,whoinhisyouthAwandereramongthewoodsandfieldsWithlivingnaturehathbeenintimate,NotonlyinthatrawunpractisedtimeIsstirredtoecstasy(asothersare)Byglitteringverse,buthedoesfurthermore,Andphrasespleasedmechosenfordelight,Forpomp,orlove.Oft,inthepublicroadsYetunfrequented,whilethemorninglight

560Wasyellowingthehilltops,IwentabroadWithadearfriend,andforthebetterpartOftwodelightfulhourswestrolledalongBythestillbordersofthemistylake,Repeatingfavouriteverseswithonevoice,Orconningmore,ashappyasthebirdsThatrounduschaunted.Wellmightwebeglad,Liftedabovethegroundbyairyfancies,Morebrightthanmadnessorthedreamsofwine;And,thoughfullofttheobjectsofourlove

570Werefalse,andintheirsplendouroverwrought,

YetwastheresurelythennovulgarpowerWorkingwithinus,–nothingless,intruth,Thanthatmostnobleattributeofman,Thoughyetuntutoredandinordinate,Thatwishforsomethingloftier,moreadorned,Thanisthecommonaspect,dailygarb,Ofhumanlife.Whatwonder,then,ifsoundsOfexultationechoedthroughthegroves!For,images,andsentiments,andwords,

580AndeverythingencounteredorpursuedInthatdeliciousworldofpoesy,Keptholiday,anever-endingshow,Withmusic,incense,festival,andflowers!

Heremustwepause:thisonlyletmeadd,Fromheart-experience,andinhumblestsenseOfmodesty,thathe,whoinhisyouthAdailywandereramongwoodsandfieldsWithlivingNaturehathbeenintimate,Notonlyinthatrawunpractisedtime

590Isstirredtoextasy,asothersare,Byglitteringverse;butfurther,dothreceive,Inmeasureonlydealtouttohimself,ReceiveenduringtouchesofdeepjoyFromthegreatnaturethatexistsinworksOfmightypoets.Visionarypower

620AttendsuponthemotionsofthewindsEmbodiedinthemysteryofwords;Theredarknessmakesabode,andallthehostOfshadowythingsdoworktheirchangesthere,Asinamansionliketheirproperhome.EvenformsandsubstancesarecircumfusedBythattransparentveilwithlightdivine,AndthroughtheturningsintricateofversePresentthemselvesasobjectsrecognizedInflashes,andwithagloryscarcetheirown.

630

ThusfarascantyrecordisdeducedOfwhatIowedtobooksinearlylife;Theirlaterinfluenceyetremainsuntold,ButasthisworkwastakinginmythoughtsProportionsthatseemedlargerthanhadfirstBeenmeditated,IwasindisposedToanyfurtherprogressatatimeWhentheseacknowledgementswereleftunpaid.Inmeasureonlydealtouttohimself,KnowledgeandincreaseofenduringjoyFromthegreatNaturethatexistsinworksOfmightyPoets.VisionarypowerAttendsthemotionsoftheviewlesswinds,Embodiedinthemysteryofwords:There,darknessmakesabode,andallthehostOfshadowythingsworkendlesschanges,–there,

600Asinamansionliketheirproperhome,EvenformsandsubstancesarecircumfusedBythattransparentveilwithlightdivine,And,throughtheturningsintricateofverse,Presentthemselvesasobjectsrecognised,Inflashes,andwithglorynottheirown.

BookSixthCAMBRIDGEANDTHEALPS

TheleaveswereyellowwhentoFurnessFells,Thehauntofshepherds,andtocottagelifeIbadeadieu,and,oneamongtheflockWhobythatseasonareconvened,likebirdsTroopingtogetheratthefowler’slure,WentbacktoGranta’scloisters–notsofondOreager,thoughasgayandundepressedInspirit,aswhenIthencehadtakenflightAfewshortmonthsbefore.Iturnedmyface

10WithoutrepiningfromthemountainpompOfautumn,anditsbeauty(enteredinWithcalmerlakesandlouderstreams);andyou,Frank-heartedmaidsofrockyCumberland,Youandyournotunwelcomedaysofmirth,Iquitted,andyournightsofrevelry,AndinmyownunlovelycellsatdownInlightsomemood.Suchprivilegehasyouth,Thatcannottakelongleaveofpleasantthoughts!

Weneednotlingero’ertheensuingtime,20Butletmeaddatoncethatnow,thebonds

OfindolentandvaguesocietyRelaxingintheirhold,IlivedhenceforthMoretomyself,readmore,reflectedmore,Feltmore,andsettleddailyintohabitsMorepromising.TwowintersmaybepassedWithoutaseparatenotice;manybooksWerereadinprocessofthistime–devoured,Tastedorskimmed,orstudiouslyperused–Yetwithnosettledplan.Iwasdetached

BookSixthCAMBRIDGEANDTHEALPS

TheleaveswerefadingwhentoEsthwaite’sbanksAndthesimplicitiesofcottagelifeIbadefarewell;and,oneamongtheyouthWho,summonedbythatseason,reuniteAsscatteredbirdstrooptothefowler’slure,WentbacktoGranta’scloisters,notsopromptOreager,thoughasgayandundepressedInmind,aswhenIthencehadtakenflightAfewshortmonthsbefore.Iturnedmyface

10WithoutrepiningfromthecovesandheightsClothedinthesunshineofthewitheringfern;Quitted,notloth,themildmagnificenceOfcalmerlakesandlouderstreams;andyou,Frank-heartedmaidsofrockyCumberland,Youandyournotunwelcomedaysofmirth,Relinquished,andyournightsofrevelry,AndinmyownunlovelycellsatedownInlightsomemood–suchprivilegehasyouthThatcannottakelongleaveofpleasantthoughts.

20 ThebondsofindolentsocietyRelaxingintheirhold,henceforthIlivedMoretomyself.TwowintersmaybepassedWithoutaseparatenotice:manybooksWereskimmed,devoured,orstudiouslyperused,Butwithnosettledplan.Iwasdetached

30Internallyfromacademiccares,Fromeveryhopeofprowessandreward,Andwishedtobealodgerinthathouse

Ofletters,andnomore–andshouldhavebeenEvensuch,butforsomepersonalconcernsThathungaboutmeinmyowndespitePerpetually,noheavyweight,butstillAbafflingandahindrance,acontrolWhichmadethethoughtofplanningformyselfAcourseofindependentstudyseem

40AnactofdisobediencetowardsthemWholovedme,proudrebellionandunkind.Thisbastardvirtue–ratherletithaveAnameitmoredeserves,thiscowardice–Gavetreacheroussanctiontothatover-loveOffreedomplantedinmefromthefirst,Andindolence,byforceofwhichIturnedFromregulationsevenofmyownAsfromrestraintsandbonds.Andwhocantell,Whoknowswhatthusmayhavebeengained,boththen

50Andatalaterseason,orpreserved–Whatloveofnature,whatoriginalstrengthOfcontemplation,whatintuitivetruthsThedeepestandthebest,andwhatresearchUnbiassed,unbewildered,andunawed?

Thepoet’ssoulwaswithmeatthattime,Sweetmeditations,thestilloverflowOfhappinessandtruth.AthousandhopesWeremine,athousandtenderdreams,ofwhichNofewhavesincebeenrealized,andsome

60Doyetremain,hopesformyfuturelife.Fouryearsandthirty,toldthisveryweek,HaveIbeennowasojourneronearth,AndyetthemorninggladnessisnotgoneWhichthenwasinmymind.ThosewerethedaysWhichalsofirstencouragedmetotrustWithfirmness(hithertobutlightlytouchedInternallyfromacademiccares;

YetindependentstudyseemedacourseOfhardydisobediencetowardfriendsAndkindred,proudrebellionandunkind.

30Thisspuriousvirtue,ratherletitbearAnameitnowdeserves,thiscowardice,Gavetreacheroussanctiontothatover-loveOffreedomwhichencouragedmetoturnFromregulationsevenofmyownAsfrom,restraintsandbonds.Yetwhocantell–Whoknowswhatthusmayhavebeengained,boththenAndatalaterseason,orpreserved;Whatloveofnature,whatoriginalstrengthOfcontemplation,whatintuitivetruths,

40Thedeepestandthebest,whatkeenresearch,Unbiassed,unbewildered,andunawed?

ThePoet’ssoulwaswithmeatthattime;Sweetmeditations,thestilloverflowOfpresenthappiness,whilefutureyearsLackednotanticipations,tenderdreams,Nofewofwhichhavesincebeenrealised;Andsomeremain,hopesformyfuturelife.Fouryearsandthirty,toldthisveryweek,HaveIbeennowasojourneronearth,

50Bysorrownotunsmitten;yetformeLife’smorningradiancehathnotleftthehills,Herdewisontheflowers.ThosewerethedaysWhichalsofirstemboldenedmetotrustWithfirmness,hithertobutlightlytouchedWithsuchadaringthought)thatImightleaveSomemonumentbehindmewhichpureheartsShouldreverence.Theinstinctivehumbleness,

70UpheldevenbytheverynameandthoughtOfprintedbooksandauthorship,beganTomeltaway;andfurther,thedreadawe

OfmightynameswassofteneddownandseemedApproachable,admittingfellowshipOfmodestsympathy.Suchaspectnow,Thoughnotfamiliarly,mymindputon:Iloved,andIenjoyed–thatwasmychiefAndrulingbusiness–happyinthestrengthAndlovelinessofimageryandthought.

80 Allwinterlong,wheneverfreetotakeMychoice,didIatnightsfrequentourgrovesAndtributarywalks–thelast,andoftTheonlyone,whohadbeenlingeringthereThroughhoursofsilencetilltheporter’sbell,Apunctualfolloweronthestrokeofnine,Rangwithitsbluntunceremoniousvoice,Inexorablesummons!Loftyelms,Invitingshadesofopportunerecess,Didgivecomposuretoaneighbourhood

90Unpeacefulinitself.AsingletreeTherewas(nodoubtyetstandingthere),anashWithsinuoustrunk,boughsexquisitelywreathed.UpfromthegroundandalmosttothetopThetrunkandmasterbrancheseverywhereWeregreenwithivy,andthelightsometwigsAndoutersprayprofuselytippedwithseedsThathunginyellowtasselsandfestoons,Movingorstill–afavouritetrimmedoutBywinterforhimself,asifinpride,

100Andwithoutlandishgrace.OfthaveIstoodFoot-bounduplookingatthislovelytreeBeneathafrostymoon.ThehemisphereOfmagicfiction,verseofmineperhapsMaynevertread,butscarcelySpenser’sselfBysuchadaringthought,thatImightleaveSomemonumentbehindmewhichpureheartsShouldreverence.Theinstinctivehumbleness,

MaintainedevenbytheverynameandthoughtOfprintedbooksandauthorship,began

60Tomeltaway;andfurther,thedreadaweOfmightynameswassofteneddownandseemedApproachable,admittingfellowshipOfmodestsympathy.Suchaspectnow,Thoughnotfamiliarly,mymindputon,Contenttoobserve,toachieve,andtoenjoy.

Allwinterlong,wheneverfreetochoose,DidIbynightfrequenttheCollegegrovesAndtributarywalks;thelast,andoftTheonlyone,whohadbeenlingeringthere

70Throughhoursofsilence,tilltheporter’sbell,Apunctualfolloweronthestrokeofnine,Rangwithitsbluntunceremoniousvoice,Inexorablesummons!Loftyelms,Invitingshadesofopportunerecess,BestowedcomposureonaneighbourhoodUnpeacefulinitself.AsingletreeWithsinuoustrunk,boughsexquisitelywreathed,Grewthere;anashwhichWinterforhimselfDeckedasinpride,andwithoutlandishgrace:

80Upfromtheground,andalmosttothetop,ThetrunkandeverymasterbranchweregreenWithclusteringivy,andthelightsometwigsAndoutersprayprofuselytippedwithseedsThathunginyellowtassels,whiletheairStirredthem,notvoiceless.OftenhaveIstoodFoot-bounduplookingatthislovelytreeBeneathafrostymoon.ThehemisphereOfmagicfiction,verseofmineperchanceMaynevertread;butscarcelySpenser’sselfCouldhavemoretranquilvisionsinhisyouth–MorebrightappearancescouldscarcelyseeOfhumanformsandsuperhumanpowers–

ThanIbeheldstandingonwinternightsAlonebeneaththisfairy-workofearth.

110 ’TwouldbeawasteoflabourtodetailTheramblingstudiesofatruantyouth–Whichfurthermaybeeasilydivined,What,andwhatkindtheywere.Myinnerknowledge(ThisbarelywillInote)wasoftindepthAnddelicacylikeanothermindSequesteredfrommyoutwardtasteinbooks.AndyetthebookswhichthenIlovedthemostAredearesttomenow;for,beingversedInlivingnature,Ihadthereaguide

120Whichopenedfrequentlymyeyes,elseshut,Astandardwhichwasusefullyapplied,Evenwhenunconsciously,tootherthingsWhichlessIunderstood.IngeneraltermsIwasabetterjudgeofthoughtsthanwords,Misledastotheselatter,notaloneBycommoninexperienceofyouthButbythetradeinclassicniceties(Delusiontoyoungscholarsincident,Andoldonesalso)bythatoverprized

130AnddangerouscraftofpickingphrasesoutFromlanguagesthatwantthelivingvoiceTomakeofthemanaturetotheheart–Totelluswhatispassion,whatistruth,Whatreason,whatsimplicityandsense.

YetmustInotentirelyoverlookThepleasuregatheredfromtheelementsOfgeometricscience.IhadsteppedIntheseenquiriesbutalittleway,Nofartherthanthethreshold(withregret

140SincereImentionthis),butthereIfoundEnoughtoexalt,tocheerme,andcompose.

90Couldhavemoretranquilvisionsinhisyouth,OrcouldmorebrightappearancescreateOfhumanformswithsuperhumanpowers,ThanIbeheldloiteringoncalmclearnightsAlone,beneaththisfairyworkofearth.

Onthevaguereadingofatruantyouth’Twereidletodescant.MyinnerjudgmentNotseldomdifferedfrommytasteinbooks,Asifitappertainedtoanothermind,AndyetthebookswhichthenIvaluedmost

100Aredearesttomenow;for,havingscanned,Notheedlessly,thelaws,andwatchedtheformsOfNature,inthatknowledgeIpossessedAstandard,oftenusefullyapplied,Evenwhenunconsciously,tothingsremovedFromafamiliarsympathy.–Infine,Iwasabetterjudgeofthoughtsthanwords,Misledinestimatingwords,notonlyBycommoninexperienceofyouth,Butbythetradeinclassicniceties,

110ThedangerouscraftofcullingtermandphraseFromlanguagesthatwantthelivingvoiceTocarrymeaningtothenaturalheart;Totelluswhatispassion,whatistruth,Whatreason,whatsimplicityandsense.

YetmaywenotentirelyoverlookThepleasuregatheredfromtherudimentsOfgeometricscience.ThoughadvancedIntheseinquiries,withregretIspeak,Nofartherthanthethreshold,thereIfound

120Bothelevationandcomposeddelight:WithIndianaweandwonder,ignoranceWhichevenwascherished,didImeditateUpontheallianceofthosesimple,pure

ProportionsandrelationswiththeframeAndlawsofnature–howtheycouldbecomeHereinaleadertothehumanmind–AndmadeendeavoursfrequenttodetectTheprocessbydarkguessesofmyown.

150YetfromthissourcemorefrequentlyIdrewApleasurecalmanddeeper,astillsenseOfpermanentanduniversalswayAndparamountendowmentinthemind,AnimagenotunworthyoftheoneSurpassinglifewhich–outofspaceandtime,Nortouchedbywelteringsofpassion–is,Andhasthenameof,God.TranscendentpeaceAndsilencedidawaituponthesethoughtsThatwereafrequentcomforttomyyouth.

160 AndasIhavereadofonebyshipwreckthrownWithfellow-suffererswhomthewaveshadsparedUponaregionuninhabited,Anislandofthedeep,who,havingbroughtTolandasinglevolumeandnomore–Atreatiseofgeometry–wasused,AlthoughoffoodandclothingdestituteAndbeyondcommonwretchednessdepressed,Topartfromcompanyandtakethisbook(Thenfirstaself-taughtpupilinthosetruths)

170TospotsremoteandcornersoftheisleBythesea-side,anddrawhisdiagramsWithalongstickuponthesand,andthusDidoftbeguilehissorrowandalmostForgethisfeeling–evenso(ifthingsProducinglikeeffect,fromoutwardcauseWithIndianaweandwonder,ignorancepleasedWithitsownstruggles,didImeditateOntherelationthoseabstractionsbearToNature’slaws,andbywhatprocessled,

ThoseimmaterialagentsbowedtheirheadsDulytoservethemindofearth-bornman;Fromstartostar,fromkindredspheretosphere,Fromsystemontosystemwithoutend.

MorefrequentlyfromthesamesourceIdrew130Apleasurequietandprofound,asense

Ofpermanentanduniversalsway,Andparamountbelief;there,recognisedAtype,forfinitenatures,oftheoneSupremeExistence,thesurpassinglifeWhich–totheboundariesofspaceandtime,Ofmelancholyspaceanddolefultime,Superior,andincapableofchange,Nortouchedbywelteringsofpassion–is,Andhaththenameof,God.Transcendentpeace

140AndsilencedidawaituponthesethoughtsThatwereafrequentcomforttomyyouth.

’Tistoldbyonewhomstormywatersthrew,Withfellow-sufferersbytheshipwreckspared,Uponadesertcoast,thathavingbroughtTolandasinglevolume,savedbychance,AtreatiseofGeometry,hewont,Althoughoffoodandclothingdestitute,Andbeyondcommonwretchednessdepressed,Topartfromcompanyandtakethisbook

150(Thenfirstaself-taughtpupilinitstruths)Tospotsremote,anddrawhisdiagramsWithalongstaffuponthesand,andthusDidoftbeguilehissorrow,andalmostForgethisfeeling:so(iflikeeffectFromthesamecauseproduced,’midoutwardthingsSodifferent,mayrightlybecompared),Sowasitwithmethen,andsowillbeWithpoetsever.Mightyisthecharm

Ofthoseabstractionstoamindbeset180Withimagesandhauntedbyitself,

AndspeciallydelightfuluntomeWasthatclearsynthesisbuiltupaloftSogracefully,eventhenwhenitappearedNomorethanasaplaything,oratoyEmbodiedtothesense–notwhatitisInverity,anindependentworldCreatedoutofpureintelligence.

Suchdispositionsthenweremine,almostThroughgraceofheavenandinborntenderness.

190AndnottoleavethepictureofthattimeImperfect,withthesehabitsImustrankAmelancholy(fromhumoursofthebloodInpart,andpartlytakenup)thatlovedApensivesky,saddays,andpipingwinds,Thetwilightmorethandawn,autumnthanspring–Atreasuredandluxuriousgloom,ofchoiceAndinclinationmainly,andthemereRedundancyofyouth’scontentedness.Adduntothisamultitudeofhours

200PilferedawaybywhatthebardwhosangOftheenchanterIndolencehascalled‘Good-naturedlounging’,andbeholdamapOfmycollegiatelife–farlessintenseThandutycalledfor,or,withoutregardToduty,mighthavesprungupofitselfBychangeofaccidents,oreven(tospeakWithoutunkindness)inanotherplace.Sodifferent,mayrightlybecompared),Sowasitthenwithme,andsowillbeWithPoetsever.MightyisthecharmOfthoseabstractionstoamindbeset

160Withimages,andhauntedbyherself,

AndspeciallydelightfuluntomeWasthatclearsynthesisbuiltupaloftSogracefully;eventhenwhenitappearedNotmorethanamereplaything,oratoyTosenseembodied:notthethingitisInverity,anindependentworld,Createdoutofpureintelligence.

SuchdispositionsthenweremineunearnedByaught,Ifear,ofgenuinedesert–

170Mine,throughheaven’sgraceandinbornaptitudes.AndnottoleavethestoryofthattimeImperfect,withthesehabitsmustbejoined,Moodsmelancholy,fitsofspleen,thatlovedApensivesky,saddays,andpipingwinds,Thetwilightmorethandawn,autumnthanspring;AtreasuredandluxuriousgloomofchoiceAndinclinationmainly,andthemereRedundancyofyouth’scontentedness.–Totimethusspent,addmultitudesofhours

180Pilferedaway,bywhattheBardwhosangOftheEnchanterIndolencehathcalled‘Good-naturedlounging,’andbeholdamapOfmycollegiatelife–farlessintenseThandutycalledfor,or,withoutregardToduty,mighthavesprungupofitselfBychangeofaccidents,oreven,tospeakWithoutunkindness,inanotherplace.Yetwhytakerefugeinthatplea?–thefault,ThisIrepeat,wasmine;minebetheblame.InsummeramongdistantnooksIroved(Dovedale,orYorkshiredales,orthroughbye-tracts

210Ofmyownnativeregion)andwasblestBetweenthosesundrywanderingswithajoyAbovealljoys,thatseemedanothermornRisenonmidnoon:thepresence,friend,Imean

Ofthatsolesister,shewhohasbeenlongThytreasurealso,thytruefriendandmine,NowafterseparationdesolateRestoredtome–suchabsencethatsheseemedAgiftthenfirstbestowed.ThegentlebanksOfEmont,hithertounnamedinsong,

220Andthatmonasticcastle,onaflatLow-standingbythemarginofthestream,AmansionnotunvisitedofoldBySidney,where,insightofourHelvellyn,Somesnatcheshemightpen,foraughtweknow,OfhisArcadia,byfraternalloveInspired–thatriverandthatmoulderingdomeHaveseenussitinmanyasummerhour,Mysisterandmyself,when,havingclimbedIndangerthroughsomewindow’sopenspace,

230Welookedabroad,orontheturret’sheadLaylisteningtothewildflowersandthegrassAstheygaveouttheirwhisperstothewind.

Anothermaidtherewas,whoalsobreathedAgladnesso’erthatseason,thentomeByherexultingoutsidelookofyouthAndplacidunder-countenancefirstendeared–

190Insummer,makingquestforworksofart,Orscenesrenownedforbeauty,IexploredThatstreamletwhosebluecurrentworksitswayBetweenromanticDovedale’sspiryrocks;PriedintoYorkshiredales,orhiddentractsOfmyownnativeregion,andwasblestBetweenthesesundrywanderingswithajoyAbovealljoys,thatseemedanothermornRisenonmidnoon;blestwiththepresence,Friend!OfthatsoleSister,herwhohathbeenlong

200Deartotheealso,thytruefriendandmine,

Now,afterseparationdesolate,Restoredtome–suchabsencethatsheseemedAgiftthenfirstbestowed.ThevariedbanksOfEmont,hithertounnamedinsong,Andthatmonasticcastle,’midtalltrees,Low-standingbythemarginofthestream,Amansionvisited(asfamereports)BySidney,where,insightofourHelvellyn,OrstormyCross-fell,snatcheshemightpen

210OfhisArcadia,byfraternalloveInspired;–thatriverandthosemoulderingtowersHaveseenussidebyside,when,havingclombThedarksomewindingsofabrokenstair,Andcreptalongaridgeoffracturedwall,Notwithouttrembling,weinsafetylookedForth,throughsomeGothicwindow’sopenspace,AndgatheredwithonemindarichrewardFromthefar-stretchinglandscape,bythelightOfmorningbeautified,orpurpleeve;

220Or,notlesspleased,layonsometurret’shead,Catchingfromtuftsofgrassandhare-bellflowersTheirfaintestwhispertothepassingbreeze,Givenoutwhilemid-dayheatoppressedtheplains.

Anothermaidtherewas,whoalsoshedAgladnesso’erthatseason,thentome,ByherexultingoutsidelookofyouthAndplacidunder-countenance,firstendeared;Thatotherspirit,Coleridge,whoisnowSoneartous,thatmeekconfidingheartSoreverencedbyusboth.O’erpathsandfields

240Inallthatneighbourhood,throughnarrowlanesOfeglantineandthroughtheshadywoods,Ando’ertheBorderBeaconandthewasteOfnakedpoolsandcommoncragsthatlayExposedonthebarefell,wasscatteredlove,

Aspiritofpleasureandyouth’sgoldengleam.Ofriend,wehadnotseentheeatthattime,AndyetapowerisonmeandastrongConfusion,andIseemtoplanttheethere!Farartthouwanderednowinsearchofhealth

250Andmilderbreezes–melancholylot–Butthouartwithus,withusinthepast,Thepresent,withusinthetimestocome.Thereisnogrief,nosorrow,nodespair,Nolanguor,nodejection,nodismay,Noabsencescarcelycantherebe,forthoseWholoveaswedo.Speedtheewell!DivideThypleasurewithus;thyreturningstrength,Receiveitdailyasajoyofours;Sharewithusthyfreshspirits,whethergift

260OfgalesEtesianoroflovingthoughts.

Itoohavebeenawanderer–butalas,HowdifferentisthefateofdifferentmenThoughtwinsalmostingeniusandinmind!Unknownuntoeachother(yea,andbreathingAsifindifferentelements)wewereframedTobendatlasttothesamediscipline,PredestinediftwobeingseverwereToseekthesamedelights,andhaveonehealth,Onehappiness.Throughoutthisnarrative,

270Elsesoonerended,IhaveknownfullwellForwhomIthusrecordthebirthandgrowthOfgentleness,simplicity,andtruth,AndjoyouslovesthathallowinnocentdaysOfpeaceandself-command.Ofrivers,fields,Thatotherspirit,Coleridge!whoisnowSoneartous,thatmeekconfidingheart,

230Soreverencedbyusboth.O’erpathsandfields

Inallthatneighbourhood,throughnarrowlanesOfeglantine,andthroughtheshadywoods,Ando’ertheBorderBeacon,andthewasteOfnakedpools,andcommoncragsthatlayExposedonthebarefell,werescatteredlove,Thespiritofpleasure,andyouth’sgoldengleam.OFriend!wehadnotseentheeatthattime,Andyetapowerisonme,andastrongConfusion,andIseemtoplanttheethere.

240FarartthouwanderednowinsearchofhealthAndmilderbreezes,–melancholylot!Butthouartwithus,withusinthepast,Thepresent,withusinthetimestocome.Thereisnogrief,nosorrow,nodespair,Nolanguor,nodejection,nodismay,Noabsencescarcelycantherebe,forthoseWholoveaswedo.Speedtheewell!divideWithusthypleasure;thyreturningstrength,Receiveitdailyasajoyofours;

250Sharewithusthyfreshspirits,whethergiftOfgalesEtesianoroftenderthoughts.

I,too,havebeenawanderer;but,alas!Howdifferentthefateofdifferentmen.Thoughmutuallyunknown,yeanursedandrearedAsifinseveralelements,wewereframedTobendatlasttothesamediscipline,Predestined,iftwobeingseverwere,Toseekthesamedelights,andhaveonehealth,Onehappiness.Throughoutthisnarrative,

260Elsesoonerended,IhaveborneinmindForwhomitregistersthebirth,andmarksthegrowth,Ofgentleness,simplicity,andtruth,Andjoyousloves,thathallowinnocentdaysOfpeaceandself-command.Ofrivers,fields,AndgrovesIspeaktothee,myfriend–tothee

Who,yetaliveriedschoolboyinthedepthsOfthehugecity,ontheleadedroofOfthatwideedifice,thyhomeandschool,Wastusedtolieandgazeupontheclouds

280Movinginheaven,orhaply,tiredofthis,ToshutthineeyesandbyinternallightSeetrees,andmeadows,andthynativestream,Fardistant,thusbeheldfromyeartoyearOfthylongexile.NorcouldIforgetInthislateportionofmyargumentThatscarcelyhadIfinallyresignedMyrightsamongthoseacademicbowersWhenthouwertthitherguided.FromtheheartOfLondon,andfromcloistersthere,thoucamest,

290Anddidstsitdownintemperanceandpeace,Arigorousstudent.WhatastormycourseThenfollowed!Oh,itisapangthatcallsForutterancetothinkhowsmallachangeOfcircumstancesmighttotheehavesparedAworldofpain,ripenedtenthousandhopesForeverwithered.

ThroughthisretrospectOfmyowncollegelifeIstillhavehadThyafter-sojournintheself-sameplacePresentbeforemyeyes,haveplayedwithtimes

300(Ispeakofprivatebusinessofthethought)Andaccidentsaschildrendowithcards,Orasamanwhowhenhishouseisbuilt,Aframelockedupinwoodandstone,dothstillInimpotenceofmindbyhisfiresideRebuildittohisliking.IhavethoughtOfthee,thylearning,gorgeouseloquence,Andallthestrengthandplumageofthyyouth,Thysubtlespeculations,toilsabstruseAmongtheschoolmen,andPlatonicforms

310Ofwildidealpageantry,shapedoutFromthingswell-matchedorill,andwordsforthings–AndgrovesIspeaktothee,myFriend!tothee,Who,yetaliveriedschoolboy,inthedepthsOfthehugecity,ontheleadedroofOfthatwideedifice,thyschoolandhome,Wertusedtolieandgazeupontheclouds

270Movinginheaven;or,ofthatpleasuretired,Toshutthineeyes,andbyinternallightSeetrees,andmeadows,andthynativestream,Fardistant,thusbeheldfromyeartoyearOfalongexile.NorcouldIforget,Inthislateportionofmyargument,Thatscarcely,asmytermofpupilageCeased,hadIleftthoseacademicbowersWhenthouwertthitherguided.FromtheheartOfLondon,andfromcloistersthere,thoucamest,

280Anddidstsitdownintemperanceandpeace,Arigorousstudent.WhatastormycourseThenfollowed.Oh!itisapangthatcallsForutterance,tothinkwhateasychangeOfcircumstancesmighttotheehavesparedAworldofpain,ripenedathousandhopes,Foreverwithered.ThroughthisretrospectOfmycollegiatelifeIstillhavehadThyafter-sojournintheself-sameplacePresentbeforemyeyes,haveplayedwithtimes

290Andaccidentsaschildrendowithcards,Orasaman,who,whenhishouseisbuilt,Aframelockedupinwoodandstone,dothstill,Asimpotentfancyprompts,byhisfireside,Rebuildittohisliking.IhavethoughtOfthee,thylearning,gorgeouseloquence,Andallthestrengthandplumageofthyyouth,Thysubtlespeculations,toilsabstruse

Amongtheschoolmen,andPlatonicformsOfwildidealpageantry,shapedout

300Fromthingswell-matchedorill,andwordsforthings,Theself-createdsustenanceofamindDebarredfromnature’slivingimages,Compelledtobealifeuntoitself,AndunrelentinglypossessedbythirstOfgreatness,love,andbeauty.Notalone,Ah,surelynotinsinglenessofheart,ShouldIhaveseenthelightofeveningfadeUponthesilentCam,ifwehadmet

320Evenatthatearlytime.Ineedsmusthope,Mustfeel,musttrust,thatmymaturerageAndtemperaturelesswillingtobemoved,Mycalmerhabitsandmoresteadyvoice,WouldwithaninfluencebenignhavesoothedOrchasedawaytheairywretchednessThatbattenedonthyyouth.Butthouhasttrod,InwatchfulmeditationthouhasttrodAmarchofglory,whichdoesputtoshameThesevainregrets;healthsuffersinthee,else

330SuchgrieffortheewouldbetheweakestthoughtThateverharbouredinthebreastofman.

ApassingworderewhiledidlightlytouchOnwanderingsofmyown,andnowtotheseMypoemleadsmewithaneasiermind.TheemploymentsofthreewinterswhenIworeAstudent’sgownhavebeenalreadytold,Orshadowedforthasfarasthereisneed;Whenthethirdsummerbroughtitsliberty,Afellowstudentandmyself(hetoo

340Amountaineer)togethersalliedforthAnd,staffinhand,onfootpursuedourwayTowardsthedistantAlps.Anopenslight

Ofcollegecaresandstudywasthescheme,NorentertainedwithoutconcernforthoseTowhommyworldlyinterestsweredear.Butnaturethenwassovereigninmyheart,Andmightyforms,seizingayouthfulfancy,Hadgivenachartertoirregularhopes.Theself-createdsustenanceofamindDebarredfromNature’slivingimages,Compelledtobealifeuntoherself,AndunrelentinglypossessedbythirstOfgreatness,love,andbeauty.Notalone,Ah!surelynotinsinglenessofheartShouldIhaveseenthelightofeveningfadeFromsmoothCam’ssilentwaters:hadwemet,Evenatthatearlytime,needsmustItrust

310Inthebelief,thatmymaturerage,Mycalmerhabits,andmoresteadyvoice,Wouldwithaninfluencebenignhavesoothed,Orchasedaway,theairywretchednessThatbattenedonthyyouth.ButthouhasttrodAmarchofglory,whichdothputtoshameThesevainregrets;healthsuffersinthee,elseSuchgrieffortheewouldbetheweakestthoughtThateverharbouredinthebreastofman.

Apassingworderewhiledidlightlytouch320Onwanderingsofmyown,thatnowembraced

Withlivelierhopearegionwiderfar.

Whenthethirdsummerfreedusfromrestraint,Ayouthfulfriend,hetooamountaineer,Notslowtosharemywishes,tookhisstaff,Andsallyingforth,wejourneyedsidebyside,BoundtothedistantAlps.AhardyslightDidthisunprecedentedcourseimplyOfcollegestudiesandtheirsetrewards;

Norhad,intruth,theschemebeenformedbyme330Withoutuneasyforethoughtofthepain,

Thecensures,andill-omeningofthoseTowhommyworldlyinterestsweredear.ButNaturethenwassovereigninmymind,Andmightyforms,seizingayouthfulfancy,Hadgivenachartertoirregularhopes.Inanyage,withoutanimpulsesent

350Fromworkofnationsandtheirgoings-on,Ishouldhavebeenpossessedbylikedesire,But’twasatimewhenEuropewasrejoiced,Francestandingonthetopofgoldenhours,Andhumannatureseemingbornagain.

Bound,asIsaid,totheAlps,itwasourlotTolandatCalaisontheveryeveOfthatgreatfederalday;andtherewesaw,Inameancityandamongafew,Howbrightafaceiswornwhenjoyofone

360Isjoyoftensofmillions.SouthwardthenceWetookourway,directthroughhamlets,towns,Gaudywithrelicsofthatfestival,Flowerslefttowitherontriumphalarcs,Andwindow-garlands.Onthepublicroads–Andonce,threedayssuccessively,throughpathsBywhichourtoilsomejourneywasabridged–AmongsequesteredvillageswewalkedAndfoundbenevolenceandblessednessSpreadlikeafragranceeverywhere,likespring

370Thatleavesnocornerofthelanduntouched.WhereelmsformanyandmanyaleagueinfilesWiththeirthinumbrage,onthestatelyroadsOfthatgreatkingdom,rustledo’erourheadsForevernearusaswepacedalong,’Twassweetatsuchatime(withsuchdelights

Oneveryside,inprimeofyouthfulstrength)Tofeedapoet’stendermelancholyAndfondconceitofsadness,tothenoiseAndgentleundulationwhichtheymade.

380UnhousedbeneaththeeveningstarwesawDancesofliberty,andinlatehoursInanyageofuneventfulcalmAmongthenations,surelywouldmyheartHavebeenpossessedbysimilardesire;ButEuropeatthattimewasthrilledwithjoy,

340Francestandingonthetopofgoldenhours,Andhumannatureseemingbornagain.

Lightlyequipped,andbutafewbrieflooksCastonthewhitecliffsofournativeshoreFromtherecedingvessel’sdeck,wechancedTolandatCalaisontheveryeveOfthatgreatfederalday;andtherewesaw,Inameancity,andamongafew,HowbrightafaceiswornwhenjoyofoneIsjoyfortensofmillions.Southwardthence

350Weheldourway,directthroughhamlets,towns,Gaudywithreliquesofthatfestival,Flowerslefttowitherontriumphalarcs,Andwindow-garlands.Onthepublicroads,And,once,threedayssuccessively,throughpathsBywhichourtoilsomejourneywasabridged,AmongsequesteredvillageswewalkedAndfoundbenevolenceandblessednessSpreadlikeafragranceeverywhere,whenspringHathleftnocornerofthelanduntouched:

360WhereelmsformanyandmanyaleagueinfilesWiththeirthinumbrage,onthestatelyroadsOfthatgreatkingdom,rustledo’erourheads,Forevernearusaswepacedalong:

Howsweetatsuchatime,withsuchdelightOneveryside,inprimeofyouthfulstrength,TofeedaPoet’stendermelancholyAndfondconceitofsadness,withthesoundOfundulationsvaryingasmightpleaseThewindthatswayedthem;once,andmorethanonce

370UnhousedbeneaththeeveningstarwesawDancesofliberty,and,inlatehoursOfdarkness,dancesintheopenair.Amongthevine-cladhillsofBurgundy,UponthebosomofthegentleSoaneWeglidedforwardwiththeflowingstream.SwiftRhone,thouwertthewingsonwhichwecutBetweenthyloftyrocks!EnchantingshowThosewoodsandfarmsandorchardsdidpresent,Andsinglecottagesandlurkingtowns–

390Reachafterreach,processionwithoutendOfdeepandstatelyvales.AlonelypairOfEnglishmenwewere,andsailedalongClusteredtogetherwithamerrycrowdOfthoseemancipated,withahostOftravellers,chieflydelegatesreturningFromthegreatspousalsnewlysolemnizedAttheirchiefcity,inthesightofHeaven.Likebeestheyswarmed,gaudyandgayasbees;Somevapouredintheunrulinessofjoy,

400AndflourishedwiththeirswordsasiftofightThesaucyair.InthisblithecompanyWelanded,tookwiththemoureveningmeal,GuestswelcomealmostastheangelswereToAbrahamofold.Thesupperdone,WithflowingcupselateandhappythoughtsWeroseatsignalgiven,andformedaringAndhandinhanddancedroundandroundtheboard.Allheartswereopen,everytonguewasloud

Withamityandglee.Weboreaname410HonouredinFrance,thenameofEnglishmen,

AndhospitablydidtheygiveushailAstheirforerunnersinagloriouscourse–Androundandroundtheboardtheydancedagain!

WiththissamethrongourvoyagewepursuedAtearlydawn.ThemonasterybellsOfdarkness,dancesintheopenairDeftlyprolonged,thoughgrey-hairedlookersonMightwastetheirbreathinchiding.

Underhills–Thevine-cladhillsandslopesofBurgundy,UponthebosomofthegentleSaoneWeglidedforwardwiththeflowingstream.SwiftRhone!thouwertthewingsonwhichwecutAwindingpassagewithmajesticease

380Betweenthyloftyrocks.EnchantingshowThosewoodsandfarmsandorchardsdidpresent,Andsinglecottagesandlurkingtowns,Reachafterreach,successionwithoutendOfdeepandstatelyvales!AlonelypairOfstrangers,tilldayclosed,wesailedalong,ClusteredtogetherwithamerrycrowdOfthoseemancipated,ablithehostOftravellers,chieflydelegatesreturningFromthegreatspousalsnewlysolemnised

390Attheirchiefcity,inthesightofHeaven.Likebeestheyswarmed,gaudyandgayasbees;Somevapouredintheunrulinessofjoy,AndwiththeirswordsflourishedasiftofightThesaucyair.InthisproudcompanyWelanded–tookwiththemoureveningmeal,GuestswelcomealmostastheangelswereToAbrahamofold.Thesupperdone,

WithflowingcupselateandhappythoughtsWeroseatsignalgiven,andformedaring

400And,handinhand,dancedroundandroundtheboard;Allheartswereopen,everytonguewasloudWithamityandglee;weboreanameHonouredinFrance,thenameofEnglishmen,Andhospitablydidtheygiveushail,Astheirforerunnersinagloriouscourse;Androundandroundtheboardwedancedagain.WiththeseblithefriendsourvoyagewerenewedAtearlydawn.ThemonasterybellsMadeasweetjinglinginouryouthfulears;Therapidriver,flowingwithoutnoise,Andeveryspirewesawamongtherocks,Spokewithasenseofpeace–atintervals

420TouchingtheheartamidtheboisterouscrewWithwhichwewereenvironed.HavingpartedFromthisgladrout,theConventofChartreuseReceivedustwodaysafterwards,andthereWerestedinanawfulsolitude–ThenceonwardtothecountryoftheSwiss.

Madeasweetjinglinginouryouthfulears;410Therapidriverflowingwithoutnoise,

AndeachuprisingorrecedingspireSpakewithasenseofpeace,atintervalsTouchingtheheartamidtheboisterouscrewBywhomwewereencompassed.TakingleaveOfthisgladthrong,foot-travellerssidebyside,Measuringourstepsinquiet,wepursuedOurjourney,anderetwicethesunhadsetBeheldtheConventofChartreuse,andthereRestedwithinanawfulsolitude:

420Yes,foreventhennootherthanaplaceOfsoul-affectingsolitudeappeared

Thatfar-famedregion,thoughoureyeshadseen,Astowardthesacredmansionweadvanced,Armsflashing,andamilitaryglareOfriotousmencommissionedtoexpelTheblamelessinmates,andbelikesubvertThatframeofsocialbeing,whichsolongHadbodiedforththeghostlinessofthingsInsilencevisibleandperpetualcalm.

430–‘Stay,stayyoursacrilegioushands!’–ThevoiceWasNature’s,utteredfromherAlpinethrone;Ihearditthenandseemtohearitnow–‘Yourimpiousworkforbear,perishwhatmay,Letthisonetemplelast,bethisonespotOfearthdevotedtoeternity!’Sheceasedtospeak,butwhileSt.Bruno’spinesWavedtheirdarktops,notsilentastheywaved,Andwhilebelow,alongtheirseveralbeds,MurmuredthesisterstreamsofLifeandDeath,

440Thusbyconflictingpassionspressed,myheartResponded;‘Honourtothepatriot’szeal!Gloryandhopetonew-bornLiberty!Hailtothemightyprojectsofthetime!DiscerningswordthatJusticewields,dothouGoforthandprosper;and,yepurgingfires,UptotheloftiesttowersofPrideascend,FannedbythebreathofangryProvidence.

Butoh!ifPastandFuturebethewingsOnwhosesupportharmoniouslyconjoined

450Movesthegreatspiritofhumanknowledge,spareThesecourtsofmystery,whereastepadvancedBetweentheportalsoftheshadowyrocksLeavesfarbehindlife’streacherousvanities,ForpenitentialtearsandtremblinghopesExchanged–toequaliseinGod’spuresightMonarchandpeasant:bethehouseredeemed

Withitsunworldlyvotaries,forthesakeOfconquestoversense,hourlyachievedThroughfaithandmeditativereason,resting

460Uponthewordofheaven-impartedtruth,Calmlytriumphant;andforhumblerclaimOfthatimaginativeimpulsesentFromthesemajesticfloods,yonshiningcliffs,Theuntransmutedshapesofmanyworlds,Ceruleanether’spureinhabitants,Theseforestsunapproachablebydeath,Thatshallendureaslongasmanendures,Tothink,tohope,toworship,andtofeel,Tostruggle,tobelostwithinhimself

470Intrepidation,fromtheblankabyssTolookwithbodilyeyes,andbeconsoled.’NotseldomsincethatmomenthaveIwishedThatthou,OFriend!thetroubleorthecalmHadstshared,when,fromprofaneregardsapart,InsympatheticreverencewetrodThefloorsofthosedimcloisters,tillthathour,Fromtheirfoundation,strangerstothepresenceOfunrestrictedandunthinkingman.Abroad,howcheeringlythesunshinelay

480Upontheopenlawns!Vallombre’sgrovesEntering,wefedthesoulwithdarkness;thenceIssued,andwithupliftedeyesbeheld,Indifferentquartersofthebendingsky,ThecrossofJesusstanderect,asifHandsofangelicpowershadfixeditthere,Memorialreverencedbyathousandstorms;

’TisnotmypresentpurposetoretraceThatvariegatedjourneystepbystep;Amarchitwasofmilitaryspeed,Andearthdidchangeherimagesandforms

430Beforeusfastascloudsarechangedinheaven.

Dayafterday,upearlyanddownlate,Fromvaletovale,fromhilltohillwewent,Fromprovinceontoprovincedidwepass,Keenhuntersinachaseoffourteenweeks,Eagerasbirdsofprey,orasashipUponthestretchwhenwindsareblowingfair.Sweetcovertsdidwecrossofpastorallife,Enticingvalleys–greetedthemandleftToosoon,whileyettheveryflashandgleam

440Ofsalutationwerenotpassedaway.Oh,sorrowfortheyouthwhocouldhaveseenUnchastened,unsubdued,unawed,unraisedTopatriarchaldignityofmindAndpuresimplicityofwishandwill,Thosesanctifiedabodesofpeacefulman!MyheartleapedupwhenfirstIdidlookdownOnthatwhichwasfirstseenofthosedeephaunts,Agreenrecess,anaboriginalvale,Quiet,andlordedoverandpossessed

450Bynakedhuts,wood-built,andsownliketentsOrIndiancabinsoverthefreshlawnsAndbytheriver-side.

Yetthen,fromtheundiscriminatingsweepAndrageofoneState-whirlwind,insecure.

’Tisnotmypresentpurposetoretrace490Thatvariegatedjourneystepbystep.

Amarchitwasofmilitaryspeed,AndEarthdidchangeherimagesandformsBeforeus,fastascloudsarechangedinheaven.Dayafterday,upearlyanddownlate,Fromhilltovalewedropped,fromvaletohillMounted–fromprovinceontoprovinceswept,Keenhuntersinachaseoffourteenweeks,Eagerasbirdsofprey,orasaship

Uponthestretch,whenwindsareblowingfair:500Sweetcovertsdidwecrossofpastorallife,

Enticingvalleys,greetedthemandleftToosoon,whileyettheveryflashandgleamOfsalutationwerenotpassedaway.Oh!sorrowfortheyouthwhocouldhaveseenUnchastened,unsubdued,unawed,unraisedTopatriarchaldignityofmind,Andpuresimplicityofwishandwill,Thosesanctifiedabodesofpeacefulman,Pleased(thoughtohardshipborn,andcompassedround

510Withdanger,varyingastheseasonschange),Pleasedwithhisdailytask,or,ifnotpleased,Contented,fromthemomentthatthedawn(Ah!surelynotwithoutattendantgleamsOfsoul-illumination)callshimforthToindustry,byglisteningsflungonrocks,Whoseeveningshadowsleadhimtorepose.

WellmightastrangerlookwithboundingheartDownonagreenrecess,thefirstIsawOfthosedeephaunts,anaboriginalvale,

520QuietandlordedoverandpossessedBynakedhuts,wood-built,andsownliketentsOrIndiancabinsoverthefreshlawnsAndbytheriverside.

ThatdaywefirstBeheldthesummitofMontBlanc,andgrievedTohaveasoullessimageontheeyeWhichhadusurpeduponalivingthoughtThatnevermorecouldbe.ThewondrousValeOfChamounydidonthefollowingdawn,Withitsdumbcataractsandstreamsofice,Amotionlessarrayofmightywaves,

460Fiveriversbroadandvast,makerichamends,

Andreconciledustorealities.Theresmallbirdswarblefromtheleafytrees,Theeaglesoarethintheelement;Theredoesthereaperbindtheyellowsheaf,Themaidenspreadthehaycockinthesun,Whilewinterlikeatamedlionwalks,DescendingfromthemountaintomakesportAmongthecottagesbybedsofflowers.

Whate’erinthiswidecircuitwebeheld470Orheardwasfittedtoourunripestate

Ofintellectandheart.BysimplestrainsOffeeling,thepurebreathofreallife,Wewerenotleftuntouched.WithsuchabookBeforeoureyeswecouldnotchoosebutreadAfrequentlessonofsoundtenderness,Theuniversalreasonofmankind,Thetruthofyoungandold.Nor,sidebysidePacing,twobrotherpilgrims,oraloneEachwithhishumour,couldwefailtoabound

480(Craftthiswhichhasbeenhintedatbefore)Indreamsandfictionspensivelycomposed–Dejectiontakenupforpleasure’ssake,Andgildedsympathies.Thewillowwreath,Evenamongthosesolitudessublime,AndsoberposiesoffunerealflowersCulledfromthegardensoftheLadySorrow,Didsweetenmanyameditativehour.

Thatveryday,FromabareridgewealsofirstbeheldUnveiledthesummitofMontBlanc,andgrievedTohaveasoullessimageontheeyeThathadusurpeduponalivingthoughtThatnevermorecouldbe.ThewondrousValeOfChamounystretchedfarbelow,andsoon

530Withitsdumbcataractsandstreamsofice,Amotionlessarrayofmightywaves,Fiveriversbroadandvast,maderichamends,Andreconciledustorealities;Theresmallbirdswarblefromtheleafytrees,Theeaglesoarshighintheelement,Theredoththereaperbindtheyellowsheaf,Themaidenspreadthehaycockinthesun,WhileWinterlikeawell-tamedlionwalks,Descendingfromthemountaintomakesport

540Amongthecottagesbybedsofflowers.

Whate’erinthiswidecircuitwebeheld,Orheard,wasfittedtoourunripestateOfintellectandheart.WithsuchabookBeforeoureyes,wecouldnotchoosebutreadLessonsofgenuinebrotherhood,theplainAnduniversalreasonofmankind,Thetruthsofyoungandold.Nor,sidebysidePacing,twosocialpilgrims,oraloneEachwithhishumour,couldwefailtoabound

550Indreamsandfictions,pensivelycomposed:Dejectiontakenupforpleasure’ssake,Andgildedsympathies,thewillowwreath,Andsoberposiesoffunerealflowers,GatheredamongthosesolitudessublimeFromformalgardensoftheladySorrow,Didsweetenmanyameditativehour.

Yetstillinme,minglingwiththesedelights,Wassomethingofsternmood,anunder-thirst

490Ofvigourneverutterlyasleep.Fardifferentdejectiononcewasmine–AdeepandgenuinesadnessthenIfelt–ThecircumstancesIwillhererelateEvenastheywere.Upturningwithaband

Oftravellers,fromtheValaiswehadclombAlongtheroadthatleadstoItaly;Alengthofhours,makingoftheseourguidesDidweadvance,andhavingreachedaninnAmongthemountains,wetogetherate

500Ournoon’srepast,fromwhichthetravellersroseLeavingusattheboard.Erelongwefollowed,DescendingbythebeatenroadthatledRighttoarivulet’sedge,andtherebrokeoff.TheonlytracknowvisiblewasoneUponthefurtherside,rightopposite,Andupaloftymountain.ThiswetookAfteralittlescruple,andshortpause,Andclimbedwitheagerness,thoughnotatlengthWithoutsurpriseandsomeanxiety

510OnfindingthatwedidnotovertakeOurcomradesgonebefore.Byfortunatechance,Whileeverymomentnowincreasedourdoubts,Apeasantmetus,andfromhimwelearnedThattotheplacewhichhadperplexedusfirstWemustdescend,andthereshouldfindtheroad,WhichinthestonychannelofthestreamLayafewsteps,andthenalongitsbanks–Andfurther,thatthenceforwardallourcourseWasdownwardswiththecurrentofthatstream.

520Hardofbelief,wequestionedhimagain,AndalltheanswerswhichthemanreturnedToourinquiries–intheirsenseandsubstance,Translatedbythefeelingswhichwehad–Endedinthis,thatwehadcrossedtheAlps.

YetstillinmewiththosesoftluxuriesMixedsomethingofsternmood,anunder-thirstOfvigourseldomutterlyallayed.

560Andfromthatsourcehowdifferentasadness

Wouldissue,letoneincidentmakeknown.WhenfromtheVallaiswehadturned,andclombAlongtheSimplon’ssteepandruggedroad,Followingabandofmuleteers,wereachedAhalting-place,wherealltogethertookTheirnoon-tidemeal.Hastilyroseourguide,Leavingusattheboard;awhilewelingered,ThenpacedthebeatendownwardwaythatledRighttoaroughstream’sedge,andtherebrokeoff;

570TheonlytracknowvisiblewasoneThatfromthetorrent’sfurtherbrinkheldforthConspicuousinvitationtoascendAloftymountain.AfterbriefdelayCrossingtheunbridgedstream,thatroadwetook,Andclombwitheagerness,tillanxiousfearsIntruded,forwefailedtoovertakeOurcomradesgonebefore.Byfortunatechance,Whileeverymomentaddeddoubttodoubt,Apeasantmetus,fromwhosemouthwelearned

580ThattothespotwhichhadperplexedusfirstWemustdescend,andthereshouldfindtheroad,WhichinthestonychannelofthestreamLayafewsteps,andthenalongitsbanks;And,thatourfuturecourse,allplaintosight,Wasdownwards,withthecurrentofthatstream.Lothtobelievewhatwesogrievedtohear,Forstillwehadhopesthatpointedtotheclouds,Wequestionedhimagain,andyetagain;Buteverywordthatfromthepeasant’slips

590Cameinreply,translatedbyourfeelings,Endedinthis,–thatwehadcrossedtheAlps.

Imagination–liftingupitselfBeforetheeyeandprogressofmysongLikeanunfatheredvapour,herethatpower,Inallthemightofitsendowments,came

Athwartme!Iwaslostasinacloud,530Haltedwithoutastruggletobreakthrough;

Andnow,recovering,tomysoulIsay‘Irecognizethyglory.’InsuchstrengthOfusurpation,insuchvisitingsOfawfulpromise,whenthelightofsenseGoesoutinflashesthathaveshowntousTheinvisibleworld,doesgreatnessmakeabode,Thereharbourswhetherwebeyoungorold.Ourdestiny,ournature,andourhome,Iswithinfinitude,andonlythere–

540Withhopeitis,hopethatcanneverdie,Effort,andexpectation,anddesire,Andsomethingevermoreabouttobe.ThemindbeneathsuchbannersmilitantThinksnotofspoilsortrophies,norofaughtThatmayattestitsprowess,blestinthoughtsThatarethieirownperfectionandreward–Stronginitself,andintheaccessofjoyWhichhidesitliketheoverflowingNile.

Thedullandheavyslackeningwhichensued550Uponthosetidingsbythepeasantgiven

Wassoondislodged.Downwardswehurriedfast,AndenteredwiththeroadwhichwehadmissedIntoanarrowchasm.ThebrookandroadWerefellow-travellersinthisgloomypass,AndwiththemdidwejourneyseveralhoursAtaslowstep.TheimmeasurableheightOfwoodsdecaying,nevertobedecayed,Thestationaryblastsofwaterfalls,Andeverywherealongthehollowrent

560Windsthwartingwinds,bewilderedandforlorn,Thetorrentsshootingfromtheclearbluesky,

Imagination–herethePowersocalled

Throughsadincompetenceofhumanspeech,ThatawfulPowerrosefromthemind’sabyssLikeanunfatheredvapourthatenwraps,Atonce,somelonelytraveller.Iwaslost;Haltedwithoutanefforttobreakthrough;ButtomyconscioussoulInowcansay–‘Irecognisethyglory:’insuchstrength

600Ofusurpation,whenthelightofsenseGoesout,butwithaflashthathasrevealedTheinvisibleworld,dothgreatnessmakeabode,Thereharbours;whetherwebeyoungorold,Ourdestiny,ourbeing’sheartandhome,Iswithinfinitude,andonlythere;Withhopeitis,hopethatcanneverdie,Effort,andexpectation,anddesire,Andsomethingevermoreabouttobe.Undersuchbannersmilitant,thesoul

610Seeksfornotrophies,strugglesfornospoilsThatmayattestherprowess,blestinthoughtsThataretheirownperfectionandreward,StronginherselfandinbeatitudeThathidesher,likethemightyfloodofNilePouredfromhisfountofAbyssiniancloudsTofertilisethewholeEgyptianplain.

ThemelancholyslackeningthatensuedUponthosetidingsbythepeasantgivenWassoondislodged.Downwardswehurriedfast,

620And,withthehalf-shapedroadwhichwehadmissed,Enteredanarrowchasm.ThebrookandroadWerefellow-travellersinthisgloomystrait,AndwiththemdidwejourneyseveralhoursAtaslowpace.TheimmeasurableheightOfwoodsdecaying,nevertobedecayed,Thestationaryblastsofwaterfalls,Andinthenarrowrentateveryturn

Windsthwartingwinds,bewilderedandforlorn,Thetorrentsshootingfromtheclearbluesky,Therocksthatmutteredcloseuponourears,BlackdrizzlingcragsthatspokebythewaysideAsifavoicewereinthem,thesicksightAndgiddyprospectoftheravingstream,Theunfetteredcloudsandregionoftheheavens,Tumultandpeace,thedarknessandthelight–Werealllikeworkingsofonemind,thefeaturesOfthesameface,blossomsupononetree,

570Charactersofthegreatapocalypse,Thetypesandsymbolsofeternity,Offirst,andlast,andmidst,andwithoutend.

ThatnightourlodgingwasanAlpinehouse,Aninn,orhospital(astheyarenamed),StandinginthatsamevalleybyitselfAndcloseupontheconfluenceoftwostreams–Adrearymansion,largebeyondallneed,Withhighandspaciousrooms,deafenedandstunnedBynoiseofwaters,makinginnocentsleep

580Liemelancholyamongwearybones.

Uprisenbetimes,ourjourneywerenewedLedbythestream,erenoondaymagnifiedIntoalordlyriver,broadanddeep,DimplingalonginsilentmajestyWithmountainsforitsneighbours,andinviewOfdistantmountainsandtheirsnowytops–AndthusproceedingtoLocarno’sLake,Fitresting-placeforsuchavisitant.Locarno,spreadingoutinwidthlikeheaven,

590AndComo–thou,atreasurebytheearthKepttoitself,adarlingbosomedupInAbyssinianprivacy–IspokeOfthee,thychestnutwoods,andgarden-plots

OfIndiancorntendedbydark-eyedmaids,Thyloftysteeps,andpathwaysroofedwithvinesWindingfromhousetohouse,fromtowntotown

630Therocksthatmutteredcloseuponourears,Blackdrizzlingcragsthatspakebytheway-sideAsifavoicewereinthem,thesicksightAndgiddyprospectoftheravingstream,TheunfetteredcloudsandregionoftheHeavens,Tumultandpeace,thedarknessandthelight–Werealllikeworkingsofonemind,thefeaturesOfthesameface,blossomsupononetree;CharactersofthegreatApocalypse,ThetypesandsymbolsofEternity,

640Offirst,andlast,andmidst,andwithoutend.

ThatnightourlodgingwasahousethatstoodAlonewithinthevalley,atapointWhere,tumblingfromaloft,atorrentswelledTherapidstreamwhosemarginwehadtrod;Adrearymansion,largebeyondallneed,Withhighandspaciousrooms,deafenedandstunnedBynoiseofwaters,makinginnocentsleepLiemelancholyamongwearybones.

Uprisenbetimes,ourjourneywerenewed,650Ledbythestream,erenoon-daymagnified

Intoalordlyriver,broadanddeep,Dimplingalonginsilentmajesty,Withmountainsforitsneighbours,andinviewOfdistantmountainsandtheirsnowytops,AndthusproceedingtoLocarno’sLake,Fitresting-placeforsuchavisitant.Locarno!spreadingoutinwidthlikeHeaven,Howdostthoucleavetothepoeticheart,Baskinthesunshineofthememory;

660AndComo!thou,atreasurewhomtheearth

Keepstoherself,confinedasinadepthOfAbyssinianprivacy.IspakeOfthee,thychestnutwoods,andgardenplotsOfIndiancorntendedbydark-eyedmaids;Thyloftysteeps,andpathwaysroofedwithvines,Windingfromhousetohouse,fromtowntotown,(Solelinkthatbindsthemtoeachother),walks,Leagueafterleague,andcloistralavenuesWheresilenceisifmusicbenotthere:

600Whileyetayouthundisciplinedinverse,ThroughfondambitionofmyheartItoldYourpraises,norcanIapproachyounowUngreetedbyamoremelodioussong,WheretonesoflearnedartandnaturemixedMayframeenduringlanguage.LikeabreezeOrsunbeamoveryourdomainIpassedInmotionwithoutpause;butyehaveleftYourbeautywithme,animpassionedsightOfcoloursandofforms,whosepowerissweet

610Andgracious,almost(mightIdaretosay?)Asvirtueis,orgoodness–sweetaslove,Ortheremembranceofanobledeed,OrgentlestvisitationsofpurethoughtWhenGod,thegiverofalljoy,isthankedReligiouslyinsilentblessedness–Sweetasthislastitself,forsuchitis.

ThroughthosedelightfulpathwaysweadvancedTwodays,andstillinpresenceofthelake,WhichwindingupamongtheAlpsnowchanged

620SlowlyitslovelycountenanceandputonAsternercharacter.Thesecondnight,Ineagerness,andbyreportmisledOfthoseItalianclocksthatspeakthetimeInfashiondifferentfromours,weroseBymoonshine,doubtingnotthatdaywasnear

Andthatmeanwhile,coastingthewater’sedgeAshitherto,andwithasplainatrackTobeourguide,wemightbeholdthesceneInitsmostdeeprepose.Weleftthetown

630OfGravedonawiththishope,butsoonWerelost,bewilderedamongwoodsimmense,Where,havingwanderedforawhile,westoppedAndonarocksatdowntowaitforday.Solelinkthatbindsthemtoeachother;walks,Leagueafterleague,andcloistralavenues,Wheresilencedwellsifmusicbenotthere:

670Whileyetayouthundisciplinedinverse,Throughfondambitionofthathour,IstroveTochantyourpraise;norcanapproachyounowUngreetedbyamoremelodiousSong,WheretonesofNaturesmoothedbylearnedArtMayflowinlastingcurrent.LikeabreezeOrsunbeamoveryourdomainIpassedInmotionwithoutpause;butyehaveleftYourbeautywithme,asereneaccordOfformsandcolours,passive,yetendowed

680IntheirsubmissivenesswithpowerassweetAndgracious,almostmightIdaretosay,Asvirtueis,orgoodness;sweetaslove,Ortheremembranceofagenerousdeed,Ormildestvisitationsofpurethought,WhenGod,thegiverofalljoy,isthankedReligiously,insilentblessedness;Sweetasthislastherself,forsuchitis.

Withthosedelightfulpathwaysweadvanced,Fortwodays’space,inpresenceoftheLake,

690That,stretchingfaramongtheAlps,assumedAcharactermorestern.Thesecondnight,Fromsleepawakened,andmisledbysound

OfthechurchclocktellingthehourswithstrokesWhoseimportthenwehadnotlearned,weroseBymoonlight,doubtingnotthatdaywasnigh,Andthatmeanwhile,bynouncertainpath,Alongthewindingmarginofthelake,Led,asbefore,weshouldbeholdthesceneHushedinprofoundrepose.Weleftthetown

700OfGravedonawiththishope;butsoonWerelost,bewilderedamongwoodsimmense,Andonarocksatedown,towaitforday.AnopenplaceitwasandoverlookedFromhighthesullenwaterunderneathOnwhichadullredimageofthemoonLaybedded,changingoftentimesitsformLikeanuneasysnake.Longtimewesat,Forscarcelymorethanonehourofthenight

640(Suchwasourerror)hadbeengonewhenweRenewedourjourney.OntherockwelayAndwishedtosleepbutcouldnotforthestingsOfinsectswhichwithnoiselikethatofnoonFilledallthewoods.Thecryofunknownbirds,Themountains–morebydarknessvisibleAndtheirownsize,thananyoutwardlight–Thebreathlesswildernessofclouds,theclockThattoldwithunintelligiblevoiceThewidelypartedhours,thenoiseofstreams

650AndsometimesrustlgingmotionsnighathandWhichdidnotleaveusfreefrompersonalfear,Andlastlythewithdrawingmoon,thatsetBeforeuswhilesheyetwashighinheaven–Thesewereourfood,andsuchasummernightDidtothatpairofgoldendayssucceed,WithnowandthenadozeandsnatchofsleepOnComo’sbanks,thesamedeliciouslake.

ButhereImustbreakoff,andquitatonce

(Thoughloth)therecordofthesewanderings,660Athemewhichmayseducemeelsebeyond

Allreasonablebounds.LetthisaloneBementionedasapartingword,thatnotInhollowexultation,dealingforthHyperbolesofpraisecomparative,Notrichonemomenttobepoorforever,Notprostrate,overborne,asifthemindItselfwerenothing,ameanpensionerOnoutwardforms–didweinpresencestandOfthatmagnificentregion.Onthefront

670OfthiswholesongiswrittenthatmyheartAnopenplaceitwas,andoverlooked,Fromhigh,thesullenwaterfarbeneath,OnwhichadullredimageofthemoonLaybedded,changingoftentimesitsformLikeanuneasysnake.FromhourtohourWesateandsate,wondering,asifthenightHadbeenensnaredbywitchcraft.Ontherock

710Atlastwestretchedourwearylimbsforsleep,Butcouldnotsleep,tormentedbythestingsOfinsects,which,withnoiselikethatofnoon,Filledallthewoods;thecryofunknownbirds;ThemountainsmorebyblacknessvisibleAndtheirownsize,thananyoutwardlight;Thebreathlesswildernessofclouds;theclockThattold,withunintelligiblevoice,Thewidelypartedhours;thenoiseofstreams,Andsometimesrustlingmotionsnighathand,

720Thatdidnotleaveusfreefrompersonalfear;And,lastly,thewithdrawingmoon,thatsetBeforeus,whileshestillwashighinheaven;–Thesewereourfood;andsuchasummer’snightFollowedthatpairofgoldendaysthatshedOnComo’sLake,andallthatrounditlay,

Theirfairest,softest,happiestinfluence.

ButhereImustbreakoff,andbidfarewellTodays,eachofferingsomenewsight,orfraughtWithsomeuntriedadventure,inacourse

730ProlongedtillsprinklingsofautumnalsnowCheckedourunweariedsteps.LetthisaloneBementionedasapartingword,thatnotInhollowexultation,dealingoutHyperbolesofpraisecomparative;Notrichonemomenttobepoorforever;Notprostrate,overborne,asifthemindHerselfwerenothing,amerepensionerOnoutwardforms–didweinpresencestand

740Ofthatmagnificentregion.OnthefrontOfthiswholeSongiswrittenthatmyheartMustinsuchtempleneedshaveofferedupAdifferentworship.Finallywhate’erIsaw,orheard,orfelt,wasbutastreamThatflowedintoakindredstream,agaleThathelpedmeforwards,didadministerTograndeurandtotenderness–totheoneDirectly,buttotenderthoughtsbymeansLessofteninstantaneousineffect–Conductedmetothesealongapath

680Whichinthemainwasmorecircuitous.

Oh,mostbelovèdfriend,aglorioustime,Ahappytimethatwas!TriumphantlooksWerethenthecommonlanguageofalleyes:Asifawakedfromsleep,thenationshailedTheirgreatexpectancy;thefifeofwarWasthenaspirit-stirringsoundindeed,Ablackbird’swhistleinavernalgrove.WelefttheSwissexultinginthefateOftheirnearneighbours,and,whenshorteningfast

690Ourpilgrimage–nordistantfarfromhome–WecrossedtheBrabantarmiesonthefretForbattleinthecauseofliberty.Astripling,scarcelyofthehouseholdthenOfsociallife,IlookeduponthesethingsAsfromadistance(heard,andsaw,andfelt,Wastouched,butwithnointimateconcern),IseemedtomoveamongthemasabirdMovesthroughtheair,orasafishpursuesItsbusinessinitsproperelement.

700Ineedednotthatjoy,IdidnotneedSuchhelp:theever-livinguniverseAndindependentspiritofpureyouthWerewithmeatthatseason,anddelightWasinallplacesspreadaroundmystepsAsconstantasthegrassuponthefields.Must,insuchTemple,needshaveofferedupAdifferentworship.Finally,whate’erIsaw,orheard,orfelt,wasbutastreamThatflowedintoakindredstream;agale,Confederatewiththecurrentofthesoul,Tospeedmyvoyage;everysoundorsight,Initsdegreeofpower,administeredTograndeurortotenderness,–totheoneDirectly,buttotenderthoughtsbymeans

750Lessofteninstantaneousineffect;Ledmetothesebypathsthat,inthemain,Weremorecircuitous,butnotlesssureDulytoreachthepointmarkedoutbyHeaven.

Oh,mostbelovèdFriend!aglorioustime,Ahappytimethatwas;triumphantlooksWerethenthecommonlanguageofalleyes;Asifawakedfromsleep,theNationshailedTheirgreatexpectancy:thefifeofwarWasthenaspirit-stirringsoundindeed,

760Ablack-bird’swhistleinabuddinggrove.WelefttheSwissexultinginthefateOftheirnearneighbours;and,whenshorteningfastOurpilgrimage,nordistantfarfromhome,WecrossedtheBrabantarmiesonthefretForbattleinthecauseofLiberty.Astripling,scarcelyofthehouseholdthenOfsociallife,IlookeduponthesethingsAsfromadistance;heard,andsaw,andfelt,Wastouched,butwithnointimateconcern;

770Iseemedtomovealongthem,asabirdMovesthroughtheair,orasafishpursuesItssport,orfeedsinitsproperelement;Iwantednotthatjoy,IdidnotneedSuchhelp;theever-livinguniverse,TurnwhereImight,wasopeningoutitsglories,AndtheindependentspiritofpureyouthCalledforth,ateveryseason,newdelightsSpreadroundmystepslikesunshineo’ergreenfields.

BookSeventhRESIDENCEINLONDON

FiveyearsarevanishedsinceIfirstpouredout,SalutedbythatanimatingbreezeWhichmetmeissuingfromthecity’swallsAgladpreambletothisverse.IsangAloudindithyrambicfervour,deepButshort-liveduproar,likeatorrentsentOutofthebowelsofaburstingcloudDownScafellorBlencathra’sruggedsides,Awaterspoutfromheaven.But’twasnotlong

10EretheinterruptedstreambrokeforthoncemoreAndflowedawhileinstrength,thenstoppedforyears–NotheardagainuntilalittlespaceBeforelastprimrose-time.Belovèdfriend,TheassurancesthengivenuntomyselfWhichdidbeguilemeofsomeheavythoughtsAtthydeparturetoaforeignlandHavefailed;forslowlydoesthisworkadvance.ThroughthewholesummerhaveIbeenatrest,Partlyfromvoluntaryholiday

20Andpartthroughoutwardhindrance.ButIheardAfterthehourofsunsetyester-even,Sittingwithindoorsbetwixtlightanddark,Avoicethatstirredme.’Twasalittleband,AchoirofredbreastsgatheredsomewherenearMythreshold–minstrelsfromthedistantwoodsAnddells,sentinbyWintertobespeakFortheoldmanawelcome,toannounceWithpreparationartfulandbenign(Yeathemostgentlemusicoftheyear)30Thattheirroughlordhadleftthesurlynorth

BookSeventhRESIDENCEINLONDON

SixchangefulyearshavevanishedsinceIfirstPouredout(salutedbythatquickeningbreezeWhichmetmeissuingfromtheCity’swalls)AgladpreambletothisVerse:IsangAloud,withfervourirresistibleOfshort-livedtransport,likeatorrentbursting,Fromablackthunder-cloud,downScafell’ssideTorushanddisappear.Butsoonbrokeforth(SowilledtheMuse)alessimpetuousstream,

10Thatflowedawhilewithunabatingstrength,Thenstoppedforyears;notaudibleagainBeforelastprimrose-time.BelovèdFriend!TheassurancewhichthencheeredsomeheavythoughtsOnthydeparturetoaforeignlandHasfailed;tooslowlymovesthepromisedwork.ThroughthewholesummerhaveIbeenatrest,Partlyfromvoluntaryholiday,Andpartthroughoutwardhindrance.ButIheard,Afterthehourofsunsetyester-even,

20Sittingwithindoorsbetweenlightanddark,AchoirofredbreastsgatheredsomewherenearMythreshold,–minstrelsfromthedistantwoodsSentinonWinter’sservice,toannounce,Withpreparationartfulandbenign,ThattheroughlordhadleftthesurlyNorthAndhasbegunhisjourney.

AdelightAtthisunthought-ofgreetingunawaresSmoteme,asweetnessofthecomingtime,

And,listening,Ihalfwhispered‘Wewillbe,Yeheartsomechoristers,yeandIwillbeBrethren,andinthehearingofbleakwindsWillchanttogether.’Andthereafter,walkingBylatertwilightonthehills,IsawAglow-wormfrombeneathaduskyshade

40OrcanopyofyetunwitheredfernClear-shining,likeahermit’staperseenThroughathickforest.SilencetouchedmehereNolessthansoundhaddonebefore:thechildOfsummer,lingering,shiningbyitself,Thevoicelesswormontheunfrequentedhills,SeemedsentonthesameerrandwiththechoirOfwinterthathadwarbledatmydoor,Andthewholeyearseemedtendernessandlove.Thelastnight’sgenialfeelingoverflowed

50Uponthismorning,andmyfavouritegrove–Nowtossingitsdarkboughsinsunandwind–Spreadsthroughmeacommotionlikeitsown,Somethingthatfitsmeforthepoet’stask,Whichwewillnowresumewithcheerfulhope,NorcheckedbyaughtoftamerargumentThatliesbeforeus,needfultobetold.

Returnedfromthatexcursion,soonIbadeFarewellforevertotheprivatebowersOfgownèdstudents–quittedthese,nomore

60Toenterthem–andpitchedmyvagranttentAcasualdwellerandatlargeamongTheunfencedregionsofsociety.YetundeterminedtowhatplanoflifeIshouldadhere,andseemingthencetohaveAlittlespaceofintermediatetimeLooseandatfullcommand,toLondonfirstOnhisaccustomedjourney.Thedelight,Duetothistimelynotice,unawares

Smoteme,and,listening,Iinwhisperssaid,‘YeheartsomeChoristers,yeandIwillbe

30Associates,and,unscaredbyblusteringwinds,Willchanttogether.’Thereafter,astheshadesOftwilightdeepened,goingforth,IspiedAglow-wormunderneathaduskyplumeOrcanopyofyetunwitheredfern,Clear-shining,likeahermit’staperseenThroughathickforest.SilencetouchedmehereNolessthansoundhaddonebefore;thechildOfSummer,lingering,shining,byherself,Thevoicelesswormontheunfrequentedhills,

40SeemedsentonthesameerrandwiththechoirOfWinterthathadwarbledatmydoor,Andthewholeyearbreathedtendernessandlove.

Thelastnight’sgenialfeelingoverflowedUponthismorning,andmyfavouritegrove,Tossinginsunshineitsdarkboughsaloft,Asiftomakethestrongwindvisible,Wakesinmeagitationslikeitsown,AspiritfriendlytothePoet’stask,Whichwewillnowresumewithlivelyhope,

50NorcheckedbyaughtoftamerargumentThatliesbeforeus,needfultobetold.

Returnedfromthatexcursion,soonIbadeFarewellforevertotheshelteredseatsOfgownedstudents,quittedhallandbower,Andeverycomfortofthatprivilegedground,WellpleasedtopitchavagranttentamongTheunfencedregionsofsociety.

Yet,undeterminedtowhatcourseoflifeIshouldadhere,andseemingtopossess

60Alittlespaceofintermediatetime

Atfullcommand,toLondonfirstIturned,Iturned,ifnotincalmness,neverthelessInnodisturbanceofexcessivehope–Ateasefromallambitionpersonal,

70Frugalastherewasneed,andthoughself-willed,Yettemperateandreserved,andwhollyfreeFromdangerouspassions.’TwasatleasttwoyearsBeforethisseasonwhenIfirstbeheldThatmightyplace,atransientvisitant,AndnowitpleasedmemyabodetofixSingleinthewidewaste.TohaveahouseItwasenough(whatmatterforahome?)Thatownedme,livingcheerfullyabroadWithfancyonthestirfromdaytoday

80Andallmyyoungaffectionsoutofdoors.

Therewasatimewhenwhatsoe’erisfeignedOfairypalacesandgardensbuiltBygeniiofromance,orhasingraveAuthentichistorybeensetforthofRome,Alcairo,BabylonorPersepolis,OrgivenuponreportbypilgrimfriarsOfgoldencitiestenmonths’journeydeepAmongTartarianwilds,fellshort,farshort,OfthatwhichIinsimplenessbelieved

90AndthoughtofLondon–heldmebyachainLessstrongofwonderandobscuredelight.IknownotthathereinIshotbeyondThecommonmarkofchildhood,butIwellRememberthatamongourflockofboysWasone,acripplefromthebirth,whomchanceSummonedfromschooltoLondon–fortunateAndenviedtraveller!AndwhenhereturnedAftershortabsence,andIfirstseteyesUponhisperson,verily(thoughstrange

100Thethingmayseem)Iwasnotwhollyfree

FromdisappointmenttobeholdthesameAppearance,thesamebody,nottofindSomechange,somebeamsofglorybroughtawayInnodisturbanceofexcessivehope,Bypersonalambitionunenslaved,Frugalastherewasneed,and,thoughself-willed,Fromdangerouspassionsfree.ThreeyearshadflownSinceIhadfeltinheartandsoultheshockOfthehugetown’sfirstpresence,andhadpacedHerendlessstreets,atransientvisitant:Nowfixedamidthatconcourseofmankind

70WherePleasurewhirlsaboutincessantly,Andlifeandlabourseembutone,IfilledAnidler’splace;anidlerwellcontentTohaveahouse(whatmatterforahome?)Thatownedhim;livingcheerfullyabroadWithuncheckedfancyeveronthestir,Andallmyyoungaffectionsoutofdoors.

Therewasatimewhenwhatsoe’erisfeignedOfairypalaces,andgardensbuiltByGeniiofromance;orhathingrave

80AuthentichistorybeensetforthofRome,Alcairo,Babylon,orPersepolis;Orgivenuponreportbypilgrimfriars,Ofgoldencitiestenmonths’journeydeepAmongTartarianwilds–fellshort,farshort,OfwhatmyfondsimplicitybelievedAndthoughtofLondon–heldmebyachainLessstrongofwonderandobscuredelight.Whethertheboltofchildhood’sFancyshotFormebeyonditsordinarymark,

90’Twerevaintoask;butinourflockofboysWasOne,acripplefromhisbirth,whomchanceSummonedfromschooltoLondon;fortunateAndenviedtraveller!WhentheBoyreturned,

Aftershortabsence,curiouslyIscannedHismienandperson,norwasfree,insooth,Fromdisappointment,nottofindsomechangeInlookandair,fromthatnewregionbrought,Fromthatnewregion.MuchIquestionedhim,AndeverywordheutteredonmyearsFellflatterthanacagèdparrot’snoteThatanswersunexpectedlyawryAndmockstheprompter’slistening.MarvellousthingsMyfancyhadshapedforth,ofsightsandshows,

110Processions,equipages,lordsanddukes,TheKing,andtheKing’spalace,andnotlastOrleast(Heavenblesshim!)therenownedLordMayor–DreamshardlylessintensethanthosewhichwroughtAchangeofpurposeinyoungWhittingtonWhenheinfriendlessness,adroopingboy,SatonastoneandheardthebellsspeakoutArticulatemusic.Aboveall,onethoughtBaffledmyunderstanding:howmenlivedEvennext-doorneighbours(aswesay)yetstill

120Strangers,andknowingnoteachother’snames.

Oh,wondrouspowerofwords!HowsweettheyareAccordingtothemeaningwhichtheybring!VauxhallandRanelagh–IthenhadheardOfyourgreengrovesandwildernessoflamps,Yourgorgeousladies,fairycataractsAndpageantfireworks!NormustweforgetThoseotherwonders,differentinkindThoughscarcelylessillustriousindegree:Theriverproudlybridged,thegiddytop

130AndWhisperingGalleryofStPaul’s,thetombsOfWestminster,theGiantsofGuildhall,Bedlamandthetwofiguresatitsgates,Streetswithoutendandchurchesnumberless,Statueswithflowerygardensinvastsquares,

AsiffromFairy-land.MuchIquestionedhim;Andeverywordheuttered,onmyears

100Fellflatterthanacagèdparrot’snote,Thatanswersunexpectedlyawry,Andmockstheprompter’slistening.MarvellousthingsHadvanity(quickSpiritthatappearsAlmostasdeeplyseatedandasstrongInaChild’sheartasfearitself)conceivedFormyenjoyment.WouldthatIcouldnowRecalwhatthenIpicturedtomyself,OfmitredPrelates,Lordsinermineclad,TheKing,andtheKing’sPalace,and,notlast,

110Norleast,Heavenblesshim!therenownedLordMayor:DreamsnotunliketothosewhichoncebegatAchangeofpurposeinyoungWhittington,Whenhe,afriendlessandadroopingboy,Sateonastone,andheardthebellsspeakoutArticulatemusic.Aboveall,onethoughtBaffledmyunderstanding:howmenlivedEvennext-doorneighbours,aswesay,yetstillStrangers,notknowingeachtheother’sname.

O,wond’rouspowerofwords,bysimplefaith120Licensedtotakethemeaningthatwelove!

VauxhallandRanelagh!IthenhadheardOfyourgreengroves,andwildernessoflampsDimmingthestars,andfireworksmagical,Andgorgeousladies,undersplendiddomes,Floatingindance,orwarblinghighinairThesongsofspirits!NorhadFancyfedWithlessdelightuponthatotherclassOfmarvels,broad-daywonderspermanent:TheRiverproudlybridged;thedizzytop

130AndWhisperingGalleryofStPaul’s;thetombsOfWestminster;theGiantsofGuildhall;

Bedlam,andthosecarvedmaniacsatthegates,Perpetuallyrecumbent;Statues–man,Andthehorseunderhim–ingildedpompAdorningflowerygardens,‘midvastsquares;TheMonumentandarmouryoftheTower.ThesefondimaginationsofthemselvesHadlongbeforegivenwayinseasondue,Leavingathrongofothersintheirstead;AndnowIlookedupontherealscene,

140Familiarlyperuseditdaybyday,WithkeenandlivelypleasureeventhereWheredisappointmentwasthestrongest,pleasedThroughcourteousself-submission,asataxPaidtotheobjectbyprescriptiveright–Athingthatoughttobe.

ShallIgiveway,Copyingtheimpressionofthememory,(ThoughthingsrememberedidlydohalfseemTheworkoffancy)shallI,asthemoodInclinesme,heredescribeforpastime’ssake

150Someportionofthatmotleyimagery,Avividpleasureofmyyouth,andnow,AmongthelonelyplacesthatIlove,Afrequentdaydreamformyripermind?Andfirstthelookandaspectoftheplace,ThebroadhighwayappearanceasitstrikesOnstrangersofallages;thequickdanceOfcolours,lights,andforms;theBabeldin;Theendlessstreamofmen,andmovingthings;Fromhourtohourtheillimitablewalk

160Stillamongstreetswithcloudsandskyabove;Thewealth,thebustleandtheeagerness,Theglitteringchariotswiththeirpamperedsteeds,Stalls,barrows,porters;midwayinthestreetThescavenger,whobegswithhatinhand;

Thelabouringhackney-coaches,therashspeedOfcoachestravellingfarwhirledonwithhornLoudblowing,andthesturdydrayman’steamAscendingfromsomealleyoftheThamesAndstrikingrightacrossthecrowdedStrand

170Tillthefore-horseveerroundwithpunctualskill;Here,thereandeverywhereawearythrong,TheMonument,andthatChamberoftheTowerWhereEngland’ssovereignssitinlongarray,Theirsteedsbestriding,–everymimicshapeCasedinthegleamingmailthemonarchwore,

140Whetherforgorgeoustournamentaddressed,Orlifeordeathuponthebattle-field.ThoseboldimaginationsinduetimeHadvanished,leavingothersintheirstead:AndnowIlookeduponthelivingscene;Familiarlyperusedit;oftentimes,Inspiteofstrongestdisappointment,pleasedThroughcourteousself-submission,asataxPaidtotheobjectbyprescriptiveright.

Riseup,thoumonstrousant-hillontheplain150Ofatoobusyworld!Beforemeflow,

Thouendlessstreamofmenandmovingthings!Thyevery-dayappearance,asitstrikes–Withwonderheightened,orsublimedbyawe–Onstrangers,ofallages;thequickdanceOfcolours,lights,andforms;thedeafeningdin;Thecomersandthegoersfacetoface,Faceafterface;thestringofdazzlingwares,Shopaftershop,withsymbols,blazonednames,Andallthetradesman’shonoursoverhead–Here,frontsofhouses,likeatitle-page,Withlettershugeinscribedfromtoptotoe;Stationedabovethedoor,likeguardiansaints,There,allegoricshapes,femaleormale,

180Orphysiognomiesofrealmen,Land-warriors,kings,oradmiralsofthesea,Boyle,Shakespeare,Newton,ortheattractiveheadOfsomeScotchdoctor,famousinhisday.

Meanwhiletheroarcontinues,tillatlength,Escapedasfromanenemy,weturnAbruptlyintosomesequesterednookStillasashelteredplacewhenwindsblowloud.Atleisure,thence,throughtractsofthinresortAndsightsandsoundsthatcomeatintervals,

190Wetakeourway.Araree-showishereWithchildrengatheredround;anotherstreetPresentsacompanyofdancingdogs,OrdromedarywithananticpairOfmonkeysonhisback,aminstrelbandOfSavoyards,or,singleandalone,AnEnglishballad-singer.PrivatecourtsGloomyascoffins,andunsightlylanesThrilledbysomefemalevendor’sscream(belikeTheveryshrillestofallLondoncries),200Maythenentangleusawhile,ConductedthroughthoselabyrinthsunawaresToprivilegedregionsandinviolateWherefromtheirairylodgesstudiouslawyersLookoutonwaters,walks,andgardensgreen.

Thencebackintothethrong,untilwereach,Followingthetidethatslackensbydegrees,Somehalf-frequentedscenewherewiderstreetsBringstragglingbreezesofsuburbanair.Thecomersandthegoersfacetoface,Faceafterface;thestringofdazzlingwares,Shopaftershop,withsymbols,blazonednames,Andallthetradesman’shonoursoverhead:

160Here,frontsofhouses,likeatitle-page,

Withlettershugeinscribedfromtoptotoe,Stationedabovethedoor,likeguardiansaints;There,allegoricshapes,femaleormale,Orphysiognomiesofrealmen,Land-warriors,kings,oradmiralsofthesea,Boyle,Shakspeare,Newton,ortheattractiveheadOfsomequack-doctor,famousinhisday.

Meanwhiletheroarcontinues,tillatlength,Escapedasfromanenemy,weturn

170Abruptlyintosomesequesterednook,Stillasashelteredplacewhenwindsblowloud!Atleisure,thence,throughtractsofthinresort,Andsightsandsoundsthatcomeatintervals,Wetakeourway.Araree-showishere,Withchildrengatheredround;anotherstreetPresentsacompanyofdancingdogs,Ordromedary,withananticpairOfmonkeysonhisback;aminstrelbandOfSavoyards;or,singleandalone,

180AnEnglishballad-singer.Privatecourts,Gloomyascoffins,andunsightlylanesThrilledbysomefemalevendor’sscream,belikeTheveryshrillestofallLondoncries,Maythenentangleourimpatientsteps;Conductedthroughthoselabyrinths,unawares,Toprivilegedregionsandinviolate,WherefromtheirairylodgesstudiouslawyersLookoutonwaters,walks,andgardensgreen.

Thencebackintothethrong,untilwereach,190Followingthetidethatslackensbydegrees,

Somehalf-frequentedscene,wherewiderstreetsBringstragglingbreezesofsuburbanair.Herefilesofballadsdanglefromdeadwalls,

210Advertisementsofgiant-sizefromhigh

Pressforwardinallcoloursonthesight:These,boldinconsciousmerit,lowerdown,That–frontedwithamostimposingword–Isperadventureoneinmasquerade.AsonthebroadeningcausewayweadvanceBeholdafaceturneduptowardsus,strongInlineaments,andredwithover-toil.’Tisoneperhapsalreadymetelsewhere,Atravellingcripple,bythetrunkcutshort

220Andstumpingwithhisarms.Insailor’sgarbAnotherliesatlengthbesidearangeOfwrittencharacterswithchalkinscribedUponthesmoothflatstones.Thenurseishere,Thebachelorthatlovestosunhimself,Themilitaryidler,andthedameThatfield-wardtakesherwalkindecency.

Nowhomewardthroughthethickeninghubbub,whereSee–amonglessdistinguishableshapes–TheItalian,withhisframeofimages

230Uponhishead,withbasketathiswaistTheJew,thestatelyandslow-movingTurkWithfreightofslipperspiledbeneathhisarm.Briefly,wefind(iftiredofrandomsights,Andhaplytothatsearchourthoughtsshouldturn)Amongthecrowd,conspicuouslessormoreAsweproceed,allspecimensofmanThroughallthecolourswhichthesunbestows,Andeverycharacterofformandface:TheSwede,theRussian;fromthegenialsouth,

240TheFrenchmanandtheSpaniard;fromremoteAmerica,thehunterIndian;Moors,Malays,Lascars,theTartarandChinese,Andnegroladiesinwhitemuslingowns.Herefilesofballadsdanglefromdeadwalls;Advertisements,ofgiant-size,fromhigh

Pressforward,inallcolours,onthesight;These,boldinconsciousmerit,lowerdown;That,frontedwithamostimposingword,Is,peradventure,oneinmasquerade.Asonthebroadeningcausewayweadvance,

200Behold,turnedupwards,afacehardandstrongInlineaments,andredwithover-toil.’Tisoneencounteredhereandeverywhere;Atravellingcripple,bythetrunkcutshort,Andstumpingonhisarms.Insailor’sgarbAnotherliesatlength,besidearangeOfwell-formedcharacters,withchalkinscribedUponthesmoothflatstones:theNurseishere,TheBachelor,thatlovestosunhimself,ThemilitaryIdler,andtheDame,

210Thatfield-wardtakesherwalkwithdecentsteps.

Nowhomewardthroughthethickeninghubbub,whereSee,amonglessdistinguishableshapes,Thebeggingscavenger,withhatinhand;TheItalian,ashethridshiswaywithcare,Steadying,far-seen,aframeofimagesUponhishead;withbasketathisbreastTheJew;thestatelyandslow-movingTurk,Withfreightofslipperspiledbeneathhisarm!

Enough;–themightyconcourseIsurveyed220Withnounthinkingmind,wellpleasedtonote

Amongthecrowdallspecimensofman,Throughallthecolourswhichthesunbestows,Andeverycharacterofformandface:TheSwede,theRussian;fromthegenialsouth,TheFrenchmanandtheSpaniard;fromremoteAmerica,theHunter-Indian;Moors,Malays,Lascars,theTartar,theChinese,AndNegroLadiesinwhitemuslingowns.

Atleisureletusviewfromdaytoday,Astheypresentthemselves,thespectaclesWithindoors:troopsofwildbeasts,birdsandbeastsOfeverynature,fromallclimesconvened,And,nexttothese,thosemimicsightsthatapeTheabsolutepresenceofreality,

250Expressingasinmirrorseaandland,Andwhatearthis,andwhatshehastoshow.IdonotherealludetosubtlestcraftBymeansrefinedattainingpurestends,ButimitationsfondlymadeinplainConfessionofman’sweaknessandhisloves.Whetherthepainter–fashioningaworkTonature’scircumambientscenery,AndwithhisgreedypenciltakinginAwholehorizononallsides–withpower

260LikethatofangelsorcommissionedspiritsPlantusuponsomeloftypinnacle,Orinashiponwaters(withaworldOflife,andlife-likemockery,toeast,Towest,beneath,behindus,andbefore),OrmoremechanicartistrepresentByscaleexact,inmodel,woodorclay,Fromshadingcoloursalsoborrowinghelp,Someminiatureoffamousspotsandthings,Domesticortheboastofforeignrealms:

270TheFirthofForth,andEdinboroughthronedOncrags,fitempressofthatmountainland;StPeter’sChurch,or(moreaspiringaim)Inmicroscopicvision,Romeitself;Orelseperhapssomeruralhaunt,theFallsOfTivoli;andhighuponthatsteepTheTempleoftheSibyl–everytreeThroughallthelandscape,tuft,stone,scratchminute,Andeverycottagelurkingintherocks–Allthatthetravellerseeswhenheisthere.

280 AddtotheseexhibitionsmuteandstillOthersofwiderscope,wherelivingmen,

Atleisure,then,Iviewed,fromdaytoday,230Thespectacleswithindoors,–birdsandbeasts

Ofeverynature,andstrangeplantsconvenedFromeveryclime;and,next,thosesightsthatapeTheabsolutepresenceofreality,Expressing,asinmirror,seaandland,Andwhatearthis,andwhatshehastoshew.Idonotherealludetosubtlestcraft,Bymeansrefinedattainingpurestends,Butimitations,fondlymadeinplainConfessionofman’sweaknessandhisloves.

240WhetherthePainter,whoseambitiousskillSubmitstonothinglessthantakinginAwholehorizon’scircuit,dowithpower,Likethatofangelsorcommissionedspirits,Fixusuponsomeloftypinnacle,Orinashiponwaters,withaworldOflife,andlife-likemockerybeneath,Above,behind,farstretchingandbefore;OrmoremechanicartistrepresentByscaleexact,inmodel,woodorclay,

250Fromblendedcoloursalsoborrowinghelp,Someminiatureoffamousspotsorthings,–St.Peter’sChurch;or,moreaspiringaim,Inmicroscopicvision,Romeherself;Or,haply,somechoiceruralhaunt,–theFallsOfTivoli;and,highuponthatsteep,TheSibyl’smoulderingTemple!everytree,Villa,orcottage,lurkingamongrocksThroughoutthelandscape;tuft,stonescratchminute–Allthatthetravellerseeswhenheisthere.

260

Andtotheseexhibitions,muteandstill,Othersofwiderscope,wherelivingmen,Music,andshiftingpantomimicscenes,TogetherjoinedtheirmultifariousaidToheightentheallurement.NeedIfearTomentionbyitsname(asindegreeLowestoftheseandhumblestinattempt,Thoughrichlygracedwithhonoursofitsown)Half-ruralSadler’sWells?ThoughatthattimeIntolerant,asisthewayofyouth

290Unlessitselfbepleased,ImorethanonceHeretookmyseat,andmaugerfrequentfitsOfirksomeness,withamplerecompenseSawsingers,rope-dancers,giantsanddwarfs,Clowns,conjurors,posture-masters,harlequins,AmidtheuproaroftherabblementPerformtheirfeats.NorwasitmeandelightTowatchcrudenatureworkinuntaughtminds,Tonotethelawsandprogressofbelief–Thoughobstinateonthisway,yetonthat

300Howwillinglywetravel,andhowfar!–Tohave,forinstance,broughtuponthesceneThechampion,JacktheGiant-killer:lo!Hedonshiscoatofdarkness,onthestageWalks,andachieveshiswonders,fromtheeyeOflivingmortalsafeasisthemoon‘Hidinhervacantinterlunarcave’.Delusionbold!–andfaithmustneedsbecoy–Howisitwrought?Hisgarbisblack,theword’Invisible’flamesforthuponhischest.

310 NorwasitunamusingheretoviewThosesamplesasofancientcomedyAndThespiantimes,dramasoflivingmen,Andrecentthingsyetwarmwithlife:asea-fight,

Shipwreck,orsomedomesticincidentThefameofwhichisscatteredthroughtheland;SuchasoflatethisdaringbrotherhoodSetforth(tooholythemeforsuchaplace,AnddoubtlesstreatedwithirreverenceAlbeitwiththeirverybestofskill),Music,andshiftingpantomimicscenes,Diversifiedtheallurement.NeedIfearTomentionbyitsname,asindegree,Lowestoftheseandhumblestinattempt,Yetrichlygracedwithhonoursofherown,Half-ruralSadler’sWells?ThoughatthattimeIntolerant,asisthewayofyouthUnlessitselfbepleased,heremorethanonce

270Takingmyseat,Isaw(norblushtoadd,Withamplerecompense)giantsanddwarfs,Clowns,conjurors,posture-masters,harlequins,Amidtheuproaroftherabblement,Performtheirfeats.NorwasitmeandelightTowatchcrudeNatureworkinuntaughtminds;Tonotethelawsandprogressofbelief;Thoughobstinateonthisway,yetonthatHowwillinglywetravel,andhowfar!Tohave,forinstance,broughtuponthescene

280Thechampion,JacktheGiant-killer:Lo!Hedonshiscoatofdarkness;onthestageWalks,andachieveshiswonders,fromtheeyeOflivingMortalcovert,‘asthemoonHidinhervacantinterlunarcave.’Delusionbold!andhowcanitbewrought?Thegarbhewearsisblackasdeath,theword‘Invisible’flamesforthuponhischest.

Here,too,were‘formsandpressuresofthetime,’Rough,bold,asGreciancomedydisplayed

290WhenArtwasyoung;dramasoflivingmen,Andrecentthingsyetwarmwithlife;asea-fight,Shipwreck,orsomedomesticincidentDivulgedbyTruthandmagnifiedbyFame,SuchasthedaringbrotherhoodoflateSetforth,tooseriousthemeforthatlightplace–320Imean,odistantfriend,astorydrawnFromourownground,TheMaidofButtermere,Andhowthespoilercame‘aboldbadman’ToGodunfaithful,children,wife,andhome,Andwooedtheartlessdaughterofthehills,Andweddedher,incruelmockeryOfloveandmarriagebonds.Ofriend,IspeakWithtenderrecollectionofthattimeWhenfirstwesawthemaiden,thenanameByusunheardof–inhercottage-inn

330Werewelcomedandattendedonbyher,Bothstrickenwithonefeelingofdelight,AnadmirationofhermodestmienAndcarriage,markedbyunexampledgrace.NotunfamiliarlywesincethattimeHaveseenher,herdiscretionhaveobserved,Herjustopinions,femalemodesty,Herpatience,andretirèdnessofmindUnsoiledbycommendationandtheexcessOfpublicnotice.Thismemorialverse

340Comesfromthepoet’sheart,andisherdue–Forwewerenursed(asalmostmightbesaid)Onthesamemountains;childrenatonetime,Musthaplyoftenontheself-samedayHavefromourseveraldwellingsgoneabroadTogatherdaffodilsonCoker’sstream.

Theselastwordsuttered,tomyargumentIwasreturning,when–withsundryformsMingled,thatinthewaywhichImusttread

Beforemestand–thyimageroseagain,350MaryofButtermere!Shelivesinpeace

Uponthegroundwhereshewasbornandreared;WithoutcontaminationdoessheliveInquietness,withoutanxiety.Besidethemountain-chapelsleepsinearthHernewborninfant,fearlessasalambThatthithercomesfromsomeunshelteredplaceTorestbeneaththelittlerock-likepileImean,OdistantFriend!astorydrawnFromourownground,–theMaidofButtermere,–Andhow,unfaithfultoavirtuouswifeDesertedanddeceived,thespoilercame

300Andwooedtheartlessdaughterofthehills,Andweddedher,incruelmockeryOfloveandmarriagebonds.ThesewordstotheeMustneedsbringbackthemomentwhenwefirst,Erethebroadworldrangwiththemaiden’sname,Beheldherservingatthecottageinn,Bothstricken,assheenteredorwithdrew,WithadmirationofhermodestmienAndcarriage,markedbyunexampledgrace.Wesincethattimenotunfamiliarly

310Haveseenher,–herdiscretionhaveobserved,Herjustopinions,delicatereserve,Herpatience,andhumilityofmindUnspoiledbycommendationandtheexcessOfpublicnotice–anoffensivelightToameekspiritsufferinginwardly.

FromthismemorialtributetomythemeIwasreturning,when,withsundryformsCommingled–shapeswhichmetmeinthewayThatwemusttread–thyimageroseagain,

320MaidenofButtermere!Shelivesinpeace

Uponthespotwhereshewasbornandreared;WithoutcontaminationdothsheliveInquietness,withoutanxiety:Besidethemountainchapel,sleepsinearthHernew-borninfant;fearlessasalambThat,thitherdrivenfromsomeunshelteredplace,Restsunderneaththelittlerock-likepileWhenstormsareblowing.Happyaretheyboth,Motherandchild!Thesefeelings–inthemselves

360Trite–doyetscarcelyseemsowhenIthinkOfthoseingenuousmomentsofouryouthEreyetbyusewehavelearnttoslightthecrimesAndsorrowsoftheworld.ThosedaysarenowMytheme,and,midthenumeroussceneswhichtheyHaveleftbehindthem,foremostIamcrossedHerebyremembranceoftwofigures,oneArosybabe,whoforatwelvemonth’sspacePerhapshadbeenofagetodealaboutArticulateprattle,childasbeautiful

370Aseversatuponamother’sknee;Theotherwastheparentofthatbabe–Butonthemother’scheekthetintswerefalse,Apaintedbloom.

’TwasatatheatreThatIbeheldthispair;theboyhadbeenTheprideandpleasureofalllookers-onInwhatsoeverplace,butseemedinthisAsortofalienscatteredfromtheclouds.Oflustyvigour,morethaninfantine,Hewasinlimbs,infaceacottagerose

380Justthreepartsblown–acottage-child,butne’erSawI,bycottageorelsewhere,ababeBynature’sgiftssohonoured.UponaboardWhenceanattendantofthetheatreServedoutrefreshments,hadthischildbeenplaced,

Andtherehesat,environedwitharingOfchancespectators,chieflydissolutemenAndshamelesswomen–treatedandcaressed–Ate,drank,andwiththefruitandglassesplayed,Whileoaths,indecentspeech,andribaldry

390WererifeabouthimasaresongsofbirdsInspringtimeaftershowers.ThemothertooWaspresent,butofherIknownomoreThanhathbeensaid,andscarcelyatthistimeDoIrememberher.ButIbeholdWhenstormsareraging.Happyaretheyboth–Motherandchild!–Thesefeelings,inthemselves

330Trite,doyetscarcelyseemsowhenIthinkOnthoseingenuousmomentsofouryouthErewehavelearntbyusetoslightthecrimesAndsorrowsoftheworld.ThosesimpledaysArenowmytheme;and,foremostofthescenes,Whichyetsurviveinmemory,appearsOne,atwhosecentresatealovelyBoy,Asportiveinfant,who,forsixmonths’space,Notmore,hadbeenofagetodealaboutArticulateprattle–Childasbeautiful

340Aseverclungaroundamother’sneck,Orfatherfondlygazeduponwithpride.There,too,conspicuousforstaturetallAndlargedarkeyes,besideherinfantstoodThemother;but,uponhercheeksdiffused,FalsetintstoowellaccordedwiththeglareFromplay-houselustresthrownwithoutreserveOneveryobjectnear.TheBoyhadbeenTheprideandpleasureofalllookers-onInwhatsoeverplace,butseemedinthis

350Asortofalienscatteredfromtheclouds.Oflustyvigour,morethaninfantineHewasinlimb,incheekasummerrose

Justthreepartsblown–acottage-child–ife’er,Bycottage-dooronbreezymountainside,Orinsomeshelteringvale,wasseenababeByNature’sgiftssofavoured.UponaboardDeckedwithrefreshmentshadthischildbeenplaced,Hislittlestageinthevasttheatre,Andtherehesatesurroundedwithathrong

360Ofchancespectators,chieflydissolutemenAndshamelesswomen,treatedandcaressed;Ate,drank,andwiththefruitandglassesplayed,WhileoathsandlaughterandindecentspeechWererifeabouthimasthesongsofbirdsContendingaftershowers.ThemothernowIsfadingoutofmemory,butIseeThelovelyboyasIbeheldhimthenAmongthewretchedandthefalselygay,LikeoneofthosewhowalkedwithhairunsingedAmidthefieryfurnace.HehassinceAppearedtomeofttimesasifembalmed

400Bynature,throughsomespecialprivilegeStoppedatthegrowthhehad–destinedtolive,Tobe,tohavebeen,comeandgo,achildAndnothingmore,nopartnerintheyearsThatbearusforwardtodistressandguilt,Painandabasement–beautyinsuchexcessAdornedhiminthatmiserableplace.SohaveIthoughtofhimathousandtimes,Andseldomotherwise.Butheperhaps,Mary,maynowhavelivedtillhecouldlook

410WithenvyonthynamelessbabethatsleepsBesidethemountain-chapelundisturbed.

ItwasbutlittlemorethanthreeshortyearsBeforetheseasonwhichIspeakofnowWhenfirst,atravellerfromourpastoralhills,SouthwardtwohundredmilesIhadadvanced

AndforthefirsttimeinmylifedidhearThevoiceofwomanutterblasphemy–SawwomanassheistoopenshameAbandoned,andtheprideofpublicvice.

420FullsurelyfromthebottomofmyheartIshuddered,butthepainwasalmostlost,AbsorbedandburiedintheimmensityOftheeffect:abarrierseemedatonceThrownin,thatfromhumanitydivorcedThehumanform,splittingtheraceofmanIntwain,yetleavingthesameoutwardshape.DistressofmindensueduponthissightAndardentmeditation.AfterwardsAmildersadnessonsuchspectacles

430Attended–thought,commiseration,griefFortheindividualandtheoverthrowOfhersoul’sbeauty–fartheratthattimeThelovelyBoyasIbeheldhimthenAmongthewretchedandthefalselygay,Likeoneofthosewhowalkedwithhairunsinged

370Amidthefieryfurnace.CharmsandspellsMutteredonblackandspitefulinstigationHavestopped,assomebelieve,thekindliestgrowths.Ah,withhowdifferentspiritmightaprayerHavebeenpreferred,thatthisfaircreature,checkedByspecialprivilegeofNature’slove,Shouldinhischildhoodbedetainedforever!ButwithitsuniversalfreightthetideHathrolledalong,andthisbrightinnocent,Mary!maynowhavelivedtillhecouldlook

380Withenvyonthynamelessbabethatsleeps,Besidethemountainchapel,undisturbed.

FourrapidyearshadscarcelythenbeentoldSince,travellingsouthwardfromourpastoralhills,

Iheard,andforthefirsttimeinmylife,Thevoiceofwomanutterblasphemy–Sawwomanassheis,toopenshameAbandoned,andtheprideofpublicvice;Ishuddered,forabarrierseemedatonceThrownin,thatfromhumanitydivorced

390Humanity,splittingtheraceofmanIntwain,yetleavingthesameoutwardform.DistressofmindensueduponthesightAndardentmeditation.LateryearsBroughttosuchspectacleamildersadness,Feelingsofpurecommiseration,griefFortheindividualandtheoverthrowOfhersoul’sbeauty;fartherIwasthenThanthisIwasbutseldomled.IntruthThesorrowofthepassionstoppedmehere.

Iquitthispainfultheme;enoughissaidToshowwhatthoughtsmustoftenhavebeenmineAttheatres,whichthenweremydelight–AyearningmademorestrongbyobstaclesWhichslenderfundsimposed.Lifethenwasnew,

440Thesenseseasilypleased.Thelustres,lights,Thecarvingandthegilding,paintandglare,Andallthemeanupholsteryoftheplace,Wantednotanimationinmysight,Farlessthelivingfiguresonthestage,Solemnorgay–whethersomebeauteousdameAdvancedinradiancethroughadeeprecessOfthickentangledforest,likethemoonOpeningtheclouds;orsovereignking,announcedWithflourishingtrumpets,cameinfull-blownstate

450Oftheworld’sgreatness,windingroundwithtrainOfcourtiers,banners,andalengthofguards,OrcaptiveledinabjectweedsandjinglingHisslendermanacles;orrompinggirl

Bounced,leapt,andpawedtheair;ormumblingsire,Ascare-crowpatternofoldagepatchedupOfallthetattersofinfirmityAlllooselyputtogether,hobbledin,Stumpinguponacanewithwhichhesmites,Fromtimetotime,thesolidboards,andmakesthem

460PratesomewhatloudlyofthewhereaboutOfonesooverloadedwithhisyears.Butwhatofthis?Thelaugh,thegrin,grimace,Andalltheanticsandbuffoonery,Theleastofthemnotlost,wereallreceivedWithcharitablepleasure.Throughthenight,Betweentheshowandmany-headedmassOfthespectators,andeachlittlenookButseldomled,orwishedtogo;intruthThesorrowofthepassionstoppedmethere.

400Butletmenow,lessmoved,inordertakeOurargument.EnoughissaidtoshowHowcasualincidentsofreallife,Observedwherepastimeonlyhadbeensought,Outweighed,orputtoflight,theseteventsAndmeasuredpassionsofthestage,albeitBySiddonstrodinthefulnessofherpower.Yetwasthetheatremydeardelight;Theverygilding,lampsandpaintedscrolls,Andallthemeanupholsteryoftheplace,

410Wantednotanimation,whenthetideOfpleasureebbedbuttoreturnasfastWiththeever-shiftingfiguresofthescene,Solemnorgay:whethersomebeauteousdameAdvancedinradiancethroughadeeprecessOfthickentangledforest,likethemoonOpeningtheclouds;orsovereignking,announcedWithflourishingtrumpet,cameinfull-blownstateOftheworld’sgreatness,windingroundwithtrainOfcourtiers,banners,andalengthofguards;

420Orcaptiveledinabjectweeds,andjinglingHisslendermanacles;orrompinggirlBounced,leapt,andpawedtheair;ormumblingsire,Ascare-crowpatternofoldagedressedupInallthetattersofinfirmityAlllooselyputtogether,hobbledin,Stumpinguponacanewithwhichhesmites,Fromtimetotime,thesolidboards,andmakesthemPratesomewhatloudlyofthewhereaboutOfonesooverloadedwithhisyears.

430Butwhatofthis!thelaugh,thegrin,grimace,Theanticsstrivingtooutstripeachother,Wereallreceived,theleastofthemnotlost,Withanunmeasuredwelcome.Throughthenight,Betweentheshow,andmany-headedmassOfthespectators,andeachseveralnookThathaditsfrayorbrawl,howeagerlyAndwithwhatflashes(asitwere)themind

470Turnedthisway,thatway–sportiveandalertAndwatchfulasakittenwhenatplay,Whilewindsareblowingroundher,amonggrassAndrustlingleaves.Enchantingageandsweet–Romanticalmost,lookedatthroughaspace,Howsmall,ofinterveningyears!Forthen,ThoughsurelynomeanprogresshadbeenmadeInmeditationsholyandsublime,YetsomethingofagirlishchildlikeglossOfnoveltysurvivedforsceneslikethese–

480PleasurethathadbeenhandeddownfromtimesWhenatacountry-playhouse,havingcaughtInsummerthroughthefracturedwall,aglimpseOfdaylight,atthethoughtofwhereIwasIgladdenedmorethanifIhadbeheldBeforemesomebrightcavernofromance,Orthanwedowhenonourbedswelie

Atnight,inwarmth,whenrainsarebeatinghard.

ThematterwhichdetainsmenowwillseemTomanyneitherdignifiedenough

490Norarduous,andisdoubtlessinitselfHumbleandlow–yetnottobedespisedBythosewhohaveobservedthecuriouspropsBywhichtheperishablehoursoflifeRestoneachother,andtheworldofthoughtExistsandissustained.Moreloftythemes,Suchasatleastdowearaprouderface,Mightherebespokenof,butwhenIthinkOftheseIfeeltheimaginativepowerLanguishwithinme.Eventhenitslept

500Whenwroughtuponbytragicsufferings,Theheartwasfull;amidmysobsandtearsItsleptevenintheseasonofmyyouth.ForthoughIwasmostpassionatelymovedFilledwithitsfrayorbrawl,howeagerlyAndwithwhatflashes,asitwere,themindTurnedthisway–thatway!sportiveandalertAndwatchful,asakittenwhenatplay,

440Whilewindsareeddyingroundher,amongstrawsAndrustlingleaves.Enchantingageandsweet!Romanticalmost,lookedatthroughaspace,Howsmall,ofinterveningyears!Forthen,ThoughsurelynomeanprogresshadbeenmadeInmeditationsholyandsublime,Yetsomethingofagirlishchild-likeglossOfnoveltysurvivedforsceneslikethese;EnjoymenthaplyhandeddownfromtimesWhenatacountry-playhouse,somerudebarn

450Trickedoutforthatprouduse,ifIperchanceCaught,onasummereveningthroughachinkIntheoldwall,anunexpectedglimpse

Ofdaylight,thebarethoughtofwhereIwasGladdenedmemorethanifIhadbeenledIntoadazzlingcavernofromance,CrowdedwithGeniibusyamongworksNottobelookedatbythecommonsun.

Thematterthatdetainsusnowmayseem,Tomany,neitherdignifiedenough

460Norarduous,yetwillnotbescornedbythem,Who,lookinginward,haveobservedthetiesThatbindtheperishablehoursoflifeEachtotheother,andthecuriouspropsBywhichtheworldofmemoryandthoughtExistsandissustained.Moreloftythemes,Suchasatleastdowearaprouderface,Solicitourregard;butwhenIthinkOfthese,IfeeltheimaginativepowerLanguishwithinme;eventhenitslept,

470When,pressedbytragicsufferings,theheartWasmorethanfull;amidmysobsandtearsItslept,eveninthepregnantseasonofyouth.ForthoughIwasmostpassionatelymovedAndyieldedtothechangesofthesceneWithmostobsequiousfeeling,yetallthisPassednotbeyondthesuburbsofthemind.Ifaughttherewereofrealgrandeurhere’Twasonlythenwhengrossrealities,Theincarnationofthespiritsthatmoved

510Amidthepoet’sbeauteousworld–calledforthWiththatdistinctnesswhichacontrastgives,Oropposition–mademerecognizeAsbyaglimpse,thethingswhichIhadshapedAndyetnotshaped,hadseenandscarcelyseen,Hadfelt,andthoughtofinmysolitude.

Passwefromentertainmentsthataresuch

Professedly,tootherstitledhigher,Yet(intheestimateofyouthatleast)Morenearakintothesethannamesimply,

520ImeanthebrawlsoflawyersintheircourtsBeforetheerminedjudge,orthatgreatstageWheresenators–tongue-favouredmen–perform,Admiredandenvied.Oh,thebeatingheartWhenoneamongtheprimeoftheseroseup,OneofwhosenamefromchildhoodwehadheardFamiliarly,ahouseholdtermlikethose,TheBedfords,Gloucesters,Salisburys,ofoldWhichthefifthHarrytalksof.Silence!hush!Thisisnotrifler,noshort-flightedwit,

530Norstammererofaminute,painfullyDelivered.No,theoratorhathyokedThehours,likeyoungAurora,tohiscar–Oh,presenceofdelight,canpatiencee’erGrowwearyofattendingonatrackThatkindleswithsuchglory?Marvellous–Theenchantmentspreadsandrises–allarerapt,Astonished!LikeaheroinromanceHewindsawayhisnever-endinghorn!Wordsfollowwords,senseseemstofollowsense–

540Whatmemoryandwhatlogic!–tillthestrain,AndyieldedtoallchangesofthesceneWithanobsequiouspromptness,yetthestormPassednotbeyondthesuburbsofthemind;Savewhenrealitiesofactandmien,TheincarnationofthespiritsthatmoveInharmonyamidthePoet’sworld,

480Rosetoidealgrandeur,or,calledforthBypowerofcontrast,mademerecognise,Asataglance,thethingswhichIhadshaped,Andyetnotshaped,hadseenandscarcelyseen,When,havingclosedthemightyShakspeare’spage,

Imused,andthought,andfelt,insolitude.

Passwefromentertainments,thataresuchProfessedly,tootherstitledhigher,Yet,intheestimateofyouthatleast,Morenearakintothosethannamesimply,–

490ImeanthebrawlsoflawyersintheircourtsBeforetheerminedjudge,orthatgreatstageWheresenators,tongue-favouredmen,perform,Admiredandenvied.Oh!thebeatingheart,Whenoneamongtheprimeoftheseroseup,–One,ofwhosenamefromchildhoodwehadheardFamiliarly,ahouseholdterm,likethose,TheBedfords,Glosters,Salsburys,ofoldWhomthefifthHarrytalksof.Silence!hush!Thisisnotrifler,noshort-flightedwit,

500Nostammererofaminute,painfullyDelivered.No!theOratorhathyokedTheHours,likeyoungAurora,tohiscar:ThricewelcomePresence!howcanpatiencee’erGrowwearyofattendingonatrackThatkindleswithsuchglory!Allarecharmed,Astonished;likeaheroinromance,Hewindsawayhisnever-endinghorn;Wordsfollowwords,senseseemstofollowsense:Whatmemoryandwhatlogic!tillthestrainTranscendent,superhumanasitis,Growstediouseveninayoungman’sear.

510Transcendent,superhumanasitseemed,Growstediouseveninayoungman’sear.

GeniusofBurke!forgivethepenseducedByspeciouswonders,andtooslowtotellOfwhattheingenuous,whatbewilderedmen,Beginningtomistrusttheirboastfulguides,Andwisemen,willingtogrowwiser,caught,

Raptauditors!fromthymosteloquenttongue–Nowmute,forevermuteinthecoldgrave.Iseehim,–old,butvigorousinage,–

520Standlikeanoakwhosestag-hornbranchesstartOutofitsleafybrow,themoretoaweTheyoungerbrethrenofthegrove.Butsome–Whileheforewarns,denounces,launchesforth,Againstallsystemsbuiltonabstractrights,Keenridicule;themajestyproclaimsOfInstitutesandLaws,hallowedbytime;DeclaresthevitalpowerofsocialtiesEndearedbyCustom;andwithhighdisdain,ExplodingupstartTheory,insists

530Upontheallegiancetowhichmenareborn–Some–sayatonceafrowardmultitude–Murmur(fortruthishated,wherenotloved)AsthewindsfretwithintheÆgoliancave,Galledbytheirmonarch’schain.ThetimeswerebigWithominouschange,which,nightbynight,provokedKeenstruggles,andblackcloudsofpassionraised;Butmemorablemomentsintervened,WhenWisdom,liketheGoddessfromJove’sbrain,Brokeforthinarmourofresplendentwords,

540StartlingtheSynod.Couldayouth,andoneInancientstoryversed,whosebreasthadheavedUndertheweightofclassiceloquence,Sit,see,andhear,unthankful,uninspired?

NordidthePulpit’soratoryfailToachieveitshighertriumph.NotunfeltWereitsadmonishments,norlightlyheard

Thesearegravefollies;otherpublicshowsThecapitalcityteemswith,ofakindMorelight–andwherebutintheholychurch?TherehaveIseenacomelybachelor,

Freshfromatoiletteoftwohours,ascendThepulpit,withseraphicglancelookup,And,inatoneelaboratelylow

550Beginning,leadhisvoicethroughmanyamazeAminuetcourse,and,windinguphismouthFromtimetotimeintoanorificeMostdelicate,alurkingeyelet,smallAndonlynotinvisible,againOpenitout,diffusingthenceasmileOfraptirradiation,exquisite.MeanwhiletheEvangelists,Isaiah,Job,Moses,andhewhopenned,theotherday,TheDeathofAbel,Shakespeare,DoctorYoung,

560AndOssian(doubtnot,‘tisthenakedtruth)SummonedfromstreamyMorven–eachandallMustintheirturnlendornamentandflowersToentwinethecrookofeloquencewithwhichThisprettyshepherd,prideofalltheplains,Leadsupanddownhiscaptivatedflock.

Iglancebutatafewconspicuousmarks,Leavingtenthousandothersthatdoeach–Inhallorcourt,conventicleorshop,Inpublicroomorprivate,parkorstreet–

570Withfondnessrearedonhisownpedestal,Lookoutforadmiration.Folly,vice,Extravaganceingesture,mien,anddress,Andallthestrifeofsingularity(Liestotheear,andliestoeverysense),Ofthese,andofthelivingshapestheywear,Thereisnoend.Suchcandidatesforregard,Althoughwellpleasedtobewheretheywerefound,TheawfultruthsdeliveredthencebytonguesEndowedwithvariouspowertosearchthesoul;Yetostentation,domineering,oft

550Pouredforthharangues,howsadlyoutofplace!–

TherehaveIseenacomelybachelor,Freshfromatoiletteoftwohours,ascendHisrostrum,withseraphicglancelookup,And,inatoneelaboratelylowBeginning,leadhisvoicethroughmanyamazeAminuetcourse;and,windinguphismouth,Fromtimetotime,intoanorificeMostdelicate,alurkingeyelet,small,Andonlynotinvisible,again

560Openitout,diffusingthenceasmileOfraptirradiation,exquisite.MeanwhiletheEvangelists,Isaiah,Job,Moses,andhewhopenned,theotherday,TheDeathofAbel,Shakspeare,andtheBardWhosegeniusspangledo’eragloomythemeWithfanciesthickashisinspiringstars,AndOssian(doubtnot,‘tisthenakedtruth)SummonedfromstreamyMorven–eachandallWould,intheirturns,lendornamentsandflowers

570ToentwinethecrookofeloquencethathelpedThisprettyShepherd,prideofalltheplains,Toruleandguidehiscaptivatedflock.

Iglancebutatafewconspicuousmarks,Leavingathousandothers,that,inhall,Court,theatre,conventicle,orshop,Inpublicroomorprivate,parkorstreet,Eachfondlyrearedonhisownpedestal,Lookedoutforadmiration.Folly,vice,Extravaganceingesture,mien,anddress,

580Andallthestrifeofsingularity,Liestotheear,andliestoeverysense–Ofthese,andofthelivingshapestheywear,Thereisnoend.Suchcandidatesforregard,Althoughwellpleasedtobewheretheywerefound,Ididnothuntafterorgreatlyprize,

Normadeuntomyselfasecretboast580Ofreadingthemwithquickandcuriouseye,

Butasacommonproduce–thingsthatareToday,tomorrowwillbe–tookofthemSuchwillingnoteas,onsomeerrandboundOfpleasureoroflove,sometravellermight(Amongathousandotherimages)Ofsea-shellsthatbestudthesandybeach,OrdaisiesswarmingthroughthefieldsinJune.

Butfoolishnessandmadnessinparade,Thoughmostathomeinthistheirdeardomain,

590Arescatteredeverywhere,noraritiesEventotherudestnoviceoftheschools.Ofriend,onefeelingwastherewhichbelongedTothisgreatcitybyexclusiveright–Ididnothuntafter,norgreatlyprize,NormadeuntomyselfasecretboastOfreadingthemwithquickandcuriouseye;But,asacommonproduce,thingsthatareTo-day,to-morrowwillbe,tookofthem

590Suchwillingnote,as,onsomeerrandboundThatasksnotspeed,aTravellermightbestowOnsea-shellsthatbestrewthesandybeach,OrdaisiesswarmingthroughthefieldsofJune.

Butfoolishnessandmadnessinparade,Thoughmostathomeinthistheirdeardomain,Arescatteredeverywhere,norarities,EventotherudestnoviceoftheSchools.Me,rather,itemployed,tonote,andkeepInmemory,thoseindividualsights

600Ofcourage,orintegrity,ortruth,Ortenderness,whichthere,setoffbyfoil,Appearedmoretouching.OnewillIselect;AFather–forheborethatsacredname–

HimsawI,sittinginanopensquare,Uponacorner-stoneofthatlowwall,WhereinwerefixedtheironpalesthatfencedAspaciousgrass-plot;there,insilence,sateThisOneMan,withasicklybabeoutstretchedUponhisknee,whomhehadthitherbrought

610Forsunshine,andtobreathethefresherair.Ofthosewhopassed,andmewholookedathim,Hetooknoheed;butinhisbrawnyarms(TheArtificerwastotheelbowbare,Andfromhisworkthismomenthadbeenstolen)Heheldthechild,and,bendingoverit,AsifhewereafraidbothofthesunAndoftheair,whichhehadcometoseek,Eyedthepoorbabewithloveunutterable.

Astheblackstormuponthemountaintop620Setsoffthesunbeaminthevalley,so

HowoftenintheoverflowingstreetsHaveIgoneforwardswiththecrowd,andsaidUntomyself‘ThefaceofeveryoneThatpassesbymeisamystery!’ThushaveIlooked,norceasedtolook,oppressedBythoughtsofwhatandwhither,whenandhow,

600UntiltheshapesbeforemyeyesbecameAsecond-sightprocessionsuchasglidesOverstillmountains,orappearsindreams,Andalltheballastoffamiliarlife–Thepresentandthepast,hope,fear,allstays,Alllaws,ofacting,thinking,speakingman–Wentfromme,neitherknowingme,norknown.Andonce,fartravelledinsuchmood,beyondThereachofcommonindications,lostAmidthemovingpageant,‘twasmychance

610Abruptlytobesmittenwiththeview

Ofablindbeggar,who,withuprightface,Stoodproppedagainstawall,uponhischestWearingawrittenpapertoexplainThestoryofthemanandwhohewas.MyminddidatthisspectacleturnroundAswiththemightofwaters,anditseemedTomethatinthislabelwasatypeOremblemoftheutmostthatweknowBothofourselvesandoftheuniverse;

620And,ontheshapeofthisunmovingman,Hisfixedfaceandsightlesseyes,IlookedAsifadmonishedfromanotherworld.

Thoughreareduponthebaseofoutwardthings,ThesechieflyaresuchstructuresasthemindBuildsforitself.Scenesdifferentthereare,Full-formed,whichtake,withsmallinternalhelp,Possessionofthefaculties:thepeaceOfnight,forinstance,thesolemnityOfnature’sintermediatehoursofrest

630Whenthegreattideofhumanlifestandsstill,Thathugefermentingmassofhuman-kindServesasasolemnback-ground,orrelief,Tosingleformsandobjects,whencetheydraw,Forfeelingandcontemplativeregard,Morethaninherentlivelinessandpower.Howoft,amidthoseoverflowingstreets,HaveIgoneforwardwiththecrowd,andsaidUntomyself,‘ThefaceofeveryoneThatpassesbymeisamystery!’

630ThushaveIlooked,norceasedtolook,oppressedBythoughtsofwhatandwhither,whenandhow,UntiltheshapesbeforemyeyesbecameAsecond-sightprocession,suchasglidesOverstillmountains,orappearsindreams;Andonce,far-travelledinsuchmood,beyond

Thereachofcommonindication,lostAmidthemovingpageant,IwassmittenAbruptly,withtheview(asightnotrare)OfablindBeggar,who,withuprightface,

640Stood,proppedagainstawall,uponhischestWearingawrittenpaper,toexplainHisstory,whencehecame,andwhohewas.CaughtbythespectaclemymindturnedroundAswiththemightofwaters;anapttypeThislabelseemedoftheutmostwecanknow,Bothofourselvesandoftheuniverse;And,ontheshapeofthatunmovingman,Hissteadfastfaceandsightlesseyes,Igazed,Asifadmonishedfromanotherworld.

650Thoughreareduponthebaseofoutwardthings,StructureslikethesetheexcitedspiritmainlyBuildsforherself;scenesdifferentthereare,Full-formed,thattake,withsmallinternalhelp,Possessionofthefaculties,–thepeaceThatcomeswithnight;thedeepsolemnityOfnature’sintermediatehoursofrest,Whenthegreattideofhumanlifestandsstill;Thebusinessofthedaytocomeunborn,Ofthatgonebylockedupasinthegrave;Thecalmness,beauty,ofthespectacle,Sky,stillness,moonshine,emptystreets,andsoundsUnfrequentasindeserts;atlatehoursOfwinterevenings,whenunwholesomerainsArefallinghard,withpeopleyetastir,ThefeeblesalutationfromthevoiceOfsomeunhappywomannowandthen

640Heardaswepass,whennoonelooksabout,Nothingislistenedto.ButtheseIfearArefalselycatalogued–thingsthatare,arenot,Evenaswegivethemwelcome,orassist,Arepromptorareremiss.Whatsayyouthen

TotimeswhenhalfthecityshallbreakoutFullofonepassion(vengeance,rage,orfear)Toexecutions,toastreetonfire,Mobs,riots,orrejoicings?FromthosesightsTakeone,anannualfestival,thefair

650Holdenwheremartyrssufferedinpasttime,AndnamedofStBartholomew.ThereseeAworkthat’sfinishedtoourhands,thatlays–Ifanyspectacleonearthcando–Thewholecreativepowersofmanasleep!Foroncethemuse’shelpwillweimploreAndsheshalllodgeus,waftedonherwings,Abovethepressanddangerofthecrowd,Uponsomeshowman’splatform.

WhatahellForeyesandears,whatanarchyanddin

660Barbarianandinfernal–‘tisadreamMonstrousincolour,motion,shape,sight,sound!Below,theopenspace,througheverynookOfthewidearea,twinkles,isaliveWithheads;themidwayregionandaboveIsthrongedwithstaringpicturesandhugescrolls,Dumbproclamationsoftheprodigies,Thebusinessofthedaytocome,unborn,Ofthatgoneby,lockedup,asinthegrave;

660Theblendedcalmnessoftheheavensandearth,Moonlightandstars,andemptystreets,andsoundsUnfrequentasindeserts;atlatehoursOfwinterevenings,whenunwholesomerainsArefallinghard,withpeopleyetastir,ThefeeblesalutationfromthevoiceOfsomeunhappywoman,nowandthenHeardaswepass,whennoonelooksabout,Nothingislistenedto.Butthese,Ifear,Arefalselycatalogued;thingsthatare,arenot,

670Asthemindanswerstothem,ortheheartIsprompt,orslow,tofeel.Whatsayyou,then,Totimes,whenhalfthecityshallbreakoutFullofonepassion,vengeance,rage,orfear?Toexecutions,toastreetonfire,Mobs,riots,orrejoicings?FromthesesightsTakeone,–thatancientfestival,theFair,Holdenwheremartyrssufferedinpasttime,AndnamedofSt.Bartholomew;there,seeAworkcompletedtoourhands,thatlays,

680Ifanyspectacleonearthcando,Thewholecreativepowersofmanasleep!–Foronce,theMuse’shelpwillweimplore,Andsheshalllodgeus,waftedonherwings,Abovethepressanddangerofthecrowd,Uponsomeshowman’splatform.WhatashockForeyesandears!whatanarchyanddin,Barbarianandinfernal,–aphantasma,Monstrousincolour,motion,shape,sight,sound!Below,theopenspace,througheverynook

690Ofthewidearea,twinkles,isaliveWithheads;themidwayregion,andabove,Isthrongedwithstaringpicturesandhugescrolls,DumbproclamationsoftheProdigies;Andchatteringmonkeysdanglingfromtheirpoles,Andchildrenwhirlingintheirroundabouts;Withthosethatstretchtheneckandstraintheeyes,

670Andcrackthevoiceinrivalship(thecrowdInviting),withbuffoonsagainstbuffoonsGrimacing,writhing,screaming–himwhogrindsThehurdy-gurdy,atthefiddleweaves,Rattlesthesalt-box,thumpsthekettle-drum,Andhimwhoatthetrumpetpuffshischeeks,Thesilver-collarednegrowithhistimbrel,Equestrians,tumblers,women,girls,andboys,

Blue-breeched,pink-vested,andwithtoweringplumes.Allmoveablesofwonder,fromallparts,

680Arehere:albinos,paintedIndians,dwarfs,Thehorseofknowledgeandthelearnedpig,Thestone-eater,themanthatswallowsfire,Giants,ventriloquists,theinvisiblegirl,Thebustthatspeaksandmovesitsgogglingeyes,Thewax-work,clock-work,allthemarvellouscraftOfmodernMerlins,wildbeasts,puppet-shows,Allout-o’-the-way,far-fetched,pervertedthings,Allfreaksofnature,allPrometheanthoughtsOfman–hisdulness,madness,andtheirfeats–

690AlljumbleduptogethertomakeupThisparliamentofmonsters.TentsandboothsMeanwhile,asifthewholewereonevastmill,Arevomiting,receiving,onallsides,Men,women,three-years’children,babesinarms.

Oh,blankconfusion,andatypenotfalseOfwhatthemightycityisitselfToallexceptastragglerhereandthere–Tothewholeswarmofitsinhabitants–Anundistinguishableworldtomen,

700TheslavesunrespitedoflowpursuitsLivingamidthesameperpetualflowOftrivialobjects,meltedandreducedTooneidentitybydifferencesWithchatteringmonkeysdanglingfromtheirpoles,Andchildrenwhirlingintheirroundabouts;Withthosethatstretchtheneckandstraintheeyes,Andcrackthevoiceinrivalship,thecrowdInviting;withbuffoonsagainstbuffoonsGrimacing,writhing,screaming,–himwhogrinds

700Thehurdy-gurdy,atthefiddleweaves,Rattlesthesalt-box,thumpsthekettle-drum,

Andhimwhoatthetrumpetpuffshischeeks,Thesilver-collaredNegrowithhistimbrel,Equestrians,tumblers,women,girls,andboys,Blue-breeched,pink-vested,withhigh-toweringplumes.–Allmoveablesofwonder,fromallparts,Arehere–Albinos,paintedIndians,Dwarfs,TheHorseofknowledge,andthelearnedPig,TheStone-eater,themanthatswallowsfire,

710Giants,Ventriloquists,theInvisibleGirl,TheBustthatspeaksandmovesitsgogglingeyes,TheWax-work,Clock-work,allthemarvellouscraftOfmodernMerlins,WildBeasts,Puppet-shows,Allout-o’-the-way,far-fetched,pervertedthings,Allfreaksofnature,allPrometheanthoughtsOfman,hisdullness,madness,andtheirfeatsAlljumbleduptogether,tocomposeAParliamentofMonsters.TentsandBoothsMeanwhile,asifthewholewereonevastmill,

720Arevomiting,receivingonallsides,Men,Women,three-years’Children,Babesinarms.

Oh,blankconfusion!trueepitomeOfwhatthemightyCityisherself,Tothousandsuponthousandsofhersons,LivingamidthesameperpetualwhirlOftrivialobjects,meltedandreducedTooneidentity,bydifferencesThathavenolaw,nomeaning,andnoend–OppressionunderwhichevenhighestmindsMustlabour,whencethestrongestarenotfree.Butthoughthepicturewearyouttheeye,Bynatureanunmanageablesight,Itisnotwhollysotohimwholooks

710Insteadiness,whohathamongleastthingsAnunder-senseofgreatest–seesthepartsAsparts,butwithafeelingofthewhole.

This(ofallacquisitionsfirst)awaitsOnsundryandmostwidelydifferentmodesOfeducation;norwithleastdelightOnthatthroughwhichIpassed.Attentioncomes,Andcomprehensivenessandmemory,FromearlyconversewiththeworksofGodAmongallregions,chieflywhereappear

720Mostobviouslysimplicityandpower.ByinfluencehabitualtothemindThemountain’soutlineanditssteadyformGivesapuregrandeur,anditspresenceshapesThemeasureandtheprospectofthesoulTomajesty.SuchvirtuehavetheformsPerennialoftheancienthills;norlessThechangefullanguageoftheircountenancesGivesmovementtothethoughts,andmultitude,Withorderandrelation.This(ifstill

730AshithertowithfreedomImayspeakAndthesameperfectopennessofmind,Notviolatinganyjustrestraint,AsIwouldhope,ofrealmodesty),ThisdidIfeelinthatvastreceptacle.Thespiritofnaturewasuponmehere;Thathavenolaw,nomeaning,andnoend–Oppression,underwhichevenhighestminds

730Mustlabour,whencethestrongestarenotfree.Butthoughthepicturewearyouttheeye,Bynatureanunmanageablesight,ItisnotwhollysotohimwholooksInsteadiness,whohathamongleastthingsAnunder-senseofgreatest;seesthepartsAsparts,butwithafeelingofthewhole.This,ofallacquisitions,firstawaitsOnsundryandmostwidelydifferentmodesOfeducation,norwithleastdelight

740OnthatthroughwhichIpassed.Attentionsprings,Andcomprehensivenessandmemoryflow,FromearlyconversewiththeworksofGodAmongallregions;chieflywhereappearMostobviouslysimplicityandpower.Think,howtheeverlastingstreamsandwoods,Stretchedandstillstretchingfarandwide,exaltTherovingIndian,onhisdesertsands:Whatgrandeurnotunfelt,whatpregnantshowOfbeauty,meetsthesun-burntArab’seye:

750And,astheseapropels,fromzonetozone,Itscurrents;magnifiesitsshoalsoflifeBeyondallcompass;spreads,andsendsaloftArmiesofclouds,–evenso,itspowersandaspectsShapeformankind,byprinciplesasfixed,TheviewsandaspirationsofthesoulTomajesty.LikevirtuehavetheformsPerennialoftheancienthills;norlessThechangefullanguageoftheircountenancesQuickenstheslumberingmind,andaidsthethoughts,

760Howevermultitudinous,tomoveWithorderandrelation.This,ifstill,Ashitherto,infreedomImayspeak,Notviolatinganyjustrestraint,Asmaybehoped,ofrealmodesty,–ThisdidIfeel,inLondon’svastdomain.TheSpiritofNaturewasuponmethere;ThesoulofbeautyandenduringlifeWaspresentasahabit,anddiffused–Throughmeagrelinesandcolours,andthepressOfself-destroying,transitorythings–

740Composureandennoblingharmony.ThesoulofBeautyandenduringLifeVouchsafedherinspiration,anddiffused,Throughmeagrelinesandcolours,andthepress

770Ofself-destroying,transitorythings,Composure,andennoblingHarmony.

BookEighthRETROSPECT–LOVEOFNATURELEADINGTOLOVEOFMANKIND

Whatsoundsarethose,Helvellyn,whichareheardUptothysummit,throughthedepthofairAscendingasifdistancehadthepowerTomakethesoundsmoreaudible?WhatcrowdIsyon,assembledinthegaygreenfield?Crowdseemsit,solitaryhill,tothee,Thoughbutalittlefamilyofmen(Twicetwenty),withtheirchildrenandtheirwives,Andhereandthereastrangerinterspersed.

10Itisasummerfestival,afair,Suchas–onthissidenow,andnowonthat,Repeatedthroughhistributaryvales–HelvellyninthesilenceofhisrestSeesannually,ifstormsbenotabroadAndmistshavelefthimanunshroudedhead.DelightfuldayitisforallwhodwellInthissecludedglen,andeagerlyTheygiveitwelcome.

LongereheatofnoonBeholdthecattlearedrivendown;thesheep

20ThathavefortrafficbeenculledoutarepennedIncotesthatstandtogetherontheplainRangedsidebyside;thechafferingisbegun.Theheiferlows,uneasyatthevoiceOfanewmaster;bleattheflocksaloud.Boothsaretherenone:astallortwoishere,Alamemanorablind(theonetobeg,Theothertomakemusic),hithertoo

Fromfar,withbasketslunguponherarm

BookEighthRETROSPECT–LOVEOFNATURELEADINGTOLOVEOFMANKIND

Whatsoundsarethose,Helvellyn,thatareheardUptothysummit,throughthedepthofairAscending,asifdistancehadthepowerTomakethesoundsmoreaudible?WhatcrowdCovers,orsprinkleso’er,yonvillagegreen?Crowdseemsit,solitaryhill!tothee,Thoughbutalittlefamilyofmen,Shepherdsandtillersoftheground–betimesAssembledwiththeirchildrenandtheirwives,

10Andhereandthereastrangerinterspersed.Theyholdarusticfair–afestival,Suchas,onthissidenow,andnowonthat,Repeatedthroughhistributaryvales,Helvellyn,inthesilenceofhisrest,Seesannually,ifcloudstowardseitheroceanBlownfromtheirfavouriteresting-place,ormistsDissolved,havelefthimanunshroudedhead.DelightfuldayitisforallwhodwellInthissecludedglen,andeagerly

20Theygiveitwelcome.Longereheatofnoon,Frombyreorfieldthekinewerebrought;thesheepArepennedincotes;thechafferingisbegun.Theheiferlows,uneasyatthevoiceOfanewmaster;bleattheflocksaloud.Boothsaretherenone;astallortwoishere;Alamemanorablind,theonetobeg,Theothertomakemusic;hither,too,Fromfar,withbasket,slunguponherarm,Ofhawker’swares–books,pictures,combs,andpins–

30Someagedwomanfindsherwayagain,Yearafteryearapunctualvisitant;Theshowmanwithhisfreightuponhisback,AndonceperchanceinlapseofmanyyearsProuderitinerant,mountebank,orheWhosewondersinacoveredwainliehid.Butoneishere,theloveliestofthemall,Somesweetlassofthevalley,lookingoutForgains–andwhothatseesherwouldnotbuy?Fruitsofherfather’sorchard,apples,pears

40(Onthatdayonlytosuchofficestooping),Shecarriesinherbasket,andwalksroundAmongthecrowd,halfpleasedwith,halfashamedOfhernewcalling,blushingrestlessly.Thechildrennowarerich,theoldmannowIsgenerous,sogaietyprevailsWhichallpartakeof,youngandold.

ImmenseIstherecess,thecircumambientworldMagnificent,bywhichtheyareembraced.Theymoveaboutuponthesoftgreenfield;

50Howlittlethey(theyandtheirdoings)seem,Theirherdsandflocksaboutthem,theythemselves,Andallwhichtheycanfurtherorobstruct–ThroughutterweaknesspitiablydearAstenderinfantsare–andyethowgreat!Forallthingsservethem:themthemorninglightLovesasitglistensonthesilentrocks;Andthemthesilentrocks,whichnowfromhighLookdownuponthem;thereposingclouds,Ofhawker’swares–books,pictures,combs,andpins–

30Someagedwomanfindsherwayagain,Yearafteryear,apunctualvisitant!Therealsostandsaspeech-makerbyrote,

Pullingthestringsofhisboxedraree-show;AndinthelapseofmanyyearsmaycomeProuderitinerant,mountebank,orheWhosewondersinacoveredwainliehid.Butonethereis,theloveliestofthemall,Somesweetlassofthevalley,lookingoutForgains,andwhothatseesherwouldnotbuy?

40Fruitsofherfather’sorchard,areherwares,Andwiththeruddyproduce,shewalksroundAmongthecrowd,halfpleasedwithhalfashamedOfhernewoffice,blushingrestlessly.Thechildrennowarerich,fortheoldto-dayAregenerousastheyoung;and,ifcontentWithlookingon,someancientweddedpairSitintheshadetogether,whiletheygaze,‘Acheerfulsmileunbendsthewrinkledbrow,Thedaysdepartedstartagaintolife,

50Andallthescenesofchildhoodreappear,Faint,butmoretranquil,likethechangingsunTohimwhosleptatnoonandwakesateve.’Thusgaietyandcheerfulnessprevail,Spreadingfromyoungtoold,fromoldtoyoung,Andnooneseemstowanthisshare.–ImmenseIstherecess,thecircumambientworldMagnificent,bywhichtheyareembraced:Theymoveaboutuponthesoftgreenturf:Howlittlethey,theyandtheirdoings,seem,

60Andallthattheycanfurtherorobstruct!Throughutterweaknesspitiablydear,Astenderinfantsare:andyethowgreat!Forallthingsservethem:themthemorninglightLoves,asitglistensonthesilentrocks;Andthemthesilentrocks,whichnowfromhighLookdownuponthem;thereposingclouds;Thelurkingbrooksfromtheirinvisiblehaunts;

60AndoldHelvellyn,consciousofthestir.Andtheblueskythatroofstheircalmabode.Withdeepdevotion,nature,didIfeelInthatgreatcitywhatIowedtothee:HighthoughtsofGodandman,andloveofman,TriumphantoverallthoseloathsomesightsOfwretchednessandvice,awatchfuleye,Which,withtheoutsideofourhumanlifeNotsatisfied,mustreadtheinnermind.ForIalreadyhadbeentaughttolove

70Myfellow-beings,tosuchhabitstrainedAmongthewoodsandmountains,whereIfoundIntheeagraciousguidetoleadmeforthBeyondthebosomofmyfamily,Myfriendsandyouthfulplaymates.’TwasthypowerThatraisedthefirstcomplacencyinmeAndnoticeablekindlinessofheart,LovehumantothecreatureinhimselfAsheappeared,astrangerinmypath,Beforemyeyesabrotherofthisworld–80ThoufirstdidstwiththosemotionsofdelightInspireme.

Iremember,farfromhomeOncehavingstrayedwhileyetaverychild,Isawasight–andwithwhatjoyandlove!ItwasadayofexhalationsspreadUponthemountains,mistsandsteam-likefogsRedoundingeverywhere,notvehementButcalmandmild,gentleandbeautiful,Withgleamsofsunshineontheeyelet-spotsAndloopholesofthehills–whereverseen,

90Hiddenbyquietprocess,andassoonUnfolded,tobehuddledupagain.AlonganarrowvalleyandprofoundIjourneyed,when,aloftabovemyhead,Emergingfromthesilveryvapours,lo,

Thewildbrooksprattlingfrominvisiblehaunts;AndoldHelvellyn,consciousofthestirWhichanimatesthisdaytheircalmabode.

70Withdeepdevotion,Nature,didIfeel,InthatenormousCity’sturbulentworldOfmenandthings,whatbenefitIowedTothee,andthosedomainsofruralpeace,Ashepherdandhisdog,inopenday!GirtroundwithmiststheystoodandlookedaboutFromthatenclosuresmall,inhabitantsOfanaërialislandfloatingon,Asseemed,withthatabodeinwhichtheywere,

100AlittlependantareaofgreyrocksBythesoftwindbreathedforward.WithdelightAsblandalmost,oneeveningIbeheld,Andatasearlyage(thespectacleIscommon,butbymewasthenfirstseen)Ashepherdinthebottomofavale,Towardsthecentrestanding,whowithvoice,Andhandwavedtoandfroasneedrequired,Gavesignaltohisdog,thusteachinghimTochasealongthemazesofsteepcrags

110Theflockhecouldnotsee.Andsothebrute(Dearcreature!)withaman’sintelligenceAdvancing,orretreatingonhissteps,ThrougheveryperviousstraittorightorleftThriddedawayunbaffled;whiletheflockFledupwardsfromtheterrorofhisbarkThroughrocksandseamsofturfwithliquidgoldIrradiate–thatdeepfarewell-lightbywhichThesettingsunproclaimsthelovehebearsTomountainregions.

Beauteousthedomain120Wheretothesenseofbeautyfirstmyheart

Wasopened,tractmoreexquisitelyfairThanisthatparadiseoftenthousandtrees,OrGehol’sfamousgardens,inaclimeChosenfromwidestempire,fordelightOftheTartariandynastycomposedBeyondthatmightywall,notfabulous(China’sstupendousmound),bypatientskillOfmyriadsandboonnature’slavishhelp:Scenelinkedtoscene,andevergrowingchange,

130Soft,grand,orgay,withpalacesanddomesOfpleasurespangledover,shadydellsWheretothesenseofbeautyfirstmyheartWasopened;tractmoreexquisitelyfairThanthatfamedparadiseoftenthousandtrees,OrGehol’smatchlessgardens,fordelightOftheTartariandynastycomposed(Beyondthatmightywall,notfabulous,

80China’sstupendousmound)bypatienttoilOfmyriadsandboonnature’slavishhelp;There,inaclimefromwidestempirechosen,Fulfilling(couldenchantmenthavedonemore?)Asumptuousdreamofflowerylawns,withdomesOfpleasuresprinkledover,shadydellsForeasternmonasteries,sunnymoundsWithtemplescrested,bridges,gondolas,Rocks,dens,andgrovesoffoliagetaughttomeltIntoeachothertheirobsequioushues–Goingandgoneagain,insubtlechaseToofinetobepursued–orstandingforthInnodiscordantopposition,strongAndgorgeousasthecolourssidebyside

140Beddedamongtheplumesoftropicbirds;Andmountainsoverall,embracingall,AndallthelandscapeendlesslyenrichedWithwatersrunning,falling,orasleep.

Butlovelierfarthanthis,theparadiseWhereIwasreared;innature’sprimitivegiftsFavourednoless,andmoretoeverysenseDelicious,seeingthatthesunandsky,Theelements,andseasonsintheirchange,Dofindtheirdearestfellow-labourerthere

150Theheartofman–adistrictonallsidesThefragrancebreathingofhumanity:Manfree,manworkingforhimself,withchoiceOftime,andplace,andobject;byhiswants,Hiscomforts,nativeoccupations,cares,ConductedontoindividualendsOrsocial,andstillfollowedbyatrainUnwooed,unthought-ofeven–simplicity,Andbeauty,andinevitablegrace.Yea,doubtless,atanagewhenbutaglimpse

160Ofthoseresplendentgardens,withtheirframeImperialandelaborateornaments,Wouldtoachildbetransportover-great,Whenbutahalf-hour’sroamthroughsuchaplaceWouldleavebehindadanceofimagesThatshallbreakinuponhissleepforweeks,Eventhenthecommonhauntsofthegreenearth,WiththeordinaryhumaninterestsWhichtheyembosom(allwithoutregardAsbothmayseem)arefasteningontheheartForeasternmonasteries,sunnymountsWithtemplescrested,bridges,gondolas,Rocks,dens,andgrovesoffoliagetaughttomeltIntoeachothertheirobsequioushues,

90Vanishedandvanishinginsubtlechase,Toofinetobepursued;orstandingforthInnodiscordantopposition,strongAndgorgeousasthecolourssidebysideBeddedamongrichplumesoftropicbirds;Andmountainsoverall,embracingall;

Andallthelandscape,endlesslyenrichedWithwatersrunning,falling,orasleep.

Butlovelierfarthanthis,theparadiseWhereIwasreared;inNature’sprimitivegifts

100Favourednoless,andmoretoeverysenseDelicious,seeingthatthesunandsky,Theelements,andseasonsastheychange,Dofindaworthyfellow-labourerthere–Manfree,manworkingforhimself,withchoiceOftime,andplace,andobject;byhiswants,Hiscomforts,nativeoccupations,cares,CheerfullyledtoindividualendsOrsocial,andstillfollowedbyatrainUnwooed,unthought-ofeven–simplicity,

110Andbeauty,andinevitablegrace.

Yea,whenaglimpseofthoseimperialbowersWouldtoachildbetransportover-great,Whenbutahalf-hour’sroamthroughsuchaplaceWouldleavebehindadanceofimages,Thatshallbreakinuponhissleepforweeks;Eventhenthecommonhauntsofthegreenearth,Andordinaryinterestsofman,Whichtheyembosom,allwithoutregardAsbothmayseem,arefasteningontheheart

170Insensibly,eachwiththeother’shelp,Sothatwelove,notknowingthatwelove,Andfeel,notknowingwhenceourfeelingcomes.SuchleaguehavethesetwoprinciplesofjoyInouraffections.IhavesingledoutSomemoments,theearliestthatIcould,inwhichTheirseveralcurrents,blendedintoone–Weakyet,andgatheringimperceptibly–Flowedinbygushes.Myfirsthumanlove,Ashasbeenmentioned,didinclinetothose

180WhoseoccupationsandconcernsweremostIllustratedbynatureandadorned,Andshepherdswerethemenwhopleasedmefirst:NotsuchasinArcadianfastnessesSequesteredhandeddownamongthemselves(Soancientpoetssing)thegoldenage;Norsuch–asecondrace,alliedtothese–AsShakespeareinthewoodofArdenplacedWherePhoebesighedforthefalseGanymede,OrtherewhereFlorizelandPerdita

190Togetherdanced,queenofthefeastandking;NorsuchasSpenserfabled.TrueitisThatIhadheard(whatheperhapshadseen)OfmaidsatsunrisebringinginfromfarTheirmaybush,andalongthestreetsinflocksParadingwithasongoftauntingrhymesAimedatthelaggardsslumberingwithindoors–Hadalsoheard,fromthosewhoyetremembered,Talesofthemaypoledance,andflowersthatdeckedThepostsandthekirk-pillars,andofyouths,

200ThateachonewithhismaidatbreakofdayByannualcustomissuedforthintroopsTodrinkthewatersofsomefavouritewell,Andhangitroundwithgarlands.

This,alas,Wasbutadream:thetimeshadscatteredall

120Insensibly,eachwiththeother’shelp.Forme,whenmyaffectionsfirstwereledFromkindred,friends,andplaymates,topartakeLoveforthehumancreature’sabsoluteself,ThatnoticeablekindlinessofheartSprangoutoffountains,thereaboundingmostWheresovereignNaturedictatedthetasksAndoccupationswhichherbeautyadorned,

AndShepherdswerethementhatpleasedmefirst;NotsuchasSaturnruled’midLatianwilds,

130Withartsandlawssotempered,thattheirlivesLeft,eventoustoilinginthislateday,Abrighttraditionofthegoldenage;Notsuchas,’midArcadianfastnessesSequestered,handeddownamongthemselvesFelicity,inGreciansongrenowned;Norsuchas,whenanadversefatehaddriven,Fromhouseandhome,thecourtlybandwhosefortunesEntered,withShakspeare’sgenius,thewildwoodsOfArden,amidsunshineorinshade,

140CulledthebestfruitsofTime’suncountedhours,ErePhœbesighedforthefalseGanymede;OrtherewherePerditaandFlorizelTogetherdanced,Queenofthefeast,andKing;NorsuchasSpenserfabled.Trueitis,ThatIhadheard(whatheperhapshadseen)OfmaidsatsunrisebringinginfromfarTheirMay-bush,andalongthestreetinflocksParadingwithasongoftauntingrhymes,Aimedatthelaggardsslumberingwithindoors;

150Hadalsoheard,fromthosewhoyetremembered,TalesoftheMay-poledance,andwreathsthatdeckedPorch,door-way,orkirk-pillar;andofyouths,Eachwithhismaid,beforethesunwasup,Byannualcustom,issuingforthintroops,Todrinkthewatersofsomesaintedwell,Andhangitroundwithgarlands.Lovesurvives;But,forsuchpurpose,flowersnolongergrow:Thetimes,toosage,perhapstooproud,havedroppedTheselightergraces,andtheruralwaysAndmannerswhichitwasmychancetoseeInchildhoodweresevereandunadorned,TheunluxuriantproduceofalifeIntentonlittlebutsubstantialneeds–

210Yetbeautiful–andbeautythatwasfelt.ButimagesofdangeranddistressAndsuffering,thesetookdeepestholdofme:Mansufferingamongawfulpowersandforms.OfthisIheardandsawenoughtomakeTheimaginationrestless,norwasfreeMyselffromfrequentperils.NorweretalesWanting–thetragediesofformertimes,Orhazardsandescapes,whichinmywalksIcarriedwithmeamongcragsandwoods

220Andmountains–andofthesemayherebetoldOne,asrecordedbymyhouseholddame.

AtthefirstfallingofautumnalsnowAshepherdandhissononedaywentforth(Thusdidthematron’stalebegin)toseekAstraggleroftheirflock.TheybothhadrangedUponthisservicetheprecedingdayAllovertheirownpasturesandbeyond,AndnowatsunrisesallyingoutagainRenewedtheirsearch,begunwherefromDoveCrag–

230Illhomeforbirdsogentle–theylookeddownOnDeepdaleHeadandBrothersWater,namedFromthosetwobrothersthatweredrownedtherein.Thencenorthward,havingpassedbyArthur’sSeatToFairfield’shighestsummit,ontherightLeavingStSunday’sPike,toGrisedaleTarnTheyshot,andoverthatcloud-lovinghillSeatSandal(afondloveroftheclouds),ThenceupHelvellyn,asuperiormountWithprospectunderneathofStridingEdge

240AndGrisedale’shouselessvale,alongthebrinkOfRussetCoveandthosetwoothercovesHugeskeletonsofcrags,whichfromthetrunkTheselightergraces;andtheruralways

160AndmannerswhichmychildhoodlookeduponWeretheunluxuriantproduceofalifeIntentonlittlebutsubstantialneeds,Yetrichinbeauty,beautythatwasfelt.Butimagesofdangeranddistress,MansufferingamongawfulPowersandForms;OfthisIheard,andsawenoughtomakeImaginationrestless;norwasfreeMyselffromfrequentperils;norweretalesWanting,–thetragediesofformertimes,

170Hazardsandstrangeescapes,ofwhichtherocksImmutableandeverflowingstreams,Where’erIroamed,werespeakingmonuments.OfoldHelvellynspreadtheirarmsabroadAndmakeastormyharbourforthewinds.Farwentthoseshepherdsintheirdeviousquest,FrommountainridgespeepingastheypassedDownintoeveryglen;atlengththeboySaid‘Father,withyourleave,IwillgobackAndrangethegroundwhichwehavesearchedbefore.’

250Sospeaking,southwarddownthehilltheladSpranglikeagustofwind,cryingaloud‘IknowwhereIshallfindhim.’

‘Fortakenote’,Saidheremygrey-haireddame,‘thatthoughthestormDriveoneofthesepoorcreaturesmilesandmiles,IfhecancrawlhewillreturnagainTohisownhills,thespotswherewhenalambHelearnttopastureathismother’sside.’Aftersolongalabour,suddenlyBethinkinghimofthis,theboy

260PursuedhiswaytowardsabrookwhosecourseWasthroughthatunfencedtractofmountain-groundWhichtohisfather’slittlefarmbelonged,

Thehomeandancientbirthrightoftheirflock.Downthedeepchannelofthestreamhewent,Pryingthrougheverynook;meanwhiletherainBegantofalluponthemountain-tops–Thickstormandheavywhichforthreehours’spaceAbatednot–andallthattimetheboyWasbusyinhissearch,untilatlength

270Hespiedthesheepuponaplotofgrass,Anislandinthebrook.ItwasaplaceRemoteanddeep,piledroundwithrockswherefootOfmanorbeastwasseldomusedtotread;Butnow,wheneverywherethesummergrassHadfailed,thisoneadventurer,hunger-pressed,HadlefthisfellowsandmadehiswayaloneTothegreenplotofpastureinthebrook.BeforetheboyknewwellwhathehadseenHeleaptupontheislandwithproudheart

280Andwithaprophet’sjoy.ImmediatelyThesheepsprangforwardtothefurthershoreAndwasborneheadlongbytheroaringflood.Atthistheboylookedroundhim,andhisheartFaintedwithfear.ThricedidheturnhisfaceToeitherbrink,norcouldhesummonupThecouragethatwasneedfultoleapbackCrossthetempestuoustorrent.Sohestood,Aprisonerontheisland,notwithoutMorethanonethoughtofdeathandhislasthour.

290MeanwhilethefatherhadreturnedaloneTohisownhouse;andnowattheapproachOfeveninghewentforthtomeethisson,ConjecturingvainlyforwhatcausetheboyHadstayedsolong.TheshepherdtookhiswayUphisownmountain-grounds,whereashewalkedAlongthesteepthatoverhungthebrookHeseemedtohearavoice,whichwasagain

Repeated,likethewhistlingofakite.Atthis,notknowingwhy(asoftentimes

300Longafterwardshehasbeenheardtosay)Downtothebrookhewent,andtrackeditscourseUpwardsamongtheo’erhangingrocks;northusHadhegonefarereheespiedtheboyWhereonthatlittleplotofgroundhestoodRightinthemiddleoftheroaringstream,Nowstrongereverymomentandmorefierce.ThesightwassuchasnoonecouldhaveseenWithoutdistressandfear.TheshepherdheardTheoutcryofhisson,hestretchedhisstaff

310Towardshim,badehimleap–whichwordscarcesaid,Theboywassafewithinhisfather’sarms.

Smoothlifehadflockandshepherdinoldtime,LongspringsandtepidwintersonthebanksOfdelicateGalesus–andnolessThosescatteredalongAdria’smyrtleshores–Smoothlifetheherdsman,andhissnow-whiteherd

Smoothlifehadflockandshepherdinoldtime,Longspringsandtepidwinters,onthebanksOfdelicateGalesus;andnolessThosescatteredalongAdria’smyrtleshores:Smoothlifehadherdsman,andhissnow-whiteherdTotriumphsandtosacrificialritesDevoted,ontheinviolablestreamOfrichClitumnus;andthegoatherdlived

320AssweetlyunderneaththepleasantbrowsOfcoolLucretilis,wherethepipewasheardOfPan,theinvisiblegod,thrillingtherocksWithtutelarymusic,fromallharmThefoldprotecting.Imyself(matureInmanhoodthen)haveseenapastoraltractLikeoneofthese,wherefancymightrunwild,

Thoughunderskieslessgenerousandserene;Yetthere,asforherself,hadnatureframedApleasure-ground,diffusedafairexpanse

330Oflevelpasture,islandedwithgrovesAndbankedwithwoodyrisings–buttheplainEndless,hereopeningwidelyout,andthereShutupinlesserlakesorbedsoflawnAndintricaterecesses,creekorbayShelteredwithinashelter,whereatlargeTheshepherdstrays,arollinghuthishome.Thitherhecomeswithspringtime,thereabidesAllsummer,andatsunriseyemayhearHisfluteorflageoletresoundingfar.

340There’snotanookorholdofthatvastspace,Norstraitwherepassageis,butitshallhaveInturnitsvisitant,tellingtherehishoursInunlaboriouspleasure,withnotaskMoretoilsomethantocarveabeechenbowlForspringorfountain,whichthetravellerfindsWhenthroughtheregionhepursuesatwillHisdeviouscourse.

AglimpseofsuchsweetlifeIsawwhenfromthemelancholywallsOfGoslar,onceimperial,Irenewed

350MydailywalkalongthatcheerfulplainWhich,reachingtohergates,spreadseastandwestAndnorthwardsfrombeneaththemountainousvergeOftheHercynianforest.Yet,hailtoyou,TotriumphsandtosacrificialritesDevoted,ontheinviolablestream

180OfrichClitumnus;andthegoat-herdlivedAscalmly,underneaththepleasantbrowsOfcoolLucretilis,wherethepipewasheardOfPan,InvisibleGod,thrillingtherocks

Withtutelarymusic,fromallharmThefoldprotecting.Imyself,matureInmanhoodthen,haveseenapastoraltractLikeoneofthese,whereFancymightrunwild,Thoughunderskieslessgenerous,lessserene:There,forherowndelighthadNatureframed

190Apleasure-ground,diffusedafairexpanseOflevelpasture,islandedwithgrovesAndbankedwithwoodyrisings;butthePlainEndless,hereopeningwidelyout,andthereShutupinlesserlakesorbedsoflawnAndintricaterecesses,creekorbayShelteredwithinashelter,whereatlargeTheshepherdstrays,arollinghuthishome.Thitherhecomeswithspring-time,thereabidesAllsummer,andatsunriseyemayhear

200HisflageolettoliquidnotesofloveAttuned,orsprightlyfiferesoundingfar.Nookistherenone,nortractofthatvastspaceWherepassageopens,butthesameshallhaveInturnitsvisitant,tellingtherehishoursInunlaboriouspleasure,withnotaskMoretoilsomethantocarveabeechenbowlForspringorfountain,whichthetravellerfinds,WhenthroughtheregionhepursuesatwillHisdeviouscourse.Aglimpseofsuchsweetlife

210Isawwhen,fromthemelancholywallsOfGoslar,onceimperial,IrenewedMydailywalkalongthatwidechampaign,That,reachingtohergates,spreadseastandwest,Andnorthwards,frombeneaththemountainousvergeOftheHercynianforest.Yet,hailtoyouYourrocksandprecipices–yethatseizeTheheartwithfirmergrasp–yoursnowsandstreamsUngovernable,andyourterrifyingwindsThathowledsodismallywhenIhavebeen

Companionlessamongyoursolitudes!There’tistheshepherd’staskthewinterlong

360Towaituponthestorms:oftheirapproachSagacious,fromtheheighthedriveshisflockDownintoshelteringcoves,andfeedsthemthereThroughthehardtime,longasthestormislocked(Sodotheyphraseit),bearingfromthestallsAtoilsomeburdenupthecraggywaysTostrewitonthesnow.AndwhenthespringLooksout,andallthemountainsdancewithlambs,Hethroughtheenclosureswonfromthesteepwaste,Andthroughthelowerheights,hathgonehisrounds;

370AndwhentheflockwithwarmerweatherclimbsHigherandhigher,himhisofficeleadsTorangeamongthem,throughthehillsdispersed,Andwatchtheirgoings–whatsoevertrackEachwandererchoosesforitself–aworkThatlaststhesummerthrough.HequitshishomeAtday-spring,andnosoonerdoesthesunBegintostrikehimwithafire-likeheatThanheliesdownuponsomeshiningplace,Andbreakfastswithhisdog.Whenhehasstayed

380(Asforthemosthedoes)beyondhistime,Hespringsupwithabound,andthenaway!–Ascendingfastwithhislongpoleinhand,Orwindinginandoutamongthecrags.

WhatneedtofollowhimthroughwhathedoesOrseesinhisday’smarch?Hefeelshimself,Inthosevastregionswherehisserviceis,Afreeman,weddedtohislifeofhopeAndhazard,andhardlabourinterchangedMoors,mountains,headlands,andyehollowvales,YelongdeepchannelsfortheAtlantic’svoice,Powersofmynativeregion!YethatseizeTheheartwithfirmergrasp!Yoursnowsandstreams

220Ungovernable,andyourterrifyingwinds,ThathowlsodismallyforhimwhotreadsCompanionlessyourawfulsolitudes!There,’tistheshepherd’staskthewinterlongTowaituponthestorms:oftheirapproachSagacious,intoshelteringcoveshedrivesHisflock,andthitherfromthehomesteadbearsAtoilsomeburdenupthecraggyways,Anddealsitout,theirregularnourishmentStrewnonthefrozensnow.Andwhenthespring

230Looksout,andallthepasturesdancewithlambs,Andwhentheflock,withwarmerweather,climbsHigherandhigher,himhisofficeleadsTowatchtheirgoings,whatsoevertrackThewandererschoose.ForthishequitshishomeAtday-spring,andnosoonerdoththesunBegintostrikehimwithafire-likeheat,Thanheliesdownuponsomeshiningrock,Andbreakfastswithhisdog.Whentheyhavestolen,Asistheirwont,apittancefromstricttime,

240Forrestnotneededorexchangeoflove,Thenfromhiscouchhestarts;andnowhisfeetCrushoutalivelierfragrancefromtheflowersOflowlythyme,byNature’sskillenwroughtInthewildturf:thelingeringdewsofmornSmokeroundhim,asfromhilltohillhehies,Hisstaffprotendinglikeahunter’sspear,Orbyitsaidleapingfromcragtocrag,Ando’erthebrawlingbedsofunbridgedstreams.Philosophy,methinks,atFancy’scall,

250MightdeigntofollowhimthroughwhathedoesOrseesinhisday’smarch;himselfhefeels,Inthosevastregionswherehisservicelies,Afreeman,weddedtohislifeofhopeAndhazard,andhardlabourinterchanged

Withthatmajesticindolencesodear390Tonativeman.Aramblingschoolboy,thus

HaveIbeheldhim,withoutknowingwhyHavefelthispresenceinhisowndomainAsofalordandmaster,orapower,Orgenius–undernature,underGod,Presiding–andseverestsolitudeSeemedmorecommandingoftwhenhewasthere.Seekingtheraven’snestandsuddenlySurprisedwithvapours,oronrainydaysWhenIhaveangledupthelonelybrooks,

400Mineeyeshaveglanceduponhimfewstepsoff,Insizeagiant,stalkingthroughthefog,HissheeplikeGreenlandbears.Atothertimes,Whenroundsomeshadypromontoryturning,HisformhathflasheduponmeglorifiedBythedeepradianceofthesettingsun;OrhimhaveIdescriedindistantskyAsolitaryobjectandsublimeAboveallheight,likeanaërialcrossAsitisstationedonsomespiryrock410OftheChartreuseforworship.

ThuswasmanEnnobledoutwardlybeforemineeyes,AndthusmyheartatfirstwasintroducedToanunconsciousloveandreverenceOfhumannature;hencethehumanformTomewaslikeanindexofdelight,Ofgraceandhonour,powerandworthiness.Meanwhilethiscreature(spiritualalmostAsthoseofbooks,butmoreexaltedfar,Farmoreofanimaginativeform)

420WasnotaCorinofthegroves,wholivesForhisownfancies,ortodancebythehourIncoronal,withPhyllisinthemidst,

But,forthepurposesofkind,amanWiththemostcommon–husband,father–learnt,Couldteach,admonish,sufferedwiththerestWiththatmajesticindolencesodearTonativeman.Aramblingschool-boy,thusIfelthispresenceinhisowndomain,Asofalordandmaster,orapower,Orgenius,underNature,underGod,

260Presiding;andseverestsolitudeHadmorecommandinglookswhenhewasthere.WhenupthelonelybrooksonrainydaysAnglingIwent,ortrodthetracklesshillsBymistsbewildered,suddenlymineeyesHaveglanceduponhimdistantafewsteps,Insizeagiant,stalkingthroughthickfog,HissheeplikeGreenlandbears;or,ashesteppedBeyondtheboundarylineofsomehill-shadow,Hisformhathflasheduponme,glorified

270Bythedeepradianceofthesettingsun:OrhimhaveIdescriedindistantsky,Asolitaryobjectandsublime,Aboveallheight!likeanaerialcrossStationedaloneuponaspiryrockOftheChartreuse,forworship.ThuswasmanEnnobledoutwardlybeforemysight,AndthusmyheartwasearlyintroducedToanunconsciousloveandreverenceOfhumannature;hencethehumanform

280Tomebecameanindexofdelight,Ofgraceandhonour,powerandworthiness.Meanwhilethiscreature–spiritualalmostAsthoseofbooks,butmoreexaltedfar;FarmoreofanimaginativeformThanthegayCorinofthegroves,wholivesForhisownfancies,ortodancebythehour,Incoronal,withPhyllisinthemidst–

Was,forthepurposesofkind,amanWiththemostcommon;husband,father;learned,

290Couldteach,admonish;sufferedwiththerestFromviceandfolly,wretchednessandfear.OfthisIlittlesaw,caredlessforit,Butsomethingmusthavefelt.

CallyetheseappearancesWhichIbeheldofshepherdsinmyyouth,

430Thissanctityofnaturegiventoman,Ashadow,adelusion–yewhoarefedBythedeadletter,notthespiritofthings,WhosetruthisnotamotionorashapeInstinctwithvitalfunctions,butablockOrwaxenimagewhichyourselveshavemadeAndyeadore!ButblessèdbetheGodOfnatureandofmanthatthiswasso,ThatmendidatthefirstpresentthemselvesBeforemyuntaughteyesthuspurified,

440Removed,andatadistancethatwasfit.AndsoweallofusinsomedegreeAreledtoknowledge–whencesoeverled,Andhowsoever–wereitotherwise,AndwefoundevilfastaswefindgoodInourfirstyears(orthinkthatitisfound),Howcouldtheinnocentheartbearupandlive?Butdoublyfortunatemylot:nothereAlone,thatsomethingofabetterlifePerhapswasroundmethanitistheprivilege

450Ofmosttomovein,butthatfirstIlookedAtmanthroughobjectsthatweregreatandfair,Firstcommunedwithhimbytheirhelp.AndthusWasfoundedasuresafeguardanddefenceAgainsttheweightofmeanness,selfishcares,Coarsemanners,vulgarpassions,thatbeatin

OnallsidesfromtheordinaryworldInwhichwetraffic.StartingfromthispointIhadmyfacetowardsthetruth,beganWithanadvantage,furnishedwiththatkind

460OfprepossessionwithoutwhichthesoulReceivesnoknowledgethatcanbringforthgood–Nogenuineinsightevercomestoher–Fromviceandfolly,wretchednessandfear;OfthisIlittlesaw,caredlessforit,Butsomethingmusthavefelt.

Callyetheseappearances–WhichIbeheldofshepherdsinmyyouth,ThissanctityofNaturegiventoman–Ashadow,adelusion,yewhoporeOnthedeadletter,missthespiritofthings;WhosetruthisnotamotionorashapeInstinctwithvitalfunctions,butablock

300Orwaxenimagewhichyourselveshavemade,Andyeadore!ButblessedbetheGodOfNatureandofManthatthiswasso;ThatmenbeforemyinexperiencedeyesDidfirstpresentthemselvesthuspurified,Removed,andtoadistancethatwasfit:AndsoweallofusinsomedegreeAreledtoknowledge,wheresoeverled,Andhowsoever;wereitotherwise,Andwefoundevilfastaswefindgood

310Inourfirstyears,orthinkthatitisfound,Howcouldtheinnocentheartbearupandlive!Butdoublyfortunatemylot;nothereAlone,thatsomethingofabetterlifePerhapswasroundmethanitistheprivilegeOfmosttomovein,butthatfirstIlookedAtManthroughobjectsthatweregreatorfair;Firstcommunedwithhimbytheirhelp.Andthus

WasfoundedasuresafeguardanddefenceAgainsttheweightofmeanness,selfishcares,

320Coarsemanners,vulgarpassions,thatbeatinOnallsidesfromtheordinaryworldInwhichwetraffic.StartingfromthispointIhadmyfaceturnedtowardthetruth,beganWithanadvantagefurnishedbythatkindOfprepossession,withoutwhichthesoulReceivesnoknowledgethatcanbringforthgood,Nogenuineinsightevercomestoher.Happyinthis,thatIwithnaturewalked,NothavingatooearlyintercourseWiththedeformitiesofcrowdedlife,AndthoseensuinglaughtersandcontemptsSelf-pleasing,whichifwewouldwishtothinkWithadmirationandrespectofmanWillnotpermitus,butpursuethemind

470Thattodevotionwillinglywouldberaised,Intothetempleandthetemple’sheart.Yetdonotdeem,myfriend,thoughthusIspeakOfmanashavingtakeninmymindAplacethusearlywhichmightalmostseemPre-eminent,thatthiswasreallyso.NatureherselfwasatthisunripetimeButsecondarytomyownpursuitsAndanimalactivities,andallTheirtrivialpleasures;andlongafterwards

480Whenthosehaddiedaway,andnaturedidForherownsakebecomemyjoy,eventhen(Andupwardsthroughlateyouth,untilnotlessThanthree-and-twentysummershadbeentold)WasmaninmyaffectionsandregardsSubordinatetoher,herawfulformsAndviewlessagencies–apassionshe,Araptureoften,andimmediatejoy

Everathand;hedistant,butagraceOccasional,anaccidentalthought,

490Hishourbeingnotyetcome.FarlesshadthenTheinferiorcreatures,beastorbird,attunedMyspirittothatgentlenessoflove,WonfrommethoseminuteobeisancesOftendernesswhichImaynumbernowWithmyfirstblessings.NeverthelessontheseThelightofbeautydidnotfallinvain,Orgrandeurcircumfusethemtonoend.Fromtherestraintofover-watchfuleyesPreserved,Imovedabout,yearafteryear,

330Happy,andnowmostthankfulthatmywalkWasguardedfromtooearlyintercourseWiththedeformitiesofcrowdedlife,Andthoseensuinglaughtersandcontempts,Self-pleasing,which,ifwewouldwishtothinkWithaduereverenceonearth’srightfullord,Hereplacedtobetheinheritorofheaven,Willnotpermitus;butpursuethemind,Thattodevotionwillinglywouldrise,Intothetempleandthetemple’sheart.

340Yetdeemnot,Friend!thathumankindwithmeThusearlytookaplacepre-eminent;Natureherselfwas,atthisunripetime,ButsecondarytomyownpursuitsAndanimalactivities,andallTheirtrivialpleasures;andwhenthesehaddroopedAndgraduallyexpired,andNature,prizedForherownsake,becamemyjoy,eventhen–Andupwardsthroughlateyouth,untilnotlessThantwo-and-twentysummershadbeentold–

350WasManinmyaffectionsandregardsSubordinatetoher,hervisibleformsAndviewlessagencies:apassion,she,

Araptureoften,andimmediateloveEverathand;he,onlyadelightOccasional,anaccidentalgrace,Hishourbeingnotyetcome.FarlesshadthenTheinferiorcreatures,beastorbird,attunedMyspirittothatgentlenessoflove(Thoughtheyhadlongbeencarefullyobserved),

360WonfrommethoseminuteobeisancesOftenderness,whichImaynumbernowWithmyfirstblessings.Nevertheless,ontheseThelightofbeautydidnotfallinvain,Orgrandeurcircumfusethemtonoend.

WhyshouldIspeakoftillersofthesoil?–Theploughmanandhisteam;ormenandboys

500Infestivesummerbusywiththerake,OldmenandruddymaidsandlittleonesAllouttogether,andinsunandshadeDispersedamongthehay-groundsalder-fringed;Thequarryman,farheard,thatblaststherocks;Thefishermeninpairs,theonetorowAndonetodropthenet,plyingtheirtrade‘Midtossinglakesandtumblingboats’andwindsWhistling;theminer(melancholyman!)Thatworksbytaper-lightwhileallthehills

510Areshiningwiththegloryoftheday.

ButwhenthatfirstpoeticfacultyOfplainimaginationandsevere–Nolongeramuteinfluenceofthesoul,Anelementofthenature’sinnerself–BegantohavesomepromptingstoputonAvisibleshape,andtotheworksofart,Thenotionsandtheimagesofbooks,Didknowinglyconformitself(bytheseInflamed,andproudofthathernewdelight),

520TherecameamongtheseshapesofhumanlifeAwilfulnessoffancyandconceitWhichgavethemnewimportancetothemind–AndnatureandherobjectsbeautifiedThesefictionsas(insomesort)intheirturnTheyburnishedher.FromtouchofthisnewpowerNothingwassafe:theelder-treethatgrewBesidethewell-knowncharnelhousehadthenAdismallook,theyew-treehaditsghostThattookitsstationthereforornament.

530Thencommondeathwasnone,commonmishap,Butmatterforthishumoureverywhere–Thetragic,super-tragic,elseleftshort.Then,ifawidow,staggeringwiththeblowOfherdistress,wasknowntohavemadeherwayTothecoldgraveinwhichherhusbandslept,

ButwhenthatfirstpoeticfacultyOfplainImaginationandsevere,Nolongeramuteinfluenceofthesoul,Ventured,atsomerashMuse’searnestcall,Totryherstrengthamongharmoniouswords;

370Andtobook-notionsandtherulesofartDidknowinglyconformitself;therecameAmongthesimpleshapesofhumanlifeAwilfulnessoffancyandconceit;AndNatureandherobjectsbeautifiedThesefictions,asinsomesort,intheirturn,Theyburnishedher.FromtouchofthisnewpowerNothingwassafe:theelder-treethatgrewBesidethewell-knowncharnel-househadthenAdismallook:theyew-treehaditsghost,

380Thattookhisstationthereforornament:ThedignitiesofplainoccurrencethenWeretasteless,andtruth’sgoldenmean,apointWherenosufficientpleasurecouldbefound.

Then,ifawidow,staggeringwiththeblowOfherdistress,wasknowntohaveturnedherstepsTothecoldgraveinwhichherhusbandslept,Onenight–orhaplymorethanone–throughpainOrhalf-insensateimpotenceofmind,Thefactwascaughtatgreedily,andthereShewasavisitantthewholeyearthrough

540Wettingtheturfwithnever-endingtears,Andallthestormsofheavenmustbeatonher!

ThroughwildobliquitiescouldIpursueAmongallobjectsofthefieldsandgrovesThesecravings:whenthefoxglove,onebyone,UpwardsthrougheverystageofitstallstemHadsheditsbells,andstoodbythewaysideDismantled,withasingleoneperhapsLeftattheladder’stop,withwhichtheplantAppearedtostoop–asslenderbladesofgrass

550Tippedwithabeadofrainordew–beholdIfsuchasightwereseen,wouldfancybringSomevagrantthitherwithherbabesandseatherUpontheturfbeneaththestatelyflowerDroopinginsympathy,andmakingsoAmelancholycrestabovetheheadOfthelorncreaturewhileherlittleones,(Allunconcernedwithherunhappyplight)WeresportingwiththepurplecupsthatlayScatteredupontheground.

Therewasacopse,560Anuprightbankofwoodandwoodyrock

Thatoppositeourruraldwellingstood,InwhichasparklingpatchofdiamondlightWasinbrightweatherdulytobeseenOnsummerafternoons,withinthewoodAtthesameplace.’Twasdoubtlessnothingmore

Thanablackrock,which,wetwithconstantsprings,Glisteredfarseenfromoutitslurking-placeAssoonaseverthedecliningsunHadsmittenit.Besideourcottagehearth

570Sittingwithopendoor,ahundredtimesUponthislustrehaveIgazed,thatseemedOnenight,orhaplymorethanone,throughpainOrhalf-insensateimpotenceofmind,Thefactwascaughtatgreedily,andthere

390Shemustbevisitantthewholeyearthrough,Wettingtheturfwithnever-endingtears.

ThroughquaintobliquitiesImightpursueThesecravings;whenthefox-glove,onebyone,Upwardsthrougheverystageofthetallstem,Hadshedbesidethepublicwayitsbells,Andstoodofalldismantled,savethelastLeftatthetaperingladder’stop,thatseemedTobendasdothaslenderbladeofgrassTippedwitharain-drop,Fancylovedtoseat,

400Beneaththeplantdespoiled,butcrestedstillWiththislastrelic,soonitselftofall,Somevagrantmother,whosearchlittleones,Allunconcernedbyherdejectedplight,LaughedaswithrivaleagernesstheirhandsGatheredthepurplecupsthatroundthemlay,Strewingtheturf’sgreenslope.

Adiamondlight(Whene’erthesummersun,declining,smoteAsmoothrockwetwithconstantsprings)wasseenSparklingfromoutacopse-cladbankthatrose

410Frontingourcottage.OftbesidethehearthSeated,withopendoor,oftenandlongUponthisrestlesslustrehaveIgazed,

TohavesomemeaningwhichIcouldnotfind–Andnowitwasaburnishedshield,Ifancied,Suspendedoveraknight’stombwholayInglorious,buriedintheduskywood;AnentrancenowintosomemagiccaveOrpalaceforafairyoftherock.NorwouldI,thoughnotcertainwhencethecauseOftheeffulgence,thitherhaverepaired

580Withoutapreciousbribe,anddaybydayAndmonthbymonthIsawthespectacle,NoreveroncehavevisitedthespotUntothishour.

ThussometimesweretheshapesOfwilfulfancygrafteduponfeelingsOftheimagination,andtheyroseInworthaccordingly.MypresentthemeIstoretracethewaythatledmeonThroughnaturetotheloveofhuman-kind;NorcouldIwithsuchobjectoverlook

590TheinfluenceofthispowerwhichturneditselfInstinctivelytohumanpassions,thingsLeastunderstood–ofthisadulteratepower–Forsoitmaybecalled,andwithoutwrong,Whenwiththatfirstcompared.YetinthemidstOfthesevagaries,withaneyesorichAsmine,throughthechance(onmenotwasted)OfhavingbeenbroughtupinsuchagrandAndlovelyregion,IhadformsdistinctTosteadyme.Thesethoughtsdidoftrevolve

600Aboutsomecentrepalpable,whichatonceIncitedthemtomotion,andcontrolled;Andwhatsoevershapethefitmighttake,Andwhencesoeveritmightcome,IstillAtalltimeshadarealsolidworldOfimagesaboutme–didnotpine

Asoneincitiesbredmightdo(asthou,Belovèdfriend,hasttoldmethatthoudidst,Greatspiritasthouart)inendlessdreamsThatmademyfancyrestlessasitself.’TwasnowformeaburnishedsilvershieldSuspendedoveraknight’stomb,wholayInglorious,buriedintheduskywood:AnentrancenowintosomemagiccaveOrpalacebuiltbyfairiesoftherock;NorcouldIhavebeenbribedtodisenchant

420Thespectacle,byvisitingthespot.ThuswilfulFancy,innohurtfulmood,Engraftedfar-fetchedshapesonfeelingsbredBypureImagination:busyPowerShewas,andwithherreadypupilturnedInstinctivelytohumanpassions,thenLeastunderstood.Yet,’midtheferventswarmOfthesevagaries,withaneyesorichAsminewasthroughthebountyofagrandAndlovelyregion,Ihadformsdistinct

430Tosteadyme:eachairythoughtrevolvedRoundasubstantialcentre,whichatonceIncitedittomotion,andcontrolled.Ididnotpinelikeoneincitiesbred,Aswasthymelancholylot,dearFriend!GreatSpiritasthouart,inendlessdreamsOfsickliness,disjoining,joining,things

610Withoutthelightofknowledge.WheretheharmIf,whenthewoodmanlanguishedwithdiseaseFromsleepingnightbynightamongthewoodsWithinhissod-builtcabin,Indian-wise,IcalledthepangsofdisappointedloveAndallthelongetceteraofsuchthoughtTohelphimtohisgrave?Meanwhiletheman,IfnotalreadyfromthewoodsretiredTodieathome,washaply(asIknew)

Piningaloneamongthegentleairs,620Birds,runningstreams,andhillssobeautiful

Ongoldenevenings,whilethecharcoal-pileBreathedupitssmoke,animageofhisghostOrspiritthatwassoontotakeitsflight.Ofsickliness,disjoining,joining,thingsWithoutthelightofknowledge.Wheretheharm,If,whenthewoodmanlanguishedwithdiseaseInducedbysleepingnightlyontheground

440Withinhissod-builtcabin,Indian-wise,Icalledthepangsofdisappointedlove,Andallthesadetceteraofthewrong,Tohelphimtohisgrave.Meanwhiletheman,IfnotalreadyfromthewoodsretiredTodieathome,washaplyasIknew,Witheringbyslowdegrees,’midgentleairs,Birds,runningstreams,andhillssobeautifulOngoldenevenings,whilethecharcoalpileBreathedupitssmoke,animageofhisghost

450Orspiritthatfullsoonmusttakeherflight.NorshallwenotbetendingtowardsthatpointOfsoundhumanitytowhichourTaleLeads,thoughbysinuousways,ifhereIshewHowFancy,inaseasonwhenshewoveThoseslendercords,toguidetheunconsciousBoyFortheMan’ssake,couldfeedatNature’scallSomepensivemusingswhichmightwellbeseemMatureryears.

AgrovethereiswhoseboughsStretchfromthewesternmargeofThurston-mere,

460Withlengthofshadesothick,thatwhosoglidesAlongthelineoflow-roofedwater,movesAsinacloister.Once–while,inthatshadeLoitering,Iwatchedthegoldenbeamsoflight

Flungfromthesettingsun,astheyreposedInsilentbeautyonthenakedridgeOfahigheasternhill–thusflowedmythoughtsInapurestreamofwordsfreshfromtheheart:DearnativeRegions,wheresoe’ershallcloseMymortalcourse,therewillIthinkonyou;

470Dying,willcastonyouabackwardlook;Evenasthissettingsun(albeittheValeIsnowheretouchedbyonememorialgleam)

TherecameatimeofgreaterdignityWhichhadbeengraduallypreparedandnowRushedinasifonwings–thetimeinwhichThepulseofbeingeverywherewasfelt–Whenalltheseveralframesofthings,likestarsThrougheverymagnitudedistinguishable,

630Werehalfconfoundedineachother’sblaze,Onegalaxyoflifeandjoy.ThenroseMan,inwardlycontemplated,andpresentInmyownbeing,toaloftierheight,Asofallvisiblenaturescrown,andfirstIncapabilityoffeelingwhatWastobefelt–inbeingraptawayBythedivineeffectofpowerandlove–As,morethananythingweknow,instinctWithgodhead,andbyreasonandbywill

640Acknowledgingdependencysublime.

Erelong,transportedhenceasinadream,IfoundmyselfbegirtwithtemporalshapesOfviceandfollythrustuponmyview,Objectsofsport,andridicule,andscorn,Mannersandcharactersdiscriminate,Andlittlebusypassionsthateclipsed,Aswelltheymight,theimpersonatedthought,Theidea,orabstractionofthekind.

Anidleramongacademicbowers,650Suchwasmynewcondition(asatlarge

Hasbeensetforth)yetherethevulgarlightOfpresent,actual,superficiallife,Gleamingthroughcolouringofothertimes,Oldusagesandlocalprivilege,DothwiththefondremainsofhislastpowerStilllinger,andafarewelllustreshedsOnthedearmountain-topswherefirstherose.

Enoughofhumblearguments;recal,MySong!thosehighemotionswhichthyvoiceHasheretoforemadeknown;thatburstingforthOfsympathy,inspiringandinspired,

480Wheneverywhereavitalpulsewasfelt,Andalltheseveralframesofthings,likestars,Througheverymagnitudedistinguishable,Shonemutuallyindebted,orhalflostEachintheother’sblaze,agalaxyOflifeandglory.InthemidststoodMan,Outwardly,inwardlycontemplated,As,ofallvisiblenatures,crown,thoughbornOfdust,andkindredtotheworm;aBeing,Bothinperceptionanddiscernment,first

490Ineverycapabilityofrapture,Throughthedivineeffectofpowerandlove;As,morethananythingweknow,instinctWithgodhead,and,byreasonandbywill,Acknowledgingdependencysublime.

Erelong,thelonelymountainsleft,Imoved,Begirt,fromdaytoday,withtemporalshapesOfviceandfollythrustuponmyview,Objectsofsport,andridicule,andscorn,Mannersandcharactersdiscriminate,

500Andlittlebustlingpassionsthateclipse,

Aswelltheymight,theimpersonatedthought,Theidea,orabstractionofthekind.

Anidleramongacademicbowers,Suchwasmynewcondition,asatlargeHasbeensetforth;yetherethevulgarlightOfpresent,actual,superficiallife,Gleamingthroughcolouringofothertimes,Oldusagesandlocalprivilege,Therebywassoftened,almostsolemnized,Andrenderedaptandpleasingtotheview.Thisnotwithstanding,beingbroughtmorenearAsIwasnowtoguiltandwretchedness,Itrembled,thoughtofhumanlifeattimes

660Withanindefiniteterroranddismay–SuchasthestormsandangryelementsHadbredinme,butgloomierfar,adimAnalogytouproarandmisrule,Disquiet,danger,andobscurity.

Itmightbetold–butwhereforespeakofthingsCommontoall?–that,seeing,IessayedTogiverelief,begantodeemmyselfAmoralagent(judgingbetweengoodAndevil,notasforthemind’sdelight

670Butforhersafety)onewhowastoact,AssometimestothebestofmyweakmeansIdid,byhumansympathyimpelled–AndthroughdislikeandmostoffensivepainWastothetruthconducted;ofthisfaithNeverforsaken,thatbyactingwell,Andunderstanding,IshouldlearntoloveTheendoflifeandeverythingweknow.

Preceptresssternthatdidstinstructmenext,London,totheeIwillinglyreturn!

680ErewhilemyverseplayedonlywiththeflowersEnwroughtuponthymantle,satisfiedWiththisamusement,andasimplelookOfchildlikeinquisitionnowandthenCastupwardsonthineeyetopuzzleoutSomeinnermeaningswhichmightharbourthere.YetdidInotgivewaytothislightmoodWhollybeguiled,asoneincapableOfhigherthings,andignorantthathighthingsWereroundme.NevershallIforgetthehour,

690Themomentrathersay,when,havingthriddedThelabyrinthofsuburbanvillages,Waswelcome,softened,ifnotsolemnised.

510Thisnotwithstanding,beingbroughtmorenearToviceandguilt,forerunningwretchedness,Itrembled,–thought,attimes,ofhumanlifeWithanindefiniteterroranddismay,SuchasthestormsandangryelementsHadbredinme;butgloomierfar,adimAnalogytouproarandmisrule,Disquiet,danger,andobscurity.

Itmightbetold(butwhereforespeakofthingsCommontoall?)that,seeing,Iwasled

520Gravelytoponder–judgingbetweengoodAndevil,notasforthemind’sdelightButforherguidance–onewhowastoact,AssometimestothebestoffeeblemeansIdid,byhumansympathyimpelled:And,throughdislikeandmostoffensivepain,Wastothetruthconducted;ofthisfaithNeverforsaken,that,byactingwell,Andunderstanding,IshouldlearntoloveTheendoflife,andeverythingweknow.

530GraveTeacher,sternPreceptress!forattimes

Thoucanstputonanaspectmostsevere;London,totheeIwillinglyreturn.ErewhilemyverseplayedidlywiththeflowersEnwroughtuponthymantle;satisfiedWiththatamusement,andasimplelookOfchild-likeinquisitionnowandthenCastupwardsonthycountenance,todetectSomeinnermeaningswhichmightharbourthere.ButhowcouldIinmoodsolightindulge,

540Keepingsuchfreshremembranceoftheday,When,havingthriddedthelonglabyrinthOfthesuburbanvillages,IfirstAtlengthIdiduntomyselffirstseemToenterthegreatcity.OntheroofOfanitinerantvehicleIsat,Withvulgarmenaboutme,vulgarformsOfhouses,pavements,streets,ofmenandthings–Meanshapesoneveryside–butatthetimeWhentomyselfitfairlymightbesaid(TheverymomentthatIseemedtoknow)

700‘Thethresholdnowisoverpast’,greatGodThataughtexternaltothelivingmindShouldhavesuchmightysway,yetsoitwas!AweightofagesdidatoncedescendUponmyheart–nothoughtembodied,noDistinctremembrances,butweightandpower,Powergrowingwiththeweight!Alas,IfeelThatIamtrifling;’twasamoment’spause,AllthattookplacewithinmecameandwentAsinamoment,andIonlynow

710Rememberthatitwasathingdivine.

AswhenatravellerhasfromopendayWithtorchespassedintosomevaultofearth,ThegrottoofAntiparosorthedenOfYordasamongCraven’smountaintracts;

HelooksandseesthecavernspreadandgrowWideningitselfonallsides,sees,orthinksHesees,erelongtheroofabovehishead,Whichinstantlyunsettlesandrecedes–Substanceandshadow,lightanddarkness,all

720Commingled,makingupacanopyOfshapesandformsandtendenciestoshapeThatshiftandvanish,changeandinterchangeLikespectres–fermentquietandsublimeWhichafterashortspaceworkslessandless,Till,everyeffort,everymotiongone,ThescenebeforehimliesinperfectviewExposedandlifelessasawrittenbook!ButlethimpauseawhileandlookagainAndanewquickeningshallsucceed,atfirstEnteredthyvastdominion?OntheroofOfanitinerantvehicleIsate,Withvulgarmenaboutme,trivialformsOfhouses,pavement,streets,ofmenandthings,–Meanshapesoneveryside:but,attheinstant,Whentomyselfitfairlymightbesaid,Thethresholdnowisoverpast,(howstrange

550ThataughtexternaltothelivingmindShouldhavesuchmightysway!yetsoitwas),AweightofagesdidatoncedescendUponmyheart;nothoughtembodied,noDistinctremembrances,butweightandpower,–Powergrowingunderweight:alas!IfeelThatIamtrifling:’twasamoment’spause,–AllthattookplacewithinmecameandwentAsinamoment;yetwithTimeitdwells,Andgratefulmemory,asathingdivine.

560Thecurioustraveller,who,fromopenday,Hathpassedwithtorchesintosomehugecave,TheGrottoofAntiparos,ortheDen

InoldtimehauntedbythatDanishWitch,Yordas;helooksaroundandseesthevaultWideningonallsides;sees,orthinkshesees,Erelong,themassyroofabovehishead,Thatinstantlyunsettlesandrecedes,–Substanceandshadow,lightanddarkness,allCommingled,makingupacanopy

570OfshapesandformsandtendenciestoshapeThatshiftandvanish,changeandinterchangeLikespectres,–fermentsilentandsublime!Thatafterashortspaceworkslessandless,Till,everyeffort,everymotiongone,ThescenebeforehimstandsinperfectviewExposed,andlifelessasawrittenbook!–Butlethimpauseawhile,andlookagain,Andanewquickeningshallsucceed,atfirst

730Beginningtimidly,thencreepingfastThroughallwhichhebeholds.Thesenselessmass,Initsprojections,wrinkles,cavities,Throughallitssurface,withallcoloursstreamingLikeamagician’sairypageant,parts,Unites,embodyingeverywheresomepressureOrimage,recognizedornew,sometypeOrpictureoftheworld:forestsandlakes,Ships,rivers,towers,thewarriorcladinmail,Theprancingsteed,thepilgrimwithhisstaff,

740Themitredbishopandthethronèdking–Aspectacletowhichthereisnoend.NootherwisehadIatfirstbeenmovedWithsuchaswelloffeeling,followedsoonByablanksenseofgreatnesspassedaway–Andafterwardscontinuedtobemoved–Inpresenceofthatvastmetropolis,Thefountainofmycountry’sdestinyAndofthedestinyofearthitself;

Thatgreatemporium,chronicleatonce750Andburial-placeofpassions,andtheirhome

Imperialandchieflivingresidence.

WithstrongsensationsteemingasitdidOfpastandpresent,suchaplacemustneedsHavepleasedmeinthosetimes.IsoughtnotthenKnowledge,butcravedforpower–andpowerIfoundInallthings.NothinghadacircumscribedAndnarrowinfluence,butallobjects,beingThemselvescapacious,alsofoundinmeCapaciousnessandamplitudeofmind.

760Suchisthestrengthandgloryofouryouth!ThehumannatureuntowhichIfeltThatIbelonged,andwhichIlovedandreverenced,Wasnotapunctualpresence,butaspiritBeginningtimidly,thencreepingfast,

580Tillthewholecave,solateasenselessmass,BusiestheeyewithimagesandformsBoldlyassembled,–hereisshadowedforthFromtheprojections,wrinkles,cavities,Avariegatedlandscape,–theretheshapeOfsomegiganticwarriorcladinmail,Theghostlysemblanceofahoodedmonk,Veilednun,orpilgrimrestingonhisstaff:Strangecongregation!yetnotslowtomeetEyesthatperceivethroughmindsthatcaninspire.

590EveninsuchsorthadIatfirstbeenmoved,Norotherwisecontinuedtobemoved,AsIexploredthevastmetropolis,Fountofmycountry’sdestinyandtheworld’s;Thatgreatemporium,chronicleatonceAndburial-placeofpassions,andtheirhomeImperial,theirchieflivingresidence.

WithstrongsensationsteemingasitdidOfpastandpresent,suchaplacemustneedsHavepleasedme,seekingknowledgeatthattime

600Farlessthancravingpower;yetknowledgecame,Soughtorunsought,andinfluxesofpowerCame,ofthemselves,orathercallderivedInfitsofkindliestapprehensiveness,Fromallsides,whenwhate’erwasinitselfCapaciousfound,orseemedtofind,inmeAcorrespondentamplitudeofmind;Suchisthestrengthandgloryofouryouth!ThehumannatureuntowhichIfeltThatIbelonged,andreverencedwithlove,

610Wasnotapunctualpresence,butaspiritLivingintimeandspace,andfardiffused–Inthismyjoy,inthismydignityConsisted.Theexternaluniverse,Bystrikinguponwhatisfoundwithin,Hadgivenmethisconception,withthehelpOfbooksandwhattheypictureandrecord.

770’Tistrue,thehistoryofmynativeland,WiththoseofGreececomparedandpopularRome(Eventsnotlovelynormagnanimous,ButharshandunaffectinginthemselvesAndinourhigh-wroughtmodernnarrativesStrippedoftheirhumanizingsoul,thelifeOfmannersandfamiliarincidents)Hadnevermuchdelightedme.AndlessThanothermindsIhadbeenusedtooweThepleasurewhichIfoundinplaceorthing

780Toextrinsictransitoryaccidents,Torecordsortraditions;butasenseOfwhathadbeenheredone,andsufferedhereThroughages–andwasdoing,suffering,still–Weighedwithme,couldsupportthetestofthought,

WasliketheenduringmajestyandpowerOfindependentnature.AndnotseldomEvenindividualremembrances,Byworkingontheshapesbeforemyeyes,Becamelikevitalfunctionsofthesoul;

790Andoutofwhathadbeen,whatwas,theplaceWasthrongedwithimpregnations,likethosewildsInwhichmyearlyfeelingshadbeennursed,Andnakedvalleysfullofcaverns,rocksAndaudibleseclusions,dashinglakes,Echoesandwaterfalls,andpointedcragsThatintomusictouchthepassingwind.

ThushereimaginationalsofoundAnelementthatpleasedher,triedherstrengthAmongnewobjects–simplified,arranged,

800Impregnatedmyknowledge,madeitlive–Diffusedthroughtimeandspace,withaidderivedOfevidencefrommonuments,erect,Prostrate,orleaningtowardstheircommonrestInearth,thewidelyscatteredwrecksublimeOfvanishednations,ormoreclearlydrawnFrombooksandwhattheypictureandrecord.

’Tistrue,thehistoryofournativeland,WiththoseofGreececomparedandpopularRome,Andinourhigh-wroughtmodernnarratives

620Striptoftheirharmonisingsoul,thelifeOfmannersandfamiliarincidents,Hadnevermuchdelightedme.AndlessThanotherintellectshadminebeenusedToleanuponextrinsiccircumstanceOfrecordortradition;butasenseOfwhatintheGreatCityhadbeendoneAndsuffered,andwasdoing,suffering,still,Weighedwithme,couldsupportthetestofthought;

And,indespiteofallthathadgoneby,630Orwasdepartingnevertoreturn,

ThereIconversedwithmajestyandpowerLikeindependentnatures.HencetheplaceWasthrongedwithimpregnationsliketheWildsInwhichmyearlyfeelingshadbeennursed–Barehillsandvalleys,fullofcaverns,rocks,Andaudibleseclusions,dashinglakes,Echoesandwaterfalls,andpointedcragsThatintomusictouchthepassingwind.Herethenmyyoungimaginationfound

640Nouncongenialelement;couldhereAmongnewobjectsserveorgivecommand,Evenastheheart’soccasionsmightrequire,Toforwardreason’selsetooscrupulousmarch.AndtheresultwaselevatingthoughtsOfhumannature.Neitherguiltnorvice,Debasementofthebodyorthemind,Norallthemiseryforceduponmysight(Whichwasnotlightlypassed,butoftenscannedMostfeelingly)couldoverthrowmytrustInwhatwemaybecome,inducebeliefThatIwasignorant,hadbeenfalselytaught,Asolitary,whowithvainconceits

810Hadbeeninspired,andwalkedaboutindreams.WhenfromthatruefulprospectovercastAndineclipsemymeditationsturned,Lo,everythingthatwasindeeddivineRetaineditspurityinviolateAndunencroachedupon,nay,seemedbrighterfarForthisdeepshadeincounterview,thisgloomOfopposition,suchasshoweditselfTotheeyesofAdam(yetinParadiseThoughfallenfrombliss)when‘intheeasthesaw

820Darknessereday’smidcourse,andmorninglight

Moreorientinthewesterncloud,thatdrewO’erthebluefirmamentaradiantwhite,Descendingslowwithsomethingheavenlyfraught’.

AddalsothatamongthemultitudesOfthatgreatcityoftentimeswasseenAffectinglysetforth–morethanelsewhereIspossible–theunityofman,OnespiritoverignoranceandvicePredominant;ingoodandevilhearts

830Onesenseformoraljudgements,asoneeyeForthesun’slight.WhenstronglybreatheduponBythissensation(whencesoe’eritcomes,Ofunionorcommunion)doesthesoulRejoiceasinherhighestjoy;forthere,Therechiefly,hasshefeelingwhencesheis,AndpassingthroughallnaturesrestswithGod.Theeffectwas,stillmoreelevatedviewsOfhumannature.Neithervicenorguilt,Debasementundergonebybodyormind,Norallthemiseryforceduponmysight,Miserynotlightlypassed,butsometimesscannedMostfeelingly,couldoverthrowmytrust

650Inwhatwemaybecome;inducebeliefThatIwasignorant,hadbeenfalselytaught,Asolitary,whowithvainconceitsHadbeeninspired,andwalkedaboutindreams.Fromthosesadsceneswhenmeditationturned,Lo!everythingthatwasindeeddivineRetaineditspurityinviolate,Naybrightershone,bythisportentousgloomSetoff;suchoppositionasarousedThemindofAdam,yetinParadise

660Thoughfallenfrombliss,whenintheEasthesawDarknessereday’smidcourse,andmorninglightMoreorientinthewesterncloud,thatdrew

O’erthebluefirmamentaradiantwhite,Descendingslowwithsomethingheavenlyfraught.

Addalso,thatamongthemultitudesOfthathugecity,oftentimeswasseenAffectinglysetforth,morethanelsewhereIspossible,theunityofman,Onespiritoverignoranceandvice

670Predominant,ingoodandevilhearts;Onesenseformoraljudgments,asoneeyeForthesun’slight.ThesoulwhensmittenthusByasublimeidea,whencesoe’erVouchsafedforunionorcommunion,feedsOnthepurebliss,andtakesherrestwithGod.

Andisnot,too,thatvastabiding-placeOfhumancreatures,turnwhere’erwemay,Profuselysownwithindividualsights

840Ofcourage,andintegrity,andtruthAndtenderness,which,heresetoffbyfoil,Appearsmoretouching?InthetenderscenesChieflywasmydelight,andoneoftheseNeverwillbeforgotten.’TwasamanWhomIsawsittinginanopensquareClosetotheironpalingthatfencedinThespaciousgrass-plot;onthecorner-stoneOfthelowwallinwhichthepaleswerefixedSatthisoneman,andwithasicklybabe

850Uponhisknee,whomhehadthitherbroughtForsunshine,andtobreathethefresherair.Ofthosewhopassed,andmewholookedathim,Hetooknonote;butinhisbrawnyarms(Theartificerwastotheelbowbare,Andfromhisworkthismomenthadbeenstolen)Heheldthechild,and,bendingoveritAsifhewereafraidbothofthesun

Andoftheairwhichhehadcometoseek,Heeyeditwithunutterablelove.

860ThusweremythoughtsattractedmoreandmoreByslowgradationstowardshuman-kind,Andtothegoodandillofhumanlife.Naturehadledmeon,andnowIseemedTotravelindependentofherhelpAsifIhadforgottenher–butno,MyfellowbeingsstillwereuntomeFarlessthanshewas.ThoughthescaleofloveWerefillingfast,’twaslightasyetcomparedWiththatinwhichhermightyobjectslay.

Thusfromaveryearlyage,OFriend!MythoughtsbyslowgradationshadbeendrawnTohuman-kind,andtothegoodandillOfhumanlife:Naturehadledmeon;

680Andoftamidthe‘busyhum’IseemedTotravelindependentofherhelp,AsifIhadforgottenher;butno,Theworldofhuman-kindoutweighednothersInmyhabitualthoughts;thescaleoflove,Thoughfillingdaily,stillwaslight,comparedWiththatinwhichhermightyobjectslay.

BookNinthRESIDENCEINFRANCE

Asoftentimesariver(itmightseem)Yieldinginparttooldremembrances,PartswayedbyfeartotreadanonwardroadThatleadsdirecttothedevouringsea,Turnsandwillmeasurebackhiscourse–farback,TowardstheveryregionswhichhecrossedInhisfirstoutset–sohavewelongtimeMademotionsretrograde,inlikepursuitDetained.Butnowwestartafresh:Ifeel

10Animpulsetoprecipitatemyverse.Fairgreetingstothisshapelesseagerness,Whene’eritcomes,needfulinworksolong,ThriceneedfultotheargumentwhichnowAwaitsus–oh,howmuchunlikethepast!–Onewhich,thoughbrightthepromise,willbefoundErefarweshalladvance,ungenial,hardTotreatof,andforbiddinginitself.

FreeasacoltatpastureonthehillsIrangedatlargethroughthemetropolis,

20Monthaftermonth.ObscurelydidIlive,NotcourtingthesocietyofmenByliterature,orelegance,orrank,

BookNinthRESIDENCEINFRANCE

Evenasariver,–partly(itmightseem)Yieldingtooldremembrances,andswayedInpartbyfeartoshapeawaydirect,Thatwouldengulphhimsoonintheravenoussea–Turns,andwillmeasurebackhiscourse,farback,SeekingtheveryregionswhichhecrossedInhisfirstoutset;sohavewe,myFriend!Turnedandreturnedwithintricatedelay.Orasatraveller,whohasgainedthebrow

10OfsomeaerialDown,whiletherehehaltsForbreathing-time,istemptedtoreviewTheregionleftbehindhim;and,ifaughtDeservingnoticehaveescapedregard,Orbeenregardedwithtoocarelesseye,Strives,fromthatheight,withoneandyetonemoreLastlook,tomakethebestamendshemay:Sohavewelingered.NowwestartafreshWithcourage,andnewhoperisenonourtoil.Fairgreetingstothisshapelesseagerness,

20Whene’eritcomes!needfulinworksolong,ThriceneedfultotheargumentwhichnowAwaitsus!Oh,howmuchunlikethepast!

Freeasacoltatpastureonthehill,Irangedatlarge,throughLondon’swidedomain,Monthaftermonth.ObscurelydidIlive,Notseekingfrequentintercoursewithmen,Byliterature,orelegance,orrank,Distinguished–inthemidstofthings,itseemed,Lookingasfromadistanceontheworld

Thatmovedaboutme.YetinsensiblyFalsepreconceptionswerecorrectedthusAnderrorsofthefancyrectified(Alikewithreferencetomenandthings),Andsometimesfromeachquarterwerepouredin

30Novelimaginationsandprofound.Ayearthusspent,thisfield(withsmallregretSaveonlyforthebookstallsinthestreets,Wildproduce,hedgerowfruit,onallsideshungTolurethesaunteringtravellerfromhistrack)Iquitted,andbetookmyselftoFrance,LedthitherchieflybyapersonalwishTospeakthelanguagemorefamiliarly,WithwhichintentIchoseformyabodeAcityonthebordersoftheLoire.

40ThroughParislaymyreadiestpath,andthereIsojournedafewdaysandvisitedInhasteeachspotofoldandrecentfame–Thelatterchiefly–fromtheFieldofMarsDowntothesuburbsofStAntony,AndfromMontMartyrsouthwardtotheDomeOfGeneviève.Inbothherclamoroushalls(TheNationalSynodandtheJacobins)IsawtherevolutionarypowerTosslikeashipatanchor,rockedbystorms;

50TheArcadesItraversedinthePalacehugeOfOrleans,coastedroundandroundthelineOftavern,brothel,gaming-houseandshop,Greatrendezvousofworstandbest,thewalkOfallwhohadapurpose,orhadnot.Istared,andlistenedwithastranger’searsTohawkersandharanguers(hubbubwild!)Andhissingfactionistswithardenteyes,Inknots,orpairs,orsingle–ant-likeswarmsOfbuildersandsubverters,everyface

Distinguished.ScarcelywasayearthusspentEreIforsookthecrowdedsolitude,

30Withlessregretforitsluxuriouspomp,Andallthenicely-guardedshowsofart,Thanforthehumblebook-stallsinthestreets,Exposedtoeyeandhandwhere’erIturned.

Franceluredmeforth;therealmthatIhadcrossedSolately,journeyingtowardthesnow-cladAlps.Butnow,relinquishingthescripandstaff,AndallenjoymentwhichthesummersunShedsroundthestepsofthosewhomeetthedayWithmotionconstantashisown,Iwent

40Preparedtosojourninapleasanttown,WashedbythecurrentofthestatelyLoire.

ThroughParislaymyreadiestcourse,andthereSojourningafewdays,Ivisited,Inhaste,eachspotofoldorrecentfame,Thelatterchiefly;fromthefieldofMarsDowntothesuburbsofSt.Antony,AndfromMontMartyrsouthwardtotheDomeOfGeneviève.InbothherclamorousHalls,TheNationalSynodandtheJacobins,

50IsawtheRevolutionaryPowerTosslikeashipatanchor,rockedbystorms;TheArcadesItraversed,inthePalacehugeOfOrleans;coastedroundandroundthelineOfTavern,Brothel,Gaming-house,andShop,Greatrendezvousofworstandbest,thewalkOfallwhohadapurpose,orhadnot;Istaredandlistened,withastranger’sears,ToHawkersandHaranguers,hubbubwild!AndhissingFactionistswithardenteyes,

60Inknots,orpairs,orsingle.NotalookHopetakes,orDoubtorFearisforcedtowear,

Butseemedtherepresent;andIscannedthemall,60Thathopeorapprehensioncouldputon–

Joy,angerandvexation,inthemidstOfgaietyanddissoluteidleness.

WheresilentzephyrssportedwiththedustOftheBastilleIsatintheopensun,AndfromtherubbishgatheredupastoneAndpocketedtherelicintheguiseOfanenthusiast;yet,inhonesttruth,Thoughnotwithoutsomestrongincumbences,Andglad–couldlivingmanbeotherwise?–

70IlookedforsomethingwhichIcouldnotfind,AffectingmoreemotionthanIfelt.For’tismostcertain,thattheutmostforceOfallthesevariousobjectswhichmayshowThetemperofmymindasthenitwasSeemedlesstorecompensethetraveller’spains–Lessmovedme,gavemelessdelight–thandidAsinglepicturemerely,huntedoutAmongothersights:theMagdalenofLeBrun,Abeautyexquisitelywrought,fairface

80Andrueful,withitsever-flowingtears.

ButhencetomymorepermanentresidenceIhasten.There,bynoveltiesinspeech,Domesticmanners,customs,gestures,looks,Andalltheattireofordinarylife,Attentionwasatfirstengrossed,andthusAmusedandsatisfiedIscarcelyfeltTheshockoftheseconcussions,unconcerned,Tranquilalmost,andcarelessasaflowerGlassedinagreenhouse–oraparlour-shrub

90Wheneverybushandtree,thecountrythrough,Isshakingtotheroots–indifferencethisWhichmayseemstrange;butIwasunprepared

Withneedfulknowledge,hadabruptlypassedIntoatheatreofwhichthestageWasbusywithanactionfaradvanced.Watchedeverygestureuncontrollable,Ofanger,andvexation,anddespite,Allsidebyside,andstrugglingfacetoface,Withgaietyanddissoluteidleness.

WheresilentzephyrssportedwiththedustOftheBastille,Isateintheopensun,Andfromtherubbishgatheredupastone,

70Andpocketedtherelic,intheguiseOfanenthusiast;yet,inhonesttruth,IlookedforsomethingthatIcouldnotfind,AffectingmoreemotionthanIfelt;For’tismostcertain,thatthesevarioussights,Howeverpotenttheirfirstshock,withmeAppearedtorecompensethetraveller’spainsLessthanthepaintedMagdaleneofLeBrun,Abeautyexquisitelywrought,withhairDishevelled,gleamingeyes,andruefulcheek

80Paleandbedroppedwitheverflowingtears.

ButhencetomymorepermanentabodeIhasten;there,bynoveltiesinspeech,Domesticmanners,customs,gestures,looks,Andalltheattireofordinarylife,Attentionwasengrossed;and,thusamused,Istood,’midthoseconcussions,unconcerned,Tranquilalmost,andcarelessasaflowerGlassedinagreen-house,oraparlourshrubThatspreadsitsleavesinunmolestedpeace,

90Whileeverybushandtree,thecountrythrough,Isshakingtotheroots:indifferencethisWhichmayseemstrange:butIwasunpreparedWithneedfulknowledge,hadabruptlypassed

Intoatheatre,whosestagewasfilledAndbusywithanactionfaradvanced.LikeothersIhadread,andeagerlySometimes,themasterpamphletsoftheday,Norwantedsuchhalf-insightasgrewwildUponthatmeagresoil,helpedoutbytalk

100Andpublicnews;buthavingneverchancedToseearegularchroniclewhichmightshow(Ifanysuchindeedexistedthen)WhencethemainorgansofthepublicpowerHadsprung–theirtransmigrations,whenandhowAccomplished–givingthusuntoeventsAformandbody,allthingsweretomeLooseanddisjointed,andtheaffectionsleftWithoutavitalinterest.Atthattime,Moreover,thefirststormwasoverblown,

110AndthestronghandofoutwardviolenceLockedupinquiet.Formyself(IfearNowinconnectionwithsogreatathemeTospeak,asImustbecompelledtodo,Ofonesounimportant),ashorttimeIloitered,andfrequentednightbynightRouts,card-tables,theformalhauntsofmenWhominthecityprivilegeofbirthSequesteredfromtherest,societiesWhere,throughpunctiliosofelegance

120Anddeepercauses,alldiscourse–alikeOfgoodandevil–ofthetimewasshunnedWithstudiouscare.But’twasnotlongerethisProvedtedious,andIgraduallywithdrewIntoanoisierworld,andthusdidsoonBecomeapatriot–andmyheartwasallGiventothepeople,andmylovewastheirs.

AknotofmilitaryofficersThattoaregimentappertainedwhichthen

Wasstationedinthecitywerethechief130Ofmyassociates;someoftheseworeswords

Whichhadbeenseasonedinthewars,andallWeremenwell-born–atleastlaidclaimtosuchDistinction,asthechivalryofFrance.Likeothers,Ihadskimmed,andsometimesreadWithcare,themasterpamphletsoftheday;Norwantedsuchhalf-insightasgrewwildUponthatmeagresoil,helpedoutbytalk

100Andpublicnews;buthavingneverseenAchroniclethatmightsufficetoshowWhencethemainorgansofthepublicpowerHadsprung,theirtransmigrations,whenandhowAccomplished,givingthusuntoeventsAformandbody;allthingsweretomeLooseanddisjointed,andtheaffectionsleftWithoutavitalinterest.Atthattime,Moreover,thefirststormwasoverblown,Andthestronghandofoutwardviolence

110Lockedupinquiet.Formyself,IfearNowinconnectionwithsogreatathemeTospeak(asImustbecompelledtodo)Ofonesounimportant;nightbynightDidIfrequenttheformalhauntsofmen,Whom,inthecity,privilegeofbirthSequesteredfromtherest,societiesPolishedinarts,andinpunctilioversed;Whence,andfromdeepercauses,alldiscourseOfgoodandevilofthetimewasshunned

120Withscrupulouscare;buttheserestrictionssoonProvedtedious,andIgraduallywithdrewIntoanoisierworld,andthuserelongBecameapatriot;andmyheartwasallGiventothepeople,andmylovewastheirs.

AbandofmilitaryOfficers,Thenstationedinthecity,werethechiefOfmyassociates:someoftheseworeswordsThathadbeenseasonedinthewars,andallWeremenwell-born;thechivalryofFrance.Inageandtemperdiffering,theyhadyetOnespiritrulinginthemall,alike(Saveonlyone,hereaftertobenamed)Werebentuponundoingwhatwasdone.Thiswastheirrest,andonlyhope;therewithNofearhadtheyofbadbecomingworse,

140Forworsttothemwascome–norwouldhavestirred,Ordeemeditworthamoment’swhiletostir,Inanything,saveonlyastheactLookedthitherward.One,reckoningbyyears,Wasintheprimeofmanhood,anderewhileHehadsatlordinmanytenderhearts,Thoughheedlessofsuchhonoursnow,andchanged:Histemperwasquitemasteredbythetimes,Andtheyhadblightedhim,hadeatawayThebeautyofhisperson,doingwrong

150Aliketobodyandtomind.Hisport,Whichoncehadbeenerectandopen,nowWasstoopingandcontracted,andaface,Bynaturelovelyinitself,expressedAsmuchasanythatwaseverseenAravageoutofseason,madebythoughtsUnhealthyandvexatious.Atthehour,Themostimportantofeachday,inwhichThepublicnewswasread,thefevercameApunctualvisitanttoshakethisman,

160DisarmedhisvoiceandfannedhisyellowcheekIntoathousandcolours.Whileheread,Ormused,hisswordwashauntedbyhistouchContinually,likeanuneasyplaceInhisownbody.

’TwasintruthanhourOfuniversalferment.MildestmenWereagitated,andcommotions,strifeOfpassionandopinion,filledthewallsOfpeacefulhouseswithunquietsounds.Thesoilofcommonlifewasatthattime

170Toohottotreadupon!OftsaidIthen,130Inageandtemperdiffering,theyhadyet

Onespiritrulingineachheart;alike(Saveonlyone,hereaftertobenamed)Werebentuponundoingwhatwasdone:Thiswastheirrestandonlyhope;therewithNofearhadtheyofbadbecomingworse,Forworsttothemwascome;norwouldhavestirred,Ordeemeditworthamoment’sthoughttostir,Inanything,saveonlyastheactLookedthitherward.One,reckoningbyyears,

140Wasintheprimeofmanhood,anderewhileHehadsatelordinmanytenderhearts;Thoughheedlessofsuchhonoursnow,andchanged:Histemperwasquitemasteredbythetimes,Andtheyhadblightedhim,hadeatenawayThebeautyofhisperson,doingwrongAliketobodyandtomind:hisport,Whichoncehadbeenerectandopen,nowWasstoopingandcontracted,andaface,EndowedbyNaturewithherfairestgifts

150Ofsymmetryandlightandbloom,expressed,Asmuchasanythatwaseverseen,Aravageoutofseason,madebythoughtsUnhealthyandvexatious.Withthehour,ThatfromthepressofParisdulybroughtItsfreightofpublicnews,thefevercame,Apunctualvisitant,toshakethisman,Disarmedhisvoiceandfannedhisyellowcheek

Intoathousandcolours;whileheread,Ormused,hisswordwashauntedbyhistouch

160Continually,likeanuneasyplaceInhisownbody.’TwasintruthanhourOfuniversalferment;mildestmenWereagitated;andcommotions,strifeOfpassionandopinion,filledthewallsOfpeacefulhouseswithunquietsounds.Thesoilofcommonlife,was,atthattime,Toohottotreadupon.OftsaidIthen,Andnotthenonly,‘WhatamockerythisOfhistory,thepastandthattocome!NowdoIfeelhowIhavebeendeceivedReadingofnationsandtheirworksinfaith–Faithgiventovanityandemptiness–Oh,laughterforthepagethatwouldreflectTofuturetimesthefaceofwhatnowis!’Thelandallswarmedwithpassion,likeaplainDevouredbylocusts–Carra,Gorsas–add

180Ahundredothernamesforgottennow,Nortobeheardofmore.YetweretheypowersLikeearthquakes,shocksrepeateddaybyday,Andfeltthrougheverynookoftownandfield.ThemenalreadyspokenofaschiefOfmyassociateswerepreparedforflightToaugmentthebandofemigrantsinarmsUponthebordersoftheRhine,andleaguedWithforeignfoesmusteredforinstantwar.Thiswastheirundisguisedintent,andthey

190WerewaitingwiththewholeoftheirdesiresThemomenttodepart.

AnEnglishman,BorninalandthenameofwhichappearedTolicensesomeunrulinessofmind–Astranger,withyouth’sfurtherprivilege,

Andthatindulgencewhichahalf-learntspeechWinsfromthecourteous–I,whohadbeenelseShunnedandnottolerated,freelylivedWiththesedefendersoftheCrown,andtalked,Andheardtheirnotions;nordidtheydisdain

200Thewishtobringmeovertotheircause.ButthoughuntaughtbythinkingorbybooksToreasonwellofpolityorlaw,Andnicedistinctions–thenoneverytongue–Ofnaturalrightsandcivil,andtoactsOfnationsandtheirpassinginterestsAndnotthenonly,‘WhatamockerythisOfhistory,thepastandthattocome!

170NowdoIfeelhowallmenaredeceived,Readingofnationsandtheirworks,infaith,Faithgiventovanityandemptiness;Oh!laughterforthepagethatwouldreflectTofuturetimesthefaceofwhatnowis!’Thelandallswarmedwithpassion,likeaplainDevouredbylocusts,–Carra,Gorcas,–addAhundredothernames,forgottennow,Nortobeheardofmore;yet,theywerepowers,Likeearthquakes,shocksrepeateddaybyday,

180Andfeltthrougheverynookoftownandfield.

Suchwasthestateofthings.MeanwhilethechiefOfmyassociatesstoodpreparedforflightToaugmentthebandofemigrantsinarmsUponthebordersoftheRhine,andleaguedWithforeignfoesmusteredforinstantwar.Thiswastheirundisguisedintent,andtheyWerewaitingwiththewholeoftheirdesiresThemomenttodepart.

AnEnglishman,Borninalandwhoseverynameappeared

190Tolicensesomeunrulinessofmind;Astranger,withyouth’sfurtherprivilege,Andtheindulgencethatahalf-learntspeechWinsfromthecourteous;I,whohadbeenelseShunnedandnottolerated,freelylivedWiththesedefendersoftheCrown,andtalked,Andheardtheirnotions;nordidtheydisdainThewishtobringmeovertotheircause.

ButthoughuntaughtbythinkingorbybooksToreasonwellofpolityorlaw,

200Andnicedistinctions,thenoneverytongue,Ofnaturalrightsandcivil;andtoactsOfnationsandtheirpassinginterests,(Ispeakcomparingthesewithotherthings)Almostindifferent–eventhehistorian’stalePrizingbutlittleotherwisethanIprizedTalesofthepoets:asitmademyheart

210Beathighandfilledmyfancywithfairforms,Oldheroesandtheirsufferingsandtheirdeeds–Yetintheregalsceptre,andthepompOfordersanddegrees,InothingfoundThen,orhadeverevenincrudestyouth,Thatdazzledme;butratherwhatmysoulMournedfor,orloathed,beholdingthatthebestRulednot,andfeelingthattheyoughttorule.

For,borninapoordistrict(andwhichyetRetainethmoreofancienthomeliness,

220Mannerserect,andfranksimplicity,ThananyothernookofEnglishland),ItwasmyfortunescarcelytohaveseenThroughthewholetenorofmyschool-daytimeThefaceofone,who,whetherboyorman,WasvestedwithattentionorrespectThroughclaimsofwealthorblood.Norwasitleast

OfmanydebtswhichafterwardsIowedToCambridgeandanacademiclifeThatsomethingtherewasholdenuptoview

230Ofarepublic,whereallstoodthusfarUponequalground,thattheywerebrothersallInhonour,asofonecommunity–Scholarsandgentlemen–where,furthermore,Distinctionlayopentoallthatcame,AndwealthandtitleswereinlessesteemThantalentsandsuccessfulindustry.Adduntothis,subserviencefromthefirstToGodandnature’ssinglesovereignty(Familiarpresencesofawfulpower),

240AndfellowshipwithvenerablebooksTosanctiontheproudworkingsofthesoulAndmountainliberty.ItcouldnotbeButthatonetutoredthus,whohadbeenformed(Ifwithunworldlyendsandaimscompared)Almostindifferent,eventhehistorian’stalePrizingbutlittleotherwisethanIprizedTalesofthepoets,asitmadetheheartBeathigh,andfilledthefancywithfairforms,Oldheroesandtheirsufferingsandtheirdeeds;Yetintheregalsceptre,andthepomp

210Ofordersanddegrees,InothingfoundThen,orhadever,evenincrudestyouth,Thatdazzledme,butratherwhatImournedAndillcouldbrook,beholdingthatthebestRulednot,andfeelingthattheyoughttorule.

For,borninapoordistrict,andwhichyetRetainethmoreofancienthomeliness,ThananyothernookofEnglishground,Itwasmyfortunescarcelytohaveseen,Throughthewholetenorofmyschool-daytime,

220Thefaceofone,who,whetherboyorman,

WasvestedwithattentionorrespectThroughclaimsofwealthorblood;norwasitleastOfmanybenefits,inlateryearsDerivedfromacademicinstitutesAndrules,thattheyheldsomethinguptoviewOfaRepublic,whereallstoodthusfarUponequalground;thatwewerebrothersallInhonour,asinonecommunity,Scholarsandgentlemen;where,furthermore,

230Distinctionopenlaytoallthatcame,AndwealthandtitleswereinlessesteemThantalents,worth,andprosperousindustry.Adduntothis,subserviencefromthefirstTopresencesofGod’smysteriouspowerMademanifestinNature’ssovereignty,Andfellowshipwithvenerablebooks,Tosanctiontheproudworkingsofthesoul,Andmountainliberty.ItcouldnotbeButthatonetutoredthusshouldlookwithaweTothoughtandmoralfeelinginthewayThisstoryhathdescribed,shouldlookwithaweUponthefacultiesofman,receiveGladlythehighestpromises,andhailAsbestthegovernmentofequalrightsAndindividualworth.Andhence,ofriend,

250IfatthefirstgreatoutbreakIrejoicedLessthanmightwellbefitmyyouth,thecauseInpartlayhere,thatuntometheeventsSeemednothingoutofnature’scertaincourse,Agiftthatratherwascomelatethansoon.NowonderthenifadvocatesliketheseWhomIhavementioned,atthisriperdayWereimpotenttomakemyhopesputonTheshapeoftheirs,myunderstandingbendInhonourtotheirhonour.Zeal,whichyet

260Hadslumbered,nowinoppositionburst

Forthlikeapolarsummer:everywordTheyutteredwasadartbycounter-windsBlownbackuponthemselves.TheirreasonseemedConfusion-strickenbyahigherpowerThanhumanunderstanding,theirdiscourseMaimed,spiritless–and,intheirweaknessstrong,Itriumphed.

Meantimedaybydaytheroads,WhileIconsortedwiththeseroyalists,WerecrowdedwiththebravestyouthofFrance,

270Andallthepromptestofherspirits,linkedIngallantsoldiership,andpostingonTomeetthewaruponherfrontierbounds.YetatthisverymomentdotearsstartIntomineeyes(IdonotsayIweep–Iweptnotthen–buttearshavedimmedmysight)Inmemoryofthefarewellsofthattime,Domesticseverings,femalefortitudeAtdearestseparation,patriotloveAndself-devotion,andterrestrialhope

280Encouragedwithamartyr’sconfidence.240Uponthefacultiesofman,receive

Gladlythehighestpromises,andhail,AsbestthegovernmentofequalrightsAndindividualworth.Andhence,OFriend!IfatthefirstgreatoutbreakIrejoicedLessthanmightwellbefitmyyouth,thecauseInpartlayhere,thatuntometheeventsSeemednothingoutofnature’scertaincourse,Agiftthatwascomeratherlatethansoon.Nowonder,then,ifadvocateslikethese,

250Inflamedbypassion,blindwithprejudice,Andstungwithinjury,atthisriperday,Wereimpotenttomakemyhopesputon

Theshapeoftheirs,myunderstandingbendInhonourtotheirhonour:zeal,whichyetHadslumbered,nowinoppositionburstForthlikeaPolarsummer:everywordTheyutteredwasadart,bycounter-windsBlownbackuponthemselves;theirreasonseemedConfusion-strickenbyahigherpower

260Thanhumanunderstanding,theirdiscourseMaimed,spiritless;and,intheirweaknessstrong,Itriumphed.

Meantime,daybyday,theroadsWerecrowdedwiththebravestyouthofFrance,Andallthepromptestofherspirits,linkedIngallantsoldiership,andpostingonTomeetthewaruponherfrontierbounds.YetatthisverymomentdotearsstartIntomineeyes:IdonotsayIweep–Iweptnotthen,–buttearshavedimmedmysight,

270Inmemoryofthefarewellsofthattime,Domesticseverings,femalefortitudeAtdearestseparation,patriotloveAndself-devotion,andterrestrialhope,Encouragedwithamartyr’sconfidence;Evenfilesofstrangersmerely,seenbutonceAndforamoment,menfromfarwithsoundOfmusic,martialtunes,andbannersspread,Enteringthecity–hereandthereafaceOrpersonsingledoutamongtherest,Yetstillastrangerandbelovedassuch–EvenbythesepassingspectaclesmyheartWasoftentimesuplifted,andtheyseemedLikeargumentsfromHeaventhat’twasacause

290Good,andwhichnoonecouldstandupagainstWhowasnotlost,abandoned,selfish,proud,Mean,miserable,wilfullydepraved,

Haterperverseofequityandtruth.

Amongthatbandofofficerswasone,Alreadyhintedat,ofothermould–Apatriot,thencerejectedbytherest,AndwithanorientalloathingspurnedAsofadifferentcaste.AmeekermanThanthislivednever,oramorebenign–

300Meek,thoughenthusiastictotheheightOfhighestexpectation.InjuriesMadehimmoregracious,andhisnaturethenDidbreatheitssweetnessoutmostsensibly,AsaromaticflowersonalpineturfWhenfoothascrushedthem.HethroughtheeventsOfthatgreatchangewanderedinperfectfaithAsthroughabook,anoldromance,ortaleOfFairy,orsomedreamofactionswroughtBehindthesummerclouds.Bybirthheranked

310Withthemostnoble,butuntothepoorAmongmankindhewasinserviceboundAsbysometieinvisible,oathsprofessedToareligiousorder.ManhelovedAsman,andtothemeanandtheobscure,Andallthehomelyintheirhomelyworks,TransferredacourtesywhichhadnoairOfcondescension,butdidratherseemApassionandagallantry,likethatEvenfilesofstrangersmerelyseenbutonce,Andforamoment,menfromfarwithsoundOfmusic,martialtunes,andbannersspread,Enteringthecity,hereandthereaface,Orpersonsingledoutamongtherest,

280Yetstillastrangerandbelovedassuch;EvenbythesepassingspectaclesmyheartWasoftentimesuplifted,andtheyseemedArgumentssentfromHeaventoprovethecause

Good,pure,whichnoonecouldstandupagainst,Whowasnotlost,abandoned,selfish,proud,Mean,miserable,wilfullydepraved,Haterperverseofequityandtruth.

AmongthatbandofOfficerswasone,Alreadyhintedat,ofothermould–

290Apatriot,thencerejectedbytherest,Andwithanorientalloathingspurned,Asofadifferentcaste.AmeekermanThanthislivednever,noramorebenign,Meekthoughenthusiastic.InjuriesMadehimmoregracious,andhisnaturethenDidbreatheitssweetnessoutmostsensibly,AsaromaticflowersonAlpineturf,Whenfoothathcrushedthem.HethroughtheeventsOfthatgreatchangewanderedinperfectfaith,

300Asthroughabook,anoldromance,ortaleOffairy,orsomedreamofactionswroughtBehindthesummerclouds.BybirthherankedWiththemostnoble,butuntothepoorAmongmankindhewasinservicebound,Asbysometieinvisible,oathsprofessedToareligiousorder.ManhelovedAsman;and,tothemeanandtheobscure,Andallthehomelyintheirhomelyworks,Transferredacourtesywhichhadnoair

310Ofcondescension;butdidratherseemApassionandagallantry,likethatWhichhe,asoldier,inhisidlerday

320Hadpaidtowoman.Somewhatvainhewas,Orseemedso;yetitwasnotvanityButfondness,andakindofradiantjoyThatcoveredhimaboutwhenhewasbentOnworksofloveorfreedom,orrevolved

ComplacentlytheprogressofacauseWhereofhewasapart–yetthiswasmeekAndplacid,andtooknothingfromthemanThatwasdelightful.OftinsolitudeWithhimdidIdiscourseabouttheend

330Ofcivilgovernment,anditswisestforms,Ofancientprejudiceandcharteredrights,Allegiance,faith,andlawsbytimematured,Customandhabit,noveltyandchange–Ofself-respectandvirtueinthefewForpatrimonialhonoursetapart,Andignoranceinthelabouringmultitude.Forhe,anuprightmanandtolerant,Balancedthesecontemplationsinhismind,AndI,whoatthattimewasscarcelydipped

340Intotheturmoil,hadasounderjudgementThanafterwards,carriedaboutmeyetWithlessalloytoitsintegrityTheexperienceofpastages,as(throughhelpOfbooksandcommonlife)itfindsitswayToyouthfulminds,byobjectsover-nearNotpressedupon,nordazzledormisledBystrugglingwiththecrowdforpresentends.

ButthoughnotdeafandobstinatetofindErrorwithoutapologyontheside

350Ofthosewhowereagainstus,moredelightWetook(andletthisfreelybeconfessed)InpaintingtoourselvesthemiseriesOfroyalcourts,andthatvoluptuouslifeUnfeelingwherethemanwhoisofsoulThemeanestthrivesthemost,wheredignity,Truepersonaldignity,abidethnot–Whichhe,asoldier,inhisidlerdayHadpaidtowoman:somewhatvainhewas,Orseemedso,yetitwasnotvanity,

Butfondness,andakindofradiantjoyDiffusedaroundhim,whilehewasintentOnworksofloveorfreedom,orrevolvedComplacentlytheprogressofacause,Whereofhewasapart:yetthiswasmeek

320Andplacid,andtooknothingfromthemanThatwasdelightful.OftinsolitudeWithhimdidIdiscourseabouttheendOfcivilgovernment,anditswisestforms;Ofancientloyalty,andcharteredrights,Customandhabit,noveltyandchange;Ofself-respect,andvirtueinthefewForpatrimonialhonoursetapart,Andignoranceinthelabouringmultitude.Forhe,toallintoleranceindisposed,

330Balancedthesecontemplationsinhismind;AndI,whoatthattimewasscarcelydippedIntotheturmoil,boreasounderjudgmentThanlaterdaysallowed;carriedaboutme,Withlessalloytoitsintegrity,Theexperienceofpastages,as,throughhelpOfbooksandcommonlife,itmakessurewayToyouthfulminds,byobjectsovernearNotpressedupon,nordazzledormisledBystrugglingwiththecrowdforpresentends.

340Butthoughnotdeaf,norobstinatetofindErrorwithoutexcuseuponthesideOfthemwhostroveagainstus,moredelightWetook,andletthisfreelybeconfessed,InpaintingtoourselvesthemiseriesOfroyalcourts,andthatvoluptuouslifeUnfeeling,wherethemanwhoisofsoulThemeanestthrivesthemost;wheredignity,Truepersonaldignity,abidethnot;Alightandcruelworld,cutofffromall

Thenaturalinletsofjustsentiment,Fromlowlysympathyandchasteningtruth–

360Wheregoodandevilneverhavethatname,Thatwhichtheyoughttohave,butwrongprevails,Andviceathome.Weaddeddearestthemes:Manandhisnoblenature(asitisThegiftofGodandliesinhisownpower),HisblinddesiresandsteadyfacultiesCapableofcleartruth–theonetobreakBondage,theothertobuildlibertyOnfirmfoundations,makingsociallife(Throughknowledgespreadingandimperishable)

370Asjustinregulationandaspure,Asindividualinthewiseandgood.

WesummonedupthehonourabledeedsOfancientstory,thoughtofeachbrightspotThatcouldbefoundinallrecordedtimeOftruthpreservedanderrorpassedaway;OfsinglespiritsthatcatchtheflamefromHeaven,AndhowthemultitudeofmenwillfeedAndfaneachother–thoughtofsects,howkeenTheyaretoputtheappropriatenatureon,

380TriumphantovereveryobstacleOfcustom,language,country,loveandhate,Andwhattheydoandsufferfortheircreed,Howfartheytravel,andhowlongendure;HowquicklymightynationshavebeenformedFromleastbeginnings;how,togetherlockedBynewopinions,scatteredtribeshavemadeOnebody,spreadingwideascloudsinheaven.ToaspirationsthenofourownmindsDidweappeal,and,finally,beheld

390AlivingconfirmationofthewholeBeforeusinapeoplerisenup

Freshasthemorningstar.ElatewelookedUpontheirvirtues,sawinrudestmenAlight,acruel,andvainworldcutoff

350Fromthenaturalinletsofjustsentiment,Fromlowlysympathyandchasteningtruth;Wheregoodandevilinterchangetheirnames,AndthirstforbloodyspoilsabroadispairedWithviceathome.Weaddeddearestthemes–Manandhisnoblenature,asitisThegiftwhichGodhasplacedwithinhispower,HisblinddesiresandsteadyfacultiesCapableofcleartruth,theonetobreakBondage,theothertobuildliberty

360Onfirmfoundations,makingsociallife,Throughknowledgespreadingandimperishable,Asjustinregulation,andaspureAsindividualinthewiseandgood.

WesummonedupthehonourabledeedsOfancientStory,thoughtofeachbrightspot,Thatwouldbefoundinallrecordedtime,Oftruthpreservedanderrorpassedaway;OfsinglespiritsthatcatchtheflamefromHeaven,Andhowthemultitudesofmenwillfeed

370Andfaneachother;thoughtofsects,howkeenTheyaretoputtheappropriatenatureon,TriumphantovereveryobstacleOfcustom,language,country,love,orhate,Andwhattheydoandsufferfortheircreed;Howfartheytravel,andhowlongendure;HowquicklymightyNationshavebeenformed,Fromleastbeginnings;how,togetherlockedBynewopinions,scatteredtribeshavemadeOnebody,spreadingwideascloudsinheaven.

380Toaspirationsthenofourownminds

Didweappeal;and,finally,beheldAlivingconfirmationofthewholeBeforeus,inapeoplefromthedepthOfshamefulimbecilityuprisen,Freshasthemorningstar.ElatewelookedUpontheirvirtues;saw,inrudestmen,Self-sacrificethefirmest,generousloveAndcontinenceofmind,andsenseofrightUppermostinthemidstoffierceststrife.

Ohsweetitisinacademicgroves–Orsuchretirement,friend,aswehaveknownAmongthemountains,byourRotha’sstream,

400Greta,orDerwent,orsomenamelessrill–Toruminate,withinterchangeoftalk,Onrationallibertyandhopeinman,Justiceandpeace.Butfarmoresweetsuchtoil(Toil,sayI,foritleadstothoughtsabstruse)IfnaturethenbestandingonthebrinkOfsomegreattrial,andwehearthevoiceOfonedevoted,onewhomcircumstanceHathcalledupontoembodyhisdeepsenseInaction,giveitoutwardlyashape,

410Andthatofbenedictiontotheworld.Thendoubtisnot,andtruthismorethantruth–Ahopeitisandadesire,acreedOfzeal(byanauthoritydivineSanctioned)ofdanger,difficulty,ordeath.Suchconversation,underAtticshades,DidDionholdwithPlato,ripenedthusForadeliverer’sglorioustask,andsuchHe(onthatministryalreadybound)HeldwithEudemusandTimonides

420Surroundedbyadventurersinarms,Whenthosetwovessels,withtheirdaringfreightFortheSiciliantyrant’soverthrow,

SailedfromZacynthus–philosophicwar,Ledbyphilosophers.Withharderfate,Thoughlikeambition,suchwashe,Ofriend,OfwhomIspeak.SoBeaupuy–letthenameStandneartheworthiestofantiquity–Fashionedhislife;andmanyalongdiscourse,Withlikepersuasionhonoured,wemaintained,

430Heonhispartaccoutredfortheworst.Heperishedfighting(insupremecommand,Self-sacrificethefirmest;generouslove,Andcontinenceofmind,andsenseofright,Uppermostinthemidstoffierceststrife.

390Oh,sweetitis,inacademicgroves,Orsuchretirement,Friend!aswehaveknownInthegreendalesbesideourRotha’sstream,Greta,orDerwent,orsomenamelessrill,Toruminate,withinterchangeoftalk,Onrationalliberty,andhopeinman,Justiceandpeace.Butfarmoresweetsuchtoil–Toil,sayI,foritleadstothoughtsabstruse–IfnaturethenbestandingonthebrinkOfsomegreattrial,andwehearthevoice

400Ofonedevoted,–onewhomcircumstanceHathcalledupontoembodyhisdeepsenseInaction,giveitoutwardlyashape,Andthatofbenediction,totheworld.Thendoubtisnot,andtruthismorethantruth,–Ahopeitis,andadesire;acreedOfzeal,byanauthorityDivineSanctioned,ofdanger,difficulty,ordeath.Suchconversation,underAtticshades,DidDionholdwithPlato;ripenedthus

410ForaDeliverer’sglorioustask,–andsuchHe,onthatministryalreadybound,HeldwithEudemusandTimonides,

Surroundedbyadventurersinarms,Whenthosetwovesselswiththeirdaringfreight,FortheSicilianTyrant’soverthrow,SailedfromZacynthus,–philosophicwar,LedbyPhilosophers.Withharderfate,Thoughlikeambition,suchwashe,OFriend!OfwhomIspeak.SoBeaupuis(letthename

420StandneartheworthiestofAntiquity)Fashionedhislife;andmanyalongdiscourse,Withlikepersuasionhonoured,wemaintained:He,onhispart,accoutredfortheworst.Heperishedfighting,insupremecommand,UponthebordersoftheunhappyLoire)Forlibertyagainstdeludedmen,Hisfellowcountrymen,andyetmostblessedInthis,thathethefateoflatertimesLivednottosee,norwhatwenowbeholdWhohaveasardentheartsashehadthen.

AlongthatveryLoire,withfestivalsResoundingatallhours,andinnocentyet

440Ofcivilslaughter,wasourfrequentwalk;Orinwideforestsoftheneighbourhood,Highwoodsandover-arched,withopenspaceOneveryside,andfootingmanyamile,Inwovenrootsandmosssmoothasthesea,Asolemnregion.OfteninsuchplaceFromearnestdialoguesIslippedinthoughtAndletremembrancestealtoothertimes,Whenhermits(fromtheirshedsandcavesforth-strayed)Walkedbythemselves,sometinshadeslikethese,

450AndifadevioustravellerwasheardApproachingfromadistance,asmightchance,WithspeedandechoesloudoftramplinghoofsFromthehardfloorreverberated,thenItwasAngelicathunderingthroughthewoods

Uponherpalfrey,orthatgentlermaidErminia,fugitiveasfairasshe.SometimesIsaw,methought,apairofknightsJoustunderneaththetrees,thatasinstormDidrockabovetheirheads;anonthedin

460Ofboisterousmerrimentandmusic’sroar,WithsuddenproclamationburstfromhauntOfsatyrsinsomeviewlessglade,withdanceRejoicingo’erafemaleinthemidst,Amortalbeauty,theirunhappythrall.Thewidthofthosehugeforests,untomeUponthebordersoftheunhappyLoire,Forliberty,againstdeludedmen,Hisfellowcountry-men;andyetmostblessedInthis,thathethefateoflatertimesLivednottosee,norwhatwenowbehold,

430Whohaveasardentheartsashehadthen.

AlongthatveryLoire,withfestalmirthResoundingatallhours,andinnocentyetOfcivilslaughter,wasourfrequentwalk;Orinwideforestsofcontinuousshade,Loftyandover-arched,withopenspaceBeneaththetrees,clearfootingmanyamile–Asolemnregion.Oftamidthosehaunts,FromearnestdialoguesIslippedinthought,Andletremembrancestealtoothertimes,

440When,o’erthoseinterwovenroots,moss-clad,Andsmoothasmarbleorawavelesssea,SomeHermit,fromhiscellforth-strayed,mightpaceInsylvanmeditationundisturbed;AsonthepavementofaGothicchurchWalksaloneMonk,whenservicehathexpired,Inpeaceandsilence.Butife’erwasheard,–Heard,thoughunseen,–adevioustraveller,Retiringorapproachingfromafar

Withspeedandechoesloudoftramplinghoofs450Fromthehardfloorreverberated,then

ItwasAngelicathunderingthroughthewoodsUponherpalfrey,orthatgentlemaidErminia,fugitiveasfairasshe.SometimesmethoughtIsawapairofknightsJoustunderneaththetrees,thatasinstormRockedhighabovetheirheads;anon,thedinOfboisterousmerriment,andmusic’sroar,Insuddenproclamation,burstfromhauntOfSatyrsinsomeviewlessglade,withdance

460Rejoicingo’erafemaleinthemidst,Amortalbeauty,theirunhappythrall.Thewidthofthosehugeforests,untomeAnovelscene,didofteninthiswayMastermyfancywhileIwanderedonWiththatreveredcompanion.Andsometimes,Whentoaconventinameadowgreen

470Byabrooksidewecame–arooflesspile,AndnotbyreverentialtouchoftimeDismantled,butbyviolenceabrupt–Inspiteofthoseheart-bracingcolloquies,Inspiteofrealfervour,andofthatLessgenuineandwroughtupwithinmyself,Icouldnotbutbewailawrongsoharsh,Andforthematin-bell(tosoundnomore)Grieved,andtheeveningtaper,andthecrossHighonthetopmostpinnacle,asign

480Admonitory,bythetravellerFirstseenabovethewoods.

AndwhenmyfriendPointeduponoccasiontothesiteOfRomorantin,homeofancientkings;TotheimperialedificeofBlois;

Ortothatruralcastle,namenowslippedFrommyremembrance(wherealadylodged,BythefirstFranciswooed,and,boundtohimInchainsofmutualpassion,fromthetower,Asatraditionofthecountrytells,

490PractisedtocommunewithherroyalknightBycressetsandlove-beacons,intercourse’Twixtherhigh-seatedresidenceandhisFaroffatChambordontheplainbeneath)–Evenhere,thoughlessthanwiththepeacefulhouseReligious,midthesefrequentmonumentsOfkings,theirvicesortheirbetterdeeds,Imagination,potenttoinflameAttimeswithvirtuouswrathandnoblescorn,Didalsooftenmitigatetheforce

500Ofcivicprejudice,thebigotry(Socallit)ofayouthfulpatriot’smind;AndonthesespotswithmanygleamsIlookedAnovelscene,didofteninthiswayMastermyfancywhileIwanderedonWiththatreveredcompanion.Andsometimes–Whentoaconventinameadowgreen,Byabrook-side,wecame,arooflesspile,AndnotbyreverentialtouchofTimeDismantled,butbyviolenceabrupt–

470Inspiteofthoseheart-bracingcolloquies,Inspiteofrealfervour,andofthatLessgenuineandwroughtupwithinmyself–Icouldnotbutbewailawrongsoharsh,AndfortheMatin-belltosoundnomoreGrieved,andthetwilighttaper,andthecrossHighonthetopmostpinnacle,asign(Howwelcometothewearytraveller’seyes!)Ofhospitalityandpeacefulrest.Andwhenthepartnerofthosevariedwalks

480PointeduponoccasiontothesiteOfRomorentin,homeofancientkings,TotheimperialedificeofBlois,Ortothatruralcastle,namenowslippedFrommyremembrance,wherealadylodged,BythefirstFranciswooed,andboundtohimInchainsofmutualpassion,fromthetower,Asatraditionofthecountrytells,PractisedtocommunewithherroyalknightBycressetsandlove-beacons,intercourse

490’Twixtherhigh-seatedresidenceandhisFaroffatChambordontheplainbeneath;Evenhere,thoughlessthanwiththepeacefulhouseReligious,’midthosefrequentmonumentsOfKings,theirvicesandtheirbetterdeeds,Imagination,potenttoinflameAttimeswithvirtuouswrathandnoblescorn,DidalsooftenmitigatetheforceOfcivicprejudice,thebigotry,Socallit,ofayouthfulpatriot’smind;

500AndonthesespotswithmanygleamsIlookedOfchivalrousdelight.Yetnottheless,Hatredofabsoluterule,wherewillofoneIslawforall,andofthatbarrenprideInthosewho,byimmunitiesunjust,Betwixtthesovereignandthepeoplestand(Hishelpersandnottheirs)laidstrongerholdDailyuponme–mixedwithpitytoo

510Andlove,forwherehopeis,therelovewillbeFortheabjectmultitude.

AndwhenwechancedOnedaytomeetahunger-bittengirl,WhocreptalongfittingherlanguidselfUntoaheifer’smotion–byacord

Tiedtoherarm,andpickingthusfromthelaneItssustenance,whilethegirlwithhertwohandsWasbusyknittinginaheartlessmoodOfsolitude–andatthesightmyfriendInagitationsaid‘’Tisagainstthat

520Whichwearefighting!’IwithhimbelievedDevoutlythataspiritwasabroadWhichcouldnotbewithstood;thatpoverty,Atleastlikethis,wouldinalittletimeBefoundnomore;thatweshouldseetheearthUnthwartedinherwishtorecompenseTheindustriousandthelowlychildoftoil(AllinstitutesforeverblottedoutThatlegalizedexclusion,emptypompAbolished,sensualstateandcruelpower,

530Whetherbyedictoftheoneorfew);Andfinally,assumandcrownofall,ShouldseethepeoplehavingastronghandInmakingtheirownlaws–whencebetterdaysToallmankind.

But,thesethingssetapart,WasnotthesingleconfidenceenoughToanimatethemindthateverturnedAthoughttohumanwelfare:thathenceforthOfchivalrousdelight.Yetnottheless,Hatredofabsoluterule,wherewillofoneIslawforall,andofthatbarrenprideInthemwho,byimmunitiesunjust,Betweenthesovereignandthepeoplestand,Hishelperandnottheirs,laidstrongerholdDailyuponme,mixedwithpitytooAndlove;forwherehopeis,therelovewillbeFortheabjectmultitude.Andwhenwechanced

510Onedaytomeetahunger-bittengirl,Whocreptalongfittingherlanguidgait

Untoaheifer’smotion,byacordTiedtoherarm,andpickingthusfromthelaneItssustenance,whilethegirlwithpallidhandsWasbusyknittinginaheartlessmoodOfsolitude,andatthesightmyfriendInagitationsaid,‘’TisagainstthatThatwearefighting,’IwithhimbelievedThatabenignantspiritwasabroad

520Whichmightnotbewithstood,thatpovertyAbjectasthiswouldinalittletimeBefoundnomore,thatweshouldseetheearthUnthwartedinherwishtorecompenseThemeek,thelowly,patientchildoftoil,AllinstitutesforeverblottedoutThatlegalisedexclusion,emptypompAbolished,sensualstateandcruelpower,Whetherbyedictoftheoneorfew;Andfinally,assumandcrownofall,

530ShouldseethepeoplehavingastronghandInframingtheirownlaws;whencebetterdaysToallmankind.But,thesethingssetapart,WasnotthissingleconfidenceenoughToanimatethemindthateverturnedAthoughttohumanwelfare?ThathenceforthCaptivitybymandatewithoutlawShouldcease,andopenaccusationlead

540Tosentenceinthehearingoftheworld,Andopenpunishment–ifnottheairBefreetobreathein,andtheheartofmanDreadnothing.HavingtouchedthisargumentIshallnot(asmypurposewas)takenoteOfothermatterswhichdetainedusoftInthoughtorconversation–publicacts,Andpublicpersons,andtheemotionswroughtWithinourmindsbytheever-varyingwindOfrecordandreportwhichdaybyday

550Sweptoverus–butIwillhereinsteadDrawfromobscurityatragictale,NotinitsspiritsingularindeedButhaplyworthmemorial,asIheardTheeventsrelatedbymypatriotfriendAndotherswhohadborneaparttherein.

Ohhappytimeofyouthfullovers–thusMystorymaybegin–ohbalmytimeInwhichalove-knotonalady’sbrowIsfairerthanthefaireststarinheaven!

560TosuchinheritanceofblessednessYoungVaudracourwasbroughtbyyearsthathadAlittleoversteppedhisstriplingprime.AtownofsmallreputeintheheartofFranceWastheyouth’sbirthplace;therehevowedhisloveToJulia,abrightmaid,fromparentssprungNotmeanintheircondition,butwithrightsUnhonouredofnobility–andhenceThefatheroftheyoungman,whohadplaceAmongthatorder,spurnedtheverythought

570Ofsuchalliance.Fromtheircradlesup,Withbutastepbetweentheirseveralhomes,Thepairhadthriventogetheryearbyyear,Friend,playmates,twinsinpleasure–afterstrifeAndpettyquarrelshadgrownfondagain–Eachother’sadvocate,eachother’shelp,CaptivitybymandatewithoutlawShouldcease;andopenaccusationleadTosentenceinthehearingoftheworld,Andopenpunishment,ifnottheair

540Befreetobreathein,andtheheartofmanDreadnothing.FromthisheightIshallnotstoopTohumblermatterthatdetainedusoftInthoughtorconversation,publicacts,Andpublicpersons,andemotionswrought

Withinthebreast,asever-varyingwindsOfrecordorreportsweptoverus;ButImighthere,instead,repeatatale,ToldbymyPatriotfriend,ofsadevents,Thatprovetowhatlowdepthhadstrucktheroots,

550Howwidelyspreadtheboughs,ofthatoldtreeWhich,asadeadlymischief,andafoulAndblackdishonour,Francewaswearyof.

Oh,happytimeofyouthfullovers,(thusThestorymightbegin).Oh,balmytime,Inwhichalove-knot,onalady’sbrow,IsfairerthanthefaireststarinHeaven!Somight–andwiththatpreludedidbeginTherecord;and,infaithfulverse,wasgivenThedolefulsequel.

Butourlittlebark560Onastrongriverboldlyhathbeenlaunched;

AndfromthedrivingcurrentshouldweturnToloiterwilfullywithinacreek,Howe’erattractive,Fellowvoyager!Would’stthounotchide?Yetdeemnotmypainslost:ForVaudracourandJulia(sowerenamedTheill-fatedpair)inthatplaintalewilldrawTearsfromtheheartsofothers,whentheirownShallbeatnomore.Thou,also,theremaystread,Atleisure,howtheenamouredyouthwasdriven,

570Bypublicpowerabased,tofatalcrime,Nature’srebellionagainstmonstrouslaw;Noreverhappyiftheywereapart.Abasisthisfordeepandsolidlove,Andendlessconstancy,andplacidtruth;But–whatsoeverofsuchtreasuresmight,

580Beneaththeoutsideoftheiryouth,havelainReservedformelloweryears–hispresentmind

Wasunderfascination:hebeheldAvision,andhelovedthethinghesaw.

ArabianfictionneverfilledtheworldWithhalfthewondersthatwerewroughtforhim.Earthlivedinonegreatpresenceofthespring,LifeturnedthemeanestofherimplementsBeforehiseyestopriceaboveallgold,Thehouseshedweltinwasasaintedshrine,

590Herchamber-windowdidsurpassingloryTheportalsoftheeast!AllparadiseCouldbythesimpleopeningofadoorLetitselfinuponhim!Pathways,walks,Swarmedwithenchantment,tillhisspiritsankBeneaththeburden,overblessedforlife.Thisstatewastheirs,till–whetherthrougheffectOfsomedelirioushour,orthattheyouth,SeeingsomanybarsbetwixthimselfAndthedearhavenwherehewishedtobe

600Inhonourablewedlockwithhislove,WithoutacertainknowledgeofhisownWasinwardlypreparedtoturnasideFromlawandcustom,andentrusthimselfTonatureforahappyendofall(AndthusabatedofthatpurereserveCongenialtohisloyalheart,withwhichItwouldhavepleasedhimtoattendthestepsOfmaidensodivinelybeautiful),Iknownot–butreluctantlymustadd

610ThatJulia,yetwithoutthenameofwife,CarriedaboutherforasecretgriefThepromiseofamother.How,betweenheartandheart,oppressionthrustHermandates,severingwhomtruelovehadjoined,Harassingboth;untilhesankandpressedThecouchhisfatehadmadeforhim;supine,

Savewhenthestingsofviperousremorse,Tryingtheirstrength,enforcedhimtostartup,Aghastandprayerless.IntoadeepwoodHefled,toshunthehauntsofhumankind;

580Theredwelt,weakenedinspiritmoreandmore;NorcouldthevoiceofFreedom,whichthroughFranceFullspeedilyresounded,publichope,Orpersonalmemoryofhisownworstwrongs,Rousehim;but,hiddeninthosegloomyshades,Hisdayshewasted,–animbecilemind.

ToconcealThethreatenedshametheparentsofthemaidFoundmeanstohurryherawaybynightAndunforewarned,thatinadistanttownShemightremainshroudedinprivacyUntilthebabewasborn.WhenmorningcameThelover,thusbereft,stungwithhislossAndalluncertainwhitherheshouldturn,

620Chafedlikeawildbeastinthetoils.Atlength,Followingashissuspicionsled,hefound–Ohjoy!–suretracesofthefugitives,Pursuedthemtothetownwheretheyhadstopped,AndlastlytotheveryhouseitselfWhichhadbeenchosenforthemaid’sretreat.Thesequelmaybeeasilydivined:Walksbackwards,forwards,morning,noonandnight(Whendecencyandcautionwouldallow),AndJulia,who,whenevertoherself

630Shehappenedtobeleftamoment’sspace,Wasbusyathercasement,asaswallowAboutitsnest,erelongdidthusespyHerlover–thenceastoleninterviewBynightaccomplished,withaladder’shelp.

Ipasstherapturesofthepair;suchthemeHathbyahundredpoetsbeensetforthInmoredelightfulversethanskillofmineCouldfashion–chieflybythatdarlingbardWhotoldofJulietandherRomeo,

640Andofthelark’snoteheardbeforeitstime,AndofthestreaksthatlacedtheseveringcloudsIntheunrelentingeast.’TisminetotreadThehumblerprovinceofplainhistory,And,withoutchoiceofcircumstance,submissivelyRelatewhatIhaveheard.TheloverscameTothisresolve(withwhichtheyparted,pleasedAndconfident)thatVaudracourshouldhieBacktohisfather’shouse,andthereemployMeansaptesttoobtainasumofgold–

650Afinalportioneven,ifthatmightbe–Whichdone,togethertheycouldthentakeflightTosomeremoteandsolitaryplaceWheretheymightlivewithnoonetobeholdTheirhappiness,ortodisturbtheirlove.Immediately,andwiththismissioncharged,Hometohisfather’shousedidhereturnAndthereremainedatimewithouthintgivenOfhisdesign;butifawordweredroppedTouchingthematterofhispassion,still,

660Inhearingofhisfather,VaudracourPersistedopenlythatnothinglessThandeathshouldmakehimyielduphopetobeAblessèdhusbandofthemaidheloved.

IncensedatsuchobduracyandslightOfexhortationsandremonstrancesThefatherthrewoutthreatsthatbyamandateBearingtheprivatesignetofthestateHeshouldbebaffledofhismadintent–Andthatshouldcurehim.Fromthistimetheyouth

670Conceivedaterror,andbynightordayStirrednowherewithoutarms.SoonafterwardsHisparentstotheircountryseatwithdrewUponsomefeignedoccasion,andthesonWasleftwithoneattendantinthehouse.Retiringtohischamberforthenight,Whilehewasenteringatthedoor,attemptsWeremadetoseizehimbythreearmèdmen,Theinstrumentsofruffianpower.Theyouth,Inthefirstimpulseofhisrage,laidone

680Deadathisfeet,andtothesecondgaveAperilouswound–whichdone,atsightOfthedeadman,hepeacefullyresignedHispersontothelaw,waslodgedinprison,Andworethefettersofacriminal.

Throughthreeweeks’space(bymeanswhichlovedevised)ThemaidinherseclusionhadreceivedTidingsofVaudracour,andhowhespedUponhisenterprise.ThereaftercameAsilence;halfacircledidthemoon

690Complete,andthenawhole,andstillthesameSilence.AthousandthousandfearsandhopesStirredinmind–thoughtswaking,thoughtsofsleep,Entangledineachother–andatlastSelf-slaughterseemedheronlyresting-place.Sodidshefareinheruncertainty.

Atlength,byinterferenceofafriend(Onewhohadswayatcourt)theyouthregainedHisliberty,onpromisetositdownQuietlyinhisfather’shouse,nortake

700OnesteptoreunitehimselfwithherOfwhomhisparentsdisapproved–hardlaw,TowhichhegaveconsentonlybecauseHisfreedomelsecouldnowisebeprocured.

Backtohisfather’shousehewent,remainedEightdays,andthenhisresolutionfailed.HefledtoJulia,andthewordswithwhichHegreetedherwerethese:‘Allrightisgone–Gonefromme!Thounolongernowartmine,Ithine!Amurderer,Julia,cannotlove

710Aninnocentwoman–Ibeholdthyface,Iseethee,andmymiseryiscomplete!’Shecouldnotgivehimanswer;afterwardsShecoupledwithhisfather’snamesomewordsOfvehementindignation;buttheyouthCheckedher,norwouldhehearofthis;forthoughtUnfilial,orunkind,hadneveronceFoundharbourinhisbreast.Thelovers,thusUnitedonceagain,togetherlivedForafewdays,whichweretoVaudracour

720Daysofdejection,sorrowandremorseForthatilldeedofviolencewhichhishandHadhastilycommitted;fortheyouthWasofaloyalspirit,aconsciencenice,AndovertenderforthetrialwhichHisfatehadcalledhimto.Thefather’smind,Meanwhile,remainedunchanged,andVaudracourLearnedthatamandatehadbeennewlyissuedToarresthimonthespot.OhpainitwasTopart!Hecouldnot–andhelingeredstill

730Tothelastmomentofhistime,andthen(Atdeadofnightwithsnowupontheground)Heleftthecity,andinvillagesThemostsequesteredoftheneighbourhoodLayhiddenforthespaceofseveraldays,Until,thehorsemanbringingbackreportThathewasnowheretobefound,thesearchWasended.Backreturnedtheill-fatedyouth,AndfromthehousewhereJulialodged(towhich

Henowfoundopeningress,havinggained740Theaffectionofthefamily,wholovedhim

Bothforhisown,andforthemaiden’ssake)Onenightretiring,hewasseized.

ButhereAportionofthetalemaywellbeleftInsilence,thoughmymemorycouldaddMuchhowtheyouth(andinshortspaceoftime)Wastraversedfromwithout;much,too,ofthoughtsBywhichhewasemployedinsolitudeUnderprivationandrestraint,andwhatThroughdarkandshapelessfearofthingstocome,

750Andwhatthroughstrongcompunctionforthepast,Hesuffered,breakingdowninheartandmind.Suchgrace(ifgraceitwere)hadbeenvouchsafed–Orsucheffecthadthroughthefather’swantOfpower,orthroughhisnegligence,ensued–ThatVaudracourwassufferedtoremain,Thoughunderguardandwithoutliberty,InthesamecitywiththeunhappymaidFromwhomhewasdivided.Sotheyfared,Objectsofgeneralconcern,till,moved

760Withpityfortheirwrongs,themagistrate(Thesamewhohadplacedtheyouthincustody)ByapplicationtotheministerObtainedhislibertyuponconditionThattohisfather’shouseheshouldreturn.

HelefthisprisonalmostontheeveOfJulia’stravail.Shehadlikewisebeen(Asfromthetimeindeed,whenshehadfirstBeenbroughtforsecrecytothisabode),Thoughtreatedwithconsolingtenderness,

770Herselfaprisoner–adejectedone,

Filledwithalover’sandawoman’sfears–Andwhensoe’erthemistressofthehouseEnteredtheroomforthelasttimeatnightAndJuliawithalowandplaintivevoiceSaid‘Youarecomingthentolockmeup!’Thehousewifewhenthesewords(alwaysthesame)WerebyhercaptivelanguidlypronouncedCouldneverhearthemutteredwithouttears.

Adayortwobeforeherchildbedtime780WasVaudracourrestoredtoher,andsoon

AshemightbepermittedtoreturnIntoherchamberafterthechild’sbirth,ThemasterofthefamilybeggedthatallThehouseholdmightbesummoned,doubtingnotButthattheymightreceiveimpressionsthenFriendlytohumankindness.Vaudracour(ThisheardIfromonepresentatthetime)HeldupthenewborninfantinhisarmsAndkissed,andblessed,andcovereditwithtears,

790UtteringaprayerthathemightneverbeAswretchedashisfather.ThenhegaveThechildtoherwhoboreit,andshetooRepeatedthesameprayer–tookitagainAnd,mutteringsomethingfaintlyafterwards,Hegavetheinfanttothestanders-by,AndweptinsilenceuponJulia’sneck.

Twomonthsdidhecontinueinthehouse,AndoftenyieldeduphimselftoplansOffuturehappiness.‘Youshallreturn,

800Julia’,saidhe,‘andtoyourfather’shouseGowithyourchild.Youhavebeenwretched,yetItisatownwherebothofuswereborn–Nonewillreproachyou,forourlovesareknown.Withornamentstheprettiestyoushalldress

Yourboy,assoonashecanrunabout,AndwhenhethusisathisplaymyfatherWillseehimfromthewindow,andthechildWillbyhisbeautymovehisgrandsire’sheart,Sothatitwillbesoftened,andourloves

810Endhappily,astheybegan.’ThesegleamsAppearedbutseldom;oftenerhewasseenProppingapaleandmelancholyfaceUponthemother’sbosom,restingthusHisheadupononebreast,whilefromtheotherThebabewasdrawinginitsquietfood.Atothertimes,whenheinsilencelongAndfixedlyhadlookeduponherface,Hewouldexclaim,‘Julia,howmuchthineeyesHavecostme!’Duringdaytimewhenthechild

820Layinitscradle,byitssidehesat,Notquittingitaninstant.ThewholetownInhisunmeritedmisfortunesnowTookpart,andifheeitheratthedoorOrwindowforamomentwithhischildAppeared,immediatelythestreetwasthronged;Whileothers,frequentlywithoutreserve,PassedandrepassedbeforethehousetostealAlookathim.

OftatthistimehewroteRequesting,sinceheknewthattheconsent

830OfJulia’sparentsnevercouldbegainedToaclandestinemarriage,thathisfatherWouldfromthebirthrightofaneldestsonExcludehim,givingbut(whenthiswasdone)Asanctiontohisnuptials.Vainrequest,Towhichnoanswerwasreturned!AndnowFromherownhomethemotherofhisloveArrivedtoapprisethedaughterofherfixed

Andlastresolve,that,sinceallhopetomoveTheoldman’sheartprovedvain,shemustretire

840Intoaconvent,andbethereimmured.Juliawasthunderstrickenbythesewords,Andsheinsistedonamother’srightsTotakeherchildalongwithher–agrantImpossible,assheatlastperceived.ThepersonsofthehousenosoonerheardOfthisdecisionuponJulia’sfateThaneveryonewasoverwhelmedwithgrief,NorcouldtheyframeamannersoftenoughToimpartthetidingstotheyouth.Butgreat

850WastheirastonishmentwhentheybeheldhimReceivethenewsincalmdespondency,Composedandsilent,withoutoutwardsignOfeventheleastemotion.Seeingthis,WhenJuliascatteredsomeupbraidingwordsUponhisslackness,hetheretoreturnedNoanswer,onlytookthemother’shand(Wholovedhimscarcelylessthanherownchild)Andkissedit,withoutseemingtobepressedByanypainthat’twasthehandofone

860WhoseerrandwastoparthimfromhisloveForever.

InthecityheremainedAseasonafterJuliahadretiredAndintheconventtakenupherhome,TotheendthathemightplacehisinfantbabeWithafitnurse;whichdone,beneaththeroofWherenowhislittleonewaslodged,hepassedThedayentire,andscarcelycouldatlengthTearhimselffromthecradletoreturnHometohisfather’shouse–inwhichhedwelt

870Awhile,andthencamebackthathemightsee

WhetherthebabehadgainedsufficientstrengthTobearremoval.HequittedthissametownForthelasttime,attendantbythesideOfaclose-chair–alitterorsedan–Inwhichthechildwascarried.ToahillWhichroseataleague’sdistancefromthetownThefamilyofthehousewherehehadlodgedAttendedhim,andpartedfromhimthere,Watchingbelowuntilhedisappeared

880Onthehilltop.Hiseyeshescarcelytook,Throughallthatjourney,fromthechairinwhichThebabewascarried;andateveryinnOrplaceatwhichtheyhaltedorreposedLaidhimuponhisknees,norwouldpermitThehandsofanybuthimselftodressTheinfantorundress.ByoneofthoseWhoborethechairthesefacts,athisreturn,Weretold,andinrelatingthemhewept.

ThiswasthemannerinwhichVaudracour890Departedwithhisinfant,andthusreached

Hisfather’shouse,wheretotheinnocentchildAdmittancewasdenied.TheyoungmanspokeNowordofindignationorreproof,Butofhisfatherbegged(alastrequest)Thataretreatmightbeassignedtohim,AhousewhereinthecountryhemightdwellWithsuchallowanceashiswantsrequired–Andthemorelonelythatthemansionwas’Twouldbemorewelcome.Toalodgethatstood

900Deepinaforest,withleavegiven,attheageOffour-and-twentysummersheretired;Andthithertookwithhimhisinfantbabe,Andonedomesticfortheircommonneeds,Anagedwoman.ItconsoledhimhereToattendupontheorphanandperform

Theofficeofanursetohisyoungchild,Which,afterashorttime,bysomemistakeOrindiscretionofthefather,died.ThetaleIfollowtoitslastrecess

910Ofsufferingorofpeace,Iknownotwhich–Theirsbetheblamewhocausedthewoe,notmine.

FromthattimeforthheneverutteredwordToanyliving.AninhabitantOfthatsametowninwhichthepairhadleftSolivelyaremembranceoftheirgriefsBychanceofbusinesscomingwithinreachOfhisretirement,tothespotrepairedWiththeintenttovisithim;hereachedThehouseandonlyfoundthematronthere,

920Whotoldhimthathispainswerethrownaway,ForthathermasterneverutteredwordTolivingsoul–noteventoher.BeholdWhiletheywerespeaking,Vaudracourapproached,But,seeingsomeonethere,justashishandWasstretchedtowardsthegarden-gate,heshrunk,Andlikeashadowglidedoutofview.Shockedathissavageoutside,fromtheplaceThevisitorretired.

Thuslivedtheyouth,Cutofffromallintelligencewithman,

930Andshunningeventhelightofcommonday.Norcouldthevoiceoffreedom,whichthroughFranceSoonafterwardsresounded,publichope,Orpersonalmemoryofhisowndeepwrongs,Rousehim;butinthosesolitaryshadesHisdayshewasted–animbecilemind.

BookTenthRESIDENCEINFRANCEANDFRENCHREVOLUTION

ItwasabeautifulandsilentdayThatoverspreadthecountenanceofearth(Thenfading)withunusualquietness,WhenfromtheLoireIparted,andthroughscenesOfvineyard,orchard,meadow-groundandtilth,Calmwaters,gleamsofsun,andbreathlesstrees,TowardsthefiercemetropolisturnedmystepsTheirhomewardwaytoEngland.FromhisthroneTheKinghadfallen;thecongregatedhost–

10Direcloud,uponthefrontofwhichwaswrittenThetendermerciesofthedismalwindThatboreit–ontheplainsoflibertyHadburstinnocuously.Saymore,theswarmThatcameelateandjocund,likeabandOfeasternhunters,toenfoldinringNarrowingitselfbymoments,andreduceTothelastpunctualspotoftheirdespairAraceofvictims(sotheydeemed),themselvesHadshrunkfromsightoftheirowntask,andfled

20Interror.DesolationanddismayRemainedforthemwhosefancieshadgrownrankWithevilexpectations:confidenceAndperfecttriumphtothebettercause.

BookTenthRESIDENCEINFRANCE–(CONTINUED)

ItwasabeautifulandsilentdayThatoverspreadthecountenanceofearth,Thenfadingwithunusualquietness,–Adayasbeautifulase’erwasgivenTosootheregret,thoughdeepeningwhatitsoothed,WhenbytheglidingLoireIpaused,andcastUponhisrichdomains,vineyardandtilth,Greenmeadow-ground,andmany-colouredwoods,Again,andyetagain,afarewelllook;

10Thenfromthequietofthatscenepassedon,BoundtothefierceMetropolis.FromhisthroneTheKinghadfallen,andthatinvadinghost–Presumptuouscloud,onwhoseblackfrontwaswrittenThetendermerciesofthedismalwindThatboreit–ontheplainsofLibertyHadburstinnocuous.Sayinbolderwords,They–whohadcomeelateaseasternhuntersBandedbeneaththeGreatMogul,whenheErewhilewentforthfromAgraorLahore,

20RajahsandOmrahsinhistrain,intentTodrivetheirpreyenclosedwithinaringWideasaprovince,but,thesignalgiven,Beforethepointofthelife-threateningspearNarrowingitselfbymoments–they,rashmen,HadseentheanticipatedquarryturnedIntoavengers,fromwhosewraththeyfledInterror.DisappointmentanddismayRemainedforallwhosefancieshadrunwildWithevilexpectations;confidence

30Andperfecttriumphforthebettercause.

Thestate,asiftostampthefinalsealOnhersecurity,andtotheworldShowwhatshewas,ahighandfearlesssoul–OrratherinaspiritofthankstothoseWhohadstirredupherslackeningfacultiesToanewtransition–hadassumedwithjoy

30ThebodyandthevenerablenameOfarepublic.Lamentablecrimes,’Tistrue,hadgonebeforethishour,theworkOfmassacre,inwhichthesenselessswordWasprayedtoasajudge;butthesewerepast,Earthfreefromthemforever,aswasthought–Ephemeralmonsters,tobeseenbutonce,Thingsthatcouldonlyshowthemselvesanddie!

Thiswasthetimeinwhich,inflamedwithhope,ToParisIreturned.AgainIranged,

40MoreeagerlythanIhaddonebefore,Throughthewidecity,andinprogresspassedTheprisonwheretheunhappymonarchlay,AssociatewithhischildrenandhiswifeInbondage,andthepalace,latelystormedWithroarofcannonandanumeroushost.Icrossed(ablackandemptyareathen)TheSquareoftheCarrousel,fewweeksbackHeapedupwithdeadanddying–upontheseAndothersightslookingasdothaman

50UponavolumewhosecontentsheknowsArememorablebutfromhimlockedup,Beingwritteninatonguehecannotread,SothathequestionsthemuteleaveswithpainAndhalfupbraidstheirsilence.ButthatnightWhenonmybedIlay,IwasmostmovedAndfeltmostdeeplyinwhatworldIwas.Myroomwashighandlonely,neartheroofOfalargemansionorhotel,aspot

TheState,asiftostampthefinalsealOnhersecurity,andtotheworldShowwhatshewas,ahighandfearlesssoul,Exultingindefiance,orheart-stungBysharpresentment,orbeliketotauntWithspitefulgratitudethebaffledLeague,ThathadstirredupherslackeningfacultiesToanewtransition,whentheKingwascrushed,Sparednottheemptythrone,andinproudhaste

40AssumedthebodyandvenerablenameOfaRepublic.Lamentablecrimes,’Tistrue,hadgonebeforethishour,direworkOfmassacre,inwhichthesenselessswordWasprayedtoasajudge;butthesewerepast,Earthfreefromthemforever,aswasthought,–Ephemeralmonsters,tobeseenbutonce!Thingsthatcouldonlyshowthemselvesanddie.

Cheeredwiththishope,toParisIreturned,Andranged,withardourheretoforeunfelt,

50Thespaciouscity,andinprogresspassedTheprisonwheretheunhappyMonarchlay,AssociatewithhischildrenandhiswifeInbondage;andthepalace,latelystormedWithroarofcannonbyafurioushost.Icrossedthesquare(anemptyareathen!)OftheCarrousel,wheresolatehadlainThedead,uponthedyingheaped,andgazedOnthisandotherspots,asdothamanUponavolumewhosecontentsheknows

60Arememorable,butfromhimlockedup,Beingwritteninatonguehecannotread,Sothathequestionsthemuteleaveswithpain,Andhalfupbraidstheirsilence.ButthatnightIfeltmostdeeplyinwhatworldIwas,WhatgroundItrodon,andwhatairIbreathed.

Highwasmyroomandlonely,neartheroofOfalargemansionorhotel,alodgeThatwouldhavepleasedmeinmorequiettimes–

60Norwasitwhollywithoutpleasurethen.WithunextinguishedtaperIkeptwatch,Readingatintervals.ThefeargonebyPressedonmealmostlikeafeartocome.IthoughtofthoseSeptembermassacres,Dividedfrommebyalittlemonth,Andfeltandtouchedthem,asubstantialdread(TherestwasconjuredupfromtragicfictionsAndmournfulcalendarsoftruehistory,Remembrancesanddimadmonishments):

70‘Thehorseistaughthismanage,andthewindOfheavenwheelsroundandtreadsinhisownsteps;Yearfollowsyear,thetidereturnsagain,Dayfollowsday,allthingshavesecondbirth;Theearthquakeisnotsatisfiedatonce!’AndinsuchwayIwroughtuponmyselfUntilIseemedtohearavoicethatcriedTothewholecity‘Sleepnomore!’TothisAddcommentsofacalmermind,fromwhichIcouldnotgatherfullsecurity,

80ButatthebestitseemedaplaceoffearUnfitforthereposeofnight,Defencelessasawoodwheretigersroam.

BetimesnextmorningtothePalaceWalkOfOrleansIrepaired,andenteringthereWasgreeted(amongdiversothernotes)ByvoicesofthehawkersinthecrowdBawling‘DenunciationofthecrimesOfMaximilianRobespierre’.ThespeechWhichintheirhandstheycarriedwasthesame

90Whichhadbeenrecentlypronounced,theday

WhenRobespierre(wellknowingforwhatmarkSomewordsofindirectreproofhadbeenThatwouldhavepleasedmeinmorequiettimes;Norwasitwhollywithoutpleasurethen.

70WithunextinguishedtaperIkeptwatch,Readingatintervals;thefeargonebyPressedonmealmostlikeafeartocome.IthoughtofthoseSeptembermassacres,Dividedfrommebyonelittlemonth,Sawthemandtouched:therestwasconjuredupFromtragicfictionsortruehistory,Remembrancesanddimadmonishments.Thehorseistaughthismanage,andnostarOfwildestcoursebuttreadsbackhisownsteps;

80ForthespenthurricanetheairprovidesAsfierceasuccessor;thetideretreatsButtoreturnoutofitshiding-placeInthegreatdeep;allthingshavesecondbirth;Theearthquakeisnotsatisfiedatonce;AndinthiswayIwroughtuponmyself,UntilIseemedtohearavoicethatcried,Tothewholecity,‘Sleepnomore.’ThetranceFledwiththevoicetowhichithadgivenbirth;Butvainlycommentsofacalmermind

90Promisedsoftpeaceandsweetforgetfulness.Theplace,allhushedandsilentasitwas,Appearedunfitforthereposeofnight,Defencelessasawoodwheretigersroam.

WithearlymorningtowardsthePalace-walkOfOrleanseagerlyIturned;asyetThestreetswerestill;notsothoselongArcades;There,’midapealofill-matchedsoundsandcries,Thatgreetedmeonentering,IcouldhearShrillvoicesfromthehawkersinthethrong,

100Bawling,‘DenunciationoftheCrimes

OfMaximilianRobespierre’;thehand,Promptasthevoice,heldforthaprintedspeech,Thesamethathadbeenrecentlypronounced,WhenRobespierre,notignorantforwhatmarkSomewordsofindirectreproofhadbeenIntended)roseinhardihood,anddaredThemanwhohadanillsurmiseofhimTobringhischargeinopenness.Whereat,Whenadeadpauseensuedandnoonestirred,Insilenceofallpresent,fromhisseatLouvetwalkedsinglythroughtheavenueAndtookhisstationinthetribune,saying

100‘I,Robespierre,accusethee!’’TiswellknownWhatwastheissueofthatcharge,andhowLouvetwasleftalonewithoutsupportOfhisirresolutefriends.ButthesearethingsOfwhichIspeakonlyastheywerestormOrsunshinetomyindividualmind,Nofurther.

Letmethenrelatethatnow,InsomesortseeingwithmypropereyesThatliberty,andlife,anddeathwouldsoonTotheremotestcornersoftheland

110LieinthearbitrementofthosewhoruledThecapitalcity(whatwasstruggledfor,Andbywhatcombatantsvictorymustbewon;TheindecisionontheirpartwhoseaimSeemedbest,andthestraightforwardpathofthoseWhoinattackorindefencealikeWerestrongthroughtheirimpiety),greatlyIWasagitated.Yea,IcouldalmostHaveprayedthatthroughoutearthuponallsoulsWorthyofliberty–uponeverysoul

120Maturedtoliveinplainnessandintruth–Thegiftoftonguesmightfall,andmenarrive

FromthefourquartersofthewindstodoForFrancewhatwithouthelpshecouldnotdo,Aworkofhonour.ThinknotthattothisIntended,roseinhardihood,anddaredThemanwhohadanillsurmiseofhimTobringhischargeinopenness;whereat,Whenadeadpauseensued,andnoonestirred,

110Insilenceofallpresent,fromhisseatLouvetwalkedsinglethroughtheavenue,AndtookhisstationintheTribune,saying,‘I,Robespierre,accusethee!’WellisknownTheingloriousissueofthatcharge,andhowHe,whohadlaunchedthestartlingthunderbolt,Theoneboldman,whosevoicetheattackhadsounded,WasleftwithoutafollowertodischargeHisperilousduty,andretirelamentingThatHeaven’sbestaidiswasteduponmen

120Whotothemselvesarefalse.

ButthesearethingsOfwhichIspeak,onlyastheywerestormOrsunshinetomyindividualmind,Nofurther.Letmethenrelatethatnow–InsomesortseeingwithmypropereyesThatLiberty,andLife,andDeathwouldsoonTotheremotestcornersofthelandLieinthearbitramentofthosewhoruledThecapitalCity;whatwasstruggledfor,Andbywhatcombatantsvictorymustbewon;

130TheindecisionontheirpartwhoseaimSeemedbest,andthestraightforwardpathofthoseWhoinattackorindefencewerestrongThroughtheirimpiety–myinmostsoulWasagitated;yea,IcouldalmostHaveprayedthatthroughoutearthuponallmen,Bypatientexerciseofreasonmade

Worthyofliberty,allspiritsfilledWithzealexpandinginTruth’sholylight,Thegiftoftonguesmightfall,andpowerarrive

140FromthefourquartersofthewindstodoForFrance,whatwithouthelpshecouldnotdo,Aworkofhonour;thinknotthattothisIadded,workofsafety:fromsuchthought,Andtheleastfearabouttheendofthings,Iwasasfarasangelsarefromguilt.

YetdidIgrieve–noronlygrieved–butthoughtOfoppositionandofremedies.

130Aninsignificantstrangerandobscure,MeanasIwas,andlittlegracedwithpowersOfeloquenceeveninmynativespeech,Andallunfitfortumultandintrigue,YetwouldIwillinglyhavetakenupAserviceatthistimeforcausesogreat,Howeverdangerous.InlyIrevolvedHowmuchthedestinyofmanhadstillHunguponsinglepersons–thattherewas,Transcendenttoalllocalpatrimony,

140Onenatureasthereisonesuninheaven;Thatobjects,evenastheyaregreat,therebyDocomewithinthereachofhumblesteyes;ThatmanwasonlyweakthroughhismistrustAndwantofhope,whereevidencedivineProclaimedtohimthathopeshouldbemostsure;That,withdesiresheroicandfirmsense,Aspiritthoroughlyfaithfultoitself,Unquenchable,unsleeping,undismayed,Wasasaninstinctamongmen,astream

150ThatgatheredupeachpettystragglingrillAndveinofwater,gladtoberolledonInsafeobedience;thatamindwhoserest

Waswhereitoughttobe,inself-restraint,Incircumspectionandsimplicity,FellrarelyinentirediscomfortureBelowitsaim,ormetwithfromwithoutAtreacherythatdefeateditorfoiled.Iadded,workofsafety:fromalldoubtOrtrepidationfortheendofthingsFarwasI,farasangelsarefromguilt.

YetdidIgrieve,noronlygrieved,butthoughtOfoppositionandofremedies:Aninsignificantstrangerandobscure,Andone,moreover,littlegracedwithpower

150Ofeloquenceeveninmynativespeech,Andallunfitfortumultorintrigue,YetwouldIatthistimewithwillingheartHaveundertakenforacausesogreatServicehoweverdangerous.Irevolved,HowmuchthedestinyofManhadstillHunguponsinglepersons;thattherewas,Transcendenttoalllocalpatrimony,Onenature,asthereisonesuninheaven;Thatobjects,evenastheyaregreat,thereby

160Docomewithinthereachofhumblesteyes;ThatManisonlyweakthroughhismistrustAndwantofhopewhereevidencedivineProclaimstohimthathopeshouldbemostsure;NordidtheinexperienceofmyyouthPrecludeconviction,thataspiritstrongInhope,andtrainedtonobleaspirations,Aspiritthroughlyfaithfultoitself,IsforSociety’sunreasoningherdAdomineeringinstinct,servesatonce

170Forwayandguide,afluentreceptacleThatgathersupeachpettystragglingrillAndveinofwater,gladtoberolledon

Insafeobedience;thatamind,whoserestIswhereitoughttobe,inself-restraint,Incircumspectionandsimplicity,FallsrarelyinentirediscomfitureBelowitsaim,ormeetswith,fromwithout,Atreacherythatfoilsitordefeats;And,lastly,ifthemeansonhumanwill,

180Frailhumanwill,dependentshouldbetray

Ontheotherside,IcalledtomindthosetruthsWhicharethecommonplacesoftheschools,

160Athemeforboys,tootriteeventobefelt,Yet,witharevelation’slivelinessInalltheircomprehensivebearingsknownAndvisibletophilosophersofold,Menwho(tobusinessoftheworlduntrained)Livedintheshade–andtoHarmodiousknownAndhiscompeerAristogiton;knownToBrutus–thattyrannicpowerisweak,Hathneithergratitude,norfaith,norlove,Northesupportofgoodorevilmen

170Totrustin;thatthegodheadwhichisoursCanneverutterlybecharmedorstilled;ThatnothinghasanaturalrighttolastButequityandreason;thatallelseMeetsfoesirreconcilable,andatbestDoeslivebutbyvarietyofdisease.

Wellmightmywishesbeintense,mythoughtsStrongandperturbed,notdoubtingatthattime–Creedwhichtenshamefulyearshavenotannulled–Butthatthevirtueofoneparamountmind

180Wouldhaveabashedthoseimpiouscrests,havequelledOutrageandbloodypower,and,indespiteOfwhatthepeoplewerethroughignoranceAndimmaturity(andintheteeth

Ofdesperateoppositionfromwithout),Himwhotooboldlytrustedthem,IfeltThat’midthelouddistractionsoftheworldAsovereignvoicesubsistswithinthesoul,Arbiterundisturbedofrightandwrong,Oflifeanddeath,inmajestysevereEnjoining,asmaybestpromotetheaimsOftruthandjustice,eithersacrifice,FromwhatsoeverregionofourcaresOrourinfirmaffectionsNaturepleads,

190Earnestandblind,againstthesterndecree.

Ontheotherside,IcalledtomindthosetruthsThatarethecommon-placesoftheschools–(Athemeforboys,toohackneyedfortheirsires,)Yet,witharevelation’sliveliness,InalltheircomprehensivebearingsknownAndvisibletophilosophersofold,Menwho,tobusinessoftheworlduntrained,Livedintheshade;andtoHarmodiusknownAndhiscompeerAristogiton,known

200ToBrutus–thattyrannicpowerisweakHathneithergratitude,norfaith,norlove,NorthesupportofgoodorevilmenTotrustin;thatthegodheadwhichisoursCanneverutterlybecharmedorstilled;ThatnothinghathanaturalrighttolastButequityandreason;thatallelseMeetsfoesirreconcilable,andatbestLivesonlybyvarietyofdisease.

Wellmightmywishesbeintense,mythoughts210Strongandperturbed,notdoubtingatthattime

ButthatthevirtueofoneparamountmindWouldhaveabashedthoseimpiouscrests–havequelledOutrageandbloodypower,and,indespite

OfwhatthePeoplelonghadbeenandwereThroughignoranceandfalseteaching,sadderproofOfimmaturity,andintheteethOfdesperateoppositionfromwithout–HaveclearedapassageforjustgovernmentAndleftasolidbirthrighttothestate,RedeemedaccordingtoexamplegivenByancientlawgivers.InthisframeofmindReluctantlytoEnglandIreturned,

190CompelledbynothinglessthanabsolutewantOffundsformysupport;else(wellassuredThatIbothwasandmustbeofsmallworth,Nobetterthananalienintheland),IdoubtlessshouldhavemadeacommoncauseWithsomewhoperished,haplyperishedtoo–ApoormistakenandbewilderedofferingShouldtothebreastofnaturehavegonebackWithallmyresolutions,allmyhopes,Apoetonlytomyself,tomen

200Useless,andeven,belovèdfriend,asoulTotheeunknown!

Whentomynativeland(Afterawholeyear’sabsence)IreturnedIfoundtheairyetbusywiththestirOfacontentionwhichhadbeenraisedupAgainstthetraffickersinnegroblood,AneffortwhichthoughbaffledneverthelessHadcalledbackoldforgottenprinciplesDismissedfromservice,haddiffusedsometruthsHaveclearedapassageforjustgovernment,AndleftasolidbirthrighttotheState,

220Redeemed,accordingtoexamplegivenByancientlawgivers.

Inthisframeofmind,

Draggedbyachainofharshnecessity,Soseemedit,–nowIthankfullyacknowledge,ForcedbythegraciousprovidenceofHeaven,–ToEnglandIreturned,else(thoughassuredThatIbothwasandmustbeofsmallweight,NobetterthanalandsmanonthedeckOfashipstrugglingwithahideousstorm)Doubtless,Ishouldhavethenmadecommoncause

230Withsomewhoperished;haplyperishedtoo,Apoormistakenandbewilderedoffering,–ShouldtothebreastofNaturehavegoneback,Withallmyresolutions,allmyhopes,APoetonlytomyself,tomenUseless,andeven,belovedFriend!asoulTotheeunknown!

TwicehadthetreesletfallTheirleaves,asoftenWinterhadputonHishoarycrown,sinceIhadseenthesurgeBeatagainstAlbion’sshore,sinceearofmine

240HadcaughttheaccentsofmynativespeechUponournativecountry’ssacredground.Apatriotoftheworld,howcouldIglideIntocommunionwithhersylvanshades,Erewhilemytunefulhaunt?ItpleasedmemoreToabideinthegreatCity,whereIfoundThegeneralairstillbusywiththestirOfthatfirstmemorableonsetmadeByastronglevyofhumanityUponthetraffickersinNegroblood;

250Effortwhich,thoughdefeated,hadrecalledTonoticeoldforgottenprinciples,AndthroughthenationspreadanovelheatAndmoreofvirtuousfeelingthroughtheheart

210OftheEnglishpeople.Andnofewofthose

Sonumerous(littlelessinverityThanawholenationcryingwithonevoice)WhohadbeencrossedinthistheirjustintentAndrighteoushope,therebywerewellpreparedToletthatjourneysleepawhile,andjoinWhateverothercaravanappearedTotravelforwardtowardslibertyWithmoresuccess.Formethatstrifehadne’erFastenedonmyaffections,nordidnow

220ItsunsuccessfulissuemuchexciteMysorrow,havinglaidthisfaithtoheart,ThatifFranceprosperedgoodmenwouldnotlongPayfruitlessworshiptohumanity,Andthismostrottenbranchofhumanshame(Object,asseemed,ofasuperfluouspains)Wouldfalltogetherwithitsparenttree.

Suchwasmythenbelief–thattherewasone,Andonlyone,solicitudeforall.AndnowthestrengthofBritainwasputforth

230Inleaguewiththeconfederatedhost;NotinmysingleselfaloneIfound,Butinthemindsofallingenuousyouth,Changeandsubversionfromthishour.NoshockGiventomymoralnaturehadIknownDowntothatverymoment–neitherlapseNorturnofsentimentthatmightbenamedArevolution,saveatthisonetime.Allelsewasprogressontheself-samepathOnwhich,withadiversityofpace,

240Ihadbeentravelling:thisastrideatonceIntoanotherregion.Trueitis,’TwasnotconcealedwithwhatungraciouseyesOurnativerulersfromtheveryfirstHadlookeduponregeneratedFrance,NorhadIdoubtedthatthisdaywouldcome;

ButinsuchcontemplationIhadthoughtOfvirtuousfeeling.Formyself,IownThatthisparticularstrifehadwantedpowerTorivetmyaffections;nordidnowItsunsuccessfulissuemuchexciteMysorrow;forIbroughtwithmethefaithThat,ifFranceprospered,goodmenwouldnotlongPayfruitlessworshiptohumanity,

260Andthismostrottenbranchofhumanshame,Object,soseemedit,ofsuperfluouspains,Wouldfalltogetherwithitsparenttree.What,then,weremyemotions,wheninarmsBritainputforthherfree-bornstrengthinleague,Oh,pityandshame!withthoseconfederatePowers!NotinmysingleselfaloneIfound,Butinthemindsofallingenuousyouth,Changeandsubversionfromthathour.NoshockGiventomymoralnaturehadIknown

270Downtothatverymoment;neitherlapseNorturnofsentimentthatmightbenamedArevolution,saveatthisonetime;Allelsewasprogressontheself-samepathOnwhich,withadiversityofpace,Ihadbeentravelling:thisastrideatonceIntoanotherregion.AsalightOfgeneralinterestsonly,beyondthisHadneveronceforetastedtheevent.NowhadIotherbusiness,forIfelt

250TheravageofthismostunnaturalstrifeInmyownheart;therelayitlikeaweightAtenmitywithallthetenderestspringsOfmyenjoyments.IwhowiththebreezeHadplayed,agreenleafontheblessèdtreeOfmybelovèdcountry–norhadwishedForhappierfortunethantowitherthere–Nowfrommypleasantstationwascutoff

Andtossedaboutinwhirlwinds.Irejoiced,Yes,afterwards(truthpainfultorecord)

260ExultedinthetriumphofmysoulWhenEnglishmenbythousandswereo’erthrown,Leftwithoutgloryonthefield,ordriven,Bravehearts,toshamefulflight.Itwasagrief–Griefcallitnot,’twasanythingbutthat–Aconflictofsensationswithoutname,OfwhichheonlywhomaylovethesightOfavillage-steepleasIdocanjudge,WheninthecongregationbendingallTotheirgreatFather,prayerswereofferedup

270Orpraisesforourcountry’svictories,And,midthesimpleworshippersperchanceIonly,likeanuninvitedguestWhomnooneowned,satsilent–shallIadd,Fedonthedayofvengeanceyettocome!

Oh,muchhavetheytoaccountforwhocouldtearByviolence,atonedecisiverent,FromthebestyouthinEnglandtheirdearpride,TheirjoyinEngland.This,too,atatimeInwhichworstlosseseasilymightwear

280Thebestofnames,whenpatrioticloveDidofitselfinmodestygivewayLiketheprecursorwhentheDeityIscomewhoseharbingerheis–atimeInwhichapostasyfromancientfaithAndpliantharebell,swinginginthebreezeOnsomegreyrock–itsbirth-place–sohadIWantoned,fastrootedontheancienttower

280Ofmybelovedcountry,wishingnotAhappierfortunethantowitherthere:NowwasIfromthatpleasantstationtornAndtossedaboutinwhirlwind.Irejoiced,

Yea,afterwards–truthmostpainfultorecord!–Exulted,inthetriumphofmysoul,WhenEnglishmenbythousandswereo’erthrown,Leftwithoutgloryonthefield,ordriven,Bravehearts!toshamefulflight.Itwasagrief,–Griefcallitnot,’twasanythingbutthat,–

290Aconflictofsensationswithoutname,Ofwhichheonly,whomaylovethesightOfavillagesteeple,asIdo,canjudge,When,inthecongregationbendingallTotheirgreatFather,prayerswereofferedup,Orpraisesforourcountry’svictories;And,’midthesimpleworshippers,perchanceIonly,likeanuninvitedguestWhomnooneowned,satesilent,shallIadd,Fedonthedayofvengeanceyettocome.

300Oh!muchhavetheytoaccountfor,whocouldtear,Byviolence,atonedecisiverent,FromthebestyouthinEnglandtheirdearpride,Theirjoy,inEngland;this,too,atatimeInwhichworstlosseseasilymightweanThebestofnames,whenpatrioticloveDidofitselfinmodestygiveway,LikethePrecursorwhentheDeityIscomeWhoseharbingerhewas;atimeInwhichapostasyfromancientfaithSeemedbutconversiontoahighercreed–Withalaseasondangerousandwild,AtimeinwhichExperiencewouldhavepluckedFlowersoutofanyhedgetomakethereofAchapletincontemptofhisgreylocks.

290EreyetthefleetofBritainhadgoneforthOnthisunworthyservicewhereuntoTheunhappycounselofafewweakmenHaddoomedit,Ibeheldthevesselslie,Abroodofgallantcreatures–onthedeep

Isawthemintheirrest–asojournerThroughawholemonthofcalmandglassydaysInthatdelightfulislandwhichprotectsTheirplaceofconvocation.ThereIheardEachevening,walkingbythestillseashore,

300Amonitorysoundwhichneverfailed–Thesunsetcannon.WhentheorbwentdownInthetranquillityofnature,cameThatvoice(illrequiem!),seldomheardbymeWithoutaspiritovercast,adeepImagination,thoughtofwoestocome,Andsorrowformankind,andpainofheart.

InFrancethemenwhofortheirdesperateendsHadpluckedupmercybytherootsweregladOfthisnewenemy.Tyrants,strongbefore

310Indevilishpleas,weretentimesstrongernow;Andthus,besetwithfoesoneveryside,Thegoadedlandwaxedmad!ThecrimesoffewSpreadintomadnessofthemany;blastsFromhellcamesanctifiedlikeairsfromheaven.Thesternnessofthejust,thefaithofthoseWhodoubtednotthatProvidencehadtimesOfangerandofvengeance,theirswhothronedThehumanunderstandingparamountAndmadeofthattheirgod,thehopesofthose

320Whowerecontenttobartershort-livedpangsForaparadiseofages,theblindrage310Seemedbutconversiontoahighercreed;Withalaseasondangerousandwild,AtimewhensageExperiencewouldhavesnatchedFlowersoutofanyhedge-rowtocomposeAchapletincontemptofhisgreylocks.

Whentheproudfleetthatbearsthered-crossflagInthatunworthyservicewasprepared

Tomingle,Ibeheldthevesselslie,Abroodofgallantcreatures,onthedeep;Isawthemintheirrest,asojourner

320ThroughawholemonthofcalmandglassydaysInthatdelightfulislandwhichprotectsTheirplaceofconvocation–thereIheard,Eachevening,pacingbythestillsea-shore,Amonitorysoundthatneverfailed,–Thesunsetcannon.WhiletheorbwentdownInthetranquillityofnature,cameThatvoice,illrequiem!seldomheardbymeWithoutaspiritovercastbydarkImaginations,senseofwoestocome,

330Sorrowforhumankind,andpainofheart.InFrance,themen,who,fortheirdesperateends,Hadpluckedupmercybytheroots,weregladOfthisnewenemy.Tyrants,strongbeforeInwickedpleas,werestrongasdemonsnow;Andthus,oneverysidebesetwithfoes,Thegoadedlandwaxedmad;thecrimesoffewSpreadintomadnessofthemany;blastsFromhellcamesanctifiedlikeairsfromheaven.Thesternnessofthejust,thefaithofthose

340WhodoubtednotthatProvidencehadtimesOfvengefulretribution,theirswhothronedThehumanUnderstandingparamountAndmadeofthattheirGod,thehopesofmenWhowerecontenttobartershort-livedpangsForaparadiseofages,theblindrageOfinsolenttempers,thelightvanityOfintermeddlers,steadypurposesOfthesuspicious,slipsoftheindiscreet,Andalltheaccidentsoflife,werepressedIntooneservice,busywithonework.TheSenatewasheart-stricken,notavoiceUplifted,nonetoopposeormitigate.

Domesticcarnagenowfilledalltheyear330Withfeastdays:theoldmanfromthechimney-nook,

Themaidenfromthebosomofherlove,Themotherfromthecradleofherbabe,Thewarriorfromthefield–allperished,all–Friends,enemies,ofallparties,ages,ranks,Headafterhead,andneverheadsenoughForthosewhobadethemfall.Theyfoundtheirjoy,Theymadeit,everthirsty,asachild(IflightdesiresofinnocentlittleonesMaywithsuchheinousappetitesbematched)

340Havingatoy,awindmill,thoughtheairDoofitselfblowfreshandmakesthevaneSpininhiseyesight,heisnotcontent,Butwiththeplaythingatarm’slengthhesetsHisfrontagainsttheblast,andrunsamainTomakeitwhirlthefaster.

InthedepthOftheseenormitieseventhinkingmindsForgotatseasonswhencetheyhadtheirbeing–ForgotthatsuchasoundwaseverheardAslibertyuponearth;yetallbeneath

350HerinnocentauthoritywaswroughtNorcouldhavebeen,withoutherblessèdname.TheillustriouswifeofRoland,inthehourOfinsolenttempers,thelightvanityOfintermeddlers,steadypurposesOfthesuspicious,slipsoftheindiscreet,Andalltheaccidentsoflifewerepressed

350Intooneservice,busywithonework.TheSenatestoodaghast,herprudencequenched,Herwisdomstifled,andherjusticescared,HerfrenzyonlyactivetoextolPastoutrages,andshapethewayfornew,

Whichnoonedaredtoopposeormitigate.

DomesticcarnagenowfilledthewholeyearWithfeast-days;oldmenfromthechimney-nook,Themaidenfromthebosomofherlove,Themotherfromthecradleofherbabe,

360Thewarriorfromthefield–allperished,all–Friends,enemies,ofallparties,ages,ranks,Headafterhead,andneverheadsenoughForthosethatbadethemfall.Theyfoundtheirjoy,Theymadeitproudly,eagerasachild,(IflikedesiresofinnocentlittleonesMaywithsuchheinousappetitesbecompared),PleasedinsomeopenfieldtoexerciseAtoythatmimicswithrevolvingwingsThemotionofawind-mill;thoughtheair

370Doofitselfblowfresh,andmakethevanesSpininhiseyesight,thatcontentshimnot,But,withtheplaythingatarm’slength,hesetsHisfrontagainsttheblast,andrunsamain,Thatitmaywhirlthefaster.

AmidthedepthOfthoseenormities,eventhinkingmindsForgot,atseasons,whencetheyhadtheirbeing;ForgotthatsuchasoundwaseverheardAsLibertyuponearth:yetallbeneathHerinnocentauthoritywaswrought,

380Norcouldhavebeen,withoutherblessdname.TheillustriouswifeofRoland,inthehourOfhercomposure,feltthatagonyAndgaveitventinherlastwords.Ofriend,Itwasalamentabletimeforman,Whetherahopehade’erbeenhisornot–AwoefultimeforthemwhosehopesdidstillOutlasttheshock;mostwoefulforthosefew

(Theyhadthedeepestfeelingofthegrief)360Whostillwereflattered,andhadtrustinman.

Meanwhile,theinvadersfaredastheydeserved!TheHerculeancommonwealthhadputforthherarmsAndthrottledwithaninfantgodhead’smightThesnakesabouthercradle–thatwaswell,Andasitshouldbe,yetnocureforthoseWhosesoulsweresickwithpainofwhatwouldbeHereafterbroughtinchargeagainstmankind.

Mostmelancholyatthetime,ofriend,Weremyday-thoughts,mydreamsweremiserable.

370Throughmonths,throughyears,longafterthelastbeatOfthoseatrocities(Ispeakbaretruth,Asiftotheealoneinprivatetalk)Iscarcelyhadonenightofquietsleep,SuchghastlyvisionshadIofdespair,Andtyranny,andimplementsofdeath,AndlongorationswhichindreamsIpleadedBeforeunjusttribunals,withavoiceLabouring,abrainconfounded,andasenseOftreacheryanddesertionintheplace

380TheholiestthatIknewof–myownsoul.

WhenIbeganatfirstinearlyyouthToyieldmyselftonature,whenthatstrongAndholypassionovercamemefirst,Neitherthedaynornight,eveningormorn,Ofhercomposure,feltthatagony,Andgaveitventinherlastwords.OFriend!Itwasalamentabletimeforman,Whetherahopehade’erbeenhisornot;AwofultimeforthemwhosehopessurvivedTheshock;mostwofulforthosefewwhostillWereflattered,andhadtrustinhumankind:Theyhadthedeepestfeelingofthegrief.

390MeanwhiletheInvadersfaredastheydeserved:TheHerculeanCommonwealthhadputforthherarms,Andthrottledwithaninfantgodhead’smightThesnakesabouthercradle;thatwaswell,Andasitshouldbe;yetnocureforthemWhosesoulsweresickwithpainofwhatwouldbeHereafterbroughtinchargeagainstmankind.Mostmelancholyatthattime,OFriend!Weremyday-thoughts,–mynightsweremiserable;Throughmonths,throughyears,longafterthelastbeat

400Ofthoseatrocities,thehourofsleepTomecamerarelychargedwithnaturalgifts,SuchghastlyvisionshadIofdespairAndtyranny,andimplementsofdeath;Andinnocentvictimssinkingunderfear,Andmomentaryhope,andworn-outprayer,Eachinhisseparatecell,orpennedincrowdsForsacrifice,andstrugglingwithfondmirthAndlevityindungeons,wherethedustWaslaidwithtears.Thensuddenlythescene

410Changed,andtheunbrokendreamentangledmeInlongorations,whichIstrovetopleadBeforeunjusttribunals,–withavoiceLabouring,abrainconfounded,andasense,Death-like,oftreacherousdesertion,feltInthelastplaceofrefuge–myownsoul.

WhenIbeganinyouth’sdelightfulprimeToyieldmyselftoNature,whenthatstrongAndholypassionovercamemefirst,Nordaynornight,eveningormorn,wasfreeWerefreefromtheoppression.But,greatGod,WhosendestthyselfintothisbreathingworldThroughnatureandthrougheverykindoflife,Andmakestmanwhatheis–creaturedivine,Insingleorinsocialeminence,

390AbovealltheseraisedinfiniteascentsWhenreasonwhichenableshimtobeIsnotsequestered–whatachangeishere!Howdifferentritualforthisafter-worship,Whatcountenancetopromotethissecondlove!ThatfirstwasservicebuttothingswhichlieAtrestwithinthebosomofthywill;Thereforetoservewashighbeatitude,Thetumultwasagladness,andthefearEnnobling,venerable–sleepsecure,

400Andwakingthoughtsmorerichthanhappiestdreams.

Butastheancientprophetswereinflamed,NorwantedconsolationsoftheirownAndmajestyofmindwhentheydenouncedOntownsandcities,wallowingintheabyssOftheiroffences,punishmenttocome;Orsawlikeothermen,withbodilyeyes,BeforetheminsomedesolatedplaceTheconsummationofthewrathofHeaven;Sodidsomeportionsofthatspiritfall

410Onme,toupholdmethroughthoseeviltimes,Andintheirrageanddog-dayheatIfoundSomethingtogloryin,asjustandfitAndintheorderofsublimestlaws.Andevenifthatwerenot,amidtheaweOfunintelligiblechastisementIfeltakindofsympathywithpower–

420Fromitsoppression.But,OPowerSupreme!WithoutWhosecallthisworldwouldceasetobreathe,WhofromthefountainofThygracedostfillTheveinsthatbranchthrougheveryframeoflife,Makingmanwhatheis,creaturedivine,Insingleorinsocialeminence,AbovetherestraisedinfiniteascentsWhenreasonthatenableshimtobe

Isnotsequestered–whatachangeishere!Howdifferentritualforthisafter-worship,

430Whatcountenancetopromotethissecondlove!ThefirstwasservicepaidtothingswhichlieGuardedwithinthebosomofThywill.Thereforetoservewashighbeatitude;Tumultwasthereforegladness,andthefearEnnobling,venerable;sleepsecure,Andwakingthoughtsmorerichthanhappiestdreams.

ButastheancientProphets,bornealoftInvision,yetconstrainedbynaturallawsWiththemtotakeatroubledhumanheart,

440Wantednotconsolations,noracreedOfreconcilement,thenwhentheydenounced,Ontownsandcities,wallowingintheabyssOftheiroffences,punishmenttocome;Orsaw,likeothermen,withbodilyeyes,Beforethem,insomedesolatedplace,Thewrathconsummateandthethreatfulfilled;So,withdevouthumilitybeitsaid,So,didaportionofthatspiritfallOnmeupliftedfromthevantage-ground

450OfpityandsorrowtoastateofbeingThatthroughthetime’sexceedingfiercenesssawGlimpsesofretribution,terrible,Andintheorderofsublimebehests:But,evenifthatwerenot,amidtheaweOfunintelligiblechastisement,NotonlyacquiescencesoffaithSurvived,butdaringsympathieswithpower,MotionsraisedupwithinmeneverthelessWhichhadrelationshiptohighestthings.Wildblastsofmusicthusdidfindtheirway

420Intothemidstofterribleevents,

Sothatworsttempestsmightbelistenedto.ThenwasthetruthreceivedintomyheartThatunderheaviestsorrowearthcanbring,Griefsbitterestofourselvesorofourkind,IffromtheafflictionsomewheredonotgrowHonourwhichcouldnotelsehavebeen–afaith,Anelevationandasanctity–Ifnewstrengthbenotgivenoroldrestored,Theblameisours,notnature’s.Whenataunt

430Wastakenupbyscoffersintheirpride,Saying‘BeholdtheharvestwhichwereapFrompopulargovernmentandequality!’IsawthatitwasneitherthesenoraughtOfwildbeliefengraftedontheirnamesByfalsephilosophythatcausedthewoe,ButthatitwasareservoirofguiltAndignorancefilledupfromagetoageThatcouldnolongerholditsloathsomecharge,Butburstandspreadindelugethroughtheland.

440Andasthedeserthasgreenspots,theseaSmallislandsinthemidstofstormywaves,SothatdisastrousperioddidnotwantSuchsprinklingsofallhumanexcellenceAswereajoytohearof.Yet(norlessForthosebrightspots,thosefairexamplesgivenOffortitudeandenergyandlove,AndhumannaturefaithfultoitselfUnderworsttrials)wasIimpelledtothinkOfthegladtimewhenfirstItraversedFrance

450Ayouthfulpilgrim–aboveallrememberedThatdaywhenthroughanarchthatspannedthestreet,ArainbowmadeofgarishornamentsMotionsnottreacherousorprofane,elsewhyWithinthefoldsofnoungentlebreast

460Theirdreadvibrationtothishourprolonged?

WildblastsofmusicthuscouldfindtheirwayIntothemidstofturbulentevents;Sothatworsttempestsmightbelistenedto.Thenwasthetruthreceivedintomyheart,That,underheaviestsorrowearthcanbring,IffromtheafflictionsomewheredonotgrowHonourwhichcouldnotelsehavebeen,afaith,Anelevationandasanctity,Ifnewstrengthbenotgivennoroldrestored,

470Theblameisours,notNature’s.WhenatauntWastakenupbyscoffersintheirpride,Saying,‘BeholdtheharvestthatwereapFrompopulargovernmentandequality,’IclearlysawthatneitherthesenoraughtOfwildbeliefengraftedontheirnamesByfalsephilosophyhadcausedthewoe,ButaterrificreservoirofguiltAndignorancefilledupfromagetoage,Thatcouldnolongerholditsloathsomecharge,

480Butburstandspreadindelugethroughtheland.

Andasthedeserthathgreenspots,theseaSmallislandsscatteredamidstormywaves,SothatdisastrousperioddidnotwantBrightsprinklingsofallhumanexcellence,TowhichthesilverwandsofsaintsinHeavenMightpointwithrapturousjoy.Yetnottheless,ForthoseexamplesinnoagesurpassedOffortitudeandenergyandlove,Andhumannaturefaithfultoherself

490Underworsttrials,wasIdriventothinkOfthegladtimeswhenfirstItraversedFranceAyouthfulpilgrim;aboveallreviewedThateventide,whenunderwindowsbrightWithhappyfacesandwithgarlandshung,

Andthrougharainbow-archthatspannedthestreet,(Triumphalpompforlibertyconfirmed),Wewalked,apairofwearytravellers,AlongthetownofArras,placefromwhichIssuedthatRobespierrewhoafterwardsWieldedthesceptreoftheatheistcrew.Whenthecalamityspreadfarandwide,Andthissamecity,whichhadevenappeared

460Tooutruntherestinexultation,groanedUnderthevengeanceofhercruelson,AsLearreproachedthewindsIcouldalmostHavequarrelledwiththatblamelessspectacleForbeingyetanimageinmymindTomockmeundersuchastrangereverse.

Ofriend,fewhappiermomentshavebeenmineThroughmywholelifethanthatwhenfirstIheardThatthisfoultribeofMolochwaso’erthrownAndtheirchiefregentlevelledwiththedust.

470ThedaywasonewhichhaplymaydeserveAseparatechronicle.HavinggoneabroadFromasmallvillagewhereItarriedthen,Tothesamefar-secludedprivacyIwasreturning.OverthesmoothsandsOfLeven’sampleestuarylayMyjourney,andbeneathagenialsun,WithdistantprospectamonggleamsofskyAndclouds,andintermingledmountain-tops,Inoneinseparablegloryclad–

480CreaturesofoneetherealsubstancemetInconsistory,likeadiademOrcrownofburningseraphsastheysitIntheempyrean.UnderneaththisshowLay,asIknew,thenestofpastoralvalesAmongwhosehappyfieldsIhadgrownupFromchildhood.Onthefulgentspectacle,

Whichneitherchangednorstirrednorpassedaway,Igazed,andwithafancymorealiveTriumphalpompforlibertyconfirmed,Ipaced,adearcompanionatmyside,ThetownofArras,whencewithpromisehighIssued,ondelegationtosustain

500Humanityandright,thatRobespierre,Hewhothereafter,andinhowshorttime!WieldedthesceptreoftheAtheistcrew.Whenthecalamityspreadfarandwide–Andthissamecity,thatdidthenappearTooutruntherestinexultation,groanedUnderthevengeanceofhercruelson,AsLearreproachedthewinds–IcouldalmostHavequarrelledwiththatblamelessspectacleForlingeringyetanimageinmymind

510Tomockmeundersuchastrangereverse.

OFriend!fewhappiermomentshavebeenmineThanthatwhichtoldthedownfallofthisTribeSodreaded,soabhorred.ThedaydeservesAseparaterecord.OverthesmoothsandsOfLeven’sampleestuarylayMyjourney,andbeneathagenialsun,WithdistantprospectamonggleamsofskyAndclouds,andinterminglingmountaintops,Inoneinseparablegloryclad,

520CreaturesofoneetherealsubstancemetInconsistory,likeadiademOrcrownofburningseraphsastheysitIntheempyrean.UnderneaththatpompCelestial,layunseenthepastoralvalesAmongwhosehappyfieldsIhadgrownupFromchildhood.Onthefulgentspectacle,Thatneitherpassedawaynorchanged,IgazedOnthisaccount–thatIhadchancedtofind

490Thatmorning,rangingthroughthechurchyardgravesOfCartmel’sruraltown,theplaceinwhichAnhonouredteacherofmyyouthwaslaid.Whilewewereschoolboyshehaddiedamongus,Andwasbornehither,asIknew,torestWithhisownfamily.Aplainstone,inscribedWithname,date,office,pointedoutthespot,Towhichaslipofverseswassubjoined(Byhisdesire,asafterwardsIlearnt),AfragmentfromtheElegyofGray.

500Aweek,orlittleless,beforehisdeathHesaidtome‘Myheadwillsoonlielow!’AndwhenIsawtheturfthatcoveredhimAfterthelapseoffulleightyears,thosewords,Withsoundofvoiceandcountenanceoftheman,Camebackuponme,sothatsomefewtearsFellfrommeinmyowndespite.Andnow,Thustravellingsmoothlyo’erthelevelsands,IthoughtwithpleasureoftheversesgravenUponhistombstone,sayingtomyself

510‘Helovedthepoets,andifnowaliveWouldhavelovedme,asonenotdestituteOfpromise,norbelyingthekindhopeWhichhehadformedwhenIathiscommandBegantospin,atfirst,mytoilsomesongs.’

Withoutmeandwithin,asIadvancedAllthatIsaw,orfelt,orcommunedwith,Wasgentlenessandpeace.UponasmallAndrockyislandnear,afragmentstood(Itselflikeasea-rock)ofwhathadbeen

520ARomishchapel,whereinancienttimesMassesweresaidatthehourwhichsuitedthoseWhocrossedthesandswithebbofmorningtide.NotfarfromthisstillruinalltheplainWasspottedwithavariegatedcrowd

Ofcoaches,wains,andtravellers,horseandfoot,Enrapt;butbrightestthingsarewonttodrawSadoppositesoutoftheinnerheart,

530Aseventheirpensiveinfluencedrewfrommine.Howcoulditotherwise?fornotinvainThatverymorninghadIturnedasideToseekthegroundwhere,’midathrongofgraves,Anhonouredteacherofmyyouthwaslaid,AndonthestoneweregravenbyhisdesireLinesfromthechurchyardelegyofGray.Thisfaithfulguide,speakingfromhisdeath-bed,Addednofarewelltohispartingcounsel,Butsaidtome,‘Myheadwillsoonlielow;’

540AndwhenIsawtheturfthatcoveredhim,Afterthelapseoffulleightyears,thosewords,WithsoundofvoiceandcountenanceoftheMan,Camebackuponme,sothatsomefewtearsFellfrommeinmyowndespite.ButnowIthought,stilltraversingthatwidespreadplain,WithtenderpleasureoftheversesgravenUponhistombstone,whisperingtomyself:HelovedthePoets,and,ifnowalive,Wouldhavelovedme,asonenotdestitute

550Ofpromise,norbelyingthekindhopeThathehadformed,whenIathiscommand,Begantospin,withtoil,myearliestsongs.

AsIadvanced,allthatIsaworfeltWasgentlenessandpeace.UponasmallAndrockyislandnear,afragmentstood(Itselflikeasearock)thelowremains(Withshellsencrusted,darkwithbrinyweeds)Ofadilapidatedstructure,onceARomishchapel,wherethevestedpriest

560Saidmatinsatthehourthatsuitedthose

Whocrossedthesandswithebbofmorningtide.NotfarfromthatstillruinalltheplainLayspottedwithavariegatedcrowdOfvehiclesandtravellers,horseandfoot,WadingbeneaththeconductoftheirguideInlooseprocessionthroughtheshallowstreamOfinlandwater;thegreatseameanwhileWasatsafedistance,farretired.Ipaused,

530Unwillingtoproceed,thesceneappearedSogayandcheerful,when–atravellerChancingtopass–IcarelesslyinquiredIfanynewswerestirring.HerepliedInthefamiliarlanguageofthedayThatRobespierrewasdead.Norwasadoubt,Onfurtherquestion,leftwithinmymindButthatthetidingsweresubstantialtruth–Thatheandhissupportersallwerefallen.

Greatwasmygleeofspirit,greatmyjoy540Invengeance,andeternaljustice,thus

Mademanifest.‘Comenow,yegoldentimes’,SaidI,forth-breathingonthoseopensandsAhymnoftriumph,‘asthemorningcomesOutofthebosomofthenight,comeye!Thusfarourtrustisverified:behold,TheywhowithclumsydesperationbroughtRiversofblood,andpreachedthatnothingelseCouldcleansetheAugeanstable,bythemightOftheirownhelperhavebeensweptaway!

550Theirmadnessisdeclaredandvisible–Elsewherewillsafetynowbesought,andearthMarchfirmlytowardsrighteousnessandpeace.’ThenschemesIframedmorecalmlywhenandhowThemaddingfactionsmightbetranquillized,And–thoughthroughhardshipsmanifoldandlong–Themightyrenovationwouldproceed.

Thus,interruptedbyuneasyburstsOfexultation,IpursuedmywayAlongthatveryshorewhichIhadskimmed

560Informertimes,when(spurringfromtheValeOfNightshade,andStMary’smoulderingfaneAndthestoneabbot)aftercircuitmadeInwantonnessofheart,ajoyouscrewWadingbeneaththeconductoftheirguideInlooseprocessionthroughtheshallowstreamOfinlandwaters;thegreatseameanwhileHeavedatsafedistance,farretired.Ipaused,Longingforskilltopaintascenesobright

570Andcheerful,buttheforemostofthebandAsheapproached,nosalutationgivenInthefamiliarlanguageoftheday,Cried,‘Robespierreisdead!’–norwasadoubt,Afterstrictquestion,leftwithinmymindThatheandhissupportersallwerefallen.

Greatwasmytransport,deepmygratitudeToeverlastingJustice,bythisfiatMademanifest.‘Comenow,yegoldentimes,’SaidIforth-pouringonthoseopensands

580Ahymnoftriumph:‘asthemorningcomesFromoutthebosomofthenight,comeye:Thusfarourtrustisverified;behold!TheywhowithclumsydesperationbroughtAriverofBlood,andpreachedthatnothingelseCouldcleansetheAugeanstable,bythemightOftheirownhelperhavebeensweptaway;Theirmadnessstandsdeclaredandvisible;Elsewherewillsafetynowbesought,andearthMarchfirmlytowardsrighteousnessandpeace.’–

590ThenschemesIframedmorecalmly,whenandhowThemaddingfactionsmightbetranquillised,

AndhowthroughhardshipsmanifoldandlongThegloriousrenovationwouldproceed.ThusinterruptedbyuneasyburstsOfexultation,IpursuedmywayAlongthatveryshorewhichIhadskimmedInformerdays,when–spurringfromtheValeOfNightshade,andSt.Mary’smoulderingfane,Andthestoneabbot,aftercircuitmade

600Inwantonnessofheart,ajoyousbandOfschoolboyshasteningtotheirdistanthomeAlongthemarginofthemoonlightsea,Webeatwiththunderinghoofsthelevelsand.Ofschool-boyshasteningtotheirdistanthomeAlongthemarginofthemoonlightsea,Webeatwiththunderinghoofsthelevelsand.

FromthistimeforthinFrance,asiswellknown,Authorityputonamilderface,Yeteverythingwaswantingthatmightgive

570CouragetothosewholookedforgoodbylightOfrationalexperience–goodImeanAthand,andinthespiritofpastaims.ThesamebeliefI,nevertheless,retained:ThelanguageoftheSenate,andtheactsAndpublicmeasuresoftheGovernment,Thoughbothofheartlessomen,hadnotpowerTodauntme.InthepeoplewasmytrustAndinthevirtueswhichmineeyeshadseen,Andtotheultimatereposeofthings

580Ilookedwithunabatedconfidence.IknewthatwoundexternalcouldnottakeLifefromtheyoungRepublic–thatnewfoesWouldonlyfollowinthepathofshameTheirbrethren,andhertriumphsbeintheendGreat,universal,irresistible.Thisfaith(whichwasanobjectinmymind

Ofpassionateintuition)hadeffectNotsmallindazzlingme;forthus,throughzeal,SuchvictoryIconfoundedinmythoughts

590Withonefarhigherandmoredifficult–TriumphsofunambitiouspeaceathomeAndnoiselessfortitude.BeholdingstillResistancestrongasheretofore,IthoughtThatwhatwasindegreethesamewaslikewiseThesameinquality,thatastheworseOfthetwospiritsthenatstriferemained

BookEleventhFRANCE–(CONCLUDED)

Fromthattimeforth,AuthorityinFrancePutonamilderface;Terrorhadceased,YeteverythingwaswantingthatmightgiveCouragetothemwholookedforgoodbylightOfrationalExperience,fortheshootsAndhopefulblossomsofasecondspring:Yet,inme,confidencewasunimpaired;TheSenate’slanguage,andthepublicactsAndmeasuresoftheGovernment,thoughboth

10Weak,andofheartlessomen,hadnotpowerTodauntme;inthePeoplewasmytrust:And,inthevirtueswhichmineeyeshadseen,IknewthatwoundexternalcouldnottakeLifefromtheyoungRepublic;thatnewfoesWouldonlyfollow,inthepathofshame,Theirbrethren,andhertriumphsbeintheendGreat,universal,irresistible.ThisintuitionledmetoconfoundOnevictorywithanother,higherfar,–

20Triumphsofunambitiouspeaceathome,Andnoiselessfortitude.BeholdingstillResistancestrongasheretofore,IthoughtThatwhatwasindegreethesamewaslikewiseThesameinquality,–that,astheworseOfthetwospiritsthenatstriferemainedUntired,thebettersurelywouldpreserveTheheartthatfirsthadrousedhim–neverdreamtThattransmigrationcouldbeundergone,

600Afallofbeingsuffered,andofhope,

BycreaturethatappearedtohavereceivedEntireconvictionwhatagreatascentHadbeenaccomplished,whathighfacultiesIthadbeencalledto.

Youthmaintains,Iknew,InallconditionsofsocietyCommunionmoredirectandintimateWithnatureandtheinnerstrengthshehas,Andhence(ofttimes)nolesswithreasontoo,Thanageormanhoodeven.Tonaturethen

610Powerhadreverted:habit,custom,law,Hadleftaninterregnum’sopenspaceForhertostiraboutinuncontrolled.ThewarmestjudgementsandthemostuntaughtFoundineventswhicheverydaybroughtforthEnoughtosanctionthem,andfar,farmoreToshaketheauthorityofcanonsdrawnFromordinarypractice.IcouldseeHowBabel-liketheemploymentwasofthoseWho,bytherecentdelugestupefied,

620WiththeirwholesoulswentcullingfromthedayItspettypromises,tobuildatowerFortheirownsafety–laughedatgravestheadsWho,watchingintheirhateofFranceforsignsOfherdisasters,ifthestreamofrumourBroughtwithitonegreenbranch,conceitedthenceThatnotasingletreewasleftaliveInallherforests.HowcouldIbelieveThatwisdomcould,inanyshape,comenearMenclingingtodelusionssoinsane?

630Andthus,experienceprovingthatnofewOfmyopinionshadbeenjust,ItookLikecredittomyselfwherelesswasdue,Andthoughtthatothernotionswereassound–Untired,thebetter,surely,wouldpreserve

Theheartthatfirsthadrousedhim.Youthmaintains,Inallconditionsofsociety,Communionmoredirectandintimate

30WithNature,–hence,ofttimes,withreasontoo–Thanageormanhood,even.ToNature,then,Powerhadreverted:habit,custom,law,Hadleftaninterregnum’sopenspaceForhertomoveaboutin,uncontrolled.HencecouldIseehowBabel-liketheirtask,Who,bytherecentdelugestupified,WiththeirwholesoulswentcullingfromthedayItspettypromises,tobuildatowerFortheirownsafety;laughedwithmycompeers

40Atgravestheads,byenmitytoFranceDistempered,tilltheyfound,ineveryblastForcedfromthestreet-disturbingnewsman’shorn,ForhergreatcauserecordorprophecyOfutterruin.HowmightwebelieveThatwisdomcould,inanyshape,comenearMenclingingtodelusionssoinsane?Andthus,experienceprovingthatnofewOfouropinionshadbeenjust,wetookLikecredittoourselveswherelesswasdue,

50Andthoughtthatothernotionswereassound,Yea,couldnotbutberight–becauseIsawThatfoolishmenopposedthem.

ToastrainMoreanimatedImightheregivewayAndtell(sincejuvenileerrorsaremytheme)WhatinthosedaysthroughBritainwasperformedToturnalljudgementsoutoftheirrightcourse;

640Butthisispassionover-nearourselves,Realitytoocloseandtoointense,Andmingledupwithsomething,inmymind,

OfscornandcondemnationpersonalThatwouldprofanethesanctityofverse.Ourshepherds–thissaymerely–atthattimeThirstedtomaketheguardian-crookoflawAtoolofmurder.Theywhoruledthestate(ThoughwithsuchawfulproofbeforetheireyesThathewhowouldsowdeath,reapsdeath,orworse,

650Andcanreapnothingbetter)child-likelongedToimitate–notwiseenoughtoavoid.Giantsintheirimpietyalone,ButintheirweaponsandtheirwarfarebaseAsverminworkingoutofreach,theyleaguedTheirstrengthperfidiouslytoundermineJusticeandmakeanendofliberty.

ButfromthesebittertruthsImustreturnTomyownhistory.IthathbeentoldThatIwasledtotakeaneagerpart

660InargumentsofcivilpolityAbruptly,andindeedbeforemytime.Ihadapproached,likeotheryouth,theshieldOfhumannaturefromthegoldenside,AndwouldhavefoughteventothedeathtoattestThequalityofthemetalwhichIsaw.Whatthereisbestinindividualman,Ofwiseinpassionandsublimeinpower,Whatthereisstrongandpureinhouseholdlove,BenevolentinsmallsocietiesYea,couldnotbutberight,becausewesawThatfoolishmenopposedthem.

ToastrainMoreanimatedImightheregiveway,Andtell,sincejuvenileerrorsaremytheme,Whatinthosedays,throughBritain,wasperformedToturnalljudgmentsoutoftheirrightcourse;

Butthisispassionover-nearourselves,Realitytoocloseandtoointense,Andintermixedwithsomething,inmymind,

60Ofscornandcondemnationpersonal,Thatwouldprofanethesanctityofverse.OurShepherds,thissaymerely,atthattimeActed,orseemedatleasttoact,likemenThirstingtomaketheguardiancrookoflawAtoolofmurder;theywhoruledtheState,ThoughwithsuchawfulproofbeforetheireyesThathe,whowouldsowdeath,reapsdeath,orworse,Andcanreapnothingbetter,child-likelongedToimitate,notwiseenoughtoavoid;

70Orleft(bymeretimiditybetrayed)Theplainstraightroad,foronenobetterchosenThaniftheirwishhadbeentoundermineJustice,andmakeanendofLiberty.

ButfromthesebittertruthsImustreturnTomyownhistory.IthathbeentoldThatIwasledtotakeaneagerpartInargumentsofcivilpolity,Abruptly,andindeedbeforemytime:Ihadapproached,likeotheryouths,theshield

80Ofhumannaturefromthegoldenside,Andwouldhavefought,eventothedeath,toattestThequalityofthemetalwhichIsaw.Whatthereisbestinindividualman,Ofwiseinpassion,andsublimeinpower,Benevolentinsmallsocieties,

670AndgreatinlargeonesalsowhencalledforthBygreatoccasions–thesewerethingsofwhichIsomethingknew,yeteventhese(themselvesFeltdeeply)werenotthoroughlyunderstoodByreason.Nay,farfromit!Theywereyet,

Ascausewasgivenmeafterwardstolearn,Notproofagainsttheinjuriesoftheday–Lodgedonlyatthesanctuary’sdoor,Notsafewithinitsbosom.Thusprepared,Andwithsuchgeneralinsightintoevil,

680Andoftheboundswhichseveritfromgood,AsbooksandcommonintercoursewithlifeMustneedshavegiven(tothenoviciatemind,Whentheworldtravelsinabeatenroad,Guidefaithfulasisneeded),IbeganTothinkwithfervouruponmanagementOfnations,whatitisandoughttobe,AndhowtheirworthdependedontheirlawsAndontheconstitutionofthestate.

Ohpleasantexerciseofhopeandjoy–690Forgreatweretheauxiliarswhichthenstood

Uponourside,wewhowerestronginlove!Blisswasitinthatdawntobealive,Buttobeyoungwasveryheaven!Ohtimes,Inwhichthemeagre,stale,forbiddingwaysOfcustom,law,andstatute,tookatonceTheattractionofacountryinromance–WhenreasonseemedthemosttoassertherrightsWhenmostintentonmakingofherselfAprimeenchantertoassistthework

700Whichthenwasgoingforwardsinhername!Notfavouredspotsalone,butthewholeearth,Thebeautyworeofpromise,thatwhichsets(Totakeanimagewhichwasfelt,nodoubt,AmongthebowersofParadiseitself)Thebuddingroseabovetherosefull-blown.WhattemperattheprospectdidnotwakeTohappinessunthoughtof?TheinertAndgreatinlargeones,Ihadoftrevolved,Feltdeeply,butnotthoroughlyunderstood

Byreason:nay,farfromit;theywereyet,Ascausewasgivenmeafterwardstolearn,

90Notproofagainsttheinjuriesoftheday;Lodgedonlyatthesanctuary’sdoor,Notsafewithinitsbosom.Thusprepared,Andwithsuchgeneralinsightintoevil,Andoftheboundswhichseveritfromgood,AsbooksandcommonintercoursewithlifeMustneedshavegiven–totheinexperiencedmind,Whentheworldtravelsinabeatenroad,Guidefaithfulasisneeded–IbeganTomeditatewithardourontherule

100Andmanagementofnations;whatitisAndoughttobe;andstrovetolearnhowfarTheirpowerorweakness,wealthorpoverty,Theirhappinessormisery,dependsUpontheirlaws,andfashionoftheState.

Opleasantexerciseofhopeandjoy!FormightyweretheauxiliarswhichthenstoodUponourside,uswhowerestronginlove!Blisswasitinthatdawntobealive,ButtobeyoungwasveryHeaven!Otimes,

110Inwhichthemeagre,stale,forbiddingwaysOfcustom,law,andstatute,tookatonceTheattractionofacountryinromance!WhenReasonseemedthemosttoassertherrightsWhenmostintentonmakingofherselfAprimeenchantress–toassistthework,Whichthenwasgoingforwardinhername!Notfavouredspotsalone,butthewholeEarth,Thebeautyworeofpromise–thatwhichsets(Asatsomemomentsmightnotbeunfelt

120AmongthebowersofParadiseitself)Thebuddingroseabovetherosefullblown.

WhattemperattheprospectdidnotwakeTohappinessunthoughtof?TheinertWereroused,andlivelynaturesraptaway!Theywhohadfedtheirchildhoodupondreams–

710Theplayfellowsoffancy,whohadmadeAllpowersofswiftness,subtlety,andstrengthTheirministers,usedtostirinlordlywiseAmongthegrandestobjectsofthesenseAnddealwithwhatsoevertheyfoundthereAsiftheyhadwithinsomelurkingrightTowieldit–theytoo,who,ofgentlemood,Hadwatchedallgentlemotions,andtotheseHadfittedtheirownthoughts(schemersmoremild,Andintheregionoftheirpeacefulselves),

720Didnowfindhelperstotheirhearts’desireAndstuffathandplasticastheycouldwish,Werecalledupontoexercisetheirskill,NotinUtopia–subterraneousfields,Orsomesecretedisland,heavenknowswhere!–ButintheveryworldwhichistheworldOfallofus,theplaceinwhichintheendWefindourhappiness,ornotatall.

WhyshouldInotconfessthatearthwasthenTomewhataninheritancenew-fallen

730Seems,whenthefirsttimevisited,tooneWhothithercomestofindinithishome?HewalksaboutandlooksupontheplaceWithcordialtransport,mouldsitandremoulds,Andishalfpleasedwiththingsthatareamiss,’Twillbesuchjoytoseethemdisappear.Anactivepartisan,IthusconvokedFromeveryobjectpleasantcircumstanceTosuitmyends.ImovedamongmankindWithgenialfeelingsstillpredominant,

740Whenerring,erringonthebetterpart

Andinthekinderspirit;placable,Indulgentofttimestotheworstdesires(As,ononeside,notuninformedthatmenSeeasithasbeentaughtthem,andthattimeWereroused,andlivelynaturesraptaway!Theywhohadfedtheirchildhoodupondreams,Theplay-fellowsoffancy,whohadmadeAllpowersofswiftness,subtilty,andstrengthTheirministers,–whoinlordlywisehadstirredAmongthegrandestobjectsofthesense,

130AnddealtwithwhatsoevertheyfoundthereAsiftheyhadwithinsomelurkingrightTowieldit;–they,too,whoofgentlemoodHadwatchedallgentlemotions,andtotheseHadfittedtheirownthoughts,schemersmoremild,Andintheregionoftheirpeacefulselves;–Nowwasitthatbothfound,themeekandloftyDidbothfindhelperstotheirhearts’desire,Andstuffathand,plasticastheycouldwish,–Werecalledupontoexercisetheirskill,

140NotinUtopia,–subterraneanfields,–Orsomesecretedisland,Heavenknowswhere!Butintheveryworld,whichistheworldOfallofus,–theplacewhere,intheend,Wefindourhappiness,ornotatall!

WhyshouldInotconfessthatEarthwasthenTome,whataninheritance,new-fallen,Seems,whenthefirsttimevisited,tooneWhothithercomestofindinithishome?Hewalksaboutandlooksuponthespot

150Withcordialtransport,mouldsitandremoulds,Andishalfpleasedwiththingsthatareamiss,’Twillbesuchjoytoseethemdisappear.

Anactivepartisan,Ithusconvoked

FromeveryobjectpleasantcircumstanceTosuitmyends;ImovedamongmankindWithgenialfeelingsstillpredominant;Whenerring,erringonthebetterpart,Andinthekinderspirit;placable,Indulgent,asnotuninformedthatmen

160Seeastheyhavebeentaught–AntiquityGivesrightstoerror,ontheotherhand,ThatthrowingoffoppressionmustbeworkAswelloflicenceasofliberty);Andaboveall–forthiswasmorethanall–Notcaringifthewinddidnowandthen

750BlowkeenuponaneminencethatgaveProspectsolargeintofuturity;happy,Inbriefachildofnatureasatfirst,DiffusingonlythoseaffectionswiderThatfromthecradlehadgrownupwithme,Andlosing,innootherwaythanlightIslostinlight,theweakinthemorestrong.

InthemainoutlinesuchitmightbesaidWasmycondition,tillwithopenwarBritainopposedthelibertiesofFrance.

760Thisthrewmefirstoutofthepaleoflove,SouredandcorruptedupwardstothesourceMysentiments(wasnot,ashitherto,Aswallowingupoflesserthingsingreat,Butchangeofthemintotheiropposites),AndthusawaywasopenedformistakesAndfalseconclusionsoftheintellect,Asgrossintheirdegree,andintheirkindFar,farmoredangerous.Whathadbeenapride,Wasnowashame.Mylikingsandmyloves

770Raninnewchannels,leavingoldonesdry,Andthusablow,whichinmaturerage

Wouldbuthavetouchedthejudgement,struckmoredeepIntosensationsneartheheart.MeantimeAsfromthefirstwildtheorieswereafloat,UntothesubtletiesofwhichatleastIhadbutlentacarelessear,assuredOfthis,thattimewouldsoonsetallthingsright–Provethatthemultitudehadbeenoppressed,Andwouldbesonomore.

Butwhenevents780Broughtlessencouragement,anduntothese

Givesrightstoerror;andaware,noless,ThatthrowingoffoppressionmustbeworkAswellofLicenseasofLiberty;Andaboveall–forthiswasmorethanall–NotcaringifthewinddidnowandthenBlowkeenuponaneminencethatgaveProspectsolargeintofuturity;Inbrief,achildofNature,asatfirst,Diffusingonlythoseaffectionswider

170Thatfromthecradlehadgrownupwithme,Andlosing,innootherwaythanlightIslostinlight,theweakinthemorestrong.

Inthemainoutline,suchitmightbesaidWasmycondition,tillwithopenwarBritainopposedthelibertiesofFrance.Thisthrewmefirstoutofthepaleoflove;Souredandcorrupted,upwardstothesource,Mysentiments;wasnot,ashitherto,Aswallowingupoflesserthingsingreat,

180Butchangeofthemintotheircontraries;AndthusawaywasopenedformistakesAndfalseconclusions,indegreeasgross,Inkindmoredangerous.Whathadbeenapride,Wasnowashame;mylikingsandmyloves

Raninnewchannels,leavingoldonesdry;Andhenceablowthat,inmaturerage,Wouldbuthavetouchedthejudgment,struckmoredeepIntosensationsneartheheart:meantime,Asfromthefirst,wildtheorieswereafloat,

190Towhosepretensions,sedulouslyurged,Ihadbutlentacarelessear,assuredThattimewasreadytosetallthingsright,Andthatthemultitude,solongoppressed,Wouldbeoppressednomore.

ButwheneventsBroughtlessencouragement,anduntotheseTheimmediateproofofprinciplesnomoreCouldbeentrusted(whiletheeventsthemselves,Wornoutingreatnessandinnovelty,Lessoccupiedthemind,andsentimentsCouldthroughmyunderstanding’snaturalgrowthNolongerjustifythemselvesthroughfaithOfinwardconsciousness,andhopethatlaidItshanduponitsobject),evidenceSafer,ofuniversalapplication,such

790Ascouldnotbeimpeached,wassoughtelsewhere.Andnow,becomeoppressorsintheirturn,Frenchmenhadchangedawarofself-defenceForoneofconquest,losingsightofallWhichtheyhadstruggledfor–andmountedup,Openlyintheviewofearthandheaven,Thescaleofliberty.Ireadherdoom,Vexedinlysomewhat,itistrue,andsore,Butnotdismayed,nortakingtotheshameOfafalseprophet;but,rousedup,Istuck

800Morefirmlytooldtenets,andtoproveTheirtemperstrainedthemmore.AndthusinheatOfcontestdidopinionseverydayGrowintoconsequence,tillroundmymind

Theyclungasiftheywerethelifeofit.

ThiswasthetimewhenallthingstendedfastTodepravation;thephilosophyThatpromisedtoabstractthehopesofmanOutofhisfeelings,tobefixedthenceforthForeverinapurerelement,

810Foundreadywelcome.TemptingregionthatForzealtoenterandrefreshherself,Wherepassionshadtheprivilegetowork,Andneverhearthesoundoftheirownnames!But(speakingmoreincharity)thedreamTheimmediateproofofprinciplesnomoreCouldbeentrusted,whiletheeventsthemselves,Wornoutingreatness,strippedofnovelty,Lessoccupiedthemind,andsentiments

200Couldthroughmyunderstanding’snaturalgrowthNolongerkeeptheirground,byfaithmaintainedOfinwardconsciousness,andhopethatlaidHerhanduponherobject–evidenceSafer,ofuniversalapplication,suchAscouldnotbeimpeached,wassoughtelsewhere.

Butnow,becomeoppressorsintheirturn,Frenchmenhadchangedawarofself-defenceForoneofconquest,losingsightofallWhichtheyhadstruggledfor:nowmountedup,

210Openlyintheeyeofearthandheaven,Thescaleofliberty.Ireadherdoom,Withangervexed,withdisappointmentsore,Butnotdismayed,nortakingtotheshameOfafalseprophet.WhileresentmentroseStrivingtohide,whatnoughtcouldheal,thewoundsOfmortifiedpresumption,IadheredMorefirmlytooldtenets,and,toproveTheirtemper,strainedthemmore;andthus,inheat

Ofcontest,didopinionseveryday220Growintoconsequence,tillroundmymind

Theyclung,asiftheywereitslife,naymore,Theverybeingoftheimmortalsoul.

Thiswasthetime,when,allthingstendingfastTodepravation,speculativeschemes–ThatpromisedtoabstractthehopesofManOutofhisfeelings,tobefixedthenceforthForeverinapurerelement–Foundreadywelcome.TemptingregionthatForZealtoenterandrefreshherself,

230Wherepassionshadtheprivilegetowork,Andneverhearthesoundoftheirownnames.But,speakingmoreincharity,thedreamWasflatteringtotheyoungingenuousmind,Pleasedwithextremes,andnottheleastwiththatWhichmakesthehumanreason’snakedselfTheobjectofitsfervour.Whatdelight!–Howglorious!–inself-knowledgeandself-rule

820TolookthroughallthefrailtiesoftheworldAnd,witharesolutemasteryshakingoffTheaccidentsofnature,timeandplace,Thatmakeuptheweakbeingofthepast,Buildsocialfreedomonitsonlybasis,Thefreedomoftheindividualmind,Which(totheblindrestraintofgenerallawsSuperior)magisteriallyadoptsOneguide,thelightofcircumstances,flashedUponanindependentintellect.

830For,howsoe’erunsettled,neveronceHadIthoughtillofhuman-kind,orbeenIndifferenttoitswelfare;but,inflamedWiththirstofasecureintelligence,Andsickofotherpassion,Ipursued

Ahighernature–wishedthatmanshouldstartOutoftheworm-likestateinwhichheis,Andspreadabroadthewingsofliberty,Lordofhimselfinundisturbeddelight.Anobleaspiration!–yetIfeel

840Theaspiration–butwithotherthoughtsAndhappier.ForIwasperplexed,andsoughtToaccomplishthetransitionbysuchmeansAsdidnotlieinnature–sacrificedTheexactnessofacomprehensivemindToscrupulousandmicroscopicviewsThatfurnishedoutmaterialsforaworkOffalseimagination,placedbeyondThelimitsofexperienceandoftruth.

Enough,nodoubt,theadvocatesthemselves850Ofancientinstitutionshadperformed

Tobringdisgraceupontheirverynames–Flatteredtheyoung,pleasedwithextremes,norleastWiththatwhichmakesourReason’snakedselfTheobjectofitsfervour.Whatdelight!Howglorious!inself-knowledgeandself-rule,Tolookthroughallthefrailtiesoftheworld,And,witharesolutemasteryshakingoffInfirmitiesofnature,time,andplace,

240BuildsocialuponpersonalLiberty,Which,totheblindrestraintsofgenerallawsSuperior,magisteriallyadoptsOneguide,thelightofcircumstances,flashedUponanindependentintellect.Thusexpectationroseagain;thushope,Fromherfirstgroundexpelled,grewproudoncemore.Oft,asmythoughtswereturnedtohumankind,Iscornedindifference;but,inflamedwiththirstOfasecureintelligence,andsick

250Ofotherlonging,Ipursuedwhatseemed

Amoreexaltednature;wishedthatManShouldstartoutofhisearthy,worm-likestate,AndspreadabroadthewingsofLiberty,Lordofhimself,inundisturbeddelight–Anobleaspiration!yetIfeel(Sustainedbyworthierasbywiserthoughts)Theaspiration,norshalleverceaseTofeelit;–butreturnwetoourcourse.

Enough,’tistrue–couldsuchapleaexcuse260Thoseaberrations–hadtheclamorousfriends

OfancientInstitutionssaidanddoneTobringdisgraceupontheirverynames;Disgrace,ofwhichcustom,andwrittenlaw,Andsundrymoralsentiments,aspropsAndemanationsoftheseinstitutes,Toojustlyboreapart.AveilhadbeenUplifted.Whydeceiveourselves?–’twasso,’Twasevenso–andsorrowforthemanWhoeitherhadnoteyeswherewithtosee,Or,seeing,hathforgotten!Letthispass,

860SufficeitthatashockhadthenbeengivenTooldopinions,andthemindsofallmenHadfeltit–thatmymindwasbothletloose,Letlooseandgoaded.AfterwhathasbeenAlreadysaidofpatrioticlove,Andhintedatinothersentiments,Weneednotlingerlonguponthistheme.Thisonlymaybesaid,thatfromthefirstHavingtwonaturesinme(joytheone,Theothermelancholy),andwithal

870Ahappyman,andthereforeboldtolookOnpainfulthings–slow,somewhat,too,andsternIntemperament–ItooktheknifeinhandAnd,stoppingnotatpartslesssensitive,Endeavouredwithmybestofskilltoprobe

ThelivingbodyofsocietyEventotheheart.IpushedwithoutremorseMyspeculationsforward,yea,setfootOnnature’sholiestplaces.

TimemaycomeWhensomedramaticstorymayafford

880Shapesliveliertoconveytothee,myfriend,WhatthenIlearned,orthinkIlearned,oftruth,AndtheerrorsintowhichIwasbetrayedBypresentobjects,andbyreasoningsfalseFromthebeginning,inasmuchasdrawnOutofaheartwhichhadbeenturnedasideFromnaturebyexternalaccidents,Andwhichwasthusconfoundedmoreandmore,Misguidingandmisguided.ThusIfared,Disgrace,ofwhich,customandwrittenlaw,AndsundrymoralsentimentsaspropsOremanationsofthoseinstitutes,Toojustlyboreapart.AveilhadbeenUplifted;whydeceiveourselves?insooth,’Twasevenso;andsorrowforthemanWhoeitherhadnoteyeswherewithtosee,

270Or,seeing,hadforgotten!AstrongshockWasgiventooldopinions;allmen’smindsHadfeltitspower,andminewasbothletloose,Letlooseandgoaded.AfterwhathathbeenAlreadysaidofpatrioticlove,Sufficeitheretoadd,that,somewhatsternIntemperament,withalahappyman,Andthereforeboldtolookonpainfulthings,Freelikewiseoftheworld,andthencemorebold,Isummonedmybestskill,andtoiled,intent

280Toanatomisetheframeofsociallife,Yea,thewholebodyofsociety

Searchedtoitsheart.Sharewithme,Friend!thewishThatsomedramatictale,enduedwithshapesLivelier,andflingingoutlessguardedwordsThansuittheworkwefashion,mightsetforthWhatthenIlearned,orthinkIlearned,oftruth,AndtheerrorsintowhichIfell,betrayedBypresentobjects,andbyreasoningsfalseFromtheirbeginnings,inasmuchasdrawn

290OutofaheartthathadbeenturnedasideFromNature’swaybyoutwardaccidents,Andwhichwasthusconfounded,moreandmoreMisguided,andmisguiding.SoIfared,Draggingallpassions,notions,shapesoffaith,

890Likeculpritstothebar;suspiciouslyCallingthemindtoestablishinplaindayHertitlesandherhonours;nowbelieving,Nowdisbelieving;endlesslyperplexedWithimpulse,motive,rightandwrong,thegroundOfmoralobligation–whattheruleAndwhatthesanction–till,demandingproof,Andseekingitineverything,IlostAllfeelingofconviction,and(infine)Sick,weariedoutwithcontrarieties,

900YieldedupmoralquestionsindespairAndformyfuturestudies,asthesoleEmploymentoftheenquiringfaculty,Turnedtowardsmathematics,andtheirclearAndsolidevidence.Draggingallprecepts,judgments,maxims,creeds,Likeculpritstothebar;callingthemind,Suspiciously,toestablishinplaindayHertitlesandherhonours;nowbelieving,Nowdisbelieving;endlesslyperplexedWithimpulse,motive,rightandwrong,theground

300Ofobligation,whattheruleandwhence

Thesanction;till,demandingformalproof,Andseekingitineverything,IlostAllfeelingofconviction,and,infine,Sick,weariedoutwithcontrarieties,Yieldedupmoralquestionsindespair.

Thiswasthecrisisofthatstrongdisease,Thisthesoul’slastandlowestebb;Idrooped,DeemingourblessedreasonofleastuseWherewantedmost:‘Thelordlyattributes

310Ofwillandchoice,’Ibitterlyexclaimed,‘WhataretheybutamockeryofaBeingWhohathinnoconcernsofhisatestOfgoodandevil;knowsnotwhattofearOrhopefor,whattocovetortoshun;Andwho,ifthosecouldbediscerned,wouldyetBelittleprofited,wouldsee,andaskWhereistheobligationtoenforce?And,toacknowledgedlawrebellious,still,Asselfishpassionurged,wouldactamiss;

320Thedupeoffolly,ortheslaveofcrime.’

Depressed,bewilderedthus,IdidnotwalkWithscoffers,seekinglightandgayrevengeFromindiscriminatelaughter,norsatedownInreconcilementwithanutterwasteOfintellect;suchslothIcouldnotbrook,(ToowellIloved,inthatmyspringoflife,Pains-takingthoughts,andtruth,theirdearreward)Butturnedtoabstractscience,andtheresoughtWorkforthereasoningfacultyenthroned330Wherethedisturbancesofspaceandtime–

Ah,thenitwasThatthou,mostpreciousfriend–aboutthistimeFirstknowntome–didstlendalivinghelp

Toregulatemysoul.AndthenitwasThatthebelovèdwomaninwhosesightThosedayswerepassed(nowspeakinginavoice

910Ofsuddenadmonition,likeabrookThatdoesbutcrossalonelyroad;andnowSeen,heardandfelt,andcaughtateveryturn,Companionneverlostthroughmanyaleague)MaintainedformeasavingintercourseWithmytrueself.For,thoughimpairedandchangedMuch,asitseemed,IwasnofurtherchangedThanasaclouded,notawaningmoon.She,inthemidstofall,preservedmestillApoet,mademeseekbeneaththatname

920Myofficeuponearth,andnowhereelse.Andlastly,nature’sself,byhumanloveAssisted,throughthewearylabyrinthConductedmeagaintoopenday,Revivedthefeelingsofmyearlierlife,Gavemethatstrengthandknowledgefullofpeace,Enlargedandnevermoretobedisturbed,Whichthroughthestepsofourdegeneracy,Alldegradationofthisage,hathstillUpheldme,andupholdsmeatthisday

930Inthecatastrophe(forsotheydream,Andnothingless)when,finallytocloseAndrivetupthegainsofFrance,aPopeIssummonedintocrownanEmperor–Thislastopprobrium,whenweseethedogReturningtohisvomit;whenthesunThatroseinsplendour,wasalive,andmovedInexultationamonglivingclouds,Hathputhisfunctionandhisgloryoff,And,turnedintoagewgaw,amachine,Whetherinmattersvarious,propertiesInherent,orfromhumanwillandpowerDerived–findnoadmission.Thenitwas–

ThankstothebounteousGiverofallgood!–ThatthebelovedSisterinwhosesightThosedayswerepassed,nowspeakinginavoiceOfsuddenadmonition–likeabrookThatdidbutcrossalonelyroad,andnowIsseen,heard,felt,andcaughtateveryturn,

340Companionneverlostthroughmanyaleague–MaintainedformeasavingintercourseWithmytrueself;for,thoughbedimmedandchangedMuch,asitseemed,IwasnofurtherchangedThanasacloudedandawaningmoon:Shewhisperedstillthatbrightnesswouldreturn,She,inthemidstofall,preservedmestillAPoet,mademeseekbeneaththatname,Andthatalone,myofficeuponearth;And,lastly,ashereafterwillbeshown,

350Ifwillingaudiencefailnot,Nature’sself,ByallvarietiesofhumanloveAssisted,ledmebackthroughopeningdayTothosesweetcounselsbetweenheadandheartWhencegrewthatgenuineknowledge,fraughtwithpeace,Which,throughthelatersinkingsofthiscause,Hathstillupheldme,andupholdsmenowInthecatastrophe(forsotheydream,Andnothingless),when,finallytocloseAndsealupallthegainsofFrance,aPope

360Issummonedin,tocrownanEmperor–Thislastopprobrium,whenweseeapeople,Thatoncelookedupinfaith,asiftoHeavenFormanna,takealessonfromthedogReturningtohisvomit;whenthesunThatroseinsplendour,wasalive,andmovedInexultationwithalivingpompOfclouds–hisglory’snaturalretinue–Hathdroppedallfunctionsbythegodsbestowed,And,turnedintoagewgaw,amachine,

940Setslikeanoperaphantom.

Thus,ofriend,ThroughtimesofhonourandthroughtimesofshameHaveIdescended,tracingfaithfullyTheworkingsofayouthfulmindbeneathThebreathofgreatevents–itshopesnolessThanuniversal,anditsboundlesslove–Astorydestinedforthyear,whonowAmongthebasestandthelowestfallenOfalltheraceofmendostmakeabode,WhereEtnalookethdownonSyracuse,

950ThecityofTimoleon.LivingGod,Howarethemightyprostrated!Theyfirst,Theyfirstofallthatbreathe,shouldhaveawakedWhenthegreatvoicewasheardoutofthetombsOfancientheroes.IfforFranceIhavegrieved,WhointhejudgementofnofewhathbeenAtrifleronlyinherproudestday–HavebeendistressedtothinkofwhatsheoncePromised,nowis–afarmoresobercauseThineeyesmustseeofsorrowinaland

960Strewedwiththewreckofloftiestyears,alandGloriousindeed,substantiallyrenownedOfsimplevirtueonceandmanlypraise,Nowwithoutonememorialhope;notevenAhopetobedeferred,forthatwouldserveTocheertheheartinsuchentiredecay.

Butindignationworkswherehopeisnot,Andthou,ofriend,wiltberefreshed.ThereisOnegreatsocietyaloneonearth,Thenoblelivingandthenobledead.

970Thyconsolationshallbethere,andtimeAndnatureshallbeforetheespreadinstoreImperishablethoughts,theplaceitself

Beconsciousofthypresence,andthedullSiroccoairofitsdegeneracyTurnasthoumovestintoahealthfulbreeze

370SetslikeanOperaphantom.

Thus,OFriend!ThroughtimesofhonourandthroughtimesofshameDescending,haveIfaithfullyretracedTheperturbationsofayouthfulmindUnderalong-livedstormofgreatevents–Astorydestinedforthyear,whonow,Amongthefallenofnations,dostabideWhereEtna,overhillandvalley,castsHisshadowstretchingtowardsSyracuse,ThecityofTimoleon!RighteousHeaven!

380Howarethemightyprostrated!Theyfirst,TheyfirstofallthatbreatheshouldhaveawakedWhenthegreatvoicewasheardfromoutthetombsOfancientheroes.IfIsufferedgriefForill-requitedFrance,bymanydeemedAtrifleronlyinherproudestday;HavebeendistressedtothinkofwhatsheoncePromised,nowis;afarmoresobercauseThineeyesmustseeofsorrowinaland,Tothereanimatinginfluencelost

390Ofmemory,tovirtuelostandhope,Thoughwiththewreckofloftieryearsbestrewn.

Butindignationworkswherehopeisnot,Andthou,OFriend!wiltberefreshed.ThereisOnegreatsocietyaloneonearth:ThenobleLivingandthenobleDead.Tocherishandinvigoratethyframe.

Thinebethosemotionsstrongandsanative,Aladderforthyspirittoreascend

Tohealthandjoyandpurecontentedness;980Tomethegriefconfined,thatthouartgone

FromthislastspotofearthwherefreedomnowStandssingleinheronlysanctuary–Alonelywandererartgone,bypainCompelledandsickness,atthislatterday,Thisheavytimeofchangeforallmankind.Ifeelforthee,mustutterwhatIfeel:ThesympathieserewhileinpartdischargedGatherafresh,andwillhaveventagain.Myowndelightsdoscarcelyseemtome

990Myowndelights!ThelordlyAlpsthemselves(Thoserosypeaks,fromwhichthemorninglooksAbroadonmanynations)arenotnowSincethymigrationanddeparture,friend,ThegladsomeimageinmymemoryWhichtheywereusedtobe.Tokindredscenes,Onerrand(atatime,howdifferent!)Thoutakestthyway,carryingaheartmoreripeForalldivineenjoyment,withthesoulWhichnaturegivestopoets,nowbythought

1000Maturedandinthesummerofitsstrength.Oh,wraphiminyourshades,yegiantwoodsOnEtna’sside;andthou,ofloweryvaleOfEnna,istherenotsomenookofthineFromthefirstplaytimeoftheinfantearthKeptsacredtorestorativedelight?

Childofthemountains,amongshepherdsreared,EvenfrommyearliestschooldaytimeIlovedTodreamofSicily,andnowastrongAndvitalpromisewaftedfromthatlandThinebesuchconversestrongandsanative,AladderforthyspirittoreascendTohealthandjoyandpurecontentedness;Tomethegriefconfined,thatthouartgone

400Fromthislastspotofearth,whereFreedomnowStandssingleinheronlysanctuary;Alonelywandererartgone,bypainCompelledandsickness,atthislatterday,Thissorrowfulreverseforallmankind.Ifeelforthee,mustutterwhatIfeel:Thesympathieserewhileinpartdischarged,Gatherafresh,andwillhaveventagain:MyowndelightsdoscarcelyseemtomeMyowndelights;thelordlyAlpsthemselves,

410Thoserosypeaks,fromwhichtheMorninglooksAbroadonmanynations,arenomoreFormethatimageofpuregladsomenessWhichtheywerewonttobe.Throughkindredscenes,Forpurpose,atatime,howdifferent!Thoutak’stthyway,carryingtheheartandsoulThatNaturegivestoPoets,nowbythoughtMatured,andinthesummeroftheirstrength.Oh!wraphiminyourshades,yegiantwoods,OnEtna’sside;andthou,Ofloweryfield

420OfEnna!istherenotsomenookofthine,Fromthefirstplay-timeoftheinfantworldKeptsacredtorestorativedelight,Whenfromafarinvokedbyanxiouslove?

Childofthemountains,amongshepherdsreared,Ereyetfamiliarwiththeclassicpage,IlearnttodreamofSicily;andlo,Thegloom,that,butamomentpast,wasdeepenedAtthycommand,athercommandgivesway;Apleasantpromise,waftedfromhershores,

1010Comeso’ermyheart!There’snotasinglenameOfnotebelongingtothathonouredisle–Philosopherorbard,Empedocles,OrArchimedes,deepandtranquilsoul–Thatisnotlikeacomforttomygrief.

And,oTheocritus,sofarhavesomePrevailedamongthepowersofheavenandearthByforceofgraceswhichweretheirs,thattheyHavehad(asthoureportest)miraclesWroughtfortheminoldtime.Yea,notunmoved,

1020Whenthinkingofmyownbelovedfriend,IheartheetellhowbeeswithhoneyfedDivineComates,byhistyrantlordWithinachestimprisonedimpiously–HowwiththeirhoneyfromthefieldstheycameAndfedhimthere,alive,frommonthtomonth,Becausethegoatherd,blessedman,hadlipsWetwiththemuse’snectar.

ThusIsootheThepensivemomentsbythiscalmfireside,Andfindathousandfanciedimages

1030ThatcheerthethoughtsofthoseIlove,andmine.Ourprayershavebeenaccepted:thouwiltstand,NotasanexilebutavisitantOnEtna’stop;bypastoralArethuse(Orifthatfountainbeindeednomore,

430Comeso’ermyheart:infancyIbeholdHerseasyetsmiling,heroncehappyvales;NorcanmytonguegiveutterancetoanameOfnotebelongingtothathonouredisle,PhilosopherorBard,Empedocles,OrArchimedes,pureabstractedsoul!Thatdothnotyieldasolacetomygrief:And,OTheocritus,sofarhavesomePrevailedamongthepowersofheavenandearth,Bytheirendowments,goodorgreat,thatthey

440Havehad,asthoureportest,miraclesWroughtfortheminoldtime:yea,notunmoved,Whenthinkingonmyownbelovedfriend,

IheartheetellhowbeeswithhoneyfedDivineComates,byhisimpiouslordWithinachestimprisoned;howtheycameLadenfrombloominggroveorfloweryfield,Andfedhimthere,alive,monthaftermonth,Becausethegoatherd,blessedman!hadlipsWetwiththeMuses’nectar.

ThusIsoothe450Thepensivemomentsbythiscalmfire-side,

AndfindathousandbounteousimagesTocheerthethoughtsofthoseIlove,andmine.Ourprayershavebeenaccepted;thouwiltstandOnEtna’ssummit,aboveearthandsea,Triumphant,winningfromtheinvadedheavensThoughtswithoutbound,magnificentdesigns,WorthyofpoetswhoattunedtheirharpsInwoodorechoingcave,fordisciplineOfheroes;or,inreverencetothegods,

460’Midtemples,servedbysapientpriests,andchoirsOfvirginscrownedwithroses.NotinvainThosetemples,wheretheyintheirruinsyetSurviveforinspiration,shallattractThysolitarysteps:andonthebrinkThouwiltreclineofpastoralArethuse;Or,ifthatfountainbeintruthnomore,Thennearsomeotherspring,whichbythenameThougratulatest,willinglydeceived)Shaltlingerasagladsomevotary,Andnotacaptivepiningforhishome.Then,nearsomeotherspring,which,bythenameThougratulatest,willinglydeceived,Iseetheelingeragladvotary,

470Andnotacaptivepiningforhishome.

BookEleventhIMAGINATION,HOWIMPAIREDANDRESTORED

Longtimehasman’sunhappinessandguiltDetainedus:withwhatdismalsightsbesetFortheoutwardview,andinwardlyoppressedWithsorrow,disappointment,vexingthoughts,Confusionofopinion,zealdecayed–Andlastly,utterlossofhopeitselfAndthingstohopefor!NotwiththesebeganOursong,andnotwiththeseoursongmustend.Yemotionsofdelightthatthroughthefields

10Stirgently,breezesandsoftairsthatbreatheThebreathofparadiseandfindyourwayTotherecessesofthesoul;yebrooksMutteringalongthestones,abusynoiseByday,aquietoneinsilentnight;Andyou,yegroves,whoseministryitisTointerposethecovertofyourshades,Evenasasleep,betwixttheheartofmanAndtheuneasyworld–‘twixtmanhimselfNotseldom,andhisownunquietheart–

20Oh,thatIhadamusicandavoiceHarmoniousasyourown,thatImighttell

BookTwelfthIMAGINATION,ANDTASTE,HOWIMPAIREDANDRESTORED

LongtimehavehumanignoranceandguiltDetainedus,onwhatspectaclesofwoeCompelledtolook,andinwardlyoppressedWithsorrow,disappointment,vexingthoughts,Confusionofthejudgment,zealdecayed,And,lastly,utterlossofhopeitselfAndthingstohopefor!NotwiththesebeganOursong,andnotwiththeseoursongmustend.–Yemotionsofdelight,thathauntthesides

10Ofthegreenhills;yebreezesandsoftairs,Whosesubtleintercoursewithbreathingflowers,Feelinglywatched,mightteachMan’shaughtyraceHowwithoutinjurytotake,togiveWithoutoffence;yewho,asiftoshowThewondrousinfluenceofpowergentlyused,Bendthecomplyingheadsoflordlypines,And,withatouch,shiftthestupendouscloudsThroughthewholecompassofthesky;yebrooks,Mutteringalongthestones,abusynoise

20Byday,aquietsoundinsilentnight;Yewaves,thatoutofthegreatdeepstealforthInacalmhourtokissthepebblyshore,Notmute,andthenretire,fearingnostorm;Andyou,yegroves,whoseministryitisTointerposethecovertofyourshades,Evenasasleep,betweentheheartofmanAndoutwardtroubles,betweenmanhimself,Notseldom,andhisownuneasyheart:Oh!thatIhadamusicandavoice

30Harmoniousasyourown,thatImighttellWhatyehavedoneforme.Themorningshines,Norheedethman’sperverseness;springreturns–IsawthespringreturnwhenIwasdeadTodeeperhope,yethadIjoyforherAndwelcomedherbenevolence,rejoicedIncommonwiththechildrenofherlove,Plants,insects,beastinfield,andbirdinbower.Soneitherwerecomplacency,norpeace,

30Nortenderyearnings,wantingformygoodThroughthosedistractedtimes:innaturestillGlorying,IfoundacounterpoiseinherWhich,whenthespiritofevilwasatheight,Maintainedformeasecrethappiness.HerIresortedto,andlovedsomuchIseemedtoloveasmuchasheretofore–Andyetthispassion,ferventasitwas,Hadsufferedchange,howcouldtherefailtobeSomechange,ifmerelyhence,thatyearsoflife

40Weregoingon,andwiththemlossorgainInevitable,surealternative?

Thishistory,myfriend,haschieflytoldOfintellectualpowerfromstagetostageAdvancinghandinhandwithloveandjoy,Andofimaginationteachingtruth,UntilthatnaturalgraciousnessofmindGavewaytooverpressureofthetimesAndtheirdisastrousissues.Whatavailed,Whenspellsforbadethevoyagertoland,

50ThefragrancewhichdideverandanonGivenoticeoftheshore,fromarboursbreathedOfblessedsentimentandfearlesslove?Whatdidsuchsweetremembrancesavail–Perfidiousthen,asseemed–whatservedtheythen?Mybusinesswasuponthebarrenseas,

Myerrandwastosailtoothercoasts.ShallIavowthatIhadhopetosee–Imeanthatfuturetimeswouldsurelysee–ThemantocomepartedasbyagulfWhatyehavedoneforme.Themorningshines,NorheedethMan’sperverseness;Springreturns,–IsawtheSpringreturn,andcouldrejoice,Incommonwiththechildrenofherlove,Pipingonboughs,orsportingonfreshfields,OrboldlyseekingpleasurenearerheavenOnwingsthatnavigateceruleanskies.Soneitherwerecomplacency,norpeace,Nortenderyearnings,wantingformygood

40Throughthesedistractedtimes;inNaturestillGlorying,Ifoundacounterpoiseinher,Which,whenthespiritofevilreacheditsheight,Maintainedformeasecrethappiness.

Thisnarrative,myFriend!hathchieflytoldOfintellectualpower,fosteringlove,Dispensingtruth,and,overmenandthings,Wherereasonyetmighthesitate,diffusingPropheticsympathiesofgenialfaith:SowasIfavoured–suchmyhappylot–

50UntilthatnaturalgraciousnessofmindGavewaytooverpressurefromthetimesAndtheirdisastrousissues.Whatavailed,Whenspellsforbadethevoyagertoland,ThatfragrantnoticeofapleasantshoreWafted,atintervals,frommanyabowerOfblissfulgratitudeandfearlesslove?DareIavowthatwishwasminetosee,Andhopethatfuturetimesmouldsurelysee,Themantocome,parted,asbyagulph,

60Fromhimwhohadbeen;thatIcouldnomoreTrusttheelevationwhichhadmademeone

WiththegreatfamilythathereandthereIsscatteredthroughtheabyssofagespast(Sage,patriot,lover,hero),foritseemedThattheirbestvirtueswerenotfreefromtaintOfsomethingfalseandweak,whichcouldnotstandTheopeneyeofreason.ThenIsaid‘Gotothepoets;theywillspeaktotheeMoreperfectlyofpurercreatures!Yet

70IfreasonbenobilityinmanCanaughtbemoreignoblethanthemanWhomtheydescribe–wouldfasteniftheymayUponourlovebysympathiesoftruth?’

ThusstrangelydidIwaragainstmyself–Abigottoanewidolatry,DidlikeamonkwhohasforsworntheworldZealouslylabourtocutoffmyheartFromallthesourcesofherformerstrength,And,asbysimplewavingofawand

80ThewizardinstantaneouslydissolvesPalaceorgrove,evensodidIunsoulAsreadilybysyllogisticwords(Somecharmoflogic,everwithinreach)Thosemysteriesofpassionwhichhavemade,Andshallcontinueevermoretomake–InspiteofallthatreasonhasperformedAndshallperformtoexaltandtorefine–OnebrotherhoodofallthehumanraceThroughallthehabitationsofpastyears

90Andthosetocome.AndhenceanemptinessFellonthehistorian’spage,andevenonthatOfpoets,pregnantwithmoreabsolutetruth:Theworksofbothwitheredinmyesteem,Theirsentencewas,Ithought,pronounced–theirrightsSeemedmortal,andtheirempirepassedaway.

60Fromhimwhohadbeen;thatIcouldnomore

TrusttheelevationwhichhadmademeoneWiththegreatfamilythatstillsurvivesToilluminatetheabyssofagespast,Sage,warrior,patriot,hero;foritseemedThattheirbestvirtueswerenotfreefromtaintOfsomethingfalseandweak,thatcouldnotstandTheopeneyeofReason.ThenIsaid,‘GotothePoets,theywillspeaktotheeMoreperfectlyofpurercreatures;–yet

70Ifreasonbenobilityinman,CanaughtbemoreignoblethanthemanWhomtheydelightin,blindedasheisByprejudice,themiserableslaveOflowambitionordistemperedlove?’

Insuchstrangepassion,ifImayoncemoreReviewthepast,Iwarredagainstmyself–Abigottoanewidolatry–Likeacowledmonkwhohathforsworntheworld,Zealouslylabouredtocutoffmyheart

80Fromallthesourcesofherformerstrength;Andas,bysimplewavingofawand,ThewizardinstantaneouslydissolvesPalaceorgrove,evensocouldIunsoulAsreadilybysyllogisticwordsThosemysteriesofbeingwhichhavemade,Andshallcontinueevermoretomake,Ofthewholehumanraceonebrotherhood.Whatthenremainedinsucheclipse,whatlightToguideorcheer?ThelawsofthingswhichlieBeyondthereachofhumanwillorpower,Thelifeofnature,bytheGodoflove

100Inspired–celestialpresenceeverpure–Theseleft,thesoulofyouthmustneedsberich,Whateverelsebelost;andtheseweremine,Notadeafechomerelyofthethought

(Bewilderedrecollections,solitary),Butlivingsounds.Yetindespiteofthis–Thisfeeling,whichhowe’erimpairedordamped,Yethavingbeenonceborncanneverdie–’TistruethatearthwithallherappanageOfelementsandorgans,stormandsunshine,

110Withitspureformsandcolours,pompofclouds,Riversandmountains,objectsamongwhichItmightbethoughtthatnodislikeorblame,NosenseofweaknessorinfirmityOraughtamiss,couldpossiblyhavecome,Yea,eventhevisibleuniversewasscannedWithsomethingofakindredspirit,fellBeneaththedominationofatasteLesselevated,whichdidinmymindWithitsmorenobleinfluenceinterfere,

120Itsanimationanditsdeepersway.

Therecomes(ifneedbenowtospeakofthisAftersuchlongdetailofourmistakes),Therecomesatimewhenreason–notthegrandAndsimplereason,butthathumblerpowerWhichcarriesonitsnotingloriousworkBylogicandminuteanalysis–IsofallidolsthatwhichpleasesmostThegrowingmind.AtriflerwouldhebeWhoontheobviousbenefitsshoulddwell

130Thatriseoutofthisprocess;buttospeakOfallthenarrowestimatesofthingsWhichhenceoriginatewereaworthythemeForphilosophicverse.Sufficeithere

Whatwonder,then,if,toamindsofarPerverted,eventhevisibleUniverse

90FellunderthedominionofatasteLessspiritual,withmicroscopicview

Wasscanned,asIhadscannedthemoralworld?TohintthatdangercannotbutattendUponafunctionratherproudtobeTheenemyoffalsehood,thanthefriendOftruth–tositinjudgement,thantofeel.Osoulofnature,excellentandfair,Thatdidstrejoicewithme,withwhomItoo

140Rejoicedthroughearlyyouth,beforethewindsAndpowerfulwaters,andinlightsandshadesThatmarchedandcountermarchedaboutthehillsIngloriousapparition–nowalleyeAndnowallear,buteverwiththeheartEmployedandthemajesticintellect–OsoulofnaturethatdostoverflowWithpassionandwithlife,whatfeeblemenWalkonthisearth,howfeeblehaveIbeenWhenthouwertinthystrength!Northisthroughstroke

150OfhumansufferingsuchasjustifiesRemissnessandinaptitudeofmind,Butthroughpresumption;eveninpleasurepleasedUnworthily,dislikinghere,andthereLiking,byrulesofmimicarttransferredTothingsaboveallart.Butmore–forthis,Althoughastronginfectionoftheage,Wasnevermuchmyhabit–givingwayToacomparisonofscenewithscene,Bentovermuchonsuperficialthings,

160PamperingmyselfwithmeagrenoveltiesOfcolourandproportion,tothemoodsOfnatureandthespiritoftheplaceLesssensible.NoronlydidtheloveOfsittingthusinjudgementinterruptMydeeperfeelings,butanothercause,Moresubtleandlesseasilyexplained,Thatalmostseemsinherentinthecreature–

Sensuousandintellectualasheis,Atwofoldframeofbodyandofmind.OSoulofNature!excellentandfair!Thatdidstrejoicewithme,withwhomI,too,Rejoicedthroughearlyyouth,beforethewindsAndroaringwaters,andinlightsandshadesThatmarchedandcountermarchedaboutthehillsIngloriousapparition,PowersonwhomIdailywaited,nowalleyeandnow

100Allear;butneverlongwithouttheheartEmployed,andman’sunfoldingintellect:OSoulofNature!that,bylawsdivineSustainedandgoverned,stilldostoverflowWithanimpassionedlife,whatfeebleonesWalkonthisearth!howfeeblehaveIbeenWhenthouwertinthystrength!NorthisthroughstrokeOfhumansuffering,suchasjustifiesRemissnessandinaptitudeofmind,Butthroughpresumption;eveninpleasurepleased

110Unworthily,dislikinghere,andthereLiking;byrulesofmimicarttransferredTothingsaboveallart;butmore,–forthis,Althoughastronginfectionoftheage,Wasnevermuchmyhabit–givingwayToacomparisonofscenewithscene,Bentovermuchonsuperficialthings,PamperingmyselfwithmeagrenoveltiesOfcolourandproportion;tothemoodsOftimeandseason,tothemoralpower,

120Theaffectionsandthespiritoftheplace,Insensible.NoronlydidtheloveOfsittingthusinjudgmentinterruptMydeeperfeelings,butanothercause,Moresubtleandlesseasilyexplained,Thatalmostseemsinherentinthecreature,

Atwofoldframeofbodyandofmind.170ThestatetowhichInowalludewasone

Inwhichtheeyewasmasteroftheheart,WhenthatwhichisineverystageoflifeThemostdespoticofoursensesgainedSuchstrengthinmeasoftenheldmymindInabsolutedominionGladlyhere,Enteringuponabstruserargument,WouldIendeavourtounfoldthemeansWhichnaturestudiouslyemploystothwartThistyranny,summonsallthesenseseach

180Tocounteracttheother(andthemselves)Andmakesthemall,andtheobjectswithwhichallAreconversant,subservientintheirturnTothegreatendsoflibertyandpower.Butthisismatterforanothersong;Hereonlyletmeaddthatmydelights,Suchastheywere,weresoughtinsatiably,Though’twasatransportoftheoutwardsenseNotofthemind–vividbutnotprofound–YetwasIoftengreedyinthechase,

190Androamedfromhilltohill,fromrocktorock,Stillcravingcombinationsofnewforms,Newpleasure,widerempireforthesight,Proudofitsownendowments,andrejoicedTolaytheinnerfacultiesasleep.Amidtheturnsandcounterturns,thestrifeAndvarioustrialsofourcomplexbeingAswegrowup,suchthraldomofthatsenseSeemshardtoshun.AndyetIknewamaidWho,youngasIwasthen,conversedwiththings

200Inhigherstyle.FromappetitesliketheseShe,gentlevisitant,aswellshemight,Waswhollyfree.Farlessdidcriticrules

OrbarrenintermeddlingsubtletiesPerplexhermind,but(wiseaswomenareWhengenialcircumstancehathfavouredthem)IspeakinrecollectionofatimeWhenthebodilyeye,ineverystageoflifeThemostdespoticofoursenses,gained

130SuchstrengthinmeasoftenheldmymindInabsolutedominion.Gladlyhere,Enteringuponabstruserargument,CouldIendeavourtounfoldthemeansWhichNaturestudiouslyemploystothwartThistyranny,summonsallthesenseseachTocounteracttheother,andthemselves,Andmakesthemall,andtheobjectswithwhichallAreconversant,subservientintheirturnTothegreatendsofLibertyandPower.

140Butleavewethis:enoughthatmydelights(Suchastheywere)weresoughtinsatiably.Vividthetransport,vividthoughnotprofound;Iroamedfromhilltohill,fromrocktorock,Stillcravingcombinationsofnewforms,Newpleasure,widerempireforthesight,Proudofherownendowments,andrejoicedTolaytheinnerfacultiesasleep.Amidtheturnsandcounterturns,thestrifeAndvarioustrialsofourcomplexbeing,

150Aswegrowup,suchthraldomofthatsenseSeemshardtoshun.AndyetIknewamaid,Ayoungenthusiast,whoescapedthesebonds;Hereyewasnotthemistressofherheart;Farlessdidrulesprescribedbypassivetaste,Orbarrenintermeddlingsubtleties,Perplexhermind;but,wiseaswomenareWhengenialcircumstancehathfavouredthem,Shewelcomedwhatwasgiven,andcravednomore.

Whateverscenewaspresenttohereyes,Thatwasthebest,tothatshewasattunedThroughherhumilityandlowliness,

210Andthroughaperfecthappinessofsoul,WhosevariegatedfeelingswereinthisSisters,thattheywereeachsomenewdelight.Forshewasnature’sinmate:herthebirdsAndeveryflowershemetwith,couldtheybutHaveknownher,wouldhaveloved.MethoughtsuchcharmOfsweetnessdidherpresencebreathearoundThatallthetrees,andallthesilenthills,Andeverythingshelookedon,shouldhavehadAnintimationhowsheboreherself

220Towardsthemandtoallcreatures.GoddelightsInsuchabeing,forhercommonthoughtsArepiety,herlifeisblessedness.

Evenlikethismaid,beforeIwascalledforthFromtheretirementofmynativehillsIlovedwhate’erIsaw–norlightlyloved,Butfervently–didneverdreamofaughtMoregrand,morefair,moreexquisitelyframed,ThanthosefewnookstowhichmyhappyfeetWerelimited.Ihadnotatthattime

230Livedlongenough,norintheleastsurvivedThefirstdivinerinfluenceofthisworldAsitappearstounaccustomedeyes.IworshippedthenamongthedepthsofthingsAsmysoulbademe;couldIthentakepartInaughtbutadmiration,orbepleasedWithanythingbuthumblenessandlove?Ifelt,andnothingelse;Ididnotjudge–Ineverthoughtofjudging–withthegiftOfallthisgloryfilledandsatisfied.

240Andafterwards,whenthroughthegorgeousAlpsRoaming,Icarriedwithmethesameheart.Intruth,thisdegradation–howsoe’erShewelcomedwhatwasgiven,andcravednomore;Whate’erthescenepresentedtoherview,

160Thatwasthebest,tothatshewasattunedByherbenignsimplicityoflife,Andthroughaperfecthappinessofsoul,WhosevariegatedfeelingswereinthisSisters,thattheywereeachsomenewdelight.Birdsinthebower,andlambsinthegreenfield,Couldtheyhaveknownher,wouldhaveloved;methoughtHerverypresencesuchasweetnessbreathed,Thatflowers,andtrees,andeventhesilenthills,Andeverythingshelookedon,shouldhavehad

170AnintimationhowsheboreherselfTowardsthemandtoallcreatures.GoddelightsInsuchabeing;forhercommonthoughtsArepiety,herlifeisgratitude.Evenlikethismaid,beforeIwascalledforthFromtheretirementofmynativehills,Ilovedwhate’erIsaw:norlightlyloved,Butmostintensely;neverdreamtofaughtMoregrand,morefair,moreexquisitelyframedThanthosefewnookstowhichmyhappyfeet

180Werelimited.IhadnotatthattimeLivedlongenough,norintheleastsurvivedThefirstdivinerinfluenceofthisworld,Asitappearstounaccustomedeyes.Worshippingthenamongthedepthofthings,Aspietyordained;couldIsubmitTomeasuredadmiration,ortoaughtThatshouldprecludehumilityandlove?Ifelt,observed,andpondered;didnotjudge,Yea,neverthoughtofjudging;withthegift

190Ofallthisgloryfilledandsatisfied.Andafterwards,whenthroughthegorgeousAlpsRoaming,Icarriedwithmethesameheart:Intruth,thedegradation–howsoe’erInduced,effect,inwhatsoe’erdegree,OfcustomthatpreparessuchwantonnessAsmakesthegreatestthingsgivewaytoleast,Oranyothercausewhichhasbeennamed,Or,lastly,aggravatedbythetimesWhichwiththeirpassionatesoundsmightoftenmakeThemilderminstrelsiesofruralscenes

250Inaudibleg–wastransient.IhadfeltTooforcibly,tooearlyinmylife,VisitingsofimaginativepowerForthistolast:IshookthehabitoffEntirelyandforever,andagainInnature’spresencestood,asIstandnow,Asensitive,andacreativesoul.

ThereareinourexistencespotsoftimeWhichwithdistinctpre-eminenceretainAvivifyingvirtue,whence,depressed

260Byfalseopinionandcontentiousthought,OraughtofheavierormoredeadlyweightIntrivialoccupationsandtheroundOfordinaryintercourse,ourmindsArenourishedandinvisiblyrepaired–Avirtuebywhichpleasureisenhanced,Thatpenetrates,enablesustomountWhenhigh,morehigh,andliftsusupwhenfallen.ThisefficaciousspiritchieflylurksAmongthosepassagesoflifeinwhich

270WehavehaddeepestfeelingthatthemindIslordandmaster,andthatoutwardsenseIsbuttheobedientservantofherwill.Suchmoments,worthyofallgratitude,

Arescatteredeverywhere,takingtheirdateFromourfirstchildhood–inourchildhoodevenPerhapsaremostconspicuous.Lifewithme,Asfarasmemorycanlookback,isfullOfthisbeneficentinfluence.Induced,effect,inwhatsoe’erdegree,OfcustomthatpreparesapartialscaleInwhichthelittleoftoutweighsthegreat;Oranyothercausethathathbeennamed;Orlastly,aggravatedbythetimesAndtheirimpassionedsounds,whichwellmightmake

200ThemilderminstrelsiesofruralscenesInaudible–wastransient;IhadknownTooforcibly,tooearlyinmylife,VisitingsofimaginativepowerForthistolast:IshookthehabitoffEntirelyandforever,andagainInNature’spresencestood,asnowIstand,Asensitivebeing,acreativesoul.

Thereareinourexistencespotsoftime,Thatwithdistinctpre-eminenceretain

210Arenovatingvirtue,whence,depressedByfalseopinionandcontentiousthought,Oraughtofheavierormoredeadlyweight,Intrivialoccupations,andtheroundOfordinaryintercourse,ourmindsArenourishedandinvisiblyrepaired;Avirtue,bywhichpleasureisenhanced,Thatpenetrates,enablesustomount,Whenhigh,morehigh,andliftsusupwhenfallen.Thisefficaciousspiritchieflylurks

220AmongthosepassagesoflifethatgiveProfoundestknowledgetowhatpoint,andhow,Themindislordandmaster–outwardsenseTheobedientservantofherwill.Suchmoments

Arescatteredeverywhere,takingtheirdateFromourfirstchildhood.Irememberwell,AtatimeWhenscarcely(Iwasthennotsixyearsold)

280Myhandcouldholdabridle,withproudhopesImounted,andwerodetowardsthehills.Wewereapairofhorsemen:honestJamesWaswithme,myencouragerandguide.WehadnottravelledlongeresomemischanceDisjoinedmefrommycomrade,and,throughfearDismounting,downtheroughandstonymoorIledmyhorse,andstumblingon,atlengthCametoabottomwhereinformertimesAmurdererhadbeenhunginironchains.

290Thegibbet-mastwasmouldereddown,thebonesAndironcaseweregone;butontheturfHardby,soonafterthatfelldeedwaswrought,Someunknownhandhadcarvedthemurderer’sname.ThemonumentalwritingwasengravenIntimeslongpast,andstillfromyeartoyearBysuperstitionoftheneighbourhoodThegrassisclearedaway,andtothishourThelettersareallfreshandvisible.Faltering,andignorantwhereIwas,atlength

300IchancedtoespythosecharactersinscribedOnthegreensod.ForthwithIleftthespotAndreascendingthebarecommonsawAnakedpoolthatlaybeneaththehills,Thebeacononthesummit,andmorenear,AgirlwhoboreapitcheronherheadAndseemedwithdifficultstepstoforceherwayAgainsttheblowingwind.ItwasintruthAnordinarysight,butIshouldneedColoursandwordsthatareunknowntoman

310Topaintthevisionarydreariness

Which,whileIlookedallroundformylostguide,Didatthattimeinvestthenakedpool,Thebeacononthelonelyeminence,ThewomanandhergarmentsvexedandtossedBythestrongwind.Thatonce,whileyetmyinexperiencedhandCouldscarcelyholdabridle,withproudhopesImounted,andwejourneyedtowardsthehills:Anancientservantofmyfather’shouse

230Waswithme,myencouragerandguide:Wehadnottravelledlong,eresomemischanceDisjoinedmefrommycomrade;and,throughfearDismounting,downtheroughandstonymoorIledmyhorse,and,stumblingon,atlengthCametoabottom,whereinformertimesAmurdererhadbeenhunginironchains.Thegibbet-masthadmouldereddown,thebonesAndironcaseweregone;butontheturf,Hardby,soonafterthatfelldeedwaswrought,

240Someunknownhandhadcarvedthemurderer’sname.ThemonumentalletterswereinscribedIntimeslongpast;butstill,fromyeartoyear,Bysuperstitionoftheneighbourhood,Thegrassisclearedaway,andtothishourThecharactersarefreshandvisible:Acasualglancehadshownthem,andIfled,Falteringandfaint,andignorantoftheroad:Then,reascendingthebarecommon,sawAnakedpoolthatlaybeneaththehills,

250Thebeacononthesummit,and,morenear,Agirl,whoboreapitcheronherhead,AndseemedwithdifficultstepstoforceherwayAgainsttheblowingwind.Itwas,intruth,Anordinarysight;butIshouldneedColoursandwordsthatareunknowntoman,

TopaintthevisionarydrearinessWhich,whileIlookedallroundformylostguide,Investedmoorlandwaste,andnakedpool,Thebeaconcrowningtheloneeminence,

260ThefemaleandhergarmentsvexedandtossedBythestrongwind.When,intheblessedhoursWhen,inablessedseasonWiththosetwodearones–tomyheartsodear–Whenintheblessedtimeofearlylove,LongafterwardsIroamedaboutIndailypresenceofthisveryscene,

320Uponthenakedpoolanddrearycrags,Andonthemelancholybeacon,fellThespiritofpleasureandyouth’sgoldengleam–AndthinkyenotwithradiancemoredivineFromtheseremembrances,andfromthepowerTheyleftbehind?SofeelingcomesinaidOffeeling,anddiversityofstrengthAttendsusifbutoncewehavebeenstrong.Oh,mysteryofman,fromwhatadepthProceedthyhonours!Iamlost,butsee

330InsimplechildhoodsomethingofthebaseOnwhichthygreatnessstands–butthisIfeel,Thatfromthyselfitisthatthoumustgive,Elsenevercanstreceive.ThedaysgonebyComebackuponmefromthedawnalmostOflife;thehiding-placesofmypowerSeemopen,Iapproach,andthentheyclose;Iseebyglimpsesnow,whenagecomesonMayscarcelyseeatall;andIwouldgiveWhileyetwemay(asfaraswordscangive)

340AsubstanceandalifetowhatIfeel–IwouldenshrinethespiritofthepastForfuturerestoration.YetanotherOfthesetomeaffectingincidents,

Withwhichwewillconclude.

OneChristmas-time,Thedaybeforetheholidaysbegan,Feverish,andtired,andrestless,IwentforthIntothefields,impatientforthesightOfthosetwohorseswhichshouldbearushome,Mybrothersandmyself.Therewasacrag,

350Aneminence,whichfromthemeeting-pointOftwohighwaysascending,overlookedOfearlylove,thelovedoneatmyside,Iroamed,indailypresenceofthisscene,Uponthenakedpoolanddrearycrags,Andonthemelancholybeacon,fellAspiritofpleasureandyouth’sgoldengleam;AndthinkyenotwithradiancemoresublimeFortheseremembrances,andforthepowerTheyhadleftbehind?Sofeelingcomesinaid

270Offeeling,anddiversityofstrengthAttendsus,ifbutoncewehavebeenstrong.Oh!mysteryofman,fromwhatadepthProceedthyhonours.Iamlost,butseeInsimplechildhoodsomethingofthebaseOnwhichthygreatnessstands;butthisIfeel,Thatfromthyselfitcomes,thatthoumustgive,Elsenevercanstreceive.ThedaysgonebyReturnuponmealmostfromthedawnOflife:thehiding-placesofman’spower

280Open;Iwouldapproachthem,buttheyclose.Iseebyglimpsesnow;whenagecomeson,Mayscarcelyseeatall;andIwouldgive,Whileyetwemay,asfaraswordscangive,SubstanceandlifetowhatIfeel,enshrining,Suchismyhope,thespiritofthePast

Forfuturerestoration.–YetanotherOfthesememorials:–OneChristmas-time,Onthegladeveofitsdearholidays,Feverish,andtired,andrestless,Iwentforth

290Intothefields,impatientforthesightOfthoseledpalfreysthatshouldbearushome;Mybrothersandmyself.Thereroseacrag,That,fromthemeeting-pointoftwohighwaysAscending,overlookedthemboth,farstretched;Atleastalonghalf-mileofthosetworoads,Byeachofwhichtheexpectedsteedsmightcome–Thechoiceuncertain.ThitherIrepairedUptothehighestsummit.’TwasadayStormy,andrough,andwild,andonthegrassIsathalfshelteredbyanakedwall.Uponmyrighthandwasasinglesheep,Awhistlinghawthornonmyleft,andthere,

360Withthosecompanionsatmyside,Iwatched,Strainingmyeyesintensely,asthemistGaveintermittingprospectofthewoodAndplainbeneath.EreItoschoolreturnedThatdrearytime,ereIhadbeentendaysAdwellerinmyfather’shouse,hedied,AndIandmytwobrothers(orphansthen)Followedhisbodytothegrave.Theevent,Withallthesorrowwhichitbrought,appearedAchastisement;andwhenIcalledtomind

370Thatdaysolatelypast,whenfromthecragIlookedinsuchanxietyofhope,Withtritereflectionsofmorality,Yetinthedeepestpassion,IbowedlowToGodwhothuscorrectedmydesires.AndafterwardsthewindandsleetyrainAndallthebusinessoftheelements,

Thesinglesheep,andtheoneblastedtree,Andthebleakmusicofthatoldstonewall,Thenoiseofwoodandwater,andthemist

380WhichonthelineofeachofthosetworoadsAdvancedinsuchindisputableshapes–AllthesewerespectaclesandsoundstowhichIoftenwouldrepair,andthencewoulddrinkAsatafountain.AndIdonotdoubtThatinthislatertime,whenstormandrainBeatonmyroofatmidnight,orbydayWhenIaminthewoods,unknowntomeTheworkingsofmyspiritthencearebrought.Thither,uncertainonwhichroadtofixMyexpectation,thitherIrepaired,Scout-like,andgainedthesummit;’twasadayTempestuous,dark,andwild,andonthegrassIsatehalf-shelteredbyanakedwall;

300Uponmyrighthandcouchedasinglesheep,Uponmyleftablastedhawthornstood;Withthosecompanionsatmyside,Iwatched,Strainingmyeyesintensely,asthemistGaveintermittingprospectofthecopseAndplainbeneath.Erewetoschoolreturned,–Thatdrearytime,–erewehadbeentendaysSojournersinmyfather’shouse,hedied,AndIandmythreebrothers,orphansthen,Followedhisbodytothegrave.Theevent,

310Withallthesorrowthatitbrought,appearedAchastisement;andwhenIcalledtomindThatdaysolatelypast,whenfromthecragIlookedinsuchanxietyofhope;Withtritereflectionsofmorality,Yetinthedeepestpassion,IbowedlowToGod,Whothuscorrectedmydesires;And,afterwards,thewindandsleetyrain,

Andallthebusinessoftheelements,Thesinglesheep,andtheoneblastedtree,

320Andthebleakmusicfromthatoldstonewall,Thenoiseofwoodandwater,andthemistThatonthelineofeachofthosetworoadsAdvancedinsuchindisputableshapes;AllthesewerekindredspectaclesandsoundsTowhichIoftrepaired,andthencewoulddrink,Asatafountain;andonwinternights,Downtothisverytime,whenstormandrainBeatonmyroof,or,haply,atnoon-day,WhileinagroveIwalk,whoseloftytrees,

330Ladenwithsummer’sthickestfoliage,rockInastrongwind,someworkingofthespirit,Someinwardagitationsthencearebrought,

Thouwiltnotlanguishhere,ofriend,forwhom390Itravelinthesedimuncertainways;

ThouwiltassistmeasapilgrimgoneInquestofhighesttruth.BeholdmethenOncemoreinnature’spresence,thusrestoredOrotherwise,andstrengthenedonceagain(Withmemoryleftofwhathadbeenescaped)Tohabitsofdevoutestsympathy.Whate’ertheiroffice,whethertobeguileThoughtsoverbusyinthecoursetheytook,Oranimateanhourofvacantease.

BookTwelfthSAMESUBJECT(CONTINUED)

Fromnaturedoesemotioncome,andmoodsOfcalmnessequallyarenature’sgift–Thisisherglory.ThesetwoattributesAresisterhornsthatconstituteherstrength;ThistwofoldinfluenceisthesunandshowerOfallherbounties,bothinoriginAndendalikebenignant.HenceitisThatgenius,whichexistsbyinterchangeOfpeaceandexcitation,findsinher

10Hisbestandpurestfriend–fromherreceivesThatenergybywhichheseeksthetruth(Isroused,aspires,grasps,struggles,wishes,craves),Fromher,thathappystillnessofthemindWhichfitshimtoreceiveitwhenunsought.

SuchbenefitmaysoulsofhumblestframePartakeof,eachintheirdegree;’tismineTospeakofwhatmyselfhaveknownandfelt.Sweettask!–forwordsfindeasyway,inspiredBygratitudeandconfidenceintruth.

20LongtimeinsearchofknowledgedesperateIwasbenightedheartandmind,butnowOnallsidesdaybegantoreappear,AnditwasprovedindeedthatnotinvainIhadbeentaughttoreverenceapowerThatistheveryqualityandshapeAndimageofrightreason–thatmaturesHerprocessesbysteadfastlaws;givesbirthTonoimpatientorfallacioushopes,Noheatofpassionorexcessivezeal,

BookThirteenthIMAGINATIONANDTASTE,HOWIMPAIREDANDRESTORED–(CONCLUDED)

FromNaturedothemotioncome,andmoodsOfcalmnessequallyareNature’sgift:Thisisherglory;thesetwoattributesAresisterhornsthatconstituteherstrength.HenceGenius,borntothrivebyinterchangeOfpeaceandexcitation,findsinherHisbestandpurestfriend;fromherreceivesThatenergybywhichheseeksthetruth,Fromherthathappystillnessofthemind

10Whichfitshimtoreceiveitwhenunsought.

SuchbenefitthehumblestintellectsPartakeof,eachintheirdegree;’tismineTospeak,whatImyselfhaveknownandfelt;Smoothtask!forwordsfindeasyway,inspiredBygratitude,andconfidenceintruth.LongtimeinsearchofknowledgedidIrangeThefieldofhumanlife,inheartandmindBenighted;but,thedawnbeginningnowTore-appear,’twasprovedthatnotinvain

20IhadbeentaughttoreverenceaPowerThatisthevisiblequalityandshapeAndimageofrightreason;thatmaturesHerprocessesbysteadfastlaws;givesbirth24Tonoimpatientorfallacioushopes,Noheatofpassionorexcessivezeal,

30Novainconceits;provokestonoquickturnsOfself-applaudingintellect,butliftsThebeingintomagnanimity;HoldsupbeforethemindintoxicateWithpresentobjects,andthebusydanceOfthingsthatpassaway,atemperateshowOfobjectsthatendure,andbythiscourseDisposesher,whenoverfondlysetOnleavingherincumbrancesbehind,Toseekinman(andintheframeoflife,

40Socialandindividual)whatthereisDesirable,affecting,goodorfair,Ofkindredpermanence–thegiftsdivineAnduniversal,thepervadinggraceThathasbeen,is,andshallbe.AboveallDidnaturebringagainthatwisermood,Moredeeplyre-establishedinmysoul,Which–seeinglittleworthyorsublimeInwhatweblazonwiththepompousnamesOfpowerandaction–earlytutoredme

50TolookwithfeelingsoffraternalloveUponthoseunassumingthingsthatholdAsilentstationinthisbeauteousworld.

Thusmoderated,thuscomposed,IfoundOncemoreinmananobjectofdelight,Ofpureimagination,andoflove;And,asthehorizonofmymindenlarged,AgainItooktheintellectualeyeFormyinstructor,studiousmoretoseeGreattruths,thantouchandhandlelittleones.

60Knowledgewasgivenaccordingly:mytrustWasfirmerinthefeelingswhichhadstoodThetestofsuchatrial,clearerfarMysenseofwhatwasexcellentandright;Thepromiseofthepresenttimeretired

Intoitstrueproportion;sanguineschemes,Ambitiousvirtues,pleasedmeless–IsoughtForgoodinthefamiliarfaceoflife,Novainconceits;provokestonoquickturnsOfself-applaudingintellect;buttrainsTomeekness,andexaltsbyhumblefaith;Holdsupbeforethemindintoxicate

30Withpresentobjects,andthebusydanceOfthingsthatpassaway,atemperateshowOfobjectsthatendure;andbythiscourseDisposesher,whenover-fondlysetOnthrowingoffincumbrances,toseekInman,andintheframeofsociallife,Whate’erthereisdesirableandgoodOfkindredpermanence,unchangedinformAndfunction,or,throughstrictvicissitudeOflifeanddeath,revolving.Aboveall

40Werere-establishednowthosewatchfulthoughtsWhich,seeinglittleworthyorsublimeInwhattheHistorian’spensomuchdelightsToblazon–powerandenergydetachedFrommoralpurpose–earlytutoredmeTolookwithfeelingsoffraternalloveUpontheunassumingthingsthatholdAsilentstationinthisbeauteousworld.

Thusmoderated,thuscomposed,IfoundOncemoreinMananobjectofdelight,

50Ofpureimagination,andoflove;And,asthehorizonofmymindenlarged,AgainItooktheintellectualeyeFormyinstructor,studiousmoretoseeGreattruths,thantouchandhandlelittleones.Knowledgewasgivenaccordingly;mytrustBecamemorefirminfeelingsthathadstoodThetestofsuchatrial;clearerfar

Mysenseofexcellence–ofrightandwrong:Thepromiseofthepresenttimeretired

60Intoitstrueproportion;sanguineschemes,Ambitiousprojects,pleasedmeless;IsoughtForpresentgoodinlife’sfamiliarface,Andbuiltthereonmyhopesofgoodtocome.Withsettlingjudgementsnowofwhatwouldlast

70Andwhatwoulddisappear;preparedtofindAmbition,folly,madness,inthemenWhothrustthemselvesuponthispassiveworldAsrulersoftheworld(toseeinthese,Evenwhenthepublicwelfareistheiraim,Planswithoutthought,orbottomedonfalsethoughtAndfalsephilosophy);havingbroughttotestOfsolidlifeandtrueresultthebooksOfmodernstatists,andtherebyperceivedTheutterhollownessofwhatwename

80Thewealthofnations,wherealonethatwealthIslodged,andhowincreased;andhavinggainedAmorejudiciousknowledgeofwhatmakesThedignityofindividualman–Ofman,nocompositionofthethought,Abstraction,shadow,image,butthemanOfwhomweread,themanwhomwebeholdWithourowneyes–Icouldnotbutenquire,NotwithlessinterestthanheretoforeButgreater,thoughinspiritmoresubdued,

90WhyisthisgloriouscreaturetobefoundOneonlyintenthousand?Whatoneis,Whymaynotmanybe?WhatbarsarethrownBynatureinthewayofsuchahope?OuranimalwantsandthenecessitiesWhichtheyimpose,arethesetheobstacles?–Ifnot,thenothersvanishintoair.

SuchmeditationsbredananxiouswishToascertainhowmuchofrealworth,Andgenuineknowledge,andtruepowerofmind,

100DidatthisdayexistinthosewholivedBybodilylabour–labourfarexceedingTheirdueproportion–underalltheweightOfthatinjusticewhichuponourselvesBycompositionofsocietyAndbuiltthereonmyhopesofgoodtocome.

WithsettlingjudgmentsnowofwhatwouldlastAndwhatwoulddisappear;preparedtofindPresumption,folly,madness,inthemenWhothrustthemselvesuponthepassiveworldAsRulersoftheworld;toseeinthese,Evenwhenthepublicwelfareistheiraim,

70Planswithoutthought,orbuiltontheoriesVagueandunsound;andhavingbroughtthebooksOfmodernstatiststotheirpropertest,Life,humanlife,withallitssacredclaimsOfsexandage,andheaven-descendedrights,Mortal,orthosebeyondthereachofdeath;AndhavingthusdiscernedhowdireathingIsworshippedinthatidolproudlynamed‘TheWealthofNations,’wherealonethatwealthIslodged,andhowincreased;andhavinggained

80AmorejudiciousknowledgeoftheworthAnddignityofindividualman,Nocompositionofthebrain,butmanOfwhomweread,themanwhomwebeholdWithourowneyes–Icouldnotbutinquire–Notwithlessinterestthanheretofore,Butgreater,thoughinspiritmoresubdued–WhyisthisgloriouscreaturetobefoundOneonlyintenthousand?Whatoneis,Whymaynotmillionsbe?Whatbarsarethrown

90ByNatureinthewayofsuchahope?Ouranimalappetitesanddailywants,Aretheseobstructionsinsurmountable?Ifnot,thenothersvanishintoair.‘Inspectthebasisofthesocialpile:Inquire,’saidI,‘howmuchofmentalpowerAndgenuinevirtuetheypossesswholiveBybodilytoil,labourexceedingfarTheirdueproportion,underalltheweightOfthatinjusticewhichuponourselvesOurselvesentail.ToframesuchestimateIchieflylooked(whatneedtolookbeyond?)Amongthenaturalabodesofmen–Fieldswiththeirruralworks–recalledtomindMyearliestnotices,withthesecompared

110TheobservationsofmylateryouthContinueddownwardstothatveryday.FortimehadneverbeeninwhichthethroesAndmightyhopesofnations,andthestirAndtumultoftheworld,tomecouldyield(Howfarsoe’ertransportedandpossessed)Fullmeasureofcontent,butstillIcravedAnintermixtureofdistinctregardsAndtruthsofindividualsympathyNearerourselves.Suchoftenmightbegleaned

120Fromthatgreatcity,elseitmusthavebeenAheart-depressingwildernessindeed–Fullsoontomeawearisomeabode–Butmuchwaswanting;thereforedidIturnToyou,yepathwaysandyelonelyroads,Soughtyou,enrichedwitheverythingIprized,Withhumankindnessandwithnature’sjoy.

Oh,nexttoonedearstateofbliss,vouchsafed,Alas,tofewinthisuntowardworld–Theblissofwalkingdailyinlife’sprime

130ThroughfieldorforestwiththemaidweloveWhileyetourheartsareyoung,whileyetwebreatheNothingbuthappiness,livinginsomeplace(Deepvale,oranywhere,thehomeofboth)Fromwhichitwouldbemiserytostir–Oh,nexttosuchenjoymentofouryouth,Inmyesteem,nexttosuchdeardelight,WasthatofwanderingonfromdaytodayWhereIcouldmeditateinpeace,andfindTheknowledgewhichIlove,andteachthesound

140Ofpoet’smusictostrangefieldsandgroves;100Ourselvesentail.’Suchestimatetoframe

Ichieflylooked(whatneedtolookbeyond?)Amongthenaturalabodesofmen,Fieldswiththeirruralworks;recalledtomindMyearliestnotices;withthesecomparedTheobservationsmadeinlateryouth,Andtothatdaycontinued.–For,thetimeHadneverbeenwhenthroesofmightyNationsAndtheworld’stumultuntomecouldyield,Howfarsoe’ertransportedandpossessed,

110Fullmeasureofcontent;butstillIcravedAninterminglingofdistinctregardsAndtruthsofindividualsympathyNearerourselves.SuchoftenmightbegleanedFromthegreatCity,elseitmusthaveprovedTomeaheart-depressingwilderness;Butmuchwaswanting:thereforedidIturnToyou,yepathways,andyelonelyroads;SoughtyouenrichedwitheverythingIprized,Withhumankindnessesandsimplejoys.

120Oh!nexttoonedearstateofbliss,vouchsafedAlas!tofewinthisuntowardworld,Theblissofwalkingdailyinlife’sprimeThroughfieldorforestwiththemaidwelove,

Whileyetourheartsareyoung,whileyetwebreatheNothingbuthappiness,insomelonenook,Deepvale,oranywhere,thehomeofboth,Fromwhichitwouldbemiserytostir:Oh!nexttosuchenjoymentofouryouth,Inmyesteem,nexttosuchdeardelight,

130WasthatofwanderingonfromdaytodayWhereIcouldmeditateinpeace,andcullKnowledgethatstepbystepmightleadmeonTowisdom;or,aslightsomeasabirdWafteduponthewindfromdistantlands,Singnotesofgreetingtostrangefieldsorgroves,Conversewithmen,whereifwemeetafaceWealmostmeetafriend,onnakedmoorsWithlonglongwaysbefore,bycottagebench,Orwell-springwherethewearytravellerrests.

Iloveapublicroad:fewsightsthereareThatpleasememore–suchobjecthashadpowerO’ermyimaginationsincethedawnOfchildhood,whenitsdisappearinglineSeendailyafaroff,ononebaresteep

150Beyondthelimitswhichmyfeethadtrod,Waslikeaguideintoeternity,Atleasttothingsunknownandwithoutbound.EvensomethingofthegrandeurwhichinvestsThemarinerwhosailstheroaringseaThroughstormanddarkness,earlyinmymindSurroundedtoothewanderersoftheearth–Grandeurasmuch,andlovelinessfarmore.AwedhaveIbeenbystrollingbedlamites;Frommanyotheruncouthvagrants(passed

160Infear)havewalkedwithquickerstep–butwhyTakenoteofthis?WhenIbegantoenquire,TowatchandquestionthoseImet,andheldFamiliartalkwiththem,thelonelyroads

WereschoolstomeinwhichIdailyreadWithmostdelightthepassionsofmankind,Theresawintothedepthofhumansouls–SoulsthatappeartohavenodepthatallTovulgareyes.Andnow,convincedatheartHowlittlethattowhichalonewegive

170ThenameofeducationhastodoWithrealfeelingandjustsense,howvainAcorrespondencewiththetalkingworldWhichlackednotvoicetowelcomemeinturn:And,whenthatpleasanttoilhadceasedtoplease,Conversewithmen,whereifwemeetafaceWealmostmeetafriend,onnakedheaths

140Withlonglongwaysbefore,bycottagebench,Orwell-springwherethewearytravellerrests.

WhodothnotlovetofollowwithhiseyeThewindingsofapublicway?thesight,Familiarobjectasitis,hathwroughtOnmyimaginationsincethemornOfchildhood,whenadisappearingline,Onedailypresenttomyeyes,thatcrossedThenakedsummitofafar-offhillBeyondthelimitsthatmyfeethadtrod,

150WaslikeaninvitationintospaceBoundless,orguideintoeternity.Yes,somethingofthegrandeurwhichinvestsThemarinerwhosailstheroaringseaThroughstormanddarkness,earlyinmymindSurrounded,too,thewanderersoftheearth;Grandeurasmuch,andlovelinessfarmore.AwedhaveIbeenbystrollingBedlamites;Frommanyotheruncouthvagrants(passedInfear)havewalkedwithquickerstep;butwhy

160Takenoteofthis?WhenIbegantoenquire,

TowatchandquestionthoseImet,andspeakWithoutreservetothem,thelonelyroadsWereopenschoolsinwhichIdailyreadWithmostdelightthepassionsofmankind,Whetherbywords,looks,sighs,ortears,revealed;Theresawintothedepthofhumansouls,SoulsthatappeartohavenodepthatallTocarelesseyes.And–nowconvincedatheartHowlittlethoseformalities,towhich

170WithoverweeningtrustalonewegiveThenameofEducation,havetodoWithrealfeelingandjustsense;howvainAcorrespondencewiththetalkingworldProvestothemost–andcalledtomakegoodsearchIfman’sestate,bydoomofnatureyokedWithtoil,isthereforeyokedwithignorance,Ifvirtuebeindeedsohardtorear,Andintellectualstrengthsorareaboon–Iprizedsuchwalksstillmore.ForthereIfoundHopetomyhope,andtomypleasurepeace

180Andsteadiness,andhealingandreposeToeveryangrypassion.ThereIheard,Frommouthsoflowlymenandofobscure,Ataleofhonour–soundsinunisonWithloftiestpromisesofgoodandfair.

Therearewhothinkthatstrongaffections,loveKnownbywhatevername,isfalselydeemedAgift(touseatermwhichtheywoulduse)Ofvulgarnature–thatitsgrowthrequiresRetirement,leisure,languagepurified

190Bymannersthoughtfulandelaborate–ThatwhosofeelssuchpassioninexcessMustlivewithintheverylightandairOfelegancesthataremadebyman.Trueisit,whereoppressionworsethandeath

Salutesthebeingathisbirth,wheregraceOfculturehathbeenutterlyunknown,AndlabourinexcessandpovertyFromdaytodaypre-occupythegroundOftheaffections,andtonature’sself

200Opposeadeepernature–thereindeedLovecannotbe.NordoesiteasilythriveIncities,wherethehumanheartissick,Andtheeyefeedsitnot,andcannotfeed.Thusfar–nofurther–isthatinferencegood.

Yes,inthosewanderingsdeeplydidIfeelHowwemisleadeachother,aboveallHowbooksmisleadus–lookingfortheirfameTojudgementsofthewealthyfew,whoseeByartificiallights–howtheydebaseProvestothemost;andcalledtomakegoodsearchIfman’sestate,bydoomofNatureyokedWithtoil,bethereforeyokedwithignorance;Ifvirtuebeindeedsohardtorear,Andintellectualstrengthsorareaboon–Iprizedsuchwalksstillmore,forthereIfound

180Hopetomyhope,andtomypleasurepeaceAndsteadiness,andhealingandreposeToeveryangrypassion.ThereIheard,Frommouthsofmenobscureandlowly,truthsRepletewithhonour;soundsinunisonWithloftiestpromisesofgoodandfair.

Therearewhothinkthatstrongaffection,loveKnownbywhatevername,isfalselydeemedAgift,touseatermwhichtheywoulduse,Ofvulgarnature;thatitsgrowthrequires

190Retirement,leisure,languagepurifiedBymannersstudiedandelaborate;Thatwhosofeelssuchpassioninitsstrength

MustlivewithintheverylightandairOfcourteoususagesrefinedbyart.Trueisit,whereoppressionworsethandeathSalutesthebeingathisbirth,wheregraceOfculturehathbeenutterlyunknown,AndpovertyandlabourinexcessFromdaytodaypre-occupytheground

200Oftheaffections,andtoNature’sselfOpposeadeepernature;there,indeed,Lovecannotbe;nordoesitthrivewitheaseAmongthecloseandovercrowdedhauntsOfcities,wherethehumanheartissick,Andtheeyefeedsitnot,andcannotfeed.–Yes,inthosewanderingsdeeplydidIfeelHowwemisleadeachother;aboveall,Howbooksmisleadus,seekingtheirrewardFromjudgmentsofthewealthyFew,whosee

210Byartificiallights;howtheydebase210Themanyforthepleasureofthosefew,

EffeminatelyleveldownthetruthTocertaingeneralnotionsforthesakeOfbeingunderstoodatonce(orelseThroughwantofbetterknowledgeinthemenWhoframethem),flatteringthusourself-conceitWithpicturesthatambitiouslysetforthThedifferences,theoutsidemarksbywhichSocietyhaspartedmanfromman,Neglectfuloftheuniversalheart.

220Here,callinguptomindwhatthenIsaw,Ayouthfultraveller,andseedailynowBeforemeinmyruralneighbourhood,HeremightIpause,andbendinreverenceTonatureandthepowerofhumanminds,Tomenastheyaremenwithinthemselves.Howofthighserviceisperformedwithin

Whenalltheexternalmanisrudeinshow–Notlikeatemplerichwithpompandgold,Butameremountainchapelsuchasshields

230Itssimpleworshippersfromsunandshower.‘Ofthese’,saidI,‘shallbemysong.Ofthese,Iffutureyearsmaturemeforthetask,WillIrecordthepraises,makingverseDealboldlywithsubstantialthings–intruthAndsanctityofpassionspeakofthese,Thatjusticemaybedone,obeisancepaidWhereitisdue.ThushaplyshallIteach,Inspire–throughunadulteratedearsPourrapture,tendernessandhope–mytheme

240NootherthantheveryheartofmanAsfoundamongthebestofthosewholiveNotunexaltedbyreligioushope,Noruninformedbybooks(goodbooks,thoughfew)Innature’spresence.ThencemayIselectSorrowthatisnotsorrowbutdelight,AndmiserablelovethatisnotpainTohearof,fortheglorythatredoundsTheManyforthepleasureofthoseFew;EffeminatelyleveldownthetruthTocertaingeneralnotions,forthesakeOfbeingunderstoodatonce,orelseThroughwantofbetterknowledgeintheheadsThatframedthem;flatteringself-conceitwithwords,That,whiletheymostambitiouslysetforthExtrinsicdifferences,theoutwardmarksWherebysocietyhaspartedman

220Fromman,neglecttheuniversalheart.

Here,callinguptomindwhatthenIsaw,Ayouthfultraveller,andseedailynowInthefamiliarcircuitofmyhome,HeremightIpause,andbendinreverence

ToNature,andthepowerofhumanminds,Tomenastheyaremenwithinthemselves.Howofthighserviceisperformedwithin,Whenalltheexternalmanisrudeinshow,–Notlikeatemplerichwithpompandgold,

230Butameremountainchapel,thatprotectsItssimpleworshippersfromsunandshower.Ofthese,saidI,shallbemysong;ofthese,Iffutureyearsmaturemeforthetask,WillIrecordthepraises,makingverseDealboldlywithsubstantialthings;intruthAndsanctityofpassion,speakofthese,Thatjusticemaybedone,obeisancepaidWhereitisdue:thushaplyshallIteach,Inspire,throughunadulteratedears

240Pourrapture,tenderness,andhope,–mythemeNootherthantheveryheartofman,Asfoundamongthebestofthosewholive,Notunexaltedbyreligiousfaith,Noruninformedbybooks,goodbooks,thoughfew,InNature’spresence:thencemayIselectSorrow,thatisnotsorrow,butdelight;Andmiserablelove,thatisnotpainTohearof,fortheglorythatredoundsTherefromtohuman-kindandwhatweare.’

Beminetofollowwithnotimidstep250Whereknowledgeleadsme:itshallbemypride

ThatIhavedaredtotreadthisholygroundSpeakingnodream,butthingsoracular,MatternotlightlytobeheardbythoseWhototheletteroftheoutwardpromiseDoreadtheinvisiblesoul–bymenadroitInspeech,andforcommunionwiththeworldAccomplished–mindswhosefacultiesarethenMostactivewhentheyaremosteloquent,

Andelevatedmostwhenmostadmired.260Menmaybefoundofothermouldthanthese

Whoaretheirownupholders,tothemselvesEncouragement,andenergy,andwill,ExpressingliveliestthoughtsinlivelywordsAsnativepassiondictates.OtherstooThereareamongthewalksofhomelylifeStillhigher,menforcontemplationframed,Shy,andunpractisedinthestrifeofphrase,Meekmen,whoseverysoulsperhapswouldsinkBeneaththem,summonedtosuchintercourse.

270Theirsisthelanguageoftheheavens,thepower,Thethought,theimage,andthesilentjoy.Wordsarebutunder-agentsintheirsouls;Whentheyaregraspingwiththeirgreateststrength,Theydonotbreatheamongthem.ThisIspeakIngratitudetoGod,whofeedsourheartsForhisownservice–knoweth,lovethus,Whenweareunregardedbytheworld.

AlsoaboutthistimedidIreceiveConvictionsstillmorestrongthanheretofore

280Notonlythattheinnerframeisgood,Andgraciouslycomposed,butthat,noless,NaturethroughallconditionshathapowerToconsecrate–ifwehaveeyestosee–Theoutsideofhercreatures,andtobreatheTherefromtohumankind,andwhatweare.

250BeminetofollowwithnotimidstepWhereknowledgeleadsme:itshallbemyprideThatIhavedaredtotreadthisholyground,Speakingnodream,butthingsoracular;MatternotlightlytobeheardbythoseWhototheletteroftheoutwardpromiseDoreadtheinvisiblesoul;bymenadroit

Inspeech,andforcommunionwiththeworldAccomplished;mindswhosefacultiesarethenMostactivewhentheyaremosteloquent,

260Andelevatedmostwhenmostadmired.Menmaybefoundofothermouldthanthese,Whoaretheirownupholders,tothemselvesEncouragement,andenergy,andwill,ExpressingliveliestthoughtsinlivelywordsAsnativepassiondictates.Others,too,ThereareamongthewalksofhomelylifeStillhigher,menforcontemplationframed,Shy,andunpractisedinthestrifeofphrase;Meekmen,whoseverysoulsperhapswouldsink

270Beneaththem,summonedtosuchintercourse:Theirsisthelanguageoftheheavens,thepower,Thethought,theimage,andthesilentjoy:Wordsarebutunder-agentsintheirsouls;Whentheyaregraspingwiththeirgreateststrength,Theydonotbreatheamongthem:thisIspeakIngratitudetoGod,WhofeedsourheartsForHisownservice;knoweth,lovethus,Whenweareunregardedbytheworld.

Also,aboutthistimedidIreceive280Convictionsstillmorestrongthanheretofore,

Notonlythattheinnerframeisgood,Andgraciouslycomposed,butthat,noless,NatureforallconditionswantsnotpowerToconsecrate,ifwehaveeyestosee,Theoutsideofhercreatures,andtobreatheGrandeurupontheveryhumblestfaceOfhumanlife.IfeltthatthearrayOfoutwardcircumstanceandvisibleformIstothepleasureofthehumanmindWhatpassionmakesit;that,meanwhile,theforms

290Ofnaturehaveapassioninthemselves

ThatintermingleswiththoseworksofmanTowhichshesummonshim(althoughtheworksBemean,havenothingloftyoftheirown),AndthatthegeniusofthepoethenceMayboldlytakehiswayamongmankindWherevernatureleads–thathehasstoodBynature’ssideamongthemenofold,Andsoshallstandforever.Dearestfriend,ForgivemeifIsaythatI(wholong

300HadharbouredreverentiallyathoughtThatpoets,evenasprophets,eachwitheachConnectedinamightyschemeoftruth,HaveeachforhispeculiardowerasenseBywhichheisenabledtoperceiveSomethingunseenbefore),forgiveme,friend,IfI,themeanestofthisband,hadhopeThatuntomehadalsobeenvouchsafedAninflux–thatinsomesortIpossessedAprivilege,andthataworkofmine,

310Proceedingfromthedepthofuntaughtthings,Enduringandcreative,mightbecomeApowerlikeoneofnature’s.

TosuchmoodOnceaboveall(atravelleratthattimeUponthePlainofSarum)wasIraised:ThereonthepastoraldownswithoutatrackToguideme,oralongthebarewhiteroadsLengtheninginsolitudetheirdrearyline,WhilethroughthosevestigesofancienttimesIranged,andbythesolitudeo’ercome,

320Ihadareverieandsawthepast,Sawmultitudesofmen,andhereandthereGrandeurupontheveryhumblestfaceOfhumanlife.IfeltthatthearrayOfactandcircumstance,andvisibleform,

Ismainlytothepleasureofthemind290Whatpassionmakesthem;thatmeanwhiletheforms

OfNaturehaveapassioninthemselves,ThatintermingleswiththoseworksofmanTowhichshesummonshim;althoughtheworksBemean,havenothingloftyoftheirown;AndthattheGeniusofthePoethenceMayboldlytakehiswayamongmankindWhereverNatureleads;thathehathstoodByNature’ssideamongthemenofold,Andsoshallstandforever.DearestFriend!

300IfthoupartaketheanimatingfaithThatPoets,evenasProphets,eachwitheachConnectedinamightyschemeoftruth,Haveeachhisownpeculiarfaculty,Heaven’sgift,asensethatfitshimtoperceiveObjectsunseenbefore,thouwiltnotblameThehumblestofthisbandwhodarestohopeThatuntohimhathalsobeenvouchsafedAninsightthatinsomesorthepossesses,Aprivilegewherebyaworkofhis,

310Proceedingfromasourceofuntaughtthings,Creativeandenduring,maybecomeApowerlikeoneofNature’s.ToahopeNotlessambitiousonceamongthewildsOfSarum’sPlain,myyouthfulspiritwasraised;There,asIrangedatwillthepastoraldownsTracklessandsmooth,orpacedthebarewhiteroadsLengtheninginsolitudetheirdrearyline,TimewithhisretinueofagesfledBackwards,norcheckedhisflightuntilIsaw

320OurdimancestralPastinvisionclear;Sawmultitudesofmen,and,hereandthere,AsingleBritoninhiswolf-skinvest,Withshieldandstone-axe,strideacrossthewold;

Thevoiceofspearswasheard,therattlingspearShakenbyarmsofmightybone,instrengthLongmouldered,ofbarbaricmajesty.Icalleduponthedarkness,andittook–Amidnightdarknessseemedtocomeandtake–Allobjectsfrommysight;andlo,again

330Thedesertvisiblebydismalflames!Itisthesacrificialaltar,fedWithlivingmen–howdeepthegroans!–thevoiceOfthoseinthegiganticwickerthrillsThroughouttheregionfarandnear,pervadesThemonumentalhillocks,andthepompIsforbothworlds,thelivingandthedead.

Atothermoments(forthroughthatwidewasteThreesummerdaysIroamed)when‘twasmychanceTohavebeforemeonthedownyplain

340Lines,circles,mounts,amysteryofshapesSuchasinmanyquartersyetsurvive,Withintricateprofusionfiguringo’erTheunfilledground–thework,assomedivine,Ofinfantscience,imitativeformsBywhichtheDruidscovertlyexpressedTheirknowledgeoftheheavens,andimagedforthTheconstellations–Iwasgentlycharmed,Albeitwithanantiquarian’sdream,Andsawthebeardedteachers,withwhitewands

350Uplifted,pointingtothestarrysky,Alternately,andplainbelow,whilebreathOfmusicseemedtoguidethem,andthewasteWascheeredwithstillnessandapleasantsound.

Thisforthepast,andthingsthatmaybeviewedOrfanciedintheobscuritiesoftime!Norisit,friend,unknowntothee:atleast,Thyselfdelighted,thouformydelight

Hastsaid(perusingsomeimperfectverseAsingleBritonclothedinwolf-skinvest,Withshieldandstone-axe,strideacrossthewold;Thevoiceofspearswasheard,therattlingspearShakenbyarmsofmightybone,instrength,Longmouldered,ofbarbaricmajesty.IcalledonDarkness–butbeforethewordWasuttered,midnightdarknessseemedtotakeAllobjectsfrommysight;andlo!again

330TheDesertvisiblebydismalflames;Itisthesacrificialaltar,fedWithlivingmen–howdeepthegroans!thevoiceOfthosethatcrowdthegiantwickerthrillsThemonumentalhillocks,andthepompIsforbothworlds,thelivingandthedead.Atothermoments(forthroughthatwidewasteThreesummerdaysIroamed)where’erthePlainWasfiguredo’erwithcircles,lines,ormounds,Thatyetsurvive,awork,assomedivine,

340ShapedbytheDruids,sotorepresentTheirknowledgeoftheheavens,andimageforthTheconstellations;gentlywasIcharmedIntoawakingdream,areverieThat,withbelievingeyes,where’erIturned,Beheldlong-beardedteachers,withwhitewandsUplifted,pointingtothestarrysky,Alternately,andplainbelow,whilebreathOfmusicswayedtheirmotions,andthewasteRejoicedwiththemandmeinthosesweetsounds.

350Thisforthepast,andthingsthatmaybeviewedOrfanciedintheobscurityofyearsFrommonumentalhints:andthou,OFriend!PleasedwithsomeunpremeditatedstrainsWhichinthatlonesomejourneywascomposed)

360ThatalsoImustthenhaveexercised

UponthevulgarformsofpresentthingsAndactualworldofourfamiliardays,Ahigherpower–havecaughtfromthematone,Animage,andacharacter,bybooksNothithertoreflected.CallwethisButapersuasiontakenupbytheeInfriendship?YetthemindistoherselfWitnessandjudge,andIrememberwellThatinlife’severydayappearances

370IseemedaboutthisperiodtohavesightOfanewworld–aworld,too,thatwasfitTobetransmitted,andmadevisibleToothereyes,ashavingforitsbaseThatwhenceourdignityoriginates,Thatwhichbothgivesitbeing,andmaintainsAbalance,anennoblinginterchangeOfactionfromwithinandfromwithout:Theexcellence,purespirit,andbestpower,Bothoftheobjectseen,andeyethatsees.

Thatservedthosewanderingstobeguile,hastsaidThatthenandtheremymindhadexercisedUponthevulgarformsofpresentthings,Theactualworldofourfamiliardays,Yethigherpower;hadcaughtfromthematone,Animage,andacharacter,bybooks

360Nothithertoreflected.CallwethisApartialjudgment–andyetwhy?forthenWewereasstrangers;andImaynotspeakThuswrongfullyofverse,howeverrude,Whichonthyyoungimagination,trainedInthegreatCity,brokelikelightfromfar.Moreover,eachman’sMindistoherselfWitnessandjudge;andIrememberwellThatinlife’severy-dayappearances

Iseemedaboutthistimetogainclearsight370Ofanewworld–aworld,too,thatwasfit

Tobetransmitted,andtoothereyesMadevisible;asruledbythosefixedlawsWhencespiritualdignityoriginates,WhichdobothgiveitbeingandmaintainAbalance,anennoblinginterchangeOfactionfromwithoutandfromwithin;Theexcellence,purefunction,andbestpowerBothoftheobjectseen,andeyethatsees.

BookThirteenthCONCLUSION

Inoneoftheseexcursions,travellingthenThroughWalesonfootandwithayouthfulfriend,IleftBethgelert’shutsatcouching-timeAndwestwardtookmywaytoseethesunRisefromthetopofSnowdon.HavingreachedThecottageatthemountain’sfoot,wethereRouseduptheshepherdwhobyancientrightOfofficeisthestranger’susualguide,Andaftershortrefreshmentsalliedforth.

10Itwasasummer’snight,aclosewarmnight,Wan,dullandglaring,withadrippingmistLow-hungandthickthatcoveredalltheskyHalfthreateningstormandrain;butonwewentUnchecked,beingfullofheartandhavingfaithInourtriedpilot.LittlecouldweseeHemmedroundoneverysidewithfoganddamp,And,afterordinarytravellers’chatWithourconductor,silentlywesankEachintocommercewithhisprivatethoughts.

20Thusdidwebreasttheascent,andbymyselfWasnothingeitherseenorheardthewhileWhichtookmefrommymusings,savethatonceTheshepherd’scurdidtohisowngreatjoyUnearthahedgehoginthemountaincragsRoundwhichhemadeabarkingturbulent.Thissmalladventure(forevensuchitseemedInthatwildplaceandatthedeadofnight)Beingoverandforgotten,onwewound

BookFourteenthCONCLUSION

Inoneofthoseexcursions(maytheyne’erFadefromremembrance!)throughtheNortherntractsOfCambriarangingwithayouthfulfriend,IleftBethgelert’shutsatcouching-time,Andwestwardtookmyway,toseethesunRisefromthetopofSnowdon.TothedoorOfarudecottageatthemountain’sbaseWecame,androusedtheshepherdwhoattendsTheadventurousstranger’ssteps,atrustyguide;

10Then,cheeredbyshortrefreshment,salliedforth.

Itwasaclose,warm,breezelesssummernight,Wan,dull,andglaring,withadrippingfogLow-hungandthickthatcoveredallthesky;But,undiscouraged,webegantoclimbThemountain-side.Themistsoongirtusround,And,afterordinarytravellers’talkWithourconductor,pensivelywesankEachintocommercewithhisprivatethoughts:Thusdidwebreasttheascent,andbymyself

20WasnothingeitherseenorheardthatcheckedThosemusingsordiverted,savethatonceTheshepherd’slurcher,who,amongthecrags,Hadtohisjoyunearthedahedgehog,teasedHiscoiled-uppreywithbarkingsturbulent.Thissmalladventure,forevensuchitseemedInthatwildplaceandatthedeadofnight,Beingoverandforgotten,onwewoundInsilenceasbefore.

Withforeheadbent30Earthward,asifinoppositionset

Againstanenemy,IpantedupWitheagerpace,andnolesseagerthoughts.Thusmightwewearperhapsanhouraway,Ascendingatloosedistanceeachfromeach,AndI,aschanced,theforemostoftheband–Whenatmyfeetthegroundappearedtobrighten,Andwithasteportwoseemedbrighterstill;NorhadItimetoaskthecauseofthis,Forinstantlyalightupontheturf

40Felllikeaflash!Ilookedabout,andlo,ThemoonstoodnakedintheheavensatheightImmenseabovemyhead,andontheshoreIfoundmyselfofahugeseaofmist,Whichmeekandsilentrestedatmyfeet.AhundredhillstheirduskybacksupheavedAlloverthisstillocean;andbeyond,Far,farbeyond,thevapoursshotthemselvesInheadlands,tongues,andpromontoryshapes,Intothesea–therealsea,thatseemed

50Todwindleandgiveupitsmajesty,Usurpeduponasfarassightcouldreach.Meanwhile,themoonlookeddownuponthisshowInsingleglory,andwestood,themistTouchingourveryfeet.AndfromtheshoreAtdistancenotthethirdpartofamileWasabluechasm,afractureinthevapour,Adeepandgloomybreathing-placethroughwhichMountedtheroarofwaters,torrents,streamsInnumerable,roaringwithonevoice!

60TheuniversalspectaclethroughoutWasshapedforadmirationanddelight,Grandinitselfalone,butinthatbreachThroughwhichthehomelessvoiceofwatersrose,

Thatdarkdeepthoroughfare,hadnaturelodgedThesoul,theimaginationofthewhole.Insilenceasbefore.WithforeheadbentEarthward,asifinoppositionset

30Againstanenemy,IpantedupWitheagerpace,andnolesseagerthoughts.Thusmightwewearamidnighthouraway,Ascendingatloosedistanceeachfromeach,AndI,aschanced,theforemostoftheband;Whenatmyfeetthegroundappearedtobrighten,Andwithasteportwoseemedbrighterstill;Norwastimegiventoaskorlearnthecause,ForinstantlyalightupontheturfFelllikeaflash,andlo!asIlookedup,

40TheMoonhungnakedinafirmamentOfazurewithoutcloud,andatmyfeetRestedasilentseaofhoarymist.AhundredhillstheirduskybacksupheavedAlloverthisstillocean;andbeyond,Far,farbeyond,thesolidvapoursstretched,Inheadlands,tongues,andpromontoryshapes,IntothemainAtlantic,thatappearedTodwindle,andgiveuphismajesty,Usurpeduponfarasthesightcouldreach.

50Notsotheetherealvault;encroachmentnoneWasthere,norloss;onlytheinferiorstarsHaddisappeared,orshedafainterlightIntheclearpresenceofthefull-orbedMoon,Who,fromhersovereignelevation,gazedUponthebillowyocean,asitlayAllmeekandsilent,savethatthrougharift–Notdistantfromtheshorewhereonwestood,Afixed,abysmal,gloomy,breathing-place–Mountedtheroarofwaters,torrents,streams

60Innumerable,roaringwithonevoice!

Heardoverearthandsea,and,inthathour,Forsoitseemed,feltbythestarryheavens.AmeditationroseinmethatnightUponthelonelymountainwhenthesceneHadpassedaway,anditappearedtomeTheperfectimageofamightymind,

70Ofonethatfeedsuponinfinity,Thatisexaltedbyanunderpresence,ThesenseofGod,orwhatsoe’erisdimOrvastinitsownbeing.Aboveall,OnefunctionofsuchmindhadnaturethereExhibitedbyputtingforth,andthatWithcircumstancemostawfulandsublime:ThatdominationwhichsheoftentimesExertsupontheoutwardfaceofthings,Somouldsthem,andendues,abstracts,combines,

80OrbyabruptandunhabitualinfluenceDoesmakeoneobjectsoimpressitselfUponallothers,andpervadethemso,ThateventhegrossestmindsmustseeandhearAndcannotchoosebutfeel.

ThepowerwhichtheseAcknowledgewhenthusmoved,whichnaturethusThrustsforthuponthesenses,istheexpressResemblance,inthefullnessofitsstrengthMadevisible–agenuinecounterpartAndbrother–ofthegloriousfaculty

90Whichhighermindsbearwiththemastheirown.ThisistheveryspiritinwhichtheydealWithalltheobjectsoftheuniverse:TheyfromtheirnativeselvescansendabroadLiketransformation,forthemselvescreateAlikeexistence,and,whene’eritisCreatedforthem,catchitbyaninstinct.

ThemtheenduringandthetransientbothServetoexalt.Theybuildupgreatestthings

WhenintoairhadpartiallydissolvedThatvision,giventospiritsofthenightAndthreechancehumanwanderers,incalmthoughtReflected,itappearedtomethetypeOfamajesticintellect,itsactsAnditspossessions,whatithasandcraves,Whatinitselfitis,andwouldbecome.

70ThereIbeheldtheemblemofamindThatfeedsuponinfinity,thatbroodsOverthedarkabyss,intenttohearItsvoicesissuingforthtosilentlightInonecontinuousstream;amindsustainedByrecognitionsoftranscendentpower,Insenseconductingtoidealform,Insoulofmorethanmortalprivilege.Onefunction,aboveall,ofsuchamindHadNatureshadowedthere,byputtingforth,

80’Midcircumstancesawfulandsublime,ThatmutualdominationwhichshelovesToexertuponthefaceofoutwardthings,Somoulded,joined,abstracted,soendowedWithinterchangeablesupremacy,Thatmen,leastsensitive,see,hear,perceive,Andcannotchoosebutfeel.Thepower,whichallAcknowledgewhenthusmoved,whichNaturethusTobodilysenseexhibits,istheexpressResemblanceofthatgloriousfaculty

90Thathighermindsbearwiththemastheirown.ThisistheveryspiritinwhichtheydealWiththewholecompassoftheuniverse:TheyfromtheirnativeselvescansendabroadKindredmutations;forthemselvescreateAlikeexistence;and,whene’eritdawns

Createdforthem,catchit,orarecaughtByitsinevitablemastery,LikeangelsstoppeduponthewingbysoundOfharmonyfromHeaven’sremotestspheres.

100ThemtheenduringandthetransientbothServetoexalt;theybuildupgreatestthingsFromleastsuggestions,everonthewatch,

100Willingtoworkandtobewroughtupon.TheyneednotextraordinarycallsTorousethem:inaworldoflifetheylive,Bysensibleimpressionsnotenthralled,Butquickened,roused,andmadetherebymorefitToholdcommunionwiththeinvisibleworld.SuchmindsaretrulyfromtheDeity,Fortheyarepowers;andhencethehighestblissThatcanbeknownistheirs–theconsciousnessOfwhomtheyare,habituallyinfused,

110Througheveryimageandthrougheverythought,Andallimpressions.Hencereligion,faith,Andendlessoccupationforthesoul,Whetherdiscursiveorintuitive;Hencesovereigntywithinandpeaceatwill,Emotionwhichbestforesightneednotfear,Mostworthythenoftrustwhenmostintense;Hencecheerfulnessineveryactoflife;HencetruthinmoraljudgementsanddelightThatfailsnotintheexternaluniverse.

120Oh,whoishethathashiswholelifelongPreserved,enlarged,thisfreedominhimself?–Forthisaloneisgenuineliberty.Fromleastsuggestions;everonthewatch,Willingtoworkandtobewroughtupon,TheyneednotextraordinarycallsTorousethem;inaworldoflifetheylive,Bysensibleimpressionsnotenthralled,

ButbytheirquickeningimpulsemademorepromptToholdfitconversewiththespiritualworld,Andwiththegenerationsofmankind

110Spreadovertime,past,present,andtocome,Ageafterage,tillTimeshallbenomore.SuchmindsaretrulyfromtheDeity,FortheyarePowers;andhencethehighestblissThatfleshcanknowistheirs–theconsciousnessOfWhomtheyare,habituallyinfusedThrougheveryimageandthrougheverythought,AndallaffectionsbycommunionraisedFromearthtoheaven,fromhumantodivine;HenceendlessoccupationfortheSoul,

120Whetherdiscursiveorintuitive;Hencecheerfulnessforactsofdailylife,Emotionswhichbestforesightneednotfear,Mostworthythenoftrustwhenmostintense.Hence,amidillsthatvexandwrongsthatcrushOurhearts–ifherethewordsofHolyWritMaywithfitreverencebeapplied–thatpeaceWhichpassethunderstanding,thatreposeInmoraljudgmentswhichfromthispuresourceMustcome,orwillbymanbesoughtinvain.

130Oh!whoishethathathhiswholelifelongPreserved,enlarged,thisfreedominhimself?Forthisaloneisgenuineliberty:WhereisthefavouredbeingwhohathheldThatcourseunchecked,unerring,anduntired,Inoneperpetualprogresssmoothandbright?–Ahumblerdestinyhaveweretraced,Andtoldoflapseandhesitatingchoice,Andbackwardwanderingsalongthornyways:Yet–compassedroundbymountainsolitudes,Witness,yesolitudeswhereIreceivedMyearliestvisitations,carelessthenOfwhatwasgivenme,andwherenowIroam

Ameditative,oftasuffering,manAndyetItrustwithundiminishedpowers–Witness,whateverfallsmybettermindRevolvingwiththeaccidentsoflife

130Mayhavesustained,thathowsoe’ermisledInever,inthequestofrightandwrong,Didtamperwithmyselffromprivateaims;NorwasinanyofmyhopesthedupeOfselfishpassions;nordidwilfullyYieldevertomeancaresandlowpursuits;ButratherdidwithjealousyshrinkbackFromeverycombinationthatmightaidThetendency,toopotentinitself,Ofhabittoenslavethemind–Imean

140OppressitbythelawsofvulgarsenseAndsubstituteauniverseofdeath,Thefalsestofallworlds,inplaceofthatWhichisdivineandtrue

Tofearandlove(Toloveasfirstandchief,fortherefearends)Bethisascribed,toearlyintercourseInpresenceofsublimeandlovelyformsWiththeadverseprinciplesofpainandjoy–EvilasoneisrashlynamedbythoseWhoknownotwhattheysay.Fromlove(forhere

150Dowebeginandend)allgrandeurcomes,Alltruthandbeauty–frompervadinglove–Thatgone,weareasdust.

BeholdthefieldsInbalmyspringtimefullofrisingflowersAndhappycreatures!Seethatpair,thelambAndthelamb’smother,andtheirtenderwaysShalltouchtheetotheheart!InsomegreenbowerRest,andbenotalone,buthavethouthere

140WithinwhosesolemntempleIreceivedMyearliestvisitations,carelessthenOfwhatwasgivenme;andwhichnowIrange,Ameditative,oftasufferingman–DoIdeclare–inaccentswhich,fromtruthDerivingcheerfulconfidence,shallblendTheirmodulationwiththesevocalstreams–That,whatsoeverfallsmybettermind,Revolvingwiththeaccidentsoflife,Mayhavesustained,that,howsoe’ermisled,

150NeverdidI,inquestofrightandwrong,Tamperwithconsciencefromaprivateaim;NorwasinanypublichopethedupeOfselfishpassions;nordideveryieldWilfullytomeancaresorlowpursuits,ButshrunkwithapprehensivejealousyFromeverycombinationwhichmightaidThetendency,toopotentinitself,OfuseandcustomtobowdownthesoulUnderagrowingweightofvulgarsense,

160AndsubstituteauniverseofdeathForthatwhichmoveswithlightandlifeinformed,Actual,divine,andtrue.Tofearandlove,Toloveasprimeandchief,fortherefearends,Bethisascribed;toearlyintercourse,Inpresenceofsublimeorbeautifulforms,Withtheadverseprinciplesofpainandjoy–EvilasoneisrashlynamedbymenWhoknownotwhattheyspeak.BylovesubsistsAlllastinggrandeur,bypervadinglove;

170Thatgone,weareasdust.–BeholdthefieldsInbalmyspring-timefullofrisingflowersAndjoyouscreatures;seethatpair,thelambAndthelamb’smother,andtheirtenderwaysShalltouchtheetotheheart;thoucallestthislove,

Andnotinaptlyso,forloveitis,Farasitcarriesthee.InsomegreenbowerRest,andbenotalone,buthavethouthereTheonewhoisthychoiceofalltheworld–Therelinger,lulledandlost,andraptaway–

160Behappytothyfill!ThoucallestthisloveAndsoitis,butthereishigherloveThanthis,alovethatcomesintotheheartWithaweandadiffusivesentiment–Thyloveishumanmerely;thisproceedsMorefromthebroodingsoul,andisdivine.

ThislovemoreintellectualcannotbeWithoutimagination,whichintruthIsbutanothernameforabsolutestrengthAndclearestinsight,amplitudeofmind

170Andreasoninhermostexaltedmood.ThisfacultyhasbeenthemovingsoulOfourlonglabour:wehavetracedthestreamFromdarknessandtheveryplaceofbirthInitsblindcavern,whenceisfaintlyheardThesoundofwaters;followedittolightAndopenday,accompanieditscourseAmongthewaysofnature,afterwardsLostsightofitbewilderedandengulfed,Thengivenitgreetingasitroseoncemore

180Withstrength,reflectinginitssolemnbreastTheworksofmanandfaceofhumanlife;Andlastly,fromitsprogresshavewedrawnThefeelingoflifeendless,thegreatthoughtBywhichwelive,infinityandGod.

Imaginationhavingbeenourtheme,Soalsohasthatintellectuallove,Fortheyareeachineach,andcannotstandDividually.Heremustthoube,oman,

Strengthtothyself–nohelperhastthouhere–190Herekeepestthouthyindividualstate.

Noothercandividewiththeethiswork,NosecondaryhandcaninterveneTheOnewhoisthychoiceofalltheworld:Therelinger,listening,gazing,withdelight

180Impassioned,butdelighthowpitiable!UnlessthislovebyastillhigherloveBehallowed,lovethatbreathesnotwithoutawe;Lovethatadores,butonthekneesofprayer,Byheaveninspired;thatfreesfromchainsthesoul,Lifted,inunionwiththepurest,best,Ofearth-bornpassions,onthewingsofpraiseBearingatributetotheAlmighty’sThrone.

ThisspiritualLoveactsnotnorcanexistWithoutImagination,which,intruth,

190IsbutanothernameforabsolutepowerAndclearestinsight,amplitudeofmind,AndReasoninhermostexaltedmood.ThisfacultyhathbeenthefeedingsourceOfourlonglabour:wehavetracedthestreamFromtheblindcavernwhenceisfaintlyheardItsnatalmurmur;followedittolightAndopenday;accompanieditscourseAmongthewaysofNature,foratimeLostsightofitbewilderedandengulphed:

200ThengivenitgreetingasitroseoncemoreInstrength,reflectingfromitsplacidbreastTheworksofmanandfaceofhumanlife;Andlastly,fromitsprogresshavewedrawnFaithinlifeendless,thesustainingthoughtOfhumanBeing,Eternity,andGod.

Imaginationhavingbeenourtheme,SoalsohaththatintellectualLove,

Fortheyareeachineach,andcannotstandDividually.–Heremustthoube,OMan!

210Powertothyself;noHelperhastthouhere;Herekeepestthouinsinglenessthystate:Noothercandividewiththeethiswork:NosecondaryhandcaninterveneTofashionthisability.’Tisthine,TheprimeandvitalprincipleisthineIntherecessesofthynature,farFromanyreachofoutwardfellowship,Else’tisnotthineatall.Butjoytohim,Oh,joytohimwhoherehassown–haslaidHerethefoundationsofhisfutureyears–

200Forallthatfriendship,allthatlovecando,AllthatadarlingcountenancecanlookOrdearvoiceutter,tocompletetheman,Perfecthim(madeimperfectinhimself),Allshallbehis.AndhewhosesoulhasrisenUptotheheightoffeelingintellectShallwantnohumblertenderness,hisheartBetenderasanursingmother’sheart;Offemalesoftnessshallhislifebefull,Oflittlelovesanddelicatedesires,

210Mildinterestsandgentlestsympathies.

Childofmyparents,sisterofmysoul,ElsewherehavestrainsofgratitudebeenbreathedTotheeforalltheearlytendernessWhichIfromtheeimbibed.AndtrueitisThatlaterseasonsowedtotheenoless;For,spiteofthysweetinfluenceandthetouchOfotherkindredhandsthatopenedoutThespringsoftenderthoughtininfancy,AndspiteofallwhichsinglyIhadwatched

220Ofelegance,andeachminutercharmInnatureandinlife,stilltothelast–

Eventotheverygoing-outofyouth,Theperiodwhichourstorynowhasreached–Itooexclusivelyesteemedthatlove,Andsoughtthatbeauty,which(asMiltonsings)Hasterrorinit.ThoudidstsoftendownThisover-sternness;butforthee,sweetfriend,Mysoul,toorecklessofmildgrace,hadbeenFarlongerwhatbynatureitwasframed–

230Longerretaineditscountenancesevere–Tofashionthisability;’tisthine,TheprimeandvitalprincipleisthineIntherecessesofthynature,farFromanyreachofoutwardfellowship,Elseisnotthineatall.Butjoytohim,Oh,joytohimwhoherehathsown,hathlaid

220Here,thefoundationofhisfutureyears!Forallthatfriendship,allthatlovecando,AllthatadarlingcountenancecanlookOrdearvoiceutter,tocompletetheman,Perfecthim,madeimperfectinhimself,Allshallbehis:andhewhosesoulhathrisenUptotheheightoffeelingintellectShallwantnohumblertenderness;hisheartBetenderasanursingmother’sheart;Offemalesoftnessshallhislifebefull,

230Ofhumblecaresanddelicatedesires,Mildinterestsandgentlestsympathies.Childofmyparents!Sisterofmysoul!ThanksinsincerestversehavebeenelsewherePouredoutforalltheearlytendernessWhichIfromtheeimbibed:and’tismosttrueThatlaterseasonsowedtotheenoless;For,spiteofthysweetinfluenceandthetouchOfkindredhandsthatopenedoutthespringsOfgenialthoughtinchildhood,andinspite

240OfallthatunassistedIhadmarkedInlifeornatureofthosecharmsminuteThatwintheirwayintotheheartbystealth(Stilltotheverygoing-outofyouth),Itooexclusivelyesteemedthatlove,Andsoughtthatbeauty,which,asMiltonsings,Hathterrorinit.ThoudidstsoftendownThisover-sternness;butforthee,dearFriend!Mysoul,toorecklessofmildgrace,hadstoodInheroriginalselftooconfident,

250Retainedtoolongacountenancesevere;Arockwithtorrentsroaring,withthecloudsFamiliar,andafavouriteofthestars;Butthoudidstplantitscreviceswithflowers,Hangitwithshrubsthattwinkleinthebreeze,AndteachthelittlebirdstobuildtheirnestsAndwarbleinitschambers.AtatimeWhennature,destinedtoremainsolongForemostinmyaffections,hadfallenbackIntoasecondplace,wellpleasedtobe

240Ahandmaidtoanoblerthanherself–WheneverydaybroughtwithitsomenewsenseOfexquisiteregardforcommonthings,AndalltheearthwasbuddingwiththesegiftsOfmorerefinedhumanity–thybreath,Dearsister,wasakindofgentlerspringThatwentbeforemysteps.

Withsuchatheme,Coleridge,withthismyargument,oftheeShallIbesilent?Omostlovingsoul,Placedonthisearthtoloveandunderstand

250Andfromthypresenceshedthelightoflove,ShallIbemute,erethoubespokenof?Thygentlespirittomyheartofhearts

Didalsofinditsway;andthusthelifeOfallthingsandthemightyunityInallwhichwebehold,andfeel,andare,Arockwithtorrentsroaring,withthecloudsFamiliar,andafavouriteofthestars:Butthoudidstplantitscreviceswithflowers,Hangitwithshrubsthattwinkleinthebreeze,AndteachthelittlebirdstobuildtheirnestsAndwarbleinitschambers.AtatimeWhenNature,destinedtoremainsolongForemostinmyaffections,hadfallenbackIntoasecondplace,pleasedtobecome

260Ahandmaidtoanoblerthanherself,WheneverydaybroughtwithitsomenewsenseOfexquisiteregardforcommonthings,AndalltheearthwasbuddingwiththesegiftsOfmorerefinedhumanity,thybreath,DearSister!wasakindofgentlerspringThatwentbeforemysteps.ThereaftercameOnewhomwiththeefriendshiphadearlypaired;Shecame,nomoreaphantomtoadornAmoment,butaninmateoftheheart,

270Andyetaspirit,thereformeenshrinedTopenetratetheloftyandthelow;EvenasoneessenceofpervadinglightShines,inthebrightestoftenthousandstars,And,themeekwormthatfeedsherlonelylampCouchedinthedewygrass.

Withsuchatheme,Coleridge!withthismyargument,ofthee

280ShallIbesilent?OcapaciousSoul!Placedonthisearthtoloveandunderstand,Andfromthypresenceshedthelightoflove,ShallIbemute,erethoubespokenof?Thykindredinfluencetomyheartofhearts

Didalsofinditsway.ThusfearrelaxedHeroverweeninggrasp;thusthoughtsandthingsIntheself-hauntingspiritlearnedtotakeMorerationalproportions;mystery,Theincumbentmysteryofsenseandsoul,Oflifeanddeath,timeandeternity,AdmittedmorehabituallyamildInterposition,closeliergatheringthoughtsOfmanandhisconcerns,suchasbecomeAhumancreature,behewhohemay,

260Poet,ordestinedtoanhumblername.Andsothedeepenthusiasticjoy,TheraptureofthehallelujahsentFromallthatbreathesandis,waschastened,stemmedAndbalancedbyareasonwhichindeedIsreason,dutyandpathetictruth–AndGodandmandivided,astheyought,BetweenthemthegreatsystemoftheworldWheremanissphered,andwhichGodanimates.

Andnow,ofriend,thishistoryisbrought270Toitsappointedclose.Thediscipline

Andconsummationofthepoet’smind,Ineverythingthatstoodmostprominent,Havefaithfullybeenpictured.WehavereachedThetime,whichwasourobjectfromthefirst,Whenwemay(notpresumptuously,Ihope)Supposemypowerssofarconfirmed,andsuchMyknowledge,astomakemecapableOfbuildingupaworkthatshouldendure.Yetmuchhasbeenomitted,asneedwas–

280Ofbookshowmuch!–andevenoftheotherwealthWhichiscollectedamongwoodsandfields,Farmore.Fornature’ssecondarygrace,Thatoutwardillustrationwhichishers,Hashithertobeenbarelytouchedupon:

Thecharmmoresuperficial,andyetsweet,Whichfromherworksfindsway,contemplatedAstheyholdforthagenuinecounterpartAndsofteningmirrorofthemoralworld.

Yes,havingtrackedthemainessentialpower–

290Imagination–upherwaysublime,InturnmightfancyalsobepursuedAdmittedmorehabituallyamildInterposition–aserenedelight

290Incloseliergatheringcares,suchasbecomeAhumancreature,howsoe’erendowed,Poet,ordestinedforahumblername;Andsothedeepenthusiasticjoy,TheraptureofthehallelujahsentFromallthatbreathesandis,waschastened,stemmedAndbalancedbypathetictruth,bytrustInhopefulreason,leaningonthestayOfProvidence;andinreverenceforduty,Here,ifneedbe,strugglingwithstorms,andthere

300Strewinginpeacelife’shumblestgroundwithherbs,Ateveryseasongreen,sweetatallhours.

Andnow,OFriend!thishistoryisbroughtToitsappointedclose:thedisciplineAndconsummationofaPoet’smind,Ineverythingthatstoodmostprominent,Havefaithfullybeenpictured;wehavereachedThetime(ourguidingobjectfromthefirst)Whenwemay,notpresumptuously,Ihope,Supposemypowerssofarconfirmed,andsuch

310MyknowledgeastomakemecapableOfbuildingupaWorkthatshallendure.Yetmuchhathbeenomitted,asneedwas;Ofbookshowmuch!andevenoftheotherwealth

Thatiscollectedamongwoodsandfields,Farmore:forNature’ssecondarygraceHathhithertobeenbarelytouchedupon,ThecharmmoresuperficialthatattendsHerworks,astheypresenttoFancy’schoiceAptillustrationsofthemoralworld,

320Caughtataglance,ortracedwithcuriouspains.Throughallhertransmigrations,tillshetooWaspurified,hadlearnedtoplyhercraftByjudgementsteadied.ThenmightwereturnAndintheriversandthegrovesbeholdAnotherface,mighthearthemfromallsidesCallinguponthemoreinstructedmindTolinktheirimages–withsubtleskillSometimes,andbyelaborateresearch–

300WithformsanddefiniteappearancesOfhumanlife,presentingthemsometimesTotheinvoluntarysympathyOfourinternalbeing,satisfiedAndsoothedwithaconceptionofdelightWheremeditationcannotcome,whichthoughtCouldneverheighten.

Aboveall,howmuchStillnearertoourselvesweoverlookInhumannatureandthatmarvellousworldAsstudiedfirstinmyownheart,andthen

310InlifeamongthepassionsofmankindAndqualitiescommixedandmodifiedBytheinfinitevarietiesandshadesOfindividualcharacter.HereinItwasforme(thisjusticebidsmesay)NouselesspreparationtohavebeenThepupilofapublicschool,andforcedInhardyindependencetostandupAmongconflictingpassionsandtheshock

Ofvarioustempers–toendureandnote320Whatwasnotunderstood,thoughknowntobe–

Amongthemysteriesofloveandhate,Honourandshame,lookingtorightandleft,UncheckedbyinnocencetoodelicateAndmoralnotionstoointolerant,Sympathiestoocontracted.Hence,whencalledTotakeastationamongmen,thestepWaseasier,thetransitionmoresecure,Moreprofitablealso;forthemindFinally,andaboveall,OFriend!(IspeakWithdueregret)howmuchisoverlookedInhumannatureandhersubtleways,Asstudiedfirstinourownhearts,andthenInlifeamongthepassionsofmankind,Varyingtheircompositionandtheirhue,Where’erwemove,underthediverseshapesThatindividualcharacterpresentsToanattentiveeye.Forprogressmeet,

330Alongthisintricateanddifficultpath,Whate’erwaswanting,somethinghadIgained,Asoneofmanyschoolfellowscompelled,Inhardyindependence,tostandupAmidconflictinginterests,andtheshockOfvarioustempers;toendureandnoteWhatwasnotunderstood,thoughknowntobe;Amongthemysteriesofloveandhate,Honourandshame,lookingtorightandleft,Uncheckedbyinnocencetoodelicate,

340Andmoralnotionstoointolerant,Sympathiestoocontracted.Hence,whencalledTotakeastationamongmen,thestepWaseasier,thetransitionmoresecure,Learnsfromsuchtimelyexercisetokeep

330Inwholesomeseparationthetwonatures:

Theonethatfeels,theotherthatobserves.Letonewordmoreofpersonalcircumstance–Notneedless,asitseems–beaddedhere.SinceIwithdrewunwillinglyfromFranceThestoryhasdemandedlessregardTotimeandplace;andwhereIlived,andhow,Hasbeennolongerscrupulouslymarked.Threeyears,untilapermanentabodeReceivedmewiththatsisterofmyheart

340WhooughtbyrightsthedearesttohavebeenConspicuousthroughthisbiographicverse–Starseldomutterlyconcealedfromview–Iledanundomesticwanderer’slife.InLondonchieflywasmyhome,andthenceExcursively,aspersonalfriendships,chanceOrinclinationled,orslendermeansGaveleave,Iroamedaboutfromplacetoplace,Tarryinginpleasantnooks,whereverfound,ThroughEnglandorthroughWales.Ayouth–hebore

350ThenameofCalvert;itshallliveifwordsOfminecangiveitlife–withoutrespectToprejudiceorcustom,havinghopeThatIhadsomeendowmentsbywhichgoodMightbepromoted,inhislastdecayFromhisownfamilywithdrawingpartOfnoredundantpatrimony,didByabequestsufficientformyneedsEnablemetopauseforchoice,andwalkAtlargeandunrestrained,nordampedtoosoon

360Bymortalcares.Himselfnopoet,yetFarlessacommonspiritoftheworld,HedeemedthatmypursuitsandlabourslayApartfromallthatleadstowealth–orevenPerhapstonecessarymaintenance,Withoutsomehazardtothefinersense–

Moreprofitablealso;for,themindLearnsfromsuchtimelyexercisetokeepInwholesomeseparationthetwonatures,Theonethatfeels,theotherthatobserves.

Yetonewordmoreofpersonalconcern–SinceIwithdrewunwillinglyfromFrance,

350Iledanundomesticwanderer’slife,InLondonchieflyharboured,whenceIroamed,TarryingatwillinmanyapleasantspotOfruralEngland’scultivatedvalesOrCambriansolitudes.Ayouth–(heboreThenameofCalvert–itshalllive,ifwordsOfminecangiveitlife,)infirmbeliefThatbyendowmentsnotfrommewithheldGoodmightbefurthered–inhislastdecayByabequestsufficientformyneeds

360Enabledmetopauseforchoice,andwalkAtlargeandunrestrained,nordampedtoosoonBymortalcares.HimselfnoPoet,yetFarlessacommonfolloweroftheworld,HedeemedthatmypursuitsandlabourslayApartfromallthatleadstowealth,orevenAnecessarymaintenanceinsures,Withoutsomehazardtothefinersense;Heclearedapassageforme,andthestreamFlowedinthebentofnature.

HavingnowToldwhatbestmeritsmention,furtherpainsOurpresentlabourseemsnottorequire,

370AndIhaveothertasks.CallbacktomindThemoodinwhichthispoemwasbegun,Ofriend–theterminationofmycourseIsnearernow,muchnearer,yeteventhenInthatdistractionandintensedesire

IsaiduntothelifewhichIhadlived‘Whereartthou?HearInotavoicefromtheeWhich’tisreproachtohear?’AnonIroseAsifonwings,andsawbeneathmestretchedVastprospectoftheworldwhichIhadbeen

380Andwas;andhencethissong,whichlikealarkIhaveprotracted,intheunweariedheavensSinging,andoftenwithmoreplaintivevoiceAttemperedtothesorrowsoftheearth–Yetcentringallinlove,andintheendAllgratulantifrightlyunderstood.

Whethertomeshallbeallottedlife,AndwithlifepowertoaccomplishaughtofworthSufficienttoexcusemeinmen’ssightForhavinggiventhisrecordofmyself,

390Isalluncertain.But,belovèdfriend,Whenlookingbackthouseest,inclearerviewThananysweetestsightofyesterday,ThatsummerwhenonQuantock’sgrassyhillsFarranging,andamongthesylvancombs,Thouindeliciouswords,withhappyheart,Didstspeakthevisionofthatancientman,Thebright-eyedMariner,andruefulwoesDidstutteroftheLadyChristabel,AndI,associatewithsuchlabour,walkedHeclearedapassageforme,andthestreamFlowedinthebentofNature.

Havingnow370Toldwhatbestmeritsmention,furtherpains

Ourpresentpurposeseemsnottorequire,AndIhaveothertasks.RecalltomindThemoodinwhichthislabourwasbegun,OFriend!TheterminationofmycourseIsnearernow,muchnearer;yeteventhen,

Inthatdistractionandintensedesire,IsaiduntothelifewhichIhadlived,Whereartthou?HearInotavoicefromtheeWhich’tisreproachtohear?AnonIrose

380Asifonwings,andsawbeneathmestretchedVastprospectoftheworldwhichIhadbeenAndwas;andhencethisSong,whichlikealarkIhaveprotracted,intheunweariedheavensSinging,andoftenwithmoreplaintivevoiceToearthattemperedandherdeep-drawnsighs,Yetcentringallinlove,andintheendAllgratulant,ifrightlyunderstood.

Whethertomeshallbeallottedlife,And,withlife,powertoaccomplishaughtofworth,

390ThatwillbedeemednoinsufficientpleaForhavinggiventhestoryofmyself,Isalluncertain:but,belovedFriend!When,lookingback,thouseest,inclearerviewThananyliveliestsightofyesterday,Thatsummer,undeswhoseindulgentskies,UponsmoothQuantock’sairyridgewerovedUnchecked,orloitered’midhersylvancombs,Thouinbewitchingwords,withhappyheart,DidstchauntthevisionofthatAncientMan,

400Thebright-eyedMariner,andruefulwoesDidstutteroftheLadyChristabel;AndI,associatewithsuchlabour,steepedInsoftforgetfulnessthelivelonghours,

400Murmuringofhimwho(joyoushap!)wasfoundAftertheperilsofhismoonlightrideNeartheloudwaterfall,orherwhosatInmiserynearthemiserablethorn–WhenthoudosttothatsummerturnthythoughtsAndhastbeforetheeallwhichthenwewere,

Tothee,inmemoryofthathappiness,Itwillbeknown–bytheeatleast,myfriend,Felt–thatthehistoryofapoet’smindIslabournotunworthyofregard:

410Totheetheworkshalljustifyitself.ThelastandlaterportionsofthisgiftWhichIfortheedesignhavebeenpreparedIntimeswhichhavefromthosewhereinwefirstTogetherwantonedinwildpoesyDifferedthusfar,thattheyhavebeen,myfriend,Timesofmuchsorrow,ofaprivategriefKeenandenduring,whichtheframeofmindThatinthismeditativehistoryHasbeendescribed,moredeeplymakesmefeel–

420YetlikewisehasenabledmetobearMorefirmly–andacomfortnow,ahope,Oneofthedearestwhichthislifecangive,Ismine:thatthouartnear,andwiltbesoonRestoredtousinrenovatedhealth,When(afterthefirstminglingofourtears)’MongotherconsolationswemayfindSomepleasurefromthisofferingofmylove.

Oh,yetafewshortyearsofusefullife,Andallwillbecomplete,thyraceberun,

430Thymonumentofglorywillberaised!Then,though(tooweaktotreadthewaysoftruth)Thisagefallbacktooldidolatry,ThoughmenreturntoservitudeasfastAsthetideebbs,toignominyandshameBynationssinktogether,weshallstillFindsolaceintheknowledgewhichwehave,Murmuringofhimwho,joyoushap,wasfound,Aftertheperilsofhismoonlightride,Neartheloudwaterfall;orherwhosateInmiserynearthemiserableThorn;

Whenthoudosttothatsummerturnthythoughts,Andhastbeforetheeallwhichthenwewere,

410Tothee,inmemoryofthathappiness,Itwillbeknown,bytheeatleast,myFriend!Felt,thatthehistoryofaPoet’smindIslabournotunworthyofregard:Totheetheworkshalljustifyitself.

ThelastandlaterportionsofthisgiftHavebeenprepared,notwiththebuoyantspiritsThatwereourdailyportionwhenwefirstTogetherwantonedinwildPoesy,But,underpressureofaprivategrief,

420Keenandenduring,whichthemindandheart,ThatinthismeditativehistoryHavebeenlaidopen,needsmustmakemefeelMoredeeply,yetenablemetobearMorefirmly;andacomfortnowhathrisenFromhopethatthouartnear,andwiltbesoonRestoredtousinrenovatedhealth;When,afterthefirstminglingofourtears,‘Mongotherconsolations,wemaydrawSomepleasurefromthisofferingofmylove.

430Oh!yetafewshortyearsofusefullife,Andallwillbecomplete,thyraceberun.Thymonumentofglorywillberaised;Then,though(tooweaktotreadthewaysoftruth)Thisagefallbacktooldidolatry,ThoughmenreturntoservitudeasfastAsthetideebbs,toignominyandshameBynationssinktogether,weshallstillFindsolace–knowingwhatwehavelearnttoknow,BlestwithtruehappinessifwemaybeUnitedhelpersforwardofadayOffirmertrust,jointlabourersinawork–

440ShouldProvidencesuchgracetousvouchsafe–

Oftheirredemption,surelyyettocome.Prophetsofnature,wetothemwillspeakAlastinginspiration,sanctifiedByreasonandbytruth.WhatwehavelovedOtherswilllove,andwemayteachthemhow–InstructthemhowthemindofmanbecomesAthousandtimesmorebeautifulthantheearthOnwhichhedwells,abovethisframeofthings(Which,midallrevolutionsinthehopes

450Andfearsofmen,doesstillremainunchanged)Inbeautyexalted,asitisitselfOfsubstanceandoffabricmoredivine.RichintruehappinessifallowedtobeFaithfulalikeinforwardingadayOffirmertrust,jointlabourersinthework(ShouldProvidencesuchgracetousvouchsafe)Oftheirdeliverance,surelyyettocome.ProphetsofNature,wetothemwillspeakAlastinginspiration,sanctifiedByreason,blestbyfaith:whatwehaveloved,Otherswilllove,andwewillteachthemhow;InstructthemhowthemindofmanbecomesAthousandtimesmorebeautifulthantheearth

450Onwhichhedwells,abovethisframeofthings(Which,’midallrevolutioninthehopesAndfearsofmen,dothstillremainunchanged)Inbeautyexalted,asitisitselfOfqualityandfabricmoredivine.

Notes

NOTES

WASITFORTHIS

1–29 The starting-point of The Prelude (see Introduction and1799Iin.,below).Wordsworth’surgentquestionsimplyasenseofinadequacy,yetrevealatoncethatchildhoodhas provided him with underlying sources of strength.Revisedtoform1799I1–26|1805I271–304.

16–19

Was it for this… unrememberable being: Lines with nocounterpartin1799,whichshowWordsworthdistancinghimself from the fashion fornostalgicpoetry associatedwithCharlotteSmith,WilliamLisleBowlesandtheearlyColeridge.

30–46

First written of the great childhood episodes of ThePrelude,yetshowing,astheboyhangsaloneonthecliff-face in the presence of the sublime forces of nature, acompletesurenessoftouch.Revisedtoform1799 I50–66|1805I333–50.

47–58

Already in this first seemingly unmeditated draft,Wordsworthperceiveshisthemetobeeducationthroughthe ‘eternal things’ of nature, which ‘sanctify’ by theirpresencethepainsandfearsofchildhood,creatingintheprocess adult security and strength. Preserved almostverbatimas1799I130–41,thenheavilyrevisedtoform1805I428–41(‘Wisdomandspiritoftheuniverse’).

59–75

Lines that present for the first time the centralassociationistdoctrineofThePrelude,awayof thinkingthat comes to seem essentially Wordsworthian, butdepends upon Coleridge’s reworking of David Hartley

(ObservationsonMan,1749,reissued1791).Stronglyfelt,thoughin themselvesunimportant,emotions,comingtobe associatedwith particular landscapes, create for thechild a vital imaginative relationship with the naturalworld. Shortened to form 1799 I 186–98|1805 I 490–501.

76–97

The woodcock-snaring episode is placed before thebird’s-nesting (11. 30–46, above) in 1799 and laterversions of The Prelude. Revised to form 1799 I 27–49|1805I309–32.

98–123

Wordsworth’s earliest myth of origins, anticipating inimportantwaysboththeInfantBabepassageof1799(II267–301)andthepre-existentchildofIntimations,whose‘birth is but a sleep and a forgetting’. Shortened andrevisedin1799I375–90|1805I571–85soastoexcludereferencetothePlatonic‘eternalspirit’of11.104–9.

98–9 Nor while… The mazes of this argument: Wordsworth atthispoint inMSJJ counts the lineshehaswritten,andmakesa freshstart,hissenseofpurposemarkedbytheearliest Prelude allusions to Milton. By implicationWordsworthtoohasa‘greatargument’,hispoetrytoois‘epic’.ThoughdivestinghimselfoftheChristianpanoplyof Paradise Lost, he too will ‘assert eternal providence’(PL I25).Bringingthisthemeuptodateinhisaccountof human consciousness and the education of themindthroughnature,Wordsworthmakesa further significantallusion.His argumentmay seem towander,may seemtohaveits‘mazes’,butheisincontrol,unlikethefallenangels of Paradise Lost, debating theological issues ‘inwanderingmazeslost’(PLII561).

124–45

Wordsworth’sdefinitionof innocent vision – the child’sholding of ‘unconscious intercourse|With the eternalbeauty’–consistsofrespondingtothenaturalscenewitha mind that has no standards of judgment, makes nosophisticatedcomparisons.Preservedalmostverbatimas

1799I391–412,thenrevisedtoform1805I586–608.

146–50

Lines, not present in later versions, that round off thisearly Prelude draft, giving it the sense of being acompletedpoem.

THETWO-PARTPRELUDEOF1799

FirstPart

1–26 Wasitforthis…thunder-shower:LiketheoriginalPreludedraft,WasItForThis,thetwo-partversionof1799beginsin unexplained self-reproach. ‘This’ in 11. 1, 6 and 17sets up a contrast between Wordsworth’s presentinactivity (especially his failure to write thephilosophical Recluse, planned with Coleridge sevenmonthsbefore, inMarch1798)andhis senseofhavingbeen singledout forhisvocationaspoetbya speciallyfavouredchildhood:

For a timeWordsworth seems to have intended to compose some introductorylines thatwouldexplainwhat itwas that ‘this’ referred to,but tohavedonesowould have spoiled the impact of a rhetorical patternwhich had been used insuccessionbyMilton (SamsonAgonistes 361–3), Pope (1717Rape of the Lock IV97–102) andThomson (1746Seasons III 1101–5)…Milton’s lines are especiallyimportant.Manoah, shockedat theconditionofhis son, ‘Eyeless inGazaat themill with slaves’, reproaches God because it appears no longer possible thatSamsoncanfulfilhisappointedtask:

Forthisdidtheangeltwicedescend?forthisOrdainedthynurtureholy,asofaplant;Selectandsacred…

LikeSamson,withwhomMiltonofcourseidentifies,Wordsworthhasamission–thewritingofthepropheticandredemptiveRecluse–andhetooisfailingtofulfil

it, despite a childhood in which nurse and Nature had combined to create a‘nurtureholy,asofaplant;|Selectandsacred’.(BV36–7)

6 Thatflowedalong:tointertwine(WIFT6).

7 Derwent:TheRiverDerwent runs alonga terraceat thefoot of the garden of Wordsworth’s father’s house atCockermouth.

8 ‘sweet birthplace’: A quotation from Coleridge’s Frost atMidnightofFebruary1798:‘alreadyhadIdreamt|Ofmysweet birthplace’ (11. 32–3). Wordsworth, who hadwritten Tintern Abbey in July as a companion-piece toFrost at Midnight, seems to have regarded The Preludefrom the first as the ‘Poem to Coleridge’ (seeIntroduction).

14 earnest:foretaste,pledge.

16 Beloved Derwent… streams: Single-line replacement ofWIFT16–19.

18 Anakedboyamong:Anewdetail:‘Beneaththyscarsandin’(WIFT21).

19 Made one long bathing of a summer’s day: A playfulallusion toMulciber’s fall fromHeaven inParadise Lost:‘frommorn|Tonoonhe fell, fromnoon to dewy eve,|Asummer’sday’(I742–4).

21 coursed:raced.

22–3 anddashed the flowers…groundsel:Theboy’s aggressionisforWordsworthpartofanaturalandhappychildhood.

23 groundsel: ragwort (growing two to three feet high onwasteground,with largeheadsmadeupofmanysmallyellowdaisy-likeflowers).

24 distant Skiddaw’s lofty height: ‘all the distantmountains’(WIFT27);standing3,000feetaboveKeswick,SkiddawisplainlyvisibleninemilesawayatCockermouth.

27–49

Wordsworth has switched the order of his first twochildhoodepisodes,thewoodcock-snaring(WIFT76–97)beingplacedbeforethebird’s-nesting(WIFT30–46).

29 snapped:nipped(WIFT77).

34 springes: snares; cf. Polonius, ‘Ay, springes to catchwoodcocks’(HamletIiii115)andThomasPennant’sTourofScotland(1790)32(pointedout,MaryMoorman,TheEarly Years 33): ‘Saw on the plain part of these hillsnumbersofspringesforwoodcocks,laidbetweentuftsofheath, with avenues of small stones on each side, todirectthesefoolishbirdsintothesnares,fortheywillnothopoverthepebbles.’Pennantmakesclearthatthebirdswere soldata considerableprice,and sentbycoach toLondon.

35 Gentle powers: spirits that preside over the child’seducation;see68–8n.,below.

42 expectation:‘hopeandfear’(WIFT90).

44 toils:labours(also,appropriately,‘trap’or‘snare’).

50 Nor less: For this WIFT 30. Wordsworth’s openingquestionisrepeatedfourtimesinhisoriginaldraft,onlytwicein1799andlaterPreludeversions.

55–8 Thoughmean…raven’s nest: Ravens, largestmembers ofthecrowfamily,areadangertolambsonCumbrianhill-farms;Wordsworth’s‘inglorious’intention(‘view’)wastoclaim a reward paid by the parish for destruction of anest.TojudgefromWordsworth’sHawkshead211–15,hewasprobablyroped,andletdownthecliff-facebyotherboysfromtheGrammarSchool.

62 Shouldering: Against WIFT 42. Both wind and boy‘shoulder’thecragin

68–80

I believe… More palpable: The neo-classical spirit-worldthat Wordsworth invokes in 1799 Part I comes as a

surprise after the single pervading life-force of TinternAbbeyandthePlatonicworldsoulofWasItForThis. Inplace of a committed pantheist sharing in the life ofthings, we have polytheism that carries no conviction.But guardian-spirits are common in the eighteenthcentury, from the sylphs ofTheRape of the Lock to thePolar Spirit of The Ancient Mariner. They enableWordsworthtoexpresshissenseofhavingbeen‘Fosteredalike by beauty and by fear’ (1805 I 306), withoutnamingtoosolemnlythepowerthathassingledhimout.

76 Withme,though,rarelyinmyearlydays:Last fourwordspencilledininMSV,lackinginMSU. IntranscribingVDorothyplacescommasround‘thoughrarely’(‘Withme,thoughrarely,[inmyearlydays]|Theycommuned’).Butthephrasingisawkward,andtheimplicationmoreso.Itishard tobelieve thatWordsworth intended toweakentheemphaticclaimof1.80(‘andoftheirschoolwasI’)bystatingthatgentlepowersdidindeedcommunewithhim.

81–129

Theboat-stealingepisode followsWas It ForThis inMSJJ,andwasprobablywrittenwithinamatterofdays.

84 its usual home 1805: shows the episode to have takenplace on Ullswater, when Wordsworth was travellingbetweenhisschoolatHawksheadandhisgrandparents’homeatPenrith. ForWordsworth’s attempt toworkuptheexperiencec.1788 (in the formofa simileaboutashepherd rowing by moonlight), see Carol Landon,‘SidelightsonThePrelude’,BicentenaryStudies359–62.

89 Justlikeaman…Thoughbentonspeed:Wordsworthusesa stilted iambic rhythm to evoke the movement of hisboat as it heaves stroke by stroke through the water(recollecting as he does so PL XII 1–2, ‘As one who…batesatnoon,|Thoughbentonspeed’).

95–6 onetrack…sparkling light:Maxwellpointstoa linkwith

the water-snakes of The Ancient Mariner, with their‘tracksofshiningwhite’(1.266).

100 thatsamecraggyridge:ProbablyStybarrowCrag.

109 instinct: imbued; if the ‘craggy ridge’ of 1. 100 isStybarrow,the‘hugecliff’thatemergesastheboyrowsoutfromtheshoreisBlackCrag.

124 blank desertion: As the avengingmountain-forms invadehis mind, the boy is ‘deserted’ by visual reassurance,mentalpicturesofday-to-dayexistence.

130–41

WIFT47–58.

135 vulgarworksofman:commonman-madeobjects.

143 stinted:grudged,partial.

150–85

SenttoColeridgebyDorothy,14–21December1798,as‘fromadescriptionofWilliam’sboyishpleasures’.

156–7

Allshod…ice:AsMaxwellpointsout,areminiscenceofErasmusDarwin’sBotanicGarden(1791)Iiii570,‘Hango’ertheslidingsteel,andhissalongtheice’.

173 shadow:reflection(often,atthisperiod,incolour).

182 her diurnal round: Cf. Lucy, ‘Rolled round in earth’sdiurnal course|With rocks and stones and trees’ (ASlumberDidMySpiritSeal7–8).BothpassagesarerelatedtoMilton,PLVII22, ‘Withinthevisiblediurnalsphere’,andbothwrittenc.November1798.

183 train:succession.

186–98

The central statement fromWas It For This about thepoet’s education through nature, originally readingstraightonfrom‘Agrandeurinthebeatingsoftheheart’(1.141above).

186– Yepowers…standingpools:AcaseinwhichWordsworth’s

9 tutelaryspiritsderive,notfromclassicalorneo-classicalliterature, but from Shakespeare: Prospero,Tempest V i33,‘Yeelvesofhills,brooks,standinglakesandgroves’.

194 Impressed: stamped, printed; characters: marks, letters,signs.

198 Work: seethe; see Cowper, Task VI 737–8, ‘thistempestuous state of human things|Is merely as theworkingsofasea’.

198–233

Wordsworth’s ‘home amusements’ section is insertedafter Part I has been completed in draft, to make thepoint that his childhood had its more ordinary,gregarious,side.

210 With crosses…o’er: noughts and crosses (American tick-tack-toe); Wordsworth has in mind PL VIII 83, ‘Withcentricandeccentricscribbledo’er’,wheremanisbeingmockedforattemptingtomaptheheavens.

215 loo: eighteenth-century card game; mentioned in TheRapeof theLock,whichWordsworth is imitating in thismock-heroic section, alongside Cowper’s Task (alsodependentonPope,butdistinctinitssatiricalvoice).

225–7

Meanwhile abroad… keen and silent tooth: Based onCowper’sWinterEvening– ‘howthefrost|Ragingabroad,andtheroughwind,endear|Thesilenceandthewarmthenjoyed within’ (Task IV 308–10) – but with moreobviousreferencetoAmiens’songinAsYouLikeItIIvii:‘Blow, blow, thou winter wind… thy tooth is not sokeen|Asman’singratitude.’

232 yellings: Used at this period of noisesmade by animals(andobjects)aswellashumanbeings.

233 Bothnicmain:thenorthernBaltic.

236 milk-white clusters: hazel-nuts; a reference to Nutting,publishedasaseparatepoeminLyricalBallads1800,but

accordingtoWordsworthfirstwrittenforThePrelude.

258–374

The‘spotsoftime’sequence,writtenc.January1799,ishere seen in its original form and original position. InlaterPrelude texts it iselaboratedanddispersed,1799 I258–79becoming1805V450–81,andI288–374beingrevised to form 1805 XI 257–388. The link-passage I279–87belongsonlyto1799.

258–9

Ere I… Eight summers: Though Wordsworth claims tohavebeenseven,hehadinfactbeensenttoHawksheadGrammarSchoolinMay1779agednine.

267–70

I saw… bathing: Records show that Joseph Jackson,schoolmaster of Sawrey at the far end of EsthwaiteWater,wasdrownedwhilebathingon18June1779.Somuch,atleast,isfact.

279–82

Imight…disastersOthello:Iiii134–5,‘WhereinIspokeofmost disastrous chances|Of moving accidents by floodandfield’.

287 archetypes originals (the permanent forms of nature).Distressesanddisastersofthepasthavestampedonthememory visual images of the countryside where theyoccurred. These attain within the mind an emotionalpermanence comparable to that of the natural formsthemselves.

290 fructifyingvirtue:thepower(Latinvirtus)tomakefruitful,creative.

290–4

whence,depressed…invisiblyrepaired:Sixmonthsafterthewriting of Tintern Abbey (July 1798) Wordsworth, itappears, is still subject to ‘the heavy and the wearyweight|Of all this unintelligible world’ (TA 40–1). Theburden now is lightened, however, not by a pantheistseeing ‘into the life of things’, but by a secularimaginative process, in which the mind – always theagentofitsownrecovery–isentirelyself-nourished,and

self-restored.

301–3

Imounted,andwerode…guide:Linesthatcatchthefive-year-old’s sense of pleasure and importance. ‘HonestJames’, fellow horseman in the child’s fantasy, was hisgrandparents’servantatPenrith.

308 abottom…hung\Inirons:Ifweassumethatthechilddidstumble on the site of a gibbet, the valley-bottomwasCowdrake Quarry east of Penrith, where ThomasNicholson had been hanged in 1767 for murdering alocal butcher. The Prelude is not a record of fact,however; Nicholson’s gibbet was still standing (andtenanted)in1775,andthefive-year-oldwouldnothaveridden that far. Wordsworth is creating a compositeexperience, and has chiefly in mind the rottedseventeenth-century gibbet of Thomas Lancaster (whowas ‘the murderer of his wife’) in the meadows atHawkshead,whichweknowwasanobjectof terror forhimduringhisschooldays.

312–13

Onlyalonggreenridge…grave:Wordsworth’slanguageisdelicatelyambiguous, ‘remained’ implying that thiswasthe place of execution, whereas ‘like a grave’ drawsattentiontotheunreliabilityoftheevidence–therearemany such long green ridges on the moor. The childknowsthatamurdererhasbeenhangedinthevicinity;we enter his terrified imagination as he stumbles uponwhatseemstohimthespot.

316 Thebeacon…summit:thetallconicalstonesignal-beacon,builtonthehillabovePenrithafter theJacobiterisingsof 1715 and 1719 to give warning of future Scottishinvasions. Fires lit on the upper platform were visibletwentymilestothesouth.

317 A girl who bore a pitcher on her head: a cottage-womanfetchingwaterfromastreaminthevalley–atthetime(asWordsworthsays)‘anordinarysight’.

322 visionary dreariness: desolation so extreme as to have aspiritual quality; readers would recollect ‘The dismalsituation waste and wild’ of Milton’s hell, where therewas‘Nolight,butratherdarknessvisible’(PLI60,63).

324–6

the naked pool,|The beacon… The woman: ‘I have beenstruckwith the important truth’,DeQuincey (whohadread the 1805 Prelude in MS) writes in Suspiria DeProfundis,

thatfarmoreofourdeepestthoughtsandfeelingspasstous through perplexed combinations of concrete objects,pass to us as involutes (if I may coin that word) incompound experiences incapable of being disentangled,than ever reach us directly and in their own abstractshapes.(Ward130)

Notealsothepatternof‘involutes’(concreteobjectswithwhichtheemotionshavebecomeinvolved,orassociated,andwhichthusrecalltheoriginalfeelings)in11.341–5,363–4below.

329 akindredpower:the‘fructifyingvirtue’of1.290above.

331 Thedaybeforetheholidaysbegan:Probably19December1783;thepoetwasthirteen.

335 My Brothers and myself: Two of Wordsworth’s threebrothers were also at Hawkshead Grammar School in1783:Richard (later a pernickety lawyer), aged fifteen,and John (later the sea-captain), aged just ten.Christopher (laterMaster of Trinity, Cambridge) joinedthemin1785.

335–40

There was a crag… choice uncertain: Wordsworth iswaitingaboveHawkshead,andtothenorth.Thehorses,sentbyhisfatherinCockermouth,havetogoroundthecentral mountains of the Lake District, andmay eitherhave come south along the coast, cutting across to

Hawkshead via Hardnott and Wrynose Passes, or goneeasttoKeswickandsouthviaGrasmereandAmbleside.

346 Those two companions: Note the touch of humour asWordsworth draws attention to the non-human‘involutes’ (324–6n. above) with which he formed arelationshipashewaited.ThehawthornispresentintheVale of Esthwaite account (quoted 353–5n.), the ‘singlesheep’ is a narrowing down of the ‘poor flocks… sad-drooping’, and the ‘naked wall’ replaces ‘yon nakedrock’.

351 A dweller in my father’s house: A phrase notable for itsbiblical ring and for its impersonality.Wordsworthhadbeen born in the house, and spent his childhood there,butthereferencehardlymakesitsoundlikehome.

352 orphansthen:Thepoet’smotherhaddiedinMarch1778,just before his eighth birthday. His father died on 30December1783.

353–5

Theevent…appeared\Achastisement:Thechildfeelsthathe isbeingpunished for looking forward tooeagerly totheChristmasholidays–ineffect,thathehaskilledhisfather.Aninterestingglossisputonthechild’sremorseby a version of the episode written for The Vale ofEsthmaite, 1786–7, while Wordsworth was still atHawksheadGrammarSchool:

Nospotbutclaimsthetendertear,Byjoyorgrieftomemorydear:OneeveningwhenthewintryblastThroughthesharphawthornwhistlingpassedAndthepoorflocks,allpinchedwithcold,Sad-droopingsoughtthemountain-fold,Long,longuponyonnakedrockAloneIborethebittershock–Long,longmyswimmingeyesdidroam

Forlittlehorsetobearmehome,Tobearme(whatavailsthetear?)Tosorrowo’erafather’sbier.Flowon!Invainthouhastnotflowed,Buteasedmeofaheavyload;FormuchitgivesmyheartreliefTopaythemightydebtofgrief.Withsighsrepeatedo’erando’erImournbecause Imournednomore! (Oxford I279–80)

NBThe‘bittershock’of1.8isareferencetotheweather,not(assomehavesupposed)thechild’sbereavement.

358–60

Withtritereflections…correctedmydesires:Wordsworth’semphasison‘tritereflections’(‘Putnotyourtrustinthethingsof thisworld’, and the like) tellsushow to readGod’s ‘correction’ of theboy’s desires.Cowper remarks,Task V 875–6, on our practice of ‘inventing toourselves|Godssuchasguiltmakeswelcome’.

367 indisputableshapes:AsDeSelincourtpointsout,anecho(probably unconscious) of Hamlet’s response to theappearance of his dead father on the battlements atElsinore:‘Thoucomestinsuchaquestionableshape|ThatIwillspeakwiththee’(Iiv43–4).SeeBV63–5(quoted1805 XI 379–81–n.) for discussion of underlyingimplication, here, and in the deliberateHamlet allusionat Intimations 149–50: ‘High instincts before which ourmortalnature|Didtremble likeaguilty thingsurprised’.‘Indisputable’ is stressed on the second and fourthsyllables.

370 fountain:streamorwell;cf.Intimations153–5,wherethe‘firstaffections’and‘shadowyrecollections’ofchildhood,

betheywhattheymay,Areyetthefountain-lightofallourday,Areyetthemaster-lightofallourseeing…

373–4

unknown to me… are brought: ‘Spots of time’ shape theadultmind through the powers of association, though itremainsunconsciousoftheirworkings.

375–90

Acut-downformofWIFT98–123,Wordsworth’searliestdiscussion of the origins of adult consciousness. It issignificant that having (at different stages) inserted theboat-stealing and skating episodes, the ‘homeamusements’sectionandthe‘spotsoftime’sequence,heshouldbereturningtothestructureofhisoriginaldraft.Thoughheisnowunwillingtoinvokean‘eternalspirit’who is ‘the soul|Of our first sympathies’ (11. 108–90),WasItForThiscontinuestodeterminethepatternofhisthinking.

375 sedulous: anxious;Milton,PL IX 27–9, ‘Not sedulous bynature to indite| Wars, hitherto the onlyargument|Heroicdeemed’.

376 collateral:indirect,sideways,peripheral.

377 extrinsicpassion: feelingsunrelatedto thenaturalscenesthatweretohaveapermanenteffectonthepoet’smind.

383 hallowed and pure motions of the sense: Wordsworth (asMaxwell was first to point out) seems to be ‘recalling,andreversing’ the implicationsofMeasureforMeasure Iiv59,‘Thewantonstingsandmotionsofthesense’.

385 intellectual: spiritual; as in Shelley’s Platonist Hymn toIntellectualBeauty.

391–412

WIFT124–45.

395 the eternal beauty: A Platonist concept, surviving fromWasItForThis,andsuggestingtheunderlyingcontinuity

ofWordsworth’sthinking.Oftenitseemsinrevisionthathe has decided to be less outspoken, but only theterminologyhaschanged.

396 organic:sensuous.

405–6

linking… associated forms: enjoying the view in and foritself,notbyassociationwithearlierexperienceorwithlandscapepainting.

413 vulgar:ordinary,unremarkable.

430–1

in their substantial… brain: The process of storing upvisual images had been described in similarly physicalterms at Pedlar 32–4: ‘on his mind|They lay likesubstances, and almost seemed|To haunt the bodilysense’.

433 the impressiveagencyof fear: thepowerof fear to stamp‘impressions’onthememory.

441 invisiblelinks:linksofassociationwithinthemind.AsatWIFT 59–75, Wordsworth is thinking in terms that goback, via Coleridge, to Hartley’s Observations on Man.Coleridge regardedHartley as providing the theologicalbasis of Unitarianism, Wordsworth valued him for hisaccountoftheworkingsofthemind.

442 affections:emotions.

445–6

erethebirth…snows:attributing‘flowers’ofmemorytoaperiodforwhichintruththememoryisblank;cf.1850I615–16.

447–8

my friend’s so prompt|In sympathy: The first clearindication that The Prelude is being addressed toColeridge.

449 With fond and feeble tongue a tedious tale: A touch ofhumourthatColeridgewouldappreciate.

451 Reproachesfrommyformeryears:Wordsworth’sthoughts

gobacktothemoodofself-reproachinwhichPartI(andWasItForThis)hadopened.Boththehappinessandtheimaginative power experienced in his ‘former years’convicthimofthefailuretomakeuseofhistalent.

453 honourabletoil:Wordsworthatthisstage(February1799)expected to go straight ahead with The Recluse, ratherthanextendinghisautobiography.

461 visionarythings: thingsseenintheimagination,withtheinwardeye.

SecondPart1 Thus far, my friend: Wordsworth, having completed a

versionofPartIbythetimeheandDorothyleftGoslaron 23 February 1799, begins work on Part II c.September,finishingitbeforethemovetoDoveCottage,Grasmere, in mid-December. MS 18A preserves anattempt on Part II made in the spring that shows theextent to which Wordsworth depended on Coleridge’sapprovalofhiswork:

Friendofmyheartandgenius,IhadreachedAsmallgreenislandwhichIwaswellpleasedTopassnotlightlyby,forthoughIfeltStrengthunabated,yetIseemedtoneedThycheeringvoiceorereIcouldpursueMyvoyage,restingelseforeverthere.

5 nourishment that came unsought: Wordsworth’s theme inPart I has been the child’s unconscious response to theworkings of nature upon his imagination. Part II willshowhownatureinadolescencecomestobe‘sought|Forherownsake’.

6–7 Fromweek…tumult:Thephaseofchildhoodsummedupin T A 74–5 as ‘The coarser pleasures of my boyish

days,|Andtheirgladanimalmovements’.

16 abeatingmind:Atransferredepithet(it istheheartthatbeats, not themind), characteristic ofWordsworth, butderiving in this instance fromShakespeare:Prospero, ‘aturnor two I’llwalk|Tostillmybeatingmind’ (TempestIVi162–3).

18 Andneeds:Read:‘andyetneeds’.monitoryvoice:warning,admonishment. Memories of the spontaneous joys ofyouth show how paltry are the achievements ofadulthood.

26 mycorporealframe:body;‘thiscorporealframe’,TA44.

28 self-presence: actuality, immediacy (associated with thecontinuing imaginative ‘presence’ of the poet’s former‘self’).

33 oursmallmarket-village:Hawkshead.

37 smart assembly-room: Hawkshead Town Hall, built in1790,andcoveredwithgravel stucco(‘rough-cast’)andwhite-wash. For Wordsworth’s consistent dislike of theobtrusivenessofwhitebuildings,seeGuidetotheLakes.

44 huckster:stall-keeper.

50 collaterallyattached:takenintoaccountfortheadditionalpleasuretheycouldgivetotheboys’activities.

52 lessgratefulelse:otherwiselessenjoyable.

55 plainofWindermere:levelsurfaceofthelake.

56 bourne: destination; cf. Hamlet III i 79–80, ‘Thatundiscovered country, from whose bourne|No travellerreturns’.

58–60

a sister isle… lilies-of-the-valley: Naming the islands thatformthe‘archipelago’ofWindermere,Westnotes,‘GrassHolmisatpresentshadedwithagroveofoaks.Andtwosmaller islets borrow their names from the lilies-of-the-

valley which decorate them’ (Guide 56–7). umbrageouscovert:shadycanopy.

61–3 a third small island…hermit’shistory: ‘LadyHolm,wherein ancient times stood an oratory, is an isle of an ovalform,vestedwithcoppicewood’(West,Guide56).1850replaces the Gothic details of the ‘old stone table’,‘mouldered cave’ and contemplative hermit (cf. TinternAbbey), with an accurate reference to ‘ruins of ashrine|Once to Our Lady dedicate’. It may be thatWordsworth deliberately conflated Lady Holm with StHerbert’s IsleonDerwentwater,whichdoespreserve ‘Ahermit’shistory’.

78 delicateviands:fooddesignedtotemptthepalate.

81 Sabinefare:Cf.Dryden,Georgics II777, ‘frugalSabines’;Wordsworth may also be thinking of the frugality ofHoraceonhisSabinefarm.

82–6 little weekly stipend… profusely filled: Wordsworth’spocket-moneywas sixpence aweek in his final year atschool, but augmented in January 1787, after the half-yearly holiday, by an extra guinea (worth 42 ‘weeklystipends’).

90 board:table,stall.

95–7 that provoked… corporeal appetite: Food increased theboys’pleasureinlandscape;pompouslinesthatwerecutin1805.

108–9

theantiquewalls|Ofalargeabbey:FurnessAbbey,builtbyCistercian monks in 1127 near Barrow-in-Furness(twentymiles fromHawkshead)was ‘dissolved’ in1537under Henry VIII. Its roof-timbers, stripped of theirvaluable lead, had long since fallen by Wordsworth’sday.

120 the cross-legged knight: ‘In the middle space, where thefirst baronsofKendal are interred, lies theprocumbent

figure of a man in armour, cross-legged’ (West, Guide39).TheknightisnowintheAbbeymuseum.

121–30

thatsinglewren…suchmusic:

LikeKeatsinBrightStar,WordsworthisusingthebackgroundpresenceofShakespeare toenhanceamomentofbordervision.ThefamousmetaphorofSonnet73–‘Bareruinedchoirs,wherelatethesweetbirdssang’–ismadeactual,justasinTheRuinedCottage the broken pitcher of Ecclesiastesbecomes the ‘useless fragment of a woodenbowl’.Butthoughthechoirsbecomethenaveofa palpable abbey, the bird remains invisible,intangible, its sourceless song conveying thepresenceofthesublime.(BV119)

134 thatstillspiritoftheeveningair:Afterthedirectaddresstothe rocks and streams, it would have been natural towrite ‘thou,stillspirit’.Wordsworth,itseems,wishestoachievehisnuminouseffectwithoutinvokingthespirit-worldofPartI.

136 breathed:restedthehorses–gavethema‘breather’.

139 the level sand: Levens Sands, south of Barrow, whichwouldtaketheridersbacktoHawksheadviaGreenodd.

140–78

TheonesectionofPart II tobeomitted in1805;acut-downversionoftheConistonepisodeisrestoredin1850,asVIII458–75.

145 Anoldhall:ConistonHall,withsteepElizabethan ‘gavelends’(gables).

150 piazza:colonnade.

153 chafing-dish:portablecharcoal-stove,usedinthiscasetocooktroutorcharfromthelake.

160 Himself unseen: Setting unseen behind thewestern fells,thesuncastsaglowto theeast.WordsworthmakeshispointbyasubduedquotationfromHamlet:‘Butlookthemorn, in russetmantle clad|Walks o’er the dew of yonhigheastwardhill’(Ii166–7).

166–74

LinesdrawnappropriatelyfromWordsworth’sschoolboyValeofEsthmaite,which,after theirappearance in1799(butnotin1805),arerevisedtoformDearNativeRegions(Poems1815).

181 aninn:theWhiteLion,Bowness(nowgone).

184 liveries:uniformedservants.

185 theblood-redwine:AphraseusedtosinistereffectintheBalladofSirPatrickSpens.

186 or ere: before. the Hall: On Belle Isle, completed early1780s.

208 The minstrel of our troop: Identified by Wordsworth asRobert Greenwood, afterwards (like the poet’s brother,Christopher)aFellowofTrinityCollege,Cambridge.AnnTyson,Wordsworth’s landlady, rememberedhim simplyas‘t’ladwi’tflute’.

229–30

To patriotic and domestic love\Analogous: A veryWordsworthianwayofthinking:themoonisvaluednotforitself(orforitsliteraryassociations),butinthedeep-down way in which country and family are valued.Compare the patriotic sonnets of 1802–3, heart-feltbecausetheyareabouttheprotectionofawayoflife.

236 huts:cottages(builtoflocalslate).

240 intervenient:experiencedinthemidstofotherconcerns.

251 that false secondarypower: analytic reason, the tendencyto categorize – at the expense of an imaginativeperceptionofwholeness.

255–6

Tothee…Theunityofallhasbeenrevealed:Coleridge,asaUnitarian, believed in a single God ‘who from eternitydoth teach|Himself inall, andall things inhimself (FM66–7). The envy in Wordsworth’s tones is a reminderthat his own faith had no such clear doctrinal basis.Always drawn to the One Life, he seldom commitshimselftoit(asinThePedlarandTinternAbbey,spring-summer1798)exceptwhenColeridgeisnear.

258–9

to class the cabinet|Of their sensations: to classify as in ashow-case; a rare instance in which Wordsworth’slanguagecanberelatedindetailtoaphilosophicaltext.His metaphor of the mind as stocked like a museumcollection is drawn from chapter 2 of Locke’s Essay onHumanUnderstanding:‘Thesensesatfirstletinparticularideas,andfurnishtheyetemptycabinet’.

262 Hardtasktoanalyseasoul:RaphaelinParadiseLostreferstonarratingthewarinHeavenas‘Sadtaskandhard’(V564).TacitlyWordsworthisclaimingforhisowntaskanimportancecomparabletoMilton’s.

269 Theprogressofourbeing: Inhisquestfororigins,Miltonhad charted human progress from the Garden of Eden;Wordsworthwilltraceitfromtherelationshipofmothertoinfantintheworldofeverydayexperience.

271–2

when his soul… earthly soul: when his pre-existent soulbecomes conscious of its new earthly condition (ratherthanmy timidNorton reading, ‘whenhis soul formsanevidentrelationwiththesoulofanotherhuman-being’).Though we tend to associate it with Wordsworth’sIntimationsof1804,theconceptofpre-existenceisfoundin Coleridge as early as his sonnet on the birth ofHartley,September1796: ‘andsomehavesaid|Welivedereyetthisrobeoffleshwewore’(11.5–6).

275 Likeanawakeningbreeze:AdraftinMSRVhadgonestillfurther: ‘This passion is the awakening breeze of life’

(Parrish 188–9). Behind this life-giving humanrelationshipofmotherandchildisthe ‘eternalspirit’ofWasItForThis:

ohbounteouspower,Inchildhood,inrememberabledays,HowoftendidthyloverenewformeThosenakedfeelingswhichwhenthouwouldstformAlivingthingthousendestlikeabreezeIntoitsinfantbeing.(11.109–14)

284 Tenaciousoftheforms:Thechildlearnsfromthefirstbystoringup‘forms’andassociationsoftheexternalworld;cf. the ‘forms of beauty’ that are carried away by theadultpoetofTinternAbbey23ff.,enablinghimlater,‘midthe din Of towns and cities’, to ‘see into the life ofthings’.

286 apprehensive: suited to learning. habitude: relationship –not elsewhere used byWordsworth, but known to himthrough Coleridge’s section of Southey’s Joan of Arc(1795),‘holiesthabitude|Ofconstantfaith’(II15–16).

288–90

thereexists…sense:AsF.R.Leavis longagopointedout(Revaluation, London, 1936, 160) there is a clear linkwithTA 101–2: ‘Amotion and a spirit, that impels|Allthinking things, all objects of all thought’. In effect themother’s ‘belovèd presence’ has replaced the divine‘presence’ofTA95.

293–4

Thegravitationandthefilialbond…world:AsinWasItForThis, Wordsworth is concerned with ‘those first-bornaffinitieswhichfit|Ournewexistencetoexistingthings’(11. 120–1), but it is by virtue of his bond with themother that thechild isapartofnature (subject to thegravitationalpulloftheearth).

302 theonegreatmind:God.

303 creatorand receiverboth: In termsofBiographia Literaria

chapter 13, the child is capable of the god-like highestpowers – at once creative and perceptive – of theprimaryimagination.Thoughhismajordefinitionswereyet to come, Coleridge (on whom Wordsworth’sformulationcertainlydepends)hadbeenthinkingofthehumanimaginationasimitatingGod’screativityatleastsincetheSlaveTradelectureof1795.

304–5

Working but in alliance… beholds: A retreat from theposition in Tintern Abbey, where the transcendental‘presence’ had dwelt equally in the mind and the bluesky, ‘impelling’both.Thechildisnowdistinctfromthenatural world with which he forms an imaginativealliance.

315–16

thisinfantsensibility…ourbeing:Portrayedatfirstasthechild at the breast, the infant babe has moved into asymbolic realm, ‘powerful’ in anarrayof emotions thathe could not possibly have experienced. Wordsworth,however, refuses to think of him as unordinary: hissensibilityisthebirthrightofourbeing.

320 chamois: agile mountain antelope, probably seen byWordsworthintheAlps.

321 a trouble came into my mind: The phase of lateadolescence recorded in Pedlar 187–9: ‘he waso’erpowered|By nature, and his spirit was on fire|Withrestlessthoughts’.

324 The props of my affections: Boyish sports which had‘collaterally’supportedthegrowingloveofnature.

328 influxes:influences.

338–42

every season… else unknown: Short-lived relationshipsthat each new season offers (with spring flowers, orsummer fulness, or falling leaves, or frost) are now,throughthepoweroflove,permanentlyrecordedinthemind.

344 ‘best society’: It is Adam who, rather surprisingly,comments in Eden, ‘For solitude sometimes is bestsociety’(PLIX249).

347 gentle agitations: Not dependent on ‘By’ in the previousline,butthelastiteminthelistthatfollows‘Hence’in1.343.

351–71

ForIwouldwalk…pursue:WrittenoriginallyinFebruary1798 todescribe thePedlar; adapted forThe Prelude inautumn1799bythesimpleturningof‘he’to‘I’.

358 ghostly: A range of meanings seems to be appropriate,from‘sacred’to‘otherworldly’to‘insubstantial’.

366 obscure:Stressedonthefirstsyllable;cf.PLII132,‘withobscurewing’.WordsworthisBurkeaninhisassociationofobscuritywith the sublime; seeSublime andBeautifulPart II, section iv, ‘A clear idea is another name for alittleidea’.

377–8

asuperaddedsoul,|Avirtuenotitsown:Penetratingtothe‘latent qualities|And essences of things’ (seeing perhapsintotheirlife),theadolescentWordsworthismovedbyapowerthatweprobablyassociatewithhisowncreativity(see11.381–95below),butwhichhefeelsasanexternalpreternaturalforce.

379 thehoursofschool:From6or6.30a.m.inthesummer.

380 ourlittlelake:EsthwaiteWater.

382–3

afriend…loved:JohnFleming,ofwhomWordsworthhadwritteninTheValeofEsthwaite,‘FriendshipandFlemingarethesame’.

391–2

I sat… jutting eminence: Thomson, Seasons II 1042, ‘Sadonthejuttingeminencehesits’.

401 prospect:landscape.

411 plastic: shaping, creative; another Coleridgeanword, cf.EolianHarp46–8:

aso’erthemsweepsPlasticandvast,oneintellectualbreeze,AtoncethesoulofeachandGodofall.

414–17

A local spirit… communed: The spirit (broadly to beequatedwith imagination) is ‘local’ in the sense that itreflectsWordsworth’sindividuality,refusingtosubscribeto ‘general tendency’ (the norms of human behaviour).Mostly, however, it is willing to take second place to‘external things’ (the forms of nature with which themindinteracts).

417 auxiliar:enhancing.

424–5

Hence my obeisance… transport: Wordsworthparadoxicallygiveshis‘obeisance’(allegiance)tonature,andexperiences‘transport’(rapture–againthesensationofbeing‘carriedaway’),becausehisimaginationisabletodominateher,enhancetheeffectofherworkingsuponthemind.

426 still:always.

428 analyticindustry:rationalthinking.

432 interminablebuilding:vaststructure(withinthemind).

437–41

or,fromexcess…ownenjoyments:Wordsworthisthinkingof important lines in the1798 textof Frost atMidnight,notretainedinlaterversions:

thelivingspiritinourframe,Thatlovesnottobeholdalifelessthing,TransfusesintoallitsowndelightsItsownvolition…(11.21–4)

446–64

Pedlar: 204–22, adapted for The Prelude autumn 1799,and incorporating (in the first person) Wordsworth’s

centralpantheiststatementofbelieffromFebruary1798:‘In all things|He saw one life, and felt that itwas joy.’FaithintheOneLifeisattributedtothepast(thepoet’s‘seventeenthyear’),yetbyimplicationhaslastedtillthepresentday(seell.46sff.below).

463 grosser prelude of that strain: sensual enjoyment thatprefacesthehigherpleasuresofresponsetotheOneLife.

465 If thisbeerror:Asuddenconcessionthatreproduces thepatternofTA5off.:‘Ifthis|Bebutavainbelief…’Andcf.Shakespeare,Sonnet116(‘Letmenottothemarriageoftrueminds|Admit impediments…’): ‘If thisbeerroranduponmeproved,[Ineverwrit,nornomaneverloved.’

478–87

if in these times… dismay: Wordsworth is drawing on aletter fromColeridge of September 1799 urging him toincorporateinTheRecluseanaddressto

those, who, in consequence of the completefailureoftheFrenchRevolution,havethrownupallhopesoftheameliorationofmankind,andaresinking into an almost epicurean selfishness,disguising the same under the soft titles ofdomesticattachmentandcontemptforvisionaryphilosophes.

479 waste:desert.

481–2

whengoodmen|Oneveryside falloff:BestknownamongthosewhorenouncedtheirradicalviewsatthistimewasJamesMackintosh,authorofVindiciaeGallicae(1791),apoint-by-point reply toBurke’s hostileReflections on theFrenchRevolution.

489 more than Roman confidence: Maxwell instances theRoman general, Varro, commended after his defeat byHannibal at Cannae (216 BC) for not despairing of theRepublic.

496–7

Thou,myfriend…otherscenes:Addressinghisinfantson,Hartley,ColeridgehadwritteninFrostatMidnight,‘thoushalt learn farother lore,|And in farotherscenes!For Iwasreared|Inthegreatcity’(11.50–2).Thistimethereare no inverted commas, but Wordsworth hasconsciously roundedoff the1799Prelude byquoting inconclusion the poem quoted at the outset (‘my “sweetbirthplace”’,1.8).

501–5

Theinsinuatedscoff…love:Cf.‘thesneersofselfishmen’and‘greetingswherenokindnessis’(TA130–1).

509–14

Fare theewell…mankind:Asigning-offof thepoem,butalso a parting. While Wordsworth and Dorothy wereabouttomoveintoDoveCottage,Grasmere,ColeridgeinNovember 1799, when these lines were written, haddecidedtogobacktohiscareerasajournalistwiththeMorningPostinLondon.

THEPRELUDESOF1805AND1850

Linenumbersinboldtyperefertothe1850text.

BookFirst1–54 Commonly referred to as the Glad Preamble (see

Wordsworth’sbackwardglance,VII1–4),11.1–54seemto have been composed on 18–19November 1799 andinsertedinThePreludec.lateJanuary1804|Theyaretherecord of a mood of exuberance and optimism asWordsworth walked from Ullswater to Grasmere toarrange the renting of Dove Cottage, where he andDorothy would live until 1808. Among literal-mindedscholarsthepoet’smetaphorofleavingbehindhimacitycaused confusion thatwas not resolved until 1970; see

John Alban Finch, ‘Wordsworth’s Two-Handed Engine’,BicentenaryStudies1–13.

1–4 there isblessing…gives:Cf.ToMySister5–8, ‘There isablessingintheair,|Whichseemsasenseofjoytoyield…’andCowper,Task I 155–6, ‘wehaveborne|The rufflingwind,scarceconsciousthatitblew’.

2, 3,5

it…it…its:Aclearcaseofthepoet’sexecutorsignoringhisintentions.Theprinter’scopy,MSE,reads‘he…he…his’,makingclearhisintentiontopersonalizethebreeze.

6–7 a house|Of bondage: The poet’s sense of release isexpressed in a quotation fromExodus 13.3: ‘AndMosessaid unto the people, Remember this day in which yecameoutfromEgypt,outofthehouseofbondage.’

8 immured:walledup;Wordsworth’sbackwardreferenceatVIII 347–53 suggests that hismetaphor of the city is acompound of London and the walled city of Goslar, inSaxony,where1799Part Iwaswritten.For thestateofmindrepresentedbythepoet’scitymetaphors,seeLucyNewlyn,‘InCityPent’,RES,November1981,408–28.

9 at large: Cowper, Task III 18–19, ‘I feel myself atlarge,|Courageous,andrefreshedforfuturetoil.’

15 Theearthisallbeforeme:AnallusiontothebeautifullastlinesofParadiseLost,asAdamandEve–neverbeforesohuman–aredrivenoutofEden:

Some natural tears they dropped, but wipedthemsoon;Theworldwasallbeforethem,wheretochooseTheirplaceofrest,andProvidencetheirguide.They hand in hand, with wandering steps andslow,ThroughEdentooktheirsolitaryway.

Wordsworth’s poem starts whereMilton’s leaves off. Hetoo is beginning a new life, but does so joyously andvoluntarily.

17–18

shouldtheguideIchoose…cloud:AdamandEvehadbeenallocatedProvidence as their guide;Wordsworth is freeto choose, and chooses nature – at her least solemn(here, ‘a wandering cloud’, at ll. 31–2, ‘a twig, or anyfloatingthing|Upontheriver’).

20 Trances…mind:Animportantself-borrowing,see41–7n.below,andParrish116–17.

23–4 Thatburden…wearyday:ReworkingofTinternAbbey39–41: ‘the burden of the mystery… the heavy and thewearyweight|Ofallthisunintelligibleworld’.

31–45

Wordsworth’s revisions to 1805 I 33–54 arecharacteristic of many throughout the poem thatestablish the voice of 1850: weaker in rhythm, oftenmore formal in diction, tending to smooth awayeccentricity, and to sacrifice power, in the name ofexactitude.

41–7 For I, methought… creation: Drawn, togetherwith 1. 20above, from inspired jottings in MS JJ, October 1798(Parrish 116–17). For larger implications, seeIntroduction;forliteraryassociationsofthewind,seeM.H.Abrams,‘TheCorrespondentBreeze’5–43.

46 redundant:overflowing,exuberant.

52 prowess in an honourable field: Especially thewriting ofTheRecluse;seeIntroduction.

55–271

Writtenc.lateJanuary1804toformalinkbetweentheexuberant Preamble and the muted, self-reproachfulopeningof1799 (‘Was it for this…’), incorporatedat1.271.

55 friend:Coleridge,towhomallversionsofThePreludeare

addressed.

57 measuredstrains:verse.

60–1 poeticnumberscame|Spontaneously:AclaimnowhereelsemadebyWordsworth.ThoughtwiceofferingspontaneityasanidealinthePrefacetoLyricalBallads1800,hehadbeen careful to stress that poetry was created at asecondary stage – not during the original moment ofemotion, but during an imaginative re-experiencing ofthatmoment.

74 ’Twasautumn,andacalmandplacidday:Avariantoftheopening line ofTheRuinedCottage: ‘’Twas summer andthesunwasmountedhigh’.

83 the veryhouse: DoveCottage, in the ‘one sweet vale’ ofGrasmere.

85–7 some work|Of glory… performed:Wordsworth did, as heintended,makea startonhis ‘workofglory’ soonafterarriving at Dove Cottage. Home at Grasmere, however,written largely in March 1800, and described inMS B(1806)asBookIofTheRecluse, failed todevelopashehad hoped. The Prelude and The Excursion would becompleted,assubordinatepartsofthelargerscheme,butthephilosophicalcentrepiecethatwastocarrythepoet’sredemptivemessagewouldneverbewritten.

88 genial:pleasant,warm,sympathetic.

90 thatbalancedme:keptmeintouchwithreality.

88–9 cloud|Ofcitysmoke:Wordsworth’saddingofdetailtohisphantomcityshouldbeseennotasproofthatitexisted,but as ‘unwillingness to submit the poetic spirit to thechains of fact and real circumstance’ (Fenwick Note toAnEveningWalk).

104 Eolian visitations: moments of poetic inspiration; theeolian harp, played on by the wind (and named after

Aeolus, Greek god of winds), is a favourite romanticimageforinspiration;seeColeridge,EolianHarp(1795),Dejection:AnOde (1802);Shelley,Ode to theWestWind(1819),etc.

105 defrauded:betrayed(bythelackofacreativebreeze).

102–3

shed|Mild influence: ‘the Pleiades… shedding sweetinfluence’(PLVII374–5).

112 sabbath:dayofrest,thus‘peacefulness’.

106 threedays: An unexplained late correction of1805 ‘twodays’; the distance covered, from the foot of UllswaterovertheKirkstonePasstoGrasmere,wasapproximately21miles.

115 myhermitage:AppropriatetoWordsworthastherecluse,dedicating himself to ‘The holy life of music and ofverse’.

121 self-congratulation:pleasureinhisgoodfortune;used(aswas ‘complacency’ at the time) without the modernimplicationofsmugness.

124–7

some determined aim… interference: Conscious offollowing in Milton’s footsteps, Wordsworth portrayshimself as searching for suitable themes for an epic,modernorfromantiquity.Thereisnoreasontobelievehe actually did so (see Jonathan Wordsworth, ‘ThatWordsworth Epic’,WC, winter 1980, 34–5). Not till 1.228doesthepoetmentionhistrueambition,towriteaphilosophicalcentrepieceforTheRecluse.

130 phantomsofconceit:images,mentalconceptions,thataretobeembodied innarrative (given ‘a frameofoutwardlife’).1850‘airyphantasies’confirmsthatWordsworthisthinkingofShakespeare’sgreatlinesonpoeticcreativity,MidsummerNight’sDreamVi14–17:

asimaginationbodiesforthTheformsofthingsunknown,thepoet’spenTurnsthemtoshapes,andgivestoairynothingAlocalhabitationandaname.

132–3

to such beings temperately… heart: Wordsworth hadhoped,withduemoderation(’temperately’),toconferhisown oppressive feelings upon ‘beings’ created by theimagination.

143–4

gifts|Of humbler industry: shorter poems, that would beeasiertowrite,andmoreimmediatelyrewarding.

151–2

motherdove|Sitsbrooding:‘Dove-likesatstbrooding’(PLI21);Milton’sreferenceistotheHolySpiritbroodingoverChaos,andmakingitfruitful.

153–4

goadings on… groves: Cf. the ‘tempest’ and ‘redundantenergy’ of the Preamble (1. 46 above), and Castle ofIndolenceStanzas35–6,‘hisownminddid,likeatempeststrong,|Come to him thus, and drove the weary manalong’.

165–6

Nor am I naked…Forms, images:More than other poetsWordsworth values the ability to carry ‘external things’withinthemind;cf.TinternAbbey24–5, ‘Theseformsofbeautyhavenotbeentome|Asisalandscapetoablindman’seye’.

169 manners:customs,observedwaysoflife.

178 Proudspring-tideswellings:‘tide’iseffectivelyapun:hightidesofspringtimearenot(inWordsworth’simage)tobeconfused with a ‘sea’ of inspiration consistently at thefull.

180 Romantic tale… unsung: Before writing Paradise LostMiltonhadplannedanationalepiconKingArthur.

182 the groves of chivalry:Wordsworth turns fromMilton toSpenser.AsDeSelincourtnotes,theelaborationsin1850

(11.170–85)showa‘moralturnofthought’ofwhichthepoetryof1805hadbeen‘quiteinnocent’.

185 hallowingfaithful loves:Spenser inthefirststanzaofTheFaerieQueenespeaksof‘Fiercewarsandfaithfulloves’.

186–8

HowvanquishedMithridates…became|ThatOdin: Gibbon,who associates, but does not identify, the two figures,comments significantly, ‘This wonderful expedition ofOdin…might supply the noble groundwork of an epicpoem [but] cannot be received as authentic history’(Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776, I 246).WordsworthwouldalsoknowofMithridates(d.63BC)inPlutarch’sLives,andhaddoubtlessreadSouthey’sRaceofOdin(1795).

190 Sertorius: Roman general (c. 112–72 BC), the subject ofoneofPlutarch’sLivesandanallyofMithridates.Owen,Annotating Wordsworth 62–4, notes that Wordsworth’ssourceforthestorytoldin11.195–8isprobablyGeorgeGlas,HistoryoftheDiscoveryoftheCanaryIsles(1764).

199 like a pestilence:Wordsworth’s astonishing image of the‘soul|Of liberty’ as a disease seems to have beensuggestedbyanactualplaguebroughtbytheEuropeansto the Canaries. According to Glas two-thirds of the14,000fightingmensuccumbed.

205 that one Frenchman: ‘Dominique de Gourges, a Frenchgentleman who went in 1568 to Florida to avenge themassacreof theFrenchby theSpaniards there’ (note tofirst edition, drawn from Hakluyt’s Navigations).Wordsworth’slanguage–‘Wentsingleinhisministry’(1.208), ‘Withering the oppressor’ (1. 211) – conceals astoryofbloodthirstyrevengethatwouldnothavemadeaveryheroicpoem.

211 Gustavus:GustavusIofSweden(1496–1560),whoraisedsupport among theminers of Dalecarlia and in 1521–3

freedthecountryfromDanishrule.

213 Wallace: William Wallace (c. 1272–1305), Scottishgeneralandpatriot,capturedandexecutedbyEdwardI;broughttoWordsworth’smindbytheHighlandwalkingtour of August 1803. ‘Passed two of Wallace’s caves’,Dorothyrecordsonthe21st,‘ThereisscarceanotedgleninScotlandthathasnotacaveforWallaceorsomeotherhero.’

226–8

beauteous fabric… unsubstantial: From Prospero’s ‘Ourrevelsnowareended…’TempestIVi148–63.

228–38

Then, last wish… clearer insight: Two months afterevoking in these lines the ‘awful burden’ of writing acentral section for The Recluse (The Excursion wasplannedbyMarch1804,andThePreludewasalsotobepartofthescheme),WordsworthwaswritingdesperatelytoColeridge toask for instructions.Coleridge,whowasthought to be dying, had promised a ‘letter on TheRecluse’. ‘Icannotsay’,Wordsworthwroteon29March,‘whataloaditwouldbetomeshouldIsurviveyouandyoudiewithoutthismemorialleftbehind.’

233–4

immortalverse…Orpheanlyre:Orpheuswasthoughtofasphilosopher as well as poet-musician. Wordsworth ispiecing together phrases from Milton: ‘airs|Married toimmortal verse’, L’Allegro 136–7, ‘Orphean lyre’, PL III17.

239–40

amockery…virtue:soindecisiveastobecapableneitherofvicenorofvirtue.

248 Doth lock my functions up: Pope, Imitations of HoraceEpistle I i 39–40, ‘So slow the unprofitable momentsroll,|Thatlockupallthefunctionsofmysoul’(notetheuse of ‘unprofitably’ in 1. 269;Wordsworth knewPopeextremelywell).

262 interdict:prohibition;pronounced‘interdite’.

265 absoluteaccomplishment:completesuccess,fulfilment.

270–1

Like a false steward… renders nothing back: In thecapitalist parable, Matthew 25. 14–30, the steward isrebukedforburying,ratherthaninvesting,his‘talents’ofsilver.Making silent use of the pun (themodernwordactuallyderivesfromtheparable),Wordsworthconvictshimself of failure to make use of God-given poetictalents. After more than five years he thus neatlyprovidesanantecedentfor‘this’inthequestioningwithwhichhisworkonThePreludehadoriginallybegun.

271 Was it for this:Wordswithwhich both the firstPreludedraft (Was It For This, above) and Part I of 1799 hadopened.TheremainderofBookIin1805(and1850)isaversion of Part I, revised in late January 1804, andwithout the ‘spots of time’ sequence (1799 I 258–374).For the repeatedquestioningof11.271–85, see1799 Iin.

275 holms:flatgroundbytheriver.

278 ‘sweetbirthplace’:DrawnfromColeridge,FM33;see1799I8n.

284 earnest:foretaste,pledge.

284 ashatteredmonument:CockermouthCastle.

296 coursed:raced.

298 groundsel:ragwort;see1799I22–3n.

302 Indian plains: American Indian (as in Complaint of theForsakenIndianWoman,1798).

306 Fostered… fear: nurtured (in Burkean terms) by thesublimeaswellasthebeautiful;cf.1799|68–80.

308 belovèd vale: Esthwaite, site of Hawkshead GrammarSchool.

306–7

EreIhadtold|Tenbirth-days:Therightdate(Wordsworthwas nine), as against 1805 (eight) and 1799 1258–8(seven).

317 springes: snares; as atHamlet I iii 115, ‘Ay, springes tocatchwoodcocks’. For aneighteenth-centuryaccountofwoodcock-snaringonthefells,see1799I34n.

327 toils:Adoublemeaning:‘trap’and‘labours’.

326 cultured: under cultivation (as opposed to the hillsides,merelygrazedbysheep).

339 lodge:nest.

342 theraven’snest:Ravensareadangertolambs;theboy’s‘inglorious’purposewastoclaimthebountypaidbytheparish to those who destroyed their nests. He wasprobably let down the rockface on a rope (note 1850’suse of the plural: ‘Moved we as plunderers’, ‘thoughmean|Ourobject’).

345 amain:strongly.

340 Dust as we are… grows: A line of pious self-abasementfirstappearinginthebasetextofMSD,c.January1832(whenthepoetwas62).

352 dark:mysterious.

363 nature: A replacement, in January 1804, for the sub-classicalspirit-worldof1799I68–81.

360–1

StraightIunloosed…shore:Areplacementfor1805376–88,cutin1832.LI.376–82(introducedin1805)arenogreat loss, but the cutting of 11. 383–8 (going backthrough1799totheearlyJJdrafts)weakensthelead-intothisgreatepisode.

376 Patterdale:Ullswater.

388 Though bent on speed: ‘As one who… bates at

noon|Thoughbentonspeed’(PLXII1–2).

393–4

onetrack…sparklinglight:MaxwellpointstoaColeridgeecho,‘tracksofshiningwhite’(AM266).

406 a huge cliff: Probably Black Crag, appearing behindStybarrowCrag(the ‘craggysteep’)astheboyrowsoutfromtheshore.

407 instinct:imbued.

422 blank desertion: As the avengingmountain-forms invadehis mind, the boy is ‘deserted’ by visual reassurance,mentalpicturesofday-to-dayexistence.

428–89

One of only five passages of The Prelude known toWordsworth’s contemporaries before his death in 1850.Printed by Coleridge in The Friend, 28 December 1809(with the title Growth of Genius from the Influences ofNatural Objects on the Imagination in Boyhood and EarlyYouth), and byWordsworth himself in collections from1815.

428–31

Wisdomandspirit…motion:Inplaceofthepolytheismof1799I130–2,Wordsworthnowoffersamonotheisticbutnot specifically Christian conception, close to theimmanent life-force of Tintern Abbey but with anemphasis on pervading wisdom. The change is largelyoneofpresentation.

435 vulgarworksofman:commonman-madeobjects.

443 stinted:grudged,partial.

460–1

Allshod…ice:AsMaxwellpointsout,areminiscenceofErasmusDarwin’sBotanicGarden(1791)Iiii570,‘Hango’ertheslidingsteel,andhissalongtheice’.

450 reflex:reflection;Wordsworthtried‘shadow’(1799),then‘image’(1805),beforeachievingwhatissurelythemostsatisfactoryreading.

486 her diurnal round: Cf. Lucy, ‘Rolled round in earth’sdiurnal course|With rocks and stones and trees’ (ASlumberDidMySpiritSeal7–8;)bothpassagesarerelatedtoMiltonPLVII22, ‘Within thevisiblediurnal sphere’,andbotharewrittenc.November1799.

487 train:succession.

497 Impressed: stamped, printed. characters: marks, letters,signs.

501 Worklikeasea:seethe;seeCowper,TaskVI737–8,‘thistempestuous state of human things|Is merely as theworkingsofasea’.

511 milk-white clusters: hazel-nuts; a reference to Nutting,publishedasaseparatepoeminLyricalBallads1800,butatfirstwrittenforThePrelude.

538 With crosses…o’er: noughts and crosses (American tick-tack-toe);Wordsworthhas inmindapassage inPLVIII83, ‘With centric and eccentric scribbled o’er’, wheremanisbeingmockedforattemptingtomaptheheavens.

543 loo: eighteenth-century card game,mentioned by Pope,whoseinfluencebecomesmoreobviousinthesuccessful1805 elaboration of the mock-heroic in Wordsworth’shome-amusementssection.

549 plebeiancards:Cf.Pope,Rapeof theLock III54, ‘Gainedbutonetrumpandoneplebeiancard’.

562–4

Meanwhile abroad… silent tooth: Based on Cowper’sWinter Evening – ‘how the frost|Raging abroad, and theroughwind,endear|Thesilenceandthewarmthenjoyedwithin’ (Task IV 308–10) – but with more pointedallusiontoAmiens’songinAsYouLikeItIIvii:

Blow,blow,thouwinterwind,Thouartnotsounkind

Asman’singratitude:Thytoothisnotsokeen…

569 yellings: Used of animal noises (and objects) at thisperiod,aswellashumanbeings.

570 BothnicMain:thenorthernBaltic.

571 sedulous: anxious; Milton is ‘Not sedulous by nature toindite|Wars,hithertotheonlyargument|Heroicdeemed’(PLIX27–9).

572 extrinsicpassion: feelingsunrelatedto thenaturalscenesthatweretohaveapermanenteffectonthepoet’smind.

578 hallowed and pure motions of the sense: In Maxwell’swords, the poet seems to be ‘recalling, and reversing’Measure for Measure I iv 59, ‘The wanton stings andmotionsofthesense’.

580 intellectual: spiritual; as in Shelley’s Platonist Hymn toIntellectualBeauty.

562–3

withbeauty|Oldascreation:Wordsworth’soriginalphrase,‘Withtheeternalbeauty’,persistingfromWasItForThisthrough1799 and 1805, has been modified in case itsPlatonismshouldseemunorthodox.

591 organic:sensuous.

609 vulgar:ordinary,unremarkable.

618–19

ill-sorted unions… fairies: The union of Titania andBottom,forinstance,inMidsummerNight’sDream.

628–9

in their substantial lineaments… brain: The process ofstoringupvisualimagesisdescribedinsimilarlyphysicalterms at Pedlar 32–4: ‘on his mind|They lay likesubstances, and almost seemed|To haunt the bodilysense’.

631 theimpressivedisciplineoffear:thepoweroffeartostamp‘impressions’onthememory.

639–40

invisible links|Allied to the affections: linksof association,valuedbyWordsworthfortheircapacitytoconserveandbring to mind past emotions (‘affections’); see 1799 I324–6n.Wordsworth’sthinkingisapersonalredefinitionof the associationism of Hartley’sObservations on Man,which in the mid-1790s had provided the theologicalbasisofColeridge’sUnitarianism.

643–4

erethebirth…snows:attributing‘flowers’ofmemorytoaperiodoflifeforwhichintruththememoryisblank;seetheverylateemendationof1850,garrulousbutexplicit.

653 honourable toil:Wordsworth,when hewrote these linesinFebruary1799,expectedtogostraightaheadwithTheRecluseratherthanextendinghisautobiography.

660 visionarythings: thingsseenintheimagination,withtheinwardeye.

664–71

Wordsworth’s concluding paragraph, written lateJanuary1804, statesplainly toColeridgewhy it is thathepreferstoshelvethewritingofTheRecluse infavourofanextendedPrelude;seeIntroduction.

BookSecond

7 nourishmentthatcameunsought:Wordsworth’sthemeinBookIhasbeenthechild’sunconsciousresponsetotheworkings of nature upon his imagination. Book IIwillshow how nature in adolescence comes to be‘sought|Forherownsake’.

8–9 Fromweek…tumult:Thephaseofchildhoodsummedupin TA 74–5 as ‘The coarser pleasures of my boyishdays,|Andtheirgladanimalmovements’.

18 abeatingmind:Prospero,‘aturnortwoI’llwalk|Tostillmybeatingmind’(TempestIVi162–3).

20 And needs: Read: ‘and yet needs’. monitory voice:warning, admonishment.Memoriesof the spontaneousjoysofyouthshowhowpaltryaretheachievementsofadulthood.1850‘Norneeds’showsachangeofmindinthe poet. Memories of youth are now seen asinsufficient intheireffect:everyoneneedsthewarningtobewareofprideinintellect.

28 mycorporealframe:body;‘thiscorporealframe’(TA44).

30 self-presence: actuality, immediacy (associatedwith thecontinuing imaginative ‘presence’ of the poet’s former‘self’).

35 oursmallmarket-village:Hawkshead.

39 smartassembly-room:HawksheadTownHall,built1790,and covered with gravel stucco (‘rough-cast’) andwhite-wash.ForWordsworth’sconsistentdislikeof theobtrusivenessofwhitebuildings,seeGuidetotheLakes.

46 huckster:stall-keeper.

52 collaterallyattached:takenintoaccountastheboysplantheir otherwise less enjoyable (‘grateful’, 1. 54)pastimes.

57 plainofWindermere:levelsurfaceofthelake.

58 bourne: destination; cf. Hamlet HI i 79–80, ‘Thatundiscoveredcountry, fromwhosebourne|No travellerreturns’.

60–2 asisterisle…lilies-of-the-valley:Namingtheislandsthatform the ‘archipelago’ of Windermere, West notes:‘Grassholme: isatpresentshadedwithagroveofoaks.And two smaller islets borrow their names from thelilies-of-the-valley which decorate them’ (Guide 56–7).unbrageouscovert:shadycanopy.

63–5 athirdsmall island…hermit’shistory: ‘Lady-holm,whereinancient timesstoodanoratory, isan isleofanoval

form, vested with coppice wood’ (West, Guide 56).Wordsworth clearly knew of the island’s associationwith theVirginMary,but in1799 and1805 preferredGothicimprecision: ‘oldstonetable’, ‘moulderedcave’,and a contemplative hermit (as in Tintern Abbey, butperhaps borrowed from St Herbert’s Isle,Derwentwater).1850putsitallstraight.

79 delicateviands:fooddesignedtotemptthepalate.

82 Sabinefare:Cf.Dryden,GeorgicsII777,‘frugalSabines’;Wordsworth may also be thinking of the frugality ofHoraceonhisSabinefarm.

83 Alittleweeklystipend:Wordsworth’spocket-moneywassixpence a week in his final year at school, butaugmented in January 1787, after the half-yearlyholiday, by an extra guinea (worth 42 ‘weeklystipends’).

91 board:table,stall.

101–2 some famed temple… Druids worshipped: Wordsworthassociates the stone circle at Swinside, near DuddonBridge, with Druids in a footnote to Evening Walk;Castlerigg,aboveKeswick(featuredinKeats’Hyperion)would also have been in hismind. The circle-buildersarenolongerbelievedtohavebeenDruids.

109–10

the antique walls|Of that large abbey: Furness Abbey,built by Cistercian monks in 1127 near Barrow-in-Furness (20miles fromHawkshead)was ‘dissolved’ in1537 under Henry VIII. Its roof-timbers, stripped oftheir valuable lead, had long since fallen byWordsworth’sday.

115–21

Tomorethaninlandpeace…quietness:Revisionof1799II. 112–17 in thenameof accuracy (as is sooften thecasewithWordsworth):onsecondthoughts,thecoastisflat,andtoofaraway.TreesatFurnesscannot

HearalldaylongthemurmuringseathatbeatsIncessantlyuponacraggyshore.

124 the cross-legged knight: ‘In themiddle space,where thefirstbaronsofKendalareinterred,liestheprocumbentfigure of aman in armour, cross-legged’ (West,Guide39).TheknightisnowintheAbbeymuseum.

125–35

thatsinglewren…suchmusic:

Like Keats in Bright Star, Wordsworth is using thebackground presence of Shakespeare to enhance amoment of border vision. The famous metaphor ofSonnet 73 – ‘Bare ruined choirs,where late the sweetbirds sang’ – is made actual, just as in The RuinedCottage the broken pitcher of Ecclesiastes becomes the‘useless fragment of a wooden bowl’. But though thechoirs become the nave of a palpable abbey, the birdremains invisible, intangible, its sourceless songconveyingthepresenceofthesublime.(BV119)

129–30

sobbings of the place|And respirations: A numinousadditionto1799.

139 that still spirit of the evening air: For the relation ofWordsworth’slinetothepolytheismof1799PartI,see1799II134n.above.

141 breathed:restedthehorses–gavethema‘breather’.

144 the level sand: Levens Sands, south of Barrow, whichwouldtaketheridersbacktoHawksheadviaGreenodd.

144/5 Omission of the Coniston episode (1799 II 140–78) istheonemajordifferencebetweenBook IIof1805andPartIIof1799.

147 aninn:theWhiteLion,Bowness(nowgone).

150 liveries:uniformedservants.

151 theblood-redwine:AphraseusedtosinistereffectintheBalladofSirPatrickSpens.

152 or ere: before. theHall: on Belle Isle, completed early1780s.

174 Theminstrel of our troop: Identified byWordsworth asRobertGreenwood, afterwards (like the poet’s brotherChristopher) a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.Ann Tyson, Wordsworth’s landlady, remembered himsimplyas‘t’ladwi’tflute’.

195–6 To patriotic and domestic love|Analogous: A veryWordsworthianwayofthinking:themoonisvaluednotfor itself (or for its literary associations), but in thedeep-down way in which country and family arevalued.Comparethepatrioticsonnetsof1802–3,heart-feltbecause theyareabout theprotectionofawayoflife.

202 huts:cottages(builtoflocalslate).

206 intervenient:experiencedinthemidstofotherconcerns.

219 succedaneum: remedy; science,with its reliance on the‘false secondarypower’ of analytic reason, ismerely asupporttousinourlackofimaginativevision.Wearetaughttocategorize,insteadofperceivingonenessandwholeness.

225–6 Tothee…Theunityofallhasbeenrevealed:Coleridge,asaUnitarian (at leastwhen these lineswerewritten in1799),believedinasingleGod‘whofrometernitydothteach|Himself inall,andall things inhimself (FM66–7). Wordsworth’s position was never so clear-cut; see1799II256n.

228–9 toclassthecabinet|Oftheirsensations:toclassifyasinashow-case; a rare instance in which Wordsworth’sthinkingcanberelatedindetailtoaphilosophicaltext.His metaphor of the mind as stocked like a museumcollection isdrawn fromchapter2ofLocke’sEssay onHuman Understanding: ‘The senses at first let inparticularideas,andfurnishtheyetemptycabinet’.

232 Hard task to analyse a soul: Raphael in Paradise Lostrefers tonarrating thewar inHeavenas ‘Sad taskandhard’ (V 564). TacitlyWordsworth is claiming for hisowntaskanimportancecomparabletoMilton’s.

239 Theprogressofourbeing:Inhisquestfororigins,MiltonhadchartedhumanprogressfromtheGardenofEden;Wordsworth will trace it from the relationship ofmothertoinfantintheworldofeverydayexperience.

241–2 whenhis soul…earthly soul:whenhis pre-existent soulbecomesconsciousof itsnewearthlycondition(ratherthanmytimidNortonreading,‘whenhissoulformsanevidentrelationwiththesoulofanotherhumanbeing’).Though we tend to associate it with Wordsworth’sIntimations of 1804, the concept of pre-existence isfoundinColeridgeasearlyashissonnetonthebirthofHartley,September1796;‘andsomehavesaid|Welivedereyetthisrobeoffleshwewore’(11.5–6).

244–57

Cutduringthedrasticrevisionsof1832and1838–9.

245 Like an awakening breeze: For important earlier phasesinWordsworth’sthinking,see1799II275n.

254 Tenaciousoftheforms:Thechildlearnsfromthefirstbystoring up ‘forms’ and associations of the externalworld;cf.the‘formsofbeauty’thatarecarriedawaybytheadultpoetofTinternAbbey23ff.,enablinghimlater,‘midthedin|Oftownsandcities’,to‘seeintothelifeofthings’.

256 apprehensive:suitedtolearning.habitude:relationship–notelsewhereusedbyWordsworth,butknowntohimthrough Coleridge’s section of Southey’s Joan of Arc(1795),‘holiesthabitude|Ofconstantfaith’(II15–16).

258–60

thereexists…sense:AsF.R.Leavislongagopointedout(Revaluation160), there isaclear linkwithTA101–2:‘Amotionandaspirit, that impels|All thinkingthings,all objects of all thought’. In effect the mother’s‘belovedpresence’hasreplacedthedivine‘presence’ofTA95.

263–4 Thegravitationand the filialbond…world: It is throughthebondwithhismotherthatthechildbecomesapartof nature (subject, in Wordsworth’s metaphor, to thegravitationalpulloftheearth);see1799II293–4n.

245–51

Is there a flower… harm: Lines added in 1832 thatsentimentalize the child’s responses, making him(perhaps)amorecrediblehumanbaby,butweakeningthe great imaginative claims made by the poetry of1799 and1805.Where before hewas ‘powerful in allsentiments of grief,|Of exultation, fear, and joy’ (1805270–1,cut1832),nowheisa‘Frailcreature…helplessasfrail’(1.254).

257 likeanagent:In1799and1805thechildhadworked‘asanagent’ofGod,nowhemerelyresemblesone.

273 creatorandreceiverboth:IntermsofBiographiaLiterariachapter13,thechildiscapableofthegod-likehighestpowers – at once creative and perceptive – of theprimaryimagination.Thoughhismajordefinitionswereyet to come, Coleridge (on whom Wordsworth’sformulationcertainlydepends)hadbeenthinkingofthehumanimaginationasimitatingGod’screativityatleastsincetheSlaveTradelectureof1795.

274–5 Working but in alliance… beholds: A retreat from theposition in Tintern Abbey, where the transcendental‘presence’haddwelt equally in themindand thebluesky,‘impelling’both.Thechildnowisdistinctfromthenatural world with which he forms an imaginativealliance.

285 theinfantsensibility…ourbeing:Portrayedatfirstasthechild at the breast, the infant babe hasmoved into asymbolicrealm,‘powerful’inanarrayofemotionsthathe could not possibly have experienced. Wordsworth,however, refuses to think of him as unordinary: hissensibilityisthebirthrightofourbeing.

290 chamois: agile mountain antelope, probably seen byWordsworthintheAlps.

291 a trouble came into my mind: The phase of lateadolescence recorded in Pedlar 187–9: ‘he waso’erpowered|Bynature,andhis spiritwason fire|Withrestlessthoughts’.

294 The props of my affections: Boyish sports which had‘collaterally’supportedthegrowingloveofnature.

298 influxes:influences.

308–12

every season… else unknown: Short-lived relationshipsthat each new season offers (with spring flowers, orsummer fulness, or falling leaves, or frost) are now,throughthepoweroflove,permanentlyrecordedinthemind.

314 ‘best society’: It is Adam who, rather surprisingly,comments in Eden, ‘For solitude sometimes is bestsociety’(PLIX249).

317 gentleagitations:Notdependenton ‘By’ in thepreviousline,butthefinaliteminalistthatfollows‘Hence’in1.313.

321–41

For I would walk… pursue: Written originally inFebruary1798 todescribe thePedlar; adapted forThePreludeinautumn1799bythesimpleturningof‘he’to‘I’.

328 ghostly: A range of meaning seems to be appropriate,from‘sacred’to‘otherworldly’to‘insubstantial’.

336 obscure:Stressedonthefirstsyllable;cf.PLII132,‘withobscure wing’. Wordsworth is Burkean in hisassociation of obscurity and the sublime; see SublimeandBeautifulPartII,sectioniv,‘Aclearideaisanothernameforalittleidea’.

347–8 a super added soul,|A virtue not its own: Penetrating tothe ‘latent qualities|And essences of things’ (seeingperhaps into their life), the adolescentWordsworth ismovedbyapowerthatweprobablyassociatewithhisown creativity (see 11. 381–95 below), but which hefeelsasanexternalpreternaturalforce.

349 thehoursofschool:From6or6.30a.m.inthesummer.

350 ourlittlelake:EsthwaiteWater.

352–3 a friend… loved: John Fleming, of whomWordsworthhad written in The Vale of Esthwaite, ‘Friendship andFlemingarethesame’.

341–2 or the vernal thrush… the moods: Rewording by thepoet’s executors to avoid his revision of 1838–9, inwhich‘thethrush,highperched,|Pipedtothewoodshisshrillreveillé’–soundedawake-upcall.

361–2 Isat…juttingeminence:Thomson,Seasons II1042, ‘Sadonthejuttingeminencehesits’.

346–7 wherefind|Faith…Ifelt:Thetonesofoneforwhomthe‘visionarygleam’haslongdisappeared.AgainanMSDrevisionof1838–9.

371 prospect:landscape.

381 plastic:shaping,creative;anotherColeridgeanword,cf.EolianHarp46–8:

aso’erthemsweepsPlasticandvast,oneintellectualbreeze,AtoncethesoulofeachandGodofall.

384–7 A local spirit… communed: The spirit (broadly to beequatedwithimagination)is ‘local’inthesensethatitreflects Wordsworth’s individuality, refusing tosubscribe to ‘general tendency’ (the norms of humanbehaviour). Mostly, however, it is willing to takesecond place to ‘external things’ (the forms of naturewithwhichthemindinteracts).

387 auxiliar:enhancing.

394–5 Hence my obeisance… transport: Wordsworthparadoxically gives his ‘obeisance’ (allegiance) tonature,andexperiences‘transport’(rapture–againthesensation of being ‘carried away’), because hisimaginationisabletodominateher,enhancetheeffectofherworkingsuponthemind.

396 still:always.

398 analyticindustry:rationalthinking.

402 interminablebuilding:vaststructure(withinthemind).

407–11

or, from excess… own enjoyments: Wordsworth isthinkingof important lines inthe1798textofFrostatMidnight,notretainedinlaterversions:

thelivingspiritinourframe,Thatlovesnottobeholdalifelessthing,TransfusesintoallitsowndelightsItsownvolition…(11.21–4)

416– Pedlar: 204–22, adapted for The Prelude autumn 1799,

34 and incorporating (in the first person) Wordsworth’scentral pantheist statement of belief from February1798:‘Inallthings|Hesawonelife,andfeltthatitwasjoy.’Faith in theOneLife isattributed to thepast (thepoet’s ‘seventeenthyear’),yetby implicationhas lastedtillthepresentday(see11.435ff.below).

413 the Uncreated: Wordsworth in 1850 409–14 not onlyreplaces the great pantheist assertionof1805429–30,but puts a careful theological distance between God,who is uncreated, and his adoring Creation.Hewrotethe original lines of joy and sharing at the end of theeighteenth century, aged 27; he revised them, withQueenVictoriaonthethrone,agedalmost70.

433 grosser prelude of that strain: sensual enjoyment thatprefaces the higher pleasures of response to the OneLife.

435 Ifthisbeerror:AsuddenconcessionthatreproducesthepatternofTA50ff.,‘Ifthis|Bebutavainbelief…’

448–57

if in these times…dismay:Wordsworth isdrawingonaletterfromColeridgeofSeptember1799urginghimtoincorporateinTheRecluseanaddressto

those,who, in consequence of the complete failure oftheFrenchRevolution,havethrownupallhopesoftheamelioration of mankind, and are sinking into analmostepicureanselfishness,disguisingthesameunderthesofttitlesofdomesticattachmentandcontemptforvisionaryphilosophes.

449 waste:desert.

451–2 whengoodmen|Oneverysidefalloff:Bestknownamongthosewhorenouncedtheirradicalidealsatthisperiodwas James Mackintosh, author of Vindiciae Gallicae(1791), a point-by-point reply to Burke’s hostileReflectionsontheFrenchRevolution.

459 more than Roman confidence: Maxwell instances theRomangeneral,Varro, commendedafterhis defeat byHannibal atCannae (216 BC) for not despairing of theRepublic.

466–7 Thou, my friend… other scenes: Addressing his infantson,Hartley,ColeridgehadwritteninFrostatMidnight,‘thoushaltlearnfarotherlore,|Andinfarotherscenes!ForIwasreared|Inthegreatcity’.

471–5 Theinsinuatedscoff…love:Cf.‘thesneersofselfishmen’and‘greetingswherenokindnessis’(TA130–1).

479–84

Fare thee well… mankind: While Wordsworth andDorothy were about to move into Dove Cottage,Grasmere, Coleridge in November 1799 (when theselineswerewritten)haddecidedtogobacktohiscareerasajournalistwiththeMorningPostinLondon.

BookThird

1–167

Probably composed inDecember 1801, as an extensionof the 1799 Prelude, to take account of the poet’sUniversity education. It is not clear how long at thisstagehe thoughthispoemwouldbe.The remainderofBookIIIbelongstolateJanuary1804.

1 it was a dreary morning: Wordsworth arrived inCambridgeon,orsoonafter,30October1787.

17 And at the Hoop… inn: As De Selincourt points out(defending the line against Matthew Arnold, whothoughtitpompous),Wordsworthfromthefirstadoptedaplayful,somewhatmock-heroic,toneinhisaccountofCambridge.

16 spirit:SometimesscannedbyWordsworth(andMilton)asamonosyllable;cf.IV153, ‘Andswellingsofthespirits,wasraptandsoothed’.

17 SomefriendsIhad:SmallasHawksheadGrammarSchool

was,WordsworthhadnineschoolfriendsatCambridgetosupporthiminhis‘strangetransformation’(1.30).

31 courts:Cambridgehas‘courts’,Oxford‘quadrangles’.

36–7 hair…rimytrees:VisitingherbrotherinDecember1788,Dorothyfoundthe‘smartpowderedheads’andacademicdress of Cambridge ‘odd’, ‘but exceedingly becoming’.rimy:coveredwithhoar-frost.

42–3 Smooth housekeeping…Liberal: Taken byOwen tomean‘hospitable both inside and outside the College’, butmaybeWordsworthisamorefortunateversionofLamb’sThomas Tame, Elia (1823) 8: ‘Thomas Tame was verypoor.Bothheandhiswifelookedoutwardlygentlefolks,whenIfearallwasnotwellatalltimeswithin.’

44 The Evangelist… was: St John’s College, Cambridge, isdedicated to the Evangelist; St John’s, Oxford, to theBaptist.

54 withamaleandfemalevoice:Thehourstrikestwice,firstwithatenorbell,thenwithatreble.

55 pealingorgan:Milton,IlPenseroso161–2, ‘letthepealingorganblow|Tothefull-voicedchoirbelow’.

62–3 The marble index… alone: Famous lines, added to ThePrelude in 1838–9, and seemingly distilled fromThomson’slittle-knownelegyonNewton:

Thenoiselesstideoftime,allbearingdownTovasteternity’sunboundedsea,Wherethegreenislandsofthehappyshine,Hestemmedalone…(11.125–8)

Newton’sstatueisbyRoubiliac,1755.

63 recusants:resistersofauthority.

65–6 Examinations…balance:SeeDaniel’sinterpretationofthewriting on the wall at Belshazzar’s feast: ‘Thou art

weighedinthebalances,andart foundwanting’ (5.27).As Maxwell points out, Wordsworth is punning:‘examination’derivesfromLatinexamen,abalance(pairofscales).

75–6 melancholy thoughts|From… family regards: The poet’sfamilyexpectedhimtodistinguishhimselfatCambridgeandgainaFellowshipatStJohn’s,ashisuncle,WilliamCookson, had done before him – and as his youngerbrother,Christopher,wassoontodoatnext-doorTrinity.Instead, he neglected his academic work, taking a BAwithouthonoursinJanuary1791.

81 whereforebecastdown: ‘Whyart thou cast down,Omysoul’(twicerepeatedinPsalmXLII,‘Asthehartpantethafterthewater-brooks’).

83–7 For(nottospeak…onefarmightier):Apiousreplacementof1838–9fortheboldclaim,‘WhyshouldIgrieve?Iwasachosenson’(originallyPedlar326).

101–7

What independent… night of death: Again piouselaboration in 1838–9 of a single line (1805 108) thathadcometoseemtoobold.

115 Incumbences:spiritualbroodings.

116 the upholder: Punctuation in the manuscripts makes itfairly certain that the ‘upholder’ is a spiritual principlewithintheself,equatedwith‘thetranquilsoul’.

121 That tolerates the indignities of Time: A memorable line,occurringfirstinanearlyrevisionto1805117–18thatisincorporatedinMSC:

WhichregulatesthemotionofalllifeAndtoleratestheindignitiesoftimeTilltimeshallcease.

The underlying and upholding soul is more clearly

immortal(inaChristiansense)in1850,butfromthefirstthere has been the implication that it is beyond, oroutside, time. Hence the awe-fulness of the poet’s‘incumbencies’ (spiritual brooding or overshadowing,OED).

121–67

RevisedandaugmentedversionofWordsworth’sclimaxtoThePedlar(11.330–56),transferredtoThePrelude inDecember1801.

128 quickening:life-giving;thematerialworldispresentedasdrawing nourishment like a plant from an underlyingspirit. When transcribing MS B in 1805–6, MaryWordsworthwassoconsciousofthegardeningmetaphorthat sheactuallywrote ‘quickening soil’ for ‘quickeningsoul’.

129 respired:breathed;cf.KublaKhan18, ‘Asif thisearthinfastthickpantswerebreathing’.

136–7

in a kindred sense|Of passion: Wordsworth’s ‘sense ofpassion’ (mood, experiencing of emotion) is akin tonature’sin1.133.

142–4

I hadaworld… intomymind: Though the ‘world’ existsonlywithin themind, the fact that it ‘lives’ forGod aswellasthepoetgivesitacertainactuality–enhancedbytheuseof’sympathies’in1.145.

152 higherup:furtherback.

164 its power: The ‘power’ that penetrates exterior forms tofindtheiressences,speaks ‘logic’ tothesouland ‘binds’thesenses,canonlybeimagination.

167 Didbindmyfeelings…chain:Wordsworth’ssensesarenot(asonemightthink)‘bound’inthesenseofrestrictedorcontrolled, but connected in a ‘chain’ of beneficialmemoriesandassociations.Cf.Pedlar77–81:

thecuriouslinks

BywhichtheperishablehoursoflifeAreboundtogether,andtheworldofthoughtExistsandissustained.

Insucha‘chain’thepoet’sdaysare‘Boundeachtoeachbynaturalpiety’(Rainbow9).

168 Andhere,o friend:Wordsworth ispresumably takinguphisstoryinlateJanuary1804.Thenewimpulsebehindcomposition is hiswish to send an extended version ofThe Prelude (in five books, see Introduction) withColeridgeonhisvoyage to theMediterranean in searchofhealth.

173–6

Of genius… within me: That Wordsworth should leavetheseastonishingclaimsunmodifiedin1850isamarkofhow little, despite concessions to Anglican thinking, hechangedinhisessentialbeliefs.

180 The yoke of earth: Wordsworth’s image of man asharnessed to existence as an ox is harnessed to theplough is used again twice within a matter of weeks:‘years[that]bringtheinevitableyoke’(Intimations127),and‘yoke-fellows|Tocustom’(V544–5below).

182 heroicargument:Miltondescribeshis ‘argument’(theme)in Paradise Lost as ‘Not less but more heroic’ than thebattle-poetryofHomerandVirgil (IX13ff.). Indrawingattention to the passage, Wordsworth tacitly placeshimselfinthisdistinguishedtradition.Lines171–83offerthe new theme of human consciousness, beside whicheven Milton’s Christian epic seems a narrative ‘ofoutwardthings|Donevisiblyforotherminds’.

188 Breathingsfor incommunicablepowers:AstrangelinethatWordsworth seems to have been perfectly happy with.Arethe‘breathings’inept,orinspired(likethebreathofI41)? Are they made by the poet in order to acquire

‘incommunicablepowers’,orinlieuofthem?

191 heartless:dejected.

191–2

there’s not a man… godlike hours: An assumption onwhich the entire Prelude depends. If moments oftranscendence are (however theoretically) within thereach of all, Wordsworth is Everyman, protected fromthechargeofegotism,andhispoemhasimportanceforusall.

201 Uphold… fainting steps: Seemingly a blend of twopassagesinSamsonAgonistes: theopening lines, ‘A littleonwardlendthyguidinghand|Tothesedarksteps’,plus1.666,‘Andfaintingspiritsuphold’.

211–12

empty noise|And superficial pastimes: Writing to DeQuincey a month or so after composing these lines,Wordsworth is anxious to hear whether Oxford has‘seduced [him] into unworthy pleasures or pursuits’ (6March 1804). ‘The manners of the young men’ atCambridge,herecalls,were‘veryfranticanddissolute.’

217–28

CouldIbehold…throughtheworld:Agoodexampleoftheunpunctuatable Wordsworth sentence, burdened byparenthesesandbarelysustainedbythetriplerepetitionof‘Could’.

226 miscellaneous… flowers: undergraduates, picturedimprobablyasagarlandofflowersthatCambridge,theiralmamater,wearsonherbrow.

232 spellsseemedonme:Iseemedtobeenchanted(toliveinamagicalworld).

235–6

my heart|Was social: A corrective to the stereotype ofWordsworth as solitary. To Matthews he wrote on 7November 1794, ‘I begin to wishmuch to be in town;cataractsandmountainsaregoodoccasionalsociety,buttheywillnotdoforconstantcompanions’.

240 divided:shared.

245 Unburdened, unalarmed, and unprofaned: A pattern thatWordsworthprobablyassociateswithMilton(’Unshaken,unseduced,unterrified’,PLVI89),thoughitisfoundalsoinSpenserandShakespeare,andimitatedbyCowperandothers.

248 Want:lack.

254 trivial:Asmallbutsignificantchangefrom1805‘lazy’.

259 thesecondact:‘openingact’(1805)hadfailedtotakeintoaccount the early phase when Cambridge turned thepoet’smindinonitself.

268 dark:unconscious;withundertonesperhapsof‘confused’and‘mysterious’.

271 precincts: surroundings; often those of a cathedral orplaceofworship.

274 Dictatorsat theplough:CincinnatuswasploughingwhensummonedtobecomeRomandictatorin458BC.

274 the accustomed garb: Figures in old portraits wore thesameacademicdressasthepoethimself.

276–7

Beside…IlaughedwithChaucer:TheReeve’sbawdytale,concerning twoCambridgeundergraduateswho ‘swyve’amiller’swifeanddaughter,issetatTrumpington.Thefact thatDorothyreadtheMiller’sTale (alsoverybroadin itshumour)aloud to thepoeton26December1801suggests that thispassagemayhavebeendraftedat thesametimeas1–167.

283 Icalledhimbrother:SpenserhadbeenatPembrokeHall,Cambridge,1569–76.

284–5

ourblindpoet…odious truth:Milton – also aCambridgeman–isseenbyWordsworthinpoliticalterms.Heisthe

republican who denounced the Restoration, as Abdiel(associatedwithMiltonhimself,andtwicereferredtoinParadise Lost as standing ‘single’) denounced the fallenangels.

286 Darknessbefore…behind: ‘Indarkness,andwithdangerscompassedround’(PLVII27).

291–2

rosy cheeks|Angelical: Milton, who went to Christ’sCollege,Cambridge in 1625 aged sixteen,was fair as aboy.

295 My class-fellow: Edward Birkett from HawksheadGrammarSchoolwasatMilton’soldCollege.

301 oratory:shrine.

304 libations: offerings of wine, poured out to gods of theclassicalworld.Wordsworthhimselfisnotdrinking,butmerely ‘intoxicated’ at the thought of following inMilton’sfootsteps.

309 ostrich-like: Late for chapel (which he was required toattend, see 11. 419–27 below),Wordsworth gathers uphisgown,orperhapsthesurpliceof11.316–18,inordertorunfaster.

310 opprobrious:disgraceful.

312 Cassandra: daughter of Priam, King of Troy, whosepredictions of the destruction of the city wereunwelcomeandignored.

319–20

inferior throng…burghers: townspeoplewhoaregroupedlowdowninthechapel,beneaththeorgan.

325 stationedmefor:placedmeinapositiontoreceive(notetheabasementof1850).

339–40

my life… floating island: Wordsworth’s bizarre imagederivesfromarecurringphenomenononDerwentwater,

described in Guide to the Lakes: ‘there occasionallyappears above the surface… a considerable tract ofspongy ground covered with aquatic plants, which iscalledtheFloatingIsland’(ProseWorksII184).

354 puissant:powerful.

371 Not that I slightedbooks:Dorothycommentson26June1791: ‘He reads Italian, Spanish, French, Greek andLatin, and English, but never opens a mathematicalbook.’Unfortunately,maths(suchwasthedominanceofNewton in eighteenth-century Cambridge) was the onesubject in which the University held exams, andacademicdistinctioncouldbeachieved.

380 magisterially:masterfully;cf.II387–95’

384 to science and to arts: It is not clear what distinctionWordsworth ismaking.Sometimesheuses sciencewithitsmodern sense (Natural Science), sometimes (as at 1.427 below) with its earlier, general meaning,‘knowledge’ (Latin scientia). ‘Arts’ is scarcely easier todefine at this period. Johnson’sDictionary encapsulatestheproblem:‘Art–Ascience;as,theliberalarts’.

387 Toilandpains:industriousness.

388 bodied forth: ‘as imagination bodies forth|The forms ofthingsunknown’(MidsummerNight’sDream:Vi14–15).

392 congregatingtemper:gregariousness,sociability.

401 Thepassingday:thepresent,ascomparedtoantiquity.

407 Republican, or pious: to be seen in terms either of theideal republic (of Plato or Harrington) or of primitiveChristianity.

408 emblazonry: embellishment, display of gorgeous colours(inthiscase,oftheimagination).

414 schools:academicprecincts.

415–16

toyourbells|Giveseasonablerest:Wordsworth’sadvicetothe‘PresidentsandDeans’ofCambridgecollegestostopcompulsory chapel is never toned down, despite hisbrother’sbecomingMasterofTrinity.

424–7

yourofficiousdoings…Suffers for this: FellowsofOxfordandCambridgecollegeswerenotpermittedatthisperiodtogetmarried.Whentheywishedtodoso,theyresignedtheir Fellowships and went into the Church, carryingwiththemtotheirparishestheattitudestowardsreligionformedattheUniversity.

427 science:knowledge,learning;see384n.above.

431 Collateral suspicion: Respect for learning goes withrespectforreligion.

435 raisedapile:Ofexpectations.

444–6

thoughtheshades…under-coverts:Extendinghismetaphorof the ideal university as a ‘virgin grove’, Wordsworthpictures day-to-day life in terms of cheerful woodlands(’shades’)and‘under-coverts’fullofsongbirds.indigentoflacking.

449 ruminatingcreatures:animalsthatchewthecud(commonalreadyasametaphorforthoughtfulness).

452–4

the pelican… sun himself: William Bartram, Travels inNorth and South Carolina (1791) 48: ‘Behold on yondecayed, defoliated cypress tree, the solitary woodpelican,dejectlypercheduponitsutmostelevatedspire.’Bartram is a source for ‘the deep romantic chasm’ ofKubla Khan, and for tropical imagery in Wordsworth’sRuth.

458–9

the impresses… gaudy region: external influences are ofmeregaudiness.

467 fathered:tracedtoasource;cf.the‘unfatheredvapour’ofVI527.

468 curfew-time:sun-down;leadingafrugallife,scholarsdidnotworkinthedarkbylightofexpensivecandles.

474–7

thatglorioustime…king:theRenaissance.

486–7

’An obolus… scholar’: ‘I ought to have asked yourpermission for the scholars and their obolus’(Wordsworth to Coleridge, 29 March 1804). In itsoriginalformthestorytellsofaByzantinegeneralfallenfrom power and begging in Constantinople with thewords‘GiveanoboltoBelisarius!’

489 Bucer, Erasmus, orMelanchthon: Famous early sixteenth-century scholars, Bucer working in Cambridge andErasmusinOxford.

492 darkly: confusedly; ‘For now we see through a glass,darkly’,ICorinthians13.12.

510 tax: blame; ‘Tax not divine disposal’, Samson Agonistes210.

513–14

passions… low and mean: Enumerated in 11. 533–5below.

518 shoal:crowd.

520 and not wanting love: 1850 ‘yet notwanting’makes theeasier reading; however,Wordsworth did not originallyseeanincongruityinthe‘easyminds’possessingloveofakind.

524–41

CutasearlyasMSC,c.1819.

540 theunder-soul:Notethereferencebackto‘theupholder…the tranquil soul’ of 1. 116, ‘Which underneath all

passionlivessecure’.

542 thisdeepvacation:Aquiet joke: term-timeatCambridgewasforWordswortha‘vacation’fromstrenuousthought.

546–9

ashepherd…beholds:Thomson,CastleofIndolence(1748)Istanza30;theshepherdisdivorcedfromreality,not,asonemightexpect,valuedforhisimaginativeresponse.

555 intervenient:thatwhich‘comesbetween’;cf.II206.

556 visionary: Cf. the poet’s first response to the sights ofCambridge, ‘Iwas the dreamer, they the dream’ (1. 28above).

557 bolted forth: driven into the open, like a hunted animal(inthiscase,forcedprematurelyintoadultlife).

563 to ensue: Unnecessary words that do not alter themeaningofWordsworth’ssentence,andseemtohavenogrammatical relation to what has gone before. Yet thelinespersistunchangedin1850.CouldWordsworthhaveintended ‘to ensure’? A transitive verb would do noharm.

584 Objectsembossed:standingoutinrelief.sedulous:anxious,diligent(aMiltonicusage,asatI571).

590–6

The surfaces… to watch: In evoking ‘the surfaces ofartificial life’Wordsworthhaswovenatapestry(’arras’)ofallusionstoSpenser,FQIIIxistanza28.state:formal,pompous.

610 humourists: eccentrics, ‘humour characters’; applied byLambmemorablytotheclerksoftheSouth-seaHouse.

618 hardly:forcefully.

630–43

SuggestedbyCowper,Task II699–750, ‘Incollegesandhalls, in ancientdays…’butwith some reminiscenceofShakespeare’s Sonnet 66. Though renouncing

personifications in the Preface to Lyrical Ballads,Wordsworth used them very effectively for satiricalpurposes.

634 Andsimplepleasure, foraging fordeath:Not an easy line.Pleasure either ‘forages’ on behalf of death, or actuallyseeks him.Wordsworth could have a situation inmindakin to that of Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Tale, with itsrevellerswhoseekdeath–andofcoursefindhim.

637 bald:crude,graceless.

644 notices:observations.

650 isstillwithinnocence:isalways,likeinnocence…

652 cabinet:display-case;asatII228.

657 quickens:enlivens,animates.

661 congress:assemblage,gathering.

669–71

Thusinsubmissiveidleness…away:Asat11.542–3above,Wordsworthplays the idlenessofCambridgeoffagainst‘labouring-time’intheoutsideworld.

BookFourth1–4 Apleasantsight…Windermere:Wordsworthwasreturning

toHawkshead,sceneofhisschooldays,atthebeginningof the Cambridge summer vacation of 1788. He hadcomeby coach toKendal, thenwalked tenmiles or so,via Crook, to the ridge at Cleabarrow, 500–600 feetaboveWindermere.

1 clomb:climbed;thestrongpastparticipleexistedbothinCumbrianspeechandasapoeticarchaism:‘Whileclombabovetheeasternbar|Thehornedmoon’(AM201–2).

11 thatsweetvalley:theValeofEsthwaite.

14 Charon: ferryman of the Greek Underworld, who

transported thesoulsof thedeadacross theRiversStyxandAcheron.Doubtless,asDeSelincourtcommented,an‘inaptallusion’,butpleasurableinitsincongruity.

17 my old dame: Ann Tyson, Wordsworth’s landlady atHawkshead,whodiedin1796aged83.

20 good creature: A term of affection – ‘creature’ literallymeaning ‘created one’ – not restricted at this period toanimals.

40 froward:impetuous.

53–4 mylatecourse…enthralment:lifeatCambridge.

66 habiliments:clothing.

101–8

A hundred times… yet again: As at 1799 II 166–74,Wordsworthworksintohisblankverseadolescentpoetryinordertoevoketheperiodatwhichitwascomposed.OnthisoccasionitisTheDog:AnIdylliumof1786–7:

IfwhileIgazed,tonatureblind,InthecalmoceanofmymindSomenew-createdimageroseInfull-grownbeautyatitsbirth,Then,whilemygladhandsprungtothee,Wewerethehappiestpaironearth!

Thechangefrom‘new-createdimage’to‘fairenchantingimage’ (1. 104) is enough to suggest the adult poet’sindulgencetowardsaformerself.

114 passenger:passer-by.Wordsworthnever lost thehabitofcomposing on the roads; see Kilvert’s account of his‘crooningout loud some lines of a poemwhichhewascomposing’nearAmblesidein1838–9,1850XI377–8n.

130 consummate:complete(pronounced‘consùmmit’).

140– Gently did my soul… her God: Moses stood unveiled

2 before Jehovah on Mount Sinai, but veiled his shiningface when he descended to meet the people (Exodus34.33–4).

150 I saw but little, and thereat was pleased: AssumingWordsworth to be looking at himself on the scales, weexpect ‘but’ for ‘and’ (he saw little,butwhat therewaswaspromising).Givingfull forcetothe ‘and’,wearriveatanodderreading,‘Isawlittle,andwaspleasedbythatfact’.1850,meanwhile,hasareadingthatmakessense,but surely does not represent the poet’s originalintention.

157 Informs, creates, and thaws the deepest sleep: An echo ofThomson,Seasons I 855, ‘Adjusts, sustains, and agitatesthewhole’ (Thomson’s subject is the inspiringbreathofGod).

168–80

meanwhile… were there: Uncomfortably close to self-parody: readers are asked to take seriously thatWordsworth mistook the breathing of the earth(’sobbings of the place|And restrictions’, II 129–30above)forthepantingofhisdog.1850isaconsiderableimprovement.

172 coppice:copse,smallwood(oftenofhazels).

184 prospect:Inthiscase,thehumanscene.

199 Todeck some slighted playmate’s homely cheek:AversionofLycidas 65, ‘To tend the homely slighted shepherd’strade’,andintendedtoberecognizedassuch.

215 business:busy-ness.

237–8

thosefairSeven…child:thePleiades,otherwiseknownasthe‘SevenSisters’.

239 myownbelovèdstar:WordsworthwasbornunderJupiter,on7April1770.

247– As one who hangs… like success: An epic simile in the

64 tradition of Virgil andMilton, but modelled in fact onCowper;cf.TaskIII1–20,quotedIX5n.

263 Incumbent:leaning.

273–4

gauds|And feast… and public revelry: Milton, L’ Allegro127,‘pomp,andfeast,andrevelry’.gauds:pastimes.

283 grateful: Not different inmeaning from 1805 ‘pleasing’,butconsciouslyMiltonic.

279 feeding:nutritive,spirituallysustaining.

289 yearnings: Wordsworth’s executors have omitted theadjective ‘daily’, present in theMSS, so as to reduce a(probably unintended) alexandrine to the standard ten-syllableline.

282 To nature and to books: ‘Love nature and books’,WordsworthtoldtheundergraduateDeQuinceyamonthorsoafterwriting these lines, ‘seek these,andyouwillbe happy. For virtuous friendship, and love, andknowledge of mankind, must inevitably accompanythese, all things thus ripening in their due season’ (6March1804).

291–7

Thecuttingof1805282–304downtosix-and-a-halflinesmakes for a smoother lead into the great consecrationscenethatistofollow,butataconsiderableloss.

290 Contagious air… me Hamlet: II ii 318ff.: ‘This mostexcellent canopy the air, look you, this brave andoverhangingfirmament…itappearsnootherthingtomebutafoulandpestilentcongregationofvapours.’

296–8

The authentic sight of reason… faculty of truth: Notanalytic reason, but ‘reason in hermost exaltedmood’,showingtheinfluenceofColeridge(andthroughhim,ofKant), and equated at XIII 166–70 with imagination,‘absolutestrength|Andclearestinsight’.

302 pageantplaythingwithvileclaws:Wordsworth’simageryin

11. 301–4 unites the mood and diction ofHamlet (see290n.above)withspecificreferencetoalife-sizedmodelof a tiger savaging a white man, captured atSeringapatam in 1799 and probably shown toWordsworth by Lamb at the East India Company in1802.SeeOwen, ‘Tipu’sTiger’,NQ 1970, 379–80, and,better still, the remarkable model itself at the VictoriaandAlbertMuseum.

304 heartless:dispiriting.

309 mannersputtoschool:thestudyofhumanbehaviour.

318 promiscuous rout: mixed (heterogeneous) company.Wordsworth’smodelisPLI380,‘thepromiscuouscrowdstood yet aloof’; as Maxwell points out, ‘rout’ too isMiltonicinthissense.

319 tempers:temperaments.

329 Two miles I had to walk: Efforts to place Wordsworth’swalkhavenot been very successful.As elsewhere he isprobablyconflatingmemories;MaryMoorman,TheEarlyYears57,pointstoaninterestingstatementmadebythepoet in old age that ‘the first voluntary verses’ he everwrote ‘were written after walking six miles [fromWhitehaven] to attend a dance at Egremont’ (privatepapers).

323–7

Magnificent|Themorningrose…theclouds:Threetimesinunder five lines Wordsworth has altered 1805 byreplacingtheverbtobe.DeSelincourt,whoregardedtheearly text in general as more powerful, commented in1926‘noonecanmissthegaininstrengthandvividnesseffected by the[se] simple changes’. To judge from hisdefence ofThe LeechGatherer to the Hutchinson sisterson14June1802, theyoungerWordsworthwouldhavehadsomethingtosayonthematter: ‘“A lonelyplace,apond”,“bywhichanoldmanwas,farfromallhouseor

home” – not stood, not sat, but “was” – the figurepresentedinthemostnakedsimplicitypossible.’

335 grain-tinctured:Animitationof‘Sky-tincturedgrain’(PLV285), though Milton meant blue, and Wordsworth(depending onOED, sense 10)means scarlet. empyreanlight:lightfromtheuppermostheaven,consistingofpurefire; cf. PL VI 13–14, ‘highest heaven, arrayed ingold|Empyreal’.

338 Dews,vapours,andthemelodyofbirds:ThereisaMiltonicsource for this lowerWordworthian style aswell as forthe poetry of the empyrean: ‘fruits and flowers,|Walks,andthemelodyofbirds’(PLVIII527–8).

341–2

vows|Were thenmade forme: As a ‘chosen son’ (III 82),Wordsworth is ‘dedicated’ by the higher power(sometimes specifically referred to as nature) that hasdirected his education. The dedication is to a life ofservice,byimplicationasthepoetofTheRecluse.

339 There isnomanuscriptauthority for thepunctuationof1850.

354 loose:undirected.

355 primitivehours:timesofpurervision.

363–504

Composed in early February 1798 as a separate poem,TheDischargedSoldier,andincorporatedinThePreludeinFebruary1804.TheDischargedSoldierwasfirstpublishedin itsoriginal form(towhichreference ismadebelow),byBethDarlington,BicentenaryStudies433–48.

353–78

Though the episode of theDischarged Soldier is cut byalmost a third in 1850, Wordsworth replaces the briefintroduction of 1805 with 14 lines emphasizing thetheme of solitude, then inserts eight evoking theWindermereRegatta.

362 Votary: one who is bound by vows to a religious life

(moreloosely,a‘worshipper’).

372 oars with oars contending, sails with sails: PleasurablerecollectionofRapeoftheLock1101–2.

Wherewigswithwigs,withsword-knots,sword-knotsstrive,Beausbanishbeaus,andcoachescoachesdrive.

378 strenuousidleness:Horace’sfamousoxymoron‘strenuanosexercetinertia’(EpistlesIxi28)isquotedbyWordsworthin a letter to Matthews of 17 June 1791: London haswhirledhimaboutin‘thevortexofitsstrenuainertia’.

370 a steep ascent: Mention in 1850 370–8 of the poet’sreturninghomeaftertheWindermereRegattaenablesusto identify the ‘steep ascent’ as Brier’s Brow, above theferryontheHawksheadsideofthelake;seeThompson’sHawkshead139–41.

371–3

the road’swatery surface…stream:DorothyWordsworth,31 January 1798: ‘The road to the village of Holfordglittered likeanother stream’.Wordsworth incorporatedhis sister’s note within days (and despite the fact thatthey were in Somerset, and he was writing about theLakeDistrict).

374 lapse:fall,flow;‘Andliquidlapseofmurmuringstreams’(PLVIII263).

400 step by step led on: Christ in Paradise Regained wandersintothedesert,‘Thoughtfollowingthought,andstepbystepledon’(l192).

402 an uncouth shape: At PL II 666 (note the apocalypticnumber), Satan meets Death at the gates of Hell: ‘Theothershape,|Ifshapehemightbecalled,thatshapehadnone’. Wordsworth would know Burke’s comments onthe sublimity of the encounter, and be aware too ofillustrationsbyFuseliandothers.

405–9

Hewas…day:AplayingdownoftheobsessionalqualityofWordsworth’svisionin1798:

Hewasinstaturetall,Afootaboveman’scommonmeasuretall,Andlank,andupright.TherewasinhisformAmeagrestiffness.YoumightalmostthinkThathisboneswoundedhim.Hislegswerelong,SolongandshapelessthatIlookedathimForgetfulofthebodytheysustained.(DischargedSoldier41–7)

412 Amilestone: Nomilestone survives, but the corner thatseemstobedescribedisbeyondFarSawrey,threemilesfromHawkshead.

403–4

Towhichthetrappings…back-ground:Fidgetyreplacementfortheelementalreadingof1805.

415 entire.Hewas:DischargedSoldier:55–60hasbeenomittedatthispoint,includingdetailsoftheSoldier’salienationwith which Wordsworth had deeply sympathized in1798:

HisfacewasturnedTowardstheroad,yetnotasifhesoughtForanylivingthing.HeappearedForlornanddesolate,amancutoffFromallhiskind,andmorethanhalfdetachedFromhisownnature.

434 my heart’s specious cowardice: The heart is ‘specious’ inconcealingitstruemotivation,offear.

446 tropicislands:WestIndies.ThoughhisencounterwiththeSoldier is dated to the long vacation of 1788, thecampaigns against the French that Wordsworth has in

mind took place in the mid-1790s. By 1796 40,000British troopshaddiedof yellow fever; others survivedin awasted condition andwere reduced to beggary ontheirreturn.

463 Andlain: ‘And such the languorof thewearyman,|Hadlain’(DischargedSoldier119).

468–9

DischargedSoldier:126–32omitted,includingapoignantstress on the Soldier’s humanity. As with the LeechGatherer, and London Beggar of VII 609–23,Wordsworth’s concern at this later stage is with thesymbolicimportanceofhissolitaryfigureratherthanhispathos.

475 a strange half-absence: Cf. Ruined Cottage 382–3, ‘Thecarelessstillnesswhichathinkingmind|Givestoanidlematter’, and the Old Cumberland Beggar’s ‘fixed andseriouslook|Ofidlecomputation’(II.11–12).

491–2

But ask… required: An improvement on thewording of1798,where the poet’s reproof is oddly intrusive: ‘Andtoldhim, feebleashewas, ‘twere fit|Heasked relieforalms’(DischargedSoldier161–2).

466 thepatientman:TruertotheSoldier’sbehaviourthanthereading of Discharged Soldier and 1805: ‘the poorunhappyman’.

502–4

BackIcast…home:NotpresentinDischargedSoldier.

469 Inserted in the textofMSD (thoughwith a note, ‘N.B.Queryastotheomissionofthesethreelastlines?’)isanadditionalsentence:

This passed, and He who deigns to mark withcareBywhatrulesgoverned,withwhatendinview

ThisWorkproceeds,hewillnotwishformore.

BothlinesandnotepersistinMSE,and,asOwenpointsout,thereisnowarrantforexcludingthem.‘More’inthefinallinecouldofcoursemean‘greaterlength’;probably,though,itmeans‘materialofgreaterimportance’.Thosewho observe that Wordsworth is writing about thegrowthofthemindwillnotaskwhymeetingtheSoldierhasbeensignificant.

BookFifth

4 Thou paramount creature: A reminiscence ofHamlet II ii315–16,wheremanis‘theparagonofanimals’andyeta‘quintessenceofdust’.

7 Icharmaway:Effectively,‘Ileaveaside’(theimageisofmagic,asifWordsworthhasProsperoaswellasHamletinhisthoughts).

11–13

mymindhathlooked…primeteacher:ModelledonFM63–8,whereGod, as the ‘great universalTeacher’, is to beheard and seen in ‘The lovely shapes and soundsintelligible’ofthe‘eternallanguage’ofnature.

13–16

intercoursewithman…participate:God,as the ‘sovereignintellect’, has established communication with manthroughthenaturalworldwhichisthe‘bodilyimage’ofhis spiritual presence. As in Tintern Abbey, man is notmerelyawareofthe‘souldivine’,but‘participates’init,sharesitsessence.

17 As might appear… time: Among Wordsworth’s latestrevisions;perceptionoftheOneLifeisnowtobeseenasafalliblehumanwayoflookingatthings.

18 Forcommerce…itself:asacommunicationofthehumanspirittootherhumanbeings.

19 Thingsworthy…life:worksofartandachievementsofthehuman mind which the poet feels deserve to bepermanent.

21 mustperish:areboundtoperish.Inthelightof11.22–3it seems that it is for man’s own good that humanachievements (mere ‘garments’ in 1. 23) areimpermanent.Trueimmortalitywillbespiritual.

23–7 yetman…disconsolate:Wordsworth’smeaning seems tobe thatman,whileyetalive (unextinguished), is forcedtoregretpossessionof theearthlyachievements thathefearstolose,andtoliveon,abjectanddisconsolate.ThequotationmarksdrawattentiontoShakespeare’sSonnet64, 13–14, which seem to have influenced both thematter and the cryptic expression of the Prelude lines:‘This thought is as a death, which cannot choose|Butweeptohavethatwhichitfearstolose.’

33 thelivingpresence:thepresenceoflife(withanunspokenimplicationthatlifeisthe‘souldivine’of1.16).

38 adamantineholds:impregnabledefences.

39–40

passion… soul sublime: Passion is not merely identifiedwith ‘highest reason’ (as experienced by the ‘soulsublime’), but tacitly equated with imagination,describedatXIII 166–70as ‘reason inhermost exaltedmood’.

41 The consecrated… sage: works (sacred, because theyrepresent thehighestachievementsof thehumanspirit)of the imagination and of the intellect (to be equated,respectively,withpoetryandmathematicsat11.104–9below).

44–8 Oh, why… frail: Catching the tones of Milton’s lament,‘why was the sight|To such a tender ball as the eyeconfined’(SamsonAgonistes93–4),Wordsworthaskswhyworksofartcouldnotbeimprintedonasubstancethat

has the same durability as the human mind thatconceivedthem.Itisaquestionthatcouldbeaskedonlyby a poet who feels the mind and human emotion tohavethepermanenceofnaturalforms.

49 afriend:AlmostcertainlyColeridge(despitethefactthatthepoemasawholeisaddressedtohim).Thereislittleto support Smyser’s suggestion in ‘Wordsworth’sDreamof Poetry and Science’, PMLA 1956, 269–75, that thefriend might be Michel Beaupuy, the poet’s Frenchmentorin1792.

53 onthefrontof:immediatelyfollowing.

55 kindred hauntings: similar anxieties; cf. Brothers 236,‘hauntingsfromtheinfirmityoflove’.

56 WhereuponItold:NotuntilthePreluderevisionsof1838–9doesWordsworthclaimtohaveexperiencedthedreamof the arab Quixote himself. De Selincourt, for one,thoughtthe1805versionofeventsmoreprobable.

59–60

famoushistory…Cervantes:DonQuixote.

67 Exempt…injuryPoetryandgeometryhaveinthemselvesaperfection(whilethosewhoprofessthemaresubjecttothe‘injuries’oftimeandchance).

71–139

The great dream-sequence of The Prelude hasunexpectedlyalearnedsource,inAdrienBaillet’sViedeDescartes (1691); see Smyser, cited at 49n. above.Wordsworthhas transformed the secondof twodreamsthat Descartes is recorded as having experienced inNovember 1619. Descartes’ dream takes place in alibrary,andthetwo‘books’itconcernsareliterallyso:adictionaryandacollectionofpoetry.

75 an uncouth shape: 1850 sets up a parallel between thearab Quixote and the Discharged Soldier, also firstperceivedas‘anuncouthshape’(1805IV402).

79 A lancehebore:Quixote at onepoint famouslyuseshislancetotiltatwindmills(believingthemtobegiants).

88 Euclid: Greek mathematician of the third century BC,whoseElementswasthebasictextbookofgeometryusedbyWordsworthatHawksheadGrammarSchooland(lessassiduously)atCambridge.

97 ode:WordsworthregardedTinternAbbey,becauseof‘theimpassioned music of its versification’, as having ‘theprincipalrequisitesofanode’.

104–9

The one… hope: Lines quoted by De Quincey frommemory, and brilliantly commented on, Recollections168–9:

Wordsworth was a profound admirer of the sublimermathematics;atleastofthehighergeometry.Thesecretof this admiration for geometry lay in the antagonismbetweenthisworldofbodilessabstractionandtheworldof passion… in a great philosophical poem ofWordsworth’s, which is still inMS, and will remain inMS until after his death, there is… a dream, whichreachestheveryneplusultraofsublimityinmyopinion,expressly framed to illustrate the eternity, and theindependenceofallsocialmodesorfashionsofexistence,conceded to these two ‘hemispheres’, as it were, thatcomposethetotalworldofhumanpower–mathematicsontheonehand,poetryontheother:‘Theonethatheldacquaintance…’

115 engendered: created (literally ‘bred’); cf.Brothers 205–6,‘youth and age|Engendering in the blood of hale fourscore’, where Wordsworth is consciously imitatingShakespeare(MerchantofVeniceIIIii67–8).

116 cleave unto: stick with; cf. the woman’s vow in theMarriageService,‘andforsakingallother,cleaveonlytohim’.

133 charge:burden;perhaps‘responsibility’.

137–9

WhereatIwaked…side:Asheroundshisdreamoffwitha return to the book and landscape by which it wasprompted, Wordsworth shows his awareness of thedream as a literary form, and almost certainly hasChaucer’searlyvision-poemsinmind.

151–2

theblindandawfullair|Ofsuchamadness:

Onehasn’t in thedream thoughtof thearabasmadatall,andneithertheassociationsofDonQuixotenorthepoet’s own identification have led one to think of hismind as a ‘blind and awful lair’. The image is violent,shocking,anintrusionofpersonalterrorsintopoetrythathas seemed to be decorous and assured… One is leftwondering whether at some level Wordsworth wasconfrontingthepossibilitythathehimselfcouldbemad,crazed by protracted internal thought, deluded in hismissionandhisaspirations.(BV207–8).

153,156

Enow:Archaicpluralformof‘enough’,usedforitspoeticquality, but (like ‘clomb’, IV 1) present in Cumbrianspeech.

156–8

yea,willIsay…manifest:Evidence,accordingtoOwen’spolitical reading, that Wordsworth ‘foresaw theimminent collapse ofWestern civilization under Frenchaggression.’

164 casket: Immortal verse is ‘coffined’, subjected tomortality, within the destructible earthly book; cf. the‘shrinessofrail’of1.48.

168 thebestofotherthoughts:thethoughtofbooks,nominallyWordsworth’sthemeinBookV.

171 travellingbackamongthosedays:returninginhisthoughts(andinthenarrativeofhispoem)tochildhood.

172 playan ingrate’spart:beungrateful;cf.God’sunamiablereferencetoAdam,PLIII97–8,‘Ingrate,hehadofme|Allhecouldhave’.

178 slenderaccents:softtones;Maxwelldrawsattentiontothe‘slender notes’ of the redbreast (Cowper, Task VI 78),cited byOED as the first usage of the word in such acontext.

178–9

sometale|Thatdidbewitchmethen:Cf.Wordsworth’slaterreferences to fairy-stories and The Arabian Nights (11.364–9 and 482–500 below). In 1847 he recalled thehappinessofhis‘earliestdaysatschool’intermsofbeingatliberty‘toreadwhateverbooks[he]liked’(Memoirs I10).DonQuixoteiscited,alongsideFielding,GilBlasandSwift.

180 Ofriend…soul:ColeridgehadaddressedWordsworth invery similar terms in the version of Dejection: An Odeprinted in the Morning Post on 4 October 1802(Wordsworth’s wedding day): ‘O lofty poet, full of lifeandlove,|Brotherandfriendofmydevoutestchoice…’

201 native prose or numerous verse: ‘in prose or numerousverse’ (PL V 150); because of the counting of ‘feet’involved,versewasoftenreferredtoas‘numbers’.nativenatural(notadjustedtometre).

206 trumpet-tones of harmony: Homer (representing classicalpoetry)andtheriverofJewishsong(theScriptures)arefollowed in Wordsworth’s thoughts by Milton, whoseverse, uniting the two traditions, ‘became a trumpet,whence he blew|Soul-animating strains’ (Scorn Not theSonnet13–14).

219–22

speakof themas powers…God:Wordsworth’s ownhopewas thathispoetrymight ‘become|Apower likeoneofnature’s’(XII311–12).

222 Or His pure Word… revealed: A reference to Christ’s

miraculous incarnation as the Word (Logos) becomeflesh;insertedinrevisedMSD,probablylate1832.

228 pest: plague, epidemic; probably modelled on Cowper,TaskIV500–1,‘vaintheattempt|Toadvertiseinverseapublicpest’.Wordsworth turnsout tohave inmind thelateeighteenth-centuryplagueof rationalisteducationaltheories,whichmighthavedeprivedhimandColeridgeof their wandering as children imaginatively throughliterature.

238 noosed:fittedwithahalter.

239 several:separate.

244–5

till it hath yielded… scythe: The ox is not turned out tograss until after the first crop of hayhas been cut – intermsofthepoet’smetaphor,tillthemower(seenalmostas a god) has received the first fruits as an offering.AgainWordsworthisdrawinghisimageryfromCowper,alwayspresentwhereThePreludeadoptsasatiricalvoice:‘ofitsfruitshesends|Largeprelibation’(TaskV573–4).

256–7

Earlydied…mother:Wordsworth’smotherdiedsuddenlyin March 1778, when he was nearly eight. He clearlyseesnoincongruityastheversemovesabruptlyfromhentoparent.

259–60

She left us destitute… together: Note the unconsciousresentment(andcomparetheenvyofII261,‘Nooutcasthe,bewilderedanddepressed’).Thefamilywassplitupat Ann Wordsworth’s death, Dorothy, aged six, beingsenttoHalifaxtobebroughtupbydistantrelatives(onthegroundsthatasagirlshecouldn’tproperlygrowupinanall-malehousehold).WilliamwassenttoschoolatHawksheadayearlater,whereheandhisbrotherslivedinlodgings.

260–2

Little suits it… others’ blame: Wordsworth thinks itimproper to praise his mother by comparison with the

relatives who have helped to bring up her orphanedchildren. Dorothy’s first extant letter (to Jane Pollard,July 1787) refers to ‘the ill nature of allmy relations’,andadds:

Many a time have William, John, Christopher, andmyselfshedtearstogether, tearsofthebitterestsorrow.We all of us, each day, feel more sensibly the loss wesustained when we were deprived of our parents, andeachdaydowereceivefreshinsults.

268 for times to come: 1805 ‘from those to come’; a smallrevisionthatwhollychangesthemeaning.

278 overweeningly:presumptuously.

283–4

from regards… promises: Wordsworth’s mother hadenjoyed life for what it was, without demandingrestlesslywhetherithadfulfilleditspromises,givenherherdue.

292–3

themonsterbirth…times:The‘monsterbirth’,orprodigy,iscreatedbytheplagueofeducationaltheories,hintedatin11.223–4above.Wordsworth’sdrifthasindeedbeenscarcelyobvious.

294–369

Wordsworth’s satirical portrait of the Infant ProdigycreatedbyartificialsystemsofeducationwascomposedinFebruary1804 to complementThereWasABoy (11.389–422 below, now first incorporated inThe Prelude),with its portrayal of education through nature. BroadlythedebatecouldbeseenasLocke(ThoughtsonEducation,1690)andtheinculcationofknowledge,versusRousseau(Emile, 1762) and freedom to be a child. ButWordsworth, as De Selincourt points out in a long andusefulnote,goesbeyondRousseauinhiswillingness ‘tostand aside and leave nature and the child tothemselves’. Dorothy Wordsworth’s letter to JaneMarshallof19March1797showsthatintheupbringing

of BasilMontagu (entrusted to their care in 1796, andnow four years old) she and the poet avoidednot onlysystembutRousseau’scoercivepointingofthelessonsofnature(see1.334n.below).

298–346

The Infant Prodigy is among themost comprehensivelyrevised passages inThe Prelude. The final version is 27lines shorter than 1805; 35 lines were cut and eightadded.

301–3

Selfishness…his name: Harry Sandford in ThomasDay’smorally improving Sandford and Merton (1783) hasprecisely the goody-goody image that Wordsworth isattacking.

304 Dumbcreatures…nun:Wordsworth,whosawChaucerasthe master of the satirical portrait, has in mind theaffectedtendernessofthePrioress(GeneralPrologue143–50).

306–8

he is garnished… ridiculous: ‘Goodness’ is set off to thebestadvantage:thechild’sremarks(’notices’)areclever,knowing,andhissenseoftheridiculousissharp.

311 licensed: unrestrained; cf. Lear’s ‘all-licensed Fool’ (I iv201).

313 readlectures:speaklearnedly.

315 panoply complete: full armour; cf. Cowper, Task II 345,‘armedhimselfinpanoplycomplete’.

315–18

fearitself…Toucheshimnot:Tobeincapableoffearistobe shielded from the major formative influence onWordsworth’s own childhood: ‘and I grew up|Fosteredalikebybeautyandbyfear’(I305–6).

322 termsofart:learnedterms,jargon.

325–7

cushion of divine… head: Wordsworth’s image issuggestedbyCowper’s‘plumpconvivialparson’(TaskIV595–8),who‘lays’

HisreverenceandhisworshipbothtorestOnthesamecushionofhabitualsloth.

Theparson’scushionbecomesanemblem(’type’)ofhis‘thoughtprofound’because thebiblerestson it in frontofthepulpit.

328–30

The ensigns…maps: Flags, orb and sceptre, symbolizingkingship, are replaced by scientific instruments asemblemsoftheprodigy’sintellectualrule.

331 Shipshecanguide…sea:DeSelincourtdrawsattentiontoLocke’s boast in Some Thoughts Concerning Education(1690):

Inow live in thehousewitha child…[who]knew thelimitsofthefourpartsoftheworld,couldreadilypoint,beingasked,toanycountryupontheglobe…andcouldfind the longitude and latitude of any place, before hewas six years old. (EducationalWritings, ed. J.L. Axtell,289)

332 cunning:sophistication,complexity.

334 Heknows thepoliciesof foreign lands:With theprodigy’scult of knowledge compare Basil Montagu’s naturalcuriosity, described by Dorothy Wordsworth on 19March1797:

YouasktobeinformedofoursystemrespectingBasil.Itis a very simple one – so simple that in this age ofsystemsyouwillhardlybe likely to followit.Weteachhim nothing at present but what he learns from theevidence of his senses. He has an insatiable curiositywhichwearealwayscarefultosatisfytothebestofourability. It isdirected toeverythinghe sees: the sky, thefields,thetrees,shrubs,corn,themakingoftools,carts,&c, &c, &c. He knows his letters, but we have not

attemptedanyfurtherstepinthepathofbooklearning.Ourgrandstudyhasbeentomakehimhappy…

337–8

Hesifts…trust:Coleridge,whoseviewsonthistopicwereprobably very close to Wordsworth’s, had written toPooleon16October1797:

I haveknown somewhohavebeen rationallyeducated,as it is styled. They were marked by a microscopicacuteness; but when they looked at great things, allbecameablankandtheysawnothing–anddenied(veryillogically) that anything couldbe seen…[They] calledthe want of imagination judgment, and never beingmovedtorapture,philosophy.

339–40

Thecountrypeople…experiments:Totheignorantitseemsthatthechildmaybesearchingforforbiddenknowledge.Maxwell points to the magician Glendower’s ‘deepexperiments’,HenryIVPartIIIIi492.

345 cistern:water-butt,rain-barrel.

328 trainer:gardener(inthiscase);cf.RichardIIIIIiv63–6.

346–9

oldgrandameearth…forlorn:Onthefaceofit,areversalof Intimations 77ff. (also written in February 1804). Inthe Ode earth, as foster-mother, ‘fills her lap withpleasuresofherown’,temptingtheimaginativechildtoforget his former existence; here, ‘grandame earth’ (aconflationofHenryIVPartIIIIi31and33)grievesthattheunimaginativechildrejectsherbounty.

350 Now this is hollow: Cf. ‘Now this is fulsome’ fromCowper’s account of the ‘theatrical clerical coxcomb’(Task II 455) on whom later in the year Wordsworthbasedthe‘prettyshepherd’ofVII544–66.

361 pound:impound,imprison.

362 pinfold:apound,enclosureforstrayanimals.

364–7

Oh, give us… St George: Wordsworth shared Coleridge’sviewthatreadingfairytales‘habituated’thechild’smind‘tothevast’,gaveit‘aloveofthegreatandthewhole’ (toPoole,16October1797).Thewishing-capofFortunatustransported himwherever hewished to go; Jack’s coatmadehiminvisiblewhilekillinggiants;Sabra,daughterof theKingof Egypt,was rescuedby StGeorge fromadragon,anddulymarriedhim.

370–422

A sequence put together early in 1799, probably withTheRecluseratherthanThePreludeinmind,andformingWordsworth’s first attempt to use There Was A Boy aspart of a larger discussion of education. In its originalformthesequenceopened,‘Therearewhotellusthatinrecenttimes|Wehavebeengreatdiscoverers’.

371–2

Who with a broad highway… futurity: The ‘workmen’(educationalists)aretacitlycomparedtoMilton’sSinandDeathwhoinParadiseLostbuildabridgeoverChaostotheir new empire on earth (X 282–305). frowardwayward.

382–3

wouldconfine…engines:ErasmusDarwin(BotanicGardenI i 289–92) hadpredicted excitedly in 1791 that steamwouldsoonprovidepowerfor‘theslowbarge’,‘therapidcar’and‘theflying-chariot’;despitehisPreludereferenceto ‘the very road’, however (1. 381), Wordsworth in1804islikelytohaveinmindstaticengines(pumps,orperhaps machine-looms) that are bolted down.Trevithick’sfirst‘steam-carriage’wastestedin1801.

389–422

LinespublishedinLyricalBalladsin1800asThereWasABoy,andregardedbyWordsworthasshowing‘oneoftheearliest processes of nature in the development’ ofimagination (Preface to Poems 1815). In the originaldraftofMSJJ,October1798,ThereWasABoyconcludedat1.413,and(despiteitsimpersonalopeningline)wasofferedasthepoet’sownexperience.

390 Winander:Windermere.

401 Responsive tohiscall: responsive tomycall (MSJJ).Forthe original version read similarly ‘my’ for ‘his’ in 11.405,408,410,and‘I’for‘he’in406.

408 farintohisheart:DeQuinceycommentsbeautifully:

This very expression, ‘far’, by which space and itsinfinities are attributed to the human heart, and to itscapacities of reechoing the sublimities of nature, hasalways struckmeaswith a flashof sublime revelation.(Recollections161)

410 unawares:unconsciously; thewordpoints toa linkwiththecentralmomentofTheAncientMariner(alsoapoemaboutthereciprocalrelationshipofmanandnature): ‘Aspringoflovegushedfrommyheart,|AndIblessedthemunaware’(11.276–7).

412–13

that uncertain heaven… lake: ‘Had I met these linesrunning wild in the deserts of Arabia, I should haveinstantly screamed out “Wordsworth!”’ (Coleridge toWordsworth,10December1798).

414–22

AddedtoThereWasABoyearlyin1799,andpresentinthe text as published in Lyrical Ballads 1800; see 370–422n. above. As elsewhere in The Prelude, Wordsworthblendsdifferentfactsandeventstoformanimaginativewhole.Thoughpresentinghimselfasthemimic-hooteroftheoriginalpoem,heimpliesintheFenwickNote(1842)that he had written with William Raincock in mind.Raincock did not however die as a schoolboy atHawkshead; the person who did so was John Tyson,buriedon27August1782(Wordsworth’sHawkshead56)at the age of twelve (the figurementioned in 1850, asagainsttenin1805).

425 spokenoferewhile:AtIV14.

433– easily indeed…artsand letters:Anunexpectedcomment.

5 With its young Cambridge headmaster, William Taylor(d. 1786, aged 32), Hawkshead had for a brief periodremarkably high academic standards.Wordsworth laterclaimedtohavebeenayearaheadofhiscontemporariesin mathematics when he arrived at the university(Memoirs I 14). arts and letters: literature (‘letters’) andotherbranchesofstudy.

450–72

Welldo Icall…ghastly face:Writtenc.January1799asthe firstelement in the ‘spotsof time’ sequence,1799 I258–74.

450–2

theveryweek…valley:Mid-May1779.

454–6

that very week… not what: An elaboration belonging toFebruary1804.

465 a fish, up-leaping, snapped: ‘a leaping fish disturbed’(1799).

444–6

Drew to the spot… deep: An attempt to dramatize theincident that tends instead to impinge on the child’ssolitaryexperience.

470 the dead man: Records show that Joseph Jackson,schoolmaster of Sawrey at the far end of EsthwaiteWater,wasdrownedon18June1779.Somuch,atleast,isfact.

472–81

a spectre shape… poesy: Added in February 1804 withsomewhat confusing effects. Wordsworth wishes to tiehis‘spotoftime’intothediscussionofearlyreading,butin so doing he not only weakens the strong originalconclusion(’Rosewithhisghastlyface’,1799I279),butplaysdownhisformeremphasisonthesublime.In1799,wheretheDrownedManisthefirstelementofthe‘spotsoftime’sequence,theepisodeisclassedinanimportantlink-passage(1799I279–87,notfoundinthelatertexts)among ‘tragic facts|Of ruralhistory, that impressed’ the

child’smind

WithimagestowhichinfollowingyearsFarotherfeelingswereattached(1799I284–5)

Like the succeeding ‘spots’, the Esthwaite experiencecomes, through images implanted in themind, to haveanimaginativevaluethatitdidnotpossessatthetime.In1805thisimplicationdisappears.

484 abstract:extract,selection;TheArabianNightsmadesuchan impression on Coleridge as a child that his fatherburnedit(toPoole,9October1797).

497 Religiously:scrupulously.

524–7

adventures endless… extravagate: The old warrior(dismantledbytimeasthoughhewerethecastleheoncedefended) spins stories out of the ideals and ambitionsamongstwhichhewanderedasayoungman.

533 elements:natural forces;cf.Lear III ii16, ‘I taxnotyou,youelements,withunkindness’.

534 I guess not… past: Wordsworth, who has probably justcompletedIntimations,refusestospeculateonthesourcesof the child’s imaginative power. At 1. 561 below,however, he refers to man’s ‘native continent’ ofpreexistence.

536 dubious:doubtful(becausethelightisuncertain).

541 stinted:diminished,curtailed.

544–5

yoke-fellows|To custom: Cf. ‘the might of souls… whileyet|Theyokeof earth isnew to them’ (III 178–80) andyearsthat‘bringtheinevitableyoke’(Intimations127).

548 Forgers of lawless tales: makers of fairy stories andromance,notsubjecttothe‘law’ofprobability.

549–50

the ape|Philosophy: rationalist philosophers (Lockeprobablyaboveall),whowouldsuppressimaginationintheupbringingofthechild.

554–5

towhom|Earthcrouches:towhomearthitselfisobedient.

555 the elements are potter’s clay: The elements themselves(not the natural forces of 1. 533, but earth, air, fire,water, out of which matter is compounded) becomemalleableinthehandsofsuchwriters.

558–67

Itmight demand…hold of us:A referenceonce again toTheRecluse(cf.WIFT103,‘whatmightdemandaloftiersong’), but in an unexpected context. Uncertain as towherematerial for the philosophical centrepiece of hispoem is to come from (see the desperate letter toColeridge, 29 March 1804), Wordsworth places hisemphasis,notonhighertruthsandimaginativeintensity,buton thecalmerpleasuresof ‘growingyouth’ – ‘sobertruth,experience,sympathy’.1850dropsthereferencetoThe Recluse (as one would expect), and gives back tochildhooditspriority.

560–2

the same isthmus… human life: Wordsworth takes upPope’sfamousimageofman‘Placedonthisisthmusofamiddlestate’betweenbeastandgod(EssayonManII3)andusesittoconveyhissenseoflifeasajourneyfromthe ‘native continent’ of pre-existence to adultparticipation.Somewhatincongrouslytheisthmus(athinconnectingstripofland)inhiscaseconsistsoftheboy’sdevelopingresponsetoliteratureandpoeticlanguage.

575–81

Thirteenyears…love:Wordsworth’sfirstextantpoemisacelebration of the bicentenary of Hawkshead GrammarSchool, written at the age of fifteen in 1785. Thoughopenly an imitation of Pope, it is very skilful, andsuggestsonewhohasbeenreadingpoetrywellforsome

while.1850‘twicefiveyears’isnotnecessarilyaboast.

583 thatdearfriend:JohnFleming,mentionedatII352–3.

589 conning:memorizing;cf.Intimations102,‘Thelittleactorconsanotherpart’.

594 in their splendour overwrought: De Quincey (Recollections166)identifiestheversesasbyGrayandGoldsmith,bothpoetswhomWordsworthknewwell,thoughhecametothinkthem‘overwrought’.

598 inordinate: As Maxwell points out, ‘unordered’, ratherthanthemodernsenseof‘excessive’.

601–6

Whatwonder…Keptholiday:AversionofPedlar315–24,concluding in a touch from Intimations 32–3, ‘with theheartofMay|Dotheverybeastkeepholiday’.

619–24

Visionarypower…properhome:

How much effect are the winds really felt to have inWordsworth’s sentence?Where is it that the enigmatic‘darknessmakes abode’ – inwinds? or inwords?Whatwould be the difference if one left the winds out, andread: ‘Visionary power|Attends upon… the mystery ofwords’?Agreatdeal falls intoplace ifonerealizes thatthemighty poetwhomWordsworthhas inmind in 11.618–19 is not Shakespeare, or Milton, or even theColeridgeoftheEolianHarp,buthisownearlier self.Aclusterofverbalechoes refersusback toAlfoxden,andwhatmaywellbetheearliestlinesinThePrelude:

andIwouldstandBeneathsomerock,listeningtosoundsthatareTheghostlylanguageoftheancientearthOrmaketheirdimabodeindistantwinds.ThencedidIdrinkthevisionarypower.(1799II

356–60).

The Wordsworth of Book V is looking back to spring1798 as the period atwhich it had seemed possible toperceivedirectlythetranscendentalforcesofnature…Ineffect he is saying, visionary power is inherent in thelanguageIthenused.(BV224–5)

625–6

circumfused… light divine: In place of the spiritual‘presence’ of Tintem Abbey, ‘interfused’ through thenatural world, we have the enveloping light ofimagination,describedbyColeridgeinDejection:AnOdeas ‘This light, this glory, this fair luminous mist,|Thisbeautifulandbeauty-makingpower’(11.62–3).

627 turningsintricate:Asofawindingroad.

605 1805 630–7 follow this line in the final MS but areomittedbyWordsworth’sexecutors.

BookSixth

1 FurnessFells:Mountainousdistrictofthesouth-westernLakeDistrict,includingConistonandHawkshead.

5 the fowler’s lure: lure used by falconers to bring backtheir hawks; almost certainly an allusion to Marvell’sHoratianOde, copiedbyWordsworth intoMSW, usedfor assembling the five-book Prelude of spring 1804;‘wherewhen he first doth lure,|The falconer hath hersure’(11.96–7).

6 Granta’s cloisters: Cambridge (Granta being the oldnamefortheRiverCamaboveCambridge).

11 Clothed… fern: By common consent, one of two greatlines added to the 1850 Prelude; cf. 1850 III 63,‘Voyaging throughstrangeseasof thoughtalone’, fern:bracken.

17 my own unlovely cell: There is no reason to think thatWordsworth’s room at St John’s (now much altered)wasanythingbutratherhandsome.

23–5 readmoreMorepromising:Cutin1838–9;didtheagingWordsworth think he had been too generous to hisundergraduateself?

25 Twowinters:1788–9,1789–90.

26–8 manybooks…perused:Wordsworthdraws learnedlyonFrancisBacon,OfStudies(Essays,1597), inmakinghispoint that he pursued no settled academic reading:‘Somebooks are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,andsomefewtobechewedanddigested.’

34–5 somepersonalconcerns…me:Wordsworthwasconsciousof family pressure to dowell in the University examsand become a Fellow of his College. His uncle,ChristopherCookson,hadbasedasuccessfulcareerondoingso,becomingtutortothechildrenofGeorgeIII;

Wordsworth’s younger brother, Christopher, was tobecomeaFellow(andfinallyMaster)ofTrinity.

39 Acourseof independent study: ForDorothy’saccountofherbrother’sreadingin‘Italian,Spanish,French,GreekandLatin,andEnglish’(butneverwithinthesetcourseofmathematics),seeIII371n.

42 This bastard virtue: Wordsworth fears to offend hisrelationsbyplanningacourseofindependentstudy,somakesavirtueofnotdoingso.

54 Unbiassed…unawed:SeeIII245n.

55 Thepoet’ssoul…time:Wordsworthwrotehisfirstmajorpublished poem, An Evening Walk, while he was anundergraduate.

58–60 of which|No few… life: Wordsworth had published AnEvening Walk (1793), Descriptive Sketches (1793) andLyrical Ballads (in three editions, 1798–1802); hisunpublishedworkwas stillmore impressive, includingSalisburyPlain,TheBorderers,TheRuinedCottage,PeterBell, the two-part Prelude, Home at Grasmere, manyshorter poems (including The Leech Gatherer andIntimations), and now the sudden Prelude extension.Hopes for the future centred on composition of aphilosophical section for The Recluse (which wouldnever be completed), and a ‘dramatic’ section (TheExcursion,plannedbyMarch1804,publishedin1814).

61 this very week: Wordsworth was 34 on 7 April 1804;BookVIhadbeenstartedattheendofMarch,andwascompleteby29April.

50–2 yet for me… Her dew is on the flowers: A movingstatementof faith,created ina revisionofearly1832.WordsworthmustbeawareashewritesofColeridge’sbeautifultermsofpraiseinBiographiaLiteraria.Chapter4 had singled him out as carrying the feelings of

childhoodintoadultlife,sheddinganimaginativelighton ‘forms, incidents and situations, of which, for thecommonview,customhadbedimmedallthelustre,haddriedupthesparkleandthedew-drops.’

67–9 OwenpointstoanappropriateborrowingfromMilton,ReasonofChurchGovernment (Yaleed. I810), ‘Imightperhaps leave something so written to aftertimes, astheyshouldnotwillinglyletitdie.’

81 our groves: Gardens belonging to St John’s, borderingthe Cam, including the site now occupied by theVictorianfourthcourt.

90 Asingletree:Connectedbythepoet’swordingwiththetree (doubtless in the Lake District) mentioned atIntimations 51–2: ‘But there’s a tree, of many one,|AsinglefieldwhichIhavelookedupon’.

91–100

anash…outlandishgrace:Reedpoints toWordsworth’sdependence on Erasmus Darwin, The Botanic Garden(1791),Iiv541–4:

RoundhertallelmwithdewyfingerstwineThegaddingtendrilsoftheadventurousvine;FromarmtoarmingayfestoonssuspendHer fragrant flowers, her graceful foliagebend…

102–4 Thehemisphere…tread:Accordingtotheaccountgivenin Biographia Literaria chapter 14, it had been agreedduring the planning of Lyrical Ballads that Coleridgewas to contribute poetry of the supernatural, andWordsworth‘togivethecharmofnoveltytothethingsofeveryday’.

128 Delusion…incident:FacetiousallusiontoWinter’sTaleIViv124–5,‘amalady|Mostincidenttomaids’.

129– that overprized… simplicity and sense: the practice of

34 making Latin verses by piecing together phrases fromclassical authors. Coleridge, in Biographia Literariachapter 1, sees the habit as leading to English‘translations of prose thoughts into poetic language’,and recalls a conversation with Wordsworth thatprobablyliesbehindtheselines.

142 Indian: Red Indian, as I 302, and elsewhere inWordsworth.

124–8 bywhatprocessled…withoutend:Arrivedatinrevisionsof 1832 and 1838–9. Those immaterial agents: theabstracttruthsofgeometry.

150–7 frequentlyIdrew…God:AsintheQuixoteDream(V49–139), geometry takes its place alongside poetry, bothgiving entrance to ‘the one|Surpassing life’ that isbeyondspaceandtime.

160–74

one by shipwreck thrown… his feeling: Drawn from apassage in John Newton’s Authentic Narrative (1764)copiedbyDorothyWordsworthintoMS18Ain1798–9.Newton, slaveship captain turned evangelist, becameVicarofOlneyandafriendofCowper:

One thing, though strange, is most true. Thoughdestitute of food and clothing, depressed to a degreebeyond common wretchedness, I could sometimescollectmymindtomathematicalstudies.IhadboughtBarrow’sEuclid at Plymouth… itwas alwayswithme,andIusedtotakeittoremotecornersoftheislandbythe seaside, and drawmy diagrams with a long stickupon the sand.Thus Ioftenbeguiledmysorrows,andalmostforgotmyfeeling.

Newton seems to have been an influence both onWordsworth’sBorderersandonTheAncientMariner.

189 tenderness: susceptibility to impressions (Johnson’sDictionary)

192 melancholy…blood:According to theancient theoryofhumours (known to Wordsworth through Ben Jonsonamongothers)melancholywascausedbyblackbile.

173 fitsofspleen:gloom,dejection(nothereassociatedwithill-nature).

193–6 thatloved…luxuriousgloom:DorothyWordsworth,aged21, writes to Jane Pollard on 30 August 1793: ‘themelancholy pleasure of walking in a grove or woodwhile the yellow leaves are showering around me, isgrateful to my mind beyond even the exhilaratingcharms of the budding trees’. By 1818, Peacock inNightmare Abbey feels that he is fighting a crusadeagainstblackbileandpoeticaffectation.

202 ‘Good-natured lounging’ Castle of Indolence: (1748),stanza15;WordsworthdrawsuponThomson’spoematIII546–9,andhadwrittenawittyimitationin1802.

188–9 Wordsworth’s exaggerated self-reproach belongs to1838–9.

190 worksofart:man-madebeauties,asopposedtonaturalscenes.

209 Dovedale:Derbyshirebeauty spot (LucyGray is said tohave lived ‘among the untrodden ways|Beside thespringsofDove’).

212–13

seemedanothermorn|Risenonmidnoon:Takenword-for-wordfromAdam’sresponsetotheapproachofRaphael,PLV310–11.

216–17

Now…Restoredtome:Dorothy is first ‘restored’ toherbrotheratPenrithinthesummerof1787,havingbeenlivingwith cousins inHalifax since the death of theirmothernineyearsbefore.

218 Agiftthenfirstbestowed:ApunonthenameDorothy;cf.Coleridge toWordsworth, 23 July 1803, wishing that

ontheirScottishtourtheycouldmakedowithapony,‘andside-saddleforoursister,Gift-of-God’.

220–1 that monastic castle… stream: Brougham Castle, besidethe River Emont near Penrith, is not ordinarily‘monastic’ (Peele Castle, for instance, was built byCistercian monks). Wordsworth perhaps means‘secluded’.

222–6 A mansion… Inspired: Wordsworth is attracted bySidney’s having written Arcadia for his sister, theCountess of Pembroke, but was misled (perhaps byClarke, Survey of the Lakes, 1787) in thinking thatSidneyhadvisitedBrougham.

226 dome: building (Johnson gives the modern sense assecondary).

233 Anothermaid:MaryHutchinson,Dorothy’sclosefriend,whomWilliamhadknownsincechildhood,andwhomhemarriedon4October1802.

242–5 o’er the Border Beacon… golden gleam: Having revisedthePenrith ‘spotof time’ (1799 I296–327)duringhisrecent work towards a Prelude in five books,Wordsworth now (April 1804) draws on linesconnecting the Beacon and early lovewhich, togetherwiththe‘spotsoftime’sequence,havebeenlaidaside,andwillnotbeencounteredby thereader in the finaltextuntilXI320–2:

Uponthenakedpoolanddrearycrags,Andonthemelancholybeacon,fellThe spirit of pleasure and youth’s goldengleam…

248 Iseemtoplanttheethere:ColeridgeandWordsworthmeteightyearslater,inSeptember1795.

249 Far art thou wandered… health: Coleridge sailed forMaltaaboardtheSpeedwell(notethepunin1.256)on9April 1804,butwas thoughtby theWordsworths tohavelefton22March.

260 gales Etesian: Mediterranean winds (about whichWordsworth probably knew little); given the puns inthis passage, Reedmay be right to hear in ‘Etesian’ a‘near anagram’ of Coleridge’s phonetic spelling of hisinitials,‘Esteecee’.

255 several:separate.

261 Analexandrine,createdinWordsworth’sfinalrevisions,probablybymistake.

274–84

Of rivers, fields… long exile: Wordsworth weavesreferencestothreeofColeridge’smostpersonalpoems,Frost at Midnight (1798), Dejection (the unpublishedversion,April1802)andTo theRiverOtter(1796)intoan evocation of his time as a ‘liveried’ (uniformed)schoolboyatthe‘Blue-coatSchool’,Christ’sHospital,inthe City of London. Coleridge’s ‘long exile’ from hisDevonshire birthplace, Ottery St Mary, began inSeptember1782,whenhewasnine.Hisfatherhaddiedthepreviousyear.

286–8 scarcely had I… thither guided: Wordsworth leftCambridge (settling for a BA without honours) inJanuary1791;ColeridgematriculatedinOctober.

291–2 What a stormy course… followed: Coleridge began bywinning a University prize; he was the most learnedanddistinguishedundergraduateofhisday,andcouldwell have been the most successful. Instead he leftCambridgeinDecember1794withoutadegree.UndertheinfluenceofWilliamFrend(triedbytheUniversityin1792forhis ‘subversivebook’PeaceandUnion, anddeprived of his Fellowship), Coleridge had become a

Unitarian, and increasingly involved in theCambridgepolitical scene. He had also got into debt, talked ofsuicide, and (inDecember1793) joined thearmyas ameansofescape.Boughtoutbyhisfamily,hereturnedto the University, but during the summer vacation of1794 met Robert Southey with whom he planned acommune (Pantisocracy – the rule of all) inPennsylvania. His thoughts now on fund-raising, heturned towriting.Whenat theendof theyearhe leftCambridge the Morning Chronicle was publishing hisSonnets on Eminent Characters (heroes of the radicalmovement). In academic termsCambridge had been adisaster, but the sonnets were good. Coleridge waslaunchedonhiscareer.

297 still:always,ever.

308–11

toils abstruse… words for things: Wordsworthdistinguishes between Coleridge’s reading in medievalscholasticphilosophy(’theschoolmen’)andhisexcitedpersonal idealism, inwhich languagewas used for itsown sake, having (in Wordsworth’s view) no stablebasis. It is not clear whether Wordsworth refers toPlatonism as the antecedent of Coleridge’s Unitarianpantheism,orseesitinmoregeneralterms.

326 battenedon:grewfatupon.

326–9 But thou hast trod… regrets: Though Wordsworth isattemptingtopraiseandreassure,heclearlyhasintheback of hismindSamsonAgonistes 597–8: ‘My race ofgloryrun,andraceofshame|AndIshallshortlybewiththemthatrest’(SamsonAgonistes597–8).

333–4 nowtothese…leadsme:HavinginearlyMarchdecidedtobreakupthenearlycompletedfive-bookPreludeandwork towardsa longerpoem,Wordsworth takesashissubjectinBookVIthetourofFranceandtheAlpsmadein theCambridge longvacationof1790.He is tracing

hisownwanderingstobeinstepwithColeridge,butindoing so he brings to his poem a newpolitical aspectand new scope for exploration of the sublime.Wordsworth has laid aside for future use the Spots ofTime (finally XI 257–388) and Climbing of Snowdon(finallyXIII1–65),butcannothaveknownatthisstageinanydetailwherehispoemwasleadinghim.

338–42

When the third summer…distantAlps:Wordsworth andhisCambridge friendRobert Jones (frommountainousNorthWales) set off ‘staff in hand, and carrying eachhis needments tied up in a pocket handkerchief, withabout£20apiecein[their]pockets’(Memoirs114).

344–5 Nor entertained…dear: Wordsworth (who should havebeen studying for his final exams) told nomember ofthefamily–notevenDorothy–beforesettingout.

346 ‘Fornaturethen…Tomewasallinall’(TA73–6).

347 mighty forms: shapes taken by the Alps in hisimagination.

353 ‘Now stand you on the top of happy hours’(Shakespeare,Sonnet16.)

354 humannatureseemingbornagain:‘Fewpersons’,SoutheywrotetoCarolineBowleson13February1824,

but thosewhohave lived in it, can conceiveor comprehendwhat theFrenchRevolutionwas, norwhat a visionaryworld seemed to open upon thosewhowerejustenteringit.Oldthingsseemedpassingaway,andnothingwasdreamtofbuttheregenerationofthehumanrace.

357 thatgreatfederalday:14July1790,firstanniversaryofthefalloftheBastille,wascelebratedalloverFranceasthe Fête de la Fédération. Helen Maria WilliamswatchedtheKinginParisswearanoathofallegiancetothenewconstitution,and ‘caughtwithenthusiasm thegeneralsympathy’:

Itwasthetriumphofhumankind,itwasmanassertingthenoblestprivilegesofhis nature, and itwantedbut the common feelingsofhumanity tobecome inthatmomentacitizenoftheworld.(LettersWritteninFrance(1790)14)

360–1 Southwardthence|Wetookourway:Wordsworthkeptnojournal,but listedtheplaceswhereheandJonessleptintheirthreemonths’journey,of1,500miles,throughFrance, Switzerland, northern Italy, southernGermanyandtheNetherlands;seeDonaldHayden,Wordsworth’sWalkingTourof1790(Tulsa,1983).

372 umbrage: shade; cf.Descriptive Sketches 48, ‘road elmsrustlingthinabovemyhead’.

384–7 Upon thebosom…rocks:WordsworthandJones tookaboatagainontheRhine,butthebulkofthetourwasonfoot Soane the River Saône (anglicized as amonosyllable).

396 great spousals: The marriage of King and People; see357n. above. Louis had no intention of keeping hisoath.ShortageofmoneyhadforcedhiminMay1789tosummontheEstatesGeneral,whichnoFrenchkinghaddone since 1611. He now found himself forced (hehoped temporarily) to accept the position ofconstitutionalmonarch.

399–401

some vapoured… saucyair: In their joy the ‘vapouring’(boastful) delegates resemble the drunken Caliban,Stephano and Trinculo, ‘So full of vapour that theysmotetheair|Forbreathingintheirfaces’(TempestIVi172–3).

403–4 Guestswelcome…ofold:NotoneofWordsworth’scloserparallels.ThreeangelsvisitAbrahaminGenesis1.15totell him that he is to have a son. Sarah, being 90,laughs;Isaacisdulyborn.

407, ThepleasureWordsworthtakesinthememory,andthe

413 infectiousness of his rhythms (’And round and roundtheboardtheydancedagain’),makeithardtobelievewithReedthatthereisanironicreferencetodancingatthe murder of General Dillon in 1792, or at theexecutionofLouisXVI.

409–12

We bore a name… glorious course: By the ‘GloriousRevolution’ of 1688 the English had replaced theunpopular Catholic monarch, James II, conferringsovereignty jointly upon Mary Stuart and her Dutchhusband,WilliamofOrange.IntheprocessParliamenttook steps to limit the sovereign’s powers, setting upwhattoFrencheyesseemedanenviableconstitutionalmonarchy.

411 giveushail:drinktous.

422 rout:party.

420–88

Draftedinearlysummer1808asTuftofPrimroses509–69,workedupinPreludeMSSAandB,andinsertedinthe text of C, c. 1819. Behind these blank-verseaccounts lies Descriptive Sketches 53–79, written in1792, two years after Wordsworth’s visit to theChartreusewithJoneson4–5August1790.

422–6 our eyes had seen… blameless inmates: Wordsworth’sclaimthatheandJonessawsoldiersattheChartreuseinAugust1790hasnobasis in fact. It appears inThePrelude because: (1) Wordsworth when writingDescriptiveSketchesinFrance,insummer1792,includesa dramatization of the recent expulsion of the monks(carefully describing the section in his synopsis as‘Present state of the Grande Chartreuse’); (2) whendraftingtheTuftofPrimroses (hismost forlornattemptatTheRecluse) it suited his theme of ruin and loss toplay up the dramaof the expulsion – ‘Alas forwhat Isee! the flash of arms…’; (3) it seemed pointless in

workingupthePreludetexttodistinguishtheeventsof1790 and 1792 – more so as the ‘military glare’ wasneededasintroductiontonature’srebuke,11.431ff.

429 silencevisible:Cf.Milton’s‘darknessvisible’(PLI63).

430–5 Nature’s rebuke in its original form includes a versionof11.427–8:

‘Stayyourimpioushand…Ohleaveinquietthisembodieddream,This substance by which mortal men haveclothed–Humanlyclothed–theghostlinessofthingsInsilencevisibleandperpetualcalm.Letthisonetemplelast!BethisonespotOfearthdevotedtoeternity!’(TuftofPrimroses537–45)

436 St Bruno: Founder of the monastery, and of theCarthusianorder,in1084.

439 sister streams of Life and Death: The Guiers Vif andGuiersMort,riversbelowthemonastery,referredtoinDescriptiveSketches73as‘themysticstreamsofLifeandDeath’.

440–1 myheart|Responded:Wordingthatfirstoccurs inMSD,1832; in previous versions 11. 441–71 (or theirequivalent)arespokenbythevoiceofnature.

443 Hail… time: ‘Blackmists dissolve, break galling chainsforever!’(MSC).

464–5 untransmuted shapes… inhabitants: Mountains survivingunchangedfrompreviousages,andinhabitingtheblue(’cerulean’)upperair.

480 lawns:openspacebetweenwoods(Johnson).Vallombre‘NameofoneofthevalleysoftheChartreuse’(noteto

DescriptiveSketches).

483–6 In different quarters… storms: ‘Alluding to crosses seenonthetopsofthespiryrocksoftheChartreuse,whichhave every appearance of being inaccessible’ (note toDescriptiveSketches).Mountain-topcrossesarestilltobeseeninthearea.

487–8 Yetthen…insecure:Astrikingrevisionof1838–9;MSCand D fair copy read: ‘From desperate blasphemersinsecure’.

428 A march… of military speed: Dorothy commentswonderinglytoJanePollardon6October1790:

They have frequently performed a journey of thirteenleagues (thirty-nine miles, you know) over the mostmountainouspartsofSwitzerland,withoutfeelingmoreweariness than if theyhadbeensaunteringanhour inthegrovesofCambridge.

437 coverts:hiddenplaces.

443 patriarchal dignity of mind: Dignity such as that of theOldTestamentprophets (Owen suggests thedignityofAdamandEveinParadise).

509–16

Inserted in 1832. Wordsworth was becomingincreasinglyconsciousof‘eveningshadows’.

448 Agreenrecess:ShowntoDorothyandMarybythepoeton their Continental tour of 1820, and clearly havingspecialassociationsforhim.ToDorothythe‘shadydeeprecess’seemed‘theveryimageofpastorallife,stillnessand seclusion’ (Continental Tour, Journals, ed. E. deSelincourt,II280).

452–61

Thatdaywefirst…realities:

ItisnotrealitythatWordsworthisreconciledtobythe

glacier, but a symbolic enactment of the potential inwhich as a poet he needed to believe. Mont Blanc,however beautiful, remains Mont Blanc, a ‘soullessimage’ because it is itself andnomore.Themountainrepresents stasis, thedeathof imagination, asopposedto stillness, which for Wordsworth contains thepossibility of development, change, rebirth… TheglacieratChamouniwasespeciallywelldesignedtostirthe livingthought,releasethepoet fromrealities…Its‘dumbcataracts’maysoundagain,oncemorehauntthelistener like a passion; its ‘streams of ice’ may flowagain,frozenthoughtheybe;the‘fiveriversbroadandvast’ may be motionless, stopped for ever in theircourse, but the poet’s imagination perceives them stillaswaves,foreverreadytomoveon…(BV191)

460 Five rivers broad and vast: As one might expect,Wordsworthin1792hadseentheglacierintermsofthepicturesque:

Fivestreamsoficeamidhercotsdescend,And with wild flowers and blooming orchardsblend(DescriptiveSketches682–3)

473 such a book: the ‘book’ of nature, and of man in hisprimalstate.

483 The willow wreath: Symbol normally of the lover’smelancholy(aswithViola’s‘willowcabinat[the]gate’,TwelfthNight I v 256), here used to evoke the youngpoet’ssorrows.

489–90

an under-thirst|Of vigour: Among many examples ofWordsworth’s sense of inner space, cf. ‘Hushed,meanwhile,|Wastheunder-soul’(III539–40).

495 clomb:climbed;seeIVin.

507 scruple:hesitation.

523 Translated by the feelings: The peasant’s answers areabout the road;Wordsworth and Jones are concernedwiththeinferencetobedrawn.

524–5 Impressive as the juxtaposition is betweenWordsworth’s discovery that the Alps have beencrossed, in 1. 524, and his famous lines uponimagination (11. 525ff.), thiswas not the sequence ofcomposition.Roughpencildraftson the tiny sheetsofMSWW (beautifuly reproduced, Reed I 356–7) showthatWordsworthoriginallysoughttodefinehissenseofanti-climaxinthesimileoftheCaveofYordas(finallyVIII711–27).

525–37

In August 1790, imagination (anticipated pleasure atcrossingtheAlps)hadbeendisappointed.Now,almostfourteenyearslater,thepowerassertsitself,takingoverthepoet’smindashewrites, ‘usurpingupon’ facultiesthat usually ‘rule’; for an extended discussion, seeBV174–202, ‘UsurpationandReality:Spring1804’.CitingRobert A. Brinkley (WC 1981, 122–5), Owen suggeststhat 1850 may represent ‘a real change of mind’, inwhich Wordsworth tries to apply his lines on thegrandeurof imagination to the feelingsof1790ratherthan to his experience when writing The Prelude in1804.

526 the eye and progress of my song: Wordsworth’s elegantzeugma is modelled onMuch Ado About Nothing IV i229,‘theeyeandprospectofmysoul’.Risingbeforethepoet’s inner eye, the ‘unfathered vapour’ (a version ofColeridge’s ‘fair luminous mist’ of imagination) haltstheprogressofthepoem.

601 but with a flash: Wordsworth’s use of the singular (asopposed to 1805 plural, ‘flashes that have shown to

us’),togetherwithhisremovalofthe‘visitingsofawfulpromise’,tendstomakehisexperienceseemuniqueandunsharable.In1805,asinTinternAbbey,thepoetisoneofus–weall‘seeintothelifeofthings’.

542 something evermore about to be: For Wordsworth thesupremevalueisnotachievement,butaspiration;overtheyearshispoetrygivesformto‘anobscuresense|Ofpossiblesublimity’(PedlarFragment,1798),thefeeling‘thatwearegreaterthanweknow’(DuddonConclusion,1820).

543–6 bannersmilitant…reward:Themindfightsbeneath ‘thebanners’ (in thename)of ‘effort, andexpectation,anddesire’. It cannot, therefore, win. In Blake’s words,‘Energyiseternaldelight’(MarriageofHeavenandHell).

547 access of joy: Cf. the Pedlar’s ‘high hour|Of visitationfromthe livingGod’,glossedsimilarlyasan ‘accessofmind’(Pedlar107).

559 rent:ravine.

561–4 The torrents… voice were in them: Wordsworth hasbrought together impressive details from twodifferentpartsofDescriptiveSketches:‘Torrentsshootingfromtheclearbluesky’(1.130)and

Blackdrizzlingcragsthat,beatenbythedin,Vibrate as if a voice complained within (11.249–50)

565/6 Insertedbetweentheselinesc.1819,andformingpartofthePrelude text for twentyyears,until therevisionstoMSD,aresixmagnificentlines:

Andeveraswehalted,orcrepton,HugefragmentsofprimevalmountainspreadInpowerlessruin,blocksashugealoft

Impending,norpermittedyettofall;Thesacreddeath-cross,monumentforlornThoughfrequent,oftheperishedtraveller;

566–72

The unfettered clouds… without end: It may come as asurprise that Wordsworth at this apocalyptic momentwrites with Pope in his thoughts – as well as theexpectedguides,MiltonandColeridge.PopedefinestheChristian tradition fromwhichWordsworth has subtlydeparted (and in doing so throws light uponWordsworth’s most bizarre image of unity, ‘blossomsupononetree’):

Allarebutpartsofonestupendouswhole,Whosebodynatureis,andGodthesoulThat (changed through all, and yet in all thesame)…Warmsinthesun,refreshesinthebreeze,Glowsinthesun,andblossomsinthetrees…(EssayonManII266–72)

Cf.V560–2n.

568 workings of one mind: For the sake of Wordsworth’ssimile,the‘onemind’doesnothavetobedivine,butinadditiontoPope(11.566–72n.above),cf.theUnitarianpoetryofColeridge:

Thereisonemind,oneomnipresentmindOmnific; his most holy name is love. (1796ReligiousMusings114–5)

570 Characters: letters, handwriting, signs; according toBurnet’sSacredTheoryoftheEarth(1685)theAlpshadbeen formed by the waters of the Flood; cf.Wordsworth’sPedlar revisionsof spring1798: ‘thedayof vengeancewhen the sea|Rose like a giant from his

sleep and smote|The hills’ (Butler 166–7). To theimagination, however, the features of the Ravine ofGondosuggestnotmerelypastapocalypse,buttheonetocome.

572 Offirst,andlast,andmidst,andwithoutend:Alinethatperfectly invokes Wordsworth’s independence of hispredecessors.Milton in1667hadcorrectlyapplied thesamewords to God – ‘Him first, Him last, Himmidstand without end’ (PL V 165). Coleridge had echoedthemin1795inapassagewrittenforSouthey’sJoanofArc,thatdefinestheappropriateuseofman’sGod-givenpowers:

Himfirst,Himlast,toviewThroughmeanerpowersandsecondarythingsEffulgent,asthroughcloudsthatveilhisblaze.

Dealinginthenuminous,notthespecificallyChristian,Wordsworth (fully aware of Milton and Coleridge)leavesoutthereferencestoGod.

573 anAlpinehouse:WordsworthandJonesspentthenightof17August1790attheSpinal(inn,lodging-house)ofGondo.

579 innocentsleepMacbeth:IIii33–4,‘innocentsleep,|Sleepthatknitsuptheravelledsleeveofcare’.

587 Locarno’sLake:LakeMaggiore.

592 Abyssinian privacy: ‘Into this part of the globe’, theEncyclopaedia Britannica (3rd ed. 1797) wrote ofAbyssinia, ‘the admission of travellers has beensupposed extremely difficult, and their return fromthencealmostimpracticable’.Wordsworthmayhaveinmind the Happy Valley of Johnson’s Rasselas, whichhadrathertoomuch‘Abyssinianprivacy’.

592–5 Ispoke…roofedwithvines:SeeDescriptiveSketches8off.:

MorepleasedmyfootthehiddenmarginrovesOfComo,bosomeddeepinchestnut-groves…Theviewlesslingerer,hence,ateveningseesFrom rock-hewn steps the sail between thetrees,Or marks, mid opening cliffs, fair dark-eyedmaidsTendthesmallharvestoftheirgarden-glades…

622–4 by report misled… from ours: The hour is sounded,followed by the quarters (in each case a single bell):1.45wouldthereforesoundlike4.00a.m.report:sound,message.

631 bewildered:lostinthewilds(be-wild-ered).

636 a dull red image of themoon: Themoon’s red image isseen inDescriptive Sketches 219–20 by the unfortunateGrisongypsy.

643–4 insects…woods: ‘And insect buzz that stuns the sultrywoods’(DescriptiveSketches224).

645 more by darkness visible… than:When is an oxymoronnotanoxymoron?Answer:whenyoualter the syntax.InWordsworth’splayfulallusiontoPLI63(imitatedat1850429above), it isnot that thedarkness isvisible,but that shapes are visible as the result of themselvesbeingdark.

661–72

Let this alone… worship: Wordsworth had shown asimilaranxietyinDescriptiveSketchesnottobetakenfora picturesque traveller: ‘I had once given to thesesketches the title of picturesque, but the Alps areinsultedinapplyingtothemthatterm’(noteto1.347).The case is more complex thanWordsworth makes itsound; he had learned much from the picturesque

tradition(seeXI152–7n.).

667 ameanpensioner:onewhoungenerouslydrawspleasureandmakesno(imaginative)return.

672–80

whate’er|I saw… circuitous: Experience of the Alps isseen as flowing into the larger river of the poet’seducation by bringing out in him the qualities ofgrandeur and tenderness (the sublime and beautifulagain) – the first directly (through response to themountains);thesecondbyamoresubtleprocess.

684–5 thenations hailed…expectancy: the newpolitical orderforwhichtheyhadwaitedsolong.

688–9 theSwissexulting…neighbours:AstheoldestrepublicinEurope, Switzerland rejoiced that France too shouldhaveachievedameasureofpoliticalreform(thesettingup of a republic was not contemplated by the Frenchthemselvesin1790,anddidn’ttakeplacetillSeptember1792).

691 the Brabant armies: armies of the short-lived Belgianrepublic,suppressedbyLeopoldIIinDecember1790.

693 scarcelyofthehousehold…life:hardlygrownup.

699 proper:own(Frenchpropre).

BookSeventh

1–56 Written originally as an introduction to Book VIII inearly October 1804, when Wordsworth returned toworkonThePreludeafterabreakduringthesummermonths.Forthesomewhatcomplicatedcircumstances(and for speculations as to the dating of VII as awhole),seeIntroduction.

3 the city’swalls: See I1–54n.and8n.Thenoteat thispointinthefirstedition–‘ThecityofGoslar,inLower

Saxony’–isunhelpfulandnotwrittenbyWordsworth.

4–13 I sang…lastprimrose-time:Giving the impression thatthe Glad Preamble (1805 I 1–54) had been hisstarting-point, Wordsworth distorts the sequence ofPrelude composition, yet contrives to give a broadlyaccurate picture. The two parts of the 1799 poem(which in truth preceded the Preamble) arerepresented in the ‘short-lived transport’ and the‘flowingawhileinstrength’,andthethree-yeargapinThe Prelude’s composition, December 1799–January1804 (‘a little space|Before last primrose-time’) iscorrectly marked. 1850’s late emendation of ‘Fiveyears’ in line1 to ‘Sixchangefulyears’has theeffectof misdating the Preamble, but correctly taking theoriginsofThePreludebackto1798.

5 dithyrambic:fervent,wild.

8 Scafell: Locally pronounced ‘Scawfle’ (note thescansion), and often regarded as the Lake District’shighestmountain,thoughScafellPikeisslightlytaller.Blencathra:Chosenforthebeautyofitsname,anditsimposingpresence(seenfromtheroadtoKeswickandColeridge).

14–20 assurances… hindrance: Wordsworth had at firstassuredhimselfthathecouldcompleteThePrelude infive books for Coleridge to take with him to theMediterranean. Then in March (see Introduction) hehad decided to work towards a larger poem anddoubtless set himself further targets. In the first sixmonthsoftheyearhehadwrittenextraordinarilyfast.One ‘outward hindrance’ during his summer lay-off(July–September) had been the birth of his daughterDoraon16August.

30 their rough lord…surlynorth:ModelledonThomson’s‘surlyWinter’,Seasons I 11–12: ‘And seewhere surly

Winterpassesoff|Fartothenorth,andcallshisruffianblasts…’

39–41 A glow-worm… Clear-shining: For the valueWordsworthsetonglowworms,andtheir‘smallcirclesof green radiance’ (EveningWalk 278), see especiallyAmong All Lovely Things My Love Had Been (April1802).

50–3 my favourite grove… poet’s task: Wordsworthexperiences afresh the ‘mild creative breeze’ of thePreamble (I 43), but does so now in the setting ofGrasmere. He composed frequently in the Ladywoodfir-grove nearDoveCottage, and valued it especiallyforitsassociationswithhisbrotherJohn;seeWhentotheAttractionsoftheBusyWorld(1800).

57–9 Returned…gownedstudents:Byspendinghisfinallongvacation on a tour of the Alps Wordsworth hadforfeitedanychanceofacademicsuccess.HereturnedtoCambridgeinOctober1790,andtookaBAwithouthonoursinJanuary1791.

62 unfencedregions:commons;cf.Young,NightThoughtsV740–1: ‘Our needful knowledge, like our needfulfood,|Unhedged,liesopeninlife’scommonfield…’

63–5 Yet undetermined… time: The true reason whyWordsworthseemedtohavealittletimewasthathisfamilyexpectedhimtogo intotheChurch,whichhecouldn’tdountilhewas23.

72–4 at least two years… visitant: Reed conjectures thatWordsworthfirstvisitedLondonattheendofsummer1788(ChronologyoftheEarlyYears81n.).

78 abroad:outside,awayfromhome.

80 affections:emotions.

85 Alcairo:ancientMemphis;DeSelincourtpointstoPLI

717–19:

NotBabylonNorgreatAlcairosuchmagnificenceEqualledinalltheirglories…

Persepolis: Ancient capital of the Persian Empire,sackedbyAlexandertheGreat;cf.Marlowe,‘Isitnotpassing brave to be a king,|And ride in triumphthroughPersepolis?(TamburlaineI717–18).

86 report by pilgrim friars: Wordsworth has in mindPurchas His Pilgrimes (1625), which in 1797 hadprovided Coleridgewith the openingwords ofKublaKhan.

94–7 among our flock… traveller: Philip Braithwaite, whobecameschoolmasteratFarSawrey,nearHawkshead,and was visited by Wordsworth in old age(Wordsworth’sHawkshead39–46).

103 vanity:fantasy.

110 equipages: Perhaps ‘carriageswith attendant servants’(Norton), but more probably ‘retinues’, as in life’s‘equipage’,Intimations105.

114–17 youngWhittington…Articulatemusic:Adualreference:to the legendary Richard Whittington who as a boyheardthebellsofStMary-le-Bowringout:‘TurnagainWhittington,|Thou worthy citizen,|Lord Mayor ofLondon’;andtoColeridge,whoasaboyinDevonshireheard the bells ring ‘all the hot fair-day…|Most likearticulatesoundsofthingstocome’(FM35–8).

119–20 by simple faith… love: A change ofmeaning perhaps,butclearerthan1805.

121–83 Asequence that isveryheavily revised in the1830s.TheextentofWordsworth’scuttingisnotevidentata

glance,asthereareconsiderableinsertionstoo.

123 Vauxhall and Ranelagh: London pleasure-gardens,offeringballs,masquerades,fireworksetc.Vauxhall,inLambeth,was larger andmore popular;Ranelagh, inChelsea,chargedhalfacrownadmission(fiveshillingsonfireworks-nights)andhadarotundawhereMozartonceplayed.

130 WhisperingGalleryofStPaul’s:Galleryroundtheinsideofthedome,famousforitsacousticeffects.Awhispercomesfullcircle.

131 GiantsofGuildhall:CarvedwoodenfiguresofGogandMagog(1708),destroyedintheLondonblitz in1940(andunimpressivelyreplacedafterthewar).

132 Bedlam… gates: Famous London mental hospital,demolished in 1814, whose name (a corruption ofBethlehem)hasenteredintothelanguage.Thefigures,representing forms of madness, were carved c. 1680by Caius Gabriel Gbber, father of Pope’s hero in the1743Dunciad;hencethereferenceto‘Cibber’sbrazenbrainlessbrothers’(DunciadI32).

133–41 InsertedinMSCc.1819.

135 Monument:202-footstonecolumnerectedbyWrenatthepointwheretheFireofLondonstartedin1666.

141 keen and lively pleasure: The view that Wordsworthdisliked London derives from a series of untypicalcomments made in 1800, see 11. 700–4n. below. Infact he was delighted as a young man by its colourandbustle,andenjoyedhislatervisits.

144 prescriptive:established.

149–50 thou monstrous ant-hill… world: Wordsworth’sexuberant image is introduced in MS D of 1838–9,condensingtheoriginaltransitionof1805.

154–243

As Reed suggests, Wordsworth is drawing on themagnificentandmischievousletterthatLambwrotetohim on 30 January 1801 about the pleasures of citylife:

I have passed all my days in London, until I haveformedasmanyandintenselocalattachmentsasanyofyoumountaineers canhavedonewithdeadnature.The lighted shops of the Strand and Fleet Street; theinnumerable trades, tradesmen and customers;coaches, wagons, playhouses; all the bustle andwickedness round about Covent Garden; the verywomen of the town, the watchmen, drunken scenes,rattles– lifeawake, ifyouawake,atallhoursof thenight; the impossibility of being dull in Fleet Street;the crowds, the very dirt and mud, the sun shininguponhousesandpavements; theprint-shops,theold-book stalls, parsons cheapening books; coffee-houses,steams of soups from kitchens, the pantomimes –London itself a pantomime and a masquerade – allthese thingswork themselves intomymindand feedmewithoutthepowerofsatiatingme.Thewonderofthese sights impels me into night walks about hercrowdedstreets,and Ioften shed tears in themotleyStrandfromfulnessofjoyatsomuchlife.

160 Still:always.

162 chariots:carriagesofpleasure,orstate(Johnson).

164 scavenger: street, or crossing, sweeper, needful whenroadsweremuddyandladiesworelongdresses.

165 hackney-coaches: coaches for hire inside London,opposedbyWordsworth to the long-distance coaches(RoyalMailsamongthem)ofthenextline.

167 drayman’s team:matched horses pulling a dray (low-sidedcart)probablycarryingbeerbarrels.

170 punctual:atacertainpoint(Latinpunctus).

182 Boyle: Robert Boyle (1627–91), chemist, founder-memberoftheRoyalSociety.

183 some Scotch doctor: James Graham (1745–94) was aconfidencetricksterwhosetupaTempleofHealthattheAdelphiinLondonin1779.Amongotherremediescustomerswere offered etherealmedicines,milk andearth baths, and a ‘celestial bed’ to cure sterility at£50 a night. Wordsworth in his satirical Imitation ofJuvenal (1796) referred to Graham as ‘great high-priest’in‘Health’sowntemple’,butdoubted‘Ifonthecouchcelestialgoldcanshed|Thecoarserblessingsofapeasant’sbed’(OxfordI306).

188 tracts of thin resort: areas where there were fewerpeople.

190 raree-show:peep-showcarriedinabox.

198 thrilled: pierced (as in ‘nostril’, where the nose isthrilled).

199 cries: Hawkers’ proclamations of wares to be sold inthestreet(Johnson).Londoncrieswerefamousasthesubject of aquatinted costume-studies by FrancisWheatleyandothers.

200 Anoctosyllabicline,createdduringthecopyingofMSA in 1805–6, and persisting (presumably unnoticed)untilrevisionsof1832producedthe1850reading.

202–4 privileged regions… gardens green: The Inns of Court;Wordsworth seems to have lived with his brotherRichardatStapleInnattheendof1792,andwiththeelder Basil Montagu at Gray’s Inn early in 1795(ChronologyI138,163).

209 Here filesofballads…deadwalls:DeSelincourtdraws

attentiontoMaryCowdenClarke’srecollectioninMyLongLife(2nded.2–3)ofballadsforsale,c.1815,atCumberland Gate (now Marble Arch): ‘The railingadjacent to thegatewasat thatperiod (about1812)permitted to be strung with rows of printed old-fashioned ballads, such as Cruel Barbara Allen, etc.’.dead:blank,windowless.

213–14 That – fronted… masquerade: The advertisement towhichWordsworthpointsis‘indisguise’–designedtotempt the viewer with its ‘most imposing’ openingword.MSXrevealsthesecretwithheldinlatertexts:‘“Inviting”istheleadingword,abait|Whichcannotberesisted’ (Reed II 324). ‘Imposing’ has an elegantdoublemeaning:‘impressive’and‘deceitful’.

216–20 Behold a face… arms: Samuel Horsey, ‘King of theBeggars’, isvividlydescribedbyLambinAComplaintoftheDecayofBeggarsintheMetropolis,Elia270–1:

awell-known figure, or part of the figure, of aman,who used to glide his comely upper half over thepavements of London, wheeling along with mostingeniouscelerityuponamachineofwood…Hewasa grand fragment, as good as an ElginMarble… themanpartofacentaur fromwhich thehorse-halfhadbeencloveninsomedireLapithancontroversy.

226 field-ward: Towards the country, still in walkingdistance (Paddington, for instance, was an outlyingvillagein1804).decencymodesty,propriety(implyingbehavioursuitedtoone’splaceinanorderedsociety).

229 images:statuettes,presumablyoftheVirginMaryandtheSaints.

242 Lascars:FromtheEastIndies.

243 negro ladies… gowns: ‘Negro’ was not a disparagingterm at this period. Wordsworth’s sympathy for the

sufferings of black people is seen in the sonnets of1802,ToToussaintL’OuvertureandespeciallyWeHadA Fellow Passenger: ‘She was a negro woman drivenfromFrance,|Rejectedlikeallothersfromthatrace…’

248–9 mimic sights… reality: Representations, such as thepanoramas that were a novelty at the end of theeighteenthcentury(11.256–64)ormodelsoffamousplaces(11.265–79).

252–3 subtlestcraft…purestends:imaginativecreation.

256–61 the painter… pinnacle: Thomas Girtin’s Eidometropolis(on view when Lamb was showingWordsworth andDorothythesightsofLondoninSeptember1802)was9feethighand216feetincircumference,andpaintedfrom a rooftop near Blackfriars Bridge. It was lastheardofinRussia.

257 circumambient: surrounding (Latin circumambeo, to goround).

258 pencil:paintbrush(normaleighteenth-centuryusage).

260 commissionedspirits:Thespiritwhocomesimmediatelytomind–Satan–hadno ‘commission’(authority)toplaceChristuponapinnacle.

265 moremechanicartist:craftsman.

275–6 OfTivoli…everytree:FollowingMaxwell,thetwo-lineversion fromMS C has been preferred to the threelines of A (Reed 275–7), which were first leftincomplete,theninconclusivelyrevised(Nortonatthispointisacomposite).Wordsworthwouldhaveknownthat Horace, whose Sabine farm was at Tivoli,associated the grotto there with the sibyl Albunea(Odes I vii 10–15). The temple, much painted byeighteenth-centuryBritishartistsatRome,isdedicatedtoVesta.

288 Half-rural Sadler’s Wells: Sadler’s Wells avoided thelicence and controls to which London theatres weresubject, by being in ‘half-rural’ Islington, threemilesnorth.

291 mauger:despite(Frenchmalgre).RegardedbyJohnsonas archaic, and not elsewhere used by Wordsworth,who perhaps thought it appropriately theatrical:TwelfthNightIIIi153,‘maugerallthypride’.

293 rope-dancers:AprintofSadler’sWellsin1795depicts‘TIGHTROPEDANCINGbyMrRicher,whoseelegantand admired performances will be relieved andcontrasted by the comic dances of Mr Dubois, asClown of the Rope’; Harry Bearol, Theatre Notebook(1951–2)VI12–14.

294 posture-masters: contortionists harlequins: clowns,traditionally in particoloured costume. The bluetit ofKittenandtheFallingLeaves(featuringtheinfantDoraWordsworth in autumn 1804) is ‘Lithest, gaudiestharlequin,|Prettiesttumblereverseen(11.72–3).

298 the laws and progress of belief: An early expression oftheRomantic interest indramatic illusion, leading toColeridge’s famous definition of ‘that willingsuspensionofdisbeliefforthemomentthatconstitutespoeticfaith’(BiographiaLiterariachapter14).

306 Aquotation fromSamson’s (andMilton’s) lament forhisblindness,SamsonAgonistes86–9:

ThesuntomeisdarkAndsilentasthemoonWhenshedesertsthenight,Hidinhervacantinterlunarcave.

307 and faith must needs be coy: Faith has to be ‘coy’,

submissive,ifitistoacceptsuchtrickery(1850neatlyremovestheawkwardnessof1805).

310 here:AtSadler’sWells.

288 ‘forms and pressures of the time’: An appropriate, ifinexact,quotation fromHamlet III ii 22–4,where thePrincegiveshisinstructionstothePlayers:‘hold…themirror up to nature’, ‘show virtue her own feature;scorn,herown image; and theveryageandbodyofthe time, his form and pressure’. pressure: stamp,impression(andtherefore,‘image’),asonacoin.

312 Thespiantimes: theperiodofThespis,GreektragedianofthesixthcenturyBC.

314–26 some domestic incident… marriage bonds: The ‘daring’(presumptuous)brotherhoodatSadler’sWellshadon25April1803puton ‘anoperaticpieceinrhyme’byCharlesDibdin, calledEdward and Susan, based on a‘domestic incident’ in the Lake District. In October1802, Mary Robinson, daughter of the innkeeper atButtermere, hadmarried the Hon. Augustus Hope, aScottishMPandbrothertotheEarlofHopetown.Orso it was believedwhen Coleridgewrote the first ofhis five articles on the subject for theMorning Post.ThenitcameoutthatMaryhadbeendeceived,Hopewas plain John Hatfield, and the marriage wasbigamous. On their walking tour of Scotland,Wordsworth, Coleridge and Dorothy contrived to bepresent in Carlisle in August when Hatfield wascondemned for forgery, then a capital offence(Journals I 196). Coleridge (full of righteousindignation, and rather too interested in thewickednessthathadbeendisplayed)wenttoseehimin his cell. Hatfield was hanged in September. DeQuincey gives a fascinating and largely credibleaccountoftheaffair(Recollections66–73).

318 doubtless treated with irreverence: The play had beenseeninJune1803bySouthey(whoslept),Lamb(wholaughed), and Mary Lamb, who wrote to theWordsworths wittily describing the evening’sentertainment.

322 ‘aboldbadman’:AppliedbySpenser to themagicianArchimago: ‘A bold bad man that dared to call byname|Great Gorgon, Prince of Darkness and deadnight’(FQIistanza37).

328–9 When first we saw… unheard of: Wordsworth andColeridge were waited on by Mary Robinson at theFish Inn, Buttermere, on 11 November 1799. Theycould have heard of her by this time had they readBudworth’s Fortnight’s Ramble To The Lakes (1792),whereherpraisesaresung,pp.202–4.

332 mien:manner,looks.

341–5 For wewere nursed… stream: The River Cocker flowsfrom Buttermere to Wordsworth’s birthplace,Cockermouth.Thepoet’ssenseofhimselfandMaryastherefore linked in childhood is expressed (tenderlyandalittlefacetiously)throughaquotationofLycidas23, ‘For we were nursed upon the self-same hill’.severalseparate.

349 thy image rose again: Cf. TA 62, ‘The picture of themindrevivesagain’,andtherisingupof imaginationatVI525–9.

354–5 Besidethemountain-chapel…infant:Wordsworthcouldcertainlyhavehadlocalknowledge,butitisoddthathisistheonlyreferencetoMary’shavinghadachildbyHatfield.Despite the seeming implication of ‘Thismemorialverse’,Maryherself livedonatButtermere,and on 8March 1808 (when shewas 30)married a

localfarmer.PerhapsWordsworthinconsigninghertoalimbooftheimaginationwasattemptingtodistractthe curious. De Quincey recalls her as continuing towaitattable,andbecoming‘disagreeable’astheresultofvisitors’attentions.

368–9 todealabout\Articulateprattle:makebaby-talk.

374 hadbeen:wouldhavebeen.

378 DiscardedMSXreading(1804): ‘Amiracle,aninfantHercules’.

387 treated:giventreats;cf.‘’tisaprettybaby-treat’(KittenandtheFallingLeaves41).

397–8 thosewhowalked…fieryfurnace:Shadrak,MeshakandAbednego, ‘upon whose bodies’, whenNebuchadnezzar had them cast into the furnace, ‘thefire had no power, nor was an hair of their headsinged’(Daniel3.27).

398–405

Hehathsince…abasement:

Theboyamidhisfruitandglasses,oathsandindecentspeech,hasachievedwhatthechildoftheOdecannotachieve, travelling as he does ‘daily farther from theeast’. Stopped in his perfection, as the Virgin ofMichelangelo’sPietà is stopped inhers,herepresentsthepowerofimaginationovertime.(BV301–2)

MS C: shows that Wordsworth replaced this greatimaginative poetry with a version of 1850 370–6 asearlyasc.1819.

374 preferred:broughtforward,raisedtoheaven.

412 littlemorethanthreeshortyears:Wordsworth,whowasinLondonearly in1791,harksbacktoautumn1787

when he travelled south for the first time, to enterCambridge.1850,‘Fourrapidyears’,alterslittle.

434 Thesorrowofthepassion:Thesadnessofhisfeelings.

406 BySiddons…power:SarahSiddons(1755–1831),sisterofCharlesKemble,andthegreatestactressofherday,was at her peak in the 1790s. Dorothy Wordsworthsaw her twice in early December 1797 (see letter toChristopher); Wordsworth nowhere records havingseenher,butpresumablydid.

440 lustreschandeliers

459–60 and makes them\Prate somewhat loudly: ‘Thy verystonesprateofmywhereabout’(MacbethIIi58).pratespeak.

470–3 sportiveandalert…rustlingleaves:ClearestofthelinksbetweenBookVIIandKittenandtheFallingLeaves(c.late October 1804); see Introduction and 294n.,38711.above.

478 girlish:innocent,naïve.

490–5 initself\Humble…sustained:AversionofPedlar76–81ofFebruary1798:

thingsthoughlow,Thoughlowandhumble,nottobedespisedBysuchashaveobservedthecuriouslinksWithwhichtheperishablehoursoflifeAreboundtogether,andtheworldofthoughtExistsandissustained.

Thesubstitutionof‘props’(1805)for‘links’,and‘Reston each other’ (1805) for ‘Are bound together’,removes the original Hartleyan implication ofbeneficial ‘chains’ of association at work within the

mind;cf.III167n.above.

505 obsequious:obedient.

506 suburbsofthemind:‘DwellIbutinthesuburbs|Ofyourgoodpleasure?’.(JuliusCaesarIIi285–6).

507–15 Ifaught…solitude:Byaparadox, ‘realgrandeur’ is tobe found (if at all) in moments when the ‘grossrealities’ of the theatre (actors, scenery) that arebodying forth (making ‘incarnate’) the world ofShakespeare’simagination(see1850484)provokethemind through their very clumsiness to recognize itsownintuitions.1850477–80admitsthepossibiitythatactingwillattimesrise‘toidealgrandeur’.

517 titledhigher:withahigherreputation.

522 tongue-favoured men: Cf. Milton’s ‘Tongue-doughtygiant’,Harapha(SamsonAgonistes1181).

525–6 One of whose name… Familiarly: William Pitt, PrimeMinister1783–1801,1804–6.

526–8 ahouseholdterm…Harrytalksof:HenryVIViii51–5:

Thenshallournames,Familiarinhismouthashouseholdwords–HarrytheKing,BedfordandExeter,WarwickandTalbot,SalisburyandGloucester–Beintheirflowingcupsfreshlyremembered.

Dorothy records the emotion she felt in reading theplaytoWordsworthintheorchardatDoveCottageon8May1802.

531–2 hath yoked… his car: proposes to take a long time.Aurora,GoddessoftheDawn,risesfromtheseainherchariot (‘car’) at daybreak. A further classical

reference, to the Hours (Horae), goddesses of theseasons,seemsunlikely.

538 He winds… horn: keeps talking; various heroes fromRoland to Astolpho do blow horns, but the chiefreference seems to be a facetious one to the gnat ofLycidas 28, ‘What time the grey-fly winds her sultryhorn’.

539 Words follow words… sense: Wordsworth mimics theelegance,andthebalancedphrasing,ofPope,inalinesatirizingtheorator’srelianceonmereform;cf.1850IV372.

512–43 AsMaxwellputsit,‘ThepraiseofBurkeisperhapsthemost striking single example of insertion in laterrevision [MS D 1832] of sympathies alien to theearlier Wordsworth. The answer to the rhetoricalquestion of ll. 540–3 would seem to be “Yes”.’ InReflections on the French Revolution, published inNovember 1790, Burke denounced the still peacefulandconstitutionalFrenchleadershipintermsof‘plots,massacres,assassinations’.Twomonthslater,inLettertoaMemberoftheNationalAssembly,hisparanoiatookamoreextremeform:powerinFrancewas‘guidedbytheprudenceof litigiousattorneysand jew-brokers…by shamelesswomen of the lowest condition’ (p. 3).TheAssemblywasconspiringtosubvertthe‘principlesof domestic trust and fidelity’ by propagating thevalues of Rousseau’s Nouvelle Héloïse (a book, be itsaid,ofimpeccablemorality).

514–15 bewildered men… guides: The group to which (byimplication) Wordsworth himself would havebelonged. Inpointof fact, in theearly1790shehadbeenneither‘confused’norinclinedtolistentoBurke.He was a committed republican and admirer of theRevolution.Thosedismissedas‘boastfulguides’wouldinclude Price (Discourse of the Love of our Country,

1789),Paine(RightsofMan,1791–2)andGodwin(thefirst edition of whose Political Justice [1793] iscommittedtotheRevolution).

520 stag-hornbranches:AtacertainstagethetopbranchesofanEnglishoaktendtotheback,dietreeformingasecond crown from growth sent out lower down thetrunk. Through this new foliage older branchesprotrude, stag-horn-like,because thewood is sohardthattheybecomeseasonedinsteadofrotting.

527–8 the vital power… Custom: An aspect of Burke thatWordsworth,withhisconsistentbeliefincommunity,wouldalwayshavebeendrawnto.

530 theallegiance towhichmenareborn:Allegiancetothemonarch,ortoaconstitutionagreedinthepast.WithPrice and Paine, Wordsworth had as a young manrefused to accept that future generations could bebound by past decisions. Burke was especiallyconcerned to defend the binding power of thesettlement’ of 1688 that established Britishconstitutionalmonarchy(whiledenyingthatkingshiphadactuallybeenconferred).

531 froward multitude: wayward, undisciplined.WordsworthcomesneartorecallingBurke’snotoriousreference to the lower classes in Reflections as ‘theswinishmultitude’.

533–4 the winds… chain: Aeolus, god of winds, kept themchainedinacave.OwenpointstoBurke’squotationinReflections of Aeneid I 140–1 ‘Illa se jactat inaula|Aeolus et clauso ventorum carcere regnet’ (‘In thathallletAeoluslordit,andruleinthebarredprisonofthewinds’).

538–9 Wisdom… in armour: Athena, representing wisdom,springsatherbirthfullyarmedfromtheheadofJove.

540 Synod:Parliament.

540–3 Could a youth… uninspired: Wordsworth’s use of therhetorical question enables him to avoid sayingoutrightthathewashimselfasayoungmaninspiredbyBurke.Haydon’sDiaryquoteshimassayingon23May 1815: ‘You always went from Burke with yourmind filled, fromFoxwithyour feelingsexcited,andfromPittwithwonder…athishavinghadthepowertomaketheworseappearthebetterreason.’

544–50 Insertedin1838–9toreplace1805544–6andofferapositive view of the Church before the satiricalportraitthatfollows.

546–65 BasedonCowper’sportraitofthetheatricalpreacher,TaskII430–54,alreadyamodelfortheInfantProdigyofBookV(seeV35on.).

550 lead his voice… maze: Maxwell points to Milton,L’Allegro 142, ‘The melting voice through mazesrunning’.

558–65 hewhopenned…flock:Wordsworthhashisfashionablepreacher refer to three popular works of the lateeighteenth century: Solomon Gessner’sDeath of Abel(1758, translated by Mary Collyer 1761), EdwardYoung’sNight Thoughts on Life, Death and Immortality(1742–5, quoted in Tin-tern Abbey), and JamesMacPherson’s epic ‘translations’ Fingal and Temora(1762–3),sitedinnorth-westScotland(‘Morven’)andallegedly from the Celtic poet Ossian. Eloquence inWordsworth’s final image is a shepherd’s crookentwined with ‘flowers’ culled from other men’swritings.

568 conventicle: meeting-place, nonconformist place ofworship.

570 With fondness… pedestal: Read: by fondness… (1850clarifiesthemeaning).

576 candidatesforregard:things,orpeople,toobserve.

588 inparade:onshow.

591 the schools: academic disciplines, faculties at auniversity.

598–625

Wordsworth’s vignette of theworkman’s love for hischildistransferredfromBookVIIIinthefinalPreluderevisions; for the lines intheirearlier form,see1805VIII 837–59. LI. 619–25 were added during thereshuffle.

621 Thathugefermentingmass:London.

596–7 ‘The face… mystery’: In contrast to Wordsworth’sreturntotheruralcommunityofHawksheadin1788:‘The face of every neighbour whom I met|Was as avolumetome’(IV58–9).

601–2 Asecond-sightprocession…stillmountains:Wordsworthhas inmind theLakeDistrict traditionof ‘horsemen-shadowswindingtoandfro’,aboutwhichhehadfirstwritten,EveningWalk183–8.

606 neitherknowingme,norknown:Abiblicalusage,cf.Job7.10,‘neithershallhisplaceknowhimanymore’,andRuinedCottage144,‘Andtheirplaceknewthemnot’.

607 far travelled in such mood: Both ‘far-travelled, whileexperiencing such a mood’, and ‘far travelled into amoodofthiskind’.

615–16 Mymind did…waters: A powerful image of the day:the Industrial Revolution depended on mill-wheelsturned‘bythemightofwaters’.

616–19 and it seemed… universe: In some ways still moreimpressive isWordsworth’soriginaldraft inMSX (c.

November1804):

andIthoughtThateventheverybestofwhatweknowBothofourselvesandoftheuniverse,Thewholeofwhatiswrittentoourview,Is but a label on a blind man’s chest. (Reed1485)

620–2 on the shape… another world: Comparison with thebenign admonishment of the LeechGatherer (‘amanfromsomefarregionsent|Togivemehumanstrengthandstrongadmonishment’,11.118–19)pointsuptheLondonbeggar’sthreateninganonymity:

There is no comfort this time in the admonishment;theworldacrosstheborderissuddenlyalien…Lulledby the second-sightprocession thathehascreated torender tolerable the endless stream of passers-by,conservehisownidentityasanartist,Wordsworth istakencompletelybysurprise.Whatifhisownlifeandwork –The Prelude is after all ‘the story of themanandwhohewas’–couldbeseenbysomeremoteanddispassionatewisdomas‘butalabelonablindman’schest’?(BV306)

628–30 the solemnity… stands still: The stillness thatWordsworth celebrates in his Sonnet on WestminsterBridge:ofSeptember1802.

638–9 The feeble salutation…woman: A prostitute soliciting;accepted by Lamb the city-dweller asmerely part of‘thebustleandwickedness’ofCoventGarden(lettertoWordsworth,quotedll.154–243nabove).

649–51 thefair…StBartholomew:Four-dayLondonstreet-fair,celebrated in Jonson’s play (Bartholomew Fair, 1615)and visited by William and Dorothy, with Lamb as

guide,inSeptember1802.Thefair,heldatSmithfieldwhereProtestantmartyrswereburnedinthereignofQueen Mary (1553–8), typifies for Wordsworth theanarchyofcitylife.

652 finished to our hands: comes to hand ready-made,requiringnoadditionsoftheimagination.

656–8 she shall lodge… platform: Wordsworth, whothroughout Book VII has taken a spectator’s (orpainter’s) view of the colour and bustle of London,nowwishes to standabove the fair, offerhis readersanaerialpanorama.

658–61 Whatahell…Monstrous:ConsciouslyevokingMilton’sHell,where‘naturebreeds,|Perverse,allmonstrous,allprodigiousthings’(PLII624–5).

687 phantasmaJuliusCaesar:IIi65,‘Likeaphantasmaorahideousdream’.

673 hurdy-gurdy: stringed instrument, but played with arosinedwheelratherthanabow.

674 salt-box: Self-explanatory; a common musicalinstrumentofthetime.

681 Thehorse of knowledge…pig:Owenpoints to a ‘marethat tellsmoney’ seenbyPepys atBartholomewFairon1September1668andalater ‘Arabianpony,whoperformsthemostsurprisingthingswithcards’.Tobythe Sapient Pig, exhibited in London in 1817, ‘couldspell, read, cast accounts and play cards’, not tomention reading people’s thoughts, ‘a thing neverheardofbeforeinananimaloftheswinerace’.

685 wax-work: Madame Tussaud’s horrifying collection,made in Paris during the Reign of Terror, came toLondonin1802andisstillonshow.

688–9 all Promethean thoughts… dulness: Prometheus mademan out of clay; man when he tries to be similarlyinventive produces mere anarchy. ‘Dulness’ wouldbring the apocalytic chaos of Pope’s Dunciadappropriatelytomind.

mill:factory.

695–6 atypenot false…itself:Asa ‘type’,oremblem,of thecity, Bartholomew Fair is in contrast to the sublimelandscapeoftheSimplonPass,characterizedby‘typesandsymbolsofeternity’(VI571).

700–4 The slaves… end: Drawn from a passage drafted forMichaelin1800,nodoubtinanattempttorationalizethe behaviour of Luke in ‘the dissolute city’; rightlycutinWordsworth’sfinalrevisions(1839orlater).

709–12 himwho looks… thewhole:Cf. II220–6, addressed toColeridge, to whom ‘the unity of all hath beenrevealed’.

745–53 Think how… clouds: Among Wordsworth’s finalinsertions.

721–9 to the mind… relation: A revised version of PedlarFragment,InStormandTempest23–31(earlyFebruary1798);Wordsworth had adapted the first 20 lines oftheFragmentforThePreludeas1799II252–71(1805II322–41)fiveyearsbefore.

724 measure: stature. prospect: internal landscape (themountain has been internalized, first in its stability,theninitschangefulness).

738 meagre linesandcolours:AreflectionofWordsworth’sattitude in the last 40 lines, not of Book VII as awhole.

BookEighth

1–61 AversionofBookVIII (consistingof11.75–661andothermaterialdiscussedintheIntroduction)ispresentinMSYandseemstohavebeencomposedinOctober1804, before the writing of VII. LI. 1–61, however,werewritten afterVIIwas finished.Grasmere Fair isintroducedasaparalleltoLondon’sBartholomewFair(VII 648–94) and a way into the already composedstudiesof the shepherd’s life inVIII. For theoriginalopeningofVIII,seeVII1–56.

1–5 Whatsounds…greenfield:Helvellyn(3,118feet)looksdown on Grasmere’s tiny annual fair, described byDorothy Wordsworth in her Journal of 2 September1802.

21 byre: cowshed kine: cows (the archaic plural, as inJoseph’sdreamof the seven fat and seven leankine,Genesis41.2ff.).

20 traffic:sale.

22 chaffering:bidding,haggling.

24 bleat the flocks: A mannerism of eighteenth-centurydescriptive poetry; cf. Thomson, Seasons III 719,‘Vanish the woods’. 32–3 a speech-maker by rote…raree-show:Thepeep-show’sownerknowsbyheartthespeechesusedtoheighteneachsceneinturn.

34 mountebank: ‘A doctor that mounts a bench in themarket and boasts his infallible remedies and cures’(Johnson). Wordsworth may already be drawing onJosephCottle’sMalvernHills(1798)ashedoesinthe1850revisions;see185048–52n.below.

35 wain:wagon.

36–43 But one is here… restlessly: Wordsworth’s charmingvignetteof the ‘sweet lassof thevalley’ takes its cuefromthemoreopeneroticismofBenJonson.Farmers

inToPenshurst(1616)54–6sendproduce

Bytheirripedaughters,whomtheywouldcommendThiswaytohusbands;andwhosebasketsbearAnemblemofthemselvesinplumorpear.

45–55 Added 1838–9, when Wordsworth and Mary (the‘ancientweddedpair’of1.46)wouldhavebeennearly70.

48–52 ‘These lines are from a descriptive poem –MalvernHills–;byoneofMr.Wordsworth’soldestfriends,MrJosephCottle’(notetofirstedition).WordsworthhadtoldCottlethepoemwasafavourite,andpraisedthequoted passage as ‘super-excellent’, in a letter of 27January1829.Cottle’s lines come fromadescriptionofaWhitsunholiday,whichOwensuggestsmayhaveinfluenced a number of Wordsworth’s detailedobservations.

47–8 the recess…Magnificent: A case ofWordsworth beingmore Miltonic than Milton. Two echoes are linkedfromParadise Lost Book II (‘this vast recess’, 1. 254,and ‘heaven’s whole circumference’, 1. 353), and aMiltonic construction is used in the placing of thenoun between two Latinate adjectives(‘Circumambientworld|Magnificent’.

55–61 them the morning light… abode: Wordsworth isreworking a tender passage of Thomson’s Spring,addressed to ‘generous minds’, responsive to thepresenceofGodinhiscreation:

ForyoutherovingspiritofthewindBlowsspringabroad;foryoutheteemingcloudsDescendingladsomeplentyo’ertheworld;Andthesunshedshiskindestraysforyou,Yeflowerofhumanrace!(Seasons1887–91)

62–74 With deep devotion…playmates: Not part of themainsequenceofMSY,whichcorrespondsbroadlytoBookVIII,butdraftedonsparepapernearthebeginningoftheMS.ThebackwardlookatLondon(1.63)suggeststhat the lineswere composed, or adapted, to form atransitionwhen,c.lateNovember1804,BookVIIIwasfittedwithitsnewopeningsection(11.1–61).

64–119 Cutin1838–9,afterextensiveattemptsatrevision,11.64–119 (containing two perfect ‘spots of time’: thefloating island and the shepherd and his dog) are amajor loss to the 1850 text. It is not clear whereWordsworth’sdissatisfactionlay.

75 complacency: contentment (without the modernimplicationofself-satisfaction).

84 exhalations:mists,vapours.

86 Redounding:overflowing.vehementforceful,active.

93–8 above my head… island: As in the episodes of theStolenBoatandtheWaitingfortheHorses(see1799I84n. and 353–5n.), Wordsworth is recalling a scenefirsttreatedinhisambitiousschoolboypoemTheValeofEsthwaite(1786–7):

AndonyonsummitbrownandbareThatseemssuchanislandintheairThe shepherd’s restless dog I mark… (Oxford I270,13–15)

100–1 A little pendant area… forward: The inhabitants ofWordsworth’s aerial island achieve a stillness and apeace that is the opposite of Claudio’s horrifyingfantasyofbeing

imprisonedintheviewlesswinds,Andblownwithrestlessviolenceroundabout

Thependantworld. (MeasureforMeasure III i125–7)

Shakespeare’s vision (in this case) is of death as aperpetual restless violence, Wordsworth’s(characteristically) is of life stopped in amoment oftranscendentcalm.(BV289–90)

PL X 313, ‘a ridge of pendant rock’, may also havecontributedtoWordsworth’simage.

113 pervious:passable(Latinper,through,andvia,way).

117–19 that deep farewell… regions: Wordsworth brings theseHawkshead reminiscences toanendwithanallusionto the Coniston episode, 1799 II 140–78 (droppedfrom 1805 Book II), which had itself been based onTheValeofEsthwaite.

119–43 A paragraph that, as De Selincourt pointed out, isstrongly reminiscent in style, construction andphrasing of Paradise Lost IV 208–47 (and relatedpassages), while drawing its material from Barrow’sTravelsinChina(1804).

121–2 tractmoreexquisitelyfair|Than:Cf.Milton’sdispraisingofotherparadisesbycomparisonwithEden:‘Notthatfairfield|OfEnna’(PLIV268ff.),‘Spotmoredeliciousthanthosegardensfeigned…’(IX439ff.).

122–3 thatparadise…orGehol’sfamousgardens:Barrowwhohadaccompaniedtheambassador,LordMacartney,toChina,1792–4,showsthat‘ParadiseofTenThousandTrees’istheChinesenameforGehol’sgardens.Onp.34 of Barrow, Wordsworth would have noticed acomparisonbetweenthewesternpartofGeholandthegroundsofLowtherCastleonUllswater.

127 China’sstupendousmound:AsOwenpointsout,Barrow

referstotheGreatWallas‘amoundofearthcasedoneachsidewithbricksorstone’.

128 boonnature’slavishhelp:

Flowers worthy of Paradise, which not nice art, Inbedsandcuriousknots,butnatureboonPouredforthprofuse…(PLIV241–3)

130–1 domes|Of pleasure: An appropriate allusion to the‘statelypleasure-dome’ofKublaKhan.

134–7 foliagetaughttomelt…pursued:

sweetinterchangeOfhillandvalley,rivers,woodsandplains,Now land, now sea, and shores with forestcrowned,Rocks,dens,andcaves(PLIX115–18)

Obsequious:obedient.

152–8 Manfree…grace:AftertheextravagantclaimthattheLake District landscape breathes the ‘fragrance’ ofhumanity, Wordsworth offers his social ideal of theindependent yeoman-farmer, or ‘statesman’ (Michaelfor instance),workinghisown land inhisown time.native:natural.

156–8 still followed… grace: Simplicity, beauty and gracemake up man’s ‘train’, attend upon him thoughunasked,intheparadiseofWordsworth’sboyhood.

158/9 MSY:atthispointincludesthe240-linesequence‘Welive by admiration and by love’ (Reed II 378–88,NortonPrelude500–5),interestingnotleastbecauseitincludesatonepointanoutright rejectionofman infavourofnature:

Ifuponmankind

Helooks,andonthehumanmaladiesBeforehiseyes,whatfindshetheretothisFramedanswerably?WhatbutsordidmenAndtrivialoccupationsanddesiresIgnobleanddepraved!ThereforehecleavesExclusivelytonature…

‘Iadmirehumannature’,KeatswrotetoHaydonon22December1818,‘butIdonotlikemen.Ishouldliketocompose things honourable to man – but notfingerable-overbymen.’

111–20 A case in which 1850 has usefully reduced andtautenedtheearliertext(1805159–73).

160 frame:layout,landscaping.

162 transport:joy.

173 these twoprinciplesof joy: the ‘commonhauntsof thegreenearth’(1.166;effectively,nature)and‘ordinaryhuman interests’ (1. 167; man, human-heartedness).principle:source;asatII465,‘Anever-failingprincipleofjoy’.

181 Illustrated:StressedbyWordsworthonthesecondandfourth syllables (the word meaning, in origin, ‘tothrowlustreupon’).

183–5 Notsuch…goldenage:Not literaryshepherds,suchasthoseofGreekandLatinpastoral.

129–32 Not such as Saturn… golden age: Saturn was held tohave founded the golden age in Latium (Italy), afterbeingdeposedbyJove.

187–90 AsShakespeare…king: Phoebe inAsYouLike It sighsforthe‘falseGanymede’(Rosalind,dressedasaman)after the court of Duke Senior has been exiled toArden (cf. the elaborations of 1850). Florizel andPerdita inTheWinter’s Tale are notmerely king and

queen of the sheep-shearing feast, but heirs toBohemiaandSicilia.

191–9 Nor such as Spenser fabled… kirk-pillars: LinessuggestedbytheMayEclogueinSpenser’sShepheardesCalender.

193–4 maids at sunrise… maybush: The custom of going ‘a-maying’–cuttingandbringinghomebranchesof themaybush (hawthorn) or other blossom on MayMorning – is said to have lasted in parts of Englanduntiltheearlynineteenthcentury.

198 themaypoledance:MaypolesweretakendownbyActofParliamentin1644,andthoughtheywerereplacedwhenthemonarchywasrestoredin1660,thecustomseemstohavebeenweakened.

198–9 flowers thatdecked…kirk-pillars:Spenser,MayEclogue11–13:

home they hasten the posts to dight[decorate]Andallthekirk-pillarseredaylightWith hawthorn buds and sweet eglantine[muskrose]

kirk:church.

202–3 To drink… garlands: Well-dressing, like the maypole,wasasurvivalofanancientfertilityrite.1850‘saintedwell’ (for 1805 ‘favourite’) is not inappropriate,however, as the custom became assimilated intoChristiantradition.

209 substantial:essential,todowithsubstance.

209/10 MSY:preservesanadditionalline,‘Setoffbynature’sweekdayhelpalone’.

211–13 imagesofdanger…forms:Anemphasisonthesublimereturns as Wordsworth’s thoughts go back tochildhood experience. ‘Awful powers and forms’cannot (should not) be defined, but ‘forms’ aredoubtless of landscape, and ‘powers’ are most easilyseen in termsof thepersonifiededucational forcesof1799PartI.

221 my household dame: Ann Tyson, Wordsworth’slandladyatHawkshead(seeIV17n.).

222–311

The Matron’s Tale, composed during Wordsworth’swork onMichael in autumn 1800, is incorporated inThePreludeinMSY(October1804)andcutbeforethecopying ofMS C (c. 1819). In MS Y the lines areintroducedas

Astoryofachild,ashepherdboy,WhoseperilousadventurepleasedmemuchTohearwhileImyselfwasyetachild.

229–44 Dove Crag… the minds: Maxwell gives an exhaustiveaccount of the mountain region near Grasmeresearchedbytheshepherdandhisson:

DoveCragAboveAmbleside,betweentheRydalValleyandDovedale.Deepdalerunsparallel toDovedale, tothenorth,withBrotherswaterbetween.Fairfieldistothe north-west. Between it and Dove Crag is HartCrag, not, as on modern maps, Arthur’s Seat (StoneArthur is a lower hill to the south-west, just aboveGrasmere).StSunday’sPike(orCrag)istothenorth-east,betweenDeepdaleandGrisedale.SeatSandal(1.237) is due west of Fairfield, with Grisedale Tarnbetween.Helvellynismorethantwomilesduenorth,withStridingEdge to theeast.RussetCove(properly‘Ruthwaite’, pronounced ‘Ruthet’) is to the southagain, a little further east, on the way back toGrisedaleTarn.

241 coves:shelteredrecessesinthehills.

245 devious:intricate,complicated.

255–7 he will return… mother’s side: Hill-sheep are ‘heafed’(fromAnglo-Saxon‘heafod’,ahead)totheareawheretheyareborn.Theywillthenreturntoitinstinctively,and (it is always said) do not thrive if moved anydistanceawayfromit.

259 An octosyllabic line that persists throughMSS Y, Aand B, though almost certainly unintended.Wordsworth composed by ear, often dictating hisverse. In most cases he probably correctedoctosyllabics(afoottooshortforthePrelude’s iambicpentameter) andalexandrines (a foot too long)whenhenoticedthem,butmaybethereweresomethatheallowedtostand.

261–2 that unfenced tract… farm belonged: Farms inmountainous and moorland regions of Britain havetypically a few low-lying fields, enclosed andploughable, together with the right to a very muchlarger ‘sheep-stray’ on which their sheep (mostly)remaindespitetheabsenceofwalls.

284–5 Thricedidhe…brink:Eveninsounliteraryapoemasthe Matron’s Tale, Wordsworth is tempted by theconvention of thriceness; cf. the death of Dido inAeneid IV 690–2, parodied by Pope in the sylph’sattempt to prevent the rape of Belinda’s lock: ‘thricethey twitched the diamond in her ear, I Thrice shelookedback,andthricethefoedrewnear’(RapeoftheLockIII137–8).

298 kite: Large fork-tailed hawk, now so rare in Britainthatithashadtobereintroduced.

312–15 Smooth life had flock… shores: The River Galesus, inCalabria,iscelebratedinHorace’sSeptimi,Gades(Odes

II vi) of which Wordsworth had written a freeimitationc.1791,andinVirgil,GeorgicsIV126.

316–19 Smooth life: The waters of River Clitumnus (also inCalabria)wereheldtobesopurethattheywhitenedthe fleeces of sheep feeding on the banks, makingthemreadyforsacrifice(GeorgicsII146–8).

321–3 cool Lucretilis… tutelarymusic:Horace,Odes I xvii 5–14, provides the source of Wordsworth’s allusion toPan,pipe-playinggodofpastorallife, inhis ‘tutelary’role as protector of flocks on the brows of Lucretilis(MonteGenaro,nearHorace’sfarm).thrillingpiercing,penetrating.

325 pastoraltract:regiongrazedbysheep;WordsworthhasinmindtheplainsouthoftheHarzmountains,acrosswhichheandDorothywalkedafterleavingGoslaron23February1799.

340 hold:shelteredorprotectedspot.

341 straitwherepassageis:narrowplace,pass;Wordsworthoriginallywrote‘perviousstrait’,arepetitionofl.113above.The1805readingisineffectatranslation.

348–9 themelancholywalls…imperial:AsWordsworthpointsoutintheFenwickNotetoWritteninGermany,Goslar(where he wroteWas It For This and 1799 Part I)‘retains vestiges of ancient splendour’ from the timewhen ‘German emperors of the Franconian line’ heldcourtthere.ThefirstImperialDietwasheldatGoslarin1009;789yearslater,Wordsworth,protectedfromthe extreme cold by ‘a dogskin bonnet’, such asGerman peasants wore, composed daily on theramparts.

353 Hercynian:Harz;WordsworthandDorothy leftGoslaron 23 February 1799, en route for Göttingen wherethey visited Coleridge before returning to England.

Though they certainly walked through the HarzForest,thereisnorecordoftheirmovements.

361 Sagacious:wise,alert.

365 Atoilsomeburden:Ofhay.

368 enclosures won… waste: ‘intakes’, mountain-groundthathasbeenclearedandfenced.

371 office:job,wayoflife.

238–51 When…day’smarch:Poeticelaborationof1805379–85.

246 protending:stretchingout.

387 Afreeman: Cf. the LakeDistrict shepherd ofHome atGrasmere441–3,whois‘aservant’only‘Ofthefiresideor of the open field,|A freeman, therefore sound andunenslaved’.

390 native man: natural man (effectively ‘the nature ofman’).

392–5 Havefelt…Presiding:Forthestrangestatusattainedbyshepherd solitaries in Book VIII see 11. 410–14n.below.genius:tutelaryspirit(‘Henceforththouartthegeniusoftheshore’,Lycidas183).

397 Seeking the raven’s nest: Cf. the boy Wordsworth as‘plunderer…Inthehighplaces’(I333–50).

398–402

on rainy days… Greenland bears: Based on Thomson,SeasonsIII725–7:

Seenthroughtheturbidair,beyondthelifeObjectsappear…o’erthewasteTheshepherdstalksgigantic…

408 Above all height: As Maxwell points out, applied byMiltontoGodtheFather(PLIII58).

408–10 an aërial cross…worship:Wordsworth had alluded to‘crosses seen on the tops of the spiry rocks of theChartreuse’ in a note to Descriptive Sketches 71; see1850VI483–6n.

410–14 Thuswasman…humannature:

Theshepherdschosentoshowhowthepoetcametofeel‘Lovehumantothecreature in himself (VIII 77) do nothing of the kind.Theyaresymbolicfigures…Wordsworthmayclaim

thusmyheartatfirstwasintroducedToanunconsciousloveandreverenceOfhumannature…

but there is no reason why we should believe thiswhenitfollowstheaccuratestatement, ‘Thus wasman\Ennobled outwardly beforemineeyes’.Theshepherdstake hold of the imagination because they are soremovedfromthehumannormalitytheyaresupposedtoexemplify.(BV282)

417 creature:createdbeing.

420–2 Corin… Phyllis: Stock pastoral names. coronal: circle(literally‘garland’)ofdancers.

423 forthepurposesofkind:bynature.

432 thedeadletter:fact,actuality.

432–7 Reed draws attention toWordsworth’s condensing ofbiblicalallusions,‘includingonestoIICorinthians3.6,Ephesians 1.3, Leviticus 26.1, Deuteronomy 5.8, andIsaiah44.9–20.’

449 Analexandrinethatpersiststhroughallrevisions–not

likelytohavebeenintendedinthefirst instance,butquite possibly noticed by Wordsworth later, andaccepted.

471 the… temple’s heart: the soul (synonymous with‘nature’sholiestplaces’,X878).

472–5 Yet do not deem… really so: The most lame of allWordsworth’s transitions. 1850 is much to bepreferred.

476–8 Nature herself… animal activities: Cf. ‘The coarserpleasures of my boyish days,|And their glad animalmovementsallgoneby’(TA74–5)andII206–8above,‘nature,intervenienttillthistime|Andsecondary,nowatlengthwassought|Forherownsake.’

483–5 three and twenty summers… Subordinate to her:Wordsworth in thisaccountdateshiscoming tohear‘Thestillsadmusicofhumanity’(TA92)to1793,theyearofhisfirstvisittoTintern.1850‘two-andtwenty’dates it tosummer1792andthe learningofpoliticalawarenessinrevolutionaryFrance.

485–6 awful forms|And viewless agencies: awe-inspiringnaturalshapes(‘Themountain’soutlineanditssteadyform’)andinvisibleinfluences.

507 ‘Midtossing…boats’:From‘I’llnever lovetheemore’,by James Graham, Marquis of Montrose (hanged,drawn and quartered, and distributed round theCommonwealth, by Cromwell in 1650), ed. JamesWatson,A Choice Collection of… Scots Poems:(3 vols,1706–11).

521 A wilfulness of fancy: The fancy is seen in terms ofliteraryextravagance,largelyoftheGothic.

527 ckarnelkouse:Shedwhereboneswerestackedwhen(inDonne’s words) a grave was opened, ‘Some secondguest to entertain’. The practice of reusing graves

persistedwellintothenineteenthcentury.

542 ‘Through most fantastic windings could I trace’ (MSY).

544–59 whenthefoxglove…ground:UndertheheadingoffancyWordsworth beautifully evokes the sentimentalepisodes found in his early poetry, and imitatedoriginallyfromThomson.Thebeggar-womanwhodieswith her infants in An Evening Walk had beenfancifully introduced by a comparison with a happyfamilyofswans.

556 lorn: Correctly a past participle meaning ‘lost’, buttreated in the eighteenth century as a poeticcontractionof‘forlorn’.

556–9 whileherlittleones…ground:Cf.EveningWalk255–8:

OfthasshetaughtthemonherlaptoplayDelighted,withtheglow-worm’sharmlessrayTossed light fromhandtohand;whileonthegroundSmallcirclesofgreenradiancegleamaround.

567 Glistered:gleamed;‘Howheglisters|Throughmyrust’,Winter’sTaleIIIii167–8.

583–5 Thus sometimes… imagination: As in the 1800 note toThe Thorn (earliest distinction between fancy andimagination in either Wordsworth or Coleridge)imagination is seen as ‘the faculty which producesimpressiveeffectsoutofsimpleelements’,andisthusalliedtosuperstition.

590–1 this power… passions: Fancy, which for Coleridge ismechanical(‘amodeofmemoryemancipatedfromtheorder of time and space’), is for Wordsworth anexpressionofemotion,andthereforehasavaluethat

Coleridgeneverconceded.

592 adulterate:impure,becauselackingtheunifyingpowerof imagination (fancy brings together the dissimilar,andenjoysthedissimilarity).

604–5 arealsolidworld…Ofimages:OnlyWordsworthcouldhave applied the terms ‘real’ and ‘solid’ to imagesstoredupwithinthemind;cf.Pedlar30–3:

deepfeelingshadimpressedGreatobjectsonhismindwithportraitureAndcoloursodistinctthatonhismindTheylaylikesubstances…

605–10

did not pine… knowledge: For an earlier passage onColeridge’sdeprivationasacitychild(doubtlesshisownassessment) see VI 308–11 and n. The joining anddisjoiningthattakeplaceresultnotfromfancy,butfromthelackofsteadyingimaginativeknowledge.

616–23

Meanwhile the man… flight: Wordsworth’s reflections atthe timeofwriting (October 1804) seem scarcelymoresympathetic,orlessself-indulgent,thanthefanciesofhisyouth(11.610–16).

451 Nor shall we not be tending: The clumsy, but deliberate,double negative that Wordsworth and Coleridgeinherited fromMilton; cf.PL II 396, ‘Nor couldhis eyenotken’.

458–75

A version of the Coniston episode, 1799 II 140–74,shortened by omission of the central section (11. 145–56),butwithnewintroductorylines(1850451–8).Theepisode had been left out of The Prelude whenWordsworthcreated1805BookIIinJanuary1804;itisinsertedinBookVIIIin1832,thoughthetextof1850isnotestablisheduntilthepoet’sfinalrevisions.

459 Thurston-mere:LakeConiston.

460–2

With length of shade… cloister: AsOwen points out, thetreesbesideConistonaresodescribedbothinTheValeofEsthwaiteandinWordsworth’sGuidetotheLakes:

those aged sycamores which once bordered thebay and promontory, and in such a mannerstretched their boughs over the margin of thelake that a boatmight havemoved under theirshadeasalongacloister.(ProseWorksII307–9)

466 higheasternhill:AnallusiontoHamletIi166–7:‘Butlookthemorn, in russetmantle clad,|Walks o’er the dew ofyonhigheastwardhill’.

468–75

1799: II 166–74, heavily revised and cast into directspeech. Wordsworth could not insert the lines he hadactually written aged sixteen for The Vale of Esthwaite(publishedin1815asDearNativeRegions)becausetheywereinoctosyllabiccouplets.

624–31

There came a time… life and joy: In 1799 II 435–64perception of the One Life is ascribed toWordsworth’s‘seventeenth year’, in1805 III 121–67 it belongs to hisfirst year at Cambridge; here Wordsworth prefers toleavethechronologyvague.

480 a vital pulse: A scaling down of 1805, ‘The pulse ofbeing’.

487–8

though born|Of dust…worm: Lines of 1838–9 that offernot only pious self-abasement, but a major theologicalchange. In1805man had been kindred to all forms ofcreation,becauseallwerepermeatedbythepresenceofGod; in 1850 he is ‘kindred to the worm’ (which willpresentlyeathim)becausehisexistence(‘bornofdust’)issimilarlycorporeal.

647 theimpersonatedthought:Wordsworth’santicipationshadembodied (‘personated’) an unreal concept of what

humanlifewouldbelike.L.648providesagloss.

648 kind:humannature.

650–1

asatlarge…setforth:InBookIII.

666 essayed:attempted.

522 one: Owen points out that Wordsworth’s ‘grammar hasbecomevague’astheresultofrevision,andsuggeststhat‘somesuchphraseas“Ibecame”,parallelto“Iwasled”(1.519),mustbeunderstoodbefore“one”’.

677 end:purpose,divineintention.

680–1

Erewhile… played… mantle: Interesting both for theimpressionWordsworthgivesoflightheartednessinBookVII’streatmentofLondon(seell.689–7ION.below),andforanotherplayfulallusiontoLycidas,whereCamus(theRiverCam)hasa‘mantlehairy…enwroughtwithfiguresdim’ (11. 104–5). Milton’s facetiousness in LycidaslicensesWordsworth’s.

683 inquisition:enquiry,curiosity.

689–710

Never shall I… thing divine: The incongruity ofWordsworth’s first entry into London coming after awholebookdescribinghisexperiencethere is theresultofBookVIIhavingbeencomposed (c.November1804)after theMS Y drafts of VIII in October. LI. 678–89,looking back to the London book, must have beencomposed after VII had been completed. They are notpresent inMS Y, and were presumably inserted whileWordsworth was cutting down his drafts to form BookVIII.

694 itinerantvehicle:Presumablyastage-coach.

695 vulgar:ordinary,undistinguished.

700– great God… sway: Though the experience of entering

2 London isof courseamentalone,Wordsworthascribesto thecityapowerof itsown, theresultof itsageandhistory.

711–27

Wordsworth’sepicsimileofthecavehadbeenoriginallydraftedforBookVI(lateMarch1804)toevoketheanti-climaxofcrossingtheAlpsunawares.MSWWshowsthatitprecededthelinesonimagination(VI525–48).

713 grottoofAntiparos:ItisnotclearhowWordsworthknewof the cavern on the Aegean island of Antiparos.AccordingtotheEncyclopaediaBritannica(3rded.1797),however, it is 120 yards wide and 60 high, and‘accountedoneof the greatest natural curiosities in theworld’.

713–14

den|Of Yordas: Limestone cave near Ingleton in WestYorkshire, visited byWordsworth and his brother JohninMay1800.Reedpointstoa‘terrificdescription’ofthecaveinanappendixtothesixthedition(1796)ofWest.The1850 reference to Yordas as ‘that DanishWitch’ isperhapsWordsworthbeingfanciful.

716–17

sees, or thinks|He sees: A direct translation of Virgil,Aeneid VI 454 (‘aut videt, aul vidisse putat’) from thepoignant account of Aeneas’smeetingwithDido in theUnderworld.Readerswouldhaverecognizedtheallusion(as they would Milton’s, at PL I 783–4), and seen itsappropriateness as Wordsworth constructs his mostelaborateVirgiliansimile.

724 works:seethes.Appliedearliertothemind(I419)andtothe sea (I501), ‘seethes’has forWordsworth importantassociationsofcreativerestlessness.

727 lifeless as a written book: ForWordsworth, as for Blake,stasisisdeathtotheimagination;cf.MarriageofHeavenand Hell plate 15, where ‘living fluids’ (imaginativematerials, still creative and flexible) are cast into the

void, ‘and[take]theformsofbooksand[are]arrangedinlibraries.’

729 quickening:enlivening,comingtolife.

734 magician’s airy pageant: ‘like this insubstantial pageantfaded’ (Tempest IV i 155); one of Wordsworth’s manyreferencestoProspero.

735 embodying…pressure:Asat1850VII288,a recollectionofHamlet III ii22–4, ‘show…theveryageandbodyofthetime,hisformandpressure’.pressureimprint.

749 emporium: market; for Cowper Task III 835–7, Londonwas

resortandmartofalltheearth,ChequeredwithallcomplexionsofmankindAndspottedwithallcrimes…

749–51

chronicle at once… living residence: London is valued byWordsworth for its immense concentration of humanemotion.Somanyliveshavebeenlivedthere–someofthem ‘chronicled’ (kept fresh in thecity’shistory),most‘buried’ – and so many are now being lived.home|Imperial:Londonisatoncethecentreofagrowingempireand‘imperial’initsowndimensions.

755 cravedforpower:Forimaginativepower,thatis.

763 punctual:restrictedtoapoint(Latinpunctus).

612–14

monuments…Inearth:ItsoundsasifWordsworthinthislaterevisionisthinkingofmegalithicstonecircles,asheisinthereferenceinsertedat1850II101–2.

771 popular: republican, governed by the people (Latinpopulus).

772 magnanimous:greatofsoul(Latinagain).

775– their humanizing soul… incidents: English history both

6 lacks the ideals of Greece and Rome and excludes thedetails of day-to-day existence thatmight have given ithumanity.

620 their:Ungrammaticalastheresultofcutting1805772–3.De Selincourt suggests an emendation to ‘its’ (whichcouldthenreferbackto‘history’).

786–92

not seldom…nursed: Because it acts uponWordsworth’simagination, London is unexpectedly comparable to thenaturalworld.Itis‘throngedwithimpregnations’ofthemind,justastheCumbrianlandscapeis‘impressed’withassociationsof‘dangeranddesire’storedupinboyhood(1494–501).

802–4

Neitherguilt,norvice…Norallthemisery:Wordsworthisrewriting his statement of faith in nature, TA 129 ff.:‘neither evil tongues,|Rash judgments,nor the sneersofselfishmen…|Shalle’erprevailagainstus…’

815–16

seemed brighter… counterviev: An example ofWordsworth’spainterlysenseofchiaroscuro.

819–23

‘in the east…heavenly fraught’: PLXI 203–7,with slightadaptation; Michael descends to tell Adam and Eve ofGod’sjudgementontheirtrespass.orientlitupasbythesunrise,fraught:burdened,freighted.

824–7

Add…unityofman: Lines that readmost incongruouslyafter the emphasis on London dis-unity at the end ofBook VII. It was presumably Wordsworth’s sense thatLondon could not be brought under the heading of theunityofmanthatledhim(aftercompletingthedraftsofVIII inMSY) to go on and give it a book of its own.Portraying it in VII as an Underworld, he was able toexpress both the attractiveness of its colour andmovement,andthethreathefeltinitsswallowingupofidentityandcommunity.

837–59

TransferredtoBookVII inWordsworth’s finalrevisions,becoming1850VII598–625.

841 foil: contrast;a reminderofWordsworth’s true responseto London. Tenderness is ‘set off by foil’. Man is notunified.

860–70

Drafted in early spring 1804 alongside materials thatcontributedtoBookIV.

680 ‘busyhum’: ‘Toweredcitiespleaseusthen,|Andthebusyhumofmen…’(L’Allegro117–18).

BookNinth

1–17 No drafts survive, but the bulk of Book IX seems tohave been written c. April-May 1804. LI. 1–17 areaddedatalaterstage,afterthecompositionofBooksVIIIandVIIinOctober-November,whenWordsworthhas a sense of the final shape of his poem. Lookingbackoverthecourseofhiswork,hefindsintheimageof the river (recurrent since the Derwent’s flowingalong his dreams in the opening lines ofWas It ForThis) themeans of asserting an organic unity for hispoetry. The river ‘is an image at once of the poem,andofthemindthatisthesubjectofthepoem,andofthe poet’s mind that is controlling, and failing tocontrol,thenarrative’(BV233).

5 Turnsandwillmeasurebackhiscourse: Inconstructinghis epic simile Wordsworth models himself on thebeginningofBookIIIofCowper’sTask:

Asonewho,longinthicketsandinbrakesEntangled,windsnowthiswayandnowthatHisdeviouscourseuncertain…

8 motionsretrograde:backwardmovements.

9–16 IntroducedinMSD1832.

10 precipitate:expedite,getaheadwith.

13–17 the argument… in itself: As he moves on into his‘argument’ (theme) of political involvement,Wordsworth invites a comparisonwith Paradise Lost,warning of material ungenial and forbidding, asMilton (at thebeginningofhis ninth book)warns oftheimpendingFall:

NomoreoftalkwhereGodorangelguestWithman,aswithhisfriend,familiarusedTositindulgent…InowmustchangeThosenotestotragic;fouldistrust,andbreachDisloyalonthepartofman…(PLIX1–7)

31 Wordsworth seems to have spent only four months(January-May) in London during 1791; much of theyearwasspentinWales.

36–9 Led thither… Loire: Cf. Dorothy to Jane Pollard, 7December1791:WilliamisIhopebythistimearrivedatOrleans,wherehemeanstopassthewinterforthepurpose of learning the French language,whichwillqualify him for the office of travelling companion tosomeyounggentleman,ifhecangetrecommended.

36 scrip and staff: Obviously there is poetic licence asWordsworth in this revision of c. 1819 portrayshimselfandJoneswithpilgrim’swalletandstaff.Hisletter to Dorothy of 16 September 1790, however,showsthatintheAlpstheyhadbundles‘upon[their]heads,witheachanoakstickin[their]hands’.

42–6 each spot… Geneviève: Once again echoing Milton(‘Cityofoldormodernfame’,PLXI386),WordsworthtakeshisreadertoareasofParisespeciallyassociatedwith the Revolution: the Champs de Mars, where

LouisXVIon14July1790hadswornallegiancetothenew Constitution (see VI 357n.); the Faubourg StAntoine, a working-class suburb near to the nowdismantled Bastille; Montmartre, revolutionarymeeting-place to the north; the church of SteGeneviève on the Left Bank, where Mirabeau wasburied in April 1791 (renamed the Panthèon afterVoltaireandRousseauwerebroughtthereforreburialasprophetsoftheRevolution).

47 TheNationalSynodandtheJacobins:WordsworthtoldhisbrotherRichardon19December1791thathehadbeen ‘at the National Assembly, introduced by amember’.TheJacobinClub(SocietyofFriendsoftheRevolution),whosemembersdominatedtheAssemblywiththeireloquence,helditsmeetingsinamonasteryin the Rue St Jacques. At this stage Brissot and theGirondin groupweremembers alongsideRobespierre(who would send them to the guillotine in October1793).

50–1 The Arcades… Orleans: The courtyard of the PalaisRoyalwaslinedonthreesideswithshoppingarcades.

56 hubbub wild: Satan as he approaches the realm ofChaos inParadise Lost Book II ismet by ‘a universalhubbub wild|Of stunning sounds and voices allconfused’(11.951–2).

63–71 Where silent zephyrs… felt: TheBastille, royal fortressand prison, symbolic of the tyranny of the AncienRégime,hadbeen sackedon14July1789,and laterdismantled.Nowpoetic ‘zephyrs’(breezesmoreoftento be found sporting with curls) sport with its dust.The sense of incongruity reflected in Wordsworth’slanguageisheightenedbymemoriesofhimselfastheposturing tourist, unconcerned by the grandeur ofpoliticalevents.

68 incumbences:moodsofthoughtfulness,broodings.

78–80 the Magdalene… tears: Baroque painting of thepenitentStMaryMagdalen,byCharlesleBrun(1626–90),displayed(tosoundsofreligiousmusic,accordingto Legouis) at the Carmelite convent in the Rued’Enfer.NowattheLouvre.

81 my more permanent residence: Orleans; not alwaysdistinguished in the Prelude narrative from AnnetteVallon’snativetownofBlois.

97 the master pamphlets: English pamphlets thatWordsworthhadreadbeforehisarrivalontheFrenchpoliticalscene,presumablyincludingPaine’sRightsofManPart Iandother replies toBurke’sReflections ontheFrenchRevolution(November1790).

103 organsofthepublicpower:politicalgroups.

109–11 the first storm… quiet: It is often forgotten that theRevolutionwas peaceful for three years between thefallof theBastille inJuly1789and theeventsof10August1792leadingtotheimprisonmentoftheKing.

116 Routs:parties.

118 Sequestered:isolated.

125 patriot:revolutionary

129 the city: Blois now, rather than Orleans; see 8ign.above.

131 seasoned:Inblood.

132–7 menwell-born…done:Inspring1792theFrenchArmywasstillstaffedbyroyalistofficers,insympathywiththeAustriansagainstwhom(from20April)theyweresupposedly fighting.Austrian troopswerewaitingonthe Rhine, and Marie Antoinette’s brother, theEmperor,haddeclaredhisintentionofrestoringLouis

toabsolutepower(‘undoingwhatwasdone’).

136 Save only one: The exception was Michel Beaupuy,who converted Wordsworth to the revolutionarycause;seell.294ff.below.

147 temper:disposition,character.

150 port:carriage,bearing.

156–7 At the hour,|The most important of each day:Wordsworth’s syntax suggests hemay be thinking inFrench:’Al’heure,laplusimportante,dujour’.

176–7 Oh, laughter… nom is: The historian’s ‘page’ wouldbringridiculeuponitselfbyattemptingtodescribethecomplexitiesofthecontemporarysituation.

179 Carra, Gorsas: Journalist deputies of the NationalAssembly, and members of the Girondin group withwhom Beaupuy and Wordsworth were in sympathy.Carrawasguillotinedon31October1793,Gorsasonthe 7th. The story told by Carlyle (Reminiscences,Everyman, London, 1972, 532) of Wordsworth’switnessing Gorsas’ execution, on an otherwiseunrecordedvisit to France, is attractive, andbelovedof biographers, but in the highest degree unlikely.EnglandandFrancehadbeenatwarforeightmonths,Wordsworth’s French cannot have been perfect, hehad no money, and was not by nature a ScarletPimpernel. Had either love (a clandestine visit toAnnette Vallon) or politics lured him to Paris inOctober1793,weshouldnothavetorelyforevidenceon a conversation alleged to have taken place fiftyyearslater.

184–91 The men… depart: La Fayette actually called onroyalist officers to emigrate so as to clarify thesituation.ByApril1792morethanhalfhaddeserted.

188 foreignfoes:AtthisstageAustriaandPrussia;EnglandenteredthewarinFebruary1793.

202 polity:government.

213 ordersanddegrees:socialdistinctions,eitherconferredorinherited.

222–6 It was my fortune… blood: It should be said thatWordsworth,though‘borninapoordistrict’(1.218)was born also in a large and handsome house, hisfather being agent to one of the most powerfullandownersinthekingdom.

226–36 Norwasit least…industry:AsinhiscommentsontheLakeDistrict at ll. 222–6,Wordsworth is overstatinghis claim to have experienced egalitarianism.Cambridge in the late eighteenth century had littleresemblancetoarepublic.Thescholarsandgentlemenofl.233woredifferentclothes,andledverydifferentlives. Scholars were intent on bettering themselves,first within the University, and then within theChurch;bycontrast,high-rankingundergraduateshadno need to bother with ‘talents and successfulindustry’ and, because of the system of ecclesiasticalpatronage, were frequently in a position to bestowfavours on their tutors (Ben Ross Schneider Jr,Wordsworth’sCambridgeEducation21–4).

233–5 subservience…sovereignty:Acarefulremoval, in1832,of the pantheist implications of 1805, where naturesharesinthesovereigntyofGod.

241 sanction:confirm.

254 A gift… soon: Wordsworth’s case was perhaps littledifferent from that of many English people (WilliamPittamongthem)whowelcomedtheRevolutionatitsoutset because it seemed that the French werecatchingup–achieving theconstitutional rights that

had been gained a hundred years earlier by theEnglish‘GloriousRevolution’of1688.

250–1 Inflamedbypassion…injury:AnastonishingattackontheFrenchroyalistofficers,insertedinMSCc.1819,atatimewhenWordsworthwaselectioneeringfortheTories andmightwell be expected to tone downhiscontempt. It is an honourable fact that he neverceased to ‘hail,|As best, the government of equalrights|Andindividualworth’(1850241–3).

279–80 self-devotion…confidence:dedicationtothecause,andhopes for earthly well-being (effectively for politicaljustice)feltwiththeconvictionofaChristianmartyr.

283 martialtunes:OwenpointsoutthattheMarseillaisewasfirstheardin1792.

294–5 Among that band… other mould: Michel Beaupuy,mentioned at l. 136 above, and wholly different incharacter. mould: earth, or clay, from which thehuman body was traditionally said to have beenformed.

298–9 A meeker man|Than this lived never: The tones ofChaucer’sGeneralPrologueappear(cf.ll.320–1below,‘Somewhat vain he was|Or seemed so’), suggestingWordsworth’s consciousness of creating a formalportraitofBeaupuy.

303 sensibly:perceptibly.

308 fairy:magic.

309–13 By birth he ranked…order: Beaupuywas a noblemanandphilosopher,descendedonhismother’ssidefromMontaigne. As an aristocratic believer in theRevolutionhewasbynomeansalone (seeWilliams,LettersWritteninFrance,passim);amongtheofficersatBlois, however, he was isolated. Aged 36, he

befriendedthe22-year-oldWordsworth,passingontohim his egalitarian ideals and becoming one of themajorinfluencesonhislife.

325 Complacently:enjoyably,withpleasure.

340–1 asounderjudgement|Thanafterwards:Probablythaninthe period 1793–6, after his return to England; cf.BookX.

361/2 MS Y: preserves a fine additional line referring tounprincipledwarsofconquest:‘Thesenselessthirstofbloodyspoilsabroad’.

363 asitis:insofarasitis.

368–71 making social life… wise and good: Social life is tobecomeaspure(throughthespreadingofknowledge)aspersonallifeisamongthewiseandgood.

383–4 fromthedepth|Ofshamefulimbecility:IntroducedinMSC c. 1819, and again showing no slackening ofWordsworth’scommitmenttotheRevolution.

395 continence:self-possession.

399–400

Rotha’sstream,|Greta,orDerwent:Cumbrianrivers:theRothay flowing into Grasmere, the Greta (beneathColeridge’s house, Greta Hall, Keswick) flowing intoDerwentwater,andtheDerwent(‘fairestofallrivers’)flowing from Derwentwater to Wordsworth’sbirthplaceatCockermouth.

415–24 Sich conversation… philosophers: Wordsworth isdrawing appropriately on the Life of Dion in North’sPlutarch (1579), where philosophers play an activepartinliberatingSicilyfromthetyrannyofDionysiusthe Younger in 357 BC. Dion recruited EudemusCyprianandTimonidesLeucadian, and together theysailedfromtheIonianislandofZante(ancientZacyn-thus).Platohadbeeninvolvedinearliernegotiations.

415 Attic:Greek.

430 accoutred:equipped,prepared.

431–6 He perished… Lived not to see: Wordsworth ismisinformedas toBeaupuy’s latercareer.AsChiefofStaff of the Army of the West he had the task ofsuppressingthecounter-revolutionof‘deludedmen’intheVendèe,andinOctober1793wasbadlywoundedat Château-Gontier. He survived, however, for threemoreyears, dyingat thebattleofElzon the easternfronton19October1796.Thoughhedidnot live toseetheriseofNapoleonandthecreationofaFrenchempire, he took part in the aggressive campaigns of1794–6 that shocked Wordsworth and other BritishradicalsasabetrayaloftheRevolution.

442–3 High moods and over-arched… side: ‘a pillaredshade|High overarched, and echoing walks between’(PLIX1106–7).

449 so met in shades like these: met as we have done, inshadeslikethese.

454–6 Angelica… as she: Angelica and Erminia, heroines ofAriosto’s Orlando Furioso and Tasso’s GerusalemmeLiberata, evoke the romantic imagination thatcounterbalances politics in Wordsworth’s walks withBeaupuy. In 1789 Wordsworth, who was readingItalian (not part of the syllabus) at Cambridge, hadjoined in presenting a copy of Tasso to his schoollibrary[Wordsworth’sHawkshead144–5).

461–4 haunt|Of satyrs… thrall: Among possible sources, seeespeciallythestoriesofUnaandHellenore(FQIvi13andIIIx43–4).

470–2 a roofless pile… violence abrupt: It is significant thatDescriptiveSketches,withitsaccountofthedesecration

oftheGrandeChartreuse(11.53–79),iswrittenundertheinfluenceofBeaupuyinsummerof1792;seealso1850VI420–88.

473 colloquies:discussions.

485–93 that rural castle…plainbeneath:DeSelincourt’smuchfollowed identification of Beauregard as the ‘ruralcastle’ and Anne Pisseleu d’Heilly as the particularmistressofFrancisIhasitsproblems.Beauregardwasbuilt 25 years too late, and in any case is hardly onhigh enough ground for contact with Francis atChambord.Anne,meanwhile,firstasfilled’honneur totheKing’smother,thenasmaîtresseentitre,waslivingatCourt,andwouldhavehadnocausetosignal.HadWordsworth been concerned with fact he wouldhardly have let ‘name now slipped|From myremembrance’standfor45years.

491 cressets:flamingtorches.

512–16 ahunger-bittengirl…sustenance:

It is one of those pieces of writing thatwould seemineptiftheydidn’tsoobviouslywork.Atfirstthegirlisthesubjectofthecentralrelativeclause(‘whocreptalong’),thenwithnogrammaticaltransitiontheheiferturns out to have displaced her… No punctuationcould contain or imply the poet’s meaning, but webecome aware through the movement of the syntaxthatthegirlinherpovertyanddespairhasyieldedtothe dominance of the heifer, which is of coursefeeding,whilesheis‘bittenwithhunger’.Thedetailofthecord,notheldandcontrolled,buttiedtoherasifshewere the animal, brings home the cruelty of thesituation.(BV252).

517 heartless:despairing.

533–4 whence better days|To all mankind: Wordsworth

assumes, as many did, that the French Revolution(itselfmodelledontheAmerican)willleadtopoliticalreformacrosstheknownworld.

538 Captivity by mandate without law: The lettre de cachet(issued by royal or official mandate), with whichVaudracouristhreatenedatll.666–7below.

541–3 if not the air… Dread nothing: Wordsworth is beingironic about the likelihood of total change: it is toomuch tohope that allwill breathe the air of liberty,andthehumanhearthavenothingtodread.

551–5 atragictale…therein:Wordsworth’sstatementthatheheard the ‘tragic tale’ fromBeaupuy and otherswhohad played a part in it is corrected in the FenwickNotetoVaudracourandfulia(publishedasaseparatework in 1820), where it is said to be ‘faithfullynarrated, thoughwith theomissionofmanypatheticcircumstances, fromthemouthofaFrench ladywhohadbeenaneyeandearwitnessofallthatwasdoneand said’. To which Wordsworth adds: ‘Many longyearsafterIwastoldthatDupligne[Vaudracour]wasthen a monk at La Trappe.’ Wordsworth, it wouldseem,heardthestoryfromawomanatBlois(perhapsfrom others too), and for the sake of continuitytransferreditwithinhispoemtoBeaupuy.Twootherfactorshavetobetakenintoaccount:thesimilarstoryof parental tyranny told by Williams in Letters fromFrance,andthepoet’sownrecentexperience.Earlyin1792 Wordsworth had met and fallen in love withAnnetteVallon,bywhomhehadachild,christenedinOrleansCathedral on15December asAnneCarolineWordsworth. Wordsworth and Annette wereseparated, not by an angry father, but by war(declared in February 1793, two months after thepoet’s return to London). Annette’s two survivingletters,however,leavenodoubtthattheyintendedto

getmarried.Williams’sstoryofMandMmeDuFossé,though it differs inmanyways fromVaudracour andJulia, resembles it in idiom and atmosphere, andprovides the central detail of an aristocratic fatherwilling to imprison his son rather than agree to hismarriage with a woman of lower birth. The key toWordsworth’srelationshiptoWilliams’sstorymaybein the fact that in 1793 he was hoping to turn his‘tragic tale’ intoanovel (Chronology I124).Williamswould have been his literarymodel.Vaudracour andJulia, we may assume, has the primary purpose oftellingbyimplicationofthepoet’srelationtoAnnette.In doing so it broadly follows a story told to him atBloisin1792,andiswrittenwithaneyeonthebareheartfeltnarrativeofLettersWritteninFrance.

553–9 Oh,happytime…sequel:Insteadofremovingthetracesof his story from The Prelude, Wordsworth, afterpublishing Vaudracour and Julia separately in Poems1820,permittedhisintroductiontothelovers’taletostand. LI. 557–9, with their incongruous doublingback, and the pointless summary of his untold tale(11. 559–85), are the product ofmuch reworking in1832and1838–9.

558 love-knot:Probablyofribbon.

561 YoungVaudracour:Wordsworth takes the name fromLieutenant Vaudra-court in Beaupuy’s regiment atBlois.

580 outside:surface.

589 The house… shrine: A recollection perhaps ofCriseyde’s desolate house, Chaucer, Troilus andCriseydeV551–3:

faynewoldeIkisseThycoldedores,dorsteIforthisroute,Andfarewelshryne,ofwhichtheseyntisoute.

WordsworthhadmadeanumberoftranslationsfromChaucerin180l.

595 Overblessedforlife:blestbeyondendurance.

615–17 inadistanttown…babewasborn:AnnettemovedfromBloistoOrleanstohaveherchild,MmeDuFossé(inWilliams’sstory),fromRouentoCaen.

631–2 busy… as a swallow|About its nest: A Dove Cottagetouch.‘Theswallowscometothesitting-roomwindowasifwishingtobuild’,Dorothywrites inherJournal,16–19June1802. ‘They swimroundand round,andagain they come… The swallows were very busyundermywindowthismorning.’

638–42 thatdarlingbard…unrelentingeast:

Juliet: Wiltthoubegone?Itisnotyetnearday.Itwasthenightingale,andnotthelark,Thatpiercedthefearfulhollowofthineear–Nightlyshesingsonyondpomegranatetree–Believeme,love,itwasthenightingale.

Romeo: Itwasthelark,theheraldofthemorn;Nonightingale.Look,love,whatenviousstreaksDolacetheseveringcloudsinyondereast!(RomeoandJulietIIIv1–8)

650 Afinalportion:Asettlementinlieuofhisinheritance.

664 obduracy:Stressedonthesecondsyllable.

666–7 Thefather…signetofthestate:

Monsieur Du Fossé received intelligence that hisfather,irritatedalmosttomadnessbytheinformationofhismarriage,wasmakingapplicationforalettredecachet inorder toconfinehisdaughter-in-law for therestofher life,andhadalsoobtainedpower tohavehis son seized and imprisoned. (Williams, Letters

WritteninFrance130–1)

694 Self-slaughter:suicide;‘OrthattheEverlastinghadnotfix’d|His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!’ (Hamlet I ii131–2).

715–17 thought|Unfilial, or unkind… breast: Vaudracour’sexcessivemeekness,paralleledneitherinWordsworthhimself nor in Du Fossé, is further evidence of adistinctsource.

723 nice:fastidious,delicate.

746 traversed from without: impinged upon (literally‘crossed’)byexternalpressures.

758–9 So they fared|Objects of general concern: ‘Everyonesympathized in the fate of this unfortunate youngman, and execrated the tyranny of the unrelentingfather’(Williams,LettersWritteninFrance168).

785–6 impressions… Friendly to human kindness: Cf. RuinedCottage229,‘Apowertovirtuefriendly’.

840 and be there immured: remain for the rest of her lifewithin its walls. Williams visits Benedictine andCarmelite convents at Rouen, and learns that theCarmelitenuns‘sleptintheircoffins,uponstraw,andevery morning dug a shovel-full of earth for theirgraves’, also that ‘they walked to their devotionalexercises upon their knees’. At one point she meetsnunswhohave ‘been forcedby their parents to taketheveil’(Williams,LettersWritteninFrance118–19).

907–8 Which… by some mistake… died: Regarded by DeSelincourt as bringing the story to ‘a climax ofabsurdity difficult to parallel in our literature’.Wordsworth’s concern, as he said in the Preface toLyrical Ballads 1800, was not with ‘action andsituation’, but with the ‘feeling therein developed’.

This could lead to a certain perfunctoriness; cf. theremoval of Margaret’s inconvenient child, at RuinedCottage345–7,andofLuketo‘ahiding-placebeyondtheseas’(Michael420–5).

912 From that time forth he never uttered word: The lastwordsofIago,almostverbatim:‘FromthistimeforthIneverwillspeakword’(OthelloVii303).

927 savageoutside:wildappearance.

929 intelligence:communication.

931–5 Norcouldthevoiceof freedom…imbecilemind:DetailswhichweknowfromtheFenwickNotedidnotapplytoDupligne(theVaudracourofWordsworth’ssource),and which seem very probably to come from LettersWritten in France. For Du Fossé there is a happyending,butnotforonenamelessvictimofaparentallettredecachet:

Hewasconfinedtenyears,andonlyreleasedwhenalltheprisonswerethrownopenbyorderoftheNationalAssembly. But for this unhappy young man theirmercy came too late. His reason was gone for ever,and hewas led out of his prison, at the age of five-and-twenty,amaniac,(pp.211–12)

imbecile:isstressedonthesecondsyllable.

BookTenth

1–8 Itwasabeautiful…England:Wordsworthwasleavingnotonly the autumnal beauty of the Loire, but AnnetteVallon,whohadmovedtoOrleansinSeptembertohaveherchild.HereachedParis,‘thefiercemetropolis’,c.29October 1792, andwas in England by early December.Caroline (whombecauseof thewarhewouldnotmeetuntil 1802, when she was nine) was christened inOrleansCathedralonthe15th.

4–10 Aday…passedon:Elaborationof1832and1838–9.

5 tilth:arableland.

8–9 Fromhis throne…fallen:LouisXVIwas imprisonedafterthestormingoftheTuilerieson10August1792,endingthreeyears’attemptby the leadersof theRevolution towork within the framework of a constitutionalmonarchy;seell.44̵8n.below.

9–13 thecongregatedhost…innocuously:AustrianandPrussianforces, under the bloodthirsty Duke of Brunswick,invaded France on 19 August confident of quicklyrestoringthemonarchy.Writtenonthe‘front’(forehead)of the invasionwastheBrunswickManifestoof25July‘giving up the city of Paris to military execution, andexposingittototaldestruction’if‘theleastoutrage’wereoffered to theFrench royal family.LongwyandVerdunwere taken by the invaders, but on 20 September thecloud ‘burst innocuously’ as an inexperienced Frencharmy won the important battle of Valmy, forcing aretreattotheRhine.

14–18

a band… victims: Wordsworth’s simile of the coalitionarmies closing in on the French like trapped animals isshownbythediction(‘elateandjocund’,‘punctualspot’)to be from the first consciously Miltonic. In 1850 itbecamemoreobviouslysowithitsreferencetoParadiseLostXI391,‘AgraandLahoreofgreatmogul’.

20 Rajahs and Omrahs: Indian princes and nobles; OwensuggeststhatWordsworth’simageisofatigerhunt.

23 tothebettercause:onthepartoftheFrench.

24–31

The state… republic: Despite the example of America, ithad not been among the aims of the Revolution thatFrance should become a republic.When she did so, on22September1792,twodaysafterthevictoryatValmy,therewas little alternative. The revisions of1850 34–9belongtoMSC,c.1819,andleaveasomewhatconfusedimpressionastoWordsworth’sattitudes.

31–4 Lamentable crimes… past: News of the fall of Verdun toBrunswick’s invading army set off four days of mobviolence,2–6September,inwhichabouthalftheinmatesin the prisons of Paris were executed after summarytrials. Though Marat and others were advocating theslaughterofaristocrats,andinotherpartsofthecountrythere had been purges specifically of priests, four-fifthsof thosewhodied inParis seem tohavebeenordinarycriminals, not royalists. No one ordered the purge, butDantoncertainlycondonedit.

36 Ephemeral monsters: Given the context of senselessviolence, Wordsworth may be thinking of the dragon’steethsownbyCadmus,whichsprangupasarmedmen,butfoughteachothertodeath.

42–4 Theprison…Inbondage:TheTemplewasthelasthomeofthe royal family, theKingandQueen leaving itonly tobeguillotined(on21January1793and16October),andtheDauphindyingtherein1795.

44–8 thepalace…deadanddying:On10August1792 threatsof invasion caused the Paris working-class ‘sections’ totakecontrolandattacktheTuileries.Fourhundredsans-culotteswerekilledby theSwissGuard,whowere thenbutchered themselves when the King (who had fled tothe Assembly) ordered them to lay down their arms.

Total numbers killed as the Palacewas sacked seem tohavebeen in the regionof1,200.Bodieswereburnt inthePlaceduCarrousel.

62–6 The fear goneby…substantialdread:TheMassacres takeon substance – flesh andblood – asWordsworth in histerror reaches out like Doubting Thomas to ‘feel andtouch them’. Links with The Borderers (Mortimer toRivers,IVii96–7:‘Theproofs,theproofs!|Yououghttohaveseen,tohavetouchedtheguilt’)suggesttheextentto which Wordsworth feels implicated in the violence;see Jonathan Wordsworth, ‘Wordsworth’s “Dim andPerilousWay”’205–223.

65 alittlemonth:Wordsworth’ssubduedquotationsetsupaparallel between his own response to the Revolution’ssudden turn to violence and Hamlet’s to his mother’s‘o’erhastymarriage’ (andcollusion inmurder): ‘A littlemonth… a beast that wants discourse of reason|Wouldhavemournedlonger’(Iii147–51).

68 calendars:chronicles.

70–74

Reliving his substantial dread of the Massacres,Wordsworth produces five sudden purely apocalypticlines of interior monologue that are quite unlikeanythingelseheeverwrote…Thehorse is schooledbymanagainstitsnaturetoturnuponthespot(asDantonmay induce spontaneous violence to come round), and‘thewindofheaven’thatshouldbefreerstill,wheelslikethe horse ‘in his own steps’. The poet in his nightmarereveriecanturnanythingtoevidenceofcyclicalreturn.Years,tides,days,addtheirmoreobviouscorroboration,till the argument so commonly and tendentiously usedfortheChristianafterlife(‘allthingshavesecondbirth’)betraysussuddenlyintothepowerofinsatiableviolence:‘theearthquakeisnotsatisfiedatonce.’(BV254)

70 The horse is taught his manage: schooled to perform

particular movements and paces (Wordsworth isprobably thinking of the manoeuvre in which a horseturnsfullcircleonitshindlegs).IamgratefultoReeveParker for pointing out to me that the NationalConventionatthistimemetattheManège,previouslyariding-school.Owennotes a Shakespearean reference inAs You Like It I i 11–13: ‘His horses are bred better…theyaretaughttheirmanage’.

78–84

Wordsworth inMSC (c. 1819) expanded the five greatlines of 1805 to thirteen. These were cut to seven insubsequent revisions, but the final text is amish-mash.As manuscript succeeded manuscript, revision had itsownmomentum;after1832WordsworthseemsnevertohaveturnedbacktoMSAorconsideredrevertingtoanoriginalreading.

77 ‘Sleepnomore’:WordsworthmaybethinkingnotmerelyofMacbeth II ii 35–6 – ‘Methought I heard a voice cry“Sleepnomore!”|Macbethdothmurdersleep”’–butalsoofGodwin’spowerfuland relevantuseof thequotationinCalebWilliams: ‘The ease and lightheartedness ofmyyouth were forever gone. The voice of an irresistiblenecessity commanded me to “Sleep no more”’ (OxfordNovels138).

83–4 the Palace Walk|Of Orleans: the arcades of the PalaisRoyal,asatIX51–2.

86–103

hawkers… irresolute friends: A turning-point of theRevolution, as Louvet accuses Robespierre of aiming atdictatorship – ‘fe t’accuse d’avoir évidemment marché ausuprêmepouvoir’ – and theGirondins (whohad indictedDanton in the previous debate for collusion in theSeptemberMassacres)failtopresshometheiradvantage.Robespierre is given time to prepare a defence, andsurvives;powerswingsawayfromthemoderatesas theKing is put on trial and executed (21 January 1793);working through the Paris Commune, Robespierre in

July 1793 assumes control; in October the Girondinleadersareguillotined.

87–8 ‘Denunciation… Robespierre’: Pamphlet containingLouvet’s speech at the Convention, on sale 30 October1792.

99 inthetribune:ontherostrum.

113–14

The indecision…best: indecisiveness of the Girondins inthe Convention, who ‘seemed best’ in their intentions;see Mme Jeanne Marie Roland de la Platière (whosedeath it caused), Appeal to Impartial Posterity I 55–6:‘SometimesforveryvexationIcouldhaveboxedtheearsof these philosophers… excellent reasoners all, learnedpoliticians in theory, but totally ignorant of the art ofleadingmen.’

116 impiety:lackofscruples,moralstandards.

121 The gift of tongues might fall: As upon the apostles atPentecost,Acts2.2–4.

125 work of safety: Glossed by Reed as anticipatory self-protection, but Wordsworth is surely thinking of thedefenceofrepublicanFrance(inwhich,sinceValmy,hehastotalconfidence).

134–8

Yet mould I willingly… single persons: Wordsworth’sdreams of being the man of the hour were no doubtfoolish,buthewouldhavebeenaware, for instance,ofthe influence of Tom Paine (in 1792 a member of theNational Convention in Paris) on the course of theAmericanRevolution.

137 still:always.

139 Transcendent…patrimony:overandaboveconsiderationsof region or nationality (Wordsworth is telling himselfthatevenaforeignermighthaveinfluence).

141 objects:objectives,aims.

144–5

where evidence divine…most sure: ‘Evidence divine’ tellsmantohavefaithinthecausethatwillfulfilhisnature.

146–52

That, with desires heroic… safe obedience: Men areinstinctively drawn to the self-reliant and heroic ‘spirit’(leader),joininghim,andtrustingtheirsafetytohim,asstreamsblendthemselvesinariver.

179–90

Inserted inMSD (early 1832) as a continuation to theabstract and not easily intelligible reasonings of 1805136–57.

179 themeans:Probablytheleader’shumansupporters.

183 Asovereignvoice:conscience.

187 eithersacrifice:Itseemsthatlifeaswellasdeathisseen,inthecircumstancesofbetrayal,tobeasacrificetothe‘sterndecree’ofconscience.

160 theme:topicsetforcomposition.

165–6

to Harmodius… Aristogiton: Athenians who tried to killthetyrantHippiasandhisbrotherHipparchusin514BC.Harmodiusdiedintheattempt,Aristogitonwascapturedand executed, but they were widely praised for theirgood intentions (by’Plato, for instance, in theSymposium). A Greek drinking song translated byWordsworthc.1786oddlycelebratesthemassuccessfulin their coup: ‘When the tyrant’s breast they gored…GavetoAthensequallaws’(Oxford1299).

167 To Brutus: The idealist among Caesar’s murderers: ‘Alltheconspirators saveonlyhe|Did that theydid inenvyofgreatCaesar’(juliusCaesarVv69–70).

170 the godhead which is ours: Cf. the final words of ThePrelude,where themindofman is ‘Of substanceandoffabric[’ofqualityandfabric’–1850]moredivine’(than‘theearth|Onwhichhedwells’).

171 charmed:laidtosleep.

175 Doth live but by variety of disease: Not one ofWordsworth’s clearer statements. Are the ‘diseases’ toovarioustobemortal?

178 Creed…notannulled:Cutc.1819;1850makesnoothersubstantivechangetoWordsworth’smovingstatementoffaith in the Revolution, 1805 176–88. The ‘shamefulyears’(1794–1804)includedtheReignofTerrorandtheriseofFrenchimperialism.

179 virtue: power (Latin virtus). one paramount mind: theleaderwhomWordsworthhaspositedinll.136–75.

180 thoseimpiouscrests:theJacobins;Wordsworth’smetaphorof plumed helmets is taken from PL VI 188, ‘Thisgreetingonthyimpiouscrestreceive’.

183 immaturity: It is Wordsworth’s consistent view that thepeoplehavetobeeducatedtoreceivepower;seeLettertotheBishopofLlandaff,c.February1793.

190 Compelled…absolutewant:Wordsworth’svehemencehastheair of self-justification. It cannothavebeenaneasydecision to leaveFrance in autumn1792,withAnnetteabout tohaveCaroline.Had thewarnot intervenedhewould presumably have scraped together money andreturned to get married, but as he left he must haveknown that the political situation was worsening fast.Englishmen were being arrested in Paris, power wasslippingawayfromtheGirondins,theKingwasontrialforhislife–andtherecanhavebeenlittledoubtthatifhewasconvictedEnglandwouldjointhewar.

222–4

Draggedbyachain…Heaven:Arevision,c.1819.

191 else:otherwise.

194– made a common cause… perished: become more closely

5 associated with the Girondins (imprisoned byRobespierreinJuly1793,guillotinedinOctober).

199 Apoetonly tomyself:Wordsworthhadpublishedalmostnothing,buthadtwomajorpoems,AnEveningWalkandDescriptiveSketches,printedonhisreturntoEngland(nodoubtinthehopesofraisingmoneytogetmarriedon).

200–1

even, belovèd friend… unknown: Wordsworth metColeridgeinSeptember1795.

202 awholeyear’sabsence:November1791–December1792;for some reason the period is lengthened in what DeSelincourt describes as ‘the more decorative version of1850’.

242 patriotoftheworld:ModelledonBacon’sphrase‘acitizenof the world’ (used e.g. by Williams, Letters Written inFrance 14, ‘it required but the common feelings ofhumanity to become in that moment a citizen of theworld’).

204–10

a contention…English people: It took 20 years, from thefoundationof theSociety for theAbolitionof theSlaveTrade byClarkson,Wilberforce and others in 1787, foranacttobepassedprohibitingthecarryingofslavesonBritish ships (see Wordsworth’s sonnet of 1807,‘Clarkson, itwasanobstinatehill toclimb’).Abillwaspassed by the Commons in 1792, but thrown out(‘baffled’, l. 206) by the Lords, as worsening events inFranceledtoaconservativebacklash.

218–19

Forme…affections: By contrast, seeCowper’s gruesomejocular anti-slave-trade songs of 1788 (e.g. Sweet MeathasSourSauce)andColeridge’svehementLectureon theSlaveTrade(1795).

248

levy:enrolment.

229–30 thestrengthofBritain…host:Francedeclaredwarfirst (1 February 1793) and England ten dayslater. Alliances with Prussia and Austria wereconcluded in July–August. As Wordsworthwritesin1804,thewarhasstillmorethannineyears togo (tenandahalf, ifone includes the‘hundreddays’andWaterloo,June1815).

233 Change and subversion: Followers of theRevolutionare‘subverted’(undermined)bywarwiththecountrythatembodiestheirhopes,andwill in theirowncountry fromthismomentberegardedas‘subversive’.

237 revolution: Wordsworth’s personal ‘revolution’(withasmallV) iscausedbyEngland’s joiningthewaragainsttheRevolution(withacapital).

242–4 with what ungracious eyes… regenerated France:NewsoftheRevolutionwasinfactwelcomedinEngland. Even Pitt thought at first that the‘convulsions would culminate in generalharmony and regular order’. Opinion wasturning against France by the time Burke’sReflections on the Revolution appeared inNovember 1790. Corresponding Societies,formed to distribute cheap copies of Paine’sRightsofMan(March1791),increasedthefearsofanEnglishuprising,andfrom1793therewasactiveGovernmentintervention.

248 foretastedtheevent: imaginedhowitwould feeltobeatwar.

276–9 As a light…tower:Wordsworth substitutes 1850‘pliantharebell’and‘tower’for1805‘greenleafand‘tree’inMSC(c.1819).

257 station:position,viewpoint

261–3 WhenEnglishmen…shamefulflight:WordsworthisthinkingofBritishandHanoveriantroopsputtoflight at Hondschoote and Wattignies, autumn1793,andperhapsofthedisastrouscampaignofthegrandoldDukeofYork,summer1794.

268–9 bending all|To their great Father: ‘While each tohis great father bends’ (Ancient Mariner 601);compelled to wish for his country’s defeat,Wordsworth, amid the ‘simple worshippers’, isasmuchanalienastheMarinerhimself.

279–80 in which worst losses…best of names: in whichlosses (from the point of view of humanity)couldseemtobegains.

280–3 when patriotic love…harbinger he is: Despite theimageofJohntheBaptistgivingwaytoChrist,Wordsworth’s point is ironical: patriotic love,rightlysocalled,giveswaytojingoism,adesireforvictoryinbattleregardlessoftheinjusticeofthewar.

284 ancientfaith:Presumablyinthiscasedemocraticideals, belief in the Revolution, exchanged forthe ironically ‘higher creed’ of loyalty to theGovernment.

287–9 in which Experience…grey locks: in which thosewhoseexperienceshouldhaveenabledthemtoknowbetter join the (bad)causewithyouthfulenthusiasm.

315 thered-crossflag:thewhiteensign(theredcrossofStGeorge,quarteredwiththeunionjackonawhitebackground),flownbytheBritishfleetinbattle to avoid confusion with the tricolor,introducedbytheFrenchin1794.Wordsworth’sassociationislikelytobewithpicturesofBritishshipsinaction;thesquadronhewatchedinJuly

1793 was under the command of Sir PeterParker, Admiral of the Blue, and would haveflownblueflags.

293–8 Ibeheld…placeofconvocation:Lookingbackinanote to Guilt and Sorrow (1842), Wordsworthwrote:

During the latter part of the summer of 1793,havingpassedamonth in the IsleofWight, inviewof the fleetwhichwas thenpreparing forseaoffPortsmouthatthecommencementofthewar, I left the place with melancholyforbodings.

298–306 There I heard…pain of heart: Wordsworth hadbeenmoreindignantinthefragmentAttheIsleofWightwrittenatthetime:

But hark from yon proud fleet in pealprofoundThunders the sunset-cannon; at thesoundThe star of life appears to set in blood(OxfordI308)

309–12 Tyrants…goaded landwaxedmad:Wordsworth’sstayontheIsleofWightinJuly1793coincidedwith Robespierre’s taking control in Paris. The‘devilish plea’ of plotting against the state onbehalf of foreign powers was used during thefollowing year to send many hundreds to theguillotine. Robespierre is linked inWordsworth’slanguagewithMilton’sSatan,‘thefiend [who] with necessity,|The tyrant’s plea,excusedhisdevilishdeeds’(PLIV393–4).

313–14 blasts|From hell…heaven Hamlet: I iv 41, ‘Bringwiththeeairsfromheaven,orblastsfromhell.’

317 theirs:i.e.thefaithofthose(referringbacktol.315).

317–19 Whothroned…theirgod:TheCathedralofNotreDame in Paris was reconsecrated on 10November 1793 as the Temple of Reason.Among those who disapproved, however, wasRobespierre. Not content with guillotiningChaumette and othermembers of theNationalConvention involved, he himself presided on 8June 1794 at a Festival of the SupremeBeing.As in the final chapter of Rousseau’s SocialContract,Godandanafterlifewerepresentedasthe basis of republican ‘virtue’, the quality inwhose name Robespierre chiefly acted, andwhichabovealltheTerrorwassaidtoprotect.

319–21 the hopes…paradise of ages: Though notregardingtheTerrorasapurgerequiredinthename of future happiness,Wordsworth himselfwascapableofthinkingthatviolencehadtobeaccepted as a phase in the revolutionaryprocess; see Letter to the Bishop of Llandaffand11.749–51below.

327–8 TheSenatewasheart-stricken…Uplifted: Seventy-five right-wing deputies in the NationalConventionprotestedafter theexpulsionof theGirondinson2June1793,butwerethemselvesarrested; there was no further opposition.During Robespierre’s year of power, to be‘heart-stricken’ was itself a crime. ‘A man isguilty against theRepublic’, Saint-Just told theConvention in January 1794, ‘when he takespityonprisoners.Heisguiltybecausehehasnodesire for virtue; he is guilty because he isopposed to the Terror.’ Such guilt waspunishablebydeath.

329 Domestic carnage…year: Wordsworth’s linemakesitsoundasiftheTerrorlastedforyears.The firstmajor series of executionswas of theGirondin leaders in October 1793; the GreatTerror began with the law of 10 June 1794alteringcourtproceduressothatprisonerscouldbe condemned en masse; 1,376 people wereguillotined in Paris in the 50 days beforeRobespierre’sfallon27July.

335–6 Headafterhead…fall:Selectionfortheguillotinewas in fact rather capricious. Many wereexecutedwithlittleornopretext,others(HelenMaria Williams and Tom Paine among them)survived long periods in prison knowing thateachdaymightbetheirlast.

352–4 The illustrious wife of Roland…last words:Citizeness Jeanne Marie Roland de la Platière(whoseAppeal to Impartial Posterity, written inprisonwaitingforexecution,revealsmorethanany book of the period the inside story of theRevolution’s struggles for power) went to theguillotine on 8 November 1793. The scene isrecordedbyhereditor,Bosc, inthewordsofafellowprisoner:

shewas neatly dressed in white, and her longblackhairflowedlooselytoherwaist…Shehadfor the companion to her misfortune a manwhose fortitudewasnot equal toherown,butwhom she foundmeans to inspirewith gaiety,so cheering and so real that it several timesbroughtasmileuponhisface.

At the place of execution she bowed downbefore the statue of Liberty, and pronouncedthesememorablewords:‘OhLiberty,howmanycrimes are committed in thy name!’ (Appeal

II145–6)

360 flattered:filledwithunwarrantedhope.

362–4 The Herculean commonwealth…cradle: Hera,jealous wife of Zeus, sent two serpents to killHeracles,hischildby themortalAlcmene.The‘infant godhead’ duly throttled them. Thearmies of the infant Republic (declared on 22September 1792) had to cope both with thethreat of Austrian and Prussian invaders andwith civil war (counter-revolution in theVendée), but before the death of Robespierrewerealreadyturningtotheattack.

370 beat:Closerprobably inWordsworth’susage tothebeatofaheartthanthebeatofadrum,andoftenusedbyhimwiththeforceofatransferredepithet;cf.the‘beatingmind’ofII18.

378–80 a sense|Of treachery…soul: Wordsworth in hisnightmaresisavictimofthe Terror, and falsely accused, yet cannotwhollyabsolvehimselffromcollusion in the violence. His heart has beengiventotheRevolutionforbetterorforworse.

385 oppression: A strong word, but Wordsworthmeanswhathesays.Comparehissenseofbeing‘vexed’byhisowncreativity,andoffeelingpleasureas‘aweight’.

388 creaturedivine:Man is at once createdbyGod,andtheonecreatedbeingthatis‘instinctwithgodhead’.

391 which enables him to be: which defines his

existenceasahumanbeing.

392 sequestered: alienated, what a change is here:Reed points to a silent quotation from Romeoand Juliet that has a pleasurableappropriateness. Mercurio is teasing Romeo,who,likeWordsworth,ischangingtoa‘secondlove’:

Holy Saint Francis, what a change ishere!IsRosaline,thatthoudidstlovesodearSosoonforsaken?(IIiii65–7)

401 inflamed: inspired; the prophets, thoughdooming their fellows to destruction, areconsoledbythepowersofthespirit.

408 consummation:accomplishment,completion.

411 rage and dog-day heat: The rising of the ‘dog-stars’,SiriusandProcyon,was traditionally thehottestandmost feverish timeof theyear.ForWordsworth ‘rage’ would have its Frenchconnotation ofmadness – even perhaps (giventhedog-stars),ofrabies.

413 intheorderofsublimestlams:Wordsworthgloriesin the sublimity of the Terror, conscious thatBurkehasbasedhis‘laws’ofthesublimeonfear(‘terror’withasmall‘t’).

416 I felt a kind of sympathy with power: Anastonishing statement in its context, butprofoundly Wordsworthian. The poet could besaid in his writing to replace the Burkeansublimeofterrorwiththesublimeofpower.

431–2 ‘Beholdtheharvest…equality’:Thescoffers’taunthas a biblical ring derived partly from the

proverb ‘As ye sow, so shall ye reap’, partlyfrom the mocking of Christ at his crucifixion.popular:ofthepeople.

438 charge: burden, load, contents; Owen takesWordsworth’s image to be of a bursting cess-pool.

451–5 Thatday…townofArras:WordsworthandJonesspent the third night (16 July 1790) of theircontinental tour at Arras, then celebrating thefirstanniversaryofthefalloftheBastille;seeVI352ff.

455–6 place from which…Robespierre: Robespierre(1758–94) was born at Arras, and representedthe town in the National Assembly (variouslycalled at different times) from its firstmeetinginMay1789.Like somanydeputies,hewasalawyer.

457 the atheist crew: Words applied by Milton,Paradise Lost VI 370, to the fallen angels,whorefuse allegiance to God, but do not of coursedeny his existence. Robespierre detestedatheism (in the modern sense of the word),sending to the guillotinemost of thosewho inautumn1793hadinstitutedthestatereligionofReason;seell.317–19n.above.

460–1 groaned…cruel son: The directions ofRobespierre’s Committee of Public Safetywerecarried out in Arras by an ex-priest named(ironically) Le Bon, who was later said by hissecretarytohave‘killedinasortoffever’.

462 As Lear reproached the winds: The reference toLearIIIii1–24canbereadintwoways:eitherWordsworth’s quarrel with the image in hismind is as pointless as the mad King’s

reproaches to the winds, or the town groansundertheTerrorasLearcomplainsatthestorm.Thefirst,andstronger,readingispre-emptedbythe poet’s executors, who place dashes at theend of 1850 503, and after ‘winds’ in l. 507.PunctuationintheMSSoffersnobasisfortheirconfidence.

468 this foul tribe of Moloch: ‘First Moloch, horridking,besmearedwithblood|Ofhumansacrifice,andparents’tears…’(PLI392–3).

469 regent: ruler;Robespierrehadnoelectiveofficeorofficialtitle,rulingthroughtheCommitteeofPublic Safety and by the support of the Parissections.

472 asmallvillage:Rampside,on thecoastnorthofBarrow-in-Furness and opposite Piel Island,whereWordsworthwasstayingwithcousins inAugust-September1794; seePeeleCastle1–2: ‘Iwas thyneighbouronce, thouruggedpile|FoursummerweeksIdweltinsightofthee…’

474–5 the smooth sands…estuary: Levens Sands,whichcanstillbecrossedwithaguidewhenthetideisout, and which formed the main north-southroute, cutting across Morecambe Bay; see ll.515–29below.

476 genial:warm,cheerful.

477–86 With distant prospect…childhood: Looking eastand north Wordsworth sees mountain-tops oftheLakeDistrictlitbythesun,andthinksofthehidden valleys below where he has beenbrought up. To mark the contrast he turns toMilton at his most ornate for themountainscape,andtouchesinthe‘happyfields’ofhischildhoodinhisownlesselevatedstyle.

480 Creatures of one ethereal substance: beingscreated from the same heavenly material(cloudsandmountainsarespiritualizedalikebythesunandbytheimagination).

481 consistory: synod, church council; cf. the‘gloomy consistory’, summoned in mid-air bySatan,PRI42.

482 burning seraphs: radiant angels; among theangelic ‘orders’, seraphs are closest to God,living in the realm of pure fire. De Selincourtpoints to Milton, At A Solemn Music 10, ‘thebrightseraphiminburningrow’.

483 empyrean: ‘the pure empyrean where hesits|High-thronedaboveallheight’(PLIII57–8).

486 fulgent: shining, resplendent; ‘At last as from acloud his fulgent head|And shape star-brightappeared’(PLX449–50).

492 Anhonouredteacherofmyyouth:WilliamTaylor,brilliant young Cambridge-trained headmasterof Hawkshead Grammar School, died on 12June1786, aged32.His gravemaybe seenatCartmellPriory(achurchofgreatbeauty)nearUlverston.

499 Afragment…Gray:

Hismerits,stranger,seeknottodisclose,Ordrawhisfrailtiesfromtheirdreadabode(Theretheyalikeintremblinghoperepose),ThebosomofhisfatherandhisGod.(Elegy125–8,withadaptedfirstline)

501 ‘My head will soon lie low’: Taylor’s movingwordswereusedbyWordsworth,agedsixteen,

inhisballadAndWillYouLeaveMeThusAlone(23–4March1787):

Heaventoldmeonce–butIwasblind–Myheadwouldsoonlielow;ArosewithinourgardenblewAmidDecember’ssnow.(Oxford1266)

506 inmyowndespite:Cf.RuinedCottage206–8: ‘Inmy owndespite|I thought of that poorwomanas of one|Whom I had known and loved.’ Ineachcasethereaderissurprisedbytheimpliedresistancetoemotionalcommitment.

513–14 whenI…toilsomesongs:Wordsworth’sfirstextantpoemwaswrittenatTaylor’ssuggestionin1785to celebrate the bicentenary of HawksheadGrammar School. Though disparaged byWordsworth himself (Memoirs I 13) as ‘a tameimitationofPope’sversification’, thepoemhasconsiderable power and looks forward to laterpoetryonthethemeofeducation.

520 A Romish chapel: Built, like Piel Castle, bymonksfromnearbyFurnessAbbey.

527–8 shallowstream|Ofinlandwater:TheRiverLeven,which crosses the Sands, has to bewaded; therestofthetwo-milepassageisdry-shod.TurnerandCox,amongothers,havepaintedthescenethat Wordsworth describes; see also ElizabethGaskell,TheSexton’sHero.

534 Inthefamiliarlanguageoftheday:goingstraighttothepoint.

535 Robespierre was dead: News of Robespierre’sdeath (at first very confused) reached Londonon 16 August 1794; Wordsworth heard itaroundthe20th.

538 heandhissupportersallwerefallen:Robespierre’sfall(dramatizedwithinweeksbyColeridgeandSouthey)wasverysudden.On27July1794hewasoutmanoeuvredintheNationalConventionby Tallien and Barras, and arrested after apainfulattemptat suicide.On the28thheandhis 21 closest associates (bar Lebas, who hadsuccessfully killed himself) went to theguillotine(‘theirhelper’inl.549).Afurther86Robespierrists were purged – 71 on thefollowing day – including Samson theexecutioner.

539–40 myjoy|Invengeance,andeternaljustice:Notetheorder: Wordsworth makes no bones about adominantfeelingofrevenge.

546–8 They who…the Augean stable: Robespierre, inWordsworth’sunpleasant image,diverts a riverof blood to cleanse the Republic, just asHerculesdivertstheRiversAlpheusandPeneusthroughthestablesofKingAugeas(chokedwith30years’ox-dung)toaccomplishthesixthofhis‘labours’.

554 maddingfactions:Cf. ‘hissingfactionists’(IX57)and Gray’s Elegy 73, ‘Far from the maddingcrowd’signoblestrife’.

559–66 Along that very shore…level sand: TacitlyWordsworth’s exultation and delusive politicalhopes are compared to the joy of heart withwhich as a boy he had ‘scampered homeward’from Furness Abbey (‘St Mary’s moulderingfane’),II135–44.fane:temple,church.

566 RepetitionofII144.

XII

The decisionto divide1805 Book Xinto two wastaken in1832. Tojudge fromMS Z (April–May1805),itwas a returntoWordsworth’soriginalintention.Why he everthoughthavingsuchaweightybookwas a goodthing is hardtoknow.

567–72 From this time…past aims: Authority in Francebecame less efficient as well as ‘milder’. Thecommittees through which Robespierre hadworkedwere deprived of their power, and thelawsonwhichhehaddependedwererepealed.Withthemwent thecontrolledeconomywhichhe had devised and enforced. The currencycollapsed, starvation was widespread. Lack ofeffective government led three years later(September 1797) to renewed dictatorshipunder the Directory, and finally (November1799)totheriseofNapoleon.

576 ofheartlessomen:discouraging.

589–92 Such victory…noiseless fortitude: Wordsworth

continues tobelievenotonly that theRepublicwill triumph, but that there will then be apeacefulrevolutioninBritain.

592–5 Beholding still…same in quality: Seeing thatFrance resists her attackers as powerfully asbefore, the poet imagines that her motivationremainsaspure.

596 thetwospirits:theforcesofreactionandoftruth(Britain and her allies embodying the ‘worse’spirit,Francethe‘better’).

598–604 never dreamt\That transmigration…called to: The‘soul’ of France has been replaced. TheRepublic, created with such high ideals, hassuffered a moral fall – is no longer the samebeing.

604–17 Youth maintains…ordinary practice: Wordsworthis talking about himself, and the basis of hismistaken judgments in the period afterRobespierre’sdeath.Thepatternofhisthoughtsfollowshissentencestructures:(1)Youthistheperiodofhumanlifemostintouchwithnature;(2) nature, in this political phasewhen ‘habit,custom, law’ have lost their authority, hasunusual scope to influence the judgment; (3)events of the day produced abundant evidenceto support warm, or wild, judgments, and tounderminetheauthorityofcustom.

617–22 I could see…safety: Those who, dazed by theTerror,buildthemselvesupatowerofrefugeonthe basis of seemingly promising news, are (totheWordsworthofthemid-1790s)asfoolishasthebuildersofBabel(Genesis11.3–9)

625 conceited:imagined.

640 passion over-near ourselves:material too fraughtwithemotiontobedecorouslydescribed.

643 scorn and condemnation personal: lampoon,invective; though at times in The Prelude anexcellentsatirist,Wordsworthregardssatireasalowform,andpersonalsatireasunacceptable.

645–7 Our shepherds…tool of murder: Wordsworth’smetaphor-mixing indignation against the PittGovernment is oddly reminiscent of Lycidas119–20: ‘Blind mouths! that scarce themselvesknowhowtohold|Asheephook’.

647–51 They who ruled…|To imitate: Despite theexampleofRobespierre,wholivedanddiedbytheguillotine,theBritishGovernmentlongedtoimitate repressive French policies. ‘Thesepretendedconstitutionalists’,ColeridgewroteinTheFriendwith thispassage inmind, ‘recurredto the language of insult, and to measures ofpersecution.InordertoopposeJacobinism,theyimitated it in its worst features: in personalslander, in illegal violence, and even in thethirstforblood’(RookeII141).

653–4 in their weapons…reach: Wordsworth writes asonewhohashimselfbeenwatchedbyaHomeOffice informer (atAlfoxden in summer1797);hisimageisofratsbehindthewainscot.

658 It hath been told: In IX 295–543, whereWordsworth, under the influence of Beaupuy,giveshishearttotheFrenchpeople.

660 polity:government.

662–5 Ihadapproached…metalwhich I saw: Accordingto the fable (which is only partly relevant toWordsworth’s lines) a two-sided shield – one

side gold, one silver – is hung at a crossroads.Knights approaching from opposite directionssee it differently, and fight to maintain whatthey see (cf. Joseph Spence, Moralities[1753],99–102).

672–3 themselves\Feltdeeply:Read:‘thoughdeeplyfelt’.

677 sanctuary:churchbuildingwhereanyonefleeingfromcivilprosecutioncouldclaimprotection.

682 noviciate: inexperienced,resemblinganoviceina religious order; drawn probably fromColeridge, 1796 Religious Musings 437–8: ‘Tillthen|Idisciplinemyyoungnoviciatethought’.

689–727 Among the fewpassages ofThe Prelude knowninWordsworth’slifetime;published (with ll. 662–5 above by way ofpreface)inTheFriend,26October1809,thenin1815andWordsworth’ssubsequentcollections.

690 auxiliars: helpers; often used of supportingtroopsonabattlefield.

694–5 the meagre, stale, forbidding ways|Of custom:Wordsworth avoids too close resemblance toHamlet I ii 133–4: ‘How weary, stale, flat andunprofitableSeemtomealltheusesofthisworld!’

697–9 When reason…A prime enchanter: In a lightmockeryofhisformerself,WordsworthinvokesforreasonthepowerofaProspero.

706 temper:temperament.

708 raptaway:carriedaway,enraptured.

709–16 They mho had fed…To wield it: An unexpectedself-portrait.

716–19 theytoo…peacefulselves:SeeminglyacompositeportraitofMaryWordsworth and Wordsworth’s brother John,the‘silentpoet’.

721 stuffathandplasticastheycouldwish:readyandmalleablematerialfortheimagination to work upon (in its creation offuturehappiness).

723–7 Not in Utopia…not at all: ‘Paradise andgroves|Elysian’,WordsworthhadwrittenintheProspectustoTheRecluse(1800),

blessèd islands in the deep, Of choiceseclusion–whereforeneedtheybeAhistory,orbutadream,whenmindsOnceweddedtothisoutwardframeofthingsInlove, findthesethegrowthofcommonday?(11.35–40)

There had been no political context in theProspectus, but in both this poem and ThePreludethereisthemovingemphasisonfindinghappiness in actuality – in the world that weknowandshare.

736 convoked:calledforth,summoned.

739 still:always.

XI160 An alexandrine in the MSS, corrected by thepoet’sexecutors,whosubstitutedadashforthewords‘andthat’.

749–51 Notcaring…futurity:Wordsworthisimpressivelyclear that some violence and suffering is to beaccepted in the early stages of a revolution. IntheLettertotheBishopofLlandaff(1793)thisisthebasisonwhichhedefendstheexecutionofLouisXVI.

751 happy:Removedc.1819,toreducethelinefromanalexandrine (presumablyunintended) to theregularpentameter.

752–6 In brief… more strong: In this last phase ofWordsworth’s long sentence (beginning at l.738),hepresentshimselfasthechildofnaturewhoseemotions,thoughtheyhavenowfoundawider sphere, remain unchanged. Thoseappropriate to an earlier stage have grownweaker and merged imperceptibly into adult(political)responses.

757–9 Inthemainoutline…France:ForthepasthundredlinesWordsworthhasbeenworkingthroughasecondtimetheperioddescribedinll.227–306above. He has now arrived once more at theoutbreakofwar(declaredbyFranceon1February1793,andBritainon the11th).

768–9 What had been a pride| Was now a shame:Wordsworth, forwhom patriotism is an aspectofhisearlybondingwithnature, is thinkingofhiscountry’sshamefuloppositiontolibertyandtheRevolution.

774 As from the first:Presumably,as fromtheearlystagesoftheRevolution.

791–3 And now, become oppressors…conquest: Foreighteen months after their success at Valmy(September1792)Frencharmieswereoccupiedwith defending the borders and suppressingcounter-revolution. That they should then turnto the attack made sense in economic terms,thoughitwentagainsttherenunciationofwars

ofconquestwrittenintotheConstitutioninMay1790.Bytheendof1794BelgiumandHollandhad been occupied, Spain and northern Italyinvaded. Napoleon meanwhile was rapidlyrisingthroughtheranks.

794–6 and mounted up…The scale of liberty: Liberty,whichshouldbeweighingmostheavilywiththeFrench, is being outweighed by conquest.Wordsworth’s image of the balance (scales) isfromParadise Lost,whereGod hangs ‘forth hisgolden scales’ in heaven to show Satan hisweaknessincomparisonwithGabriel:‘Thefiendlooked up and knew His mounted scale aloft’(IV1013–14).

798 taking to the shame: accepting, taking forhimself,theshame.

800–1 to prove\ Their temper: test their strength (themetaphorisfrom‘proving’steel).

803 Growintoconsequence:becomesubstantial, takeonthestatusoffact.

806–10 thephilosophy…readywelcome:Godwin’sPoliticalJustice (February 1793) offered a rationalistphilosophyinwhichman’sfuturehappinesswastodependoneducationand thedictatesof themind, freed from emotional ties. The firstedition(rewrittenin1796)assumedthatBritainwould peaceably follow the examples ofAmericaandFrance.

809 apurerelement:reason.

812–13 Where passions… names: Having been hisdisciple in the years 1794–6, WordsworthexposestheweakpointofGodwin’ssystemwithbrilliantirony.TheclaimsofPoliticalJusticehad

been an act of faith, its dependence on reasonemotional.

818–29 Whatdelight…independentintellect:

Thesatire isbeautifullycontrolled–andneedsto be, if the writing is to deflect obviouscomparisonsbetweenGodwinianarroganceandWordsworthianegotisticalsolitude.Thepassagestresses again and again the folly of theindividual,thedisparitybetweenhisassumptionof power and powerless actuality. ‘Self-knowledge’heclearlydoesnotpossess(noonewould expect him to, after the ironic ‘Howglorious’); ‘self-rule’ is another matter, butconfers no right to survey and judge thekingdomsoftheworld;‘resolutemastery’mightbe fine in itself, but has no control of nature,time,orplace,andcannotchangethepast;itistrue in away (and aWordsworthian one) thatthe basis of social freedom is ‘the individualmind’, but not when it adopts a posture ofsuperiority, regarding general laws as ‘blindconstraint’ and ‘magisterially’ assuming thatnothing need be taken into account bar suchcircumstances as happen to penetrate itsunwarrantedseclusion.(BV267)

833 asecureintelligence:asettledmind.

836 worm-like: like a caterpillar (commonly called‘worms’ at this period, just as butterflies arecommonlycalled ‘flies’);Wordsworthdrawshisimage,andthewordingofl.238,fromSpenser’sdelightfulmock-heroicFateoftheButterfly.

839 yetIfeel:tothisdayIfeel.

843–7 sacrificed…falseimagination:ToWordsworththe

‘comprehensive mind’ (expansive, generous initsimagination)hasparadoxicallyan‘exactness’(precision) that ‘scrupulous and microscopicviews’cannotachieve;cf.NotUselessDoIDeem58ff.: ‘was it meant|That we should pore, anddwindle as we pore, I Forever dimly pore onthingsminute…’

850 ancientinstitutions:ProbablyWordsworthmeanstraditional ways of thought, but his attackwould be no less relevant to ‘institutions’ suchastheUniversityortheHouseofLords.

855–6 Aveilhadbeen|Uplifted:BytheRevolution.

863 Let loose and goaded: Wordsworth’s mind isreleased from old ways of thought by theRevolution, but also ‘goaded’ (a maddeningprocessatl.312)bythesenseofalienationthatfollows.Hencethereferenceinthenext lineto‘whathath…beensaidofpatrioticlove’(seell.253–78above).

870–1 A happy man… painful things: CharacteristicsthatWordsworth had given to his second self,thePedlar,asearlyasspring1798:‘inhimself|Happy… He could afford to suffer|With thosewhomhesawsuffer’(11.279–84).

878 nature’sholiestplaces:Cf. ll.379–80above, ‘theplace|TheholiestthatIknewof–myownsoul’.

879 somedramaticstory:Taking ‘dramatic’ inratheraliteral-mindedway,OwenandReedsuggestareference to Wordsworth’s play The Borderers(1796–7). Wordsworth, however, is clearlyreferring to a prospective work – ‘Time maycome…’Heiswritinginautumn1804,andon6MarchhadtoldDeQuinceyofhaving‘arrangedthe plan’ of The Excursion (not a drama, but

dramatic in the sense that it is written indialogue). The Borderers lay in the past(Coleridge had known it for more than sevenyears),andrevealedWordsworth’sexperienceinthe Revolution only by implication. TheExcursion,bycontrast,layinthefuture,anddidindeed tell (in the ‘dramatic story’ of theSolitary)bothofwhatthepoethadlearned,andof theerrors intowhichhehadbeenbetrayed.See Jonathan Wordsworth, ‘That WordsworthEpic’,WC,winter1980,34–5.

885–6 a heart… turned aside\From nature by externalaccidents: Probably the clearest statement as tohow Wordsworth came to view his formerpoliticalself.

889–90 Draggingallpassions…tothebar:Asthepassionsare indicted, called to the bar to explain theirright to exist, it is (by implication) Godwinianreasonthatactsasprosecutor.

892 titles:credentials.

898 infine:intheend.

899–900 Sick,weariedout…indespair:Acrisis-pointthatisofgreatimportanceinThePrelude,butwhichWordsworth does not elsewhere mention. Lossof confidence may well have been associatedwithreadingtheimpoverishedsecondeditionofPolitical Justice at Racedown in March 1796.Godwin on whose thinking Wordsworth hadreliedforthetwopastyears(andwhomhehadmetpersonallyninetimesinLondon)wasinfullretreat. On his own admission, five out of theeight books of Political Justice 1793 had beenrewritten.Aworkthathadlookedforwardtoachain reaction of beneficent revolutions

(America,France,England,andonwardsacrossthe known world) now offered the rhetoric ofrationalist optimism, divorced from politicalhope.

XI306–33 Thiswasthecrisis…noadmission:Insertedinitsoriginal form inMSC c. 1819, but frequentlyrevised as Wordsworth sought to portray hisearly moral crisis as a ‘strong disease’ of thesoul.

903–4 Turned towards mathematics… evidence:Wordsworth is turning not to text-book maths(theacademicsubjectheoughttohavestudiedwith more vigour at Cambridge), but to the‘independent world|Created out of pureintelligence’, discussed in VI I78ff., a ‘clearsynthesisbuiltupaloft:

MightyisthecharmOfthoseabstractionstoamindbesetWithimages,andhauntedbyitself…

XI308 our blessed reason: Looking back, Wordsworthseeshis crisisof confidenceas the ‘lowestebb’of the soul, and (confusingly, if one takes intoaccount the original circumstances) thinks ofreason as a divine gift wrongly deemed to beinadequate.

XI309–20 ‘The lordly attributes… slave of crime’: ThisspeechthatWordsworthputsintothemouthofhisformerselfreadsmostoddlyafter1805890–900.Where theearlypassage shows ‘aheart…turnedaside|Fromnaturebyexternalaccidents’(11. 885–6), 1850 portrays rebellion, ‘selfishpassion’, a questioningofGod’s purpose in thebestowingoffreewill.

XI328–30 turned to abstract science… space and time: Arecollection of Wordsworth’s account of thearab’s‘stone’inV103–5,wheremathematicsisseen in its most exalted form. RepresentingEuclid’sElements,thestonehad

heldacquaintancewiththestarsAndweddedmantomanbypurestbondOf nature, undisturbed by space ortime…

905–6 mostpreciousfriend…Firstknowntome:Ahalf-truth: Wordsworth had met Coleridge sixmonthsearlier, inSeptember1795,butdidnotget to know him until mid-1797 – hence,presumably,thecuttingoftheselinesin1850

908–9 thebelovèdwoman…dayswerepassed:Dorothy,with whom Wordsworth had set up house inSeptember1795atRacedowninDorset.

914–15 asavingintercourse\Withmytrueself:Cf.TinternAbbey177ff ‘inthyvoiceIcatch|Thelanguageofmyformerheart…’

920 office:role,function,vocation,duty.

921 And lastly: Wordsworth’s syntax is stilldependenton‘Ahthenitwas’inl.904.

930–3 In thecatastrophe…anEmperor:Napoleon,whohad declared himself Emperor in May 1804,summonedPiusVIItocrownhiminParis–then(2December) took the crownout of his handsand crownedhimself.Wordsworth seems to bewritingjustbeforetheevent,‘forsotheydream’implying intention on the part of the French.catastrophe: dénouement, theatrical climax (notnecessarilytragic).

934 opprobrium:disgrace.

934–5 the dog|Returning to his vomit: Wordsworth’svehement image is from Proverbs 26.11, ‘As adog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returnethtohisfolly’(seealsoIIPeter2.21–2,wheretheproverb is applied to backsliders who ‘haveknown the way of righteousness’. Havingdeclared themselves a republic in September1792,theFrencharereturningtomonarchy.

935–40 when the sun… opera phantom: the sun of theRepublic,whichhastouchedthecloudswithitsglory, sets in a grotesque piece of theatre (asNapoleon crowns himself). gewgaw: toy,plaything.machine:stage-prop.

946–50 now|Amongthebasest…Timoleon:Coleridgewasin Sicily, part of the kingdom of Naples andregarded as particularly backward, despite aglorious classical past. De Selincourt quotes atlength from the Life of Timoleon in North’sPlutarch, showing Timoleon (d. 337 BC) as arooter-out of tyrants, establisher of Siciliandemocracy, and defender of the island againsttheCarthaginians.

XI377–8 Where Etna… Syracuse: Poetic licence; MaryMoorman, The Later Years 504–5, drawsattention to Kilvert’s account of a meetingbetween Wordsworth and George Venableswhenthelinesonthemountain’sshadowwerebeingcomposed,c.1838:

One evening near Rydal I saw Wordsworthsaunteringtowardsmewearingashadeoverhiseyes,whichwereweak, andcrooningout loudsomelinesofapoemwhichhewascomposing.

Istoppedtoavoidsplashinghimandapologisedforhavingintrudeduponhim.Hesaid,‘I’mgladImetyou,forIwanttoconsultyouaboutsomelines Iamcomposing inwhich Iwant tomaketheshadowofEtnafallacrossSyracuse…wouldthis be possible?’ I replied that… the onlydifficulty was that Etna is exactly north ofSyracuse.‘Surely’,saidWordsworth,‘itisalittleN.E. or N.W.?’ And as he was evidentlydeterminedtomaketheshadowfallthewayhewantedit,Ididnotcontradicthim.

(Francis Kilvert, Diary Selections: 1870–79, ed.WilliamPlomer,3vols,London,1960,I234)

951 How are the mighty prostrated: Strangelyinelegant rewording (unchanged in 1850) ofDavid’s lament for Saul and Jonathan: ‘Thebeauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places:howarethemightyfallen’(IISamuell.119).

953–4 When the great voice… ancient heroes: The callforliberty?

960 Strewedwiththewreck…years:Cf.Cowper,TaskII75–7:

AlasforSicily–rudefragmentsnowLiescatteredwheretheshapelycolumnstood;Herpalacesaredust.

964 Ahopetobedeferred:hopeforthedistantfuture.

968–9 One great society… noble dead: Expanded uponbyWordsworthinConventionofCintra(1809):

Thereisaspiritualcommunitybindingtogetherthelivingandthedead,thegood,thebraveand

thewise,ofallages.Wewouldnotbe[donotwish tobe] rejected from this community, andthereforedowehope.(ProseWorksI339)

974 Sirocco: hot oppressive wind blowing fromNorthAfrica.

977 sanative:healing,restorative.

981–2 this last spot… Stands single: Since thebreakdown of the Peace of Amiens (1802–3),Britain had been maintaining the war againstNapoleonalone.

985 ThisheavytimeofchangeforallmankindLycidas:37, ‘But oh the heavy change now thou artgone’, has been brought into Wordsworth’smind (asDe Selincourt points out) by his ownuseof‘thouartgone’inl.980.

994 The gladsome image inmymemory:Wordsworthaged 20 had quite deliberately stored thescenery of the Alps within his memory,reflectingashedidso:‘perhapsscarceadayofmy life will pass in which I shall not derivesome happiness from these images’ (14September1790).

996 at a time, how different: Wordsworth contraststheEuropeanpolitical scene of 1804with thatof 1790 when ‘benevolence andblessedness|Spreadlikeafragranceeverywhere’(VI368–9).

1002–3 ofloweryvale|OfEnna:

thatfairfieldOfEnna,whereProserpinagatheringflowers(Herselfafairerflower)bygloomyDisWasgathered.(PLIV268–71)

1012–13 Empedocles\Or Archimedes: Philosopher-poet,supposedtohavethrownhimselfintoEtnac.433BC,andmathematician(diedc.212BC)tothisdayfamousforArchimedes’Principle.

1015 Theocritus: Greatest of Greek (Sicilian) pastoralpoets,diedc.260BC.

1021–3 how bees with honey fed… muse’s nectar: StorytoldbyTheocritus,IdyllVII 78–83. Themuse drips nectar on Comates’lipsencouragingbeestofeed him in the cedar chest where he isimprisoned.

1028 bythiscalmfireside:AtDoveCottage,Grasmere,c.lateNovember1804.

XI455 invadedheavens:Themountain’sheight invadesthesky.

XI458 discipline:Owensuggests‘instruction’.

XI460 sapient:wise.

1033 pastoral Arethuse: Sicilian stream (transformedfromaGreeknymph,Arethusa)invokedbyMilton,Lycidas85.

1036 Thougratulatest:yougreet.

1037 votary:devotee.

BookEleventh(1850Twelfth)

1 NewsofthedeathofhisbrotherJohn,captainoftheEarlofAbergavenny,reachedWordsworth on n February 1805, and broughtworkonThePrelude toastop.Tenbooksweremoreorlesscomplete.The last three–allof themshort–wereput together inApril and the first half ofMay, a great

dealofoldmaterialbeingusedintheprocess.MSZ,faircopyofBooksXIandXII,showsthatXIbeganoriginallyatl.42below,‘Thishistory,myfriend’.

7–8 Not with these began… end: An affectionate allusion toIdiotBoy445–6:‘Andwiththeowlsbeganmysong,|Andwiththeowlsmustend’.

9–14 Yemotionsofdelight…silentnight:Foundintheiroriginalform in a long sequence at the end ofMS Y (October1804),andprobablythenintendedforBookVIII:

Yegentlebreezesleadmeforthagain,Softairsandgladdeningsunbeamsleadmeon…brooksMutteringamongthestones,abusynoiseByday,aquietoneinsilentnight.

15–22

And you, ye groves… for me: Drawn (together with XII47–52 below) from a discarded introductory section toNutting,preservedinMS18Aofwinter1798–9.Intheiroriginal form the lines are addressed, not to ‘groves’ ofeveryday experience, but to the polytheist spirits,‘powers of nature’, whose ‘ministry’ oversees the poet’seducationin1799PartI.

23–5 springreturns|Isawthespringreturn…hope:Spring1796;see X 899–90nWordsworth’s lines are based on PL III41–2:‘Seasonsreturn,butnottomereturns|Day,orthesweetapproachofevenormorn…’

XII31–4

Themorningshines…herlove:Wordsworth’stidying-upof180523–8istheresultofsuccessiverevisions,beginninginMSC(c.1819).

29 complacency:satisfaction,contentedness.

31 still:always.

43 intellectual:spiritual.

48–60

Whatavailed…hadbeen:

Afloat on the barren seas of Godwinian philosophy,resolutely ignoring signals from the shores of lovingrelationship (letters, perhaps, from Annette andDorothy), the poet is a would-be political borderer,crossing the gulf of time to the coasts of futurity. Theparenthesis,‘Imeanthatfuturetimeswouldsurelysee’…mirrors exactlya change tobe seen inGodwinhimself,ashemovedawayfromaconfidence…thattherewouldbe a speedy and successful revolution in England to amore cautious view [in the 1796 second edition ofPolitical Justice] that truth would finally prevail. (BV273)

49 spells:theenchantmentofGodwinianrationalism.

50–1 Thefragrance…shore:Wordsworthtakeshis imagefromPLIV156–65,whereSatan’spleasureinthescentsofEdeniscomparedtothatofsailors‘Beyond theCape ofHope’who smell ‘odours from thespicyshore|OfArabytheblest’.

69 purer creatures: human beings idealized by theimagination.

XII73–4

themiserable slave…distempered love: An extraordinarilyharshviewofthepoets’idealofman.OwensuggeststhattheShakespeareantragicheroisinWordsworth’smind.

76 like a monk: A bigot to the old idolatory of RomanCatholicism.

79–81

as by simple waving of a wand… grove: Another ofWordsworth’smanyallusions to Prospero’s ‘Our revels now are ended’,TempestIVi148–58.

82 syllogistic:havingtheappearanceoflogic,specious.

86–7 all that reason hath performed… refine: Wordsworth’sconcessionistoreason, not to Godwinian rationalism; note thedistinctionmadeatll.123–8below.

108–9

appanage|Ofelements:dependentelements.

110 pureforms:formsexemptfrommoraljudgment,standingoutsideamoralcontext(ratherthanformsthatareideal,‘pure’inthePlatonicsense).

116–18

fell|Beneath… Less elevated: See II. 148ff. below, ‘howfeeblehave I been’;Wordsworth is referring, somewhatobscurely,toatasteforthepicturesque.

123–4

the grand|And simple reason: Described at XIII 170 as‘reason in her most exalted mood’, and conformingeffectively to the Kantian Vernunft. In the lines thatfollow, Wordsworth is scrupulously fair to the lesser,analytic reason (in Kant’s terms, Verstand,‘understanding’), which has its place but must not beallowed to become an idol. Reason in the sense ofGodwinianrationalism(thefocusofWordsworth’sattackin Book X) ceases at this point to be a factor in ThePrelude.

132–3

aworthytheme\Forphilosophicverse:ForTheRecluse,thatis,ratherthanThePrelude.

152 presumption:presumptuousness;Wordsworth’sconcernatthis point is to show Imagination Impaired (as in theheadingofthebook)asapreludetoitsrestorationinthe‘spotsoftime’sequence(11.258–389below).Hegoesonto accuse himself, with no great conviction, of threedistinct forms of presumption that have made himinsensitivetothe‘soulofnature’:(1)thepicturesque(11.152–7);(2)makingaestheticcomparisons(11.157–63);

(3)thetyrannyoftheeye(11.163–75).

152–7

eveninpleasure…myhabit:Wordsworth’sdisparagementof the picturesque as ‘a strong infection of the age’conceals the fact that his developing love of nature atHawkshead had been influenced byWest’sGuide to theLakes (third ed. 1784) and Gilpin’s Lakes Tour (1786),and that he had borrowed from both writers in hispoetry. As late asTinternAbbey (July 1798), the ‘steepand lofty cliffs’ that so memorably ‘connect|Thelandscapewiththequietofthesky’derivefromGilpin’sobservation of charcoal-burners beside theWye. Smokefrom their fires, he notes (WyeTour 12), ‘spreading itsthin veil over [the hills], beautifully breaks their lines,andunitesthemwiththesky’.

157–63

giving way\ To a comparison… Less sensible: ThoughWordsworthclaimstohavebeenmoregiventoaestheticcomparison of natural scenes than to picturesquejudgments, no evidence survives of his ‘Pampering[himself with meagre novelties|Of colour andproportion.’Itisnoteasytobelieveheeverdidso.

163 sensible:sensitive,responsive.

167 creature:manascreated.

170–5

Thestate\Inwhichtheeye…dominion:Whetherornotthedominion of the eye could be said to have impairedWordsworth’simagination,it isentirelycrediblethatheshouldthinkit‘Themostdespoticofoursenses’.

179–80

summonsallthesenses…themselves:High-soundingverse;what it could mean is another matter. Under specialcircumstances some (hardly ‘all’) senses might perhapscounteract each other. Self-counteraction remains aproblem.

183 power:imaginativepower.

184 anothersong:Againa reference toTheRecluse; removedfrom the text c. 1838, the year that Wordsworthconceded to the Boston publisher George Ticknor thatthegreatphilosophicalpoemmightneverbewritten.

190 from hill to hill, from rock to rock: Wordsworth isquotingfromtheopeningofToADaisy(1802):

InyouthfromrocktorockIwent,Fromhilltohill,indiscontentOfpleasurehighandturbulent…

194 the inner faculties: Including, of course, ‘that inwardeye|Which is the bliss of solitude’ (Daffodils 15–16,writtenspring1804).

199 amaid:MaryHutchinson,whowas the sameageasWordsworth (‘young as I was then’, 1. 199), andwhomhemarriedon4October1802.

202–3 critic rules… intermeddling subtleties: ‘Critic rules’ ofthe picturesque (as at I. 154 above) and subtletiessuchasWordsworthhaddenouncedinTablesTurned26–8:

OurmeddlingintellectMisshapesthebeauteousformsofthings,Wemurdertodissect.

205 genial circumstance: More than just ‘good fortune’,‘genial’ carrying an implication of warmth, growth-inducing properties, and ‘circumstance’ meaning inorigin‘surroundings’.

213 nature’sinmate:atonewithnature(literally,‘onewhodwells with nature’). Tactfully or otherwise,Wordsworth is to be seen applying to hiswife linesdraftedforhissister.Thefragment‘Iwouldnotstrike

a flower’ had been addressed to Dorothy, like itscompanion-pieceNutting(c.November1798):

Forsheisnature’sinmate,andherheartIseverywhere.EventheunnoticedheathThat o’er the mountain spreads its prodigalbellsLivesinherlove…

223–4 before I was called forth… hills: Before leaving theLakeDistrictforCambridge,attheageofseventeen.

230–1 nor… survived|The first diviner influence: DespiteIntimations 67–8, Wordsworth does not feel that‘Shadesoftheprison-house’hadbeguntocloseuponhimpersonallyasthe‘growingboy’.

XII185 Aspietyordained:A small change from1805 ‘Asmysoulbademe’,butnotasmalldistortion.WordsworthasHawksheadhad‘worshipped’instinctively–asanact of ‘natural piety’ – not (as this revision of 1832implies)throughChristianmeekness.

240–1 through the gorgeous Alps|Roaming: In summer 1790,aged20;seeBookVI.

242 thisdegradation:The impairmentof imagination thatWordsworthhasattemptedtoportray in11.152–98above.

244–5 custom that prepares… to least: Familiarity breedscontempt; thegreat spiritual aspectsofnature cometo be undervalued by comparison with superficialattractions.

247 Or, lastly, aggravated by the times: By politicalpressures.

250–6 I had felt… creative soul: Wordsworth’s attempt toimpose uponThe Prelude aMiltonic structure based

onthelossandregainingofparadise(seenfirstinthefive-bookversionofMarch1804) faltersbecauseheisunabletosaywithconvictionthathisimaginationhaseverbeenseriouslyimpaired.Cambridge,thoughpresentedasaneddyintheriverofhisdevelopment,doesnothing toprevent itsonwardcourse.Thesoulof nature diffuses through London’s frighteningimpersonality ‘Composure and ennobling harmony’(VII740).PoliticalcommitmentinFrancebetraysthepoet into the false hopes and sterile arguments ofGodwinianrationalism,butevenherewearetoldatonce of recovery and Dorothy’s saving presence.TherecanbenodoubtofWordsworth’swishtoshowthe innocent vision occluded by experience, but hecan’tbringhimselftothebeliefthatithappened.Hispoemdependsfarmoreonthesenseofhavingbeen,and remained, a ‘chosen son’. See B V chapter 8,‘VersionsoftheFall’,especiallypp.274–6.

257–388

Originally consistingof three episodes (1799 I 258–374), the ‘spots of time’ sequence provides in allversionsofThePreludetherationaleforWordsworth’sbelief in the capacity of the adult mind to drawstrength and inspiration from childhood experience.The individual ‘spots’ reached the expanded formpreserved in 1805 during work on the five-bookPreludeinearlyspring1804.ItwasatthisperiodthattheDrownedManofEsthwaite(firstepisodein/799,andfoundatV450–81in1805)wasseparatedoff.

259 Avivifyingvirtue: life-givingpower.1799 ‘fructifyingvirtue’ had placed the emphasis on creativity, 1850‘renovatingvirtue’(present inReed’stextoftheA|BStage)stressesrenewal.

270–2 We have had… her will: Wordsworth’s emphasis onthemind as ‘lord andmaster’ is the key tohis newattitude to the Spots of Time in 1805. 1799 takes

imaginationforgrantedinitsquestforcontinuitiesinhumanexistence,1805exaltsitasthetriumphofthehumanmind.

288–9 abottom…hadbeenhung:Ifweassumethatthechilddidindeedstumbleonthesiteofagibbet,thevalley-bottomwasCowdrakeQuarryeastofPenrith,whereThomas Nicholson had been hanged in 1767. ThePrelude isnot,however,arecordoffact.Nicholson’sgibbethadnot‘mouldereddown’in1775,andafive-year-oldwouldnothaveriddenthatfar.Wordsworthiscreatingacompositeexperience,andhaschieflyinmind a rotted seventeenth-century gibbet in themeadows at Hawkshead, which we know was anobjectofterrorforhimduringhisschooldays.

291–301

onthe turf…greensod:The letterscarved in theturfarenotpresentin1799,andnot likelytohavebeenpart of whatever was Wordsworth’s originalexperience; probably he heard of them in the years1799–1804. Their existence is corroborated by theanonymousHistoryofPenrith(1838),whichhoweverstates that they read ‘TPM’ (for ‘Thomas ParkerMurdered’), while Wordsworth regards them asrecording‘themurderer’sname’.

292 fell:fierce;asat1.318above,‘Iwasafelldestroyer’,Wordsworth’stonesareslightlyarch.

294 monumental:memorial.

305 A girl mho bore a pitcher on her head: A cottage-womanfetchingwaterfromastreaminthevalley–atthetime(asWordsworthsays)‘anordinarysight’.

310 visionary dreariness: Wordsworth’s readers wouldrecollect ‘The dismal situation waste and wild’ ofMilton’sHell,where therewas ‘No light, but ratherdarknessvisible’(PLI60–3).

312–14 thenakedpool,|Thebeacon…Thewoman:‘Ihavebeenstruck with the important truth’, De Quincey (whohad read the 1805Prelude inMS)writes inSuspiriaDeProfundis,

that far more of our deepest thoughts and feelingspasstousthroughperplexedcombinationsofconcreteobjects, pass to us as involutes (if I may coin thatword) in compound experiences incapable of beingdisentangled, thaneverreachusdirectlyandintheirownabstractshapes.(Ward130)

Note also the pattern of ‘involutes’ (concrete objectswith which the emotions have become involved, orassociated,andwhichthusrecalltheoriginalfeelings)in11.357–9below.

315–44 When,inablessed…conclude:Writteninearlyspring1804 when Wordsworth was revising the Spots ofTimeforthefive-bookPrelude.Thetwo‘dearones’of1. 317 are Mary Hutchinson and Dorothy, and the‘timeofearly love’wassummer1787justbeforehewent up to Cambridge. He and Mary would havebeenseventeen,Dorothyfifteen.

320–5 Uponthenakedpool…leftbehind:PassionisvaluedbyWordsworth not so much for its moods as for itsintensityandrootedness in thepast.Thoughnoonehadmadesuchassumptionsbefore,heexpectsus toacceptwithoutquestion that thepleasuresof younglove (‘youth’s golden gleam’) can be enhanced bymemoriesofpainfulearlyexperience.

325–7 So feelingcomes inaid…strong:Thecreedonwhich,morethananyother,ThePreludeisbuilt.

332–3 thatthoumustgive,|Elsenevercanstreceive:LinesthatformpartofadialoguewithColeridge,centringuponDejection:AnOde(publishedintheMorningPostasa

tributetoWordsworthonhiswedding-day,4October1802): ‘Oh Edmund, we receive but what wegive,|And in our life alone does nature live’.Coleridge’s lines express anxieties that Wordsworth(Edmund) does not feel, but for both poets thecapacitytogive(outgoingimagination)isassociatedwithabilitytoperceiveandfeelintensely.

335–6 thehiding-places…close:WrittenprobablyjustbeforeIntimations was completed in February 1804. Fiveyearsearlier,in1799PartII,Wordsworthhadspokenconfidentlyofthe ‘poeticspirit’as ‘insome|Throughevery change of growth or of decay|Preeminent tilldeath’(11.306–10).

337–42 Iseebyglimpses…futurerestoration:Linesaddedafterthe death of the poet’s brother John in February1805, and conveying the mood in which the lastthreebooksofThePreludewereputtogetherinApril–May.

344–88 In contrast to the previous ‘spot’, Waiting for theHorses follows the text of1799 very closely. In thebackgroundisanaccountoftheeventwrittenforTheValeofEsthwaite in1786–7,as littleas twoor threeyears after the death of the poet’s father on 30December1783;see1799I352n.

345 The day before the holidays began: Probably 19December1783.

XII291 thoseledpalfreys:Arevisionofc.1819,togetherwith‘couched’ (for ‘was’) in1.300and ‘Sojourners’ in1.307.

349 My brothers: Wordsworth’s elder brother Richard (apernickety lawyer, 1768–1816) and John (the sea-captain,1772–1805).

349–54 There was a crag… choice uncertain: Wordsworth is

waitingaboveHawks-head,andalittletothenorth.Thehorses,sentbyhisfatherinCockermouth,mightbe coming over Wrynose Pass and through LittleLangdale,orviaKeswickandAmbleside.

360 those companions: Note the touch of humour asWordsworth draws attention to the non-human‘involutes’ (11. 312–14n. above) with which heformedarelationshipashewaited.ThehawthornispresentintheearlyValeofEsthwaiteaccount(1799I353–5n.), the ‘single sheep’ is a narrowing down of‘thepoorflocks…sad-drooping’,andthe‘nakedwall’replaces‘yonnakedrock’.

365 A dweller in my father’s house: Notable both for itsbiblical ring and its impersonality.Wordsworth hadbeen born in the house, and spent his childhoodthere, but the reference hardly makes it sound likehome.

366 orphans then: The poet’s mother had died in March1778,justbeforehiseighthbirthday.

367–9 The event… appeared|A chastisement: The child feelsthat he is being punished for looking forward tooeagerlytotheChristmasholidays–that,ineffect,hehaskilledhisfather.

372–4 With trite reflections… my desires: Wordsworth’semphasison ‘trite reflections’ (‘Putnotyour trust inthethingsofthisworld’,andthelike)tellsushowtoreadGod’s ‘correction’ofthechild’sdesires.Cowperremarks,TaskV875–6,onourpracticeof‘inventingtoourselves|Godssuchasguiltmakeswelcome’.

379–81 themist…indisputableshapes:

Earlier the mist had obscured the child’s view,causing the strained attention that is typical of somany of the border experiences, and that almost

invariablyprefacestheunexpected.Now,itadvancesalong the roads by which the horses should havecome… in shapes that indisputably resemble them.ButwhatshouldonemakeoftheHamletecho:

ThoucomestinsuchaquestionableshapeThat I would speak to thee. I’ll call theeHamlet,King,father,royalDane.Ohanswerme!(Iiv43–5)

It seems an odd chance that this of all passages inWordsworth’spoetryshouldbelinkedtotheghostofa murdered father. But in fact there is one otherpassage, similarly linked, and just as important.Lookingbackwardstothe‘spotsoftime’inthegreatninth stanza of Intimations, the poet in 1804 givesthanksnotfor‘thesimplecreed|Ofchildhood’

ButforthoseblankmisgivingsofacreatureMovingaboutinworldsnotrealized,HighinstinctsbeforewhichourmortalnatureDidtremblelikeaguiltythingsurprised…

Inthiscaseitseemswehaveaquotationconsciouslyused,butoddlymisapplied:whyshouldthechild(asrepresentative of our mortal nature) be connectedwith the Ghost who at the crowing of the cock,‘started like a guilty thing|Upon a fearful summons’(Hamlet I i 148–9)?The answer can only be that atsomelevelthepoetassociatedthe‘blankmisgivings’and ‘high instincts’ of childhood with his father’sdeath, and with the guilt that has been taken overfromtheGhost.

Infusing theunimportant remembered sceneaboveHawksheadwith emotions occasioned by his father’s

death, the child gives it lasting power; evoking thispower (and consciously deriving it from misplacedguilt),theadultpoetvisualizesthemistas‘advancing’in shapes that are connected by verbal echo to theghostofafatherwhoreturnedtoseekrevenge.Onthelevelofthepoet’sintentiononeassumesthatthemist-shapes were unquestionably horses; on another, oneindisputablycan,andperhapsshould,takethemtobesomething far less comfortable. Presumably, writing100 years before Freud’s discussion of the ‘uncanny’,Wordsworthwouldhavebeensurprisedtothinkoftheforms he had created in the mist, and similarly‘advancing’ mountain on Ullswater, in terms of hisfather;but themanwhocouldwrite, ‘And Igrewup|Fosteredalikebybeautyandby fear’ (1805 I305–6)was not very far from knowing that nature in her‘gentle visitations’ had been a replacement for hismother,or thatheassociatedhis fatherwith ‘severerinterventions’.(BV63–4)

381 indisputable: Stressed on the second and fourthsyllables.

384 fountain:streamorwell;cf.Intimations151–5,wherethe ‘first affections’ and ‘shadowy’ recollections ofchildhood,

betheywhattheymay,Areyetthefountain-lightofallourday,Areyetthemaster-lightofallourseeing…

387–8 unknown to me… brought: Spots of Time shape theadultmindthroughthepowersofassociation,thoughitremainsunconsciousoftheirworkings.

XII326–35

and on winter nights… hour of… ease: The Spots ofTime,whichsinceJanuary1799havesupportedeachsuccessiveversionofThePreludewiththeirtheoryof

the imagination nourished and inspired by earlyexperience,dwindlenowtothememoriesofanold-agepensioner–ways to ‘animateanhourofvacantease’. Though Wordsworth had felt the need tocorrecthisoriginallinesasearlyas1832,thetextof1850 is arrived at in a very late revision, 1839 orlater.SeeJonathanWordsworth,‘RevisionasMaking,The Prelude and its Peers’, Romantic Revisions, ed.RobertBrinkleyandKeithHanley,18–42.

394 Orotherwise:orinotherways.

BookTwelfth(1850Thirteenth)

4–6 sister horns… her bounties: The two-sidedness ofnature – the fact that she contributes equally toemotionandtocalm–constitutesherstrength,andisthe basis of her influence. Attempts (including myown Norton footnote) to give larger meanings toWordsworth’s horn metaphor are no great success.‘Twin peaks’ would probably have done as well as‘sister horns’, and the ‘bounties’ of 1. 6 require noreferencetocornucopias(‘hornsofplenty’).

8–9 genius… peace and excitation: An interestingWordsworthian definition, related to the twininfluencesofbeautyandthesublime.

21 now: Wordsworth’s thoughts have gone back to theperiod followinghismoral crisis ofX888–904.TheeffectofthisbackwardglanceistoidentifythecrisisofBookXI–neververyfullydefinedordated(seeXI250-6n.)–withthatofX.

24 apower:nature;asin11.1and45.

26 right reason: ‘reason in her most exalted mood’,equated at XIII 170 with ‘amplitude of mind’ andimagination.

32 magnanimity:literally‘greatnessofsoul’.

XIII27–8

trains|To meekness… humble faith: Pious revision of1838–9.

34–5 the busy dance|Of things that pass away:Wordsworthseemstobe thinkingof’ thequickdance|Ofcolours,lights,andforms’inLondon(VII156ff.).

37–8 when over fondly set… her incumbrances: Cf.Wordsworth’smockeryof theGodwinianformerselfwho,atX821–3,‘witharesolutemastery’shakesoff‘The accidents of nature, time and place|Thatmakeuptheweakbeingofthepast’.

47–52 seeing littleworthy…beauteousworld: Drawn (likeXI15–22) from the unused introduction to Nutting,draftedasearlyasOctober1798inMSJJ

57–9 I took the intellectualeye…littleones: In the termsofColeridge’s letter to Poole of 16 October 1797 thespiritual (‘intellectual’) eye perceives ‘the great andthe whole’, whereas those depending on ‘thetestimonyof their senses…contemplatenothingbutparts–andallpartsaxenecessarilylittle’.

64 Thepromiseofthepresenttime:politicalhopesforthefutureofmankind.

75 bottomed:based.

80 Thewealthofnations:A sideways reference toAdamSmith, Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of theWealth of Nations (1776), is enough to sum up forWordsworth’s reader the impersonality of modernpolitical thinkers (‘statists’, 1. 78). The invertedcommasat185078areaddedin1838–9.

81–2 having gained… of what makes: The text ofMS Z isplainerandmoretothepoint: ‘having learned|Morefeelinglytoknowwhereinconsists’.

103–5 that injustice which… Ourselves entail: Since theSalisbury Plain poems and Convict of 1793–6Wordsworth had written little poetry of socialprotest,buthissenseofinjusticehadnotdiminished.

109 notices:observations.

112–277

OldmaterialdraftedforBookVIII inMSY(October1804),andseemingattimesanomalousafterthefull-scaleaccountsofLondoninBookVII,andofpoliticalinvolvement in Book X (composed in November-December1804,aftertheYmaterials).

117 An intermixture – of distinct regards: In effecttranslated by 11. 118–19.Wordsworth requires that‘regards’(sights,experiences)ofamorepersonalkindshouldbemingledwithaffairsoftheouterworld;cf.the ‘individual sights|Of courage, and integrity, andtruth’(VIII839–40).

120 that great city: A reference toVIII 824–7where ‘theunity of man’ is ‘affectingly set forth’ among ‘themultitudes|Ofthatgreatcity’.Thelinkofcoursehadmorepointbefore theMSY draftsused to form thecentral sectionofBookXIIwere separated from thematerialsofBookVIII(see112–277n.).

128 untoward: intractable, obstinate, unfavourable; usedbyWordsworthinTheLeechGatherer todescribehisthoughtsofpoetsbeingbrought‘todespondencyandmadness’.

136 In my esteem, next to such dear delight: Interlined inMSZ;areminderthatWordsworth’srevisiontendsatallperiodstoelaboration.

139–40 andteach…fieldsandgroves:Referencesin11.143–4to the cottage-bench and well confirm thatWordsworth has in mind the Pedlar who tells thestoryofMargaretinTheRuinedCottage:‘Togetherdid

wemakethehollowgrove|Ringwithourtransports’(Pedlar323–4).

141–2 where if we meet a face… friend: To be placedalongside IV 58–9, ‘The face of every neighbourwhomImet|Wasasavolumetome’,andcontrastedwiththeLondonexperienceofVII597–8,‘thefaceofeveryone|Thatpassesbymeisamystery.’

149–50 onebaresteep…feethadtrod:Theroadtothevillageof IseloverWatchHill,whichcanbe seen fromthehouseatCockermouthwhereWordsworthpassedthefirstyearsofhislife(DeSelincourt).

158 bedlamites:madmen (‘Bedlam’ being a corruption ofLondon’sBethlehemHospitalfortheInsane).

174 estate:condition,placeinsociety.

185–204

Like the Matron’s Tale (VIII 222–311) surplusmaterialdraftedforMichael inMSJ(autumn1800),andincorporatedintoPreludeMSYfouryearslater.

187–8 Agift…Ofvulgarnature:agiftmerelyofnature.

189 RetirementMSJ: ‘Refinement’ looksabetterreading,andwasperhapslostthroughhastycopyinginMSY.

194–7 True is it… and poverty: A passage that had beenimpressivelysimpleinMSJ:

ThesedeemthatbondsofnaturalamityDoseldomlaystrongholdupontheheartsOfmeninlowestate,trueinferenceWhenwantandtheexcessofpoverty

204 that inference: The inference of 11. 185–93 thatfeeling goes along with cultivation. On 14 January1801Wordsworth had told Charles James Fox thatTheBrothersandMichael‘werewrittenwithaviewtoshowthatmenwhodonotwearfineclothescanfeel

deeply.’

215–19 flattering thus… universal heart: Cf. Wordsworth’svehementlettertoJohnWilsonof7June1802:

Peopleinourrankinlifeareperpetuallyfallingintoone sad mistake… that of supposing that humannature and the persons they associate with are oneandthesamething.Whomdowegenerallyassociatewith? Gentlemen, persons of fortune, professionalmen,ladies,personswhocanaffordtobuy,oreasilyprocure,booksofhalfaguineaprice…

231–59 A passage that contains striking echoes ofWordsworth’s poetic manifesto of 1800, theProspectus to The Recluse. The number of echoesincreasesinrevision.L.251(echoingProspectus16–18) is present inMS Y; 11. 239–40 and 243 maketheir appearances in MS Z, the first recallingProspectus 28–9, the second (‘Nor uninformed bybooks,goodbooksthoughfew’)beingclosetoparodyin its recollectionofProspectus11–12: ‘fit audienceletme find, though few!|“Fit audience find, thoughfew”,thusprayedthebard’.

238–9 through unadulterated ears|Pour rapture: For ‘ears’Wordsworth originally wrote ‘hearts’ (MS Y). It ishardtoknowwhichreadingisthemoreincongruous.unadulterated:uncorrupted.

245 Sorrow that is not sorrow: Cf. Wordsworth’s wish inIntimations 186–7 to find strength ‘In the soothingthoughtsthatspring|Outofhumansuffering’.

254–5 Whototheletter…soul:whojudgetheinwardsoulbyoutwardappearances.

260 mould:composition(the‘earth’fromwhichmanwasmadeatCreation).

261 Whoare their ownupholders:Cf. the ‘visitings|Of the

upholder,ofthetranquilsoul’(III115–16).

263–4 Expressing… native passion dictates: The ideal of theperfectnaturalexpressionofemotionthatliesbehindthePrefacetoLyricalBallads1800.

264–74 Otherstoo…amongthem:Wordsworthhasinmindhisbrother John, the ‘silent poet’ (drowned at sea fourmonthsaftertheselinesweredraftedinMSY–andtwomonthsbeforetheywereincorporatedintoBookXII).

272 Wordsarebutunder-agents…souls:Theprefix‘under’worksindifferentways,suggestingtheunimportanceofwordsassuchtothosewhospeak‘thelanguageoftheheavens’,butimplyingtoothatthe‘silentpoet’ispeculiarly in touch with the sources ofWordsworthianpower;cf.the‘under-soul’ofIII539–40 and ‘under-presence’ of XIII 71–3. As ‘under-agents’ in the soul, ‘words’ are non – or pre-verbalcommunication.

274 They do not breathe among them: In their highestmoments ‘silent poets’ do not live (‘breathe’) in theworldof‘words’(articulatelanguage).

280 theinnerframe:Effectively,thesoul.

286–9 I felt… passionmakes it: Beauty is in the eye of thebeholder.

301 poets, even as prophets: As ‘Prophets of nature’Wordsworth andColeridgewill, in the final lines ofthe poem, ‘speak|A lasting inspiration’, instructingtheirageintheparamountbeautyofthemind.

303 hispeculiardower:hispersonaltalent,endowment.

308 influx:inspiration.

309–12 work of mine… nature’s: Wordsworth’s most conciseandpowerfulstatementofhisambitionasapoet.

312–14 Tosuckmood…raised:Wordsworth’sclaimistohavebeenexaltedduringhisexperienceonSalisburyPlainin summer 1793 into a mood in which he wasuniquely inspired, ‘enabled to perceive|Somethingunseenbefore’ (11.304–5).He crossed thePlainonfoot,with littleorno food,his thoughtson thewarwith France – ‘more like a man|Flying fromsomething thathedreads, thanoneWhosought thething he loved’ (TA 71–3). Sarum: Latin name ofSalisbury.

315 downs:chalk-hills,unploughedatthisdate,andusedonlyforgrazingsheep.

320–36 I had a reverie… the dead: Wordsworth is drawingheavily (at times verbatim) on his anti-war poemSalisbury Plain, perhaps begun on the spot (see 11.358–9 below), and certainly completed by April1794:

MuchofthewondersofthatboundlessheathHespoke,andofaswainwhofarastrayReachedunawaresaheightandsawbeneathGiganticbeingsrangedindreadarray.Suchbeings,thwartingoftthetraveller’sway,With shield and stone-axe stride across thewold…

Andoftanight-firemountingtothecloudsRevealsthedesert,andwithdismalredClothestheblackbodiesofencirclingcrowds.ItisthesacrificialaltarfedWith living men! How deep it groans – thedeadThrilled in their yawning tombs their helmsuprear;

The sword that slept beneath the warrior’sheadThundersinfieryair;redarmsappearUplifted through the gloom and shake therattlingspear.(ll.172–89)

323 wold:opencountryside.

330 desert: desolate, unpopulated area (not in this casesandy)

332–3 how deep the groans… gigantic wicker: According toAylett Sammes, Britannia Antiqua Illustrata (1676),the Druids performed human sacrifices by burningtheirvictims inahugebasketwork statueofaman.TakinghiscuefromErasmusDarwin(whodependedon Sammes) Wordsworth writes at a later stage inSalisburyPlain:

Though from huge wickers paled withcirclingfireNolongerhorridshrieksanddyingcriesToearsofdemon-godsinpealsaspire…

Blake’simaginationtoowascaughtby

thatholyfiendThe wicker man of Scandinavia, in whichcruellyconsumedThecaptivesrearedtoheavenhowlinflamesamongthestars…(JerusalemII,plate47)

333 thrills:pierces.

335–6 the pomp|Isfor both worlds… dead: the spectacle(‘pomp’) is sharedby the ‘living’ (thoseburning thecaptives in the ‘wicker’) and the already deadwakening in their burial-mounds (‘monumental

hillocks’).

339 thedownyplain:SalisburyPlainisaplateaucomposedofchalkdowns.

342–3 figuringo’er|Theuntilledground:makingadesignontheunploughedturf.

343 divine:deduce.

344 infant:early.

347–53 I was gently charmed… sound: The transition fromWordsworth’s creative reverie of 11. 320–36 to themere ‘antiquarian’s dream’ of ll. 338–53 reproducesexactly the pattern of Salisbury Plain, the stanzasquoted above being followed by a vision of Druidastronomers:

Long-bearded forms with wands upliftedshowTo vast assemblies, while each breath ofnightIs hushed, the living fires that bright andslowRoundingtheetherialplaininordergo.Then as they trace with awe their variousfilesAllfiguredonthemysticplainbelow,Still prelude of sweet sounds the moonbeguilesAnd charmed for many a league the hoarydesertsmiles.(ll.191–8)

356–65 Nor is it, friend, unknown… reflected: Wordsworth’smeaningissomewhatobscuredbytheuseof‘it’inl.356 to refer to the experience that has just beendescribed.PleasedbyreadingWordsworth’spoemin1795–6 (in its later form, Adventures on Salisbury

Plain), Coleridge has himself given pleasure bypointing to its transformation of ‘present things’.According to chapter 4 of Biographia Literaria(dictatedin1815,tenyearsafterthePreludelines)itwas Salisbury Plain that alerted Coleridge toWordsworth’s

original gift of spreading the tone, the atmosphere,andwith it thedepthandheightof the idealworldround forms, incidents and situations, ofwhich, forthe common view, custom had bedimmed all thelustre,haddriedupthesparkleandthedewdrops.

358–9 some imperfect verse… composed: Wordsworth, whowasgiventocomposingashewalked,maywellhavebegun Salisbury Plain on the spot in late July-earlyAugust 1793, but much of the poem was probablywritten in NorthWales in the weeks that followed.Sense of the poetry’s imperfection led to hiswithholdingpublication(exceptofthesectionrevisedforLyrical Ballads asThe FemaleVagrant) untilGuiltandSorrow:of1842.

367–8 the mind…Witness and judge: As ‘witness’ the mindoffers the evidence of memory, as ‘judge’ it hasthereforetherighttopronounceuponitsownpast.

XIII362 We were as strangers: Wordsworth met ColeridgebrieflyatBristol inSeptember1795,andsenthimacopyofAdventuresonSalisburyPlainearlyin1796.

XIII363–5

verse, however rude… light from far: De Selincourtpoints out that Wordsworth is ‘confusing andcombining the impression made on Coleridge by[Salisbury Plain] with that made by DescriptiveSketches some time earlier.’ See Biographia Literariachapter4:

During the lastyearofmyresidenceatCambridge Ibecame acquainted with Mr Wordsworth’s…

Descriptive Sketches, and seldom, if ever, was theemergence of an original poetic genius above theliteraryhorizonmoreevidentlyannounced.

370 about this period: To be specific would not havehelped.WordsworthinBookXhadbroughthisstorydown to 1796 (at least), and in Book XIII he wasabout to use as his climax the ascent of Snowdonwhich had taken place in 1791. Though it needs aforwardmovement,The Prelude does not depend onchronologicalsequence.

370–9 sight\Ofanewworld…sees:ThoughWordsworthdoesnot say so directly, the ‘new world’ of imaginativegivingandreceivingisthepantheistworldofTinternAbbey.As its basis it has the divine principle (‘Thatwhenceourdignityoriginates’)thatispresentatoncein ‘the round ocean and the living air… and in themindofman’ (TA 99–100), and that constitutes the‘pure spirit and best power|Both of the object seenandeyethatsees’.

BookThirteenth(1850Fourteenth)

1–65 The great Snowdon episode that forms theimaginative climax of The Prelude was written inFebruary–earlyMarch1804toopenthelastbookofthefive-bookPrelude.Itdescribesaneventthattookplaceinsummer1791.WhenWordsworthabandonedthe five-book scheme, c. 10 March 1804, he couldhave inserted the Climbing of Snowdon in itschronological position between the French visits of1790 and ‘92 (Books VI and IX). Instead he set itaside to be the climax of the new longer poem. Assuchitisassignedtonodateorperiod.Itisaneventof the mind, and takes place ‘on one of theseexcursions’.

2 ayouthfulfriend:RobertJones,Cambridgefriendandfellow ‘mountaineer’ (VI 340), with whomWordsworth stayed on a number of occasions inNorthWalesafterundertakingtheContinentaltourof1790.

XIV3 Cambria:Wales.

3 Bethgelert’shuts: the cottages of Beddgelert, featuredin watercolours of the period, notably by JohnVarley.

11 glaring: Cf. Ruined Cottage: 2–3, ‘the uplands feeblyglared|Throughapalesteam’.

15 pilot:guide.

17 chat: Not elsewhere used by Wordsworth, who isexpressingmild contempt. Pope,Rape of the Lock II17–18, rhymes the word with ‘singing, laughing,ogling,andallthat’.

25 barking turbulent: A touch of mock-heroic humour:Wordsworth pairs Anglo-Saxon noun with LatinMiltonic adjective, and enters into the dog’s ‘owngreatjoy’.

39–40 instantly a light… Fell like a flash: Related to the‘pleasantinstantaneouslight’that‘startlesthemusingman’inNight-Piece7–8,butfarmoredramatic.

45–6 theirduskybacksupheaved…ocean:Asheportraysthemist that is an emblem of human creativity,Wordsworth’s mind turns to Milton’s account ofCreation,PLVII285–7:

themountainshugeappearEmergent,andtheirbroadbacksupheaveIntotheclouds…

51 Usurped upon: For the metaphor of usurpation, so

importanttoWordsworthatthisperiod,seeBV174–202,‘UsurpationandReality:Spring1804’.

54–9 Andfromtheshore…voice:ThenuminousbluechasmatthecentreoftheSnowdonmistscapehadmadeitsappearance inWordsworth’spoetrywithinayearofhisnight-timeclimbingofSnowdoninsummer1791.NotinaWelsh scene,however,but inadescriptionoftheAlps:

Amightywasteofmistthevalleyfills,A solemn sea, whose vales and mountainsroundStandmotionless,toawfulsilencebound.Agulfofgloomyblue,thatopenswideAndbottomless,dividesthemidwaytide…Loud through that midway gulf ascendingsoundUnnumbered streams with hollow roarprofound.(1793DescriptiveSketches495–505)

Many of the details that the Snowdon lines sharewith Descriptive Sketches derive from a mist-scenequotedfromBeattie’sMinstrel(1771)byJamesClark,Survey of the Lakes (1787) 73, but the blue chasmseems to beWordsworths’s personal observation, orpersonalinvention.

57–9 A deep and gloomy breathing-place… voice:Wordsworth’s ‘breathing-place’ chasm is akin to thefountainofKublaKhan(‘Asifthisearthinfastthickpants were breathing’), but more personal in itsimplications. Clark (see previous note) hademphasized that as one climbs through mist ‘everysound is much more distinctly heard than at anyothertime’;Wordsworthhasthestreamsandtorrentsblend into a single voice, which (even before the

allegorization of 11. 66–73) it is not difficult toassociatewithawellingupoftheunconscious.

63 thehomeless voice:Numinousbyvirtueofhavingnoapparentsource–‘Nottobetrackedandfathered’(III467).

65 Thesoul,theimaginationofthewhole:AsWordsworthmounts towards the conclusion of his poem, therevelation offered on Snowdon is of the identity ofsoulandimagination.

XIV 61–2

Heard over earth and sea… heavens: Nebulous, safe,apologeticlines,designed(in1838–9)toreplacethetoodaringimplicationsof1805.NootherpassageofThePrelude sufferedasgreatly inrevisionasdidtheClimbing of Snowdon, because no other passageshowssopowerfullythegrandeurandindependenceofWordsworth’searlythinking.

66–73 Ameditation…Orvast in itsownbeing:Wordsworth’s‘meditation’ on the Climbing of Snowdon iswrittenfourteenmonths after the episode itself (11. 10–65)inMay1805. It expresses the poet’smost advancedthinkingonimagination,andshouldnotbetakenasliterally corresponding to a train of thought on themountainin1791:

Though Wordsworth is now explaining things thatbeforehadbeenunstated,thepoetryhaslostnoneofits fluidity. The opposition between soul andimagination is beautifully taken up in ‘The sense ofGod,orwhatsoe’er isdim|Orvast in itsownbeing’.In the spacial quality of ‘under-presence’, ‘dim’ and‘vast’, one respondsagain to thepowerof the ‘deepandgloomybreathing-place’.But this isnotall.Themeditationissaidtorisewithinthepoet,wellupofitsownaccordfromthosesameinteriordepthsfrom

which had ‘Mounted the roar of waters, torrents,streams/Innumerable’.Themeditation too isa senseof God, or the godlike in man, produced by thesoul/imagination.(BV323).

72–3 The sense of God… own being: One of the greatmoments in Wordsworth’s poetry, as he brings hispoemtoaclimax that leavesopen thenatureofhisspiritualexperience.Anequalgrandeurisclaimedforthe mind if what it perceives is its own internalvastness, rather than thepresenceofGod.Coleridgecouldnothaveacceptedsucha formulation(thoughhe would have known it was true toWordsworth),but in terms of Biographia Literaria chapter 13Wordsworth’slinesevoketheprimaryimaginationinits highest mood. Through an act that is at onceperceptiveandcreative,thehumanmindisshowntopossessgodlikepowers.

XIV 63–77

When into air… mortal privilege: A rewriting ofWordsworth’s 1805 ‘meditation’ (11. 66–73) thatleaves none of the great claims standing, and not asinglelineuntouched.Again,1838–9.

XIV 64–5

given to spirits… chance human wanderers: In 1805there had been no implication of sharing the visionwith Jones and the shepherd; thepoethadbeennoaimless‘wanderer’,buta‘chosenson’.

XIV 70–4

There I beheld… continuous stream: The great andwholly accessible poetry of 1805 68–73 has beenreplaced by lines of remarkable obscurity. It is farfromclearhowamist-coveredlandscapecouldtypifythe ‘acts’ and ‘possessions’ of an intellect, let alone‘whatithasandcraves’(11.67–8),buttheremainderofthepassagepresentsstillgreaterdifficulties.Wherein 1805 the mighty mind had been imaged in themistscapewiththe‘bluechasm’atitscentre,nowthemind(withahintfromMilton’sHolySpiritbrooding

over Chaos, PL I 21–2) broods above the abyss,detachedfromitandlisteningexternallytoitsvoices.Is itperhaps themoon thatWordsworthnow thinksofastypifyingthemind?

XIV 74–7

amindsustained…mortalprivilege:Owennotes:‘Senseobscure… But it seems likely that “of transcendentpower” and “of more than mortal privilege” areparallel phrases referring to “recognitions”.’ ‘Morethanmortalprivilege’hethenglossesas‘theprivilegeofimmortality’.Hisreadingcanhardlyberuledout,butitmaybesimplertoseethemindassustainedbyrecognitionsofpowerinsense,towhichthespeciallyprivilegedsoulmaygiveidealform.

75 Exhibitedbyputtingforth:demonstratedbyanalogy.

79 So moulds them, and endues, abstracts, combines:Transformingthemountain-slopeswithaseaofmist,nature performs a function akin to the secondary(lessimportant)powersofthehumanimagination,asdefined in Biographia Literaria chapter 13: ‘Itdissolves,diffuses,dissipatesinordertorecreate…atall events it struggles to idealize and to unify’.Coleridge is not on record as having made hisdistinction between the primary and secondaryimaginations by 1805, but the closeness of hiswording in this instance suggests that hemay havedonesoinconversation.TherecanbenodoubtthatWordsworth’s thinking depends upon him; seeJonathanWordsworth,‘TheInfiniteIAM’,Coleridge’sImagination,ed.Gravil,NewlynandRoe,22–52.

81–4 Doesmakeoneobject…butfeel:Workingonthefive-book Prelude in February–early March 1804,Wordsworth drafted six further examples ofinteraction between the mind and nature to followthe Climbing of Snowdon. First of these was the

exquisitestudyofahorsesingledoutbythe ‘abruptandunhabitualinfluence’ofmoonlight:

Oneevening,walkinginthepublicway,ApeasantofthevalleywhereIdweltBeing my chance companion, he stoppedshortAndpointedtoanobjectfullinviewAtasmalldistance.’Twasahorse,thatstoodAloneuponalittlebreastofgroundWithaclearsilvermoonlightskybehind.With one leg from the ground the creaturestood,Insensibleandstill;breath,motion,gone,Hairs, colour, all but shape and substancegone,Mane,ears,andtail,aslifelessasthetrunkThathadnostirofbreath.WepausedawhileInpleasureofthesight,andlefthimthere,Withallhisfunctionssilentlysealedup,Likeanamphibiousworkofnature’shand,Abordererdwellingbetwixtlifeanddeath,Alivingstatueorastatuedlife.

Beautifulastheyare,thelineswereneverpublishedbyWordsworth.

84–119 The power… external universe: Possession of ‘theglorious faculty’ of imagination defines theWordsworthian elect (‘higher minds’), controllingtheir relation not only to the natural world but toeveryaspectofexistence.

93 native:natural.

94–6 for themselves create… instinct: Emphasis once againontheimaginationasbothcreativeandperceptive.

98–9 They build… From least suggestions: In Wordsworth’searliest recorded definition (Note to The Thorn,1800), imagination had been ‘the faculty thatproducesimpressiveeffectsoutofsimpleelements’.

101 calls:stimuli,excitements.

103–5 By sensible impressions… invisible world: As in Blake,thesensesareabarriertoperceptionofthedivine:‘Ifthe doors of perception were cleansed everythingwould appear to man as it is, infinite’ (Marriage ofHeavenandHell,plate14).

XIV114 Thatfleshcanknow:Asopposedtotheblissknowntoheavenlybeings;arevisionprobablydatingfromlate1832.

108–11 consciousness|Ofwhomtheyare…impressions: For thetrulyimaginative,allexperienceisaconfirmationofidentity.

113 Whetherdiscursiveorintuitive:TheKantiandistinctionbetween ‘discursive’ understanding and ‘intuitive’reason.Describing reason as the ‘being’ of the soul,Raphael (PL V 487) makes the discursive/intuitivedistinction for Adam, commenting: ‘discourse|Isoftestyours[human],thelattermostisours[angelic]|Differingbutindegree,inkindthesame.’Milton’slines are quoted by Coleridge inBiographia Literariachapter 10, and in chapter 13 are picked up in hisreferencetothesecondaryimaginationasidenticaltothe godlike primary ‘in the kind of its agency…differingonly indegree’.To judge fromPreludeXIIIColeridge must have pointed Milton’s lines out toWordsworthbeforehisdepartureforMaltainspring1804,andpassedontohimtheequationofintuitivereasonwiththeprimaryimagination.

XIV126–7

that peace…understanding: ‘The peace ofGodwhichpassethallunderstanding’(Philippians4.7).LI.127–9,

with heir reassuring Christian view-point, belong to1838–9.

127 And yet… undiminished powers: Wordsworth’s linebelongs to the same month (February 1804) asIntimations iv–xi and 1805 XI 335–6 (‘The hiding-placesofmypower|Seemopen,Iapproach,andthentheyclose’),butadoptsasurprisinglyconfidenttone.

128 whateverfalls:FromFortune’srevolvingwheel(see1.129).

131–2 never… Did tamper with myself: Made clear in 1850150–1.

136 withjealousy:watchfully,scrupulously.

141 a universe of death: Drawn fromMilton’sHell,PL II622–4: ‘A universe of death… Where all life dies,death lives, and nature breeds|Perverse allmonstrous, all prodigious, things’. SignificantlyWordsworth had evoked the same passage in hisaccount of the perversion of nature in London’sBartholomewFair(VII687ff.).

143–4 To fear and love… ends: Cf. the statement ofWordsworth’s themeat I 305–6: ‘Fair seed-timehadmysoul,andIgrewup|Fosteredalikebybeautyandbyfear.’Fearendsinlove,becausepainful(sublime)experiencesareformative,leadingtoloveofnature.

XIV179–87

There linger… Almighty’s Throne: Though the 1850replacement of 1805 159–65 is not arrived at until1838–9, Wordsworth redefines the ‘higher love’ of1805 in specifically Christian terms as early as c.1819(seeIntroduction).

163 a diffusive sentiment: Cf. Il 42off. (written originallyforThePedlar, spring 1798): ‘I felt the sentiment ofbeing, spread|O’er all that moves and all that

seemethstill…’

166 intellectual:spiritual.

167–70 imagination…exaltedmood:Anextremestatementofthepowersoftheprimaryimagination,butonethatisinlinewiththepoetryandthinkingofWordsworthandColeridge.Thishigherimaginationisgodlikeandthus equivalent to ‘absolute [spiritual] strength’;‘clearestinsight’speaksforitself;‘amplitudeofmind’implies magnanimity (literally ‘greatness of soul’),the outgoing, expansive power of imagination;intuitive reason (‘reason inhermost exaltedmood’)hasbeenthethemeofBookXIIIandislaterequatedwiththeprimaryimaginationinBiographiaLiteraria.

172–84 we have traced… infinity and God: Modelling hisimagery to some extent on the sacred river Alph ofKublaKhan,WordsworthnowofferstheriverthathasbeenrecurrentinThePrelude fromtheopeninglinesof Was It For This and 1799, as symbolic of theorganicstructureofhispoem.

183 Thefeelingoflifeendless:ThoughIntimationsalludesinFebruary1804to‘thefaiththatlooksthroughdeath’,Wordsworth seems tohavehadno confidence inanafterlife when his brother John was drowned inFebruary1805.AlettertoBeaumontof12March(sixweeksbeforethissectionofThePreludewaswritten)showshimarguinghimselfintoanacceptanceof‘thesuppositionofanotherandabetterworld’.

XIV205 humanBeing:humanexistence.

188 Dividually:separately.Inpracticeitwouldbehardtodefineoutgoing‘spirituallove’(suchasthatshownintheAncientMariner’sblessingofthewatersnakes)asdistinctfromtheprimaryimagination.

193 thisability:thecapacityforspirituallove.

208 female softness: Valued highly byWordsworth inmen;cf. the shepherd’s attention to his infant son,Michael162–8.

209 little lovesanddelicatedesires:A reflectionofDorothy’stendernessinTheSparrow’sNest,‘Andhumblecaresanddelicatefears’(I.18),whichisstrengthenedin1850.Inthe background (as Reed points out) are the ‘soft anddelicatedesires’ofClaudio,MuchAdoAboutNothing I i303.

211–14

Childofmyparents…imbibed:ApartfromhistributetoDorothy’stendernessinTheSparrow’sNest,WordsworthhasinmindToAButterfly:‘she,Godloveher,fearedtobrush|Thedustfromoffitswings’(11.17–18).

222–3

theverygoing-outofyouth…reached:BookXIIhadendedwith the crossing of Salisbury Plain in summer 1793,andBookXIIIopenedwiththeascentofSnowdontwoyears earlier. It is not inWordsworth’s interests to beprecise about chronology. The ‘later seasons’ ofDorothy’s influence (1. 215) include the Racedownperiod,1795–7.

225–6

thatbeauty…terrorinit:Milton’ssenseoftheterrorthatexistsinlove(effectivelyofthepresenceofthesublimewithinthebeautiful)isexpressedbySatan,new-landedinEdenandconfrontedbythebeautyofEve:‘Shefair,divinely fair, fit love for gods,|Not terrible, thoughterrorbeinlove|Andbeauty’(PLIX489–91).

228 recklessof:unconcernedby.

236–44

At a time… refined humanity: The period associated inTinternAbbeywithcoming tohear ‘The still sadmusicofhumanity’,andmarkedbycompositionofTheRuinedCottageinearlysummer1797.

XIV Thereafter came… the dewy grass: In an early form,

266–75

Wordsworth’s tribute to his wife is inserted into ThePrelude c. 1819. The vagueness of ‘Thereafter’ isstrategic.After their ‘blessed timeof early love’ (1805XI 317) in 1787, Mary had been displaced inWordsworth’s thoughtsbyAnnette (andCaroline).Thewar, however, had kept him and Annette apart fromautumn 1792 for almost ten years. Before the end ofthisperiod–perhapswhenMarycametovisitDorothyat Racedown, November 1796–June 1797 – she andWordsworthhad(privately)cometogetheragain.TheyweremarriedinOctober1802.

XIV268–9

nomore a phantom to adorn|Amoment: A reference tothe touching Lucy poem written for Mary in spring1804:

ShewasaphantomofdelightWhenfirstshegleameduponmysight,AlovelyapparitionsentTobeamoment’sornament…(11.1–4)

249 Placedonthisearthtolove:Cf.thepoignantfinallinesofColeridge’sPainsofSleep(1803) ‘Tobebelovedisall Ineed,|AndwhomIloveIloveindeed.’

253–7

the life|Ofall things… Interposition:ThroughColeridge’slovingcompanionshipWordsworthcameatAlfoxdentoaccept a Unitarian belief (merely ‘interposed‘, notarguedorpreached)intheOneLife.

XIV282–7

Thus fear relaxed… eternity: A revision of 1805 253–5madein1839orlater.FornoobviousreasonColeridge(d. 1834) is creditedwithhaving rescuedWordsworthfrom fear and self-hauntings. At Alfoxden? Or isColeridgebeingtransportedinthepoet’sfancybacktotheperiodoftheRacedowncrisisofconfidence,spring1796?

257 closelier gathering: more personal, more immediate intheirconcerns.

264—5

areason…pathetic truth: reasonathermostpersonal–asopposedto‘reasoninhermostexaltedmood’(1.170andn.above),whichisimagination.

268 Where man is sphered… God animates: Man’s properplace(‘sphere’)isearth,butearthisanimatedbyGod.

271 consummation:perfecting.

273–8

Wehavereached…shouldendure:WordsworththinksofhimselfashavingbroughthisstoryuptotheperiodofLyricalBallads,when (inMarch1798)TheReclusewasfirstprojected.

274 whichwasourobjectfromthefirst:Notstrictlytrue;seeIntroduction.

280 Of books how much: Addressing Coleridge, with hismassivereading,Wordsworthisconsciousofnothavingstressed the role of literature in his education, thoughhehadattemptedtodosoinBookV.

282–8

nature’s secondary grace… moral world: The habit ofdrawingmoraltruthsfromnature(‘Considertheliliesofthefield…Theytoilnot,neitherdotheyspin…’)wasforeigntoWordsworththoughhecouldindulgeinitonoccasion.InThePrimroseontheRock(1831)theflowersare ‘faithful to the stems’, the stems ‘faithful to theroot’,and‘Godupholdsthemall’.

291–4

Inturnmightfancy…judgementsteadied:AsinBookVIII,WordsworthsetsavalueonfancythatColeridgecouldnothaveaccepted;seeVIII590–in.

294–306

Thenmightwereturn…neverheighten:Strangelyopaquelines (cut with no loss in 1850), perhaps aboutanthropomorphicreadingsofnature.

308 thatmarvellousworld:theworldofhumanconsciousnessandemotion.

316 apublicschool:Foundedin1584,HawksheadGrammarSchool was (as Eton, Winchester, Westminster hadoriginallybeen)publicinthesenseofbeingaGrammarSchool,opentoall.

329–31

keep|Inwholesomeseparation…observes: It is interestingthat Wordsworth, who placed so much emphasis onemotion, should value reserve and the ability to keepone’sfeelingstooneself.

334 Since I withdrew unwillingly from France: In November1792, leaving behind Annette and the newbornCaroline.

338–43

Threeyears…wanderer’slife:December1792-September1795.

349–67

A youth… bent of nature: Raisley Calvert, youngerbrotherofWordsworth’sschoolfellowWilliam(wholentthe poet and Dorothy their first, temporary, hometogetheratWindyBrow,Keswickinspring1794),diedof tuberculosis in 1795 aged 22, leaving Wordsworth£900 to freehim fromtakinga jobandenablehimtowrite.

356 noredundantpatrimony:alimitedfamilyfortune.

360 mortal:earthly,mundane.

368–9

furtherpains…seemsnottorequire:Wordsworthhasitincommon with Milton that many of his weakest linesoccurinmomentsoftransition.

372 theterminationofmycourse:death.

373–7

eventhen…Isaid…reproachtohear:Areferencebacktothe self-reproach– ‘Was it for this’ – in whichcompositionofThePreludehadbeguninOctober1798;seetheopeningsofWasItForThisand1799,and180527iff.ReedpointsalsotoGenesis3.8–13,asAdamandEvehear the reproachful voiceofGod,walking in the

garden.

377–80

AnonIrose…Ihadbeen|Andmas:Basedonthe‘prospectwide|Andvarious’showntoEveinherdream,PLV86–9.

383 Attempered:suited;cf.the‘ruralditties’ofLycidas32–3,‘Temperedtotheoatenflute’.

385 gratulant:capableofgivingpleasure.

387–90

aught ofworth|Sufficient… uncertain: On 6March 1804,atthemomentofembarkingonthefull-lengthPrelude,Wordsworthhad toldDeQuincey: ‘Thispoemwillnotbe published these many years, and never during mylifetimetillIhavefinishedalargerandmoreimportantwork[TheRecluse] towhich it is tributary.’ Insightofcompletingthe‘tributary’poem,Wordsworthcommentsto Beaumont on 1 May 1805: ‘[It is] a thingunprecedented in literary history that a man shouldwritesomuchabouthimself.’

393–8

That summer… Lady Christabel: summer 1798, on theQuantockHillsaboveAlfoxden.TheAncientMarinerwasin fact completed in March, and Christabel Part I inApril.

394 sylvancombs:woodedhollows;pronounced ‘cooms’ (torhymewith‘tombs’).

399–403

I, associate… miserable thorn: Looking back on thepartnership that produced Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworthpokesfunathimselfforhis‘murmuring’ofTheIdiotBoyaloud during composition, and for the lugubriousrefrainofTheThorn: ‘Ohmisery,ohmisery,|Ohwoeisme,ohmisery!’

416–17

a private grief|Keen and enduring: Another reference tothe death of JohnWordsworth, captain of the Earl ofAbergavenny, drowned off the Dorset coast on 5February1805.

421–7

ahope…offeringofmy love:AsWordsworthbringshispoemtoacloseinearlyMay1805Coleridgehasbeenabroadforoverayear.Whenhedidfinallyreturn,the‘offering of… love’ was read to him at Coleorton inJanuary 1807. Coleridge responded in his last majorpoem,ToWilliamWordsworth:

Ogreatbard,Ereyetthatlaststraindyingawedtheair,WithstedfasteyeIviewedtheeinthechoirOfever-enduringmen.(11,47–50)

429 thy race be run:Wordsworth is talking to himself. It isperhaps the thoughtofhaving togoonandwriteTheRecluseinColeridge’sabsencethatbringsthedispiritedSamsontohismind:‘Myraceofgloryrun,andraceofshame,|AndIshallshortlybewiththemthatrest’ (11.597–8).

432 oldidolatry:Wordsworthmodelstheconclusionof1805onthatof1799,where(inspiteofhisdismayatrisingFrench imperialism) he had lamented theweakness ofthose in England who betrayed the ideals of theRevolution:

ifinthesetimesoffear,Thismelancholywasteofhopeso’erthrown,If,midindifferenceandapathyAndwickedexultation,whengoodmenOneverysidefalloff,weknownothow,Toselfishness…(1799II478–83)

436 theknowledgewhichwehave:Wordsworth’semphasisonknowledge is surprising, but consistent. In announcingthe scheme forTheRecluse toTobin on6March1798hereferstolinesalreadywritten,asconveying‘mostofthe knowledge of which [he is] possessed’. Home atGrasmere (written for The Recluse in 1800) looks

forward to a millennium of human happiness that‘love|And knowledge will… hereafter give|To all thevalesofearthandallmankind’(11.254–6).

442 Prophets of nature: The conclusion to 1799 is buoyingWordsworth up, – enabling him to feel confident in ashared prophetic role. Coleridge, in the earlier lines,had been ‘in many things’ the poet’s brother, but‘chiefly’inhis‘deepdevotion’tonature(II508–9).

XIV446

faith: a telling replacement for ‘truth’ (1805),made in1832.

449 revolutions: changes (asofFortune’swheel– thoughofcourseincludingRevolutionwithacapital‘r’).

452 Of substance and of fabric more divine: Not merely aresonant conclusion. Themind shareswith the rest ofnature the animating presence of God, but is more‘divine’ in that it alonepossesses theGod-givenpowerof imagination thatenables it toperceive thepresencethatitshares.

AFTERWORD:THEPOETASREVISOR

It isnotchancethatWordsworth’srevisionsofThePrelude were mainly for the worse. Given hismethodsofworking – the creativeprocess thathedescribes for us in the Preface to Lyrical Ballads –we shouldexpect it tobe so.Twice in thePrefaceWordsworthtellsusthat‘poetryisthespontaneousoverflow of powerful feelings’, and twice hemodifies his statement. First we are told that thepoetmustbeaperson ‘ofmorethanusualorganicsensibility[whohas]alsothoughtlonganddeeply’,next that poetry ‘takes its origin from emotionrecollected in tranquillity’. It is the words thatfollowthatarechieflyimportant:

the emotion is contemplated till by a species ofreaction the tranquillity gradually disappears, andan emotion, similar to that which was before thesubject of contemplation, is gradually produced,anddoesitselfactuallyexistinthemind.

‘In this mood’, Wordsworth concludes, ‘successfulcomposition generally begins, and in a moodsimilar to this it is carried on.’ These are nottheoretical statements, the poet has observed hisownmentalprocessand tellsuspreciselywhathesees.Revision, if it is to be enhancing, has to be

similarlyimaginative.Itmustbeaccompaniedbyare-experiencingof themood inwhich compositionoriginally took place – a mood that was itself arelivingofearlierexperience.Revisionscarriedoutovermany years, as theywere in key passages ofThePrelude,arenotlikelytomeetthisrequirement.Re-entering the original mood becomesprogressivelymore difficult. And it becomesmoreandmoreprobablethatrevisionswillbecarriedoutforreasonsthatareatoddswiththepoet’soriginalintentions,interests,inspiration.One might assume that what goes for

Wordsworth would go for all Romantic poets.Coleridge, though, is on thewhole agood reviser.TwentyyearsafterwritingTheEolianHarpheaddslines perfectly in keeping with his early pantheistself: ‘Oh! the one Life, within us and abroad…’Thoughtheoriginal1798textofFrostatMidnightisa wonderful poem, Coleridge improves upon it

successively in 1817 and 1828. To Christabel(written 1798–1800, published 1816) he adds in1828 lines of immense importance, bringing out awoundedhumansidetothedemonicGeraldine:

YetGeraldinenorspeaksnorstirs;Ah!whatastrickenlookwashers!Deepfromwithinsheseemshalf-wayToliftsomeweightwithsickassay,Andeyesthemaidandseeksdelay…

Wordsworth,bycontrast, isabadreviserat theheightofhispowers.Thepointismadebyrevisionsto the two-part Prelude incorporated in 1805. InFebruary1804(whenhewrotesomeofhisgreatestpoetry, including two-thirdsof the IntimationsOde,Daffodils and the Climbing of Snowdon)Wordsworth replaced his beautiful account of thesettingofFurnessAbbey–

InmorethaninlandpeaceLeftbythewindsthatoverpassthevale,Inthatsequesteredruintreesandtowers,Bothsilentandbothmotionlessalike,HearalldaylongthemurmuringseathatbeatsIncessantlyuponacraggyshore.

– with the lame prosaic rhythms and sadlydiminishedclaimsof1805II115–21:

Tomorethaninlandpeace

Leftbythesea-windpassingoverhead(Thoughwindofroughesttemper)treesandtowersMayinthatvalleyoftentimesbeseen,Bothsilentandbothmotionlessalike;Suchistheshelterthatisthere,andsuchThesafeguardforreposeandquietness.

‘By the imagination’, Wordsworth told CrabbRobinson in 1816, ‘the mere fact is… connectedwith that infinity without which there is notpoetry.’Yetfactitwasthatpromptedhisrevisionofthe Furness lines. One cannot hear the sea at thesite of the Abbey. The beautiful fantasy that onemight do so is removed by the poet in a moodutterlyatoddswithhisoriginalcreativity.AstherevisionsofThePreludegoon–smallones

atdifferenttimes,hugeonesc.1819,in1832,and1838–9–thechancethattheywillbeforthebetterdiminishes. InmanywaysWordsworth remainsanindependent thinker: what other poet in 1850supported the ideals of the French Revolution, orhailed‘Asbest,thegovernmentofequalrights|Andindividual worth’? And at all stages he remainscapable of producing sudden new impassionedpoetry–theaccountofNewton,

withhisprismandsilentface,ThemarbleindexofamindforeverVoyagingthroughstrangeseasofthoughtalone.

But increasingly the drive behind Prelude revisionbecomes the leavingofagift forposterity. Insteadof re-entering imaginatively the early experiencesthat have been his inspiration, Wordsworth istidyingthemup.Thechangingofthreesmallwordsrightattheendofhispoemsaysitall.Asprophetsofnature,heandColeridgehadseemedin1805tobe‘sanctified|Byreasonandbytruth’.In1850theyare‘sanctified|Byreason,blestbyfaith’.