]
[Variant 31: In the two editions of 1819 only.
[Variant 31: In the two editions of 1819 only.
William Wordsworth
990
Along the lane the trusty Ass
Went twice two hundred yards or more,
And no one could have guessed his aim,--
Till to a lonely house he came,
And stopped beside the door. [109] 995
Thought Peter, 'tis the poor man's home!
He listens--not a sound is heard
Save from the trickling household rill;
But, stepping o'er the cottage-sill,
Forthwith a little Girl appeared. 1000
She to the Meeting-house was bound
In hopes [110] some tidings there to gather:
No glimpse it is, no doubtful gleam;
She saw--and uttered with a scream,
"My father! here's my father! " 1005
The very word was plainly heard,
Heard plainly by the wretched Mother--
Her joy was like a deep affright:
And forth she rushed into the light,
And saw it was another! 1010
And, instantly, upon the earth,
Beneath the full moon shining bright,
Close to [111] the Ass's feet she fell;
At the same moment Peter Bell
Dismounts in most unhappy plight. 1015
As he beheld the Woman lie [112]
Breathless and motionless, the mind
Of Peter sadly was confused;
But, though to such demands unused,
And helpless almost as the blind, 1020
He raised her up; and, while he held
Her body propped against his knee,
The Woman waked--and when she spied
The poor Ass standing by her side,
She moaned most bitterly. 1025
"Oh! God be praised--my heart's at ease--
For he is dead--I know it well! "
--At this she wept a bitter flood;
And, in the best way that he could,
His tale did Peter tell. 1030
He trembles--he is pale as death;
His voice is weak with perturbation;
He turns aside his head, he pauses;
Poor Peter from a thousand causes,
Is crippled sore in his narration. 1035
At length she learned how he espied
The Ass in that small meadow-ground;
And that her Husband now lay dead,
Beside that luckless river's bed
In which he had been drowned. 1040
A piercing look the Widow [113] cast
Upon the Beast that near her stands;
She sees 'tis he, that 'tis the same;
She calls the poor Ass by his name,
And wrings, and wrings her hands. 1045
"O wretched loss--untimely stroke!
If he had died upon his bed!
He knew not one forewarning pain;
He never will come home again--
Is dead, for ever dead! " 1050
Beside the Woman Peter stands;
His heart is opening more and more;
A holy sense pervades his mind;
He feels what he for human-kind
Had never felt before. 1055
At length, by Peter's arm sustained,
The Woman rises from the ground--
"Oh, mercy! something must be done,
My little Rachel, you must run,--
Some willing neighbour must be found. 1060
"Make haste--my little Rachel--do,
The first you meet with--bid him come,
Ask him to lend his horse to-night,
And this good Man, whom Heaven requite,
Will help to bring the body home. " 1065
Away goes Rachel weeping loud;--
An Infant, waked by her distress,
Makes in the house a piteous cry;
And Peter hears the Mother sigh,
"Seven are they, and all fatherless! " 1070
And now is Peter taught to feel
That man's heart is a holy thing;
And Nature, through a world of death,
Breathes into him a second breath,
More searching than the breath of spring. 1075
Upon a stone the Woman sits
In agony of silent grief--
From his own thoughts did Peter start;
He longs to press her to his heart,
From love that cannot find relief. 1080
But roused, as if through every limb
Had past a sudden shock of dread,
The Mother o'er the threshold flies,
And up the cottage stairs [114] she hies,
And on the pillow lays [115] her burning head. 1085
And Peter turns his steps aside
Into a shade of darksome trees,
Where he sits down, he knows not how,
With his hands pressed against his brow,
His elbows on [116] his tremulous knees. 1090
There, self-involved, does Peter sit
Until no sign of life he makes,
As if his mind were sinking deep
Through years that have been long asleep!
The trance is passed away--he wakes; 1095
He lifts [117] his head--and sees the Ass
Yet standing in the clear moonshine;
"When shall I be as good as thou?
Oh! would, poor beast, that I had now
A heart but half as good as thine! " 1100
But _He_--who deviously hath sought
His Father through the lonesome woods,
Hath sought, proclaiming to the ear
Of night his grief and sorrowful fear--[118]
He comes, escaped from fields and floods;--1105
With weary pace is drawing nigh;
He sees the Ass--and nothing living
Had ever such a fit of joy
As hath [119] this little orphan Boy,
For he has no misgiving! 1110
Forth to [120] the gentle Ass he springs,
And up about his neck he climbs;
In loving words he talks to him,
He kisses, kisses face and limb,--
He kisses him a thousand times! 1115
This Peter sees, while in the shade
He stood beside the cottage-door;
And Peter Bell, the ruffian wild,
Sobs loud, he sobs even like a child,
"Oh! God, I can endure no more! " 1120
--Here ends my Tale: for in a trice
Arrived a neighbour with his horse;
Peter went forth with him straightway;
And, with due care, ere break of day,
Together they brought back the Corse. 1125
And many years did this poor Ass,
Whom once it was my luck to see
Cropping the shrubs of Leming-Lane,
Help by his labour to maintain
The Widow and her family. 1130
And Peter Bell, who, till that night,
Had been the wildest of his clan,
Forsook his crimes, renounced [121] his folly,
And, after ten months' melancholy,
Became a good and honest man. [K] 1135
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1: 1827.
And something 1819. ]
[Variant 2:
1849.
Whose shape is like 1819.
For shape just like 1845. ]
[Variant 3:
1845.
The noise of danger fills 1819. ]
[Variant 4:
1827.
Meanwhile I from the helm admire 1819.
. . . I soberly admire C. ]
[Variant 5:
1827.
Or deep into the heavens 1819.
Or into massy clouds 1820. ]
[Variant 6:
1820.
. . . between . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 7:
1827.
. . . are ill-built,
But proud let him be who has seen them; 1819. ]
[Variant 8:
1827.
. . . between . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 9:
1827.
That darling speck . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 10:
1836.
And there it is, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 11:
1827
. . . heartless . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 12:
In the editions of 1819 and 1820 only.
Out--out--and, like a brooding hen,
Beside your sooty hearth-stone cower;
Go, creep along the dirt, and pick
Your way with your good walking-stick,
Just three good miles an hour! ]
[Variant 13:
1827.
. . . the land . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 14:
1845.
My radiant Pinnace, you forget 1819. ]
[Variant 15:
1827.
For I myself, in very truth, 1819. ]
[Variant 16:
1845.
Off flew my sparkling Boat in scorn,
Yea in a trance of indignation! 1819.
Spurning her freight with indignation! 1820. ]
[Variant 17:
1845.
. . . to my stone-table
Limp'd on with some vexation. 1819.
. . . tow'rd my stone-table 1827. ]
[Variant 18:
1827.
. . . promptly . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 19:
1827.
Breath fail'd me as I spake--but soon
With lips, no doubt, and visage pale,
And sore too from a slight contusion,
Did I, to cover my confusion,
Begin the _promised_ Tale. 1819. ]
[Variant 20:
1820.
All by the moonlight river side
It gave three miserable groans;
"'Tis come then to a pretty pass,"
Said Peter to the groaning Ass,
"But I will _bang_ your bones! " 1819. ]
[Variant 21:
In the two editions of 1819 only.
"Good Sir! "--the Vicar's voice exclaim'd,
"You rush at once into the middle;"
And little Bess, with accent sweeter,
Cried, "O dear Sir! but who is Peter? "
Said Stephen,--"'Tis a downright riddle! "]
[Variant 22:
1836.
The Squire said, "Sure as paradise
Was lost to man by Adam's sinning,
This leap is for us all too bold; 1819.
Like winds that lash the waves, or smite
The woods, the autumnal foliage thinning--
"Hold! " said the Squire, "I pray you, hold! 1820.
The woods, autumnal foliage thinning--1827. ]
[Variant 23:
1845.
. . . its ponderous knell,
Its far-renowned alarum! 1819.
. . . his ponderous knell,
A far-renowned alarum! 1836.
. . . that ponderous knell--
His far-renowned alarum! 1840. ]
[Variant 24:
1820.
With Peter Bell, I need not tell
That this had never been the case;--1819. ]
[Variant 25:
1819.
. . . placid . . . 1820.
The text of 1827 returns to that of 1819. ]
[Variant 26:
1836.
. . . cheerfully . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 27:
1827.
Till he is brought to an old quarry, 1819. ]
[Variant 28: In the two editions of 1819 only.
"What! would'st thou daunt me grisly den?
Back must I, having come so far?
Stretch as thou wilt thy gloomy jaws,
I'll on, nor would I give two straws
For lantern or for star! "]
[Variant 29:
1820.
And so, where on the huge rough stones
The black and massy shadows lay,
And through the dark, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 30:
1827.
. . . made . . . 1819.
]
[Variant 31: In the two editions of 1819 only.
Now you'll suppose that Peter Bell
Felt small temptation here to tarry,
And so it was,--but I must add,
His heart was not a little glad
When he was out of the old quarry. ]
[Variant 32:
1827.
Across that . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 33:
1836.
And now he is among the trees; 1819. ]
[Variant 34:
"No doubt I'm founder'd in these woods--
For once," quoth he, "I will be wise,
With better speed I'll back again--
And, lest the journey should prove vain,
Will take yon Ass, my lawful prize! "
Off Peter hied,--"A comely beast!
Though not so plump as he might be;
My honest friend, with such a platter,
You should have been a little fatter,
But come, Sir, come with me! " 1819.
(The first of these stanzas was omitted in 1827 and afterwards;
the second was withdrawn in 1820. )]
[Variant 35:
1836.
But first doth Peter deem it fit
To spy about him far and near; 1819.
"A prize," cried Peter, stepping back
To spy . . . 1827. ]
[Variant 36:
1827.
. . . Ass's back, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 37:
1836.
With ready heel the creature's side; 1819.
With ready heel his shaggy side; 1827. ]
[Variant 38: In the editions of 1819 to 1832 only.
"What's this! " cried Peter, brandishing
A new-peel'd sapling white as cream;
The Ass knew well what Peter said,
But, as before, hung down his head
Over the silent stream. 1819.
A new-peeled sapling;--though, I deem,
The Ass knew well what Peter said,
He, as before, . . . 1820.
. . . --though I deem,
This threat was understood full well,
Firm, as before, the Sentinel
Stood by the silent stream. 1827. ]
[Variant 39:
1827.
"I'll cure you of these desperate tricks"--
And, with deliberate action slow,
His staff high-raising, in the pride
Of skill, upon the Ass's hide C. and 1819. ]
[Variant 40:
1836.
What followed? --yielding to the shock
The Ass, as if . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 41:
1836.
And then upon . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 42:
1840.
. . . as . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 43:
1819.
The Beast on his tormentor turned
A shining hazel eye. 1827.
His shining . . . 1832.
The edition of 1836 returns to the text of 1819. ]
[Variant 44:
1836.
Towards the river . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 45:
1832.
Heav'd his lank sides, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 46: 1836. In the two editions of 1819 this stanza formed two
stanzas, thus:
All by the moonlight river side
He gave three miserable groans,
"'Tis come then to a pretty pass,"
Said Peter to the groaning ass,
"But I will _bang_ your bones! "
And Peter halts to gather breath,
And now full clearly was it shown
(What he before in part had seen)
How gaunt was the poor Ass and lean,
Yea wasted to a skeleton! 1819.
In the editions of 1820-1832, only the second of these stanzas is
retained, with the following change of text in 1827:
And, while he halts, was clearly shown
(What he before in part had seen)
How gaunt the Creature was, and lean, 1827.
In the final text of 1836 the two stanzas of 1819 are compressed into
one (ll. 446-50). ]
[Variant 47:
1836.
But, while upon the ground he lay, 1819.
That instant, while outstretched he lay, 1827. ]
[Variant 48:
1836.
A loud and piteous bray! 1819. ]
[Variant 49:
1820.
Joy on . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 50:
1836.
. . . an endless shout,
The long dry see-saw . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 51:
1836.
And Peter now uplifts his eyes;
Steady the moon doth look and clear,
And like themselves the rocks appear,
And tranquil are the skies, 1819.
And quiet are the skies. 1820. ]
[Variant 52:
1836.
Whereat, in resolute mood, once more
He stoops the Ass's neck to seize--
Foul purpose, quickly put to flight!
For in the pool a startling sight
Meets him, beneath the shadowy trees. 1819. ]
[Variant 53:
1819.
. . . the gallows . . . 1832.
The text of 1836 returns to that of 1819. ]
[Variant 54:
1836.
Or a gay ring of shining fairies,
Such as pursue their brisk vagaries 1819. ]
[Variant 55: In the two editions of 1819 only.
Is it a party in a parlour?
Cramm'd just as they on earth were cramm'd--
Some sipping punch, some sipping tea,
But, as you by their faces see,
All silent and all damn'd! [a]]
[Variant 56:
1827.
A throbbing pulse the Gazer hath--
Puzzled he was, and now is daunted; 1819. ]
[Variant 57:
1836.
Like one intent upon a book--1819. ]
[Variant 58:
1836.
And drops, a senseless weight, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 59:
1827.
A happy respite! --but he wakes;--
And feels the glimmering of the moon--
And to stretch forth his hands is trying;--
Sure, when he knows where he is lying,
He'll sink into a second swoon. 1819. ]
[Variant 60:
1827.
. . . placid . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 61:
1827.
So, faltering not in _this_ intent,
He makes his staff an instrument
The river's depth to sound--1819.
So toward the stream his head he bent,
And downward thrust his staff, intent
To reach the Man who there lay drowned. --1820. ]
[Variant 62:
1836.
The meagre Shadow all this while--
What aim is his? . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 63:
1836.
That Peter on his back should mount
He shows a wish, well as he can,
"I'll go, I'll go, whate'er betide--
He to his home my way will guide,
The cottage of the drowned man. " 1819. ]
But no--his purpose and his wish
The Suppliant shews, well as he can;
Thought Peter whatsoe'er betide
I'll go, and he my way will guide
To the cottage of the drowned man. 1820. ]
[Variant 64:
1836.
This utter'd, Peter mounts forthwith 1819.
This hoping, 1820.
Encouraged by this hope, he mounts 1827.
This hoping, Peter boldly mounts 1832. ]
[Variant 65:
1827.
The 1819. ]
[Variant 66:
1836.
And takes his way . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 67:
1840.
Holding . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 68:
1840 and c.
What seeks the boy? --the silent dead! 1819.
Seeking for whom? --. . . 1836. ]
[Variant 69:
1836.
Whom he hath sought . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 70:
1820.
.
Along the lane the trusty Ass
Went twice two hundred yards or more,
And no one could have guessed his aim,--
Till to a lonely house he came,
And stopped beside the door. [109] 995
Thought Peter, 'tis the poor man's home!
He listens--not a sound is heard
Save from the trickling household rill;
But, stepping o'er the cottage-sill,
Forthwith a little Girl appeared. 1000
She to the Meeting-house was bound
In hopes [110] some tidings there to gather:
No glimpse it is, no doubtful gleam;
She saw--and uttered with a scream,
"My father! here's my father! " 1005
The very word was plainly heard,
Heard plainly by the wretched Mother--
Her joy was like a deep affright:
And forth she rushed into the light,
And saw it was another! 1010
And, instantly, upon the earth,
Beneath the full moon shining bright,
Close to [111] the Ass's feet she fell;
At the same moment Peter Bell
Dismounts in most unhappy plight. 1015
As he beheld the Woman lie [112]
Breathless and motionless, the mind
Of Peter sadly was confused;
But, though to such demands unused,
And helpless almost as the blind, 1020
He raised her up; and, while he held
Her body propped against his knee,
The Woman waked--and when she spied
The poor Ass standing by her side,
She moaned most bitterly. 1025
"Oh! God be praised--my heart's at ease--
For he is dead--I know it well! "
--At this she wept a bitter flood;
And, in the best way that he could,
His tale did Peter tell. 1030
He trembles--he is pale as death;
His voice is weak with perturbation;
He turns aside his head, he pauses;
Poor Peter from a thousand causes,
Is crippled sore in his narration. 1035
At length she learned how he espied
The Ass in that small meadow-ground;
And that her Husband now lay dead,
Beside that luckless river's bed
In which he had been drowned. 1040
A piercing look the Widow [113] cast
Upon the Beast that near her stands;
She sees 'tis he, that 'tis the same;
She calls the poor Ass by his name,
And wrings, and wrings her hands. 1045
"O wretched loss--untimely stroke!
If he had died upon his bed!
He knew not one forewarning pain;
He never will come home again--
Is dead, for ever dead! " 1050
Beside the Woman Peter stands;
His heart is opening more and more;
A holy sense pervades his mind;
He feels what he for human-kind
Had never felt before. 1055
At length, by Peter's arm sustained,
The Woman rises from the ground--
"Oh, mercy! something must be done,
My little Rachel, you must run,--
Some willing neighbour must be found. 1060
"Make haste--my little Rachel--do,
The first you meet with--bid him come,
Ask him to lend his horse to-night,
And this good Man, whom Heaven requite,
Will help to bring the body home. " 1065
Away goes Rachel weeping loud;--
An Infant, waked by her distress,
Makes in the house a piteous cry;
And Peter hears the Mother sigh,
"Seven are they, and all fatherless! " 1070
And now is Peter taught to feel
That man's heart is a holy thing;
And Nature, through a world of death,
Breathes into him a second breath,
More searching than the breath of spring. 1075
Upon a stone the Woman sits
In agony of silent grief--
From his own thoughts did Peter start;
He longs to press her to his heart,
From love that cannot find relief. 1080
But roused, as if through every limb
Had past a sudden shock of dread,
The Mother o'er the threshold flies,
And up the cottage stairs [114] she hies,
And on the pillow lays [115] her burning head. 1085
And Peter turns his steps aside
Into a shade of darksome trees,
Where he sits down, he knows not how,
With his hands pressed against his brow,
His elbows on [116] his tremulous knees. 1090
There, self-involved, does Peter sit
Until no sign of life he makes,
As if his mind were sinking deep
Through years that have been long asleep!
The trance is passed away--he wakes; 1095
He lifts [117] his head--and sees the Ass
Yet standing in the clear moonshine;
"When shall I be as good as thou?
Oh! would, poor beast, that I had now
A heart but half as good as thine! " 1100
But _He_--who deviously hath sought
His Father through the lonesome woods,
Hath sought, proclaiming to the ear
Of night his grief and sorrowful fear--[118]
He comes, escaped from fields and floods;--1105
With weary pace is drawing nigh;
He sees the Ass--and nothing living
Had ever such a fit of joy
As hath [119] this little orphan Boy,
For he has no misgiving! 1110
Forth to [120] the gentle Ass he springs,
And up about his neck he climbs;
In loving words he talks to him,
He kisses, kisses face and limb,--
He kisses him a thousand times! 1115
This Peter sees, while in the shade
He stood beside the cottage-door;
And Peter Bell, the ruffian wild,
Sobs loud, he sobs even like a child,
"Oh! God, I can endure no more! " 1120
--Here ends my Tale: for in a trice
Arrived a neighbour with his horse;
Peter went forth with him straightway;
And, with due care, ere break of day,
Together they brought back the Corse. 1125
And many years did this poor Ass,
Whom once it was my luck to see
Cropping the shrubs of Leming-Lane,
Help by his labour to maintain
The Widow and her family. 1130
And Peter Bell, who, till that night,
Had been the wildest of his clan,
Forsook his crimes, renounced [121] his folly,
And, after ten months' melancholy,
Became a good and honest man. [K] 1135
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1: 1827.
And something 1819. ]
[Variant 2:
1849.
Whose shape is like 1819.
For shape just like 1845. ]
[Variant 3:
1845.
The noise of danger fills 1819. ]
[Variant 4:
1827.
Meanwhile I from the helm admire 1819.
. . . I soberly admire C. ]
[Variant 5:
1827.
Or deep into the heavens 1819.
Or into massy clouds 1820. ]
[Variant 6:
1820.
. . . between . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 7:
1827.
. . . are ill-built,
But proud let him be who has seen them; 1819. ]
[Variant 8:
1827.
. . . between . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 9:
1827.
That darling speck . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 10:
1836.
And there it is, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 11:
1827
. . . heartless . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 12:
In the editions of 1819 and 1820 only.
Out--out--and, like a brooding hen,
Beside your sooty hearth-stone cower;
Go, creep along the dirt, and pick
Your way with your good walking-stick,
Just three good miles an hour! ]
[Variant 13:
1827.
. . . the land . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 14:
1845.
My radiant Pinnace, you forget 1819. ]
[Variant 15:
1827.
For I myself, in very truth, 1819. ]
[Variant 16:
1845.
Off flew my sparkling Boat in scorn,
Yea in a trance of indignation! 1819.
Spurning her freight with indignation! 1820. ]
[Variant 17:
1845.
. . . to my stone-table
Limp'd on with some vexation. 1819.
. . . tow'rd my stone-table 1827. ]
[Variant 18:
1827.
. . . promptly . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 19:
1827.
Breath fail'd me as I spake--but soon
With lips, no doubt, and visage pale,
And sore too from a slight contusion,
Did I, to cover my confusion,
Begin the _promised_ Tale. 1819. ]
[Variant 20:
1820.
All by the moonlight river side
It gave three miserable groans;
"'Tis come then to a pretty pass,"
Said Peter to the groaning Ass,
"But I will _bang_ your bones! " 1819. ]
[Variant 21:
In the two editions of 1819 only.
"Good Sir! "--the Vicar's voice exclaim'd,
"You rush at once into the middle;"
And little Bess, with accent sweeter,
Cried, "O dear Sir! but who is Peter? "
Said Stephen,--"'Tis a downright riddle! "]
[Variant 22:
1836.
The Squire said, "Sure as paradise
Was lost to man by Adam's sinning,
This leap is for us all too bold; 1819.
Like winds that lash the waves, or smite
The woods, the autumnal foliage thinning--
"Hold! " said the Squire, "I pray you, hold! 1820.
The woods, autumnal foliage thinning--1827. ]
[Variant 23:
1845.
. . . its ponderous knell,
Its far-renowned alarum! 1819.
. . . his ponderous knell,
A far-renowned alarum! 1836.
. . . that ponderous knell--
His far-renowned alarum! 1840. ]
[Variant 24:
1820.
With Peter Bell, I need not tell
That this had never been the case;--1819. ]
[Variant 25:
1819.
. . . placid . . . 1820.
The text of 1827 returns to that of 1819. ]
[Variant 26:
1836.
. . . cheerfully . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 27:
1827.
Till he is brought to an old quarry, 1819. ]
[Variant 28: In the two editions of 1819 only.
"What! would'st thou daunt me grisly den?
Back must I, having come so far?
Stretch as thou wilt thy gloomy jaws,
I'll on, nor would I give two straws
For lantern or for star! "]
[Variant 29:
1820.
And so, where on the huge rough stones
The black and massy shadows lay,
And through the dark, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 30:
1827.
. . . made . . . 1819.
]
[Variant 31: In the two editions of 1819 only.
Now you'll suppose that Peter Bell
Felt small temptation here to tarry,
And so it was,--but I must add,
His heart was not a little glad
When he was out of the old quarry. ]
[Variant 32:
1827.
Across that . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 33:
1836.
And now he is among the trees; 1819. ]
[Variant 34:
"No doubt I'm founder'd in these woods--
For once," quoth he, "I will be wise,
With better speed I'll back again--
And, lest the journey should prove vain,
Will take yon Ass, my lawful prize! "
Off Peter hied,--"A comely beast!
Though not so plump as he might be;
My honest friend, with such a platter,
You should have been a little fatter,
But come, Sir, come with me! " 1819.
(The first of these stanzas was omitted in 1827 and afterwards;
the second was withdrawn in 1820. )]
[Variant 35:
1836.
But first doth Peter deem it fit
To spy about him far and near; 1819.
"A prize," cried Peter, stepping back
To spy . . . 1827. ]
[Variant 36:
1827.
. . . Ass's back, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 37:
1836.
With ready heel the creature's side; 1819.
With ready heel his shaggy side; 1827. ]
[Variant 38: In the editions of 1819 to 1832 only.
"What's this! " cried Peter, brandishing
A new-peel'd sapling white as cream;
The Ass knew well what Peter said,
But, as before, hung down his head
Over the silent stream. 1819.
A new-peeled sapling;--though, I deem,
The Ass knew well what Peter said,
He, as before, . . . 1820.
. . . --though I deem,
This threat was understood full well,
Firm, as before, the Sentinel
Stood by the silent stream. 1827. ]
[Variant 39:
1827.
"I'll cure you of these desperate tricks"--
And, with deliberate action slow,
His staff high-raising, in the pride
Of skill, upon the Ass's hide C. and 1819. ]
[Variant 40:
1836.
What followed? --yielding to the shock
The Ass, as if . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 41:
1836.
And then upon . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 42:
1840.
. . . as . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 43:
1819.
The Beast on his tormentor turned
A shining hazel eye. 1827.
His shining . . . 1832.
The edition of 1836 returns to the text of 1819. ]
[Variant 44:
1836.
Towards the river . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 45:
1832.
Heav'd his lank sides, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 46: 1836. In the two editions of 1819 this stanza formed two
stanzas, thus:
All by the moonlight river side
He gave three miserable groans,
"'Tis come then to a pretty pass,"
Said Peter to the groaning ass,
"But I will _bang_ your bones! "
And Peter halts to gather breath,
And now full clearly was it shown
(What he before in part had seen)
How gaunt was the poor Ass and lean,
Yea wasted to a skeleton! 1819.
In the editions of 1820-1832, only the second of these stanzas is
retained, with the following change of text in 1827:
And, while he halts, was clearly shown
(What he before in part had seen)
How gaunt the Creature was, and lean, 1827.
In the final text of 1836 the two stanzas of 1819 are compressed into
one (ll. 446-50). ]
[Variant 47:
1836.
But, while upon the ground he lay, 1819.
That instant, while outstretched he lay, 1827. ]
[Variant 48:
1836.
A loud and piteous bray! 1819. ]
[Variant 49:
1820.
Joy on . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 50:
1836.
. . . an endless shout,
The long dry see-saw . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 51:
1836.
And Peter now uplifts his eyes;
Steady the moon doth look and clear,
And like themselves the rocks appear,
And tranquil are the skies, 1819.
And quiet are the skies. 1820. ]
[Variant 52:
1836.
Whereat, in resolute mood, once more
He stoops the Ass's neck to seize--
Foul purpose, quickly put to flight!
For in the pool a startling sight
Meets him, beneath the shadowy trees. 1819. ]
[Variant 53:
1819.
. . . the gallows . . . 1832.
The text of 1836 returns to that of 1819. ]
[Variant 54:
1836.
Or a gay ring of shining fairies,
Such as pursue their brisk vagaries 1819. ]
[Variant 55: In the two editions of 1819 only.
Is it a party in a parlour?
Cramm'd just as they on earth were cramm'd--
Some sipping punch, some sipping tea,
But, as you by their faces see,
All silent and all damn'd! [a]]
[Variant 56:
1827.
A throbbing pulse the Gazer hath--
Puzzled he was, and now is daunted; 1819. ]
[Variant 57:
1836.
Like one intent upon a book--1819. ]
[Variant 58:
1836.
And drops, a senseless weight, . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 59:
1827.
A happy respite! --but he wakes;--
And feels the glimmering of the moon--
And to stretch forth his hands is trying;--
Sure, when he knows where he is lying,
He'll sink into a second swoon. 1819. ]
[Variant 60:
1827.
. . . placid . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 61:
1827.
So, faltering not in _this_ intent,
He makes his staff an instrument
The river's depth to sound--1819.
So toward the stream his head he bent,
And downward thrust his staff, intent
To reach the Man who there lay drowned. --1820. ]
[Variant 62:
1836.
The meagre Shadow all this while--
What aim is his? . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 63:
1836.
That Peter on his back should mount
He shows a wish, well as he can,
"I'll go, I'll go, whate'er betide--
He to his home my way will guide,
The cottage of the drowned man. " 1819. ]
But no--his purpose and his wish
The Suppliant shews, well as he can;
Thought Peter whatsoe'er betide
I'll go, and he my way will guide
To the cottage of the drowned man. 1820. ]
[Variant 64:
1836.
This utter'd, Peter mounts forthwith 1819.
This hoping, 1820.
Encouraged by this hope, he mounts 1827.
This hoping, Peter boldly mounts 1832. ]
[Variant 65:
1827.
The 1819. ]
[Variant 66:
1836.
And takes his way . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 67:
1840.
Holding . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 68:
1840 and c.
What seeks the boy? --the silent dead! 1819.
Seeking for whom? --. . . 1836. ]
[Variant 69:
1836.
Whom he hath sought . . . 1819. ]
[Variant 70:
1820.
.
