No More Learning

Take, then, thy seat, Vicegerent unreproved!
Now, while a farewell gleam of evening light
Is fondly lingering on thy shattered front,
Do thou, in turn, be paramount; and rule 25
Over the pomp and beauty of a scene
Whose mountains, torrents, lake, and woods, unite
To pay thee homage; and with these are joined,
In willing admiration and respect,
Two Hearts, which in thy presence might be called 30
Youthful as Spring. --Shade of departed Power,
Skeleton of unfleshed humanity,
The chronicle were welcome that should call
Into the compass of distinct regard
The toils and struggles of thy infant years! [2] 35
Yon foaming flood seems motionless as ice;
Its dizzy turbulence eludes the eye,
Frozen by distance; so, majestic Pile,
To the perception of this Age, appear
Thy fierce beginnings, softened and subdued 40
And quieted in character--the strife,
The pride, the fury uncontrollable,
Lost on the aerial heights of the Crusades! " [B]


* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1837.

. . . has . . . 1827. ]


[Variant 2:

1845.

. . . of thy infancy! 1827. ]


* * * * *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: The clause within brackets was added in 1837. --Ed. ]


[Footnote B: The Tradition is, that the Castle was built by a Lady
during the absence of her Lord in Palestine. --W. W. 1827. ]



From the following passage in Dorothy Wordsworth's 'Recollections' of
their Tour, it will be seen that the poet altered the text considerably
in making his quotation in 1827: August 31, 1803.

"When we had ascended half-way up the hill, directed by the man, I
took a nearer foot-path, and at the top came in view of a most
impressive scene, a ruined castle on an island almost in the middle of
the last compartment of the lake, backed by a mountain cove, down
which came a roaring stream. The castle occupied every foot of the
island that was visible to us, appearing to rise out of the water;
mists rested upon the mountain side, with spots of sunshine between;
there was a mild desolation in the low grounds, a solemn grandeur in
the mountains, and the castle was wild, yet stately, not dismantled of
its turrets, nor the walls broken down, though completely in ruin.
After having stood some minutes I joined William on the highroad, and
both wishing to stay longer near this place, we requested the man to
drive his little boy on to Dalmally, about two miles further, and
leave the car at the inn. He told us the ruin was called Kilchurn
Castle, that it belonged to Lord Breadalbane, and had been built by
one of the ladies of that family for her defence, during her lord's
absence at the Crusades; for which purpose she levied a tax of seven
years' rent upon her tenants; he said that from that side of the lake
it did not appear, in very dry weather, to stand upon an island, but
that it was possible to go over to it without being wet-shod. We were
very lucky in seeing it after a great flood; for its enchanting effect
was chiefly owing to its situation in the lake, a decayed palace
rising out of the plain of waters! I have called it a palace, for such
feeling it gave me, though having been built as a place of defence, a
castle or fortress. We turned again and reascended the hill, and sate
a long time in the middle of it looking on the castle, and the huge
mountain cove opposite, and William, addressing himself to the ruin,
poured out these verses. "

Compare Wordsworth's description of this ruin in his 'Guide through the
District of the Lakes'. --Ed.





* * * * *





ROB ROY'S GRAVE


Composed between 1803 and 1805. --Published 1807


The History of Rob Roy is sufficiently known; his Grave is near the head
of Loch Ketterine, in one of those small Pin-fold-like Burial-grounds,
of neglected and desolate appearance, which the Traveller meets with in
the Highlands of Scotland. --W. W. 1807.

[I have since been told that I was misinformed as to the burial-place of
Rob Roy. If so, I may plead in excuse that I wrote on apparently good
authority, namely, that of a well educated Lady who lived at the head of
the Lake, within a mile or less of the point indicated as containing the
remains of One so famous in the neighbourhood. --I. F. ]

In the copy of 'Rob Roy's Grave', transcribed in Dorothy Wordsworth's
'Recollections' of the Tour in Scotland of 1803, there are several
important variations of text, which occur in none of the printed
editions of the poem. These are indicated (to distinguish them from
other readings) by the initials D. W. --Ed.

One of the "Poems of Sentiment and Reflection" in 1815 and 1820. --Ed.




A famous man is Robin Hood,
The English ballad-singer's joy!
And Scotland has a thief as good,
An outlaw of as daring mood;

She has her brave ROB ROY! [1] 5
Then clear the weeds from off his Grave,
And let us chant a passing stave,
In honour of that Hero [2] brave!

Heaven gave Rob Roy a dauntless [3] heart
And wondrous length and strength of arm: [A] 10
Nor craved he more to quell his foes,
Or keep his friends from harm.

Yet was Rob Roy as _wise_ as brave;
Forgive me if the phrase be strong;--
A Poet worthy of Rob Roy 15
Must scorn a timid song.

Say, then, that he was wise as brave;
As wise in thought as bold in deed:
For in the principles of things
_He_ sought his moral creed. [4] 20

Said generous Rob, "What need of books?
Burn all the statutes and their shelves:
They stir us up against our kind;
And worse, against ourselves.

"We have a passion--make a law, 25
Too false to guide us or control!
And for the law itself we fight
In bitterness of soul.

"And, puzzled, blinded thus, we lose
Distinctions that are plain and few: 30
These find I graven on my heart:
_That_ tells me what to do.

"The creatures see of flood and field,
And those that travel on the wind!
With them no strife can last; they live 35
In peace, and peace of mind.

"For why? --because the good old rule
Sufficeth them, the simple plan,
That they should take, who have the power,
And they should keep who can. 40

"A lesson that [5] is quickly learned,
A signal this which all can see!
Thus nothing here provokes the strong
To wanton [6] cruelty.

"All freakishness [7] of mind is checked; 45
He tamed, who foolishly aspires;
While to the measure of his might [8]
Each fashions his desires. [9]

"All kinds, and creatures, stand and fall
By strength of prowess or of wit: 50
'Tis God's appointment who must sway,
And who is to submit.

"Since, then, the rule of right is plain, [10]
And longest life is but a day;
To have my ends, maintain my rights, 55
I'll take the shortest way. "

And thus among these rocks he lived,
Through summer heat and winter snow: [11]
The Eagle, he was lord above,
And Rob was lord below. 60

So was it--_would_, at least, have been
But through untowardness of fate;
For Polity was then too strong--
He came an age too late;

Or shall we say an age too soon? 65
For, were the bold Man living _now_,
How might he flourish in his pride,
With buds on every bough!

Then rents and factors, rights of chase,
Sheriffs, and lairds and their domains, [12] 70
Would all have seemed but paltry things,
Not worth a moment's pains.

Rob Roy had never lingered here,
To these few meagre Vales confined;
But thought how wide the world, the times 75
How fairly to his mind!

And to his Sword he would have said,
"Do Thou my sovereign will enact
From land to land through half the earth!
Judge thou of law and fact! 80

"'Tis fit that we should do our part,
Becoming, that mankind should learn
That we are not to be surpassed
In fatherly concern.

"Of old things all are over old, 85
Of good things none are good enough:--
We'll show that we can help to frame
A world of other stuff.

"I, too, will have my kings that take
From me the sign of life and death: 90
Kingdoms shall shift about, like clouds,
Obedient to my breath. "

And, if the word had been fulfilled,
As _might_ have been, then, thought of joy!
France would have had her present Boast, 95
And we our own [13] Rob Roy!

Oh! say not so; compare them not;
I would not wrong thee, Champion brave!
Would wrong thee nowhere; least of all
Here standing by thy grave. 100

For Thou, although with some wild thoughts
Wild Chieftain of a savage Clan!
Hadst this to boast of; thou didst love
The _liberty_ of man.

And, had it been thy lot to live 105
With us who now behold the light,
Thou would'st have nobly stirred thyself,
And battled for the Right.

For thou wert still [14] the poor man's stay,
The poor man's heart, the poor man's hand; 110
And all the oppressed, who wanted strength,
Had thine at their command. [15]

Bear witness many a pensive sigh
Of thoughtful Herdsman when he strays
Alone upon Loch Veol's heights, 115
And by Loch Lomond's braes!

And, far and near, through vale and hill,
Are faces that attest the same;
The proud heart flashing through the eyes, [16]
At sound of ROB ROY'S name. 120


* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1807.

And Scotland boasts of one as good,
She has her own Rob Roy. 1803. D. W. ]


[Variant 2:

1807.

. . . Outlaw . . . 1803. D. W. ]


[Variant 3:

1807.

. . . daring . . . 1803. D. W. ]


[Variant 4:

1807.

Stanzas 3 and 4 are thus combined by D. W. , and also in a printed (not
published) version, given in a copy of the 1807 edition.

Yet Robin was as wise as brave,
As wise in thought as bold in deed,
For in the principles of things
He sought his moral creed. ]


[Variant 5:

1827.

. . . which . . . 1807. ]


[Variant 6:

1807.

. . . tyrannous . . . 1803. D. W. ]


[Variant 7:

1807.

And freakishness . . . 1803. D. W. ]


[Variant 8:

1807.

. . . their . . . MS. ]


[Variant 9:

1807.

All fashion their desires. 1803. D. W. ]


[Variant 10:

1815.

"Since then," said Robin, "right is plain, 1807. ]


[Variant 11:

1827.

Through summer's heat and winter's snow: 1807. ]


[Variant 12:

1807.

The Rents and Land-marks, Rights of Chase,
Sheriffs and Factors, Lairds and Thanes, 1803. D. W.

Sheriffs and Factors, rights of chase,
Their Lairds, and their domains, MS. ]


[Variant 13:

1827.

. . . our brave . . . 1807. ]


[Variant 14:

1815.

For Robin was . . . 1807. ]


[Variant 15:

1815.

Had Robin's to command. 1807. ]


[Variant 16:

1827.

Kindling with instantaneous joy 1803. D. W.

And kindle, like a fire new stirr'd, 1807. ]


* * * * *

FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: The people of the neighbourhood of Loch Ketterine, in order
to prove the extraordinary length of their Hero's arm, tell you that "he
could garter his Tartan Stockings below the knee when standing upright. "
According to their account he was a tremendous Swordsman; after having
sought all occasions of proving his prowess, he was never conquered but
once, and this not till he was an Old Man. --W. W. 1807. ]


In Dorothy Wordsworth's 'Recollections' of the Scotch Tour the following
occurs:

"August 27, 1803. --We mentioned Rob Roy, and the eyes of all
glistened; even the lady of the house, who was very diffident, and no
great talker, exclaimed, 'He was a good man, Rob Roy! he had been dead
only about eighty years, had lived in the next farm, which belonged to
him, and there his bones were laid. ' He was a famous swordsman. Having
an arm much longer than other men, he had a greater command with his
sword. As a proof of the length of his arm, they told us that he could
garter his tartan stockings below the knee without stooping, and added
a dozen different stories of single combats, which he had fought, all
in perfect good humour, merely to prove his prowess. I daresay they
had stories of this kind which would hardly have been exhausted in the
long evenings of a whole December week, Rob Roy being as famous here
as even Robin Hood was in the forest of Sherwood; _he_ also robbed
from the rich, giving to the poor, and defending them from oppression.
They tell of his confining the factor of the Duke of Montrose in one
of the islands of Loch Ketterine, after having taken his money from
him--the Duke's rents--in open day, while they were sitting at table.
He was a formidable enemy of the Duke, but being a small laird against
a greater, was overcome at last, and forced to resign all his lands on
the Braes of Loch Lomond, including the caves which we visited, on
account of the money he had taken from the Duke and could not repay. "

September 12:

"Descended into Glengyle, above Loch Ketterine, and passed through Mr.
Macfarlane's grounds, that is, through the whole of the glen, where
there was now no house left but his. We stopped at his door to inquire
after the family, though with little hope of finding them at home,
having seen a large company at work in a hay-field, whom we
conjectured to be his whole household, as it proved, except a
servant-maid who answered our enquiries. We had sent the ferryman
forward from the head of the glen to bring the boat round from the
place where he left it to the other side of the lake. Passed the same
farm-house we had such good reason to remember, and went up to the
burying-ground that stood so sweetly near the water-side. The ferryman
had told us that Rob Roy's grave was there, so we could not pass on
without going up to the spot. There were several tombstones, but the
inscriptions were either worn-out or unintelligible to us, and the
place choked up with nettles and brambles. You will remember the
description I have given of the spot. I have nothing here to add,
except the following poem which it suggested to William. "

Rob Roy was buried at the Kirkton of Balquhidder, near the outlet of
Loch Voil in Perthshire. There are three sculptured stones in the rude
burial-place of the Macgregors, at the eastern end of the old church.
The one with the long claymore marks the resting-place of Rob Roy's
wife; the one opposite on the other side is the tomb of his eldest son;
and the central stone, more elaborately carved, marks the grave of the
hero himself. --Ed.





* * * * *





SONNET COMPOSED AT----CASTLE


Composed September 18, 1803. --Published 1807


[The castle here mentioned was Nidpath near Peebles. The person alluded
to was the then Duke of Queensbury. The fact was told to me by Walter
Scott. --I. F. ]

In 1815 and 1820 this was one of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets. "--Ed.




Degenerate Douglas! oh, the unworthy Lord!
Whom mere despite of heart could so far please, [1]
And love of havoc, (for with such disease
Fame taxes him,) that he could send forth word
To level with the dust a noble horde, 5
A brotherhood of venerable Trees,
Leaving an ancient dome, and towers like these,
Beggared and outraged! --Many hearts deplored
The fate of those old Trees; and oft with pain
The traveller, at this day, will stop and gaze 10
On wrongs, which Nature scarcely seems to heed:
For sheltered places, bosoms, nooks, and bays,
And the pure mountains, and the gentle Tweed,
And the green silent pastures, yet remain.


* * * * *

VARIANT ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1807.

Now as I live, I pity that great Lord,
Whom pure despite . . .

MS. letter to Sir Walter Scott. Oct. 1803.

Ill wishes shall attend the unworthy Lord MS. ]



"Sunday, September 18th. --After breakfast walked up the river to
Neidpath Castle, about a mile and a half from the town. The castle
stands upon a green hill, over-looking the Tweed, a strong
square-towered edifice, neglected and desolate, though not in ruin,
the garden overgrown with grass, and the high walls that fenced it
broken down. The Tweed winds between green steeps, upon which, and
close to the river side, large flocks of sheep pasturing; higher still
are the grey mountains; but I need not describe the scene, for William
has done it better than I could do in a sonnet which he wrote the same
day; the five last lines, at least, of his poem will impart to you
more of the feeling of the place than it would be possible for me to
do. "

(Dorothy Wordsworth's 'Recollections of a Tour made in Scotland'. )
Writing to Sir Walter Scott (October 16, 1803), Wordsworth enclosed a
copy of this sonnet, with the variation of text which has been quoted.
Lockhart tells us

"in that original shape Scott always recited it, and few lines in the
language were more frequently in his mouth. "

Compare Burns' 'Verses on the destruction of the Woods near Drumlanrig',
which refer to the same subject. --Ed.





* * * * *





YARROW UNVISITED


Composed 1803. --Published 1807


See the various Poems the scene of which is laid upon the Banks of the
Yarrow; in particular, the exquisite Ballad of Hamilton, beginning:

"Busk ye, busk ye, my bonny, bonny Bride,
Busk ye, busk ye, my winsome Marrow! "

W. W. 1807.


One of the "Poems of the Imagination" in 1815 and 1820. --Ed.




From Stirling castle we had seen
The mazy Forth unravelled;
Had trod the banks of Clyde, and Tay,
And with the Tweed had travelled;
And when we came to Clovenford, 5
Then said my "_winsome Marrow_,"
"Whate'er betide, we'll turn aside,
And see the Braes of Yarrow. "

"Let Yarrow folk, _frae_ Selkirk town,
Who have been buying, selling, 10
Go back to Yarrow, 'tis their own;
Each maiden to her dwelling!
On Yarrow's banks let herons feed,
Hares couch, and rabbits burrow!
But we will downward [1] with the Tweed, 15
Nor turn aside to Yarrow.

"There's Galla Water, Leader Haughs,
Both lying right before us;
And Dryborough, where with chiming Tweed
The lintwhites sing in chorus; 20
There's pleasant Tiviot-dale, a land
Made blithe with plough and harrow:
Why throw away a needful day
To go in search of Yarrow?

"What's Yarrow but a river bare, 25
That glides the dark hills under?
There are a thousand such elsewhere
As worthy of your wonder. "
--Strange words they seemed of slight and scorn;
My True-love sighed for sorrow; 30
And looked me in the face, to think
I thus could speak of Yarrow!

"Oh! green," said I, "are Yarrow's holms,
And sweet is Yarrow flowing!
Fair hangs the apple frae the rock, [A] 35
But we will leave it growing.
O'er hilly path, and open Strath,
We'll wander Scotland thorough;
But, though so near, we will not turn
Into the dale of Yarrow. 40

"Let beeves and home-bred kine partake
The sweets of Burn-mill meadow;
The swan on still St. Mary's Lake
Float double, swan and shadow! [B]
We will not see them; will not go, 45
To-day, nor yet to-morrow;
Enough if in our hearts we know
There's such a place as Yarrow.

"Be Yarrow stream unseen, unknown!
It must, or we shall rue it: 50
We have a vision of our own;
Ah! why should we undo it?
The treasured dreams of times long past,
We'll keep them, winsome Marrow!
For when we're there, although 'tis fair, 55
'Twill be another Yarrow.

"If Care with freezing years should come,
And wandering seem but folly,--
Should we be loth to stir from home,
And yet be melancholy; 60
Should life be dull, and spirits low,
'Twill soothe us in our sorrow,
That earth has something yet to show,
The bonny holms of Yarrow! "


* * * * *

VARIANT ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1832.

. . . downwards . . . 1807. ]


* * * * *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: See Hamilton's Ballad as above. --W. W. 1807. ]


[Footnote B: In his "Recollections of Wordsworth," Aubrey de Vere
reports a conversation, in which the poet said to him,

"Scott misquoted in one of his novels my lines on 'Yarrow', He makes
me write,

'The swans on sweet St. Mary's Lake
Float double, swans and shadow;'

but I wrote,

'The _swan_ on _still_ St. Mary's Lake. '

Never could I have written 'swans' in the plural. The scene when I saw
it, with its still and dim lake, under the dusky hills, was one of
utter loneliness: there was _one_ swan, and one only, stemming the
water, and the pathetic loneliness of the region gave importance to
the one companion of that swan, its own white image in the water. It
was for that reason that I recorded the Swan and the Shadow. Had there
been many swans and many shadows, they would have implied nothing as
regards the character of the place; and I should have said nothing
about them. "

See his 'Essays, chiefly on Poetry', vol. ii. p. 277.

Wordsworth wrote to his friend, Walter Scott, to thank him for a copy of
'The Lay of the Last Minstrel', and in return sent a copy of these
stanzas, 'Yarrow Unvisited'. Scott replied gratefully on the 16th March
1805, and said,

". . . I by no means admit your apology, however ingeniously and
artfully stated, for not visiting the bonny holms of Yarrow, and
certainly will not rest till I have prevailed upon you to compare the
ideal with the real stream. "

Wordsworth had asked him if he could suggest any name more true to the
place than Burnmill, in the line, "The sweets of Burn-mill meadow. "
Scott replied:

"We have Broad-meadow upon Yarrow, which with the addition of green or
fair or any other epithet of one syllable, will give truth to the
locality, and supply the place of Burnmill meadow, which we have not.
. . . I like your swan upon St. Mary's Lake. How came you to know that
it is actually frequented by that superb bird? "

(See 'Familiar Letters of Sir Walter Scott', vol. i. pp. 28, 29. )--Ed. ]



"September 18, 1803. --We left the Tweed when we were within about a
mile and a half or two miles of Clovenford, where we were to lodge.
Turned up the side of a hill, and went along sheep-grounds till we
reached the spot--a single stone house, without a tree near it or to
be seen from it. On our mentioning Mr. Scott's name, the woman of the
house showed us all possible civility, but her slowness was really
amusing. I should suppose it a house little frequented, for there is
no appearance of an inn. Mr. Scott, who she told me was a very clever
gentleman, 'goes there in the fishing season;' but indeed Mr. Scott is
respected everywhere; I believe that by favour of his name one might
be hospitably entertained throughout all the borders of Scotland. We
dined and drank tea--did not walk out, for there was no temptation; a
confined barren prospect from the window.

"At Clovenford, being so near to the Yarrow, we could not but think of
the possibility of going thither, but came to the conclusion of
reserving the pleasure for some future time, in consequence of which,
after our return, William wrote the poem which I shall here
transcribe. "

(From Dorothy Wordsworth's 'Recollections of a Tour made in Scotland',
1803. )--Ed.





* * * * *





THE MATRON OF JEDBOROUGH AND HER HUSBAND


Composed between 1803 and 1805. --Published 1807


At Jedborough we went into private Lodgings for a few days; and the
following Verses were called forth by the character, and domestic
situation, of our Hostess. --W. W. 1807.

One of the "Poems referring to the Period of Old Age" in 1815 and
1820. --Ed.




Age! twine thy brows with fresh spring flowers,
And call a train of laughing Hours;
And bid them dance, and bid them sing;
And thou, too, mingle in the ring!
Take to thy heart a new delight; 5
If not, make merry in despite
That [1] there is One who scorns thy power:--
But dance! for under Jedborough Tower,
A Matron dwells who, though she bears
The weight of more than seventy years, 10
Lives in the light of youthful glee, [2]
And she will dance and sing with thee.

Nay! start not at that Figure--there!
Him who is rooted to his chair!
Look at him--look again! for he 15
Hath long been of thy family.
With legs that move not, if they can,
And useless arms, a trunk of man,
He sits, and with a vacant eye;
A sight to make a stranger sigh! 20
Deaf, drooping, that is now his doom:
His world is in this single room:
Is this a place for mirthful cheer? [3]
Can merry-making enter here? [A]

The joyous Woman is the Mate 25
Of him in that forlorn estate!
He breathes a subterraneous damp;
But bright as Vesper shines her lamp:
He is as mute as Jedborough Tower:
She jocund as it was of yore, 30
With all its bravery on; in times
When all alive with merry chimes,
Upon a sun-bright morn of May,
It roused the Vale to holiday.

I praise thee, Matron! and thy due 35
Is praise, heroic praise, and true!
With admiration I behold
Thy gladness unsubdued and bold:
Thy looks, thy gestures, all present
The picture of a life well spent: 40
This do I see; and something more;
A strength unthought of heretofore!
Delighted am I for thy sake;
And yet a higher joy partake:
Our Human-nature throws away 45
Its second twilight, and looks gay;
A land of promise and of pride
Unfolding, wide as life is wide.

Ah! see her helpless Charge! enclosed
Within himself as seems, composed; 50
To fear of loss, and hope of gain,
The strife of happiness and pain,
Utterly dead! yet in the guise
Of little infants, when their eyes
Begin to follow to and fro 55
The persons that before them go,
He tracks her motions, quick or slow.
Her buoyant spirit can prevail
Where common cheerfulness would fail;
She strikes upon him with the heat 60
Of July suns; he feels it sweet;
An animal delight though dim!
'Tis all that now remains for him!

The more I looked, I wondered more--
And, while I scanned them o'er and o'er, [4] 65
Some inward trouble suddenly
Broke from the Matron's strong black eye--[5]
A remnant of uneasy light,
A flash of something over-bright! [B]
Nor long this mystery did detain 70
My thoughts;--she told in pensive strain [6]
That she had borne a heavy yoke,
Been stricken by a twofold stroke;
Ill health of body; and had pined
Beneath worse ailments of the mind. 75

So be it! --but let praise ascend
To Him who is our lord and friend!
Who from disease and suffering
[7] Hath called for thee a second spring;
Repaid thee for that sore distress 80
By no untimely joyousness;
Which makes of thine a blissful state;
And cheers thy melancholy Mate!


* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1827.

For . . . 1807. ]


[Variant 2:

1837.

. . . under Jedborough Tower
There liveth in the prime of glee,
A Woman, whose years are seventy-three,
And She . . . 1807.

There lives a woman of seventy-three,
And she will dance and sing with thee, MS.

A Matron dwells, who though she bears
Our mortal complement of years,
Lives in the light of youthful glee, 1827. ]


[Variant 3:

1827.

. . . for mirth and cheer? 1807. ]


[Variant 4:

1827.

I look'd, I scann'd her o'er and o'er;
The more I look'd I wonder'd more: 1807. ]


[Variant 5:

1837.

When suddenly I seem'd to espy
A trouble in her strong black eye; 1807.

A moment gave me to espy
A trouble . . . 1827. ]


[Variant 6:

1827.

And soon she made this matter plain;
And told me, in a thoughtful strain, 1807. ]


[Variant 7:

As bad almost as Life can bring, Added in MS. ]



* * * * *

FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: Compare Tennyson's 'Deserted House', stanza iv. :

'Come away: no more of mirth
Is here, or merry-making sound. '

Ed. ]


[Footnote B: Compare stanza xiii. of 'Resolution and Independence', p.
318.