But on our proffer'd
kindness
still did lay 1803.
William Wordsworth
507.
Ed.
]
* * * * *
ON THE EXTINCTION OF THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC
Composed August, 1802. --Published 1807
This and the following ten sonnets were included among the "Sonnets
dedicated to Liberty"; re-named in 1845, "Poems dedicated to National
Independence and Liberty. "--Ed.
Once did She hold the gorgeous east in fee;
And was the safeguard of the west: the worth
Of Venice did not fall below her birth,
Venice, the eldest Child of Liberty.
She was a maiden City, bright and free; 5
No guile seduced, no force could violate;
And, when she took unto herself a Mate,
She must espouse the everlasting Sea. [A]
And what if she had seen those glories fade,
Those titles vanish, and that strength decay; 10
Yet shall some tribute of regret be paid
When her long life hath reached its final day:
Men are we, and must grieve when even the Shade
Of that which once was great, is passed away.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: Compare 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage' (canto iv. II):
'The spouseless Adriatic mourns her lord. '
Ed. ]
"Once did She hold the gorgeous east in fee. "
The special glory of Venice dates from the conquest of Constantinople by
the Latins in 1202. The fourth Crusade--in which the French and
Venetians alone took part--started from Venice, in October 1202, under
the command of the Doge, Henry Dandolo. Its aim, however, was not the
recovery of Palestine, but the conquest of Constantinople. At the close
of the crusade, Venice received the Morea, part of Thessaly, the
Cyclades, many of the Byzantine cities, and the coasts of the
Hellespont, with three-eighths of the city of Constantinople itself, the
Doge taking the curious title of Duke of three-eighths of the Roman
Empire.
"And was the safeguard of the west. "
This may refer to the prominent part which Venice took in the Crusades,
or to the development of her naval power, which made her mistress of the
Mediterranean for many years, and an effective bulwark against invasions
from the East.
"The eldest Child of Liberty. "
The origin of the Venetian State was the flight of many of
the inhabitants of the mainland--on the invasion of Italy by
Attila--to the chain of islands that lie at the head of the
Adriatic.
"In the midst of the waters, free, indigent, laborious, and
inaccessible, they gradually coalesced into a republic: the first
foundations of Venice were laid in the island of Rialto. . . . On the
verge of the two empires the Venetians exult in the belief of
primitive and perpetual independence. "
Gibbon's 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire', chap. lx.
"And, when she took unto herself a Mate,
She must espouse the everlasting Sea. "
In 1177, Pope Alexander III. appealed to the Venetian Republic for
protection against the German Emperor. The Venetians were successful in
a naval battle at Saboro, against Otho, the son of Frederick Barbarossa.
In return, the Pope presented the Doge Liani with a ring, with which he
told him to wed the Adriatic, that posterity might know that the sea was
subject to Venice, "as a bride is to her husband. "
In September 1796, nearly six years before this sonnet was written, the
fate of the old Venetian Republic was sealed by the treaty of Campo
Formio. The French army under Napoleon had subdued Italy, and, having
crossed the Alps, threatened Vienna. To avert impending disaster, the
Emperor Francis arranged a treaty which extinguished the Venetian
Republic. He divided its territory between himself and Napoleon, Austria
retaining Istria, Dalmatia, and the left bank of the Adige in the
Venetian State, with the "maiden city" itself; France receiving the rest
of the territory and the Ionian Islands. Since the date of that treaty
the city has twice been annexed to Italy. --Ed.
* * * * *
THE KING OF SWEDEN
Composed August, 1802. --Published 1807
The Voice of song from distant lands shall call
To that great [1] King; shall hail the crowned Youth
Who, taking counsel of unbending Truth,
By one example hath set forth to all
How they with dignity may stand; or fall, 5
If fall they must. Now, whither doth it tend?
And what to him and his shall be the end?
That thought is one which neither can appal
Nor cheer him; for the illustrious Swede hath done
The thing which ought to be; is raised _above_ [2] 10
All consequences: work he hath begun
Of fortitude, and piety, and love,
Which all his glorious ancestors approve:
The heroes bless him, him their rightful son.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1807.
. . . bold . . . In 1838 only. ]
[Variant 2:
1845.
. . . He stands _above_ 1807. ]
The following is Wordsworth's note to this sonnet, added in 1837:
"In this and a succeeding Sonnet on the same subject, let me be
understood as a Poet availing himself of the situation which the King
of Sweden occupied, and of the principles AVOWED IN HIS MANIFESTOS; as
laying hold of these advantages for the purpose of embodying moral
truths. This remark might, perhaps, as well have been suppressed; for
to those who may be in sympathy with the course of these Poems, it
will be superfluous; and will, I fear, be thrown away upon that other
class, whose besotted admiration of the intoxicated despot hereafter
placed [A] in contrast with him, is the most melancholy evidence of
degradation in British feeling and intellect which the times have
furnished. "
The king referred to is Gustavus IV. , who was born in 1778, proclaimed
king in 1792, and died in 1837. His first public act after his accession
was to join in the coalition against Napoleon, and dislike of Napoleon
was the main-spring of his policy. It is to this that Wordsworth refers
in the sonnet:
'. . . the illustrious Swede hath done
The thing which ought to be . . . '
It made him unpopular, however, and gave rise to a conspiracy against
him, and to his consequent abdication in 1809. He "died forgotten and in
poverty. "--Ed.
[Footnote A: See the sonnet beginning "Call not the royal Swede
unfortunate," vol. iv. p. 224. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
TO TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE
Composed August, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
Toussaint, the most unhappy man of men! [B]
Whether the whistling Rustic tend his plough
Within thy hearing, or thy head be now
Pillowed in some deep dungeon's earless den;--[1]
O miserable Chieftain! where and when 5
Wilt thou find patience? Yet die not; do thou
Wear rather in thy bonds a cheerful brow:
Though fallen thyself, never to rise again,
Live, and take comfort. [2] Thou hast left behind
Powers that will work for thee; air, earth, and skies; 10
There's not a breathing of the common wind
That will forget thee; thou hast great allies;
Thy friends are exultations, agonies,
And love, and man's unconquerable mind. [C]
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1827.
Whether the rural milk-maid by her cow
Sing in thy hearing, or thou liest now
Alone in some deep dungeon's earless den, 1803.
Whether the all-cheering sun be free to shed
His beams around thee, or thou rest thy head
Pillowed in some dark dungeon's noisome den, 1815.
Whether the whistling Rustic tend his plough
Within thy hearing, or Thou liest now
Buried in some deep dungeon's earless den;--1820. ]
[Variant 2:
1807.
. . . Yet die not; be thou
Life to thyself in death; with chearful brow
Live, loving death, nor let one thought in ten
Be painful to thee . . . 1803. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: But previously printed in 'The Morning Post' of February 2,
1803, under the signature W. L. D. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare Massinger, 'The Bondman', act I. scene iii. l. 8:
'Her man of men, Timoleon. '
Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare Rowe's 'Tamerlane', iii. 2:
'But to subdue the unconquerable mind. '
Also Gray's poem 'The Progress of Poesy', ii. 2, l. 10:
'Th' unconquerable Mind, and Freedom's holy flame. '
Ed. ]
Francois Dominique Toussaint (who was surnamed L'Ouverture), the child
of African slaves, was born at St. Domingo in 1743. He was a Royalist in
political sympathy till 1794, when the decree of the French convention,
giving liberty to the slaves, brought him over to the side of the
Republic. He was made a general of division by Laveux, and succeeded in
taking the whole of the north of the island from the English. In 1796 he
was made chief of the French army of St. Domingo, and first the British
commander, and next the Spanish, surrendered everything to him. He
became governor of the island, which prospered under his rule. Napoleon,
however, in 1801, issued an edict re-establishing slavery in St.
Domingo. Toussaint professed obedience, but showed that he meant to
resist the edict. A fleet of fifty-four vessels was sent from France to
enforce it. Toussaint was proclaimed an outlaw. He surrendered, and was
received with military honours, but was treacherously arrested and sent
to Paris in June 1802, where he died, in April 1803, after ten months'
hardship in prison. He had been two months in prison when Wordsworth
addressed this sonnet to him. --Ed.
* * * * *
COMPOSED IN THE VALLEY NEAR DOVER, ON THE DAY OF LANDING
Composed August 30, 1802. --Published 1807
Here, on our native soil, we breathe once more. [1]
The cock that crows, the smoke that curls, that sound
Of bells;--those boys who [2] in yon meadow-ground
In white-sleeved shirts are playing; [A] and the roar
Of the waves breaking on the chalky shore;--[3] 5
All, all are English. Oft have I looked round
With joy in Kent's green vales; but never found
Myself so satisfied in heart before.
Europe is yet in bonds; but let that pass,
Thought for another moment. Thou art free, 10
My Country! and 'tis joy enough and pride
For one hour's perfect bliss, to tread the grass
Of England once again, and hear and see,
With such a dear Companion at my side.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1827.
Dear fellow Traveller! here we are once more. 1807. ]
[Variant 2:
1820.
. . . that . . . 1807. ]
[Variant 3:
1815.
In white sleev'd shirts are playing by the score,
And even this little River's gentle roar, 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: At the beginning of Dorothy Wordsworth's 'Journal of a Tour
on the Continent' in 1820, she writes (July 10, 1820):
"When within a mile of Dover saw crowds of people at a cricket match,
the numerous combatants dressed in 'white-sleeved shirts;' and it was
in the very same field, where, when we 'trod the grass of England once
again,' twenty years ago, we had seen an assemblage of youths, engaged
in the same sport, so very like the present that all might have been
the same. (See my brother's sonnet. )"
Ed. ]
Dorothy Wordsworth writes in her Journal,
"On Sunday, the 29th of August, we left Calais, at twelve o'clock in
the morning, and landed at Dover at one on Monday the 30th. It was
very pleasant to me, when we were in the harbour at Dover, to breathe
the fresh air, and to look up and see the stars among the ropes of the
vessel. The next day was very hot, we bathed, and sat upon the Dover
Cliffs, and looked upon France with many a melancholy and tender
thought. We could see the shores almost as plain as if it were but an
English lake. We mounted the coach, and arrived in London at six, the
30th August. "
Ed.
* * * * *
SEPTEMBER 1, 1802
Composed September 1, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
Among the capricious acts of Tyranny that disgraced these times, was the
chasing of all Negroes from France by decree of the Government: we had a
Fellow-passenger who was one of the expelled. --W. W. 1827.
We had a female Passenger who came [1]
From Calais with us, spotless [2] in array,
A white-robed Negro, [3] like a lady gay,
Yet downcast [4] as a woman fearing blame;
Meek, destitute, as seemed, of hope or aim [5] 5
She sate, from notice turning not away,
But on all proffered intercourse did lay [6]
A weight of languid speech, or to the same
No sign of answer made by word or face:
Yet still her eyes retained their tropic fire, 10
That, burning independent of the mind,
Joined with the lustre of her rich attire
To mock the Outcast--O ye Heavens, be kind!
And feel, thou Earth, for this afflicted Race! [7]
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1845.
We had a fellow-passenger that came 1803.
. . . who . . . 1807.
Driven from the soil of France, a Female came 1827.
The edition of 1838 returns to the text of 1807, but the edition of 1840
reverts to that of 1827. ]
[Variant 2:
1845.
. . . gaudy . . . 1803.
. . . brilliant . . . 1827. ]
[Variant 3:
1845.
A negro woman, . . . 1803. ]
[Variant 4:
1827.
Yet silent . . . 1803. ]
[Variant 5:
1827.
Dejected, downcast, meek, and more than tame: 1803.
Dejected, meek, yea pitiably tame, 1807. ]
[Variant 6:
1827.
But on our proffer'd kindness still did lay 1803. ]
[Variant 7:
1845.
. . . or at the same
Was silent, motionless in eyes and face.
She was a negro woman, out of France,
Rejected, like all others of that race:
Not one of whom may now find footing there.
What is the meaning of this ordinance?
Dishonour'd Despots, tell us if ye dare. 1803.
. . . driv'n from France,
Rejected like all others of that race,
Not one of whom may now find footing there;
This the poor Out-cast did to us declare,
Nor murmur'd at the unfeeling Ordinance. 1807.
Meanwhile those eyes retained their tropic fire,
Which, burning independent of the mind,
Joined with the lustre of her rich attire
To mock the outcast--O ye Heavens, be kind!
And feel, thou Earth, for this afflicted Race! 1827.
Yet still those eyes retained their tropic fire, 1837. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: First printed in 'The Morning Post', February 11, 1803,
under the title of 'The Banished Negroes', and signed W. L. D. --Ed. ]
It was a natural arrangement which led Wordsworth to place this sonnet,
in his edition of 1807, immediately after the one addressed 'To
Toussaint L'Ouverture'. --Ed.
* * * * *
SEPTEMBER, 1802, NEAR DOVER [A]
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
Inland, within a hollow vale, I stood;
And saw, while sea was calm and air was clear,
The coast of France--the coast of France how near!
Drawn almost into frightful neighbourhood.
I shrunk; for verily the barrier flood 5
Was like a lake, or river bright and fair,
A span of waters; yet what power is there!
What mightiness for evil and for good! [B]
Even so doth God protect us if we be
Virtuous and wise. Winds blow, and waters roll, 10
Strength to the brave, and Power, and Deity;
Yet in themselves are nothing! One decree
Spake laws to _them_, and said that by the soul
Only, the Nations shall be great and free.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: From 1807 to 1843 the title was 'September, 1802'; "near
Dover" appeared in the "Sonnets" of 1838, but did not become a permanent
part of the title until 1845. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare in S. T. 'Coleridge's Ode to the Departing Year',
stanza vii. :
'And Ocean 'mid his uproar wild
Speaks safety to his island-child. '
Ed. ]
In 'The Friend' (ed. 1818, vol. i. p. 107), Coleridge writes:
"The narrow seas that form our boundaries, what were they in times of
old? The convenient highway for Danish and Norman pirates. What are
they now? Still, but a 'Span of Waters. ' Yet they roll at the base of
the Ararat, on which the Ark of the Hope of Europe and of Civilization
rested! "
He then quotes this sonnet from the line "Even so doth God protect us if
we be. "
The note appended to the sonnet, 'Composed in the Valley near Dover, on
the day of Landing' (p. 341), shows that this one refers to the same
occasion; and that while "Inland, within a hollow vale," Wordsworth was,
at the same time, on the Dover Cliffs; the "vale" being one of the
hollow clefts in the headland, which front the Dover coast-line. The
sonnet may, however, have been finished afterwards in London. --Ed.
* * * * *
WRITTEN IN LONDON, SEPTEMBER, 1802
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
[This was written immediately after my return from France to London,
when I could not but be struck, as here described, with the vanity and
parade of our own country, especially in great towns and cities, as
contrasted with the quiet, and I may say the desolation, that the
Revolution had produced in France. This must be borne in mind, or else
the reader may think that in this and the succeeding Sonnets I have
exaggerated the mischief engendered and fostered among us by undisturbed
wealth. It would not be easy to conceive with what a depth of feeling I
entered into the struggle carried on by the Spaniards for their
deliverance from the usurped power of the French. Many times have I gone
from Allan Bank in Grasmere Vale, where we were then residing, to the
top of Raise-gap, as it is called, so late as two o'clock in the
morning, to meet the carrier bringing the newspapers from Keswick.
Imperfect traces of the state of mind in which I then was may be found
in my tract on the Convention of Cintra, as well as in these
Sonnets. --I. F. ]
O FRIEND! [A] I know not which way I must look [1]
For comfort, being, as I am, opprest,
To think that now our life is only drest
For show; mean handy-work of craftsman, cook,
Or groom! --We must run glittering like a brook 5
In the open sunshine, or we are unblest:
The wealthiest man among us is the best:
No grandeur now in nature or in book
Delights us. Rapine, avarice, expense,
This is idolatry; and these we adore: 10
Plain living and high thinking are no more:
The homely beauty of the good old cause
Is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence,
And pure religion breathing household laws. [B]
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1807.
O thou proud City! which way shall I look 1838.
The text of 1840 returns to that of 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: The "Friend" was Coleridge. In the original MS. it stands
"Coleridge! I know not," etc. Wordsworth changed it in the proof
stage. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare--in Hartley Coleridge's 'Lives of Distinguished
Northerners'--what is said of this sonnet, in his life of Anne Clifford,
where the passing cynicism of Wordsworth's poem is pointed out. --Ed. ]
Wordsworth stayed in London from August 30th to September 22nd 1802. --Ed.
* * * * *
LONDON, 1802
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
Milton! thou should'st be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower 5
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;
Oh! raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.
Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea: 10
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life's common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet [A] thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself [1] did lay.
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1820.
. . . itself . . . 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: In old English "yet" means "continuously" or "always"; and
it is still used in Cumberland with this signification. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
"GREAT MEN HAVE BEEN AMONG US; HANDS THAT PENNED"
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
Great men have been among us; hands that penned
And tongues that uttered wisdom--better none:
The later Sidney, Marvel, Harrington,
Young Vane, [A] and others who called Milton friend.
These moralists could act and comprehend: 5
They knew how genuine glory was put on;
Taught us how rightfully a nation shone
In splendour: what strength was, that would not bend
But in [1] magnanimous meekness. France, 'tis strange,
Hath brought forth no such souls as we had then. 10
Perpetual emptiness! unceasing change!
No single volume paramount, no code,
No master spirit, no determined road;
But equally a want of books and men!
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1807.
But to . . . MS. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: See Clarendon's 'History of the Rebellion', book iii. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
"IT IS NOT TO BE THOUGHT OF THAT THE FLOOD"
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
It is not to be thought of that the Flood
Of British freedom, which, to the open sea
Of the world's praise, from dark antiquity
Hath flowed, "with pomp of waters, unwithstood,"[B]
Roused though it be full often to a mood 5
Which spurns the check of salutary bands, [1]
That this most famous Stream in bogs and sands
Should perish; and to evil and to good
Be lost for ever. In our halls is hung
Armoury of the invincible Knights of old: 10
We must be [2] free or die, who speak the tongue
That Shakespeare spake; the faith and morals hold
Which Milton held. --In every thing we are sprung
Of Earth's first blood, have titles manifold.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1827.
. . . unwithstood,
Road by which all might come and go that would,
And bear out freights of worth to foreign lands; 1803. ]
[Variant 2:
1807.
. . . must live . . . 1803. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: It was first printed in 'The Morning Post', April 16. 1803,
and signed W. L. D. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare Daniel's 'Civil War', book ii. stanza 7. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
"WHEN I HAVE BORNE IN MEMORY WHAT HAS TAMED"
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
When I have borne in memory what has tamed
Great Nations, how ennobling thoughts depart
When men change swords for ledgers, and desert
The student's bower for gold, some fears unnamed
I had, my Country! --am I to be blamed? 5
Now, [1] when I think of thee, and what thou art,
Verily, in the bottom of my heart,
Of those unfilial fears I am ashamed. [2]
For dearly must we prize thee; we who find
In thee a bulwark for the cause of men; [3] 10
And I by my affection was beguiled:
What wonder if a Poet now and then,
Among the many movements of his mind,
Felt for thee as a lover or a child!
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1.
1845.
But,. . . 1803. ]
[Variant 2.
1807.
I of those fears of mine am much ashamed. 1803. ]
[Variant 3.
1845.
But dearly do I prize thee for I find
In thee a bulwark of the cause of men; 1803.
But dearly must we prize thee; we who find 1807.
. . . for the cause of men; 1827.
Most dearly 1838.
The text of 1840 returns to that of 1827. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: But printed previously in 'The Morning Post', September 17,
1803, under the title 'England', and signed W. L. D. Also, see
Coleridge's 'Poems on Political Events', 1828-9. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
COMPOSED AFTER A JOURNEY ACROSS THE HAMBLETON HILLS, [A] YORKSHIRE
Composed October 4, 1802. --Published 1807
[Composed October 4th, 1802, after a journey over the Hambleton Hills,
on a day memorable to me--the day of my marriage. The horizon commanded
by those hills is most magnificent. The next day, while we were
travelling in a post-chaise up Wensleydale, we were stopped by one of
the horses proving restive, and were obliged to wait two hours in a
severe storm before the post-boy could fetch from the inn another to
supply its place. The spot was in front of Bolton Hall, where Mary Queen
of Scots was kept prisoner, soon after her unfortunate landing at
Workington. The place then belonged to the Scroops, and memorials of her
are yet preserved there. To beguile the time I composed a Sonnet. The
subject was our own confinement contrasted with hers; but it was not
thought worthy of being preserved. --I. F. ]
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets. "--Ed.
Dark and more dark the shades of evening fell;
The wished-for point was reached--but at an hour
When little could be gained from that rich dower [1]
Of prospect, whereof many thousands tell.
Yet did the glowing west with marvellous power 5
Salute us; there stood Indian citadel,
Temple of Greece, and minster with its tower
Substantially expressed--a place for bell
Or clock to toll from! Many a tempting isle,
With groves that never were imagined, lay 10
'Mid seas how steadfast! objects all for the eye
Of silent rapture; but we felt the while [2]
We should forget them; they are of the sky,
And from our earthly memory fade away.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1837.
Ere we had reach'd the wish'd-for place, night fell:
We were too late at least by one dark hour,
And nothing could we see of all that power
Of prospect, . . . 1807.
Dark, and more dark, the shades of Evening fell;
The wish'd-for point was reach'd--but late the hour;
And little could we see of all that power 1815.
And little could be gained from all that dower 1827. ]
[Variant 2:
1837.
The western sky did recompence us well
With Grecian Temple, Minaret, and Bower;
And, in one part, a Minster with its Tower
Substantially distinct, a place for Bell
Or Clock to toll from. Many a glorious pile
Did we behold, sights that might well repay
All disappointment! and, as such, the eye
Delighted in them; but we felt, the while, 1807.
Substantially expressed--. . . 1815.
Did we behold, fair sights that might repay 1815.
Yet did the glowing west in all its power 1827.
The text of 1827 is otherwise identical with that of 1837. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: Called by Wordsworth, "The Hamilton Hills" in the editions
from 1807 to 1827. --Ed.
* * * * *
ON THE EXTINCTION OF THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC
Composed August, 1802. --Published 1807
This and the following ten sonnets were included among the "Sonnets
dedicated to Liberty"; re-named in 1845, "Poems dedicated to National
Independence and Liberty. "--Ed.
Once did She hold the gorgeous east in fee;
And was the safeguard of the west: the worth
Of Venice did not fall below her birth,
Venice, the eldest Child of Liberty.
She was a maiden City, bright and free; 5
No guile seduced, no force could violate;
And, when she took unto herself a Mate,
She must espouse the everlasting Sea. [A]
And what if she had seen those glories fade,
Those titles vanish, and that strength decay; 10
Yet shall some tribute of regret be paid
When her long life hath reached its final day:
Men are we, and must grieve when even the Shade
Of that which once was great, is passed away.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: Compare 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage' (canto iv. II):
'The spouseless Adriatic mourns her lord. '
Ed. ]
"Once did She hold the gorgeous east in fee. "
The special glory of Venice dates from the conquest of Constantinople by
the Latins in 1202. The fourth Crusade--in which the French and
Venetians alone took part--started from Venice, in October 1202, under
the command of the Doge, Henry Dandolo. Its aim, however, was not the
recovery of Palestine, but the conquest of Constantinople. At the close
of the crusade, Venice received the Morea, part of Thessaly, the
Cyclades, many of the Byzantine cities, and the coasts of the
Hellespont, with three-eighths of the city of Constantinople itself, the
Doge taking the curious title of Duke of three-eighths of the Roman
Empire.
"And was the safeguard of the west. "
This may refer to the prominent part which Venice took in the Crusades,
or to the development of her naval power, which made her mistress of the
Mediterranean for many years, and an effective bulwark against invasions
from the East.
"The eldest Child of Liberty. "
The origin of the Venetian State was the flight of many of
the inhabitants of the mainland--on the invasion of Italy by
Attila--to the chain of islands that lie at the head of the
Adriatic.
"In the midst of the waters, free, indigent, laborious, and
inaccessible, they gradually coalesced into a republic: the first
foundations of Venice were laid in the island of Rialto. . . . On the
verge of the two empires the Venetians exult in the belief of
primitive and perpetual independence. "
Gibbon's 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire', chap. lx.
"And, when she took unto herself a Mate,
She must espouse the everlasting Sea. "
In 1177, Pope Alexander III. appealed to the Venetian Republic for
protection against the German Emperor. The Venetians were successful in
a naval battle at Saboro, against Otho, the son of Frederick Barbarossa.
In return, the Pope presented the Doge Liani with a ring, with which he
told him to wed the Adriatic, that posterity might know that the sea was
subject to Venice, "as a bride is to her husband. "
In September 1796, nearly six years before this sonnet was written, the
fate of the old Venetian Republic was sealed by the treaty of Campo
Formio. The French army under Napoleon had subdued Italy, and, having
crossed the Alps, threatened Vienna. To avert impending disaster, the
Emperor Francis arranged a treaty which extinguished the Venetian
Republic. He divided its territory between himself and Napoleon, Austria
retaining Istria, Dalmatia, and the left bank of the Adige in the
Venetian State, with the "maiden city" itself; France receiving the rest
of the territory and the Ionian Islands. Since the date of that treaty
the city has twice been annexed to Italy. --Ed.
* * * * *
THE KING OF SWEDEN
Composed August, 1802. --Published 1807
The Voice of song from distant lands shall call
To that great [1] King; shall hail the crowned Youth
Who, taking counsel of unbending Truth,
By one example hath set forth to all
How they with dignity may stand; or fall, 5
If fall they must. Now, whither doth it tend?
And what to him and his shall be the end?
That thought is one which neither can appal
Nor cheer him; for the illustrious Swede hath done
The thing which ought to be; is raised _above_ [2] 10
All consequences: work he hath begun
Of fortitude, and piety, and love,
Which all his glorious ancestors approve:
The heroes bless him, him their rightful son.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1807.
. . . bold . . . In 1838 only. ]
[Variant 2:
1845.
. . . He stands _above_ 1807. ]
The following is Wordsworth's note to this sonnet, added in 1837:
"In this and a succeeding Sonnet on the same subject, let me be
understood as a Poet availing himself of the situation which the King
of Sweden occupied, and of the principles AVOWED IN HIS MANIFESTOS; as
laying hold of these advantages for the purpose of embodying moral
truths. This remark might, perhaps, as well have been suppressed; for
to those who may be in sympathy with the course of these Poems, it
will be superfluous; and will, I fear, be thrown away upon that other
class, whose besotted admiration of the intoxicated despot hereafter
placed [A] in contrast with him, is the most melancholy evidence of
degradation in British feeling and intellect which the times have
furnished. "
The king referred to is Gustavus IV. , who was born in 1778, proclaimed
king in 1792, and died in 1837. His first public act after his accession
was to join in the coalition against Napoleon, and dislike of Napoleon
was the main-spring of his policy. It is to this that Wordsworth refers
in the sonnet:
'. . . the illustrious Swede hath done
The thing which ought to be . . . '
It made him unpopular, however, and gave rise to a conspiracy against
him, and to his consequent abdication in 1809. He "died forgotten and in
poverty. "--Ed.
[Footnote A: See the sonnet beginning "Call not the royal Swede
unfortunate," vol. iv. p. 224. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
TO TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE
Composed August, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
Toussaint, the most unhappy man of men! [B]
Whether the whistling Rustic tend his plough
Within thy hearing, or thy head be now
Pillowed in some deep dungeon's earless den;--[1]
O miserable Chieftain! where and when 5
Wilt thou find patience? Yet die not; do thou
Wear rather in thy bonds a cheerful brow:
Though fallen thyself, never to rise again,
Live, and take comfort. [2] Thou hast left behind
Powers that will work for thee; air, earth, and skies; 10
There's not a breathing of the common wind
That will forget thee; thou hast great allies;
Thy friends are exultations, agonies,
And love, and man's unconquerable mind. [C]
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1827.
Whether the rural milk-maid by her cow
Sing in thy hearing, or thou liest now
Alone in some deep dungeon's earless den, 1803.
Whether the all-cheering sun be free to shed
His beams around thee, or thou rest thy head
Pillowed in some dark dungeon's noisome den, 1815.
Whether the whistling Rustic tend his plough
Within thy hearing, or Thou liest now
Buried in some deep dungeon's earless den;--1820. ]
[Variant 2:
1807.
. . . Yet die not; be thou
Life to thyself in death; with chearful brow
Live, loving death, nor let one thought in ten
Be painful to thee . . . 1803. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: But previously printed in 'The Morning Post' of February 2,
1803, under the signature W. L. D. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare Massinger, 'The Bondman', act I. scene iii. l. 8:
'Her man of men, Timoleon. '
Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare Rowe's 'Tamerlane', iii. 2:
'But to subdue the unconquerable mind. '
Also Gray's poem 'The Progress of Poesy', ii. 2, l. 10:
'Th' unconquerable Mind, and Freedom's holy flame. '
Ed. ]
Francois Dominique Toussaint (who was surnamed L'Ouverture), the child
of African slaves, was born at St. Domingo in 1743. He was a Royalist in
political sympathy till 1794, when the decree of the French convention,
giving liberty to the slaves, brought him over to the side of the
Republic. He was made a general of division by Laveux, and succeeded in
taking the whole of the north of the island from the English. In 1796 he
was made chief of the French army of St. Domingo, and first the British
commander, and next the Spanish, surrendered everything to him. He
became governor of the island, which prospered under his rule. Napoleon,
however, in 1801, issued an edict re-establishing slavery in St.
Domingo. Toussaint professed obedience, but showed that he meant to
resist the edict. A fleet of fifty-four vessels was sent from France to
enforce it. Toussaint was proclaimed an outlaw. He surrendered, and was
received with military honours, but was treacherously arrested and sent
to Paris in June 1802, where he died, in April 1803, after ten months'
hardship in prison. He had been two months in prison when Wordsworth
addressed this sonnet to him. --Ed.
* * * * *
COMPOSED IN THE VALLEY NEAR DOVER, ON THE DAY OF LANDING
Composed August 30, 1802. --Published 1807
Here, on our native soil, we breathe once more. [1]
The cock that crows, the smoke that curls, that sound
Of bells;--those boys who [2] in yon meadow-ground
In white-sleeved shirts are playing; [A] and the roar
Of the waves breaking on the chalky shore;--[3] 5
All, all are English. Oft have I looked round
With joy in Kent's green vales; but never found
Myself so satisfied in heart before.
Europe is yet in bonds; but let that pass,
Thought for another moment. Thou art free, 10
My Country! and 'tis joy enough and pride
For one hour's perfect bliss, to tread the grass
Of England once again, and hear and see,
With such a dear Companion at my side.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1827.
Dear fellow Traveller! here we are once more. 1807. ]
[Variant 2:
1820.
. . . that . . . 1807. ]
[Variant 3:
1815.
In white sleev'd shirts are playing by the score,
And even this little River's gentle roar, 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: At the beginning of Dorothy Wordsworth's 'Journal of a Tour
on the Continent' in 1820, she writes (July 10, 1820):
"When within a mile of Dover saw crowds of people at a cricket match,
the numerous combatants dressed in 'white-sleeved shirts;' and it was
in the very same field, where, when we 'trod the grass of England once
again,' twenty years ago, we had seen an assemblage of youths, engaged
in the same sport, so very like the present that all might have been
the same. (See my brother's sonnet. )"
Ed. ]
Dorothy Wordsworth writes in her Journal,
"On Sunday, the 29th of August, we left Calais, at twelve o'clock in
the morning, and landed at Dover at one on Monday the 30th. It was
very pleasant to me, when we were in the harbour at Dover, to breathe
the fresh air, and to look up and see the stars among the ropes of the
vessel. The next day was very hot, we bathed, and sat upon the Dover
Cliffs, and looked upon France with many a melancholy and tender
thought. We could see the shores almost as plain as if it were but an
English lake. We mounted the coach, and arrived in London at six, the
30th August. "
Ed.
* * * * *
SEPTEMBER 1, 1802
Composed September 1, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
Among the capricious acts of Tyranny that disgraced these times, was the
chasing of all Negroes from France by decree of the Government: we had a
Fellow-passenger who was one of the expelled. --W. W. 1827.
We had a female Passenger who came [1]
From Calais with us, spotless [2] in array,
A white-robed Negro, [3] like a lady gay,
Yet downcast [4] as a woman fearing blame;
Meek, destitute, as seemed, of hope or aim [5] 5
She sate, from notice turning not away,
But on all proffered intercourse did lay [6]
A weight of languid speech, or to the same
No sign of answer made by word or face:
Yet still her eyes retained their tropic fire, 10
That, burning independent of the mind,
Joined with the lustre of her rich attire
To mock the Outcast--O ye Heavens, be kind!
And feel, thou Earth, for this afflicted Race! [7]
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1845.
We had a fellow-passenger that came 1803.
. . . who . . . 1807.
Driven from the soil of France, a Female came 1827.
The edition of 1838 returns to the text of 1807, but the edition of 1840
reverts to that of 1827. ]
[Variant 2:
1845.
. . . gaudy . . . 1803.
. . . brilliant . . . 1827. ]
[Variant 3:
1845.
A negro woman, . . . 1803. ]
[Variant 4:
1827.
Yet silent . . . 1803. ]
[Variant 5:
1827.
Dejected, downcast, meek, and more than tame: 1803.
Dejected, meek, yea pitiably tame, 1807. ]
[Variant 6:
1827.
But on our proffer'd kindness still did lay 1803. ]
[Variant 7:
1845.
. . . or at the same
Was silent, motionless in eyes and face.
She was a negro woman, out of France,
Rejected, like all others of that race:
Not one of whom may now find footing there.
What is the meaning of this ordinance?
Dishonour'd Despots, tell us if ye dare. 1803.
. . . driv'n from France,
Rejected like all others of that race,
Not one of whom may now find footing there;
This the poor Out-cast did to us declare,
Nor murmur'd at the unfeeling Ordinance. 1807.
Meanwhile those eyes retained their tropic fire,
Which, burning independent of the mind,
Joined with the lustre of her rich attire
To mock the outcast--O ye Heavens, be kind!
And feel, thou Earth, for this afflicted Race! 1827.
Yet still those eyes retained their tropic fire, 1837. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: First printed in 'The Morning Post', February 11, 1803,
under the title of 'The Banished Negroes', and signed W. L. D. --Ed. ]
It was a natural arrangement which led Wordsworth to place this sonnet,
in his edition of 1807, immediately after the one addressed 'To
Toussaint L'Ouverture'. --Ed.
* * * * *
SEPTEMBER, 1802, NEAR DOVER [A]
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
Inland, within a hollow vale, I stood;
And saw, while sea was calm and air was clear,
The coast of France--the coast of France how near!
Drawn almost into frightful neighbourhood.
I shrunk; for verily the barrier flood 5
Was like a lake, or river bright and fair,
A span of waters; yet what power is there!
What mightiness for evil and for good! [B]
Even so doth God protect us if we be
Virtuous and wise. Winds blow, and waters roll, 10
Strength to the brave, and Power, and Deity;
Yet in themselves are nothing! One decree
Spake laws to _them_, and said that by the soul
Only, the Nations shall be great and free.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: From 1807 to 1843 the title was 'September, 1802'; "near
Dover" appeared in the "Sonnets" of 1838, but did not become a permanent
part of the title until 1845. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare in S. T. 'Coleridge's Ode to the Departing Year',
stanza vii. :
'And Ocean 'mid his uproar wild
Speaks safety to his island-child. '
Ed. ]
In 'The Friend' (ed. 1818, vol. i. p. 107), Coleridge writes:
"The narrow seas that form our boundaries, what were they in times of
old? The convenient highway for Danish and Norman pirates. What are
they now? Still, but a 'Span of Waters. ' Yet they roll at the base of
the Ararat, on which the Ark of the Hope of Europe and of Civilization
rested! "
He then quotes this sonnet from the line "Even so doth God protect us if
we be. "
The note appended to the sonnet, 'Composed in the Valley near Dover, on
the day of Landing' (p. 341), shows that this one refers to the same
occasion; and that while "Inland, within a hollow vale," Wordsworth was,
at the same time, on the Dover Cliffs; the "vale" being one of the
hollow clefts in the headland, which front the Dover coast-line. The
sonnet may, however, have been finished afterwards in London. --Ed.
* * * * *
WRITTEN IN LONDON, SEPTEMBER, 1802
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
[This was written immediately after my return from France to London,
when I could not but be struck, as here described, with the vanity and
parade of our own country, especially in great towns and cities, as
contrasted with the quiet, and I may say the desolation, that the
Revolution had produced in France. This must be borne in mind, or else
the reader may think that in this and the succeeding Sonnets I have
exaggerated the mischief engendered and fostered among us by undisturbed
wealth. It would not be easy to conceive with what a depth of feeling I
entered into the struggle carried on by the Spaniards for their
deliverance from the usurped power of the French. Many times have I gone
from Allan Bank in Grasmere Vale, where we were then residing, to the
top of Raise-gap, as it is called, so late as two o'clock in the
morning, to meet the carrier bringing the newspapers from Keswick.
Imperfect traces of the state of mind in which I then was may be found
in my tract on the Convention of Cintra, as well as in these
Sonnets. --I. F. ]
O FRIEND! [A] I know not which way I must look [1]
For comfort, being, as I am, opprest,
To think that now our life is only drest
For show; mean handy-work of craftsman, cook,
Or groom! --We must run glittering like a brook 5
In the open sunshine, or we are unblest:
The wealthiest man among us is the best:
No grandeur now in nature or in book
Delights us. Rapine, avarice, expense,
This is idolatry; and these we adore: 10
Plain living and high thinking are no more:
The homely beauty of the good old cause
Is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence,
And pure religion breathing household laws. [B]
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1807.
O thou proud City! which way shall I look 1838.
The text of 1840 returns to that of 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: The "Friend" was Coleridge. In the original MS. it stands
"Coleridge! I know not," etc. Wordsworth changed it in the proof
stage. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare--in Hartley Coleridge's 'Lives of Distinguished
Northerners'--what is said of this sonnet, in his life of Anne Clifford,
where the passing cynicism of Wordsworth's poem is pointed out. --Ed. ]
Wordsworth stayed in London from August 30th to September 22nd 1802. --Ed.
* * * * *
LONDON, 1802
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
Milton! thou should'st be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower 5
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;
Oh! raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.
Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea: 10
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life's common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet [A] thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself [1] did lay.
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1820.
. . . itself . . . 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: In old English "yet" means "continuously" or "always"; and
it is still used in Cumberland with this signification. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
"GREAT MEN HAVE BEEN AMONG US; HANDS THAT PENNED"
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807
Great men have been among us; hands that penned
And tongues that uttered wisdom--better none:
The later Sidney, Marvel, Harrington,
Young Vane, [A] and others who called Milton friend.
These moralists could act and comprehend: 5
They knew how genuine glory was put on;
Taught us how rightfully a nation shone
In splendour: what strength was, that would not bend
But in [1] magnanimous meekness. France, 'tis strange,
Hath brought forth no such souls as we had then. 10
Perpetual emptiness! unceasing change!
No single volume paramount, no code,
No master spirit, no determined road;
But equally a want of books and men!
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1807.
But to . . . MS. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: See Clarendon's 'History of the Rebellion', book iii. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
"IT IS NOT TO BE THOUGHT OF THAT THE FLOOD"
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
It is not to be thought of that the Flood
Of British freedom, which, to the open sea
Of the world's praise, from dark antiquity
Hath flowed, "with pomp of waters, unwithstood,"[B]
Roused though it be full often to a mood 5
Which spurns the check of salutary bands, [1]
That this most famous Stream in bogs and sands
Should perish; and to evil and to good
Be lost for ever. In our halls is hung
Armoury of the invincible Knights of old: 10
We must be [2] free or die, who speak the tongue
That Shakespeare spake; the faith and morals hold
Which Milton held. --In every thing we are sprung
Of Earth's first blood, have titles manifold.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1827.
. . . unwithstood,
Road by which all might come and go that would,
And bear out freights of worth to foreign lands; 1803. ]
[Variant 2:
1807.
. . . must live . . . 1803. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: It was first printed in 'The Morning Post', April 16. 1803,
and signed W. L. D. --Ed. ]
[Footnote B: Compare Daniel's 'Civil War', book ii. stanza 7. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
"WHEN I HAVE BORNE IN MEMORY WHAT HAS TAMED"
Composed September, 1802. --Published 1807 [A]
When I have borne in memory what has tamed
Great Nations, how ennobling thoughts depart
When men change swords for ledgers, and desert
The student's bower for gold, some fears unnamed
I had, my Country! --am I to be blamed? 5
Now, [1] when I think of thee, and what thou art,
Verily, in the bottom of my heart,
Of those unfilial fears I am ashamed. [2]
For dearly must we prize thee; we who find
In thee a bulwark for the cause of men; [3] 10
And I by my affection was beguiled:
What wonder if a Poet now and then,
Among the many movements of his mind,
Felt for thee as a lover or a child!
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1.
1845.
But,. . . 1803. ]
[Variant 2.
1807.
I of those fears of mine am much ashamed. 1803. ]
[Variant 3.
1845.
But dearly do I prize thee for I find
In thee a bulwark of the cause of men; 1803.
But dearly must we prize thee; we who find 1807.
. . . for the cause of men; 1827.
Most dearly 1838.
The text of 1840 returns to that of 1827. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: But printed previously in 'The Morning Post', September 17,
1803, under the title 'England', and signed W. L. D. Also, see
Coleridge's 'Poems on Political Events', 1828-9. --Ed. ]
* * * * *
COMPOSED AFTER A JOURNEY ACROSS THE HAMBLETON HILLS, [A] YORKSHIRE
Composed October 4, 1802. --Published 1807
[Composed October 4th, 1802, after a journey over the Hambleton Hills,
on a day memorable to me--the day of my marriage. The horizon commanded
by those hills is most magnificent. The next day, while we were
travelling in a post-chaise up Wensleydale, we were stopped by one of
the horses proving restive, and were obliged to wait two hours in a
severe storm before the post-boy could fetch from the inn another to
supply its place. The spot was in front of Bolton Hall, where Mary Queen
of Scots was kept prisoner, soon after her unfortunate landing at
Workington. The place then belonged to the Scroops, and memorials of her
are yet preserved there. To beguile the time I composed a Sonnet. The
subject was our own confinement contrasted with hers; but it was not
thought worthy of being preserved. --I. F. ]
One of the "Miscellaneous Sonnets. "--Ed.
Dark and more dark the shades of evening fell;
The wished-for point was reached--but at an hour
When little could be gained from that rich dower [1]
Of prospect, whereof many thousands tell.
Yet did the glowing west with marvellous power 5
Salute us; there stood Indian citadel,
Temple of Greece, and minster with its tower
Substantially expressed--a place for bell
Or clock to toll from! Many a tempting isle,
With groves that never were imagined, lay 10
'Mid seas how steadfast! objects all for the eye
Of silent rapture; but we felt the while [2]
We should forget them; they are of the sky,
And from our earthly memory fade away.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1837.
Ere we had reach'd the wish'd-for place, night fell:
We were too late at least by one dark hour,
And nothing could we see of all that power
Of prospect, . . . 1807.
Dark, and more dark, the shades of Evening fell;
The wish'd-for point was reach'd--but late the hour;
And little could we see of all that power 1815.
And little could be gained from all that dower 1827. ]
[Variant 2:
1837.
The western sky did recompence us well
With Grecian Temple, Minaret, and Bower;
And, in one part, a Minster with its Tower
Substantially distinct, a place for Bell
Or Clock to toll from. Many a glorious pile
Did we behold, sights that might well repay
All disappointment! and, as such, the eye
Delighted in them; but we felt, the while, 1807.
Substantially expressed--. . . 1815.
Did we behold, fair sights that might repay 1815.
Yet did the glowing west in all its power 1827.
The text of 1827 is otherwise identical with that of 1837. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: Called by Wordsworth, "The Hamilton Hills" in the editions
from 1807 to 1827. --Ed.
