A POET TO HIS GRANDCHILD.

66

SEQUEL TO A PLEA FOR AUTHORS.

Written 1838; first published in the collected volume of "Sonnets," 1838, and again in the Supplement, 1839, mentioned in note to "Protest against the Ballot"; afterwards omitted. Much correspondence on the subject of copyright will be found in Knight's "Life of Wordsworth," vol. iii.—ED.

"SON of my buried Son, while thus thy hand Is clasping mine, it saddens me to think

How Want may press thee down, and with thee sink

Thy Children left unfit, through vain demand
Of culture, even to feel or understand
My simplest Lay that to their memory
May cling;-hard fate! which haply need not be
Did Justice mould the Statutes of the Land.
A Book time-cherished and an honoured name
Are high rewards; but bound they nature's claim
Or Reason's? No-hopes spun in timid line
From out the bosom of a modest home
Extend through unambitious years to come,
My careless Little-one, for thee and thine!

May 23, 1838.

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ON A PORTRAIT OF I. F., [ISABELLA FENWICK] PAINTED

BY

MARGARET

GILLIES.

First published in "Memoirs of William Wordsworth," by Christopher Wordsworth, 1851.-ED.

WE gaze-nor grieve to think that we must die, But that the precious love this friend hath sown Within our hearts, the love whose flower hath blown

1 See vol. iii. p. 64.—ED.

Bright as if heaven were ever in its eye,
Will pass so soon from human memory;
And not by strangers to our blood alone,
But by our best descendants be unknown,
Unthought of this may surely claim a sigh.
Yet, blessed Art, we yield not to dejection;
Thou against Time so feelingly dost strive.
Where'er, preserved in this most true reflection,
An image of her soul is kept alive,

Some lingering fragrance of the pure affection,
Whose flower with us will vanish, must survive.

RYDAL MOUNT, New Year's Day, 1840.

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TO I. F.

First published as the last.-ED.

THE star which comes at close of day to shine
More heavenly bright than when it leads the morn,
Is Friendship's emblem, whether the forlorn
She visiteth, or, shedding light benign

Through shades that solemnise Life's calm decline,
Doth make the happy happier. This have we 6
Learnt, Isabel, from thy society,

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Which now we too unwillingly resign
Though for brief absence. But farewell! the page
Glimmers before my sight through thankful tears,
Such as start forth, not seldom, to approve
Our truth, when we, old yet unchilled by age,
Call thee, though known but for a few fleet years,
The heart-affianced sister of our love!

RYDAL MOUNT, Feb., 1840.

"WHEN SEVERN'S SWEEPING FLOOD HAD OVERTHROWN."

"In 1842," writes Professor Knight, "a bazaar was held in Cardiff Castle to aid in the erection of a Church on the site of one which had been washed away by a flood in the river Severn (and a consequent influx of waters into the estuary of the Bristol Channel), two hundred years before." Wordsworth and James Montgomery contributed poems, to be printed and sold; they appeared with two other poems written by friends of the cause, "being brought out," says Professor Knight, "in a highly embellished style."-ED.

WHEN Severn's sweeping flood had overthrown
St. Mary's Church, the preacher then would cry:-
Thus, Christian people, God his might hath shown
That ye to him your love may testify;

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Haste, and rebuild the pile."-But not a stone
Resumed its place. Age after age went by,
And Heaven still lacked its due, though piety
In secret did, we trust, her loss bemoan.
But now her Spirit hath put forth its claim
In Power, and Poesy would lend her voice;
Let the new Church be worthy of its aim,
That in its beauty Cardiff may rejoice!
Oh! in the past if cause there was for shame,
Let not our times halt in their better choice.
RYDAL MOUNT, Jan. 23, 1842.

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THE EAGLE AND THE DOVE.

Published in A. F. Rio's "La Petite Chouannerie ou Histoire d'un Collège Breton sous l'Empire. Londres, Moxon, 1842." W. S. Landor, Monckton Milnes and the Hon. Mrs. Norton contributed to the same volume, which tells of the revolt of royalist students of the College of Vannes, 1815.--ED.

SHADE of Caractacus, if spirits love

The cause they fought for in their earthly home, To see the Eagle ruffled by the Dove

May soothe thy memory of the chains of Rome. 4

These children claim thee for their sire; the breath
Of thy renown, from Cambrian mountains, fans
A flame within them that despises death
And glorifies the truant youth of Vannes.

With thy own scorn of tyrants they advance,
But truth divine has sanctified their rage,

A silver cross enchased with Flowers of France
Their badge, attests the holy fight they wage.

The shrill defiance of the young crusade
Their veteran foes mock as an idle noise;
But unto Faith and Loyalty comes aid

From Heaven, gigantic force to beardless boys.

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15

LINES

INSCRIBED IN A COPY OF HIS POEMS SENT TO THE QUEEN FOR THE ROYAL LIBRARY AT WINDSOR.

1

DEIGN, Sovereign Mistress! to accept a lay,
No Laureate offering of elaborate art;

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But salutation taking its glad way
From deep recesses of a loyal heart.

Queen, Wife and Mother! may All-judging Heaven
Shower with a bounteous hand on Thee and Thine
Felicity that only can be given

On earth to goodness blest by grace divine.

Lady! devoutly honoured and beloved

Through every realm confided to thy sway; Mayst thou pursue thy course by God approved, And He will teach thy people to obey.

As thou art wont, thy sovereignty adorn

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With woman's gentleness, yet firm and staid; So shall that earthly crown thy brows have worn 15 Be changed for one whose glory cannot fade.

1 Published in Professor Knight's "Life of Wordsworth," vol. iii. p. 470.-ED.

And now by duty urged, I lay this Book
Before thy Majesty, in humble trust
That on its simplest pages thou wilt look
With a benign indulgence more than just.
Nor wilt thou blame an aged Poet's prayer,
That issuing hence may steal into thy mind
Some solace under weight of royal care,

Or grief-the inheritance of humankind.
For know we not that from celestial spheres,
When Time was young, an inspiration came
(Oh were it mine!) to hallow saddest tears,
And help life onward in its noblest aim.
January 9th, 1846.

W. W.

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ODE ON THE INSTALLATION OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT AS CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, JULY, 1847.

This ode-written by command-was issued from the University Press, and also with a portrait of Prince Albert, and having the text within illuminated borders, by George Bell, Fleet Street (without date, but doubtless 1847); which last we follow. It was partly the composition of Wordsworth's nephew and biographer, the late Bishop of Lincoln.-ED.

FOR thirst of power that Heaven disowns,
For temples, towers, and thrones

Too long insulted by the Spoiler's shock,
Indignant Europe cast

Her stormy foe at last

To reap the whirlwind on a Libyan rock.
War is passion's basest game

Madly played to win a name :

Up starts some tyrant, Earth and Heaven to dare,

The servile million bow;

But will the Lightning glance aside to spare

The Despot's laurelled brow?

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