The vain resolve still broken and still made,
Disease and loathing and remorse invade;
The charm is vanish'd and the bubble's broke,-
A slave to pleasure is a slave to smoke!'

Such lays repentant did the Muse supply;
When as the Sun was hastening down the sky,
In glittering state twice fifty guineas come,-
His Mother's plate antique had rais'd the sum.
Forth leap'd Philedon of new life possest:-

"Twas Brookes's all till two,-'twas Hackett's all the rest!

1791.

6

6c

ON IMITATION 1

ALL are not born to soar-and ah! how few

In tracks where Wisdom leads their paths pursue!
Contagious when to wit or wealth allied,

Folly and Vice diffuse their venom wide.
On Folly every fool his talent tries;

It asks some toil to imitate the wise;

Tho' few like Fox can speak-like Pitt can think-
Yet all like Fox can game-like Pitt can drink.

? 1791.

INSIDE THE COACH 2

"Tis hard on Bagshot Heath to try
Unclos'd to keep the weary eye;
But ah! Oblivion's nod to get
In rattling coach is harder yet.
Slumbrous God of half-shut eye!
Who lovest with limbs supine to lie;
Soother sweet of toil and care

Listen, listen to my prayer;
And to thy votary dispense
Thy soporific influence!

5

10

1 First published in 1834. In MS. O lines 3, 4 follow lines 7, 8 of the text. 2 First published in 1834.

70 Brookes's, a famous gaming-house in Fleet Street. Hackett's, a brothel under the Covent Garden Piazza. Note MS. 0.

Inside the Coach-Title] Ode to sleep. Travelling in the Exeter Coach with three other passengers over Bagshot Heath, after some vain endeavours to compose myself I composed this Ode-August 17, 1791. MS. 0.

1791.

What tho' around thy drowsy head
The seven-fold cap of night be spread,
Yet lift that drowsy head awhile
And yawn propitiously a smile;
In drizzly rains poppean dews

O'er the tired inmates of the Coach diffuse;
And when thou'st charm'd our eyes to rest,
Pillowing the chin upon the breast,

Bid many a dream from thy dominions
Wave its various-painted pinions,
Till ere the splendid visions close
We snore quartettes in ecstasy of nose.
While thus we urge our airy course,
O may no jolt's electric force

Our fancies from their steeds unhorse,
And call us from thy fairy reign
To dreary Bagshot Heath again!

DEVONSHIRE ROADS1

THE indignant Bard composed this furious ode,
As tired he dragg'd his way thro' Plimtree road!a
Crusted with filth and stuck in mire
Dull sounds the Bard's bemudded lyre;
Nathless Revenge and Ire the Poet goad
To pour his imprecations on the road.
Curst road! whose execrable way

15

20

25

5

Was darkly shadow'd out in Milton's lay,

When the sad fiends thro' Hell's sulphureous roads
Took the first survey of their new abodes;

10

Or when the fall'n Archangel fierce

Dar'd through the realms of Night to pierce,

What time the Bloodhound lur'd by Human scent
Thro' all Confusion's quagmires floundering went.

15

Nor cheering pipe, nor Bird's shrill note

Around thy dreary paths shall float;
Their boding songs shall scritch-owls pour
To fright the guilty shepherds sore,

2

1 First published in 1834.

Plymtree Road, August 18, 1791. Note, MS. 0. [Plimtree is about

8 miles N. of Ottery St. Mary. S. T. C. must have left the mail coach at

Cullompton to make his way home on foot.]

12 Vulgo yclept night-cap MS. O. Devonshire Roads] No title MS. 0.

13 that] thy MS. 0.

1791.

Led by the wandering fires astray
Thro' the dank horrors of thy way!
While they their mud-lost sandals hunt
May all the curses, which they grunt
In raging moan like goaded hog,
Alight upon thee, damnéd Bog!

MUSIC1

HENCE, Soul-dissolving Harmony

That lead'st th' oblivious soul astray

Though thou sphere-descended be

Hence away!

Thou mightier Goddess, thou demand'st my lay,
Born when earth was seiz'd with cholic;

Or as more sapient sages say,

What time the Legion diabolic

Compell'd their beings to enshrine.

In bodies vile of herded swine,

Precipitate adown the steep

With hideous rout were plunging in the deep,

And hog and devil mingling grunt and yell

Seiz'd on the ear with horrible obtrusion ;

Then if aright old legendaries tell,

Wert thou begot by Discord on Confusion!

What though no name's sonorous power
Was given thee at thy natal hour!-
Yet oft I feel thy sacred might,

While concords wing their distant flight.
Such Power inspires thy holy son

Sable clerk of Tiverton!

And oft where Otter sports his stream,
I hear thy banded offspring scream.

Thou Goddess! thou inspir'st each throat;
"Tis thou who pour'st the scritch-owl note!
Transported hear'st thy children all
Scrape and blow and squeak and squall;
And while old Otter's steeple rings,

1791.

Clappest hoarse thy raven wings!

1 First published in 1834.

Music-Title] Ode on the Ottery and Tiverton Church Music MS. 0.

20

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10

15

20

25

30

SONNET1

ON QUITTING SCHOOL FOR COLLEGE

FAREWELL parental scenes! a sad farewell!

you my grateful heart still fondly clings,
Tho' fluttering round on Fancy's burnish'd wings
Her tales of future Joy Hope loves to tell.
Adieu, adieu! ye much-lov'd cloisters pale!
Ah! would those happy days return again,
When 'neath your arches, free from every stain,
I heard of guilt and wonder'd at the tale!
Dear haunts! where oft my simple lays I sang,
Listening meanwhile the echoings of my feet,
Lingering I quit you, with as great a pang,
As when erewhile, my weeping childhood, torn
By early sorrow from my native seat,

Mingled its tears with hers-my widow'd Parent lorn.

1791.

ABSENCE 2

A FAREWELL ODE ON QUITTING SCHOOL FOR JESUS

COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

WHERE graced with many a classic spoil
CAM rolls his reverend stream along,

I haste to urge the learned toil

That sternly chides my love-lorn song:
Ah me! too mindful of the days
Illumed by Passion's orient rays,

When Peace, and Cheerfulness and Health
Enriched me with the best of wealth.
Ah fair Delights! that o'er my soul.
On Memory's wing, like shadows fly!

5.

10

5

ΤΟ

Ah Flowers! which Joy from Eden stole
While Innocence stood smiling by!-

But cease, fond Heart! this bootless moan:
Those Hours on rapid Pinions flown
Shall yet return, by Absence crown'd,
And scatter livelier roses round.

1 First published in 1834.

15

First published in Cambridge Intelligencer, October 11, 1794: included in 1796, 1803, 1828, 1829, and 1834.

Sonnet-Title] Sonnet on the Same (i. e. 'Absence, A Farewell Ode,' &c.)

1834.

Sonnet-Title] Sonnet on Quitting Christ's Hospital MS. 0. Absence, A Farewell Ode 1796, 1803,

1791.

The Sun who ne'er remits his fires
On heedless eyes may pour the day:
The Moon, that oft from Heaven retires,
Endears her renovated ray.

What though she leave the sky unblest
To mourn awhile in murky vest?
When she relumes her lovely light,
We bless the Wanderer of the Night.

HAPPINESS1

ON wide or narrow scale shall Man
Most happily describe Life's plan?
Say shall he bloom and wither there,
Where first his infant buds appear;
Or upwards dart with soaring force,
And tempt some more ambitious course?
Obedient now to Hope's command
I bid each humble wish expand,

And fair and bright Life's prospects seem,
While Hope displays her cheering beam,
And Fancy's vivid colourings stream,
While Emulation stands me nigh
The Goddess of the eager eye.

With foot advanc'd and anxious heart
Now for the fancied goal I start :-
Ah! why will Reason intervene

Me and my promis'd joys between!

She stops my course, she chains my speed,
While thus her forceful words proceed:-
'Ah! listen, Youth, ere yet too late,
What evils on thy course may wait!
To bow the head, to bend the knee,
A minion of Servility,

At low Pride's frequent frowns to sigh,

1 First published in 1834. a letter dated June 22, 1791. to Southey, July 13, 1794.

The poem was sent to George Coleridge in
An adapted version of 11. 80-105 was sent

Happiness-Title] Upon the Author's leaving school and entering into Life. MS. 0 (c).

6 tempt] dare MS. O, MS. 0 (c). 10 While] When MS. 0, MS. 0 (c). Between 11-13 How pants my breast before my eyes

While Honour WAVES her radiant prize.
And Emulation, &c. MS. 0, MS. 0 (c).

22 To bend the head, to bow MS. 0 (c).

24 frowns] frown MS. 0,

MS. O (c).