That outward forms, the loftiest, still receive Of our adoréd country! O thou Queen, O dear, dear England! how my longing eye My native Land! Filled with the thought of thee this heart was proud, Yea, mine eye swam with tears: that all the view From sovran Brocken, woods and woody hills, 20 25 30 Feeble and dim! Stranger, these impulses Himself our Father, and the World our Home. 35 17 That grandest scenes have but imperfect charms MS. Letter, M. P., An. Anth. 18 Where the eye vainly wanders nor beholds MS. Letter. Where the sight, &c. M. P., An. Anth. 19 One spot with which the heart associates MS. Letter, M. P., An. Anth, 19-21 Fair cyphers of vague import, where the Eye Traces no spot, in which the Heart may read History or Prophecy S. L. 1817, 1828. 20 Holy Remembrances of Child or Friend MS. Letter. Holy Remembrances of Friend or Child M. P., An. Anth. 26 eye] eyes MS. Letter. This heart was proud, yea mine eyes swam with tears To think of thee: and all the goodly view MS. Letter. 28 O native land M. P., An. Anth. 34 II MS. Letter. brother-hood MS. Letter. 38 family] THE BRITISH STRIPLING'S WAR-SONG1 IMITATED FROM STOLBERG YES, noble old Warrior! this heart has beat high, Despise not my youth, for my spirit is steel'd, 5 And I know there is strength in the grasp of my hand; Yea, as firm as thyself would I march to the field, And as proudly would die for my dear native land. In the sports of my childhood I mimick'd the fight, The sound of a trumpet suspended my breath; And my fancy still wander'd by day and by night, Amid battle and tumult, 'mid conquest and death. My own shout of onset, when the Armies advance, How oft it awakes me from visions of glory; When I meant to have leapt on the Hero of France, 15 And have dash'd him to earth, pale and breathless and gory. 1 First published in the Morning Post, August 24, 1799: included in the Annual Anthology for 1800: reprinted in Literary Remains, 1836, i. 276, in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1848. (Communicated to the Bath Herald during the Volunteer Frenzy of 1803') (N. S. xxix, p. 60), and in Essays on His Own Times, iii. 988-9. First collected in P. W., 1877-80, ii. 200-1. The MS. is preserved in the British Museum. The text follows that of the Annual Anthology, 1800, pp. 173-4. The British Stripling's, &c.-Title] The Stripling's War-Song. Imitated from the German of Stolberg MS. The Stripling's, &c. Imitated from Stolberg L. R. The British Stripling's War Song M. P., An. Anth., Essays, &c. The Volunteer Stripling. A Song G. M. 1 Yes] My MS., L. R. 2 Since] When G. M. which] that MS., L. R. our] your M. P., Essays, &c. 3 Ah! give me the sabre [Falchion] that [which L. R.] MS., Essays, &c. 5 O despise MS., L. R., Essays, &c. 7 march] move MS., L. R. 8 would] could Essays, &'c. native land] fatherland L. R. 9 fight] sight G. M. Io sound] shrill [sound] MS., L. R. 12 Amid tumults [tumult L. R.] and perils MS. Mid battle and bloodshed G. M. Essays, &c. a] the M. P., 'mid] and 13 My own eager shout in the heat of my trance MS., MS. correction My own shout of onset, in An. Anth., L. R. in the heat of my trance G. M., 1893. when the armies advance MS. 14 visions] dreams full MS., L. R. When I dreamt that I rush'd G. M. pale, breathless G. M. 15 How oft it has wak'd G. M. As late thro' the city with banners all streaming On their proud-trampling, thunder-hoof'd steeds did they fly; I sped to yon heath that is lonely and bare, For each nerve was unquiet, each pulse in alarm; And I hurl'd the mock-lance thro' the objectless air, 20 And in open-eyed dream proved the strength of my arm. Yes, noble old Warrior! this heart has beat high, 25 Since you told of the deeds that our countrymen wrought; O lend me the sabre that hung by thy thigh, ? 1799. NAMES1 [FROM LESSING] I ASK'D my fair one happy day, By what sweet name from Rome or Greece; 1 First published in the Morning Post: reprinted in the Poetical Register for 1803 (1805) with the signature HARLEY. PHILADELPHIA, in the Keepsake for 1829, in Cottle's Early Recollections (two versions) 1837, ii. 67, and in Essays on His Own Times, iii. 990, 'As it first appeared' in the Morning Post. First collected in 1834. 17 city] town G. M. 17-18 with bannerets streaming To [And L. R.] the music MS. 19 scimitars] scymetar MS., L. R., Essays, &c., G. M.: scymeter M. P. Between 20-I And the Host pacing after in gorgeous parade All mov'd to one measure in front and in rear; And the Pipe, Drum and Trumpet, such harmony made As the souls of the Slaughter'd would loiter to hear. MS. erased. 21 that] which L. R. 22 For my soul MS. erased, MS., L. R., Essays, &c. objectless] mind-peopled G. M. 27 Ah! give me the falchion MS., L. R. G. M. 23 I hurl'd my 26 Sinee] When Names-Title] Song from Lessing M. P., Essays, &c.: From the German of Lessing P. R.: Epigram Keepsake, 1829, Cottle's Early Recollections. I fair] love Cottle, E. R. 1799. Lalage, Neaera, Chloris, 'Ah!' replied my gentle fair, Choose thou whatever suits the line; Call me Sappho, call me Chloris, Only, only call me Thine.' THE DEVIL'S THOUGHTS1 5 ΤΟ I FROM his brimstone bed at break of day To visit his snug little farm the earth, First published in the Morning Post, September 6, 1799: included in 1828, 1829, and 1834. It is printed separately as the Devil's Walk, a Poem, By Professor Porson, London, Marsh and Miller, &c., 1830. In 1827, by way of repudiating Porson's alleged authorship of The Devil's Thoughts, Southey expanded the Devil's Thoughts of 1799 into a poem of fifty-seven 4 Iphigenia, Clelia, Chloris, M. P., Cottle, E. R., P. R. Neaera, Laura, Daphne, Chloris, Keepsake. 5 Laura, Lesbia, or Doris, MS. 1799, M. P., Cottle, E. R. 6 8 Carina, Lalage, or Doris, Keepsake. Dorimene, or Lucrece, MS. 1799, M. P., Cottle, E. R., P. R., Keepsake. 9 Choose thou] Take thou M. P., P. R.: Take Cottle, E. R. Laura, call me Chloris MS. 1799, Keepsake. 10-11 10-12 Call me Clelia, call me Chloris, Laura, Lesbia or Doris M. P., Cottle, E. R. The Devil's Thoughts. 3-4 To look at his little snug farm of the Earth And see how his stock went on. IO Call me M. P., 1828, 1829. II Over the hill and over the dale, And he went over the plain, And backward and forward he switched his long tail III And how then was the Devil drest? Oh! he was in his Sunday's best: His jacket was red and his breeches were blue, IV He saw a Lawyer killing a Viper On a dunghill hard by his own stable; 5 ΤΟ And the Devil smiled, for it put him in mind 15 V He saw an Apothecary on a white horse And the Devil thought of his old Friend Death in the Revelations.' 20 atanzas entitled The Devil's Walk. See P. W., 1838, iii. pp. 87-100. In the Morning Post the poem numbered fourteen stanzas; in 1828, 1829 it is reduced to ten, and in 1834 enlarged to seventeen stanzas. Stanzas iii and xiv-xvi of the text are not in the M. P. Stanzas iv and v appeared as iii, iv; stanza vi as ix; stanza vii as v; stanza viii as x; stanza ix as viii; stanza x as vi; stanza xi as vii; stanza xvii as xiv. In 1828, 1829, the poem consists of stanzas i-ix of the text, and of the concluding stanzas stanza xi (Old Nicholas', &c.) of the M. P. version was not reprinted. Stanzas xiv-xvi of the text were first acknowledged by Coleridge in 1834. 1 And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, Rev. vi. 8. M. P. 7 switched] swish'd M.P., 1828, 1829. 1828, 1829. 9-12 Not in M. P. 8 switches] swishes M. P., 14 On the dunghill beside his stable M. P.: On a dung-heap beside his stable 1828, 1829. 15-16 Oh! oh; quoth he, for it put him in mind Of the story of Cain and Abel M. P. 16 his] his 1828, 1829. 17 He... on] An Apothecary on M. P.: A Pothecary on 1828, 1829. 18 Ride] Rode M. P., 1828, 1829. vocations] vocation M. P. 20 Revelations] Revelation M. P. |