PART II

TO THE CLOSE OF THE TROUBLES IN THE REIGN OF CHARLES I.

I

"HOW SOON--ALAS! DID MAN, CREATED PURE"

Published 1845

How soon--alas! did Man, created pure-- By Angels guarded, deviate from the line Prescribed to duty:--woeful forfeiture[116] He made by wilful breach of law divine. With like perverseness did the Church abjure 5 Obedience to her Lord, and haste to twine,[117] 'Mid Heaven-born flowers that shall for aye endure, Weeds on whose front the world had fixed her sign. O Man,--if with thy trials thus it fares, If good can smooth the way to evil choice, 10 From all rash censure be the mind kept free; He only judges right who weighs, compares, And, in the sternest sentence which his voice Pronounces, ne'er abandons Charity.[118]

FOOTNOTES:

[116] 1845.

Even when the state of man seems most secure And tempted least to deviate from the line Of simple duty, woeful forfeiture C.

How difficult for man to keep the line Prescribed by duty! Happy once and pure C.

[117] 1845.

Though Angels watched lest man should from the line Of duty sever, blest though he was, and pure In thought and deed, a woeful forfeiture He made by wilful breach of law divine, The church of Christ how prompt was she to abjure Allegiance to her Lord how prone to twine C.

[118] 1845.

{The visible church how prone was she to abjure} {Allegiance to Christ's Kingdom and entwine} With glorious flowers that shall for aye endure Weeds on whose front the world had fixed her sign. False man--if with thy trials thus it fared-- If good can smooth the way to evil choice, From hasty answer be our minds kept free; He only judges right who weighs, compares, And, in the sternest sentence that his voice May utter, ne'er abandons charity. C.

II

"FROM FALSE ASSUMPTION ROSE, AND FONDLY HAIL'D"

Published 1845

From false assumption rose, and fondly hail'd By superstition, spread the Papal power; Yet do not deem the Autocracy prevail'd Thus only, even in error's darkest hour. She daunts, forth-thundering from her spiritual tower Brute rapine, or with gentle lure she tames. 6 Justice and Peace through Her uphold their claims; And Chastity finds many a sheltering bower. Realm there is none that if controul'd or sway'd By her commands partakes not, in degree, 10 Of good, o'er manners arts and arms, diffused: Yes, to thy domination, Roman See, Tho' miserably, oft monstrously, abused By blind ambition, be this tribute paid.[119]

FOOTNOTES:

[119] The following version of this sonnet is from a MS. copy of it in Wordsworth's own handwriting.--ED.

On false assumption, though the Papal Power Rests, and spreads wide, beduped, by ignorance hailed, A darker empire must have else prevailed, For deeds of mischief strengthening every hour. Behold how thundering from her spiritual tower She daunts brute rapine, cruelty she tames. Justice and charity through her assert their claims, And chastity finds many a sheltering bower. Realm is there none that, if controlled or swayed By her commands, partakes not in degree Of good, on manners arts and arms diffused: To mock thy exaltation, Roman See, And to the Autocracy, howe'er abused Through blind ambition, be this tribute paid.

III

CISTERTIAN MONASTERY[120]

"_Here Man more purely lives, less oft doth fall,_ _More promptly rises, walks with stricter heed,[121]_ _More safely rests, dies happier, is freed_ _Earlier from cleansing fires, and gains withal_ _A brighter crown._"[122]--On yon Cistertian wall 5 _That_ confident assurance may be read; And, to like shelter, from the world have fled Increasing multitudes. The potent call Doubtless shall cheat full oft the heart's desires:[123] Yet, while the rugged Age on pliant knee 10 Vows to rapt Fancy humble fealty, A gentler life spreads round the holy spires; Where'er they rise, the sylvan waste retires, And aëry harvests crown the fertile lea.

FOOTNOTES:

[120] The Cistertian order was named after the monastery of Citéaux or Cistercium, near Dijon, founded in 1098 by the Benedictine abbot, Robert of Molême.--ED.

[121] 1837.

... with nicer heed, 1822.

[122] "Bonum est nos hic esse, quia homo vivit purius, cadit rarius, surgit velocius, incedit cautius, quiescit securius, moritur felicius, purgatur citius, praemiatur copiosius."--Bernard. "This sentence," says Dr. Whitaker, "is usually inscribed on some conspicuous part of the Cistertian houses."--W. W. 1822.

[123] 1827.

... desire; 1822.

IV[124]

"DEPLORABLE HIS LOT WHO TILLS THE GROUND"

Published 1835

Deplorable his lot who tills the ground, His whole life long tills it, with heartless toil Of villain-service, passing with the soil To each new Master, like a steer or hound, Or like a rooted tree, or stone earth-bound; 5 But mark how gladly, through their own domains, The Monks relax or break these iron chains; While Mercy, uttering, through their voice, a sound Echoed in Heaven, cries out, "Ye Chiefs, abate These legalized oppressions! Man--whose name 10 And nature God disdained not; Man--whose soul Christ died for--cannot forfeit his high claim To live and move exempt from all controul Which fellow-feeling doth not mitigate!"

FOOTNOTES:

[124] The following note, referring to Sonnets IV., XII., and XIII., appears in the volume of 1835--entitled _Yarrow Revisited, and other Poems_--immediately after the poem _St. Bees_--

"The three following Sonnets are an intended addition to the 'Ecclesiastical Sketches,' the first to stand second; and the two that succeed, seventh and eighth, in the second part of the Series. (See the Author's Poems.) They are placed here as having some connection with the foregoing Poem."--ED.

V

MONKS AND SCHOOLMEN

Record we too, with just and faithful pen, That many hooded Cenobites[125] there are, Who in their private cells have yet a care Of public quiet; unambitious Men, Counsellors for the world, of piercing ken; 5 Whose fervent exhortations from afar Move Princes to their duty, peace or war;[126] And oft-times in the most forbidding den Of solitude, with love of science strong, How patiently the yoke of thought they bear! 10 How subtly glide its finest threads along! Spirits that crowd the intellectual sphere[127] With mazy boundaries, as the astronomer With orb and cycle girds the starry throng.

FOOTNOTES:

[125] Cenobites (#koinobioi#), monks who live in common, as distinguished from hermits or anchorites, who live alone.--ED.

[126] "Counts, kings, bishops," says F.D. Maurice, "in the fulness of their wealth and barbaric splendour, may be bowing before a monk, who writes them letters from a cell in which he is living upon vegetables and water." (_Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy_ (Edition 1873), vol. i., Mediæval Philosophy, chap. iv. p. 534.)--ED.

[127] _e.g._ Anselm (1033-1109); Albertus Magnus (1193-1280); Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274); Duns Scotus (1265-1308).--ED.

VI

OTHER BENEFITS

And, not in vain embodied to the sight, Religion finds even in the stern retreat Of feudal sway her own appropriate seat;[128] From the collegiate pomps on Windsor's height Down to the humbler[129] altar, which the Knight 5 And his Retainers of the embattled hall Seek in domestic oratory small, For prayer in stillness, or the chanted rite; Then chiefly dear, when foes are planted round, Who teach the intrepid guardians of the place-- 10 Hourly exposed to death, with famine worn, And suffering under many a perilous wound--[130] How sad would be their durance, if forlorn Of offices dispensing heavenly grace!

FOOTNOTES:

[128] St. George's Chapel, Windsor, begun by Henry III. and finished by Edward III., rebuilt by Henry VII., and enlarged by Cardinal Wolsey.--ED.

[129] 1837.

... humble ... 1822.

[130] 1827.

... doubtful wound, 1822.

VII

CONTINUED

And what melodious sounds at times prevail! And, ever and anon, how bright a gleam Pours on the surface of the turbid Stream! What heartfelt fragrance mingles with the gale That swells the bosom of our passing sail! 5 For where, but on _this_ River's margin, blow Those flowers of chivalry, to bind the brow Of hardihood with wreaths that shall not fail?-- Fair Court of Edward! wonder of the world![131] I see a matchless blazonry unfurled 10 Of wisdom, magnanimity, and love; And meekness tempering honourable pride; The lamb is couching by the lion's side, And near the flame-eyed eagle sits the dove.

FOOTNOTES:

[131] Edward the Third (1336-1360). See _The Wonderful Deeds of Edward_ _the Third_, by Robert of Avesbury; and Longman's _History of Edward the Third_.--ED.

VIII

CRUSADERS

Furl we the sails, and pass with tardy oars Through these bright regions, casting many a glance Upon the dream-like issues--the romance[132] Of many-coloured life that[133] Fortune pours Round the Crusaders, till on distant shores 5 Their labours end; or they return to lie, The vow performed, in cross-legged effigy, Devoutly stretched upon their chancel floors. Am I deceived? Or is their requiem chanted By voices never mute when Heaven unties 10 Her inmost, softest, tenderest harmonies; Requiem which Earth takes up with voice undaunted, When she would tell how Brave, and Good, and Wise,[134] For their high guerdon not in vain have panted!

FOOTNOTES:

[132] 1845.

Nor can Imagination quit the shores Of these bright scenes without a farewell glance Given to those dream-like Issues--that Romance 1822.

Given to the dream-like Issues--that Romance 1837.

[133] 1837.

... which ... 1822.

[134] 1837.

... Good, and Brave, and Wise, 1822

IX

"AS FAITH THUS SANCTIFIED THE WARRIOR'S CREST"

Composed 1842.--Published 1845

As faith thus sanctified the warrior's crest While from the Papal Unity there came, What feebler means had fail'd to give, one aim Diffused thro' all the regions of the West; So does her Unity its power attest 5 By works of Art, that shed, on the outward frame Of worship, glory and grace, which who shall blame That ever looked to heaven for final rest? Hail countless Temples! that so well befit Your ministry; that, as ye rise and take 10 Form spirit and character from holy writ, Give to devotion, wheresoe'er awake, Pinions of high and higher sweep, and make The unconverted soul with awe submit.[135]

FOOTNOTES:

[135] In a letter to Professor Henry Reed, Philadelphia, September 4, 1842, Wordsworth writes: "To the second part of the Series" (the "Ecclesiastical Sonnets") "I have also added two, in order to do more justice to the Papal Church for the services which she did actually render to Christianity and humanity in the Middle Ages."--ED.

X

"WHERE LONG AND DEEPLY HATH BEEN FIXED THE ROOT"

Composed 1842.--Published 1845

Where long and deeply hath been fixed the root In the blest soil of gospel truth, the Tree, (Blighted or scathed tho' many branches be, Put forth to wither, many a hopeful shoot) Can never cease to bear celestial fruit. 5 Witness the Church that oft-times, with effect Dear to the saints, strives earnestly to eject[136] Her bane, her vital energies recruit. Lamenting, do not hopelessly repine When such good work is doomed to be undone,[137] 10 The conquests lost that were so hardly won:-- All promises vouchsafed by Heaven will shine[138] In light confirmed while years their course shall run, Confirmed alike in[139] progress and decline.

FOOTNOTES:

[136] 1845.

Blighted and scathed tho' many branches be, Can never cease to bear and ripen fruit Worthy of Heaven. This law is absolute. Behold the Church that often with effect Dear to the Saints doth labouring to eject C.

[137] 1845.

{The Church not seldom surely with effect} {Dear to the Saints doth labour to eject} Her bane, her vital energy recruit. So Providence ordains and why repine If this good work is doomed to be undone, C.

[138] 1845.

Trust that the promises vouchsafed will shine C.

[139] 1845.

... thro' ... C.

XI

TRANSUBSTANTIATION

Enough! for see, with dim association The tapers burn; the odorous incense feeds A greedy flame; the pompous mass proceeds; The Priest bestows the appointed consecration; And, while the HOST is raised, its elevation 5 An awe and supernatural horror breeds; And all the people bow their heads, like reeds To a soft breeze, in lowly adoration. This Valdo brooks[140] not.[141] On the banks of Rhone He taught, till persecution chased him thence, 10 To adore the Invisible, and Him alone. Nor are[142] his Followers loth to seek defence, 'Mid woods and wilds, on Nature's craggy throne, From rites that trample upon soul and sense.

FOOTNOTES:

[140] 1837.

... brook'd ... 1822.

[141] Peter Waldo (or Valdo), a rich merchant of Lyons (1160 or 1170), becoming religious, dedicated himself to poverty and almsgiving. Disciples gathered round him; and they were called the poor men of Lyons--a modest, frugal, and industrious order. They were reformers before the Reformation. Peter Waldo exposed the corruption of the clergy, had the four gospels translated for the people, and maintained the rights of the laity to read them to the masses. He was condemned by the Lateran Council in 1179.--ED.

[142] 1837.

... were ... 1822.

XII

THE VAUDOIS

Published 1835

But whence came they who for the Saviour Lord Have long borne witness as the Scriptures teach?-- Ages ere Valdo raised his voice to preach In Gallic ears the unadulterate Word, Their fugitive Progenitors explored 5 Subalpine vales, in quest of safe retreats Where that pure Church survives, though summer heats Open a passage to the Romish sword, Far as it dares to follow. Herbs self-sown, And fruitage gathered from the chesnut wood, 10 Nourish the sufferers then; and mists, that brood O'er chasms with new-fallen obstacles bestrown, Protect them; and the eternal snow that daunts Aliens, is God's good winter for their haunts.

XIII

"PRAISED BE THE RIVERS, FROM THEIR MOUNTAIN SPRINGS"

Published 1835

Praised be the Rivers, from their mountain springs Shouting to Freedom, "Plant thy banners here!"[143] To harassed Piety, "Dismiss thy fear, "And in our caverns smooth thy ruffled wings!" Nor be unthanked their final lingerings-- 5 Silent, but not to high-souled Passion's ear-- 'Mid reedy fens wide-spread and marshes drear, Their own creation. Such glad welcomings As Po was heard to give where Venice rose Hailed from aloft those Heirs of truth divine[144] 10 Who near his fountains sought obscure repose, Yet came[145] prepared as glorious lights to shine, Should that be needed for their sacred Charge; Blest Prisoners They, whose spirits were[146] at large!

FOOTNOTES:

[143] See the story of the rebuilding of Rome after its plunder by the Gauls.--ED.

[144] 1837.

... their tardiest lingerings 'Mid reedy fens wide-spread and marshes drear, Their own creation, till their long career End in the sea engulphed. Such welcomings As came from mighty Po when Venice rose, Greeted those simple Heirs of truth divine 1835.

[145] 1837.

Yet were ... 1835.

[146] 1840.

... are ... 1835.

XIV

WALDENSES[147]

Those had given[148] earliest notice, as the lark Springs from the ground the morn to gratulate; Or[149] rather rose the day to antedate, By striking out a solitary spark, 4 When all the world with midnight gloom was dark.-- Then followed the Waldensian bands, whom Hate[150] In vain endeavours[151] to exterminate, Whom[152] Obloquy pursues with hideous bark:[153] But they desist not;--and the sacred fire,[154] Rekindled thus, from dens and savage woods 10 Moves, handed on with never-ceasing care, Through courts, through camps, o'er limitary floods; Nor lacks this sea-girt Isle a timely share Of the new Flame, not suffered to expire.

FOOTNOTES:

[147] The followers of Peter Waldo afterwards became a separate community, and multiplied in the valleys of Dauphiné and Piedmont. They suffered persecutions in 1332, 1400, and 1478, but these only drove them into fresh districts in Europe. Francis I. of France ordered them to be extirpated from Piedmont in 1541, and many were massacred. In 1560 the Duke of Savoy renewed the persecution at the instance of the Papal See. Charles Emmanuel II., in 1655, continued it.--ED.

[148] 1845.

These who gave ... 1822.

These had given ... 1840.

[149] 1840.

Who ... 1822.

[150] 1845.

These Harbingers of good, whom bitter hate 1822.

At length come those Waldensian bands, whom Hate 1840.

[151] 1840.

... endeavoured ... 1822

[152] 1840.

Fell ... 1822

[153] The list of foul names bestowed upon those poor creatures is long and curious:--and, as is, alas! too natural, most of the opprobrious appellations are drawn from circumstances into which they were forced by their persecutors, who even consolidated their miseries into one reproachful term, calling them Patarenians, or Paturins, from _pati_, to suffer.

Dwellers with wolves, she names them, for the pine And green oak are their covert; as the gloom Of night oft foils their enemy's design, She calls them Riders on the flying broom; Sorcerers, whose frame and aspect have become One and the same through practices malign.--W. W. 1822.

[154] 1827.

Meanwhile the unextinguishable fire, 1822

XV

ARCHBISHOP CHICHELY TO HENRY V.

"What beast in wilderness or cultured field "The lively beauty of the leopard shows? "What flower in meadow-ground or garden grows "That to the towering lily doth not yield? "Let both meet only on thy royal shield! 5 "Go forth, great King! claim what thy birth bestows; "Conquer the Gallic lily which thy foes "Dare to usurp;--thou hast a sword to wield, "And Heaven will crown the right."--The mitred Sire Thus spake--and lo! a Fleet, for Gaul addrest, 10 Ploughs her bold course across the wondering seas;[155] For, sooth to say, ambition, in the breast Of youthful heroes, is no sullen fire, But one that leaps to meet the fanning breeze.

FOOTNOTES:

[155] Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1414, persuaded Henry V. to carry on war with France, and helped to raise money for the purpose. Henry crossed to Harfleur, Chichele accompanying him, with an army of 30,000, and won the battle of Agincourt.--ED.

XVI

WARS OF YORK AND LANCASTER

Thus is the storm abated by the craft Of a shrewd Counsellor, eager to protect The Church, whose power hath recently been checked, Whose monstrous riches threatened. So the shaft Of victory mounts high, and blood is quaffed 5 In fields that rival Cressy and Poictiers--[156] Pride to be washed away by bitter tears! For deep as Hell itself, the avenging draught[157] Of civil slaughter. Yet, while temporal power Is by these shocks exhausted, spiritual truth 10 Maintains the else endangered gift of life; Proceeds from infancy to lusty youth; And, under cover of this[158] woeful strife, Gathers unblighted strength from hour to hour.

FOOTNOTES:

[156] _e.g._ the battles of St. Albans, Wakefield, Mortimer's Cross, Towton, Barnet, Tewkesbury, Bosworth.--ED.

[157] 1827.

But mark the dire effect in coming years! Deep, deep as hell itself, the future draught 1822.

[158] 1827.

... that ... 1822.

XVII

WICLIFFE

Once more the Church is seized with sudden fear, And at her call is Wicliffe disinhumed: Yea, his dry bones to ashes are consumed And flung into the brook that travels near; 4 Forthwith, that ancient Voice which Streams can hear Thus speaks (that Voice which walks upon the wind, Though seldom heard by busy human kind)-- "As thou these ashes, little Brook! wilt bear "Into the Avon, Avon to the tide "Of Severn, Severn to the narrow seas, 10 "Into main Ocean they, this deed accurst "An emblem yields to friends and enemies "How the bold Teacher's Doctrine, sanctified "By truth, shall spread, throughout the world dispersed."[159]

FOOTNOTES:

[159] The Council of Constance condemned Wicliffe as a heretic, and issued an order that his remains should be exhumed, and burnt. "Accordingly, by order of the Bishop of Lincoln, as Diocesan of Lutterworth, his grave, which was in the chancel of the church, was opened, forty years after his death; the bones were taken out and burnt to ashes, and the ashes thrown into a neighbouring brook called the Swift." (Southey's _Book of the Church_, vol. i. p. 384.) "Thus this brook," says Fuller, "hath conveyed his ashes into Avon, Avon into Severn, Severn into the narrow seas, they into the main ocean; and thus the ashes of Wicliffe are the emblem of his doctrine, which now is dispersed all the world over." (_The Church History of Britain from the Birth of Christ until the year MDCXLVIII. endeavoured_, book iv. p. 424.) In the note to the 11th Sonnet of Part I., Wordsworth acknowledges his obligations to Fuller in connection with this Sonnet on Wicliffe.

See Charles Lamb's comment on this passage of Fuller's, Prose Works (1876), vol. iv. p. 277.--ED.

XVIII

CORRUPTIONS OF THE HIGHER CLERGY

"Woe to you, Prelates! rioting in ease "And cumbrous wealth--the shame of your estate; "You, on whose progress dazzling trains await "Of pompous horses; whom vain titles please; "Who will be served by others on their knees, 5 "Yet will yourselves to God no service pay; "Pastors who neither take nor point the way "To Heaven; for, either lost in vanities "Ye have no skill to teach, or if ye know "And speak the word ----" Alas! of fearful things 'Tis the most fearful when the people's eye 11 Abuse hath cleared from vain imaginings; And taught the general voice to prophesy Of Justice armed, and Pride to be laid low.

XIX

ABUSE OF MONASTIC POWER

And what is Penance with her knotted thong; Mortification with the shirt of hair, Wan cheek, and knees indúrated with prayer, Vigils, and fastings rigorous as long; If cloistered Avarice scruple not to wrong 5 The pious, humble, useful Secular,[160] And rob[161] the people of his daily care, Scorning that world whose blindness makes her strong? Inversion strange! that, unto One who lives[162] For self, and struggles with himself alone, 10 The amplest share of heavenly favour gives; That to a Monk allots, both in the esteem Of God and man, place higher than to him[163] Who on the good of others builds his own!

FOOTNOTES:

[160] The _secular_ clergy are the priests of the Roman church, who belong to no special religious order, but have the charge of parishes, and so live in the world (_seculum_). The _regular_ clergy are the monks belonging to one or other of the monastic orders, and are subject to its rules (_regulæ_).--ED.

[161] 1827.

And robs ... 1822.

[162] 1827.

Scorning their wants because her arm is strong? Inversion strange! that to a Monk, who lives 1822.

[163] 1845.

And hath allotted, in the world's esteem, To such a higher station than to him 1822.

That to a Monk allots, in the esteem Of God and Man, place higher than to him 1827.

XX

MONASTIC VOLUPTUOUSNESS

Yet more,--round many a Convent's blazing fire Unhallowed threads of revelry are spun; There Venus sits disguisèd like a Nun,-- While Bacchus, clothed in semblance of a Friar, Pours out his choicest beverage high and higher 5 Sparkling, until it cannot choose but run Over the bowl, whose silver lip hath won An instant kiss of masterful desire-- To stay the precious waste. Through every brain The domination of the sprightly juice 10 Spreads high conceits to madding Fancy dear,[164] Till the arched roof, with resolute abuse Of its grave echoes, swells a choral strain, Whose votive burthen is--"OUR KINGDOM 'S HERE!"[165]

FOOTNOTES:

[164] 1832.

In every brain Spreads the dominion of the sprightly juice, Through the wide world to madding Fancy dear, 1822.

[165] See Wordsworth's note to the next Sonnet.--ED.

XXI

DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES

Threats come which no submission may assuage, No sacrifice avert, no power dispute; The tapers shall be quenched, the belfries mute, And,'mid their choirs unroofed by selfish rage, The warbling wren shall find a leafy cage; 5 The gadding bramble hang her purple fruit; And the green lizard and the gilded newt Lead unmolested lives, and die of age.[166] The owl of evening and the woodland fox For their abode the shrines of Waltham choose:[167] 10 Proud Glastonbury can no more refuse To stoop her head before these desperate shocks-- She whose high pomp displaced, as story tells, Arimathean Joseph's wattled cells.[168]

FOOTNOTES:

[166] These two lines are adopted from a MS., written about the year 1770, which accidentally fell into my possession. The close of the preceding Sonnet on monastic voluptuousness is taken from the same source, as is the verse, "Where Venus sits," etc. [W. W. 1822], and the line, "Once ye were holy, ye are holy still," in a subsequent Sonnet.--W. W. 1837.

[167] Waltham Abbey is in Essex, on the Lea.--ED.

[168] Alluding to the Roman legend that Joseph of Arimathea brought Christianity into Britain, and built Glastonbury Church. See Part I. Sonnet II. (p. 5) and note [14].--ED.

XXII

THE SAME SUBJECT

The lovely Nun (submissive, but more meek Through saintly habit than from effort due To unrelenting mandates that pursue With equal wrath the steps of strong and weak) Goes forth--unveiling timidly a cheek[169] 5 Suffused with blushes of celestial hue, While through the Convent's[170] gate to open view Softly she glides, another home to seek. Not Iris, issuing from her cloudy shrine, An Apparition more divinely bright! 10 Not more attractive to the dazzled sight Those watery glories, on the stormy brine Poured forth, while summer suns at distance shine, And the green vales lie hushed in sober light!

FOOTNOTES:

[169] 1837.

... her cheek 1822.

[170] 1837.

... Convent ... 1822.

XXIII

CONTINUED

Yet many a Novice of the cloistral shade, And many chained by vows, with eager glee[171] The warrant hail, exulting to be free; Like ships before whose keels, full long embayed In polar ice, propitious winds have made 5 Unlooked-for outlet to an open sea, Their liquid world, for bold discovery, In all her quarters temptingly displayed! Hope guides the young; but when the old must pass The threshold, whither shall they turn to find 10 The hospitality--the alms (alas! Alms may be needed) which that House bestowed? Can they, in faith and worship, train the mind To keep this new and questionable road?

FOOTNOTES:

[171] 1840.

Yet some, Noviciates of the cloistral shade, Or chained by vows, with undissembled glee 1822.

XXIV

SAINTS

Ye, too, must fly before a chasing hand, Angels and Saints, in every hamlet mourned! Ah! if the old idolatry be spurned, Let not your radiant Shapes desert the Land: Her adoration was not your demand, 5 The fond heart proffered it--the servile heart; And therefore are ye summoned to depart, Michael, and thou, St. George, whose flaming brand[172] The Dragon quelled; and valiant Margaret[173] Whose rival sword a like Opponent slew: 10 And rapt Cecilia, seraph-haunted Queen[174] Of harmony; and weeping Magdalene, Who in the penitential desert met Gales sweet as those that over Eden blew!

FOOTNOTES:

[172] St. George, patron Saint of England, supposed to have suffered A.D. 284. The Greek Church honours him as "the great martyr."--ED.

[173] St. Margaret, supposed to have suffered martyrdom at Antioch, A.D. 275.--ED.

[174] St. Cecilia, patron Saint of Music, has been enrolled as a martyr by the Latin Church from the fifth century.--ED.

XXV

THE VIRGIN[175]

Mother! whose virgin bosom was uncrost With the least shade of thought to sin allied; Woman! above all women glorified, Our tainted nature's solitary boast; Purer than foam on central ocean tost; 5 Brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon Before her wane begins on heaven's blue coast; Thy Image falls to earth. Yet some, I ween, Not unforgiven the suppliant knee might bend, 10 As to a visible Power, in which did blend All that was mixed and reconciled in Thee Of mother's love with maiden purity, Of high with low, celestial with terrene![176]

FOOTNOTES:

[175] Compare the _Stanzas suggested in a Steam-boat off Saint Bees' Head_, (l. 114); also the following sonnet by the late John Nichol, Professor of English Literature in the University of Glasgow. (See _The Death of Themistocles, and other Poems_, p. 189.)

AVE MARIA

Ave Maria! on a thousand thrones Raised by the weary hearts that beat to thee, As 'neath the softer light the throbbing sea, Thy name a spell of peace, in lingering tones Is whispered through the world: thy truth condones The feebler faith of worshippers that flee, Lost in the sovereign awe, to bend the knee By pictured holiness or breathing stones. Mother of Christ! whom ages old adorn, And hundred climes, by gentle thought and deed, Forgive the sacrilege, the brandished scorn Of the grim guardians of a narrow creed, Who fence their folds from Love's serener law, And "grate on scrannel pipes of wretched straw."--ED.

[176] This sonnet was published in _Time's Telescope_, July 2, 1823, p. 136.--ED.

XXVI

APOLOGY

Not utterly unworthy to endure Was the supremacy of crafty Rome;[177] Age after age to the arch of Christendom Aërial keystone haughtily secure; Supremacy from Heaven transmitted pure, 5 As many hold; and, therefore, to the tomb Pass, some through fire--and by the scaffold some-- Like saintly Fisher,[178] and unbending More.[179] "Lightly for both the bosom's lord did sit Upon his throne;"[180] unsoftened, undismayed 10 By aught that mingled with the tragic scene Of pity or fear; and More's gay genius played With the inoffensive sword of native wit, Than the bare axe more luminous and keen.

FOOTNOTES:

[177] "To the second part of the same series" (the "Ecclesiastical Sonnets") "I have added two, in order to do more justice to the Papal Church for the services which she did actually render to Christianity and Humanity in the Middle Ages."--W. W. (in a letter to Professor Reed, Sept. 4, 1842).--ED.

[178] John Fisher, born in 1469, became Bishop of Rochester in 1504, was one of the first in England to write against Luther, opposed the divorce of Henry VIII., was sent to the Tower in 1534, and his see declared void, was made a Cardinal by the Pope while in prison, and beheaded on Tower Hill, 1535.--ED.

[179] Sir Thomas More, the author of _Utopia_, born in 1478, was Speaker of the House of Commons in 1523, and succeeded Wolsey as Lord Chancellor in 1529. Disapproving of the king's divorce, he resigned office, was committed to the Tower for refusing to take the oath of supremacy, found guilty of treason, and beheaded in 1535.--ED.

[180] See _Romeo and Juliet_, act V. scene i. l. 3--

My bosom's lord sits lightly on his throne.--ED.

XXVII

IMAGINATIVE REGRETS

Deep is the lamentation! Not alone From Sages justly honoured by mankind; But from the ghostly tenants of the wind, Demons and Spirits, many a dolorous groan Issues for that dominion overthrown: 5 Proud Tiber grieves, and far-off Ganges, blind As his own worshippers: and Nile, reclined Upon his monstrous urn, the farewell moan Renews.[181] Through every forest, cave, and den, Where frauds were hatched of old, hath sorrow past-- Hangs o'er the Arabian Prophet's native Waste,[182] 11 Where once his airy helpers[183] schemed and planned 'Mid spectral[184] lakes bemocking thirsty men,[185] And stalking pillars built of fiery sand.[186]

FOOTNOTES:

[181] Compare the echo of the Lady's voice in the lines _To Joanna_, in the "Poems on the Naming of Places" (vol. ii. p. 157).--ED.

[182] The desert around Mecca.--ED.

[183] Mahomet affirmed that he had constant visits from angels; and that the angel Gabriel dictated to him the Koran.--ED.

[184] 1837.

'Mid phantom ... 1822.

[185] The mirage.--ED.

[186] Pillars of sand raised by whirlwinds in the desert, which correspond to waterspouts at sea.--ED.

XXVIII

REFLECTIONS

Grant, that by this unsparing hurricane Green leaves with yellow mixed are torn away, And goodly fruitage with the mother spray; 'Twere madness--wished we, therefore, to detain, With hands stretched forth in[187] mollified disdain, 5 The "trumpery" that ascends in bare display-- Bulls, pardons, relics, cowls black, white, and grey--[188] Upwhirled, and flying o'er the ethereal plain Fast bound for Limbo Lake.[189] And yet not choice But habit rules the unreflecting herd, 10 And airy bonds are hardest to disown; Hence, with the spiritual sovereignty transferred Unto itself, the Crown assumes a voice Of reckless mastery, hitherto unknown.

FOOTNOTES:

[187] 1827.

With farewell sighs of 1822.

[188] See _Paradise Lost_, book iii. ll. 474, 475--

Eremites and Friars, White, black, and grey, with all their trumperie.--ED.

[189] Hades.--ED.

XXIX

TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE

But, to outweigh all harm, the sacred Book, In dusty sequestration wrapt too long, Assumes the accents of our native tongue; And he who guides the plough, or wields the crook, With understanding spirit now may look 5 Upon her records, listen to her song, And sift her laws--much wondering that the wrong, Which Faith has suffered, Heaven could calmly brook Transcendent Boon! noblest that earthly King Ever bestowed to equalize and bless 10 Under the weight of mortal wretchedness! But passions spread like plagues, and thousands wild With bigotry shall tread the Offering Beneath their feet, detested and defiled.[190]

FOOTNOTES:

[190] As was the case during the French Revolution.--ED.

XXX

THE POINT AT ISSUE

Published 1827

For what contend the wise?--for nothing less Than that the Soul, freed from the bonds of Sense, And to her God restored by evidence[191] Of things not seen, drawn forth from their recess, Root there, and not in forms, her holiness;-- 5 For[192] Faith, which to the Patriarchs did dispense Sure guidance, ere a ceremonial fence Was needful round men thirsting to transgress;-- For[193] Faith, more perfect still, with which the Lord Of all, himself a Spirit, in the youth 10 Of Christian aspiration, deigned to fill The temples of their hearts who, with his word Informed, were resolute to do his will, And worship him in spirit and in truth.

FOOTNOTES:

[191] 1832.

Than that pure Faith dissolve the bonds of Sense; The Soul restored to God by evidence 1827.

[192] 1832.

_That_ ... 1827.

[193] 1832.

That ... 1827.

XXXI

EDWARD VI

"Sweet is the holiness of Youth"--so felt Time-honoured Chaucer speaking through that Lay[194] By which the Prioress beguiled the way,[195] And many a Pilgrim's rugged heart did melt. Hadst thou, loved Bard! whose spirit often dwelt 5 In the clear land of vision, but foreseen King, child, and seraph,[196] blended in the mien Of pious Edward kneeling as he knelt In meek and simple infancy, what joy For universal Christendom had thrilled 10 Thy heart! what hopes inspired thy genius, skilled (O great Precursor, genuine morning Star) The lucid shafts of reason to employ, Piercing the Papal darkness from afar!

FOOTNOTES:

[194] 1845.

... Chaucer when he framed the lay 1822.

... Chaucer when he framed that Lay 1837.

[195] The quotation is not from _The Prioress's Tale_ of Chaucer, but from Wordsworth's own _Selections from Chaucer modernized_, stanza ix. Wordsworth adds an idea, not found in the original, and to make room for it, he extends the stanza from seven to eight lines.--ED.

[196] King Edward VI. ascended the throne in 1547, at the age of ten, and reigned for six years.--ED.

XXXII

EDWARD SIGNING THE WARRANT FOR THE EXECUTION OF JOAN OF KENT

The tears of man in various measure gush From various sources; gently overflow From blissful transport some--from clefts of woe Some with ungovernable impulse rush; And some, coëval with the earliest blush 5 Of infant passion, scarcely dare to show Their pearly lustre--coming but to go; And some break forth when others' sorrows crush The sympathising heart. Nor these, nor yet The noblest drops to admiration known, 10 To gratitude, to injuries forgiven-- Claim Heaven's regard like waters that have wet The innocent eyes of youthful Monarchs driven To pen the mandates, nature doth disown.[197]

FOOTNOTES:

[197] Joan Bocher, of Kent, a woman of good birth, friend of Ann Askew at Court, was accused, and condemned to die for maintaining that Christ was human only in appearance. Cranmer, by order of the Council, obtained from Edward a warrant for her execution. Edward, who was then in his thirteenth year, signed it, telling Cranmer that he must be answerable for the deed.--ED.

XXXIII

REVIVAL OF POPERY

Published 1827

The saintly Youth has ceased to rule, discrowned[198] By unrelenting Death.[199] O People keen For change, to whom the new looks always green! Rejoicing did they cast upon the ground[200] Their Gods of wood and stone; and, at the sound 5 Of counter-proclamation, now are seen, (Proud triumph is it for a sullen Queen!) Lifting them up, the worship to confound Of the Most High. Again do they invoke The Creature, to the Creature glory give; 10 Again with frankincense the altars smoke Like those the Heathen served; and mass is sung; And prayer, man's rational prerogative, Runs through blind channels of an unknown tongue.[201]

FOOTNOTES:

[198] 1832.

Melts into silent shades the Youth, discrowned 1827.

[199] Edward died in 1553, aged sixteen.--ED.

[200] 1832.

They cast, they cast with joy upon the ground 1827.

[201] On the death of Edward and the accession of Mary Tudor, the Roman Catholic worship was restored, all the statutes of Edward VI. with regard to religion being repealed by Parliament.--ED.

XXXIV

LATIMER AND RIDLEY

Published 1827

How fast the Marian death-list is unrolled! See Latimer and Ridley in the might Of Faith stand coupled for a common flight![202] One (like those prophets whom God sent of old) Transfigured,[203] from this kindling hath foretold 5 A torch of inextinguishable light; The Other gains a confidence as bold; And thus they foil their enemy's despite. The penal instruments, the shows of crime, Are glorified while this once-mitred pair 10 Of saintly Friends the "murtherer's chain partake, Corded, and burning at the social stake:" Earth never witnessed object more sublime In constancy, in fellowship more fair!

FOOTNOTES:

[202] Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, and Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of Winchester, were sent to the Tower, and subsequently burnt together at Oxford in the front of Balliol College, October 16, 1555.--ED.

[203] M. Latimer suffered his keeper very quietly to pull off his hose, and his other array, which to looke unto was very simple: and being stripped into his shrowd, he seemed as comely a person to them that were present, as one should lightly see: and whereas in his clothes hee appeared a withered and crooked sillie (weak) olde man, he now stood bolt upright, as comely a father as one might lightly behold.... Then they brought a faggotte, kindled with fire, and laid the same downe at doctor Ridley's feete. To whome M. Latimer spake in this manner, "Bee of good comfort, master Ridley, and play the man: wee shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England, as I trust shall never bee put out." (_Fox's Acts_, _etc._)

Similar alterations in the outward figure and deportment of persons brought to like trial were not uncommon. See note to the above passage in Dr. Wordsworth's _Ecclesiastical Biography_, for an example in an humble Welsh fisherman.--W. W. 1827. (_Ecclesiastical Biography_, vol. iii. pp. 287, 288.)--ED.

XXXV

CRANMER[204]

Outstretching flame-ward his upbraided hand[205] (O God of mercy, may no earthly Seat Of judgment such presumptuous doom repeat!) Amid the shuddering throng doth Cranmer stand; Firm as the stake to which with iron band 5 His frame is tied; firm from the naked feet To the bare head. The victory is complete;[206] The shrouded Body to the Soul's command Answers[207] with more than Indian fortitude, Through all her nerves with finer sense endued, 10 Till breath departs in blissful aspiration: Then, 'mid the ghastly ruins of the fire, Behold the unalterable heart entire, Emblem of faith untouched, miraculous attestation![208][209]

FOOTNOTES:

[204] Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and leader in the ecclesiastical affairs of England during the latter part of Henry VIII. and Edward VI.'s reign, was, on the accession of Mary Tudor, committed to the Tower, tried on charges of heresy, and condemned. He recanted his opinions, but was nevertheless condemned to die. He then recanted his recantation. "They brought him to the spot where Latimer and Ridley had suffered. After a short prayer, he put off his clothes with a cheerful countenance and a willing mind. His feet were bare; his head appeared perfectly bald. Called to abide by his recantation, he stretched forth his right arm, and replied, 'This is the hand that wrote it, and therefore it shall suffer punishment first.' Firm to his purpose, as soon as the flame rose, he held his hand out to meet it, and retained it there steadfastly, so that all the people saw it sensibly burning before the fire reached any other part of his body; and after he repeated with a loud and firm voice, 'This hand hath offended, this unworthy right hand.' Never did martyr endure the fire with more invincible resolution; no cry was heard from him, save the exclamation of the protomartyr Stephen, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!' The fire did its work soon--and his heart was found unconsumed amid the ashes." (Southey's _Book of the Church_, vol. ii. pp. 240, 241.)--ED.

[205] 1827.

... upbraiding ... 1822.

[206] 1837.

... head, the victory complete; 1822.

[207] 1837.

Answering ... 1822.

[208] 1827.

Now wrapt in flames--and now in smoke embowered-- 'Till self-reproach and panting aspirations Are, with the heart that held them, all devoured; The Spirit set free, and crown'd with joyful acclamations! 1822.

[209] For the belief in this fact, see the contemporary Historians.--W. W. 1827.

XXXVI

GENERAL VIEW OF THE TROUBLES OF THE REFORMATION

Aid, glorious Martyrs, from your fields of light, Our mortal ken! Inspire a perfect trust (While we look round) that Heaven's decrees are just: Which few can hold committed to a fight That shows, ev'n on its better side, the might 5 Of proud Self-will, Rapacity, and Lust, 'Mid clouds enveloped of polemic dust, Which showers of blood seem rather to incite Than to allay. Anathemas are hurled From both sides; veteran thunders (the brute test 10 Of truth) are met by fulminations new-- Tartarean flags are caught at, and unfurled-- Friends strike at friends--the flying shall pursue-- And Victory sickens, ignorant where to rest!

XXXVII

ENGLISH REFORMERS IN EXILE[210]

Scattering, like birds escaped the fowler's net, Some seek with timely flight a foreign strand; Most happy, re-assembled in a land By dauntless Luther freed, could they forget Their Country's woes. But scarcely have they met, 5 Partners in faith, and brothers in distress, Free to pour forth their common thankfulness, Ere hope declines:--their union is beset With speculative notions[211] rashly sown, 9 Whence thickly-sprouting growth of poisonous weeds; Their forms are broken staves; their passions, steeds That master them. How enviably blest Is he who can, by help of grace, enthrone The peace of God within his single breast!

FOOTNOTES:

[210] During Mary's reign, fully 800 of the English clergy and laity sought refuge on the Continent, and they were hospitably received in Switzerland, the Low Countries, and along the Rhine. Some of the best known were Coverdale, Sandys, Jewel, Knox, Whittingham, and Foxe. They lived in Basle, Zurich, Geneva, Strasburg, Worms, and Frankfort; and it was in the latter town that the dissensions prevailed, referred to in the sonnet. These were unfolded in a Tract entitled _The Troubles of Frankfort_. The chief point in dispute was the use of the English _Book of Common Prayer_. Knox and Whittingham, under the guidance of Calvin, wished a modification of this book. The dispute ended in the Frankfort magistrates requesting Knox to leave the city. He retired to Geneva. On the accession of Elizabeth, the Frankfort exiles returned to England.--ED.

[211] 1827.

With prurient speculations ... 1822.

XXXVIII

ELIZABETH

Hail, Virgin Queen! o'er many an envious bar Triumphant, snatched from many a treacherous wile! All hail, sage Lady, whom a grateful Isle Hath blest, respiring from that dismal war Stilled by thy voice! But quickly from afar 5 Defiance breathes with more malignant aim; And alien storms with home-bred ferments claim Portentous fellowship.[212] Her silver car, By sleepless prudence[213] ruled, glides slowly on; Unhurt by violence, from menaced taint 10 Emerging pure, and seemingly more bright: Ah! wherefore yields it to a foul constraint[214] Black as the clouds its beams dispersed, while shone, By men and angels blest, the glorious light?[215]

FOOTNOTES:

[212] Alluding doubtless to the foreign conspiracies against Elizabeth, the intrigues of Mary Queen of Scots, the Pope's excommunication, and conspiracies in the North of England, etc. See _The White Doe of Rylstone_.--ED.

[213] 1827.

Meanwhile, by prudence ... 1822.

[214] An allusion probably to the Court of High Commission, and perhaps also to the execution of the Scottish Queen.--ED.

[215] 1845.

For, wheresoe'er she moves, the clouds anon Disperse; or--under a Divine constraint-- Reflect some portion of her glorious light! 1822.

XXXIX

EMINENT REFORMERS

Methinks that I could trip o'er heaviest soil, Light as a buoyant bark from wave to wave, Were mine the trusty staff that JEWEL gave To youthful HOOKER, in familiar style The gift exalting, and with playful smile:[216] 5 For thus equipped, and bearing on his head The Donor's farewell blessing, can[217] he dread Tempest, or length of way, or weight of toil?-- More sweet than odours caught by him who sails Near spicy shores of Araby the blest, 10 A thousand times more exquisitely sweet, The freight of holy feeling which we meet, In thoughtful moments, wafted by the gales From fields where good men walk, or bowers wherein they rest.

FOOTNOTES:

[216] "On foot they[218] went, and took Salisbury in their way, purposely to see the good Bishop, who made Mr. Hooker sit at his own table; which Mr. Hooker boasted of with much joy and gratitude when he saw his mother and friends; and at the Bishop's parting with him, the Bishop gave him good counsel and his benediction, but forgot to give him money; which when the Bishop had considered, he sent a servant in all haste to call Richard back to him, and at Richard's return, the Bishop said to him, 'Richard, I sent for you back to lend you a horse which hath carried me many a mile, and I thank God with much ease,' and presently delivered into his hand a walking-staff, with which he professed he had travelled through many parts of Germany; and he said, 'Richard, I do not give, but lend you my horse; be sure you be honest, and bring my horse back to me, at your return this way to Oxford. And I do now give you ten groats to bear your charges to Exeter; and here is ten groats more, which I charge you to deliver to your mother, and tell her I send her a Bishop's benediction with it, and beg the continuance of her prayers for me. And if you bring my horse back to me, I will give you ten groats more to carry you on foot to the college; and so God bless you, good Richard.'" (See Walton's _Life of Richard Hooker_.)--W. W. 1822.

[217] 1827.

... could ... 1822.

[218] _i.e._ Richard Hooker and a College companion.--ED.

XL

THE SAME

Holy and heavenly Spirits as they are, Spotless in life, and eloquent as wise, With what entire affection do they prize[219] Their Church reformed![220] labouring with earnest care To baffle all that may[221] her strength impair; 5 That Church, the unperverted Gospel's seat; In their afflictions a divine retreat; Source of their liveliest hope, and tenderest prayer!-- The truth exploring with an equal mind, In doctrine and communion they have sought[222] 10 Firmly between the two extremes to steer; But theirs the wise man's ordinary lot, To trace right courses for the stubborn blind, And prophesy to ears that will not hear.

FOOTNOTES:

[219] The reading, "Their new-born Church," printed in all editions of the poems from 1822 till 1842, had been objected to by several correspondents; and out of deference to their suggestions it was altered to "Their Church reformed": but Wordsworth wrote to his nephew and biographer, November 12, 1846, "I don't like the term _reformed_; if taken in its literal sense as a _transformation_, it is very objectionable" (see _Memoirs_, vol. ii. p. 113), and in the "postscript" _to Yarrow Revisited_, _etc._, he says, "The great Religious Reformation of the sixteenth century did not profess to be a new construction, but a restoration of something fallen into decay, or put out of sight."--ED.

[220] 1845.

... did they prize Their new-born Church!... 1822.

... do they prize Their new-born Church!... 1827.

[221] 1827.

... might ... 1822.

[222] 1827.

In polity and discipline they sought 1822.

XLI

DISTRACTIONS

Men, who have ceased to reverence, soon defy Their forefathers; lo! sects are formed, and split With morbid restlessness;[223]--the ecstatic fit Spreads wide; though special mysteries multiply, _The Saints must govern_ is their common cry; 5 And so they labour, deeming Holy Writ Disgraced by aught that seems content to sit Beneath the roof of settled Modesty. The Romanist exults; fresh hope he draws From the confusion, craftily incites 10 The overweening, personates the mad--[224] To heap disgust upon the worthier Cause: Totters the Throne;[225] the new-born Church[226] is sad For every wave against her peace unites.

FOOTNOTES:

[223] The first nonconforming sect in England originated in 1556. It broke off from the Church, on a question of vestments. The chief divisions of English Nonconformity in the latter half of the sixteenth century were (1) the _Brunists_, or _Barronists_. The disciples of Brun quarrelled and divided amongst themselves. (2) The _Familists_, an offshoot of the Dutch Anabaptists, a mystic sect which quarrelled with the Puritans. (3) The _Anabaptists_, who were not only religious sectaries, but who differed with the Church on sundry social and civil matters. "They denied the sanctity of an oath, the binding power of laws, the right of the magistrate to punish, and the rights of property." (Perry's _History of the English Church_, p. 315.) See also Hooker's Preface to his _Ecclesiastical Polity_, c. viii. 6-12; and the "Life of Sir Matthew Hale," _Eccl. Biog._ iv. 533, on the "indigested enthusiastical scheme called _The Kingdom of Christ_, or _of his Saints_."--ED.

[224] A common device in religious and political conflicts. See _Strype_, in support of this instance.--W. W. 1822.

Probably the reference is to the case of Cussin, a Dominican Friar. He pretended to be a Puritan minister; and, in his devotions, assumed the airs of madness. See in Strype's _The Life and Acts of Matthew Parker,_ _Archbishop of Canterbury_, vol. i. chaps, xiii. and xvi.--ED.

[225] 1827.

The Throne is plagued; ... 1822.

[226] See the note to the previous sonnet, No. XL.--ED.

XLII

GUNPOWDER PLOT[227]

Fear hath a hundred eyes that all agree To plague her beating heart; and there is one (Nor idlest that!) which holds communion With things that were not, yet were _meant_ to be. Aghast within its gloomy cavity 5 That eye (which sees as if fulfilled and done Crimes that might stop the motion of the sun) Beholds the horrible catastrophe Of an assembled Senate unredeemed From subterraneous Treason's darkling power: 10 Merciless act of sorrow infinite! Worse than the product of that dismal night, When gushing, copious as a thunder-shower, The blood of Huguenots through Paris streamed.[228]

FOOTNOTES:

[227] Originated by Robert Catesby, the intention being to destroy King, Lords, and Commons, by an explosion at Westminster, when James I. went in person to open Parliament on the 5th November 1605.--ED.

[228] The massacre of St. Bartholomew, which occurred on August 24, 1572.--ED.

XLIII

ILLUSTRATION

THE JUNG-FRAU AND THE FALL OF THE RHINE NEAR SCHAFFHAUSEN

The Virgin Mountain,[229] wearing like a Queen A brilliant crown of everlasting snow, Sheds ruin from her sides; and men below Wonder that aught of aspect so serene Can link with desolation. Smooth and green, And seeming, at a little distance, slow, The waters of the Rhine; but on they go Fretting and whitening, keener and more keen; Till madness seizes on the whole wide Flood, Turned to a fearful Thing whose nostrils breathe 10 Blasts of tempestuous smoke--wherewith he tries To hide himself, but only magnifies; And doth in more conspicuous torment writhe, Deafening the region in his ireful mood.[230]

FOOTNOTES:

[229] The Jung-frau.--W. W. 1822.

[230] This Sonnet was included among the "Memorials of a Tour on the Continent" (1822), and the following note was added:--"This Sonnet belongs to another publication, but from its fitness for this place is inserted here also, '_Voilà un énfer d'eau_,' cried out a German Friend of Ramond, falling on his knees on the scaffold in front of this Waterfall. See Ramond's Translation of Coxe."--W. W.

The following extracts from Mrs. Wordsworth's Journal of the Continental Tour in 1820 illustrate it. "Aug. 9.--I am seated before _Jung-frau_, in the green vale of Interlaken, 'green to the very door,' with rich shade of walnut trees, the river behind the house.... Mountains and that majestic _Virgin_ closing up all.... By looking across into a nook at the entrance of the Vale of Lauterbrunnen, Jung-frau presses forward and seems to preside over and give a character to the whole of the vale that belongs only to this one spot," ... "Aug. 10th.-- ... Reached Grindelwald, by the pass close to Jung-frau (at least separated from it by a deep cleft only), which sent forth its avalanches,--one grand beyond all description. It was an awful and a solemn sound." ... "Aug. 1st.-- ... Nothing could exceed my delight when, through an opening between buildings at the skirts of the town, we _unexpectedly_ hailed our old and side-by-side companion, the Rhine, now roaring like a lion, along his rocky channel. Never beheld so soft, so lovely a green, as is here given to the waters of this lordly river; and then, how they glittered and heaved to meet the sunshine."--ED.

XLIV

TROUBLES OF CHARLES THE FIRST

Even such the contrast that, where'er we move,[231] To the mind's eye[232] Religion doth present; Now with her own deep quietness content; Then, like the mountain, thundering from above Against the ancient pine-trees of the grove 5 And the Land's humblest comforts. Now her mood Recals the transformation of the flood, Whose rage the gentle skies in vain reprove, Earth cannot check. O terrible excess Of headstrong will! Can this be Piety? 10 No--some fierce Maniac hath usurped her name; And scourges England struggling to be free: Her peace destroyed! her hopes a wilderness! Her blessings cursed--her glory turned to shame!

FOOTNOTES:

[231] 1832.

Such contrast, in whatever track we move, 1822.

Such is the contrast, which, where'er we move, 1827.

[232] Compare _Hamlet_, act I. scene i. l. 112.--ED.

XLV

LAUD[233]

Prejudged by foes determined not to spare,[234] An old weak Man for vengeance thrown aside, Laud,[235] "in the painful art of dying" tried, (Like a poor bird entangled in a snare Whose heart still flutters, though his wings forbear 5 To stir in useless struggle) hath relied On hope that conscious innocence supplied,[236] And in his prison breathes[237] celestial air. Why tarries then thy chariot?[238] Wherefore stay, O Death! the ensanguined yet triumphant wheels, 10 Which thou prepar'st, full often, to convey (What time a State with madding faction reels) The Saint or Patriot to the world that heals All wounds, all perturbations doth allay?

FOOTNOTES:

[233] See the Fenwick note preceding the Series.--ED.

In this age a word cannot be said in praise of Laud, or even in compassion for his fate, without incurring a charge of bigotry; but fearless of such imputation, I concur with Hume, "that it is sufficient for his vindication to observe that his errors were the most excusable of all those which prevailed during that zealous period." A key to the right understanding of those parts of his conduct that brought the most odium upon him in his own time, may be found in the following passage of his speech before the bar of the House of Peers:--"Ever since I came in place, I have laboured nothing more than that the external publick worship of God, so much slighted in divers parts of this kingdom, might be preserved, and that with as much decency and uniformity as might be. For I evidently saw that the public neglect of God's service in the outward face of it, and the nasty lying of many places dedicated to that service, _had almost cast a damp upon the true and inward worship of God, which while we live in the body, needs external helps, and all little enough to keep it in any vigour_."--W. W. 1827.

[234] 1827.

Pursued by Hate, debarred from friendly care; 1822.

[235] 1827.

Long ... 1822.

[236] 1827.

... Laud relied Upon the strength which Innocence supplied, 1822.

[237] 1827.

... breathed ... 1822.

[238] In his address, before his execution, Archbishop Laud said, "I am not in love with this passage through the Red Sea, and I have prayed _ut transiret calix iste_, but if not, God's will be done."--ED.

XLVI

AFFLICTIONS OF ENGLAND

Harp! could'st thou venture, on thy boldest string, The faintest note to echo which the blast Caught from the hand of Moses as it pass'd O'er Sinai's top, or from the Shepherd-king, Early awake, by Siloa's brook, to sing 5 Of dread Jehovah; then, should wood and waste Hear also of that name, and mercy cast Off to the mountains, like a covering Of which the Lord was weary. Weep, oh! weep, Weep with the good,[239] beholding King and Priest 10 Despised by that stern God to whom they raise Their suppliant hands; but holy is the feast He keepeth; like the firmament his ways: His statutes like the chambers of the deep.[240]

FOOTNOTES:

[239] 1827.

As good men wept, ... 1822.

[240] See Psalm xxxvi. 5, 6.--ED.