Or bounty tires, and every face that smiled
Encouragement, hath ceased to look that way.
But, like the vagrants of the gipsy tribe,
These, bred to little pleasure in themselves,
Are profitless to others. Turn we then
To Britons born and bred within the pale
Of civil polity, and early train'd
To earn, by wholesome labour in the field,
The bread they eat. A sample should I give
Of what this stock produces to enrich
The tender age of life, ye would exclaim,
With pure cerulean gravel from the heights
Fetch'd by the neighbouring brook. Across the vale
The stately fence accompanied our steps;
And thus the pathway, by perennial green
Guarded and graced, seemed fashion'd to unite,
As by a beautiful yet solemn chain,
The pastor's mansion with the house of prayer.
Like image of solemnity, conjoin'd
With feminine allurement soft and fail,
The mansion's self display'd; a reverend pile
With bold projections and recesses deep;
Is this the whistling ploughboy whose shrill notes Shadowy, yet gay and lightsome as it stood
Impart new gladness to the morning air!'
Forgive me if I venture to suspect
That many, sweet to hear of in soft verse,
Are of no finer frame: his joints are stiff;
Beneath a cumbrous frock, that to the knees
Invests the thriving churl, his legs appear,
Fellows to those that lustily upheld
The wooden stools for everlasting use,
Whereon our fathers sate. And mark his brow!
Under whose shaggy canopy are set
Two eyes, not dim, but of a healthy stare;
Wide, sluggish, blank, and ignorant, and strange;
Proclaiming boldly that they never drew
A look or motion of intelligence
From infant conning of the Christ-cross-row,
Or puzzling through a primer, line by line,
Till perfect mastery crown the pains at last.
What kindly warmth from touch of fostering hand,
What penetrating power of sun or breeze,
Shall e'er dissolve the crust wherein his soul
Sleeps, like a caterpillar sheath'd in ice?
This torpor is no pitiable work
Of modern ingenuity; no town
Nor crowded city may be tax'd with aught
Of sottish vice or desperate breach of law
To which in after years he may be roused.
This boy the fields produce: his spade and hoe-
The carter's whip that on his shoulder rests
In air high-towering with a boorish pomp,
The sceptre of his sway; his country's name,
Her equal rights, her churches and her schools-
What have they done for him? And let me ask,
For tens of thousands uninform'd as he?
In brief, what liberty of mind is here ?"
This ardent sally pleased the mild, good man,
To whom the appeal couched in its closing words
Was pointedly address'd: and to the thoughts
That, in assent or opposition, rose
Within his mind, he seem'd prepared to give
Prompt utterance; but, rising from our seat,
The hospitable vicar interposed
With invitation urgently renew'd.
We followed, taking as he led, a path
Along a hedge of hollies, dark and tall,
Whose flexile boughs, descending with a weight
Of leafy spray, conceal'd the stems and roots
That gave them nourishment. When frosty winds
Howl from the north, what kindly warmth, me-
thought,
Is here, how grateful this impervious screen;
Not shaped by simple wearing of the foot
On rural business passing to and fro
Was the commodious walk; a careful hand
Had mark'd the line, and strewn the surface o'er
Fronting the noontide sun. We paused t' admire
The pillar'd porch, elaborately emboss'd;
The low wide windows with their mullions old;
The cornice richly fretted, of grey stone;
And that smooth slope from which the dwelling
rose,
By beds and banks Arcadian of gay flowers
And flowering shrubs, protected and adorn'd;
Profusion bright! and every flower assuming
A more than natural vividness of hue,
From unaffected contrast with the gloom
Of sober cypress, and the darker foil
Of yew, in which survived some traces, here
Not unbecoming, of grotesque device
And uncouth fancy. From behind the roof
Rose the slim ash and massy sycamore,
Blending their diverse foliage with the green
| Of ivy, flourishing and thick, that clasp'd
The huge round chimneys, harbour of delight
For wren and redbreast, where they sit and sing
Their slender ditties when the trees are bare.
Nor must I leave untouch'd (the picture else
Were incomplete) a relique of old times
Happily spared, a little gothic niche
Of nicest workmanship: that once had held
The sculptured image of some patron saint,
Or of the blessed virgin, looking down
On all who entered those religious doors.
But lo! where from the rocky garden mount
Crown'd by its antique summer house, descends,
Light as the silver fawn, a radiant girl;
For she hath recognised her honour'd friend,
The wanderer ever welcome! A prompt kiss
The gladsome child bestows at his request;
And, up the flowery lawn as we advance,
Hangs on the old man with a happy look,
And with a pretty, restless hand of love.
We enter, by the lady of the place
Cordially greeted. Graceful was her port:
A lofty stature undepress'd by time,
Whose visitation had not wholly spared
The finer lineaments of form and face;
To that complexion brought which prudence trusts
And wisdom loves. But when a stately ship
Sails in smooth weather by the placid coast
On homeward voyage, what, if wind and wave,
And hardship undergone in various climes,
Have caused her to abate the virgin pride,
And that full trim of inexperienced hope
With which she left her haven, not for this,
Should the sun strike her, and the impartial breeze
Play on her streamers, fails she to assume
Brightness and touching beauty of her own,
That charm all eyes. So bright, so fair, appear'd
This goodly matron, shining in the beam
of unexpected pleasure. Soon the board
Was spread, and we partook a plain repast.
Here, resting in cool shelter, we beguiled
The midday hours with desultory talk;
From trivial themes to general argument
Passing, as accident or fancy led,
Or courtesy prescribed. While question rose
And answer flow'd, the fetters of reserve
Dropping from every mind, the solitary
Resumed the manners of his happier days;
And, in the various conversation, bore
A willing, nay, at times, a forward part:
Yet with the grace of one who in the world
Had learn'd the art of pleasing, and had now
Occasion given him to display his skill,
Upon the steadfast vantage-ground of truth.
He gazed with admiration unsuppress'd
Upon the landscape of the sunbright vale,
Seen, from the shady room in which we sate,
In soften'd perspective; and more than once
Praised the consummate harmony serene
Of gravity and elegance-diffused
Around the mansion and its whole domain;
Not, doubtless, without help of female taste
And female care. "A blessed lot is yours!"
The words escaped his lip with a tender sigh
Breathed over them; but suddenly the door
Flew open, and a pair of lusty boys
Appear'd, confusion checking their delight.
Not brothers they in feature or attire,
But fond companions, so I guess'd, in field,
And by the river's margin, whence they come,
Anglers elated with unusual spoil.
One bears a willow pannier on his back,
The boy of plainer garb, whose blush survives
More deeply tinged. Twin might the other be
To that fair girl who from the garden mount
Bounded triumphant entry this for him!
Between his hands he holds a smooth blue stone,
On whose capacious surface see outspread
Large store of gleaming crimson-spotted trouts;
Ranged side by side, and lessening by degrees
Up to the dwarf that tops the pinnacle.
Upon the board he lays the sky-blue stone
With its rich freight:-their number he proclaims;
Tells from what pool the noblest had been dragg'd;
And where the very monarch of the brook,
After long struggle, had escaped at last-
Stealing alternately at them and us
(As doth his comrade too) a look of pride;
And, verily, the silent creatures made
A splendid sight, together thus exposed;
Dead-but not sullied or deform'd by death,
That seem'd to pity what he could not spare.
But 0, the animation in the mien
Of those two boys! yea, in the very words
With which the young narrator was inspired,
When, as our questions led, he told at large
Of that day's prowess. Him might I compare,
His look, tones, gestures, eager eloquence,
To a bold brook that splits for better speed,
And, at the selfsame moment, works its way
Through many channels, ever and anon
Parted and reunited: his compeer
VOL. III.-31
To the still lake, whose stillness is to sight
As beautiful, as grateful to the mind.
But to what object shall the lovely girl
Be liken'd? She, whose countenance and air
Unite the graceful qualities of both,
E'en as she shares the pride and joy of both.
My gray-hair'd friend was moved: his vivid eye
Glisten'd with tenderness; his mind, I knew,
Was full; and had, I doubted not, return'd,
Upon this impulse, to the theme-erewhile
Abruptly broken off. The ruddy boys
Withdrew, on summons, to their well-earn'd meal
And he, (to whom all tongues resign'd their rights
With willingness, to whom the general ear
Listen'd with readier patience than to strain
Of music, lute or harp,-a long delight
That ceased not when his voice had ceased,) as ne
Who from truth's central point serenely views
The compass of his argument-began
Mildly, and with a clear and steady tone.
DISCOURSE OF THE WANDERER, AND AN
EVENING VISIT TO THE LAKE.
Wanderer asserts that an active principle pervades the
universe. Its noblest seat the human soul. How lively
this principle is in childhood. Hence the delight in
old age of looking back upon childhood. The dignity,
powers, and privileges of age asserted. These not to
be looked for generally but under a just government.
Right of a human creature to be exempt from being
considered as a mere instrument. Vicious inclinations
are best kept under by giving good ones an opportunity
to show themselves. The condition of multitudes de-
plored, from want of due respect to this truth on the
part of their superiors in society. Former conversation
recurred to, and the wanderer's opinions set in a clearer
light. Genuine principles of equality.. Truth placed
within reach of the humblest. Happy state of the two
boys again adverted to. Earnest wish expressed for a
system of national education established universally
by government. Glorious effects of this foretold. Wan-
derer breaks off. Walk to the lake. Embark. De-
scription of scenery and amusements. Grand spectacle
from the side of a hill. Address of priest to the Supreme
Being; in the course of which he contrasts with ancient
barbarism the present appearance of the scene before
him. The change ascribed to Christianity. Apostrophe
to his flock, living and dead. Gratitude to the Al-
mighty. Return over the lake. Parting with the soli
tary. Under what circumstances.
"To every form of being is assign'd,"
Thus calmly spake the venerable sage,
"An active principle:-howe'er removed
From sense and observation, it subsists
In all things, in all natures, in the stars
Of azure heaven, the unenduring clouds,
In flower and tree, in every pebbly stone
That paves the brooks, the stationary rocks,
The moving waters, and th' invisible air.
Whate'er exists hath properties that spread
Beyond itself, communicating good
A simple blessing, or with evil mix'd;
Spirit that knows no insulated spot,
No chasm, no solitude; from link to link
It circulates, the soul of all the worlds.
This is the freedom of the universe; Unfolded still the more, more visible,
The more we know; and yet is reverenced least,
And least respected, in the human mind,
Its most apparent home. The food of hope
Is meditated action; robb'd of this
Her sole support, she languishes and dies.
We perish also; for we live by hope
And by desire; we see by the glad light,
And breathe the sweet air of futurity,
And so we live, or else we have no life.
To-morrow--nay, perchance this very hour,-
(For every moment hath its own to-morrow!)
Those blooming boys, whose hearts are almost sick
With present triumph, will be sure to find
A field before them freshen'd with the dew
Of other expectations;-in which course
Their happy year spins round. The youth obeys
A like glad impulse; and so moves the man
'Mid all his apprehensions, cares, and fears;
Or so he ought to move. Ah! why in age
Do we revert so fondly to the walks
Of childhood, but that there the soul discerns
The dear memorial footsteps unimpair'd
Of her own native vigour, thence can hear
Reverberations, and a choral song,
Commingling with the incense that ascends
Undaunted, toward the imperishable heavens,
From her own lonely altar? Do not think
That good and wise ever will be allow'd,
Though strength decay, to breathe in such estate
As shall divide them wholly from the stir
Of hopeful nature. Rightly is it said
That man descends into the VALE of years;
Yet have I thought that we might also speak,
And not presumptuously, I trust, of age,
As of a final EMINENCE, though bare
In aspect and forbidding, yet a point
On which 'tis not impossible to sit
In awful sovereignty-a place of power-
A throne, that may be liken'd unto his,
Who, in some placid day of summer, looks
Down from a mountain top,-say one of those
High peaks that bound the vale where now we are,
Faint, and diminish'd to the gazing eye,
Forest and field, and hill and dale appear,
With all the shapes upon their surface spread:
But, while the gross and visible frame of things
Relinquishes its hold upon the sense,
Yea almost on the mind herse J, and seems
All unsubstantialized, how loud the voice
Of waters, with invigorated peal
From the full river in the vale below,
Ascending! For on that superior height
Who sits, is disencumber'd from the press
Of near obstructions, and is privileged
To breathe in solitude above the host
Of ever-humming insects, 'mid thin air
That suits not them. The murmur of the leaves,
Many and idle, visits not his ear;
This ne is freed from, and from thousand notes
Not less unceasing, not less vain than these,-
By which the finer passages of sense
Are occupied; and the soul, that would incline
To listen, is prevented or deterr'd.
"And may it not be hoped, that, placed by age
In like removal tranquil though severe,
We are not so removed for utter loss;
But for some favour, suited to our need?
What more than that the severing should confer
Fresh power t' commune with the invisible world
And hear the mighty stream of tendency
Uttering, for elevation of our thought,
A clear sonorous voice, inaudible
To the vast multitude: whose doom it is
To run the giddy round of vain delight,
Or fret and labour on the plain below.
"But, if to such sublime ascent the hopes
Of man may rise, as to a welcome close
And termination of his mortal course,
Them only can such hope inspire whose minds
Have not been starved by absolute neglect;
Nor bodies crush'd by unremitting toil;
To whom kind nature, therefore, may afford
Proof of the sacred love she bears for all;
Whose birthright reason, therefore, may ensure.
For me, consulting what I feel within
In times when most existence with herself
Is satisfied, I cannot but believe,
That, far as kindly nature hath free scope
And reason's sway predominates, e'en so far,
Country, society, and time itself,
That saps the individual's bodily frame,
And lays the generations low in dust,
Do, by the Almighty Ruler's grace, partake
Of one maternal spirit, bringing forth
And cherishing with ever-constant love,
That tires not, nor betrays. Our life is turn'd
Out of her course, wherever man is made
An offering or a sacrifice, a tool
Or implement, a passive thing employ'd
As a brute mean, without acknowledgment
Of common right or interest in the end;
Used or abused, as selfishness may prompt.
Say, what can follow for a rational soul
Perverted thus, but weakness in all good,
And strength in evil? Hence an after call
For chastisement, and custody, and bonds,
And oft-times death, avenger of the past,
And the sole guardian in whose hands we dare
Intrust the future. Not for these sad issues
Was man created; but t' obey the law
Of life, and hope, and action. And 'tis known
That when we stand upon our native soil,
Unelbow'd by such objects as oppress
Our active powers, those powers themselves become
Strong to subvert our noxious qualities:
They sweep distemper from the busy day,
And make the chalice of the big round year
Run o'er with gladness; whence the being moves
In beauty through the world; and all who see
Bless him, rejoicing in his neighbourhood."
"Then," said the solitary, "by what force
Of language shall a feeling heart express
Her sorrow for that multitude in whom
We look for health from seeds that have been sowr
In sickness, and for increase in a power
That works but by extinction? On themselves
They cannot lean, nor turn to their own hearts
To know what they must do: their wisdom is
To look into the eyes of others, thence
To be instructed what they must avoid:
Or rather, let us say, how least observed,
How with most quiet and most silent death,
With the least taint and injury to the air
Th' oppressor breathes, their human form divine
And their immortal soul may waste away."
Fix'd within the reach of every human eye;
The sleepless ocean murmurs for all ears;
The vernal field infuses fresh delight
Into all hearts. Throughout the world of sense,
E'en as an object is sublime or fair,
The sage rejoin'd, "I thank you; you have That object is laid open to the view spared
My voice the utterance of a keen regret,
A wide compassion which with you I share.
When, heretofore, I placed before your sight
A little one, subjected to the arts
Of modern ingenuity, and made
The senseless member of a vast machine,
Serving as doth a spindle or a wheel;
Think not, that, pitying him, I could forget
The rustic boy, who walks the fields, untaught
The slave of ignorance, and oft of want
And miserable hunger. Much, too much
Of this unhappy lot, in early youth
We both have witness'd, lot which I myself
Shared, though in mild and merciful degree;
Yet was the mind to hinderances exposed,
Through which I struggled, not without distress
And sometimes injury, like a lamb enthrall'd
"Mid thorns and brambles; or a bird that breaks
Through a strong net, and mounts upon the wind,
Though with her plumes impair'd. If they, whose
souls
Should open while they range the richer fields
Of merry England, are obstructed less
By indigence, their ignorance is not less,
Nor less to be deplored. For who can doubt
That tens of thousands at this day exist
Such as the boy you painted, lineal heirs
Of those who once were vassals of her soil,
Following its fortunes like the beast or trees
Which it sustain'd. But no one takes delight
In this oppression; none are proud of it;
It bears no sounding name, nor ever bore;
A standing grievance, an indigenous vice
Of every country under heaven. My thoughts
Were turn'd to evils that are new and chosen,
A bondage lurking under shape of good,—
Arts in themselves beneficent and kind,
But all too fondly follow'd and too far;
To victims, which the merciful can see
Nor think that they are victims; turn'd to wrongs?
By women, who have children of their own,
Beheld without compassion, yea with praise!
I spake of mischief by the wise diffused
With gladness, thinking that the more it spreads
The healthier, the securer we become;
Delusion which a moment may destroy!
Lastly, I mourn'd for those whom I had seen
Corrupted and cast down, on favour'd ground,
Where circumstance and nature had combined
To shelter innocence, and cherish love;
Who, but for this intrusion, would have lived,
Possess'd of health, and strength, and peace of mind,
Thus would have lived, or never have been born.
"Alas! what differs more than man from man!
And whence that difference? whence but from
himself?
For see the universal race endow'd
With the same upright form! The sun is fix'd,
And th' infinite magnificence of heaven,
Without reserve or veil; and as a power
Is salutary, or an influence sweet,
Are each and all enabled to perceive
That power, that influence, by impartial law.
Gifts nobler are vouchsafed alike to all;
Reason, and, with that reason, smiles and tears;
Imagination, freedom in the will,
Conscience to guide and check; and death to be
Foretasted, immortality presumed.
Strange, then, nor less than monstrous might be
deem'd
The failure, if th' Almighty, to this point
Liberal and undistinguishing, should hide
The excellence of moral qualities
From common understanding; leaving truth
And virtue difficult, abstruse, and dark;
Hard to be won, and only by a few;
Strange, should he deal herein with nice respecta,
And frustrate all the rest! Believe it not:
The primal duties shine aloft, like stars;
The charities that soothe, and heal, and bless,
Are scatter'd at the feet of man, like flowers;
The generous inclination, the just rule,
Kind wishes, and good actions, and pure thoughts
No mystery is here; no special boon
For high and not for low, for proudly graced
And not for meek of heart. The smoke ascend
To heaven as lightly from the cottage hearth
As from the haughty palace. He, whose soul
Ponders this true equality, may walk
The fields of earth with gratitude and hope;
Yet, in that meditation, will he find
Motive to sadder grief, as we have found,-
Lamenting ancient virtues overthrown,
And for th' injustice grieving, that hath made
So wide a difference betwixt man and man.
"But let us rather turn our gladden'd thoughts
Upon the brighter scene. How blest the pair
Of blooming boys (whom we beheld e'en now)
Blest in their several and their common lot!
A few short hours of each returning day
The thriving prisoners of their village school:
And thence let loose, to seek their pleasant homes
Or range the grassy lawn in vacancy,
To breathe and to be happy, run and shout
Idle, but no delay, no harm, no loss:
For every genial power of heaven and earth,
Though all the seasons of the changeful year,
Obsequiously doth take upon herself
To labour for them; bringing each in turn
The tribute of enjoyment, knowledge, health,
Beauty, or strength! Such privilege theirs
Granted alike in th' outset of their course
To both; and, if that partnership must cease,
I grieve not," to the pastor here he turn❜d,
"Much as I glory in that child of yours,
Repine not, for his cottage comrade, whom
Belike no higher destiny awaits
Than the old hereditary wish fulfill'd,
The wish for liberty to live, content
With what Heaven grants, and die, in peace of Long-reverenced titles cast away as weeds;
Within the bosom of his native vale.
At least, whatever fate the noon of life
Reserves for either, this is sure, that both
Have been permitted to enjoy the dawn;
Whether regarded as a jocund time,
That in itself may terminate, or lead
In course of nature to a sober eve.
Both have been fairly dealt with; looking back,
They will allow that justice has in them
Been shown, alike to body and to mind."
He paused, as if revolving in his soul
Some weighty matter, then, with fervent voice
And an impassioned majesty, exclaim'd,
"O for the coming of that glorious time
When, prizing knowledge as her noblest wealth
And best protection, this imperial realm,
While she exacts allegiance, shall admit
An obligation, on her part, to teach
Them who are born to serve her and obey;
Binding herself by statute to secure
For all the children whom her soil maintains
The rudiments of letters, and inform
The mind with moral and religious truth,
Both understood and practised, so that none,
However destitute, be left to droop
By timely culture unsustain'd, or run
Into a wild disorder; or be forced
To drudge through weary life without the aid
Of intellectual implements and tools;
A savage horde among the civilized,
A servile band among the lordly free!
This sacred right, the lisping babe proclaims
To be inherent in him, by Heaven's will,
For the protection of his innocence:
And the rude boy-who having overpast
The sinless age, by conscience is enroll'd,
Yet mutinously knits his angry brow,
And lifts his wilful hand on mischief bent,
Or turns the godlike faculty of speech
To impious use-by process indirect
Laws overturn'd; and territory split,
Like fields of ice rent by the polar wind,
And forced to join in less obnoxious shapes,
Which, ere they gain consistence, by a gust
Of the same breath are shatter'd and destroy'd.
Meantime the sovereignty of these fair isles
Remains entire and indivisible:
And, if that ignorance were removed, which treedi
Within the compass of their several shores
Dark discontent, or loud commotion, each
Might still preserve the beautiful repose
Of heavenly bodies shining in their spheres.-
The discipline of slavery is unknown
Amongst us, hence the more do we require
The discipline of virtue; order else
Cannot subsist, nor confidence, nor peace.
Thus, duties rising out of good possess'd,
And prudent caution needful to avert
Impending evil, equally require
That the whole people should be taught and train'd
So shall licentiousness and black resolve
Be rooted out, and virtuous habits take
Their place; and genuine picty descend,
Like an inheritance, from age to age.
"With such foundations laid, avaunt the fear
Of numbers crowded on their native soil,
To the prevention of all healthful growth
Through mutual injury! Rather in the law
Of increase and the mandate from above
Rejoice!—and ye have special cause for joy.
For as the element of air affords
An easy passage to th' industrious bees
Fraught with their burdens; and a way as smooth
For those ordain'd to take their sounding flight
From the throng'd hive, and settle where they lis:
In fresh abodes, their labour to renew;
So the wide waters, open to the power,
The will, the instincts, and appointed needs
Of Britain, do invite her to cast off
Her swarms, and in succession send them forth;
Bound to establish new communities
Declares his due, while he makes known his need. On every shore whose aspect favours hope
This sacred right is fruitlessly announced,
This universal plea in vain address'd,
To eyes and ears of parents who themselves
Did, in the time of their necessity,
Urge it in vain ; and, therefore, like a prayer
That from the humblest floor ascends to heaven,
It mounts to reach the state's parental ear;
Who, if indeed she own a mother's heart,
And be not most unfeelingly devoid
Of gratitude to Providence, will grant
Th' unquestionable good; which England, safe
From interference of external force,
May grant at leisure; without risk incurr'd
That what in wisdom for herself she doth,
Others shall e'er be able to undo.
Or bold adventure; promising to skill
And perseverance their deserved reward.
Yes," he continued, kindling as he spake,
"Chauge wide, and deep, and silently perform'd,
This land shall witness; and as days roll on,
Earth's universal frame shall feel th' effect,
E'en till the smallest habitable rock,
Beaten by lonely billows, hear the songs
Of humanized society; and bloom
With civil arts, that send their fragrance forth,
A grateful tribute to all-ruling Heaven.
From culture, unexclusively bestow'd
On Albion's noble race in freedom born,
Expect these mighty issues: from the pains
And faithful care of unambitious schools
"Look! and behold, from Calpe's sunburnt cliffs Instructing simple childhood's ready ear: To the flat margin of the Baltic sea,
* The discovery of Dr. Bell affords marvellous facilities for carrying this into effect; and it is impossible to overrate the benefits which might accrue to humanity from the universal application of this simple engine under an enlightened and conscientious government.
Thence look for these magnificent results!
Vast the circumference of hope; and ye
Are at its centre, British lawgivers;
Ah! sleep not there in shame! Shall wisdom
From out the bosom of these troubled times
Repeat the dictates of her calmer mind,
|