V

But cease, ye pitying bosoms, cease to bleed!
Such scenes no more demand the tear humane ;
I see, I see! glad Liberty succeed

With every patriot virtue in her train!
And mark yon peasant's raptur'd eyes:
Secure he views his harvests rise;

No fetter vile the mind shall know,
And Eloquence shall fearless glow.

Yes! Liberty the soul of Life shall reign,

Shall throb in every pulse, shall flow thro' every vein!

VI

Shall France alone a Despot spurn?

Shall she alone, O Freedom, boast thy care?

Lo, round thy standard Belgia's heroes burn,

Tho' Power's blood-stain'd streamers fire the air,
And wider yet thy influence spread,
Nor e'er recline thy weary head,
Till every land from pole to pole
Shall boast one independent soul!

And still, as erst, let favour'd Britain be

First ever of the first and freest of the free!

? 1789.

LIFE'

25

30

35

40

As late I journey'd o'er the extensive plain
Where native Otter sports his scanty stream,
Musing in torpid woe a Sister's pain,

The glorious prospect woke me from the dream.

At every step it widen'd to my sight

Wood, Meadow, verdant Hill, and dreary Steep, Following in quick succession of delight,

Till all at once-did my eye ravish'd sweep!

1 First published in 1834.

5

32 Shall She, O Freedom, all thy blessings share MS. O crased. Life-Title] Sonnet II. Written September, 1789 MS. 0: Sonnet written just after the writer left the Country in Sept. 1789, aetat. 15

MS. 0 (c).

6 dreary] barren MS. 0, MS. OC. MS. O, MS. Oc).

8 my ravish'd eye did sweep.

May this (I cried) my course through Life portray!
New scenes of Wisdom may each step display,

And Knowledge open as my days advance!
Till what time Death shall pour the undarken'd ray,
My eye shall dart thro' infinite expanse,

And thought suspended lie in Rapture's blissful trance.

1789.

PROGRESS OF VICE

[Nemo repente turpissimus]

DEEP in the gulph of Vice and Woe
Leaps Man at once with headlong throw?
Him inborn Truth and Virtue guide,
Whose guards are Shame and conscious Pride.
In some gay hour Vice steals into the breast;
Perchance she wears some softer Virtue's vest.
By unperceiv'd degrees she tempts to stray,
Till far from Virtue's path she leads the feet away.

Then swift the soul to disenthrall
Will Memory the past recall,

And Fear before the Victim's eyes

Bid future ills and dangers rise.

But hark! the Voice, the Lyre, their charms combine-
Gay sparkles in the cup the generous Wine-
Th' inebriate dance, the fair frail Nymph inspires,

15

And Virtue vanquish'd-scorn'd-with hasty flight retires.

But soon to tempt the Pleasures cease;

Yet Shame forbids return to peace,
And stern Necessity will force
Still to urge on the desperate course.

1 First published in 1834, from MS. 0.

12 Till when death pours at length MS. O (c).

20

14 While thought suspended lies MS. 0: While thought suspended lies in Transport's blissful trance MS. O (c).

Progress of Vice-Title] Progress of Vice. An Ode MS. 0. The motto first appears in Boyer's Liber Aureus.

1 Vice] Guilt L. A.

heart to disenthrall L. A.

3 inborn innate L. A.
12 Bid] Bids MS. 0.

13 But hark! their charms the voice L. A.
frail young Beauty fires L. Ai

9 Yet still the ills] woes L. A. 15 The mazy dance and

20 Still on to urge MS. 0.

The drear black paths of Vice the wretch must try,
Where Conscience flashes horror on each eye,

Where Hate-where Murder scowl-where starts Affright! Ah! close the scene-ah! close-for dreadful is the sight.

1790.

MONODY ON THE DEATH OF CHATTERTON 1

[FIRST VERSION, IN CHRIST'S HOSPITAL BOOK-1790]
Cold penury repress'd his noble rage,

And froze the genial current of his soul.

Now prompts the Muse poetic lays,

And high my bosom beats with love of Praise!

But, Chatterton! methinks I hear thy name,

For cold my Fancy grows, and dead each Hope of Fame.

When Want and cold Neglect had chill'd thy soul,

Athirst for Death I see thee drench the bowl!

Thy corpse of many a livid hue

On the bare ground I view,

Whilst various passions all my mind engage;
Now is my breast distended with a sigh,
And now a flash of Rage

Darts through the tear, that glistens in my eye.

Is this the land of liberal Hearts!

Is this the land, where Genius ne'er in vain
Pour'd forth her soul-enchanting strain?
Ah me! yet Butler 'gainst the bigot foe
Well-skill'd to aim keen Humour's dart,
Yet Butler felt Want's poignant sting;
And Otway, Master of the Tragic art,
Whom Pity's self had taught to sing,

5

IO

15

20

1 First published in 1893. The version in the Ottery Copy-book (MS. 0) was first published in P. and D. W., 1880, ii. 355*-8*. Three MSS. of the Monody, &c. are extant: (1) the Ottery Copy-book [MS. O]; (2) Boyer's Liber Aureus the text as printed; (3) the transcription of S. T. C.'s early poems made in 1823 [MS. O (c)]. Variants in 1 and 3 are given below.

=

24 Ah! close the scene, for dreadful MS. 0.

Monody-Title] A Monody on Chatterton, who poisoned himself at the age of eighteen-written by the author at the age of sixteen. MS. 0 (c). Motto] The motto does not appear in MS. O, but a note is prefixed: "This poem has since appeared in print, much altered, whether for the better I doubt. This was, I believe, written before the Author went to College' (J. T. C.). 6 drench] drain MS. O, MS. 0 (c). 7 corpse] corse MS, 0, MS. 0 (c). 13 Hearts] Heart MS. 0, MS. 0 (c). 20 taught] bade MS, O, MS, o (c).

Sank beneath a load of Woe;

This ever can the generous Briton hear,
And starts not in his eye th' indignant Tear?

Elate of Heart and confident of Fame,

From vales where Avon sports, the Minstrel came,
Gay as the Poet hastes along

He meditates the future song,

How Ella battled with his country's foes,
And whilst Fancy in the air

Paints him many a vision fair

His eyes dance rapture and his bosom glows.
With generous joy he views th' ideal gold:
He listens to many a Widow's prayers,
And many an Orphan's thanks he hears;

He soothes to peace the care-worn breast,
He bids the Debtor's eyes know rest,
And Liberty and Bliss behold:

And now he punishes the heart of steel,

And her own iron rod he makes Oppression feel.
Fated to heave sad Disappointment's sigh,

To feel the Hope now rais'd, and now deprest,
To feel the burnings of an injur'd breast,
From all thy Fate's deep sorrow keen

In vain, O Youth, I turn th' affrighted eye;
For powerful Fancy evernigh

The hateful picture forces on my sight.
There, Death of every dear delight,
Frowns Poverty of Giant mien!

In vain I seek the charms of youthful grace,

Thy sunken eye, thy haggard cheeks it shews,

The quick emotions struggling in the Face
Faint index of thy mental Throes,

When each strong Passion spurn'd controll,

And not a Friend was nigh to calm thy stormy soul.

Such was the sad and gloomy hour
When anguish'd Care of sullen brow
Prepared the Poison's death-cold power.
Already to thy lips was rais'd the bowl,
When filial Pity stood thee by,

21 Sank] Sunk MS. O, MS. 0 (c). hear MS. O, MS. 0 (c).

MS. O.

55

22 This ever] Which can the... ever 29 whilst while MS. 0. 32 ideal] rising 42 To feel] With all MS. 0.

36 eyes] too MS. 0 (c).

43

Lo! from thy dark Fate's sorrow keen MS. 0. 45 powerful] busy MS. O.

50 cheeks it] cheek she MS. 0: looks she MS. 0 (c).

51 the thy MS. O.

6c

Thy fixed eyes she bade thee roll

Thy native cot she held to view,

On scenes that well might melt thy soul

65

Thy native cot, where Peace ere long
Had listen'd to thy evening song;
Thy sister's shrieks she bade thee hear,
And mark thy mother's thrilling tear,
She made thee feel her deep-drawn sigh,
And all her silent agony of Woe.

And from thy Fate shall such distress ensue?
Ah! dash the poison'd chalice from thy hand!
And thou had'st dash'd it at her soft command;
But that Despair and Indignation rose,
And told again the story of thy Woes,
Told the keen insult of th' unfeeling Heart,
The dread dependence on the low-born mind,
Told every Woe, for which thy breast might smart,
Neglect and grinning scorn and Want combin'd-

Recoiling back, thou sent'st the friend of Pain
To roll a tide of Death thro' every freezing vein.
O Spirit blest!

Whether th' eternal Throne around,
Amidst the blaze of Cherubim,

Thou pourest forth the grateful hymn,
Or, soaring through the blest Domain,
Enraptur'st Angels with thy strain,-
Grant me, like thee, the lyre to sound,
Like thee, with fire divine to glow-
But ah! when rage the Waves of Woe,
Grant me with firmer breast t'oppose their hate,

70

75

80

83

And soar beyond the storms with upright eye elate!1 90

1790.

60 eyes] eye MS. 0. 61 On scenes which MS. 0. On] To MS. 0 (c). 64 evening] Evening's MS. O (c). 66 thrilling] frequent MS. O 78 sent'st] badest MS. 0.

79 81 eternal] Eternal's

67 made] bade MS. 0, MS. 0 (c).
To] Quick. freezing] icening MS. 0, MS. 0 (c).
MS. 0: endless MS. O (c). 82 Cherubim] Seraphim MS. 0.
ah!] Like thee MS. 0, MS. 0 (c).

88 But

89 To leave behind Contempt, and Want, and State, MS. 0.
To leave behind Contempt and Want and Hate MS. 0 (c).
And seek in other worlds an happier Fate MS. 0, MS. 0 (c).

1 [Note to 11. 88-90.] Altho' this latter reflection savours of suicide, it will easily meet with the indulgence of the considerate reader when he reflects that the Author's imagination was at that time inflam'd with the idea of his beloved Poet, and perhaps uttered a sentiment which in his cooler moments he would have abhor'd the thought of. [Signed] J, M. MS. 0 (c),