She weeps not for the wedding-day Her hope was a further-looking hope, He was a tree that stood alone, Long, long in darkness did she sit, The stately Priory was reared; And the Lady prayed in heaviness But slowly did her succour come, Oh! there is never sorrow of heart The Force of Prayer was included by Wordsworth amongst the "Poems proceeding from Sentiment and Reflection." There were no variations in the text of the poem from 1815 to 1850; but I have found, in a letter of Dorothy Wordsworth's to her friend, Miss Jane Pollard, the mother of Lady Monteagle-who has kindly lent it to me-the earliest version of the poem, which differs considerably from the form in which it was first published in 1815. The letter is dated October 18th, 1807. It is as follows: "What is good for a bootless bene?" The Lady answer'd, " endless sorrow." Her words are plain; but the Falconer's words Are a path that is dark to travel thorough. These words I bring from the Banks of Wharf, And their meaning is, whence can confort spring "What is good for a bootless bene?" She knew it from the Falconer's words Young Romelli to the Woods is gone, And they have reach'd that famous Chasm Across the River Wharf, pent in And that striding place is call'd THE STRID, A thousand years hath it borne that name, And thither is young Romelli come; And what may now forbid That He, perhaps for the hundredth time, Shall bound across the Strid? He sprang in glee; for what cared he That the River was strong, and the Rocks were steep ? But the greyhound in the Leash hung back And check'd him in his leap. The Boy is in the arms of Wharf, And strangled with a merciless force; Now is there stillness in the vale And long unspeaking sorrow, If for a Lover the Lady wept A comfort she might borrow From death, and from the passion of death; Old Wharf might heal her sorrow. She weeps not for the Wedding-day Oh was he not a comely tree? Long, long in darkness did she sit, And the stately Priory was rear'd, And the Lady pray'd in heaviness But slowly did her succour come, Oh! there is never sorrow of heart That shall lack a timely end, If but to God we turn, and ask The poem of Samuel Rogers, to which Wordsworth refers in the Fenwick note, is named The Boy of Egremond. In begins "Say, what remains when Hope is fled?" See Charles Lamb's remarks on The Force of Prayer, quoted in the COMPOSED WHILE THE AUTHOR WAS ENGAGED IN WRITING A TRACT, OCCASIONED BY THE CONVENTION OF CINTRA. NOT 'mid the World's vain objects that enslave 1 In selfish interest perverts the will, Whose factions lead astray the wise and brave- Wordsworth began to write on the Convention of Cintra in November 1808, and sent two articles on the subject to the December (1808) and January (1809) numbers of The Courier. The subject grew in importance to him as he discussed it: and he threw his reflections on the subject into the form of a small treatise, the preface to which was dated 20th May 1809. The full title of this (so-called) "Tract" is "Concerning the Relations of Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal to each other, and to the common Enemy, at this crisis; and specifically as affected by the Convention of Cintra: the whole brought to the test of those Principles, by which alone the Independence and Freedom of Nations can be Preserved or Recovered."-ED. 1 1820. which enslave 1815. (See errata.) 2 1827. gathering where I may, 1815, COMPOSED AT THE SAME TIME AND ON THE SAME OCCASION. Comp. 1808. Pub. 1815. I DROPPED my pen; and listened to the Wind Compare the sonnet No. VII., of those "Dedicated to National Independence and Liberty," beginning Not 'mid the world's vain objects that enslave. -ED. |