to painting, but in degree to every other fine art. Now it is well worth a lecturer's while, who sees the matter in this light, first to point out through the whole scale of art what stands highest, and then to show what constitutes the appropriate perfection of all, down to the lowest. Ever, my dear Haydon, faithfully yours, W. WORDSWORTH."

On the 4th of September 1840, Haydon records in his Diary:

"Hard at work, and heard from dear Wordsworth, with a glorious sonnet on the Duke and Copenhagen. It is very fine, so I began a new journal directly, and put in the sonnet. God bless him!”

The following is Wordsworth's letter :—

"MY DEAR HAYDON,-We are all charmed with your etching. It is both poetically and pictorially conceived, and finely executed. I should have written immediately to thank you for it and for your letter and the enclosed one, which is interesting, but I wished to gratify you by writing a sonnet. I now send it, but with an earnest request that it may not be put into circulation for some little time, as it is warm from the brain, and may require, in consequence, some little retouching. It has this, at least, remarkable attached to it—which will add to its value in your eyes-that it was actually composed while I was climbing Helvellyn last Monday. My daughter and Mr. Quillinan were with me; and she, which I believe had scarcely ever been done before, rode every inch of the way to the summit, and a magnificent day we had.

* See his Life, vol. iii. pp. 160-2.

Sonnet suggested by Haydon's picture of the Duke of Wellington upon the Field of Waterloo twenty years after battle.

First reading:

By art's bold privilege, warrior and war-horse stand
On ground yet strewn with their last battle's wreck.
Let the steed glory, while his master's hand
Lies, fixed for ages, on his conscious neck.
But, by the chieftain's look, tho' at his side

Hangs that day's treasured sword, how firm a check.
Is given to triumph, and all human pride!
Yon trophied mound shrinks to a shadowy speck
In his calm presence. Since the mighty deed
Him years have brought far nearer the grave's rest,
As shows that face time-worn. But he such seed
Has sowed that bears, we trust, the fruit of fame
In heaven; hence no one blushes for thy name,
Conqueror! 'mid some sad thoughts divinely blest.

Composed while ascending Helvellyn, Monday, August 31st,
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH."

1840.

"MY DEAR MR. HAYDON,-Correct thus the two last lines towards the close of the sonnet :

As shows that time-worn face. But he such seed.
Hath sown, as yields, we trust, the fruit of fame

In heaven, etc.

You will see the reason of this alteration. It applies now to his life in general, and not to that particular act as before. You may print the sonnet where and when you will, if you think it will serve you; only it may be well that I should hear from you first, as you may have something to suggest either as to the letter or the lines.-Yours in haste,

Friday, Sept. 4th.”

WM. WORDSWORTH.

"I am quite ashamed to trouble you again, but after considering and re-considering, changing and re-changing, it has

been resolved that the troublesome passage shall stand thus:

In his calm presence. Him the mighty deed
Elates not, brought far nearer the grave's rest,
As shows that time-worn face.
Hath sown as yields, we trust, etc.

-Faithfully yours,

Rydal Mount, Monday, Sept. 7th, 1840."

But

he such seed

W. WORDSWORTH.

"Rydal, Sept. 10th.

By is certainly a better word than through; but I fear it cannot be employed on account of the subsequent line :

:

But by the chieftain's look.

To me the two bys' clash both to the ear and understanding, and it was on that account I changed the word. I have also a slight objection to the alliteration 'by bold' occurring so soon. I am glad you like elates not.' As the passage first stood

Since the mighty deed,

there was a transfer of the thought from the picture to the living man, which divided the sonnet into two parts. The presence of the portrait is now carried through till the last line, when the man is taken up. To prevent the possibility of a mistake I will repeat the passage as last sent, and in which state I consider it finished; and you will do what you like with it :

Him the mighty deed

Elates not, brought far nearer the grave's rest,

As shows that time-worn face. But he such seed
Hath sown as yields, etc.

I hope you are right in thinking this the best of the three. I forget whether I thanked you for your sketch of the Slave

"For" in the printed version of the sonnet.

trade picture. Your friendship has misled you. I must on no account be introduced. I was not present at the meeting, as matter of fact; and, though from the first I took a lively interest in the abolition of slavery, except joining with those who petitioned Parliament, I was too little of a man of business to have an active part in the work. Besides, my place of abode would have prevented it, had I been so inclined. The only public act of mine connected with the event was sending forth that sonnet, which I addressed to Mr. Clarkson, upon the success of the undertaking. Thank you for your last letter. I am this moment (while dictating this letter), sitting to Mr. Pickersgill, who has kindly come down to paint me at leisure, for Sir Robert Peel, in whose gallery at Drayton the portrait will probably be hung by that of my poor friend Southey.—I am, my dear Haydon, yours faithfully,

WM. WORDSWORTH.

P.S.-Your suggestion about the engraver is very candid; but, the verses taking so high a flight, and particularly in the line Lies fixed for ages,' it would be injurious to put forward the cold matter of fact, and the sense and spirit of the sonnet both demand that it should be suggested at the sight of the picture."

"MY DEAR HAYDON,—I could not otherwise get rid of the prosaic declaration of the matter of fact that the hero was so much older. You will recollect that it at first stood,

Since the mighty deed

Him years, etc.

I know not what to do with the passage, if it be not well corrected as follows::

Him the mighty deed

Elates not neither doth a cloud find rest
Upon that time-worn face; for he such seed
Hath sown, etc.

I sent the sonnet, as it was before corrected, to Mr. Lowndes, as you desired. When you print it, if it be in course of next week, pray send a copy to this house, and another to me at Lowther Castle, whither I am going to-morrow.-Very faithfully yours, W. WORDSWORTH.

Rydal Mount, September 11.

The space for alteration in this troublesome passage, you will observe, was very confined, as it was necessary to advert to the Duke being much older, which is yet done in the words "time-worn face," but not so strongly as before,

W. W."

In July 1840 Wordsworth wrote to Lady Frederick Bentinck, daughter of Lord Lonsdale: "On Monday morning, a little before nine, a beautiful and bright day, the Queen Dowager and her sister appeared at Rydal. I met them at the lower waterfall, with which her Majesty seemed much pleased. Upon hearing that it was not more than half a mile to the higher fall, she said, briskly, she would go; I walked by the Queen's side up to the higher waterfall, and she seemed to be much struck with the beauty of the scenery.

Upon quitting the park of Rydal, nearly opposite our own gate, the Queen was saluted with a pretty rural spectacle; nearly fifty children, drawn up in avenue, with bright garlands in their hands, three large flags flying, and a band of music. They had come from Ambleside, and the garlands were such as are annually prepared at this season for a ceremony called 'The Rush-bearing'; and the parish-clerk of Ambleside hit upon this way of showing at Rydal the same respect to the Queen which had been previously shown at Ambleside. led the Queen to the principal points of view in our little domain, particularly to that, through the summer-house, which shows the lake of Rydal to such advantage. The Queen talked more than once about having a cottage among the lakes,

I