The rear through iron brown betrays a sullen gleam.
While silent stands the admiring crowd below,
Silent the visionary warriors go,

Winding in ordered pomp their upward way
Till the last banner of their 1 long array
Has disappeared, and every trace is fled

*

1 1849.

of the

1836.

205

* See a description of an appearance of this kind in Clark's Survey of the Lakes, accompanied with vouchers of its veracity, that may amuse the reader. -W. W. 1793.

The passage in Clark's folio volume, A Survey of the Lakes, etc., which suggested to Wordsworth the above lines in the Evening Walk, is to be found in chapter i. of the second book, p. 55. It gives a weird account of the appearance of horsemen being exercised in troops upon "Southenfell side, as seen on the 25th of June 1744 by William Lancaster of Blakehills, and a farm servant, David Strichet

"These visionary horsemen seemed to come from the lowest part of Southen-fell, and became visible just at a place called Knott. They then moved in regular troops along the side of the fell, till they came opposite Blakehills, when they went over the mountain. Then they described a kind of curvilinear path upon the side of the fell, and both these first and last appearances were bounded by the top of the mountain.

"Frequently the last, or last but one, in a troop would leave his place, and gallop to the front, and then take the same pace with the rest-a regular swift walk. Thus changes happened to every troop (for many troops appeared) and oftener than once or twice, yet not at all times alike. Nor was this phenomenon seen at Blakehill only, it was seen by every person at every cottage within the distance of a mile. Neither was it confined to a momentary view, for from the time that Strichet first observed it, the appearance must have lasted at least two hours and a half, viz. from half past seven till the night coming on prevented further view.

This interesting optical illusion-which suggests the wonderful island in the Atlantic, seen from the isles of Aran near Galway, alluded to in the Chorographical description of West, or H-Ier-Connaught, of R. O'Flaherty -was caused by the peculiar angle of the light from the setting sun, the reflection of the water of the Solway, and the refraction of the vapour and clouds above the Solway. These aerial and visionary horsemen were being exercised somewhere above the Kirkcudbright shore. It was not the first time the phenomenon had been seen within historic times, on the same fell-side, and at the same time of year. Canon Rawnsley writes to me, "I have an idea that the fact that it took place at midsummer eve (June 27), the eve of the Feast of St. John, upon which occasion the shepherds hereabout used to light bonfires on the hills (no doubt a relic of the custom of the Beltane fires of old Norse days, perhaps of earlier sun-worship festivals of British times), may have had something to do with the naming of the mountain Blencathara of which Southen-fell (or Shepherd's-fell, as the name implies) is part. Blencathara, we are told, may mean the Hill of Demons, or the haunted hill. My suggestion is that the old sun-worshippers, who met in midsummer eve on Castrigg at the Druid circle or Donn-ring, saw just the same phenomenon as Strichet and Lancaster saw upon Southen-fell, and hence the name. Nay, perhaps the Druid circle was built where it is, because it was well in view of the Demon Hill."-ED.

Of splendour-save the beacon's spiry head
Tipt with eve's latest gleam of burning red.1

210

Now, while the solemn evening shadows sail, On slowly-waving pinions,2 down the vale; And, fronting the bright west, yon oak entwines Its darkening boughs and leaves, in stronger lines; 3 215 'Tis pleasant near the tranquil lake to stray 4 Where, winding on along some secret bay,

5

The swan uplifts his chest, and backward flings

His neck, a varying arch, between his towering wings :
The eye that marks the gliding creature sees
How graceful, pride can be, and how majestic, ease.6

1 1836.

Lost gradual o'er the heights in pomp they go,
While silent stands th' admiring vale below;

Till, but the lonely beacon all is fled,

220

That tips with eve's last gleam his spiry head.

Till, save the lonely beacon,

1793.

1820.

In the edition of 1836 the seven lines of the printed text205-211-replaced these four lines of the editions 1793-1832.

2 1836.

On red slow-waving pinions

3 1820.

1793.

And, fronting the bright west in stronger lines,

The oak its dark'ning boughs and foliage twines,

1793.

The edition of 1815 omitted this couplet. It was restored in its final form in the edition of 1820.

4 1836.

I love beside the glowing lake to stray, How pleasant near the tranquil lake to stray, 5 1836.

1793. 1815.

to stray,

Where winds the road along the secret bay;
By rills that tumble down the woody steeps,
And run in transport to the dimpling deeps;
Along the wild meand'ring shore to view,
Obsequious Grace the winding swan pursue.
a secret bay;

་...

"

meandering shore"

1793.

1815.

1815.

He swells his lifted chest, and backward flings
His bridling neck between his tow'ring wings;

While tender cares and mild domestic loves
With furtive watch pursue her as she moves,
The female with a meeker charm succeeds,
And her brown little-ones around her leads,
Nibbling the water lilies as they pass,
Or playing wanton with the floating grass.
She, in a mother's care, her beauty's pride
Forgetting, calls the wearied to her side; 1
Alternately they mount her back, and rest
Close by her mantling wings' embraces prest.*

Long may they float upon this flood serene;
Theirs be these holms untrodden, still, and green,
Where leafy shades fence off the blustering gale,
And breathes in peace the lily of the vale! 2
Yon isle, which feels not even the milk-maid's feet,

Stately, and burning in his pride, divides
And glorying looks around, the silent tides:
On as he floats, the silver'd waters glow,

225

230

235

Proud of the varying arch and moveless form of snow.

Long may ye roam these hermit waves that sleep,
In birch-besprinkl'd cliffs embosom'd deep;
These fairy holms untrodden, still, and green,
Whose shades protect the hidden wave serene ;
Whence fragrance scents the water's desart gale,
The violet, and the † lily of the vale;

1793.

1793.

Long may ye float upon these floods serene;
Yours be these holms untrodden, still, and green,
Whose leafy shades fence off the blustering gale,
Where breathes in peace the lily of the vale.

1827.

* This is a fact of which I have been an eye-witness.-W. W. 1793: The lily of the valley is found in great abundance in the smaller islands

of Winandermere.-W. W. 1793.

Yet hears her song, "by distance made more sweet,” 1* Yon isle conceals their home, their hut-like bower ; Green water-rushes overspread the floor; 2

Long grass and willows form the woven wall,

And swings above the roof the poplar tall.
Thence issuing often with unwieldy stalk,
They crush with broad black feet their flowery walk; 3
Or, from the neighbouring water, hear at morn 4
The hound, the horse's tread, and mellow horn;
Involve their serpent-necks in changeful rings,
Rolled wantonly between their slippery wings,
Or, starting up with noise and rude delight,
Force half upon the wave their cumbrous flight.5

1 1820.

240

245

Where, tho' her far-off twilight ditty steal,
They not the trip of harmless milkmaid feel.

1793.

2 1836.

Yon tuft conceals your home, your cottage bow'r,
Fresh water rushes strew the verdant floor;

1793.

Yon isle conceals

1820.

3

Thence issuing oft, unwieldly as ye stalk,

1836.

Ye crush with broad black feet your flow'ry walk; 1793.
Thence issuing often with unwieldly stalk,

With broad black feet ye crush your flow'ry walk; 1820.

4 1820.

Safe from your door ye hear at breezy morn,

5 1836.
and mellow horn;
At peace inverted your lithe necks ye lave,
With the green bottom strewing o'er the wave;
No ruder sound your desart haunts invades,
Than waters dashing wild, or rocking shades.
Ye ne'er, like hapless human wanderers, throw
Your young on winter's winding sheet of snow.

and mellow horn;

Involve your serpent necks in changeful rings,
Rolled wantonly between your slippery wings,
Or, starting up with noise and rude delight,
Force half upon the wave your cumbrous flight.

1793.

1793.

1820.

* The quotation is from Collins' The Passions, 1. 60. Compare Personal Talk, 1. 26.-ED.

Fair Swan! by all a mother's joys caressed, Haply some wretch has eyed, and called thee blessed; When with her infants, from some shady seat

250

By the lake's edge, she rose-to face the noontide heat; Or taught their limbs along the dusty road

A few short steps to totter with their load.1

I see her now, denied to lay her head,
On cold blue nights, in hut or straw-built shed,
Turn to a silent smile their sleepy cry,

By pointing to the gliding moon 2 on high.

Fair Swan! by all a mother's joys caress'd,
Haply some wretch has ey'd, and call'd thee bless'd;
Who faint, and beat by summer's breathless ray,
Hath dragg'd her babes along this weary way;
While arrowy fire extorting feverish groans
Shot stinging through her stark o'er labour'd bones.
-With backward gaze, lock'd joints, and step of pain,
Her seat scarce left, she strives, alas! in vain,

To teach their limbs along the burning road

A few short steps to totter with their load,

Shakes her numb arm that slumbers with its weight,

And eyes through tears the mountain's shadeless height;
And bids her soldier come her woes to share,

Asleep on Bunker's* charnel hill afar;

For hope's deserted well why wistful look?
Chok'd is the pathway, and the pitcher broke.

1793.

255

In 1793 this passage occupied the place of the six lines of the final text (250-255).

and called thee bless'd;

The whilst upon some sultry summer's day
She dragged her babes along this weary way;
Or taught their limbs along the burning road
A few short steps to totter with their load.
The while

1820.

1832.

1793.

*In the 1793 edition this line reads " Asleep on Minden's charnel plain afar." The errata list inserted in some copies of that edition gives "Bunker's charnel hill."-ED.