XII. (page 81). Where the second quarry now is, as you pass from Rydal to Grasmere, there was formerly a length of smooth rock that sloped towards the road, on the right hand. I used to call it Tadpole Slope, from having frequently observed there the water-bubbles gliding under the ice, exactly in the shape of that creature.-I. F. Same dates as X. L. 1 in the Duddon volume of 1820 has "train incessant "; in the "Miscellaneous Poems," 1820, the word is "flash."-ED. XIII. (page 81). Same dates as X. Text unchanged.-ED. XIV. (page 82). Same dates as X. L. 18, "on" (1827); in 1820, "with." L. 20 (1827); in 1820, "But faith, and hope, and extacy!" -ED. XV. (page 83). Dated by Wordsworth 1800; first published 1800. The present text is in the main a return to the text of "Lyrical Ballads," 1800-1805. In 1815 a different version was given, which re-appeared in 1820; another attempt at improvement was made in 1827; finally, in 1832, Wordsworth reverted to his first thoughts, with considerable benefits retained from the partially rejected forms of the poem. The first five lines to the word "spot " are now as in 1800; in 1802-1805 "sink" in 1. 4 was "sick." From "and" in 1. 5 to "sheltered him" in 1. 9 is founded on the opening of 1827 : Stranger! this shapeless heap of stones and earth Here stood his threshold; here was spread the roof The next words, 66 a self-secluded Man," to end of 1. 13 are retained from the 1815 version, and appear also in 1820 and 1827. "In utter solitude" (1. 14) dates from 1827; "But he had left" (1. 14) dates from 1802. The rest of the poem is substantially as in 1800, except that (1) "with eye upraised To heaven" replaced in 1827 the earlier "within his cave Alone"; (2) "would pray" (1. 21) re placed in 1802 the "had pray'd" of 1800; and 1. 22 is an addition of 1815. The opening of the 1815 version was as follows: "This Island guarded from profane approach In life's decline; a self-secluded Man," Of these lines the first two are given as a recent emendation in a letter to Sir G. Beaumont of Nov. 20, 1811; the third line of this MS. version is "Gave to St. Herbert a benign retreat." It remains to give the 1800 form of the lines between "quiet spot" (1. 5) and " A Fellowlabourer" (1. 15): "St. Herbert hither came, And here, for many seasons, from the world This island's sole inhabitant! had left In 1802 the reading was: "He dwelt in solitude.-But he had left A Fellow-labourer," St. Herbert's Island is "near the centre of Derwentwater, and is in area about four acres. The legend of St. Herbert dates from the seventh century " (Knight).—ED. XVI. (page 84). Date uncertain; assigned by Knight to 1846; first published 1850.-Ed. Selections from Chaucer (page 85.) Written in 1801; "The Prioress' Tale" first published 1820; "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" and the extract from "Troilus and Cresida" first published 1841 as part of "The Poems of Geoffrey Chaucer, modernised," a volume to which R. H. Horne, Leigh Hunt, Elizabeth B. Barrett, and others contributed; again published in 1842 in "Poems chiefly of Early and Late Years." Dorothy Wordsworth's Journal gives the dates of "The Prioress' Tale" and "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale.” On Friday Dec. 4, 1801, “William translating The Prioress' Tale."" Dec. 5, "William finished 'The Prioress' Tale."" Dec. 6," William worked awhile at Chaucer." Dec. 7, "William worked at Chaucer-The God of Love"" (i.e. "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale"). Dec. 9, "William writing out his alteration of Chaucer's Cuckoo and Nightingale."" I do not find evidence for the date of the extract from "Troilus and Cresida," but I accept Professor Knight's statement that it belongs to 1801. Wordsworth also translated the Manciple's Tale,” and thought of presenting it to Thomas Powell for the collection of modernisations of 1841, but was deterred by the consideration that the subject was "somewhat too indelicate for pure taste to be offered to the world at this time of day." In a letter to Professor Reed, Jan. 13, 1841, Wordsworth expresses his "great admiration" of Chaucer's genius, and his "profound reverence" for him. It need hardly be said that he was mistaken in ascribing to Chaucer "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale." In 1. 174 of "The Prioress' Tale" the word "body" in 1845 replaced the earlier "bier." L. 235 (1836); previously "For not long since was dealt the cruel blow." The close of Wordsworth's note prefixed to the poem ("The fierce bigotry," etc.) belongs to 1827; the earlier part of the note to 1820. Wordsworth's "little scholar" (stanza viii.) fails to give the full meaning of "clergeon," which meant specially a chorister. In stanza ix. "sweet is the holiness of youth is an addition of Wordsworth's own, to receive which he extends the stanza. In "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale," 11. 64, 65, Wordsworth had before him a bad text, which being nonsense he declined to follow: "The flowres and the greves like hie" (the daisies and the groves equally high). The true text is "The flowres and the gras ilike al hie." The description of the nightingale's song, "loud rioting,” in 1. 99, is Wordsworth's own; compare his poem "To the Nightingale." In 1. 103, "we have had" (1842) was, in 1841, "we have heard"-altered probably to avoid having "heard" and "here" in the same line. 66 " In In the "Troilus and Cresida" 1. 12, "break" (1842), was, in 1841, "burst.” L. 32, “has" (1842); "hast (1841). L. 36, an eye" (1842); in 1841, "his eye. 1. 118 a curious reading appears in 1842, a soft night voice"; in 1841, "soft voice" as in the original. Can this be an error of the press, repeated from edition to edition? 66 In 1. 164 the 1841 volume has "even at his side"; in 1842, "ever." In 1. 165 "more light" (1842) replaces 66 too light" (1841). In two or three instances the true sense of the original is lost either because Wordsworth misunderstood it, or followed an inferior text. L. 8, "And therewithal to cover his intent arose perhaps from Wordsworth's taking "meynye" (i.e., domestics) in "his meynye for to blende" to signify "meaning." L. 21, "That no wight his continuance espied" entirely loses the sense of the original; Troilus rides fast that his "countenance" may not be espied. "Toward my death with wind I steer and sail" should be "with wind in stern I sail." For other notes on these modernisations see a paper by the present editor in "Wordsworthiana," 1889. -ED. The Old Cumberland Beggar (page 113). Observed, and with great benefit to my own heart, when I was a child: written at Racedown and Alfoxden in my twenty-third year. The political economists were about that time beginning their war upon mendicity in all its forms, and by implication, if not directly, on almsgiving also. This heartless process has been carried as far as it can go by the AMENDED poor-law bill, though the inhumanity that prevails in this measure is somewhat disguised by the profession that one of its objects is to throw the poor upon the voluntary donations of their neighbours; that is, if rightly interpreted, to force them into a condition between relief in the Union poor-house, and alms robbed of their Christian grace and spirit, as being forced rather from the benevolent than given by them; while the avaricious and selfish, and all in fact but the humane and charitable, are at liberty to keep all they possess from their distressed brethren. The class of Beggars, to which the Old Man here described belongs, will probably soon be extinct. It consisted of poor, and, mostly, old and infirm persons, who confined themselves to a stated round in their neighbourhood, and had certain fixed days, on which, at different houses, they regularly received alms, sometimes in money, but mostly in provisions.-I. F. Dated by Wordsworth (1815 and later edd.) 1798; first published 1800. The Fenwick note says: "Written at Racedown and Alfoxden in my twenty-third year"; but Wordsworth was in his twenty-sixth year when he came to Racedown, and in his twenty-eighth when he came to Alfoxden (perhaps "28th year was misprinted "23rd "). The title 1800-1820 was "The Old Cumberland Beggar. A Description"; the last two words were omitted in 1827. In Wordsworth's note prefixed to the poem, "alms" (1802) was in 1800 "charity." L. 15, "ate" (1805); previously "eat." "The sauntering horseman-traveller does not throw L. 31 (1827); previously "Towards the aged Beggar turns a look." L. 39, "thus warned" (1827); previously "perchance.” L. 54," seldom" (1827); previously "never." L. 62, "has" (1837); previously "have." L. 72, 66 or "(1837); previously "and." Ll. 79-88 (1837), a considerable addition; previously two lines: 66 Inseparably linked. While thus he creeps L. 104, "herself" (1832); previously "itself." like these." L. 111 (1827); previously "This helpless Wanderer, have perchance received." Ll. 138, 139 (1827); previously three lines: negligent Meanwhile, in any tenderness of heart Or act of love," etc. L. 157,"store" (1827); previously "chest." L. 164, "borne" (1827); previously "led." Ll. 186-189 (1815, except the word upon" which dates from 1837, previously "on the "); in 1800-1805: "if his eyes, which now Have been so long familiar with the earth, L. 193, "on a " (1837); previously "by the."-ED. The Farmer of Tilsbury Vale (page 119). With this picture, which was taken from real life, compare the imaginative one of "The Reverie of Poor Susan," |