In more than happy mood To your abodes, bright daisy Flowers! He then would steal at leisure hours, And loved you glittering in your bowers A starry multitude. But hark the word!—the ship is gone ;- Once more on English earth they stand: Ill-fated Vessel!-ghastly shock! -At length delivered from the rock, And through the stormy night they steer; Yet not to be attained! "Silence! "the brave Commander cried; -A few (my soul oft sees that sight) Six weeks beneath the moving sea Unforced by wind or wave To quit the Ship for which he died, (All claims of duty satisfied ;) And there they found him at her side; And bore him to the grave. Vain service! yet not vainly done For such a gentle Soul and sweet, That neighbourhood of grove and field The birds shall sing and ocean make And Thou, sweet Flower, shalt sleep and wake 1805. VIII. ELEGIAC VERSES, IN MEMORY OF MY BROTHER, JOHN WORDSWORTH, COMMANDER OF THE E. I. COMPANY'S SHIP THE EARL OF ABERGAVENNY, IN WHICH HE PERISHED BY CALAMITOUS SHIPWRECK, FEB. 6TH, 1805. Composed near the Mountain track, that leads from Grasmere through Grisdale Hawes, where it descends towards Paterdale. ["Here did we stop; and here looked round, While each into himself descends." The point is two or three yards below the outlet of Grisdale tarn on a foot-road by which a horse may pass to Paterdale-a ridge of Helvellyn on the left, and the summit of Fairfield on the right.] VOL. V. I. THE Sheep-boy whistled loud, and lo! Lord of the air, he took his flight; II. Thus in the weakness of my heart And let me calmly bless the Power And grieve, and know that I must grieve, III. Here did we stop; and here looked round For that last thought of parting Friends Hidden was Grasmere Vale from sight, IV. Full soon in sorrow did I weep, Taught that the mutual hope was dust, In sorrow, but for higher trust, How miserably deep! All vanished in a single word, A breath, a sound, and scarcely heard: Sea-Ship-drowned-Shipwreck-so it came, The meek, the brave, the good, was gone; He who had been our living John Was nothing but a name. V. That was indeed a parting! oh, Glad am I, glad that it is past; But they as well as I have gains ;- To comfort and to peace. VI. He would have loved thy modest grace, Beside our Parting-place; There, cleaving to the ground, it lies But we will see it, joyful tide! VII. -Brother and friend, if verse of mine Stand-sacred as a Shrine; And to the few who pass this way, On any earthly hope, however pure*! 1805. * The plant alluded to is the Moss Campion (Silene acaulis, of Linnæus). See note at the end of the volume. p. 356. |