The Poetical Works of James Montgomery
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com University of Virginia Library PR5030 A2 1841 V.2 The poetical works of James Mo MX DDD A57 TMfl THE POETICAL WORKS JAMES MONTGOMERY. VOL. II. London : Printed by A. Spottiswoode, New- Street-Square. " Oar Ihithrr first beheld him . sore atrxazrd Bat terror prow to transport, white sfie oa^rd ondou.BobKshet"] 184J by LoTigma.il Orme & V" ,i"J*'\~ .onaon. Pablished 3R4LTJV' legman orme x l.'. ndon Pablisbe jfr* MONTGOJIf^ ITS' FOUR VOLUMES T'Oi.ii. Ifau on, ids diilax pipe ahtfe, Javaft, play 'd Within, her bower awake the consiioas maid ' The WorbL before the' Flood* Conii London Pablished 1B41 "by longman Orme * C? THE POETICAL WORKS JAMES MONTGOMERY. COLLECTED BY HIMSELF. IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. II. THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD. MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. THOI^GHTO 'ON "W.HE'ELS. THE' CLIMWIJO'' BJTt;S, BOLILOilillM.' ", SONGS '0? '.U311, , " ' , LONDON: LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS, PATERNOSTER- ROW. 1841. PR 50^50 •A£ \64 1 2G247 V. £ CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD. Page Preface to the present Edition ..... 3 The Original Preface 9 To the Spirit of a departed Friend . .11 Introductory Note . .15 Canto First 17 Canto Second 29 Canto Third 41 Canto Fourth 51 Canto Fifth 63 .Canto Sixth 77 Canto Seventh . • v * .,* *. ■' * ,> ®^ Canto Eighth ... ,. .. \ . ' . 100 Canto Ninth . ; . ., , ,. 112 Canto Tenth '....' 122 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. The Peak Mountains: in two Parts. Written at Buxton, in August, 1812 .... 137 To Ann and Jane. Verses written on a blank leaf in the small volume of Hymns for Infant Minds . 1 44 Occasional Ode for the Anniversary of the Royal British System of Education . .146 CONTENTS. Page A Daughter (C. M.) to her Mother, on her Birth-day, November 25. 1811 148 Chatterton: Stanzas on reading the Verses entitled " Resignation," written by Chatterton, a few days before his melancholy end . .152 The Wild Rose ; on plucking one late in the Month of October 154 Verses, on finding the Feathers of a Linnet scattered on the ground, in a solitary walk . .158 Sonnet. Imitated from the Italian of P. Salandri. To a Bride 161 Sonnet. Imitated from the Italian of Petrarch . 1 62 Sonnet. Imitated from the Italian of Gaetana Passer ini. On the Siege of Genoa by the French army in 16** 163 Sonnet. Imitated from the Italian of Benedetto dalT Uva. On the Siege of Famagusta, in the Island of Cyprus, by the Turks, in 1571 . .164 Departed Days: a Rhapsody. Written on visiting Fulneck, in Yorkshire, where the Author was educated, in the Spring of 1806 . .165 THOUGHTS ON WHEELS. Preface to the present Edition . 185'173 No.J. The Combat . No.'jE "TnerCar-jof Juggernaut. 187 No. III. .Trfe Inquisition • • •. • 189 No. IV. The State Lottery •-' .^ . 192 No..Y. :To Britain . " ." ' 202 THE CLIMBTNG BOY'S SOLILOQUIES. Introduction to the present Republication of the Solilo quies . .211 Prologue. A Word with Myself . .219 No. I. The Complaint 221 No. II. The Dream 224 No. III. Easter-Monday at Sheffield . .233 CONTENTS. vii SONGS OF ZION; BEING IMITATIONS OF PSALMS. Page 247 249 250 Psalm IV. No. 1 251 Psalm IV. No. 2 252 253 Psalm XI 254 Psalm XV. 255 Psalm XIX. No. 1 256 Psalm XIX. No. 2 257 Psalm XX 258 Psalm XXIII 260 261 Psalm XXIV. No. 2 262 Psalm XXIV. (The Second Version.) No. 1. 263 Psalm XXIV. (The Second Version.) No. 2. 264 Psalm XXVII. No. 1 265 Psalm XXVII. No. 2 266 267 268 Psalm XXXIX 270 Psalm XLII. No. 1 272 Psalm XLII. No. 2 273 Psalm XLIII. [Continuation of Psalm XLII.] No. 3. 274 275 Psalm XL VI. No. 2 277 278 279 Psalm LI. 281 Psalm LXIII. 283 284 285 286 Psalm LXXII 287 Psalm LXXIII. 290 Psalm LXXVII 292 294 Psalm LXXXIV. 296 viii CONTENTS. Page Psalm CIII. Psalm CVII. No. Psalm CVII. No. Psalm CVII. No. Psalm CVII. No. Psalm CVII. No. 5. Psalm CXIII. Psalm CXVI. Psalm CXXIV. Psalm CXXV. Psalm CXXXII. Psalm CXXXII. Psalm CXXXIII. Psalm CXXXIV. Psalm CXXXVII. Psalm CXXXIX. Psalm CXLV. Psalm CXLVIII. THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD. A POEM, IX TEN CANTOS II. • - B PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION. The following were the circumstances under which "The World before the Flood" was conceived, executed, and at length published. The delay of Mr. Bowyer's magnificent work, in passing through the press, whereby the poem of " The West Indies " was to be brought out, with every advantage of external dignity and illustra tion, preventing the author from again appearing before the public as a poet, so early as he had in tended, he naturally became somewhat impatient, having, in the interval, composed many minor pieces, which he had reason to believe might be favourably received by those who had not ceased to call for successive editions of " The Wanderer op Switzerland," and its accompaniments, though the three years of its doubtful existence, and foredoomed extinction, by the Edinburgh Reviewers, had already expired. While in quest of a theme for a leading essay, the sudden recollection of the following passage in 41 THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD. the eleventh book of ParadiseLost, referringto the translation of Enoch, at once determined his choice. After briefly alluding to the building of the first cities, the origin of war, battles, sieges, devastations, the prowess and achievements of the earliest heroes, " Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise," the vision, opened into futurity by Michael the Archangel to fallen Adam, is described as present ing this scene : — " In other part the sceptred heralds call To council, in the city-gates ; — anon, Grey-headed men and grave, with warriors mix'd, Assemble, and harangues are heard ; but soon In factious opposition ; till at last Of middle age one rising, eminent In wise deport, spake much of right and wrong, Of justice, of religion, truth and peace, And judgment from above. Him old and young Exploded, and had seized with violent hands, Had not a cloud descending snatch'd him thence, Unseen amid the throng ; so violence Proceeded, and oppression, and sword-law, Through all the plain, and refuge none was found." In the course of a few months, the plan, thus suddenly conceived, was diligently elaborated, and the whole comprised in the space of four cantos. The copy was then despatched to the author's late friend, Daniel Parken, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn, who had just been called to the bar, and in whose fine taste and sound judgment he had good reason to re pose the highest confidence. Anticipating no serious hinderance, this gentleman was requested, after PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION. 5 perusal, to deliver the Poem to Messrs. Longman and Co. for immediate publication, with such other compositions as should be forwarded in due time. Accordingly Mr. Parken read and approved of the performance so much as to think it worth mending, and capable of being greatly mended, because the Author had not done justice either to himself or to his theme in so contracted a compass. Wherefore, with a courage and candour, not often hazarded by one friend towards another, in an affair of peculiar delicacy, where the most jealous of personal feelings must of necessity be wounded, how tenderly soever the sensitive operation may be performed, — he ad dressed a brief but earnest letter to his correspondent, imploring permission to detain the manuscript a few days longer, before he consigned it to the book sellers for the press, till the Author himself had given further consideration to the subject, with a view of bringing out its latent capabilities more effectually than had been attempted in the draft, or rather in the sketch which had been sent to him. This was touching the apple of a Poet's eye, while in the act of self-complacently gazing on his new born offspring, before the fondness of paternal affec tion had detected a fault or a failing about it. The pain inflicted was excruciating for a few hours, and arose, not more from mortified vanity than from the disappointment of " hope deferred " (which had previously " made the heart sick ") by this unex pected frustration of a cherished purpose to appear a second time before the public, at the very moment O THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD. when, instead of being fulfilled, " the desire," which " when it cometh is a tree of life," was thus cut down to the ground, and the root alone spared to shoot up and grow under long and laborious culture, into " a plant of renown." But Mr. Parken having shown him so heroic a proof of disinterested kindness — after a due struggle with himself during an afternoon's ramble in the fields and woods adjacent — the Author determined not to be outdone by his adviser in magnanimit}', but to give him in return a corresponding token of genuine friendship, by unreservedly bowing to his judgment, and adopting his counsel. Having once surrendered the point of hasty pub lication, he further resolved, as the manuscript was in London, to submit it to the examination of four other authorities in the small range of his literary acquaintance. By each of these, after indulgent perusal, it was returned with notes and comments freely and ingenuously expressed, but of course not altogether accordant. Sufficient commendation, however, was bestowed by all on the performance at large, and sufficient diversity of opinion mani fested on a multitude of passages (the praises and the strictures reciprocally qualifying each other), to convince himself, at least, that, with all deference to them, the author was as competent a judge of his own performance as any of his courteous critics ; much as he was benefited by their respective hints for the improvement of the text of his poem, as it then stood, though none had suggested either in PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION.