The Poetical Works of Robert Southey, Collected by Himself

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Please do not assume that a book's appearance in 'The Builder' library means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. The Webmaster POETICAL V/ORKS OF ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ:L.L.D. VO L. EX. .:rZf^ }y I ^f^^t^-jc lara.veS' ty WT .FinS^rt^. ^^^^ta^/ixj^ - 3ffl(W. "^ NOT WANTED IN RBSC THE POETICAL WORKS OF ROBERT SOUTHEY, COLLECTi:i) BY UIMSELF. IN TEN VOLUMES. VOL. IX. A^^ LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS PATERNOSTER- ROW. 1838. ~3g 1/9 Lo>a)ov : Printed by A. SpurnswoooB, Ncw-Strect-Square. RODERICK, THE LAST OF THE GOTHS U Tragic IJorm. Tanto acrior apud majores, sicut virtutibus gloria, ita flagitiis poenitentia, fuit. Sed hxc aliaquc, ex veteri memoria petita, quotiens res locasque exempla recti, aut solatia mali, poscet. haud absurde memorabimus. Taciti Hist. lib. 3. e. 51. A 2 TO GROSVENOR CHARLES BEDFORD, THIS POEM IS INSCRIBED, IN LASTING MEJIORIAL OF A LONG AND LNINTERRUPTED FRIENDSHIP, BY HIS OLD SCHOOLFELLOW, ROBERT SOUTHEY. A 3 CONTENTS. Preface ; As the aiTipIo Moon, III the deep Rtillni-** of n «immer ocn Uising lH-liiiui n thick and lofty Grove, Htinis like nn unc<>n<utnin|{ fire of li^ht In the irn-en tree*; ml kindling on all tiide* Thiir ie.-ify umhra};e, tum« the du«kj »eil Into u sulistance gloriou* an her own, Yea, with her own incurp>>nitc(i, by |>oMer Cajiacious and serene : Like )>owcr abide* In Man's eclestial Spirit; Virtue thu« >Set!« forth and maftnifies heraelf ; ihu> feeds A calm, a l>eniitifiil and silent fire. From the incumbrance* of m«irtal life. From error, disap|x>intinent. nay (rom fîlt And sometimes, so relenting Justice wilU, From palpable opprcîons of Despair. WoRDtWoaTA PR EF ACK. This poem was commenced at Keswick, Dec. 2. 1809, and finished there July 14-. 181i. A French translation, by M. 15. de S., in tiirec %'olumes 12mo., was published in 1.S20, and another by M. le Chevalier * • • in one volume 8vo., 1821. Both arr- in prose. When the latest of these versions was nearly ready for publication, the publisher, who was also the printer, insisted upon having a life of the author prefixed. The French public, he said, knew no- thing of M. Southey, and in order to make the book sell, it must be managed to interest them for the writer. The Chevalier represented as a con- clusive reason for not attempting any thing of the kind, that he was not acquainted with M. Southey 's X PREFACE. private history. " Would you believe it ? " says a friend of the translator's, from whose letter I trans- scribe what follows ; " this Mas his answer verba- tim : ' iViniporte, ^crivez totijours ; hrodez, brodcz- la un pen ; que ce soit rrai on non ce fie fait rie/i ; ?'" giti prendra la peine de s' informer Accordingly a Notice sur 31. Southey was composed, not exactly in conformity with the publisher's notions of bio- graphy, but from such materials as could be collected from magazines and other equally unau- thentic sources. In one of these versions a notable mistake occurs, occasioned by the French pronunciation of an English word. The whole passage indeed, in both versions, may he regarded as curiously exemplify- ing the difference between French and English poetry. " The lamps and tapers now grew pale, And through the eastern windows slanting fell The roseate ray of morn. Within those walls Returning day restored no cheerful sounds Or joyous motions of awakening life ; But in the stream of light the speckled motes As if in mimicry of insect play, Floated with mazy movement. Sloping down PREFACE. XI Over the altar pass'd the pillar'd beam. And rested on the sinful woman's grave As if it enter'd there, a light from Heavf)i. So be it I cried Pelayo, even so I As in a momentary interval, ^^^len thought expelling thought, had left his mind Open and passive to the influxes Of outward sense, his vacant eye was there, . So be it. Heavenly Father, even so ! Thus may thy vivifying goodness shed Foiîveness there ; for let not thou the groans Of dying penitence, nor my bitter prayers Before thy mercy-seat, be heard in vain I And thou, poor soul, who from the dolorous house Of weeping and of pain, dost look to me To shorten and assuage thy penal term, Pardon me that these hours in other thoughts And other duties than this garb, this night Enjoin, should thus have past I Our mother-land Exacted of my heart the sacrifice; And many a vigil must thy son perform Henceforth in woods and mountain fastnesses, And tented fields, outwatching for her sake The starry host, and ready for the work * Of day, before the sun begins his course." • See page* 77, 78. ante. XII PREFACE. II se livrait d toiites ces rejlexions, qunnd la lu- miere des lampes et des cierges commctifa a pulir, et que les premieres teintes de faurore se montrerent a travers les hautes croisees tournees vers ForieriL Le retour dujour we rnmena point dans ces murs des sons joyeux ni les mouvemens de la vie qui se reveille ; les seuls papillons de nuit, agitant leurs ailes pesautes, hoiirdntinnient encore sous les routes tenebreuscs. Bientdt le premier rayon du soleil glissant obliquement par-dessus Cautel, vint sarr^- ter sur la tombe de la femme pecheresse, et la Iamiere du del sembla y penetrer. " Que ce presage s'ac- complisse," s'ecria Pelage, qui absorbe dans ses me- ditations, Jixait en ce moment ses yeux sur le tombeau desa mere ; "Dieu de misericorde, quil en soitainsif Puisse ta bonte vivijiante y verser de meme le pardon! Que les sanglots de la penitence expirante, et qxve mes prieres ameres ?ie montent point en vain devant le trdne eternel. Et toi, pauvre dme, qui de ton sejour douloureux de souffrances et de larmes, esperes en moi pour abregcr et adoucir ton supplice, tem- poraire, pardonne moi d'aroir, sous ces habits et dans cette nuit, detournt mes pensees sur d'autres devoirs. Notre patrie commujie a exige de moi ce sacrifice, et tonfils doit dorenavant accomplir plus dune veille dans la profondeur desforets, sur la cimc des monts, dans les plaines couvertes de tenies, ob- PREFACE. Xlll servant, pour Tamour dc FEspagne, la morche des astres de la nuit, et prepara/it Fouvrage de sa joitrnee avant que le soleil ne commence sa course."—T. i. pp. 175—177. In the other translation the 7notes are not con- verted into moths, — but the image is omitted. Consitmees dans des soinspareils les rapides heures secouloient, les lampes et les torches commengoient a pdlir, et Foblir/ue rat/on du matin doroit dejd les vitraux eleves qui regardoient vers F Orient: le retour dujour ne ramenoit point, dans cette sombre enceinte, les sons joyeux, ni le tableau mouvant de la vie qui se reveille; mais, tombant d'en haut, le celeste rayon, passant au-dessus de Fautel, vintfrapper le tombeau de la femme pecheresse. "Ainsi soit-il," s'ecria Pelage; " ainsi soit-il, 6 divin Createur ! Puisse ta vivifiante bonte verser ainsi le pardon en ce lieu ! Que les gemissemens dune mort penitente, que mes ameres prieres ne soient pas arrivees en vain devant la trone de misericorde ! Et toi, qui, de ton sejour de souffrances et de larmes, regardes vers ton Jils, pour abreger et soulager fes peines, pardonne, si d'autres devoirs ont rempli les heures que cette nuit et cet habit m'enjoignoient de te consacrer ! Notre patrie exigeoit ce sacrifice ; d'autres vigiles nCattendent dans les bois et les difiles denos montagnes; etbientot sous XIV PREFACE.

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