The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe with his letters and journals, and his life, by his son. In eight volumes |
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 | III, IV, V. |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
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| VI, VII. |
| VIII. |
 | The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe |  |
She saw descending to the world below
An ancient form, with solemn pace and slow.
“Daughter, no more be sad” (the phantom cried),
“Success is seldom to the wise denied;
“In idle wishes fools supinely stay,
“Be there a will, and wisdom finds a way:
“Why art thou grieved? Be rather glad, that he,
“Who hates the happy, aims his darts at thee;
“But aims in vain; thy favour'd daughter lies,
“Serenely blest, and shall to joy arise.
“For, grant that curses on her name shall wait,
“(So Envy wills, and such the voice of Fate,)
“Yet if that name be prudently suppress'd,
“She shall be courted, favour'd, and caress'd.
An ancient form, with solemn pace and slow.
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“Success is seldom to the wise denied;
“In idle wishes fools supinely stay,
“Be there a will, and wisdom finds a way:
“Why art thou grieved? Be rather glad, that he,
“Who hates the happy, aims his darts at thee;
“But aims in vain; thy favour'd daughter lies,
“Serenely blest, and shall to joy arise.
“For, grant that curses on her name shall wait,
“(So Envy wills, and such the voice of Fate,)
“Yet if that name be prudently suppress'd,
“She shall be courted, favour'd, and caress'd.
“For what are names? and where agree mankind,
“In those to persons or to acts assign'd?
“Brave, learn'd, or wise, if some their favourites call,
“Have they the titles or the praise from all?
“Not so, but others will the brave disdain
“As rash, and deem the sons of wisdom vain;
“The self-same mind shall scorn or kindness move,
“And the same deed attract contempt and love.
“In those to persons or to acts assign'd?
“Brave, learn'd, or wise, if some their favourites call,
“Have they the titles or the praise from all?
“Not so, but others will the brave disdain
“As rash, and deem the sons of wisdom vain;
“The self-same mind shall scorn or kindness move,
“And the same deed attract contempt and love.
“So all the powers who move the human soul,
“With all the passions who the will control,
‘Have various names—One giv'n by Truth Divine,
“(As Simulation thus was fix'd for mine,)
“The rest by man, who now, as wisdom's, prize
“My secret counsels, now as art despise;
“One hour, as just, those counsels they embrace,
“And spurn, the next, as pitiful and base.
“With all the passions who the will control,
‘Have various names—One giv'n by Truth Divine,
“(As Simulation thus was fix'd for mine,)
“The rest by man, who now, as wisdom's, prize
“My secret counsels, now as art despise;
“One hour, as just, those counsels they embrace,
“And spurn, the next, as pitiful and base.
“Thee, too, my child, those fools as Cunning fly,
“Who on thy counsel and thy craft rely;
“That worthy craft in others they condemn,
“But 't is their prudence, while conducting them.
“Who on thy counsel and thy craft rely;
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“But 't is their prudence, while conducting them.
“Be Flattery, then, thy happy infant's name,
“Let Honour scorn her and let Wit defame;
“Let all be true that Envy dooms, yet all,
“Not on herself, but on her name, shall fall;
“While she thy fortune and her own shall raise,
“And decent Truth be call'd, and loved as, modest Praise.
“Let Honour scorn her and let Wit defame;
“Let all be true that Envy dooms, yet all,
“Not on herself, but on her name, shall fall;
“While she thy fortune and her own shall raise,
“And decent Truth be call'd, and loved as, modest Praise.
“O happy child! the glorious day shall shine,
“When every ear shall to thy speech incline,
“Thy words alluring and thy voice divine:
“The sullen pedant and the sprightly wit,
“To hear thy soothing eloquence shall sit;
“And both, abjuring Flattery, will agree
“That Truth inspires, and they must honour thee.
“When every ear shall to thy speech incline,
“Thy words alluring and thy voice divine:
“The sullen pedant and the sprightly wit,
“To hear thy soothing eloquence shall sit;
“And both, abjuring Flattery, will agree
“That Truth inspires, and they must honour thee.
“Envy himself shall to thy accents bend,
“Force a faint smile and sullenly attend,
“When thou shalt call him Virtue's jealous friend,
“Whose bosom glows with generous rage to find
“How fools and knaves are flatter'd by mankind.
“Force a faint smile and sullenly attend,
“When thou shalt call him Virtue's jealous friend,
“Whose bosom glows with generous rage to find
“How fools and knaves are flatter'd by mankind.
“The sage retired, who spends alone his days,
“And flies th' obstreperous voice of public praise;
“The vain, the vulgar cry,—shall gladly meet,
“And bid thee welcome to his still retreat;
“Much will he wonder, how thou camest to find
“A man to glory dead, to peace consign'd.
“O Fame! he'll cry (for he will call thee Fame),
“From thee I fly, from thee conceal my name;
“But thou shalt say, Though Genius takes his flight,
“He leaves behind a glorious train of light,
“And hides in vain:—yet prudent he that flies
“The flatterer's art, and for himself is wise.
“And flies th' obstreperous voice of public praise;
“The vain, the vulgar cry,—shall gladly meet,
“And bid thee welcome to his still retreat;
“Much will he wonder, how thou camest to find
“A man to glory dead, to peace consign'd.
“O Fame! he'll cry (for he will call thee Fame),
“From thee I fly, from thee conceal my name;
“But thou shalt say, Though Genius takes his flight,
“He leaves behind a glorious train of light,
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“The flatterer's art, and for himself is wise.
“Yes, happy child! I mark th' approaching day,
“When warring natures will confess thy sway;
“When thou shalt Saturn's golden reign restore,
“And vice and folly shall be known no more.
“When warring natures will confess thy sway;
“When thou shalt Saturn's golden reign restore,
“And vice and folly shall be known no more.
“Pride shall not then in human-kind have place,
“Changed by thy skill, to Dignity and Grace;
“While Shame, who now betrays the inward sense
“Of secret ill, shall be thy Diffidence;
“Avarice shall thenceforth prudent Forecast be,
“And bloody Vengeance, Magnanimity;
“The lavish tongue shall honest truths impart,
“The lavish hand shall show the generous heart,
“And Indiscretion be, contempt of art:
“Folly and Vice shall then, no longer known,
“Be, this as Virtue, that as Wisdom, shown.
“Changed by thy skill, to Dignity and Grace;
“While Shame, who now betrays the inward sense
“Of secret ill, shall be thy Diffidence;
“Avarice shall thenceforth prudent Forecast be,
“And bloody Vengeance, Magnanimity;
“The lavish tongue shall honest truths impart,
“The lavish hand shall show the generous heart,
“And Indiscretion be, contempt of art:
“Folly and Vice shall then, no longer known,
“Be, this as Virtue, that as Wisdom, shown.
“Then shall the Robber, as the Hero, rise
“To seize the good that churlish law denies;
“Throughout the world shall rove the generous band,
“And deal the gifts of Heaven from hand to hand.
“In thy blest days no tyrant shall be seen,
“Thy gracious king shall rule contented men;
“In thy blest days shall not a rebel be,
“But patriots all and well-approved of thee.
“To seize the good that churlish law denies;
“Throughout the world shall rove the generous band,
“And deal the gifts of Heaven from hand to hand.
“In thy blest days no tyrant shall be seen,
“Thy gracious king shall rule contented men;
“In thy blest days shall not a rebel be,
“But patriots all and well-approved of thee.
“Such powers are thine, that man by thee shall wrest
“The gainful secret from the cautious breast;
“Nor then, with all his care, the good retain,
“But yield to thee the secret and the gain.
“In vain shall much experience guard the heart
“Against the charm of thy prevailing art;
“Admitted once, so soothing is thy strain
“It comes the sweeter, when it comes again;
“And when confess'd as thine, what mind so strong
“Forbears the pleasure it indulged so long?
“The gainful secret from the cautious breast;
“Nor then, with all his care, the good retain,
“But yield to thee the secret and the gain.
“In vain shall much experience guard the heart
“Against the charm of thy prevailing art;
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“It comes the sweeter, when it comes again;
“And when confess'd as thine, what mind so strong
“Forbears the pleasure it indulged so long?
“Soft'ner of every ill! of all our woes
“The balmy solace! friend of fiercest foes!
“Begin thy reign, and like the morning rise!
“Bring joy, bring beauty, to our eager eyes;
“Break on the drowsy world like opening day,
“While grace and gladness join thy flow'ry way;
“While every voice is praise, while every heart is gay.
“The balmy solace! friend of fiercest foes!
“Begin thy reign, and like the morning rise!
“Bring joy, bring beauty, to our eager eyes;
“Break on the drowsy world like opening day,
“While grace and gladness join thy flow'ry way;
“While every voice is praise, while every heart is gay.
“From thee all prospects shall new beauties take,
“'Tis thine to seek them and 'tis thine to make;
“On the cold fen I see thee turn thine eyes,
“Its mists recede, its chilling vapour flies;
“Th' enraptured lord th' improving ground surveys,
“And for his Eden asks the traveller's praise,
“Which yet, unview'd of thee, a bog had been,
“Where spungy rushes hide the plashy green.
“'Tis thine to seek them and 'tis thine to make;
“On the cold fen I see thee turn thine eyes,
“Its mists recede, its chilling vapour flies;
“Th' enraptured lord th' improving ground surveys,
“And for his Eden asks the traveller's praise,
“Which yet, unview'd of thee, a bog had been,
“Where spungy rushes hide the plashy green.
“I see thee breathing on the barren moor,
“That seems to bloom although so bleak before;
“There, if beneath the gorse the primrose spring,
“Or the pied daisy smile below the ling,
“They shall new charms, at thy command, disclose,
“And none shall miss the myrtle or the rose.
“The wiry moss, that whitens all the hill,
“Shall live a beauty by thy matchless skill;
“Gale from the bog shall yield Arabian balm,
“And the grey willow wave a golden palm.
“That seems to bloom although so bleak before;
“There, if beneath the gorse the primrose spring,
“Or the pied daisy smile below the ling,
“They shall new charms, at thy command, disclose,
“And none shall miss the myrtle or the rose.
“The wiry moss, that whitens all the hill,
“Shall live a beauty by thy matchless skill;
“Gale from the bog shall yield Arabian balm,
“And the grey willow wave a golden palm.
“I see thee smiling in the pictured room,
“Now breathing beauty, now reviving bloom;
“There, each immortal name 'tis thine to give,
“To graceless forms, and bid the lumber live.
“Should'st thou coarse boors or gloomy martyrs see,
“These shall thy Guidos, those thy Teniers be;
“There shalt thou Raphael's saints and angels trace,
“There make for Rubens and for Reynolds place,
“And all the pride of art shall find, in her, disgrace.
“Now breathing beauty, now reviving bloom;
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“To graceless forms, and bid the lumber live.
“Should'st thou coarse boors or gloomy martyrs see,
“These shall thy Guidos, those thy Teniers be;
“There shalt thou Raphael's saints and angels trace,
“There make for Rubens and for Reynolds place,
“And all the pride of art shall find, in her, disgrace.
“Delight of either sex! thy reign commence;
“With balmy sweetness soothe the weary sense,
“And to the sickening soul thy cheering aid dispense.
“Queen of the mind! thy golden age begin;
“In mortal bosoms varnish shame and sin;
“Let all be fair without, let all be calm within.”
“With balmy sweetness soothe the weary sense,
“And to the sickening soul thy cheering aid dispense.
“Queen of the mind! thy golden age begin;
“In mortal bosoms varnish shame and sin;
“Let all be fair without, let all be calm within.”
| The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe | |