University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The poetical works of William Wordsworth

... In six volumes ... A new edition

expand sectionI. 
collapse sectionII. 
expand section 
expand section 
expand section 
collapse section 
  
expand sectionI. 
expand sectionII. 
collapse sectionIII. 
 I. 
 II. 
 III. 
 IV. 
 V. 
V. ON THE DEATH OF HIS MAJESTY (GEORGE THE THIRD).
 VI. 
 VII. 
 VIII. 
 IX. 
 X. 
 XI. 
 XII. 
 XIII. 
 XIV. 
 XV. 
 XVI. 
 XVII. 
 XVIII. 
 XIX. 
 XX. 
 XXI. 
 XXII. 
 XXIII. 
 XXIV. 
 XXV. 
 XXVI. 
 XXVII. 
 XXVIII. 
 XXIX. 
 XXX. 
 XXXI. 
 XXXII. 
 XXXIII. 
 XXXIV. 
 XXXV. 
 XXXVI. 
 XXXVII. 
 XXXVIII. 
 XXXIX. 
 XL. 
 XLI. 
 XLII. 
 XLIII. 
 XLIV. 
 XLV. 
 XLVI. 
 XLVII. 
 XLVIII. 
expand sectionIII. 
expand sectionIV. 
expand sectionV. 
expand sectionVI. 


299

V. ON THE DEATH OF HIS MAJESTY (GEORGE THE THIRD).

Ward of the Law!—dread Shadow of a King!
Whose realm had dwindled to one stately room;
Whose universe was gloom immersed in gloom,
Darkness as thick as life o'er life could fling,
Save haply for some feeble glimmering
Of Faith and Hope—if thou, by nature's doom,
Gently hast sunk into the quiet tomb,
Why should we bend in grief, to sorrow cling,
When thankfulness were best?—Fresh-flowing tears,
Or, where tears flow not, sigh succeeding sigh,
Yield to such after-thought the sole reply
Which justly it can claim. The Nation hears
In this deep knell, silent for threescore years,
An unexampled voice of awful memory!