The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe with his letters and journals, and his life, by his son. In eight volumes |
 | I. |
| II. |
| III, IV, V. |
| VI, VII. |
| VIII. |
 | The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe |  |
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Save their kind friend the Rector, Richard yet
Had not a favourite of his Brother met;
Now at the Hall that welcome guest appear'd,
By trust, by trials, and by time endear'd;
Of him the grateful 'Squire his love profess'd,
And full regard—he was of friends the best;
“Yet not to him alone this good I owe,
“This social pleasure that our friends bestow;
“The sex, that wrought in earlier life my woes,
“With loss of time, who murder'd my repose,
“They to my joys administer, nor vex
“Me more; and now I venerate the sex;
“And boast the friendship of a Spinster kind,
“Cheerful and pleasant, to her fate resign'd;
“Then by her side my Bachelor I place,
“And hold them honours to the human race.
“Yet these are they in tale and song display'd,
“The peevish man and the repining maid:
“Creatures made up of misery and spite,
“Who taste no pleasures, except those they blight:
“From whom the affrighten'd niece and nephew fly,—
“Fear'd while they live, and useless till they die.
Had not a favourite of his Brother met;
Now at the Hall that welcome guest appear'd,
By trust, by trials, and by time endear'd;
Of him the grateful 'Squire his love profess'd,
And full regard—he was of friends the best;
“Yet not to him alone this good I owe,
“This social pleasure that our friends bestow;
“The sex, that wrought in earlier life my woes,
“With loss of time, who murder'd my repose,
“They to my joys administer, nor vex
“Me more; and now I venerate the sex;
“And boast the friendship of a Spinster kind,
“Cheerful and pleasant, to her fate resign'd;
“Then by her side my Bachelor I place,
“And hold them honours to the human race.
“Yet these are they in tale and song display'd,
“The peevish man and the repining maid:
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“Who taste no pleasures, except those they blight:
“From whom the affrighten'd niece and nephew fly,—
“Fear'd while they live, and useless till they die.
“Not such these friends of mine; they never meant
“That youth should so be lost, or life be spent.
“They had warm passions, tender hopes, desires
“That youth indulges, and that love inspires:
“But fortune frown'd on their designs, displaced
“The views of hope, and love's gay dreams disgraced;
“Took from the soul her sunny views, and spread
“A cloud of dark but varying gloom instead:
“And shall we these with ridicule pursue,
“Because they did not what they could not do?
“If they their lot preferr'd, still why the jest
“On those who took the way they judged the best?
“But if they sought a change, and sought in vain,
“'T is worse than brutal to deride their pain—
“But you will see them; see the man I praise,
“The kind protector in my troubled days,
“Himself in trouble, you shall see him now,
“And learn his worth! and my applause allow.”
“That youth should so be lost, or life be spent.
“They had warm passions, tender hopes, desires
“That youth indulges, and that love inspires:
“But fortune frown'd on their designs, displaced
“The views of hope, and love's gay dreams disgraced;
“Took from the soul her sunny views, and spread
“A cloud of dark but varying gloom instead:
“And shall we these with ridicule pursue,
“Because they did not what they could not do?
“If they their lot preferr'd, still why the jest
“On those who took the way they judged the best?
“But if they sought a change, and sought in vain,
“'T is worse than brutal to deride their pain—
“But you will see them; see the man I praise,
“The kind protector in my troubled days,
“Himself in trouble, you shall see him now,
“And learn his worth! and my applause allow.”
This friend appear'd with talents form'd to please,
And with some looks of sprightliness and ease;
To him indeed the ills of life were known,
But misery had not made him all her own.
And with some looks of sprightliness and ease;
To him indeed the ills of life were known,
But misery had not made him all her own.
They spoke on various themes, and George design'd
To show his Brother this, the favourite mind;
To lead the friend, by subjects he could choose,
To paint himself, his life, and earlier views,
What he was bless'd to hope, what he was doom'd to lose.
To show his Brother this, the favourite mind;
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To paint himself, his life, and earlier views,
What he was bless'd to hope, what he was doom'd to lose.
They spoke of marriage, and he understood
Their call on him, and said, “It is not good
“To be alone, although alone to be
“Is freedom; so are men in deserts free;
“Men who unyoked and unattended groan,
“Condemn'd and grieved to walk their way alone:
“Whatever ills a married pair betide,
“Each feels a stay, a comfort, or a guide;
“‘Not always comfort,’ will our wits reply.—
“Wits are not judges, nor the cause shall try.
“Have I not seen, when grief his visits paid,
“That they were easier by communion made?
“True, with the quiet times and days serene,
“There have been flying clouds of care and spleen;
“But is not man, the solitary, sick
“Of his existence, sad and splenetic?
“And who will help him, when such evils come,
“To bear the pressure or to clear the gloom?
Their call on him, and said, “It is not good
“To be alone, although alone to be
“Is freedom; so are men in deserts free;
“Men who unyoked and unattended groan,
“Condemn'd and grieved to walk their way alone:
“Whatever ills a married pair betide,
“Each feels a stay, a comfort, or a guide;
“‘Not always comfort,’ will our wits reply.—
“Wits are not judges, nor the cause shall try.
“Have I not seen, when grief his visits paid,
“That they were easier by communion made?
“True, with the quiet times and days serene,
“There have been flying clouds of care and spleen;
“But is not man, the solitary, sick
“Of his existence, sad and splenetic?
“And who will help him, when such evils come,
“To bear the pressure or to clear the gloom?
“Do you not find, that joy within the breast
“Of the unwedded man is soon suppress'd;
“While, to the bosom of a wife convey'd,
“Increase is by participation made?—
“The lighted lamp that gives another light,
“Say, is it by th' imparted blaze less bright?
“Are not both gainers when the heart's distress
“Is so divided, that the pain is less?
“And when the tear has stood in either eye,
“Love's sun shines out, and they are quickly dry.”
“Of the unwedded man is soon suppress'd;
“While, to the bosom of a wife convey'd,
“Increase is by participation made?—
“The lighted lamp that gives another light,
“Say, is it by th' imparted blaze less bright?
“Are not both gainers when the heart's distress
“Is so divided, that the pain is less?
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“Love's sun shines out, and they are quickly dry.”
He ended here,—but would he not confess,
How came these feelings on his mind to press?
He would! nor fear'd his weakness to display
To men like them; their weakness too had they.
Bright shone the fire, wine sparkled, sordid care
Was banish'd far, at least appear'd not there:
A kind and social spirit each possess'd,
And thus began his tale the friendly guest.
How came these feelings on his mind to press?
He would! nor fear'd his weakness to display
To men like them; their weakness too had they.
Bright shone the fire, wine sparkled, sordid care
Was banish'd far, at least appear'd not there:
A kind and social spirit each possess'd,
And thus began his tale the friendly guest.
| The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe | |