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113
IN AN ALBUM
[_]
Given to Miss Bayley (Allan Bank, Grasmere), by “An Old Man, C. W.,” and in which Mr. Wordsworth had written a stanza from his Dedication of the Duddon Sonnets.
An old man gave this little book
To young and blooming Fanny Bayley;
That fancies, brighten'd by her look,
Might decorate its pages gaily:
To young and blooming Fanny Bayley;
That fancies, brighten'd by her look,
Might decorate its pages gaily:
An older man, the Wizard Chief
Of Rydal's Heliconian Mount,
Is first to grace a favour'd leaf
With fancies born of Duddon's Fount.
Of Rydal's Heliconian Mount,
Is first to grace a favour'd leaf
With fancies born of Duddon's Fount.
But he has quaff'd of Hippocrene;
Then who to follow him shall dare,
Whose laurels are in age as green
As those that deck'd Apollo's hair?
Then who to follow him shall dare,
Whose laurels are in age as green
As those that deck'd Apollo's hair?
114
I too am old, but never drank
The frenzy of that subtle spring;
Nor dare to sing for Allan Bank,
Where he, when young, was wont to sing;
The frenzy of that subtle spring;
Nor dare to sing for Allan Bank,
Where he, when young, was wont to sing;
Where every tree, and rock, and hill,
Were cheer'd by Wordsworth's voice so long;
Where every grove is haunted still
With sadden'd echoes of his song.
Were cheer'd by Wordsworth's voice so long;
Where every grove is haunted still
With sadden'd echoes of his song.
Let youthful bards his footsteps trace,
And cull the wreath for maiden brows!
Yet why should I refuse to place
A sprig thereon from Loughrigg boughs?
And cull the wreath for maiden brows!
Yet why should I refuse to place
A sprig thereon from Loughrigg boughs?
Such tribute, from December's bowers,
I yet may borrow without folly:
Though wintry age is bare of flowers,
'Twill yield at least a Christmas holly.
I yet may borrow without folly:
Though wintry age is bare of flowers,
'Twill yield at least a Christmas holly.
Loughrigg Holme, December 26, 1849.
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