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The poetical works of William Wordsworth

... In six volumes ... A new edition
Wordsworth, William (1770-1850)

expand sectionI. 
VOL. I.
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VOL. II.
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POEMS ON THE NAMING OF PLACES.
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POEMS OF THE FANCY.
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POEMS OF THE IMAGINATION.
 I. 
I. THERE WAS A BOY.
 II. 
II. TO THE CUCKOO.
 III. 
III. A NIGHT-PIECE.
 IV. 
IV. AIREY-FORCE VALLEY.
 V. 
V. YEW-TREES.
 VI. 
VI. NUTTING.
 VII. 
VII. THE SIMPLON PASS.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII. THE REVERIE OF POOR SUSAN.
 XIV. 
XIV. POWER OF MUSIC.
 XV. 
XV. STAR-GAZERS.
 XVI. 
XVI. WRITTEN IN MARCH,
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. BEGGARS.
 XIX. 
XIX. SEQUEL TO THE FOREGOING,
 XX. 
XX. GIPSIES.
 XXI. 
XXI. RUTH.
 XXII. 
XXII. RESOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. THE THORN.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. HART-LEAP WELL.
 XXV. 
XXV. SONG AT THE FEAST OF BROUGHAM CASTLE,
 XXVI. 
XXVI. LINES, COMPOSED A FEW MILES ABOVE TINTERN ABBEY,
 XXVII. 
XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. FRENCH REVOLUTION,
 XXIX. 
XXIX.
 XXX. 
XXX. TO A SKY-LARK.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. LAODAMIA.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. DION.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. THE PASS OF KIRKSTONE.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. TO ENTERPRISE.
 XXXV. 
XXXV. TO ------, ON HER FIRST ASCENT TO THE SUMMIT OF HELVELLYN.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI. TO A YOUNG LADY, WHO HAD BEEN REPROACHED FOR TAKING LONG WALKS IN THE COUNTRY.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. WATER-FOWL.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. VIEW FROM THE TOP OF BLACK COMB.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. THE HAUNTED TREE.
 XL. 
XL. THE TRIAD.
 XLI. 
XLI. THE WISHING-GATE.
 XLII. 
XLII. THE WISHING-GATE DESTROYED.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. THE PRIMROSE OF THE ROCK.
 XLIV. 
XLIV. PRESENTIMENTS.
expand sectionXLV. 
XLV. VERNAL ODE.
 XLVI. 
XLVI. DEVOTIONAL INCITEMENTS.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. THE CUCKOO-CLOCK.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII. TO THE CLOUDS.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. SUGGESTED BY A PICTURE OF THE BIRD OF PARADISE.
 L. 
L. A JEWISH FAMILY.
 LI. 
LI. ON THE POWER OF SOUND.
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PETER BELL.
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MISCELLANEOUS SONNETS.
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VOL. III.
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VOL. IV.
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VOL. V.
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[volume]

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167

XXXIV. THE BLACK STONES OF IONA.

[_]

[See Martin's Voyage among the Western Isles.]

Here on their knees men swore: the stones were black,
Black in the people's minds and words, yet they
Were at that time, as now, in colour grey.
But what is colour, if upon the rack
Of conscience souls are placed by deeds that lack
Concord with oaths? What differ night and day
Then, when before the Perjured on his way
Hell opens, and the heavens in vengeance crack
Above his head uplifted in vain prayer
To Saint, or Fiend, or to the Godhead whom
He had insulted—Peasant, King, or Thane?
Fly where the culprit may, guilt meets a doom;
And, from invisible worlds at need laid bare,
Come links for social order's awful chain.
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