The poems and literary prose of Alexander Wilson ... for the first time fully collected and compared with the original and early editions ... edited ... by the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart ... with portrait, illustrations, &c |
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APOLLO AND THE PEDLAR.
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 | The poems and literary prose of Alexander Wilson |  |
APOLLO AND THE PEDLAR.
A TALE.
Dark hangs the drowsy murm'ring moonless night,
Clouds wrap each twinkler from the useless sight;
Hous'd is each swain, worn with the day's long toil,
Wielding the flail or turning o'er the soil;
Lone now the fields, the banks, the meadows all,
Save where frogs croak, or noisome lizards crawl.
Clouds wrap each twinkler from the useless sight;
Hous'd is each swain, worn with the day's long toil,
Wielding the flail or turning o'er the soil;
Lone now the fields, the banks, the meadows all,
Save where frogs croak, or noisome lizards crawl.
Seen from the hill, Edina's turrets glow
With beaming lamps, in many a glittering row,
That glad the sight; while slow-approaching near,
Mixt sounds and voices crowd upon the ear;
Hoarse pye-men bawl, and shake the ceaseless bell,
Boys sport, dogs bark, and oyster-wenches yell.
See! yon black form plac'd at the well-worn porch,
One arm sustains a tarry flaming torch;
With echoing voice and grim distorted looks,
He hoarsely roars, ‘An auction here of books.’
The trotting chairman and the thund'ring coach,
The blazing windows and sly whore's approach,
The jostling passengers that swarm each lane,
Form to a stranger a surprising scene.
'Twas at this time, with keen-tooth'd hunger pin'd,
Plain Ralph the pedlar wander'd in a wynd.
This Ralph,—'tis storied,—bore a curious pack,
With trinkets filled, and had a ready knack
At coining rhyme; o'er all the eastern plain
Well was he known to ev'ry village swain.
Where'er he lodg'd, on mountain, moor, or dale,
The cottage fill'd to hear his wondrous tale.
Oft, at the barn, they'd list, and here poor Ralph,
In uncouth phrases, talking to himself;
Or mark him wand'ring lone, 'twixt late and soon,
With mutt'ring voice, wild gazing to the moon.
Drawn by the sight of certain skinny food,
He sally'd down and often gazing stood;
And such blest visions here he did descry,
That Want sat gnawing in his restless eye.
Here tripe lay smoking on the loaded board,
Piled high and thick, a most delicious hoard;
The fragrant stream in wavy columns rose,
And fed incessant his enraptur'd nose.
No longer fit to bear the glorious sight,
He buys, then scampers with exulting flight;
Resolv'd that night to soar his rank above,
Gape o'er his spoil, and feast with nectar'd Jove.
With beaming lamps, in many a glittering row,
That glad the sight; while slow-approaching near,
Mixt sounds and voices crowd upon the ear;
Hoarse pye-men bawl, and shake the ceaseless bell,
Boys sport, dogs bark, and oyster-wenches yell.
See! yon black form plac'd at the well-worn porch,
One arm sustains a tarry flaming torch;
With echoing voice and grim distorted looks,
He hoarsely roars, ‘An auction here of books.’
The trotting chairman and the thund'ring coach,
The blazing windows and sly whore's approach,
The jostling passengers that swarm each lane,
Form to a stranger a surprising scene.
'Twas at this time, with keen-tooth'd hunger pin'd,
Plain Ralph the pedlar wander'd in a wynd.
This Ralph,—'tis storied,—bore a curious pack,
With trinkets filled, and had a ready knack
270
Well was he known to ev'ry village swain.
Where'er he lodg'd, on mountain, moor, or dale,
The cottage fill'd to hear his wondrous tale.
Oft, at the barn, they'd list, and here poor Ralph,
In uncouth phrases, talking to himself;
Or mark him wand'ring lone, 'twixt late and soon,
With mutt'ring voice, wild gazing to the moon.
Drawn by the sight of certain skinny food,
He sally'd down and often gazing stood;
And such blest visions here he did descry,
That Want sat gnawing in his restless eye.
Here tripe lay smoking on the loaded board,
Piled high and thick, a most delicious hoard;
The fragrant stream in wavy columns rose,
And fed incessant his enraptur'd nose.
No longer fit to bear the glorious sight,
He buys, then scampers with exulting flight;
Resolv'd that night to soar his rank above,
Gape o'er his spoil, and feast with nectar'd Jove.
Here let us leave him, while with soaring flight,
We gain Olympus and the plains of light:
There, for his sons, see great Apollo's care,
How low their station or how poor soe'er,—
Alike to him's the pedlar and the peer.
We gain Olympus and the plains of light:
There, for his sons, see great Apollo's care,
How low their station or how poor soe'er,—
Alike to him's the pedlar and the peer.
High on a throne of burnish'd gold, in state
And awful pomp, the mighty Thund'rer sat.
His flowing robe in dazzling glory shone,
Inferior gods hung hov'ring round his throne;
With rapt'rous songs the heav'ns resounding rung,
Sweet Echo warbling while the seraphs sung.
When, lo! approaching with green laurel'd brows,
Before the throne divine Apollo bows;
An anxious look his glorious face oppress'd,
While bending low, he thus the god address'd:
‘Almighty potentate! all-conquering Jove!
Who form'd these heav'ns that boundless spread above
Yon distant earth, and all the worlds that roll
In circling dance; whose nod sustains the whole,
Whose powerful arm swift hurls the tempest forth,
Whose frown strikes terror through th'astonish'd earth;
Bids yon vast sea in swelling mountains rise,
And uproar horrid, foaming to the skies,
Then smiles, and smooth the glassy surface lies.
And awful pomp, the mighty Thund'rer sat.
His flowing robe in dazzling glory shone,
Inferior gods hung hov'ring round his throne;
With rapt'rous songs the heav'ns resounding rung,
Sweet Echo warbling while the seraphs sung.
When, lo! approaching with green laurel'd brows,
Before the throne divine Apollo bows;
An anxious look his glorious face oppress'd,
While bending low, he thus the god address'd:
‘Almighty potentate! all-conquering Jove!
Who form'd these heav'ns that boundless spread above
271
In circling dance; whose nod sustains the whole,
Whose powerful arm swift hurls the tempest forth,
Whose frown strikes terror through th'astonish'd earth;
Bids yon vast sea in swelling mountains rise,
And uproar horrid, foaming to the skies,
Then smiles, and smooth the glassy surface lies.
‘Oft hast thou lent me a propitious ear,
And made my sons thy most peculiar care:
By thee inspir'd, they soar beyond the sun,
And sing the wonders that thy arm hath done.
Now stoop in pity to the dang'rous state
Of one poor bard, born to a hapless fate.
Thou knows his danger: see, how swift he flies,
Nor know'st the snare that for his ruin lies.
Soon will he reach his home; and, sad to tell,
Glut the vile tripe and revel o'er the smell;
But still there's time, still we may him retard,
Here stand I ready to obey thy word.’
Jove gave consent; when down the empyrean height,
The cheerful god directs his rapid flight;
Swift past the stars, heav'n's regions he forsook,
Light flew behind, and darkness he o'ertook.
The num'rous lamps Edina's streets that line,
He first espies in sparkling squadrons shine.
A moment, dubious o'er the scene he stops,
Then swift, unseen, in B---'s close he drops,
Assumes a porter's shape, conceals his wings,
And through the close in hurrying fury, springs;
Down hurls poor Ralph, crash went the shivered bowl,
And greasy streams along the pavement roll.
And made my sons thy most peculiar care:
By thee inspir'd, they soar beyond the sun,
And sing the wonders that thy arm hath done.
Now stoop in pity to the dang'rous state
Of one poor bard, born to a hapless fate.
Thou knows his danger: see, how swift he flies,
Nor know'st the snare that for his ruin lies.
Soon will he reach his home; and, sad to tell,
Glut the vile tripe and revel o'er the smell;
But still there's time, still we may him retard,
Here stand I ready to obey thy word.’
Jove gave consent; when down the empyrean height,
The cheerful god directs his rapid flight;
Swift past the stars, heav'n's regions he forsook,
Light flew behind, and darkness he o'ertook.
The num'rous lamps Edina's streets that line,
He first espies in sparkling squadrons shine.
A moment, dubious o'er the scene he stops,
Then swift, unseen, in B---'s close he drops,
Assumes a porter's shape, conceals his wings,
And through the close in hurrying fury, springs;
Down hurls poor Ralph, crash went the shivered bowl,
And greasy streams along the pavement roll.
As when some tyger, to his haunt from day,
Returns, blood-foaming, with the slaughter'd prey,
Grim pleas'd that there, with undisturbèd roar,
He'll glut and revel o'er the reeking gore;
Glares in wild fury o'er the gloomy waste,
Now growls terrific o'er its mangled breast;
Now drags relentless, down the rugged vale,
And stains the forest with a bloody trail:
When, lo! a champion of the savage race,
The shaggy lion, rushes to the place,
With roar tremendous seizes on the prey;
Exasp'rate see! the tyger springs away,
Stops short, and maddens at the monarch's growl,
And through his eyes darts all his furious soul;
Half-will'd, yet half afraid to dare a bound,
He eyes his loss, and roars and tears the ground;
So looked stern Ralphus o'er the flowing coast,
To see his hopes, his tripe and labour lost;
In rage he kick'd the fragments, when, behold!
Forth from the tripe a monstrous worm unroll'd
Its lazy length, then snarling wild its crest,
In accents shrill the shudd'ring youth addrest,
‘I am disease; curs'd be the unknown he
Who mark'd my purpose of destroying thee:
Had it succeeded, hear this, trembling hear,
Next morn had seen thee floating on a bier.’
It spoke, and grinn'd, when Ralph, with vengeful speed,
A rock's huge fragment dash'd down on its head.
Deep groan'd the wretch in death, Ralph trembling stole
One backward glance, then fled th'accurs'd bowl.
Returns, blood-foaming, with the slaughter'd prey,
Grim pleas'd that there, with undisturbèd roar,
He'll glut and revel o'er the reeking gore;
Glares in wild fury o'er the gloomy waste,
Now growls terrific o'er its mangled breast;
272
And stains the forest with a bloody trail:
When, lo! a champion of the savage race,
The shaggy lion, rushes to the place,
With roar tremendous seizes on the prey;
Exasp'rate see! the tyger springs away,
Stops short, and maddens at the monarch's growl,
And through his eyes darts all his furious soul;
Half-will'd, yet half afraid to dare a bound,
He eyes his loss, and roars and tears the ground;
So looked stern Ralphus o'er the flowing coast,
To see his hopes, his tripe and labour lost;
In rage he kick'd the fragments, when, behold!
Forth from the tripe a monstrous worm unroll'd
Its lazy length, then snarling wild its crest,
In accents shrill the shudd'ring youth addrest,
‘I am disease; curs'd be the unknown he
Who mark'd my purpose of destroying thee:
Had it succeeded, hear this, trembling hear,
Next morn had seen thee floating on a bier.’
It spoke, and grinn'd, when Ralph, with vengeful speed,
A rock's huge fragment dash'd down on its head.
Deep groan'd the wretch in death, Ralph trembling stole
One backward glance, then fled th'accurs'd bowl.
| The poems and literary prose of Alexander Wilson | |