The early poems of John Clare :: :: University of Virginia Library

O superstition terryfying power
Thou dithering agent of Nights solemn hour
How (when pitch darkness glooms the awful night)
Thy dithering terrors rush upon the sight
Then the grim terrors of thy haunting train
Swim thro the gloom & stalk along the plain
Then all the horrid forms the eye can see
Which fancy moulds are realizd by thee
Here murder shudders on with giant stride
& heedless spirits cringes by his side
The calls of mercy—helpless wails of woe
Are still h[e]ard howling in the woods below
The bloody stainings undefacd by time
Still dyes the grass a witness to the crime

Now silent forms in musing mood suceeds
As mourning inly some unraveld deeds
The slowly solem step the drooping head
Such woes are plain depicted in their tread
Now usless mizers midnight hags forlorn
In shattered rags their saving deeds have worn

286

Pay their uneasy visits once again
To each devoted dwelling where in pain
They pind & starvd to hurd each mouldy heap
& left the spoil for thankless heirs to reap
Impatient urgd they frown & bounce about
& seem to wish to blab some secret out
To haunted man they every beckon make
To break the silence & to let them speak
Till vext & wearied with the quaking wight
They frown reproach & hurryd out of sight
Now rustling silks & sattins sweeps the ground
& antique spirits flirt the castles round
With pointed finger & with quizzing eyes
Marks out each monstrous stone that hides a prize!
& where yon pond with ash encircld round
Awthorns below above with ivy bound
Whose quaking leaves when night is glooming near
Rustles their terrors to the passing ear
Poor amys dripping spirit wanders round
For there the poor despairing maid was drown'd
& often there in superstitions eyes
Dithering & quaking from the pond shell rise
In the same cloaths then wore she wanders still
Wet as she draggles up the pond head hill
All wet & dripping from her watry bed
Echo seems startld with the gushing tread
As when our feet are wet squish squa[s]hing round
Folks knows it well & shudder at the sound
Thus superstition the weak mind decieves
Which village faith as stren[u]ously believes
So when a Boy my heart has 'chilld with dread
To hear what aged dames confirmd & said
& listning to the Haunted tales they told
My very blood within me curdld cold

287

While from their Learning much [OMITTED] & got
Throut the fields knew every haunted spot
When from their skill well stord with secret charms
I knew the art of passing free from harms
Which my wis[e] tutors by the setting sun
For safty Warnd me twas the best to shun
& oer the fields when late for home I hied
The days last shadow stauking by my side
How oft Ive turnd its giant length to View
& seemd as oftner watchd it faster grew
A monster larger still it stretchd from sight
Its head slow hiding in approaching night
& as dusk woods its outlines gan to trace
Fears flockd more fast & urgd a quicker pace
The haunted pond lay often in my road
Poor drownded amys comfortles abode
Whose restless soul denyd its rest above
Mourns the sad fate & falsities of Love
Oft fancy hears the sorrow breathing sound
& oft while passing have I squinted round
Keeping strickt watch upon the gloom of night
Lest unawares she stole upon my sight
My feet the while scarce touchd the 'chanted ground
Sliving Ive crept & wary lookd around
& even choakd my self to stop my breath
To cough that moment would be worse then death
A sleeping gost I knew was quickly woke
& amys catsleep might be quickly broke
E'en from the sigh when past one dares to make
To catch our puffing breath shes known to wake
& as the moon peeps thro her cloudy screen
The waking spirit may be plainly seen
Away I flew nor turnd a look no more
& scarcly felt the ground I rallied oer
& great the joy that told my village nigh
Each chim[n]ey smoaking pleasure on my eye

288

& sweet the noise which I then could hear
They raisd my spirits & dispelld my fear
The lifted latch with eagerness I prest
When in my cot I came a welcome guest
& in my corner mong my friends once more
I sat me down & talkt my terrors oer

The haunted pond still bears the maidens fate
& village legends still the tale relate
In that farm house which neighbours on the spot
She livd a servant but the times forgot
Tho many a day no doubt since thens gone bye
& amys dwelling claims a kindred sigh
Its fated ruin leans each mouldering wall
& gulshing eaves in rumbling horrors fall
The moping bats that haunt each gaping creek
Are oft unhousd some better place to seek
& ruins bird scard from their gloomy bed
Oft seek a Comfort in some safer shed
Here amy dwelt & of her dwelling fond
Still haunts the ruins as she haunts the pond
Here owls strike terror for old folks well know
Shes often took their form to shreik her woe
& even sparrows while theyre chelping here
Flings the same doubts in superstitions ear

A rosy bonny country lass was she
As ere a country girl was known to be
As good a servant village dames avow
As ever scourd a pail or milkd a cow
Gave good content where ere she went to dwell
& as her master likd her monstrous well
Tho what his meaning was they little knew
But they mistrusted as they often do
While many a thing which gossips quickly see
Serving for prattle oer their musing tea

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Provd such suspicions more then groundless tales
Which in a Village commonly prevails
The passing neighbours often catchd a smile
Oft markt him take her milk pails oer the stile
& often while they passd each other bye
From amys bosom met the heavy sigh
& oft observd her while discoursing deep
As doubts might rise to give just cause to weep
In stifling notice with a wisht disguise
To slive her apron corner to her eyes
Remarks like these each each newser soon disernd
In such dark matters wondrous wise & learnd
Soon ravelld mysteries they unraveld all
Confirmd em proofs & prophesyd her fall
But still her griefs was to her self conceald
Griefs as none know but only them that feeld
In silent sorrow still did toils pursue
& made the best of all she felt & knew
Ah gay & artless once a maid was she
The birds that ranted on each neighbouring tree
With yok[e]s & buckets as she bouncd along
Was deafd to silence by her milking song
O fencless Innocence thy charms thy woes
As bees their honey tempt a world of foes
When beautys sweetest gem the eye beguiles
& opes its blossom in perfections smiles
The bud soon pluckt becomes a withering prize
& soon grows sickning in Lusts ravishd eyes
Loves chance is hazardous vain world in thee
With age encreasing grows each villany

290

What many jewels deckt in heavens charms
Have met with death in mans deluding arms
Those pleasing toys which heaven did ordain
To add a comfort to our toils & pain
Those gems how cruel they to meet their end
From man thats meant their guardian & their friend
Those beauties sent us for our comforts here
To please & be despisd is fate severe
& cruel man as hard a fate shall know
When ruind Innocence laments her woe
On that last day that brings their woes to light
Gods just revenge their baseness shall requite
Then injurd angels shall your woes be heard
& heavens blessings is the wisht reward
Then base seducers come your doom to view
& hell reserves her worst revenge for you
Ah dread ye villians just revenge then given
& beauty sleep thou are assurd of heaven