For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant, or in passive mood, _They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude_; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.” In writing to his friends the Wranghams, November 4, 1802, Wordsworth, after thanking them for their good opinion of this poem, alludes to “Butler, Montague’s friend,” as having said of it (the poem,) “Aye, a fine morsel this for the reviewers,”--and adds, “When this was told me (for I was not present) I observed that there were _two lines_ in that little poem, which, if thoroughly felt, would annihilate nine-tenths of the reviews of the kingdom, as they would find no readers. The lines I alluded to were these-- ‘They flash upon that inward eye, Which is the bliss of solitude.’” And, now, I will make a few quotations from Miss Wordsworth’s journal:-- “1802. Wednesday, April 28.--Copied the ‘Prioress’ Tale.’ W. in the orchard tired. I happened to say, that when a child, I would not have pulled a strawberry blossom; left him, and wrote out the ‘Manciples’ Tale.’ At dinner he came in with the poem on children gathering flowers [the poem entitled ‘Foresight’]. “April 20.--We went into the orchard after breakfast, and sat there. The lake calm; sky cloudy. W. began poem on the “Celandine.” “May 1.--Sowed flower seeds; W. helped me. We sat in the orchard. W. wrote the ‘Celandine.’ Planned an arbour,--the sun too hot for us. “May 7.--W. wrote ‘The Leech Gatherer.’ “May 21.--W. wrote two sonnets, ‘On Buonaparte,’ after I had read Milton’s sonnets to him. “May 29.--W. wrote his poem “On going to M. H.” I wrote it out. “June 8.--W. wrote the poem ‘The sun has long been set.’ “June 17.--W. added to the ‘Ode’ he is writing [‘On the Immortality of the Soul’]. “June 19.--Read Churchill’s ‘Rosciad.’ “July 9.--W. and I set forth to Keswick, on our road to Gallow Hill (to the Hutchinsons’, near Malton, York). On Monday, the 11th, went to Eusemere (the Clarksons’). 13th, walked to Emont Bridge, thence by Greta Bridge. The sun shone cheerfully, and a glorious ride we had over the moors; every building bathed in golden light; we saw round us miles beyond miles, Darlington spire, &c. Thence to Thirsk; on foot to the Hamilton Hills--Rivaux. I went down to look at the ruins; thrushes singing, cattle feeding amongst the ruins of the abbey; green hillocks about the ruins--these hillocks scattered over with grovelets of wild roses, and covered with wild flowers: could have staid in this green quiet spot till evening, without a thought of moving, but W. was waiting for me....