The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

Name: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)
Author: Wordsworth, William

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

The passage from Milton's _History of England_ (book vi.), referred to
in the Fenwick note, relates an incident, "which" (as Milton justly
says), "unless to Court-Parasites, needed no such laborious
demonstration." There is only one expression borrowed by Wordsworth:
"The Sea, as before, came rolling on, ... whereat the King, quickly
rising, wished all about him to behold and consider the weak and
frivolous form of a King, and that none indeed deserved the name of a
King, but he whose Eternal Laws both Heaven, Earth, and Sea obey."--ED.

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 199: 1820.

    ... by the sea-side.                                          MS.
]

[Footnote 200: 1820.

    ... haughtiest ...                                            MS.
]

[Footnote 201: 1840.

    Your Master's throne is set!"--Absurd decree!
    A mandate uttered to the foaming sea,
    Is to its motions less than wanton air.             MS. and 1820.
]

[Footnote 202: 1820.

    Said to his Courtiers, Scanty is the reach,                   MS.
]

[Footnote 203: 1845.

    And Canute (truth ...                               MS. and 1820.

    And Canute, which is worthiest to be known,                   MS.

    ... what ...                                                  MS.

    And in the self same Page is told that he                     MS.
]

[Footnote 204: 1857.

    Contemptible and vain.                              MS. and 1820.
]

[Footnote 205: 1820.

                  ... have taught
    The Sea, the prompter of his thought,
    Such words as these methinks he might have spoken             MS.
]

[Footnote 206: 1820.

    Distressed but not down broken:                               MS.
]

[Footnote 207: 1837.

    ... its ...                                         MS. and 1820.
]

[Footnote 208: 1820.

    ... entire content.                                           MS.
]


"A LITTLE ONWARD LEND THY GUIDING HAND"

Composed 1816.--Published 1820

[The complaint in my eyes, which gave occasion to this address to my
daughter, first showed itself as a consequence of inflammation, caught
at the top of Kirkstone, when I was over-heated by having carried up the
ascent my eldest son, a lusty infant. Frequently has the disease
recurred since, leaving my eyes in a state which has often prevented my
reading for months, and makes me at this day incapable of bearing
without injury any strong light by day or night. My acquaintance with
books has therefore been far short of my wishes; and on this account, to
acknowledge the services daily and hourly done me by my family and
friends, this note is written.--I. F.]

One of the "Poems of Sentiment and Reflection."--ED.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)Wordsworth, William

General

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

The passage from Milton's _History of England_ (book vi.), referred to
in the Fenwick note, relates an incident, "which" (as Milton justly
says), "unless to Court-Parasites, needed no such laborious
demonstration." There is only one expression borrowed by Wordsworth:
"The Sea, as before, came rolling on, ... whereat the King, quickly
rising, wished all about him to behold and consider the weak and
frivolous form of a King, and that none indeed deserved the name of a
King, but he whose Eternal Laws both Heaven, Earth, and Sea obey."--ED.

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 199: 1820.

    ... by the sea-side.                                          MS.
]

[Footnote 200: 1820.

    ... haughtiest ...                                            MS.
]

[Footnote 201: 1840.

    Your Master's throne is set!"--Absurd decree!
    A mandate uttered to the foaming sea,
    Is to its motions less than wanton air.             MS. and 1820.
]

[Footnote 202: 1820.

    Said to his Courtiers, Scanty is the reach,                   MS.
]

[Footnote 203: 1845.

    And Canute (truth ...                               MS. and 1820.

    And Canute, which is worthiest to be known,                   MS.

    ... what ...                                                  MS.

    And in the self same Page is told that he                     MS.
]

[Footnote 204: 1857.

    Contemptible and vain.                              MS. and 1820.
]

[Footnote 205: 1820.

                  ... have taught
    The Sea, the prompter of his thought,
    Such words as these methinks he might have spoken             MS.
]

[Footnote 206: 1820.

    Distressed but not down broken:                               MS.
]

[Footnote 207: 1837.

    ... its ...                                         MS. and 1820.
]

[Footnote 208: 1820.

    ... entire content.                                           MS.
]


"A LITTLE ONWARD LEND THY GUIDING HAND"

Composed 1816.--Published 1820

[The complaint in my eyes, which gave occasion to this address to my
daughter, first showed itself as a consequence of inflammation, caught
at the top of Kirkstone, when I was over-heated by having carried up the
ascent my eldest son, a lusty infant. Frequently has the disease
recurred since, leaving my eyes in a state which has often prevented my
reading for months, and makes me at this day incapable of bearing
without injury any strong light by day or night. My acquaintance with
books has therefore been far short of my wishes; and on this account, to
acknowledge the services daily and hourly done me by my family and
friends, this note is written.--I. F.]

One of the "Poems of Sentiment and Reflection."--ED.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

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