The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth Volume I Part 109

[Footnote E: In January 1801 Charles Lamb thus wrote to Wordsworth of his 'Old c.u.mberland Beggar':

"It appears to me a fault that the instructions conveyed in it are too direct, and like a lecture: they don't slide into the mind of the reader while he is imagining no such matter,"

At the same time he refers to

"the delicate and curious feeling in the wish of the Beggar that he may have about him the melody of birds, although he hears them not."

('The Letters of Charles Lamb', edited by Alfred Ainger, vol. i. p.

163.)--Ed.]

ANIMAL TRANQUILLITY AND DECAY

Composed 1798.--Published 1798.

[If I recollect right, these verses were an overflowing from 'The Old c.u.mberland Beggar'.--I. F.]

They were published in the first edition of "Lyrical Ballads" (1798), but 'The Old c.u.mberland Beggar' was not published till 1800. In an early MS., however, the two are incorporated.

In the edition of 1798, the poem was called, 'Old Man Travelling; Animal Tranquillity and Decay, a Sketch'. In 1800, the t.i.tle was 'Animal Tranquillity and Decay. A Sketch'. In 1845, it was 'Animal Tranquillity and Decay'.

It was included among the "Poems referring to the Period of Old Age."--Ed.

THE POEM

The little hedgerow birds, That peck along the road, regard him not.

He travels on, and in his face, his step, His gait, is one expression: every limb, His look and bending figure, all bespeak 5 A man who does not move with pain, but moves With thought.--He is insensibly subdued To settled quiet: he is one by whom All effort seems forgotten; one to whom Long patience hath [1] such mild composure given, 10 That patience now doth seem a thing of which He hath no need. He is by nature led To peace so perfect that the young behold With envy, what the Old Man hardly feels. [2]

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1805.

...has... 1798.]

[Variant 2:

1815.

--I asked him whither he was bound, and what The object of his journey; he replied "Sir! I am going many miles to take A last leave of my son, a mariner, Who from a sea-fight has been brought to Falmouth, And there is dying in an hospital." 1798.

... he replied That he was going many miles to take A last leave of his son, a mariner, Who from a sea-fight had been brought to Falmouth, And there was dying [i] in an hospital. 1800 to 1805.]

SUB-FOOTNOTE ON THE VARIANT

[Sub-Footnote i: The edition of 1800 has "lying," evidently a misprint.--Ed.]

APPENDIX

I

The following is the full text of the original edition of 'Descriptive Sketches', first published in 1793:

DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES

IN VERSE.

TAKEN DURING A PEDESTRIAN TOUR IN THE ITALIAN, GRISON, SWISS, AND SAVOYARD ALPS. BY W. WORDSWORTH, B.A.

OF ST. JOHN'S, CAMBRIDGE.

"LOCA PASTORUM DESERTA ATQUE OTIA DIA."

'Lucret'.

"CASTELLA IN TUMULIS-- ET LONGE SALTUS LATEQUE VACANTES."