IX

'Tis midnight, and small thoughts have I of sleep; [120]
Full seldom may my friend such vigils keep!
Visit him, gentle Sleep, with wings of healing,
And may this storm be but a mountain-birth,
May all the stars hang bright above his dwelling,
Silent, as though they watch'd the sleeping Earth! [125]
With light heart may he rise,
Gay fancy, cheerful eyes,
And sing his lofty song, and teach me to rejoice!
O Edmund, friend of my devoutest choice,
O rais'd from anxious dread and busy care, 130
By the immenseness of the good and fair
Which thou see'st everywhere,
Joy lifts thy spirit, joy attunes thy voice,
[[1081]] To thee do all things live from pole to pole,
Their life the eddying of thy living soul! 135
O simple spirit, guided from above,
O lofty Poet, full of life and love,
Brother and friend of my devoutest choice,
Thus may'st thou ever, evermore rejoice!

ΕΣΤΗΣΕ.

FOOTNOTES:

[1076:1] Collated with the text of the poem as sent to W. Sotheby in a letter dated July 19, 1802 (Letters of S. T. C., 1895, i. 379-84).

[1076:2] In the letter of July 19, 1802, the Ode is broken up and quoted in parts or fragments, illustrative of the mind and feelings of the writer. 'Sickness,' he explains, 'first forced me into downright metaphysics. For I believe that by nature I have more of the poet in me. In a poem written during that dejection, to Wordsworth, I thus expressed the thought in language more forcible than harmonious.' Then follow lines 76-87 of the text, followed by lines 87-98 of the text first published in Sibylline Leaves ('For not to think of what I needs must feel,' &c.). He then reverts to the 'introduction of the poem':—'The first lines allude to a stanza in the Ballad of Sir Patrick Spence: "Late, late yestreen I saw the new moon with the old one in her arms: and I fear, I fear, my master dear, there will be a deadly Storm."' This serves as a motto to lines 1-75 and 129-39 of the first draft of the text. Finally he 'annexes as a fragment a few lines (ll. 88-119) on the "Œolian Lute", it having been introduced in its dronings in the first stanzas.'

[1079:1] Tairn, a small lake, generally, if not always, applied to the lakes up in the mountains, and which are the feeders of those in the vallies. This address to the wind will not appear extravagant to those who have heard it at night, in a mountainous country. [Note in M. P.]

LINENOTES:

[[2]]

grand] dear Letter to S.

[[5]]

those] that Letter to S. cloud] clouds Letter to S.

[[12]]

by] with Letter to S.

[[17-20]]

om. Letter to S.

[[22]]

stifled] stifling Letter to S.

Between [24] and 25.

This William, well thou knowest,
Is that sore evil which I dread the most,
And oftnest suffer. In this heartless mood,
To other thoughts by yonder throstle woo'd,
That pipes within the larch-tree, not unseen,
The larch, that pushes out in tassels green
Its bundled leafits, woo'd to mild delights,
By all the tender sounds and gentle sights,
Of this sweet primrose-month, and vainly woo'd
O dearest Poet, in this heartless mood.

Letter to S.

[[37]]

a lovely sky-canoe] thy own sweet sky-canoe Letter to S. [Note. The reference is to the Prologue to 'Peter Bell'.]

[[48]]

Edmund] Wordsworth Letter to S.

[[58]]

potent] powerful Letter to S.

[[65]]

virtuous Edmund] blameless poet Letter to S.

[[67]]

Edmund] William Letter to S.

[[71]]

om. Letter to S.

[[74]]

the echoes] an echo Letter to S.

[[76]]

Edmund] poet Letter to S.

[[77]]

that] when Letter to S.

[[78]]

This] The Letter to S.

[[82]]

fruits] fruit Letter to S.

After 87 six lines 'For not to think', &c., are inserted after a row of asterisks. The direction as to the omission of the Sixth and Seventh Stanzas is only found in the M. P.

[[88]]

O] Nay Letter to S.

[[93]]

That lute sent out! O thou wild storm without Letter to S.

[[98]]

who] that Letter to S.

[[106]]

of] from Letter to S.

[[109]]

Again! but all that noise Letter to S.

[[111]]

And it has other sounds, less fearful and less loud Letter to S.

[[114]]

Edmund's self] thou thyself Letter to S.

[[120-8]]

om. Letter to S.

[[129-39]]

Calm steadfast spirit, guided from above,
O Wordsworth! friend of my devoutest choice,
Great son of genius! full of light and love,
Thus, thus, dost thou rejoice.
To thee do all things live, from pole to pole,
Their life the eddying of thy living Soul!
Brother and friend of my devoutest choice,
Thus may'st thou ever, evermore rejoice!

Letter to S.

[Note. In the letter these lines follow line 75 of the text of the M. P.]