George Crabbe: Poems, Volume 1 (of 3) - George Crabbe

[Book II.]

Synopsis of contents omitted.
l. 30. began.
l. 52. the Lord's.
l. 55. Hear too.
instead of ll. 59-62:
How their maids languish, while their men run loose,
And leave them scarce a damsel to seduce.
instead of l. 68:
One cup, and that just serves to make them foes;
l. 70. And batter'd faces end.
l. 85. faultering.
l. 102. you reckon great.
instead of ll. 111-112:
Who gave up pleasures you could never share,
For pain which you are seldom doom'd to bear,
instead of ll. 161-2:
But Rutland's virtues shall his griefs restrain,
And join to heal the bosom where they reign.
l. 165. Hush the loud grief.
l. 168. can please.
l. 172. not valu'd.
l. 176. terror.
instead of l. 177:
But 'tis the spirit that is mounting high.
l. 178. a native.
l. 193. nearer woes.
after l. 197:
Victims victorious, who with him shall stand
In Fame's fair book the guardians of the land;
l. 201. streams go murmuring by.
l. 204. strong stream.

[THE NEWSPAPER.] Variants in edition of 1785 (first edition).

l. 37. Yet you in pity check.
l. 38. and still vouchsafe to write.
instead of ll. 39-40:
(While your choice works on quiet shelves remain,
Or grace the windows of the trade in vain;
Where ev'n their fair and comely sculptures fail,
Engrav'd by Grignion, and design'd by Wale)—
instead of ll. 47-48:
But lend your aid to make my prowess known,
And puff my labours as ye puff your own.
l. 51. or what the time they fly.
instead of ll. 57-60:
Gray evening comes, and comes not evening gray
With all the trifling tidings of the day?
instead of ll. 71-72:
Yet soon each reptile tribe is lost but these,
In the first brushing of the wintry breeze;
l. 73. These still remain.
after l. 78:
(The Oglio now appears, a rival name,
Of bolder manners, tho' of younger fame);
l. 83. lye.
l. 85. holy day.
instead of l. 92:
Tomorrow Woodfall, and the world below.
l. 104. the weak man's brain.
after l. 126:
Soon as the chiefs, whom once they choose, lie low,
Their praise too slackens, and their aid moves slow;
Not so, when leagu'd with rising powers, their rage
Then wounds th' unwary foe, and burns along the page.
l. 132. nor leaves the winter one.
l. 134. Fly in successive troops this fluttering race.
after l. 136:
Or are there those, who ne'er their friends forsook,
Lur'd by no promise, by no danger shook?
Then bolder bribes the venal aid procure,
And golden letters make the faithless sure:
For those who deal in flattery or abuse,
Will sell them when they can the most produce.
l. 155. Justice, Rector and Attorney.
l. 160. tythe.
instead of ll. 163-4:
Here comes the neighbouring Squire, with gracious air,
To stamp opinions, and to take the chair;
l. 172. plagues.
l. 175. Brook's and St Albin's.
l. 178. owes.
instead of ll. 190-192:
"Strive but for power, and parley but for place;"
Yet hopes, good man! "that all may still be well,"
And thanks the stars that he's a vote to sell.
after l. 192:
While thus he reads or raves, around him wait
A rustic band and join in each debate;
Partake his manly spirit, and delight
To praise or blame, to judge of wrong or right;
Measures to mend, and ministers to make,
Till all go madding for their country's sake.
l. 193. th' all-teeming Press.
l. 194. These pois'nous.
instead of ll. 211-12:
Studious we toil, correct, amend, retouch,
Take much away, yet mostly leave too much;
l. 230. deny'd.
l. 253. chearful.
l. 260. And slighting theirs, make comments of their own.
l. 266. monies.
instead of ll. 267-8:
While the sly widow, and the coxcomb sleek,
Dive deep for scandal through a hint oblique.
instead of ll. 273-4:
Hence on that morn no welcome post appears,
That luckless mind a sullen aspect wears;
l. 279. Such restless passion.
l. 280. Worse than an itch for Music or the Muse.
l. 284. Has neither chance for cure, nor intervals of rest.
after l. 284:
Such powers have things so vile, and they can boast
That those peruse them who despise them most.
l. 285. Thus sung—say Muse.
l. 294. Or coin fresh tales.
l. 300. No British widow turns Italian bride.
l. 304. peers give place, and own her fair.
instead of ll. 309-312:
Such tales as these with joy the many read,
And paragraphs on paragraphs succeed;
Then add the common themes that never cease
The tide-like Stocks, their ebb and their increase;
instead of l. 336:
And nameless murder'd in the face of day.
l. 337. Here, first in rank, the Stage.
l. 344. From self, and.
l. 346. try'd.
l. 373. gray.
instead of ll. 379-80:
Such are their puffs, and would they all were such,
Then should the verse no poet's laurel touch;
l. 386. frizeurs.
l. 416. sacred labours.
l. 428. On the scroll'd bar-board, view'd too long before.
l. 429. tipling.
l. 438. For these no more shall live, than they shall die.
instead of ll. 449-50:
Nameless you this way print your idle rhymes,
A thousand view them, you a thousand times:
l. 462. Leave wealth, indulge not these but nobler fires.
Note 1. Spleen, a poem.

The following footnotes appear in the first edition of The Newspaper, but were not reprinted:

l. 1. The greatest part of this Poem was written immediately after the dissolution of the late parliament.
l. 68. The Ephemera, or May-fly, is an insect remarked by naturalists for the very short time it lives, after assuming its last and more perfect form.
l. 78. [See Variant.] The Oglio, a Sunday paper, advertised about October last.

[THE PARISH REGISTER.] Variants in edition of 1807 (first edition).

[Part I.]

Instead of ll. 43-50:
Above the mantel bound with ribband blue,
The Swain's emblazon'd Arms demand our view.
In meadow Vert, there feeds in Gules a cow,
Beneath an Argent share and Sable plough;
While for a crest, an Azure arm sustains
In Or a wheatsheaf, rich with bristling grains.
l. 53. when tried.
l. 54. who prov'd misfortunes.
l. 61. that England fed.
l. 66. That nations dreaded and that Nelson beat.
instead of ll. 67-8:
And here will soon that other fleet be shown,
That Nelson made the ocean's and our own.
l. 85. by famous Heads made out.
l. 86. That teach the simple reader where to doubt.
l. 87. That made him stop.
l. 88. And where he wonder'd then.
l. 112. Laid.
instead of ll. 127-8:
These hear the parent Swain, reclin'd at ease
With half his listening offspring on his knees.
l. 140. The tall Leek, tapering with his rushy stem.
l. 177. who knew not sex.
l. 193. gutters flow.
l. 197. woe.
l. 248. drink and play.
l. 270. Glories unsought, the Fathers.
l. 309. an haughty soul.
l. 310. controul.
l. 314. seldom shed.
l. 339. What then was left, these Lovers to requite?
l. 368. Higler's.
l. 369. antient.
instead of ll. 371-2:
Day after day were past in grief and pain,
Week after week, nor came the Youth again;
instead of ll. 417-18:
Few were their Acres,—but they, well content,
Were on each pay-day, ready with their rent;
instead of ll. 453-60:
'Far other thoughts, your Reverence, caus'd the ill,
'Twas pure good-nature, not a wanton will;
}
They urg'd me, paid me, beg'd me to comply,
}
Not hard of heart, or slow to yield am I,
}
But prone to grant as melting charity.
For wanton wishes, let the frail-ones smart,
But all my failing is a tender heart.'
l. 470. Gerrard.
instead of ll. 471-2:
Seven have I nam'd, and but six years have past
By him and Judith since I bound them fast.
l. 477. he would no more increase.
l. 481. humbled.
l. 521. pedlar's.
l. 539. woe with woe.
l. 540. "Ah! Humphrey! Humphrey!"
l. 558. said Humphrey.
l. 559. an husband's.
l. 569. antient.
instead of ll. 582-3:
To prove these arrows of the giants' hand,
Are not for man to stay or to command.
instead of l. 604:
Of news or nothing, she by looks compel.
l. 628. Artimisia.
l. 631. Senecio.
l. 649. turged Anthers.
instead of l. 650:
"But haste and bear them to their spouse away;
In a like bed you'll see that spouse reclin'd,
(Oh! haste and bear them, they like love are blind,)
l. 652. make the marriage sure.
l. 663. to life's great duty, Love.
l. 676. some notice they will claim.
instead of ll. 678-9:
The straitest furrow lifts the ploughman's heart,
Or skill allow'd firm in the bruiser's art.
l. 700. For he who lent a name to babe unknown.
l. 702. they ask'd the name of all.
l. 713. controul.
l. 743. that seem'd.
l. 744. that nothing meant.
l. 748. steelly.
l. 751. still more sure about the world.
l. 784. Keeps looking on the ground.
l. 785. These looks and sighs.
l. 803. transcendant.
l. 811. Bishoprick.
l. 826. Passions.
l. 833. Spencer; Spencer's.
The note to l. 833 is omitted in the first edition.

[Part II.]