"Here," cried a swain, whose venerable head
Bloom'd with the snow-drops of Man's narrow bed,
Last night, while by his dying fire, as clos'd
The day, in luxury my limbs repos'd,
Here Penury oft from misery's mount will guide
Ev'n to the summer door his icy tide,
And here the avalanche of Death destroy
The little cottage of domestic Joy.
... a Swain, upon whose hoary head
The "blossoms of the grave" were thinly spread,
... a thoughtful Swain, upon whose head






1793


1820

1827

"Here," cried a swain, whose venerable head
Bloom'd with the snow-drops of Man's narrow bed,
Last night, while by his dying fire, as clos'd
The day, in luxury my limbs repos'd,
Here Penury oft from misery's mount will guide
Ev'n to the summer door his icy tide,
And here the avalanche of Death destroy
The little cottage of domestic Joy.
... a Swain, upon whose hoary head
The "blossoms of the grave" were thinly spread,
... a thoughtful Swain, upon whose head

[return]

[Variant 132:]

1836
But, ah! the unwilling mind ... 1820

But, ah! the unwilling mind ...

[return]

[Variant 133:]

1836
The churlish gales, that unremitting blow
Cold from necessity's continual snow,
1820

The churlish gales, that unremitting blow
Cold from necessity's continual snow,