RYDAL MOUNT, June 24, 1843.
St. John Baptist Day.—I. F.]
Although the Fenwick note to The Excursion has been printed here in full, extracts from it will be introduced as footnotes, in explanation of certain passages of the poem. The Excursion was written at intervals between 1795 and 1814. The story of Margaret, in the first book, was begun at Racedown in 1795, and continued at Alfoxden in 1797-8. But only two short fragments of the poem—the former in book first and the latter in book fourth (as indicated in the Fenwick note)—were written before Wordsworth's arrival at Grasmere. There the poem was thought out, arranged, written down, altered, and re-arranged; the first part during his residence at Dove Cottage, the second and longer part at Allan Bank. The following extracts from Miss Wordsworth's Grasmere Journal show how laboriously her brother worked at this poem:—
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 1801.— ... "Went to Rydal for letters. The road was covered with snow. We walked home almost without speaking. William composed a few lines of 'The Pedlar.' We talked about Lamb's tragedy."...
Wednesday, Dec. 23.— ... "Mary wrote out the Tales from Chaucer for Coleridge. William worked at 'The Ruined Cottage,' and made himself very ill."...
Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1802.— ... "We sate till we were both tired, for William wrote out part of his poem, and endeavoured to alter it, and so made himself ill. I copied out the rest for him."...
Monday, Feb. 1st.— ... "William worked hard at 'The Pedlar,' and tired himself."...
Tuesday, 2nd Feb.— ... "William worked at 'The Pedlar.'"...
Thursday, 4th.— ... "William thought a little about 'The Pedlar.'"