Twelve Centuries of English Poetry and Prose

these kind of feats, there arrived an express | This body consisted of three thousand foot and a thousand horse.

I had sent so many memorials and petitions for my liberty, that his majesty at length mentioned the matter, first in the cabinet, and then in a full council; where it was opposed by none, except Skyresh Bolgolam who was pleased, without any provocation, to be my mortal enemy. But it was carried against him by the whole board, and confirmed by the emThat minister was galbet, or admiral

to inform his majesty that some of his subjects riding near the place where I was first taken up, had seen a great black substance lying on the ground, very oddly shaped, extending its edges round as wide as his majesty's bedchamber, and rising up in the middle as high as a man; that it was no living creature, as they at first apprehended, for it lay on the grass without motion; and some of them had walked round it several times; that, by mount-peror. ing upon each other's shoulders, they had got of the realm, very much in his master's confito the top, which was flat and even, and, stamp-dence, and a person well versed in affairs, but ing upon it, they found it was hollow within; of a morose and sour complexion. However, that they humbly conceived it might be some- he was at length persuaded to comply; but thing belonging to the man-mountain; and if prevailed that the articles and conditions upon his majesty pleased, they would undertake to which I should be set free, and to which I must bring it with only ave horses. swear, should be drawn up by himself.

I presently knew what they meant, and was glad at heart to receive this intelligence. It seems, upon my first reaching the shore after our shipwreck, I was in such confusion that, before I came to the place where I went to sleep, my hat, which I had fastened with a string to my head while I was rowing, and had stuck on all the time I was swimming, fell off after I came to land; the string, as I conjecture, breaking by some accident which I never observed, but thought my hat had been lost at sea. I entreated his imperial majesty to give orders it might be brought to me as soon as possible, describing to him the use and nature of it; and the next day the wagoners arrived with it, but not in a very good condition; they had bored two holes in the brim, within an inch and a half of the edge, and fastened two hooks in the holes; these hooks were tied by a long cord to the harness, and thus my hat was dragged along for above half an English mile; but the ground in that country being extremely smooth and level, it received less damage than I expected. Two days after this adventure, the emperor, having ordered that part of the army which quarters in and about his metropolis to be in readiness, took a fancy of diverting himself in a very singular manner.* He desired I would stand like a colossus, with my legs as far asunder as I conveniently could. He then commanded his general (who was an old, experienced leader and a great patron of mine) to draw up the troops in close order and march them under me; the foot by twenty-four in a breast and the horse by sixteen, with drums beating, colours flying, and pikes advanced. * George I. was especially fond of reviews.

These articles were brought to me by Skyresh Bolgolam in person, attended by two under-secretaries, and several persons of distinction. After they were read, I was demanded to swear to the performance of them, first in the manner of my own country, and afterwards in the method prescribed by their laws; which was, to hold my right foot in my left hand, and to place the middle finger of my right hand on the crown of my head, and my thumb on the tip of my right ear.

But because the reader may be curious to have some idea of the style and manner of expression peculiar to that people, as well as to know the articles upon which I recovered my liberty, I have made a translation of the whole instrument, word for word, as near as I was able, which I here offer to the public.

Golbasto Momaren Evlame Gurdilo Shefin Mully Ully Gue, most mighty Emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the universe, whose dominions extend five thousand blustrugs (about twelve miles in circumference) to the extremities of the globe; monarch of all monarchs, taller than the sons of men; whose feet press down to the center, and whose head strikes against the sun; at whose nod the princes of the earth shake their knees; pleasant as the spring, comfortable as the summer, fruitful as autumn, dreadful as winter. His most sublime Majesty proposeth to the Manmountain, lately arrived to our celestial dominions, the following articles, which by a solemn oath he shall be obliged to perform.

First. The Man-mountain shall not depart from our dominions without our license under our great seal.

2d. He shall not presume to come into our

The reader may please to observe, that in the last article for the recovery of my liberty the emperor stipulates to allow me a quantity of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724 Lilliputians. Some time after, asking a friend at court how they came to fix on that determined number, he told me that his majesty's mathematicians having taken the height of my body by the help of a quadrant, and finding it to exceed theirs in the proportion of twelve to one, they concluded, from the similarity of their bodies, that mine must contain at least 1724 of theirs, and consequently would require as much food as was necessary to support that number of Lilliputians. By which the reader may conceive an idea of the ingenuity of that people, as well as the prudent and exact economy of so great a prince.

JAMES THOMSON (1700-1748)

FROM THE SEASONS
SPRING

Come, gentle Spring, ethereal mildness, come;
And from the bosom of yon dropping cloud,
While music wakes around, veiled in a shower
Of shadowing roses, on our plains descend.
O Hertford, fitted or to shine in courts.
With unaffected grace, or walk the plain
With innocence and meditation joined
In soft assemblage, listen to my song,
Which thy own season paints; when nature all
Is blooming, and benevolent, like thee.

And see where surly Winter passes off, Far to the north, and calls his ruffian blasts: His blasts obey, and quit the howling hill, The shattered forest, and the ravaged vale; While softer gales succeed, at whose kind touch,

metropolis without our express order; at which time the inhabitants shall have two hours' warning to keep within their doors.

3d. The said Man-mountain shall confine his walks to our principal high roads, and not offer to walk or lie down in a meadow or field of

corn.

4th. As he walks the said roads, he shall take the utmost care not to trample upon the bodies of any of our loving subjects, their horses or carriages, nor take any of our said subjects into his hands without their own consent.

5th. If an express requires extraordinary dispatch, the Man-mountain shall be obliged to carry in his pocket the messenger and horse a six-days' journey once in every moon, and return the said messenger back (if so required) safe to our imperial presence.

6th. He shall be our ally against our enemies in the island of Blefuscu, and do his utmost to destroy their fleet, which is now preparing to invade us.

7th. That the said Man-mountain shall at his times of leisure be aiding and assisting to our workmen, in helping to raise certain great stones towards covering the wall of the principal park, and other our royal buildings.

8th. That the said Man-mountain shall, in two moons' time, deliver in an exact survey of the circumference of our dominions, by a computation of his own paces round the coast. Lastly. That upon his solemn oath to observe all the above articles, the said Manmountain shall have a daily allowance of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724 of our subjects, with free access to our royal person, and other marks of our favour. Given at our palace at Belfalorac the twelfth day of the ninety-first moon of our reign.

I swore and subscribed to these articles with

great cheerfulness and content, although some
of them were not as honourable as I could have
wished; which proceeded wholly from the
malice of Skyresh Bolgolam the high admiral:
whereupon my chains were immediately un-
locked, and I was at full liberty; the Emperor
himself in person did me the honour to be by at
the whole ceremony. I made my acknowledge-
ments by prostrating myself at his majesty's
feet: but he commanded me to rise; and after
many gracious expressions, which to avoid the
censure of vanity, I shall not repeat, he added,
that he hoped I should prove a useful servant,
and well deserve all the favours he had already
conferred upon me, or might do for the future.

Dissolving snows in livid torrents lost,
The mountains lift their green heads to the
sky.

As yet the trembling year is unconfirmed,
And winter oft at eve resumes the breeze,

* The freshness of Thomson's poetry, derived from direct contact with nature, was recognized as early as 1756 by Joseph Warton, who wrote: "His descriptions have a distinctness and truth which are utterly wanting to those of poets who have only copied from each other and have never looked abroad on the objects themselves." Of the four sections of this poem, Spring was published last, in 1728; the Countess of Hertford, to whom it is dedicated, was a patroness of poetry whose interest in the author had been aroused by the publication of the preceding parts.

Chills the pale morn, and bids his driving | Are but the beings of a summer's day,

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The expansive atmosphere is cramped with Lend me your song, ye nightingales! oh pour cold;

But, full of life and vivifying, soul,

Lifts the light clouds sublime, and spreads
them thin,
30

Fleecy, and white, o'er all-surrounding Heaven.
Forth fly the tepid airs: and unconfined,
Unbinding earth, the moving softness strays.
Joyous the impatient husbandman perceives
Relenting Nature, and his lusty steers
Drives from their stalls, to where the well used
plough

The mazy-running soul of melody
Into my varied verse! while I deduce,
From the first note the hollow cuckoo sings,
The symphony of spring, and touch a theme
Unknown to fame-the passion of the groves.

575

When first the soul of Love is sent abroad, 580
Warm through the vital air, and on the heart
Harmonious seizes, the gay troops begin,
In gallant thought, to plume the painted wing;
And try again the long-forgotten strain,
At first faint warbled. But so sooner grows 585
The soft infusion prevalent and wide,
Than, all alive, at once their joy o'erflows
In music unconfined. Up-springs the lark,
Shrill-voiced and loud, the messenger of morn:
Ere yet the shadows fly, he mounted sings 590
Amid the dawning clouds, and from their
haunts

Lies in the furrow, loosened from the frost.
There, unrefusing, to the harnessed yoke
They lend their shoulder, and begin their toil,
Cheered by the simple song and soaring lark. 40
Meanwhile incumbent o'er the shining share2
The Master leans, removes the obstructing clay,
Winds the whole work, and sidelong lays the
glėbe.
White, through the neighbouring fields the Deep-tangled, tree irregular, and bush

sower stalks,

Into the faithful bosom of the ground;
The harrow follows harsh, and shuts the scene.
Be gracious, Heaven! for now laborious man
Has done his part. Ye fostering breezes, blow!
Ye softening dews, ye tender showers, de-
scend!
50

And temper all, thou world-reviving sun,
Into the perfect year! Nor ye who live
In luxury and ease, in pomp and pride,
Think these last, themes unworthy of your ear:
Such themes as these the rural Maro sung 55
To wide-imperial Rome, in the full height
Of elegance and taste, by Greece refined.
In ancient times the sacred plough employed
The kings and awful fathers of mankind:
And some,5 with whom compared your insect
tribes

Calls up the tuneful nations. Every copse

595

Bending with dewy moisture, o'er the heads
Of the coy quiristers that lodge within,
Are prodigal of harmony. The thrush
And wood-lark, o'er the kind-contending throng
Superior heard, run through the sweetest

length

Of notes; when listening Philomela deigns
To let them joy, and purposes, in thought 600
Elate, to make her night excel their day.
The black-bird whistles from the thorny brake;
The mellow bull-finch answers from the grove:
Nor are the linnets, o'er the flowering furze 604
Poured outs profusely, silent. Joined to these,
Innumerous songsters, in the freshening shade
Of new-sprung leaves, their modulations mix
Mellifluous. The jay, the rook, the daw,
And each harsh pipe, discordant heard alone,
Aid the full concert: while the stock-dove
breathes

Passing from Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, to Taurus, the second (April 20).

2 plowshare

3 directs

4 Virgil, in his Georgics.

5 e. g., Cincinnatus.

A melancholy murmur through the whole. 'Tis Love creates their melody, and all This waste of music the voice of Love.

6 choristers

7 the nightingal

3 spread about & innumerable

610

And flowery beds, that slumbrous influence Where INDOLENCE (for so the wizard hight11)

kest,4

From poppies breathed; and beds of pleasant green,

Where never yet was creeping creature seen. Meantime unnumbered glittering streamlets played,

And hurled everywhere their waters sheen;
That, as they bickered through the sunny glade,
Though restless still themselves, a lulling
murmur made.

Close-hid his castle mid embowering trees,
That half shut out the beams of Phoebus bright,
And made a kind of checkered day and night.
Meanwhile, unceasing at the massy gate,
Beneath a spacious palm, the wicked wight
Was placed; and to his lute, of cruel fate
And labour harsh, complained, lamenting
man's estate.

Joined to the prattle of the purling rills,
Were heard the lowing herds along the vale,
And flocks loud-bleating from the distant hills,
And vacant shepherds piping in the dale:
And now and then sweet Philomel would wail,
Or stock-doves plains amid the forest deep,
That drowsy rustled to the sighing gale;

1 labor

4 cast

5 care-free
6 mourn

Thither continual pilgrims crowded still,
From all the roads of earth that pass there by:
For, as they chanced to breathe on neighbour-
ing hill,

The freshness of this valley smote their eye,
And drew them ever and anon more nigh;
Till clustering round the enchanter false they
hung,

Ymolten12 with his syren melody;

While o'er the enfeebling lute his hand he flung,

And to the trembling chords these tempting
verses sung:

2 Genesis iii., 19.
3 adorned
"This poem being writ in the manner of Spenser,
the obsolete words, and the simplicity of dic-
tion in some of the lines, which borders on
the ludicrous, were necessary to make the imi-
tation more perfect." (Thomson's note.) The
influence of the poem in turn upen Tennyson's 8 blended
The Lotos-Eaters is also to be observed.
9 idleness

7 a noise, a stir

10 drowsiness
11 was named
12 melted

"Behold! ye pilgrims of this earth, behold!
See all but man with unearned pleasure gay:
See her bright robes the butterfly unfold,
Broke from her wintry tomb in prime of May!
What youthful bride can equal her array?
Who can with her for easy pleasure vie?
From mead to mead with gentle wing to stray,
From flower to flower on balmy gales to fly,
Is all she has to do beneath the radiant sky.

"Behold the merry minstrels of the morn, The swarming songsters of the careless grove; Ten thousand throats that, from the flowering thorn,

Hymn their good God, and carol sweet of love, Such grateful kindly raptures them emove! They neither plough, nor sow; ne, fit for flail, E'er to the barn the nodding sheaves they drove;

Yet theirs each harvest dancing in the gale, Whatever crowns the hill, or smiles along the vale.

"Outcast of Nature, man! the wretched thrall
Of bitter-dropping sweat, of sweltry 13 pain,
Of cares that eat away thy heart with gall,
And of the vices, an inhuman train,
That all proceed from savage thirst of gain:
For when hard-hearted Interest first began
To poison earth, Astræa14 left the plain;
Guile, Violence, and Murder, seized on man,
And, for soft milky streams, with blood the
rivers ran.

"Come, ye who still the cumbrous load of life Push hard up-hill; but as the farthest steep You trust to gain, and put an end to strife, Down thunders back the stone with mighty sweep,

And hurls your labours to the valley deep,
Forever vain: come, and, withouten fee,
I in oblivion will your sorrows steep,

Your cares, your toils; will steep you in a sea
Of full delight: O come, ye weary wights,

to me!''

13 sultry

14 The goddess of justice, who in the golden age lived among men.

RULE, BRITANNIA

FROM THE MASQUE OF "ALFRED.''

When Britain first, at Heaven's command,
Arose from out the azure main,
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sang this strain:
Rule, Britannia, rule the waves,
Britons never will be slaves.

The nations not so blest as thee,

Must in their turns to tyrants fall, Whilst thou shalt flourish great and free, The dread and envy of them all. Rule, Britannia, rule the waves, Britons never will be slaves.

Still more majestic shalt thou rise,

More dreadful from each foreign stroke; As the loud blast that tears the skies Serves but to root thy native oak. Rule, Britannia, rule the waves, Britons never will be slaves.

Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall.tame;
All their attempts to bend thee down
Will but arouse thy generous flame,
But work their woe and thy renown.
Rule, Britannia, rule the waves,
Britons never will be slaves.

To thee belongs the rural reign;

Thy cities shall with commerce shine; All thine shall be the subject main, And every shore it circles thine. Rule, Britannia, rule the waves, Britons never will be slaves.

The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coast repair;
Blest isle, with matchless beauty crowned
And manly hearts to guard the fair!
Rule, Britannia, rule the waves,
Britons never will be slaves.

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