[Nemo repente turp.i.s.simus]
Deep in the gulph of Vice and Woe Leaps Man at once with headlong throw?
Him inborn Truth and Virtue guide, Whose guards are Shame and conscious Pride.
In some gay hour Vice steals into the breast; 5 Perchance she wears some softer Virtue"s vest.
By unperceiv"d degrees she tempts to stray, Till far from Virtue"s path she leads the feet away.
Then swift the soul to disenthrall Will Memory the past recall, 10 And Fear before the Victim"s eyes Bid future ills and dangers rise.
But hark! the Voice, the Lyre, their charms combine-- Gay sparkles in the cup the generous Wine-- Th" inebriate dance, the fair frail Nymph inspires, 15 And Virtue vanquish"d--scorn"d--with hasty flight retires.
But soon to tempt the Pleasures cease; Yet Shame forbids return to peace, And stern Necessity will force Still to urge on the desperate course. 20 The drear black paths of Vice the wretch must try, Where Conscience flashes horror on each eye, Where Hate--where Murder scowl--where starts Affright!
Ah! close the scene--ah! close--for dreadful is the sight.
1790.
FOOTNOTES:
[12:1] First published in 1834, from _MS. O_.
LINENOTES:
t.i.tle] Progress of Vice. An Ode MS. O. The motto first appears in Boyer"s _Liber Aureus_.
[1] Vice] Guilt L. A.
[3] inborn] innate L. A.
[9] Yet still the heart to disenthrall L. A.
[12] Bid] Bids MS. O. ills] woes L. A.
[13] But hark! their charms the voice L. A.
[15] The mazy dance and frail young Beauty fires L. A.
[20] Still on to urge MS. O.
[24] Ah! close the scene, for dreadful MS. O.
MONODY ON THE DEATH OF CHATTERTON[13:1]
[FIRST VERSION, IN CHRIST"S HOSPITAL BOOK--1790]
Cold penury repress"d his n.o.ble rage, And froze the genial current of his soul.
Now prompts the Muse poetic lays, And high my bosom beats with love of Praise!
But, Chatterton! methinks I hear thy name, For cold my Fancy grows, and dead each Hope of Fame.
When Want and cold Neglect had chill"d thy soul, 5 Athirst for Death I see thee drench the bowl!
Thy corpse of many a livid hue On the bare ground I view, Whilst various pa.s.sions all my mind engage; Now is my breast distended with a sigh, 10 And now a flash of Rage Darts through the tear, that glistens in my eye.
Is this the land of liberal Hearts!
Is this the land, where Genius ne"er in vain Pour"d forth her soul-enchanting strain? 15 Ah me! yet Butler "gainst the bigot foe Well-skill"d to aim keen Humour"s dart, Yet Butler felt Want"s poignant sting; And Otway, Master of the Tragic art, Whom Pity"s self had taught to sing, 20 Sank beneath a load of Woe; This ever can the generous Briton hear, And starts not in his eye th" indignant Tear?
Elate of Heart and confident of Fame, From vales where Avon sports, the Minstrel came, 25 Gay as the Poet hastes along He meditates the future song, How aella battled with his country"s foes, And whilst Fancy in the air Paints him many a vision fair 30 His eyes dance rapture and his bosom glows.
With generous joy he views th" ideal gold: He listens to many a Widow"s prayers, And many an Orphan"s thanks he hears; He soothes to peace the care-worn breast, 35 He bids the Debtor"s eyes know rest, And Liberty and Bliss behold: And now he punishes the heart of steel, And her own iron rod he makes Oppression feel.
Fated to heave sad Disappointment"s sigh, 40 To feel the Hope now rais"d, and now deprest, To feel the burnings of an injur"d breast, From all thy Fate"s deep sorrow keen In vain, O Youth, I turn th" affrighted eye; For powerful Fancy evernigh 45 The hateful picture forces on my sight.
There, Death of every dear delight, Frowns Poverty of Giant mien!
In vain I seek the charms of youthful grace, Thy sunken eye, thy haggard cheeks it shews, 50 The quick emotions struggling in the Face Faint index of thy mental Throes, When each strong Pa.s.sion spurn"d controll, And not a Friend was nigh to calm thy stormy soul.
Such was the sad and gloomy hour 55 When anguish"d Care of sullen brow Prepared the Poison"s death-cold power.
Already to thy lips was rais"d the bowl, When filial Pity stood thee by, Thy fixed eyes she bade thee roll 60 On scenes that well might melt thy soul-- Thy native cot she held to view, Thy native cot, where Peace ere long Had listen"d to thy evening song; Thy sister"s shrieks she bade thee hear, 65 And mark thy mother"s thrilling tear, She made thee feel her deep-drawn sigh, And all her silent agony of Woe.
And from _thy_ Fate shall such distress ensue?
Ah! dash the poison"d chalice from thy hand! 70 And thou had"st dash"d it at her soft command; But that Despair and Indignation rose, And told again the story of thy Woes, Told the keen insult of th" unfeeling Heart, The dread dependence on the low-born mind, 75 Told every Woe, for which thy breast might smart, Neglect and grinning scorn and Want combin"d-- Recoiling back, thou sent"st the friend of Pain To roll a tide of Death thro" every freezing vein.
O Spirit blest! 80 Whether th" eternal Throne around, Amidst the blaze of Cherubim, Thou pourest forth the grateful hymn, Or, soaring through the blest Domain, Enraptur"st Angels with thy strain,-- 85 Grant me, like thee, the lyre to sound, Like thee, with fire divine to glow-- But ah! when rage the Waves of Woe, Grant me with firmer breast t"oppose their hate, And soar beyond the storms with upright eye elate![15:1] 90
1790
FOOTNOTES:
[13:1] First published in 1898. The version in the Ottery Copy-book _MS.
O_ was first published in _P. and D. W._, 1880, ii. 355*-8*. Three MSS.
of the _Monody_, &c. are extant: (1) the Ottery Copy-book [_MS. O_]; (2) Boyer"s _Liber Aureus_ = the text as printed; (3) the transcription of S. T. C."s early poems made in 1823 [_MS. O (c)_]. Variants in 1 and 3 are given below.
[15:1] [Note to ll. 88-90.] "Altho" this latter reflection savours of suicide, it will easily meet with the indulgence of the considerate reader when he reflects that the Author"s imagination was at that time inflam"d with the idea of his beloved Poet, and perhaps uttered a sentiment which in his cooler moments he would have abhor"d the thought of." [Signed] J. M. _MS. O (c)_.
LINENOTES:
t.i.tle] A Monody on Chatterton, who poisoned himself at the age of eighteen--written by the author at the age of sixteen. MS. O (c).
Motto] The motto does not appear in MS. O, but a note is prefixed: "This poem has since appeared in print, much altered, whether for the better I doubt. This was, I believe, written before the Author went to College"
(J. T. C.).
[6] drench] drain MS. O, MS. O (c).
[7] corpse] corse MS. O, MS. O (c).
[13] Hearts] Heart MS. O, MS. O (c).