For A Monument In Crosthwaite Church, In The Vale Of Keswick

Composed 1843.--Published 1845

One of the “Epitaphs and Elegiac Pieces.”--ED.

Ye vales and hills whose beauty hither drew The poet’s steps, and fixed him here, on you, His eyes have closed! And ye, lov’d books, no more Shall Southey feed upon your precious lore, To works that ne’er shall forfeit their renown Adding immortal labours of his own-- Whether he traced historic truth, with zeal For the State’s guidance, or the Church’s weal, Or Fancy, disciplined by studious art, Inform’d his pen, or wisdom of the heart, Or judgments sanctioned in the Patriot’s mind By reverence for the rights of all mankind. Wide were his aims, yet in no human breast Could private feelings meet for holier rest. His joys, his griefs, have vanished like a cloud From Skiddaw’s top; but he to heaven was vowed Through his industrious life, and Christian faith Calmed in his soul the fear of change and death.

I received, from the late Lord Coleridge, the following extracts from letters written by Wordsworth to his father, the Hon. Justice Coleridge, in reference to the Southey Inscription in Crosthwaite Church. Wordsworth seems to have submitted the proposed Inscription to Mr. Coleridge’s judgment, and the changes he made upon it, in deference to the opinions he received, shew, as Lord Coleridge says, “the extreme care Wordsworth took to have the substance, and the expression also, as perfect as he could make it.” The original draft of the “Inscription” was as follows:--

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF ROBERT SOUTHEY, WHOSE MORTAL REMAINS ARE INTERRED IN THE ADJOINING CHURCHYARD. HE WAS BORN AT BRISTOL, OCTOBER YE 4TH, 1774, AND DIED, AFTER A RESIDENCE OF NEARLY FORTY YEARS, AT GRETA HALL IN THIS PARISH. MARCH 21ST, 1843.

Ye Vales and Hills, whose beauty hither drew The Poet’s steps, and fixed him here, on you His eyes have closed; and ye, loved Books, no more Shall Southey feed upon your precious lore, To Works that ne’er shall forfeit their renown Adding immortal labours of his own, As Fancy, disciplined by studious Art Informed his pen, or Wisdom of the heart, Or judgments rooted in a Patriot’s mind Taught to revere the rights of all mankind. Friends, Family--ah wherefore touch that string, To them so fondly did the good man cling! His joys, his griefs, have vanished like a cloud From Skiddaw’s top; but He to Heaven was vowed Through a long life; and calmed by Christian faith, In his pure soul, the fear of change and death.

This Memorial was erected by friends of Robert Southey.

Alteration in the Epitaph--

… He to Heaven was vowed Through a life long and pure; and Christian faith Calmed in his soul the fear of change and death.--W.W.

December the 6th.

MY DEAR MR. JUSTICE COLERIDGE,

Notwithstanding what I have written before, I could not but wish to meet your wishes upon the points which you mentioned, and, accordingly, have added and altered as on the other side of this paper. If you approve don’t trouble yourself to answer.

Ever faithfully yours,

W. WORDSWORTH.

Ye torrents, foaming down the rocky steeps, Ye lakes, wherein the spirit of water sleeps, Ye vales and hills, etc. Or judgments sanctioned in the Patriot’s mind By reverence for the rights of all mankind. Friends, Family--within no human breast Could private feelings need a holier nest. His joys, his griefs, have vanished.

These alterations are approved of by friends here, and I hope will please you.

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MY DEAR MR. JUSTICE COLERIDGE,

Pray accept my thanks for the pains you have taken with the Inscription, and excuse the few words I shall have to say upon your remarks. There are two lakes in the Vale of Keswick; both which, along with the lateral Vale of Newlands immediately opposite Southey’s study window, will be included in the words “Ye Vales and Hills” by everyone who is familiar with the neighbourhood.

I quite agree with you that the construction of the lines that particularize his writings is rendered awkward by so many participles passive, and the more so on account of the transitive verb informed. One of these participles may be got rid of, and, I think, a better couplet produced by this alteration--

Or judgments sanctioned in the Patriot’s mind By reverence for the rights of all mankind.

As I have entered into particulars as to the character of S.’s writings, and they are so various, I thought his historic works ought by no means to be omitted, and therefore, though unwilling to lengthen the Epitaph, I added the two following--

… Labours of his own, Whether he traced historic truth with zeal For the State’s guidance, or the Church’s weal, Or Fancy, disciplined by studious Art, Informed his pen, or wisdom of the heart, Or judgments sanctioned in the Patriot’s mind By reverence for the rights of all mankind.

I do not feel with you in respect to the word “so”; it refers, of course, to the preceding line, and as the reference is to fireside feelings and intimate friends, there appears to me a propriety in an expression inclining to the colloquial. The couplet was the dictate of my own feelings, and the construction is accordingly broken and rather dramatic,--but too much of this. If you have any objection to the couplet as altered, be so kind as let me know; if not, on no account trouble yourself to answer this letter.

Prematurely I object to as you do. I used the word with reference to that decay of faculties which is not uncommon in advanced life, and which often leads to dotage,--but the word must not be retained.

We regret much to hear that Lady Coleridge is unwell, pray present to her our best wishes.

What could induce the Bishop of London to forbid the choral service at St. Mark’s? It was in execution, I understand, above all praise.

Ever most faithfully yours,

W. WORDSWORTH.

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December 2nd, ’43.

MY DEAR MR. JUSTICE COLERIDGE,

The first line would certainly have more spirit by reading “your” as you suggest. I had previously considered that; but decided in favour of “the,” as “your,” I thought, would clog the sentence in sound, there being “ye” thrice repeated, and followed by “you” at the close of the 4th line. I also thought that “your” would interfere with the application of “you” at the end of the fourth line, to the whole of the particular previous images as I intended it to do. But I don’t trouble you with this Letter on that account, but merely to ask you whether the couplet now standing:--

Large were his aims, yet in no human breast Could private feelings find a holier nest,

would not be better thus

Could private feelings meet in holier rest.

This alteration does not quite satisfy me, but I can do no better. The word “nest” both in itself and in conjunction with “holier” seems to me somewhat bold and rather startling for marble, particularly in a Church. I should not have thought of any alteration in a merely printed poem, but this makes a difference. If you think the proposed alteration better, don’t trouble yourself to answer this; if not, pray be so kind as to tell me so by a single line. I would not on any account have trespassed on your time but for this public occasion. We are sorry to hear of Lady Coleridge’s indisposition; pray present to her our kind regards and best wishes for her recovery, united with the greetings of the season both for her and yourself, and believe me faithfully,

Your obliged,

WM. WORDSWORTH.

RYDAL MOUNT, December 23rd, ’43.

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TO THE MEMORY OF ROBERT SOUTHEY, A MAN EMINENT FOR GENIUS, VERSATILE TALENTS, EXTENSIVE AND ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE, AND HABITS OF THE MOST CONSCIENTIOUS INDUSTRY. NOR WAS HE LESS DISTINGUISHED FOR STRICT TEMPERANCE, PURE BENEVOLENCE, AND WARM AFFECTIONS; BUT HIS MIND, SUCH ARE THE AWFUL DISPENSATIONS OF PROVIDENCE, WAS PREMATURELY AND ALMOST TOTALLY OBSCURED BY A SLOWLY-WORKING AND INSCRUTABLE MALADY UNDER WHICH HE LANGUISHED UNTIL RELEASED BY DEATH IN THE 69TH YEAR OF HIS AGE.

READER! PONDER THE CONDITION TO WHICH THIS GREAT AND GOOD MAN, NOT WITHOUT MERCIFUL ALLEVIATIONS, WAS DOOMED, AND LEARN FROM HIS EXAMPLE TO MAKE TIMELY USE OF THY ENDOWMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH THY GOD.

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