The Letters of Robert Bloomfield and His CircleA Romantic Circles Electronic EditionRobert Bloomfield (1766–1823)Tim FulfordRomantic CirclesGeneral Editor, Neil FraistatGeneral Editor, Steven E. JonesGeneral Editor, Carl StahmerTechnical EditorLaura MandelllovestriumphRomantic Circles, http://www.rc.umd.edu, University of MarylandCollege Park, MDJuly 9, 2009

Material from the Romantic Circles Website may not be downloaded, reproduced or disseminated in any manner without authorization unless it is for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, and/or classroom use as provided by the Copyright Act of 1976, as amended.

Unless otherwise noted, all Pages and Resources mounted on Romantic Circles are copyrighted by the author/editor and may be shared only in accordance with the Fair Use provisions of U.S. copyright law. Except as expressly permitted by this statement, redistribution or republication in any medium requires express prior written consent from the author/editors and advance notification of Romantic Circles. Any requests for authorization should be forwarded to Romantic Circles:>

Romantic Circlesc/o Professor Neil FraistatDepartment of EnglishUniversity of MarylandCollege Park, MD 20742fraistat@umd.edu

By their use of these texts and images, users agree to the following conditions: These texts and images may not be used for any commercial purpose without prior written permission from Romantic Circles.These texts and images may not be re-distributed in any forms other than their current ones.

Users are not permitted to download these texts and images in order to mount them on their own servers. It is not in our interest or that of our users to have uncontrolled subsets of our holdings available elsewhere on the Internet. We make corrections and additions to our edited resources on a continual basis, and we want the most current text to be the only one generally available to all Internet users. Institutions can, of course, make a link to the copies at Romantic Circles, subject to our conditions of use.

Nathaniel BloomfieldLove's TriumphThe Letters of Robert Bloomfield and His CircleA Romantic Circles Electronic EditionRobert Bloomfield (1766–1823)Tim FulfordRomantic CirclesUniversity of Maryland

All quotation marks and apostrophes have been changed: " for “," for ”, ' for ‘, and ' for ’.

Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed.

Because of web browser variability, all hyphens have been typed on the U.S. keyboard

Dashes have been rendered as —

Bloomfield's spelling has not been regularized.

Writing in other hands appearing on these manuscripts has been indicated as such, the content recorded in brackets.

& has been used for the ampersand sign.

£ has been used for £, the pound sign

All other characters, those with accents, non-breaking spaces, etc., have been encoded in HTML entity decimals.

NINES categories for Genre and Material Form at http://www.performantsoftware.com/nines_wiki/index.php/Submitting_RDF#.3Cnines:genre.3E on 2009-02-26ArchitectureArtifactsBibliographyCollectionCriticismLettersDramaLife WritingPoliticsFolkloreEphemeraFictionHistoryLeisureManuscriptReference WorksHumorEducationMusicnonfictionParatextPerodicalPhilosphyPhotographCitationFamily LifePoetryReligionReviewVisual ArtTranslationTravelBook HistoryLawRomantic Circles people: Bloomfield LettersRomantic Circles places: Bloomfield LettersAverill BuchananFinal proofingLaura Mandellcreate image wrappers; run edition for last time through xslt.Averill BuchananProofing and TEI encoding of entire edition (further preliminary materials)Laura MandellXSLT TransformingAverill BuchananProofing, re-coding letters, and TEI encoding of preliminary materialsKirstyn LeunerTEI Encoding, first pass, all letters
'Love's Triumph', by Nathaniel BloomfieldNathaniel Bloomfield, Love's Triumph from An Essay on War, in Blank Verse; Honington Green, a Ballad . . . and Other Poems (London: Hurst, Vernor and Hood, 1803), pp. 71-81.

1

COME, let us seek the woodland shade, And leave this view of towns and towers: Sweeter far the verdant mead, And lonely dell's sequester'd bowers.

2

Why does my Love this walk prefer; This hill, so near the public way? Why is this prospect dear to her? Where Villas proud their pomp display?

3

Ah! why does Mary sometimes sigh, Surveying this magnific scene; The feats of Grandeur tow'ring high, With Rivers, Groves, and Lawns between?

4

On splendid Cars, that smoothly move, With high-born Youths gay Damsels ride; By the encircling arm of Love Press'd to the wealthy Lover's side.

5

Why turn to view their easy state, As the long glittering train moves by? And when they reach the pompous gate, Ah! why does youthful Mary sigh?

6

Doth Envy that fond bosom heave? Repining at her humble lot… Alas! does Mary long to leave The lonely Dale and lowly Cot?

7

Pure and sincere is Mary's Love: Words were superfluous to tell; A thousand tendernesses prove That Mary loves her Stephen well.

8

When list'ning to the Stockdove's moan, Far in the deep sequester'd grove, The blush that whisper'd, 'We're alone,' Sweetly confest the power of Love.

9

Exalted Love concealment mocks, This feign'd indifference does but prove That was I Lord of Fields and Flocks, My Mary's Lips would own her Love.

10

Doth Poverty create the fears That o'er your love their shadows fling?... The silence of those falling tears Confesses all the truth I sing.

11

O! Mary, let not empty shew, Let not the pride of gaudy dress, Thus cloud thy morn of life with woe, And blight it's future happiness.

12

Truth the monition Baldwin gave, Our future bliss it's truth shall prove: Life's cares the lovers who dare brave, Shall find their rich reward in Love.

13

Baldwin, the hoary-headed Bard, I still consult when cares annoy: He own'd for me a fond regard; And calls me still his darling Boy.

14

His mind is fraught with spoils of Time; He's wise and good, though known to few: He gave me this advice in rhyme, And here I'll read the Song to you:…

15

'Though envious Age affects to deem thee Boy, 'Lose not one day, one hour, of proffer'd bliss; 'In youth grasp every unoffending joy, 'And wing'd with rapture snatch the bridal kiss.

16

'Let not this chief of blessings be deferr'd, 'Till you your humble fortunes can improve; 'None's poor but he, by sordid fears deterr'd, 'Who dares not claim the matchless wealth of Love.

17

'Virtue can make most rich thy little store; 'Virtue can make most bright thy lowly state: 'Murmur not then that virtuous thou are poor, 'While prosperous Vice can make men rich and great.

18

'The bad man may, his every sense to please, 'Each soft indulging luxury employ: 'The plenitude of elegance and ease 'He may possess; but never can enjoy.

19

'No…though his goods, and flocks, and herds abound; 'His wide demesne to fair profusion grown; 'Though proud his lofty mansion looks around, 'On hills, and fields, and forests, all his own:

20

'Tho' this may tempt thee, murmuring to complain, 'With conscience clear, and life void of offence, "Verily, then, I've cleans'd my heart in vain; "In vain have wash'd my hand in Innocence."

21

'Yet could'st thou closely mark the envied Man, 'See how desires ungovern'd mar his peace; 'Or had'st thou pow'r his inward mind to scan, 'How soon in pity would thy envy cease!

22

'Envenom'd Passions all his thoughts unhinge! 'The Slave of Vice must thy compassion move; 'If still he burns with thirst of dire Revenge, 'Lawless Ambition, or unhallow'd Love.

23

''Midst gayest scenes he wears a gloomy frown: 'Vain is the splendour that his dome adorns; 'While he reclines on silky heaps of down, 'His tortur'd mind is weltering on thorns.

24

'To prove that man opprest with mental pain, 'The goods of Fortune have no power to please, 'Even Suicide has oft been known to stain 'The downy couch of most luxurious ease.

25

'The active life of Labour gives no room 'To that dull spleen the Indolent endure; 'Generous cares dispel our mental gloom, 'And industry is Melancholy's cure.

26

'Repine not then, that low thy lot is cast; 'Health gives to life or high or low it's zest; ''Tis Appetite that seasons our repast, 'And Weariness still finds the softest rest.

27

'For all thy blessings thankfulness to wake, 'Think of less culture'd lands, less peaceful times; 'Our coarsest fare, when sparingly we take, ''Tis luxury, compar'd with other climes.

28

'Think of the poor Greenlanders' dismal caves, 'Where thro' their long, long Night they buried lie; 'Or the more wretched lands where hapless slaves 'Hopelessly toil beneath the fervid Sky.

29

'In Britain…blest with peace and competence, 'Rich fortune's favours could impart no more:… 'Heaven's blessings equal happiness dispense; 'Believe my words, for I am old and poor.

30

'Many who drudge in Labour's roughest ways, 'By whom Life's simplest, lowliest walks are trod, 'Happily live, to honor'd length of days, 'Blessing kind Nature, and kind Nature's God.'

_________

31

What think you, is sage Baldwin right? Should Spring-tide Love endure delay? And shall our bliss be seal'd ere Night? Say, lovely Mary, softly say?

32

Why starts my Love?...why rise to go? Will Mary then my suit deny? Sweet is the smile that answers, No! By Heaven, there's rapture in her eye!