Unadopted MS Passages
British Library Add. MS 28265 ff. 48-49, in place of lines 1-42 of Book I of the 1811 first edition:
(Uley. Aug 7. 1807) | |
(From Uley to Ross) | |
Time was but young, the earth was gay | |
<When Time's young curls embower'd his brow> | |
And infant streams began to play <flow>, | 5 |
When <Huge giant> Scoop the Giant <with> with spade in hand, | |
And all the Island at command, | |
With puffing breath and monstrous stride | |
Came thundering on by Severn's side. | |
Fancy still hears his foot rebound, | 10 |
For <When> Stinchcombe trembled at the sound. | |
Where <Here> Cambrian mountains caught his eye | |
He gnash'd his teeth in jealousy | |
And xxxxx xxxxxx xxxx | |
Exclaim'd 'there shall be just such here.' | 15 |
<Towring to meet the distant sky | |
Jealous he mark'd them one by one | |
And dreading much to be sore the work out-done | |
'Out-done' he cried, 'Tis true I'm warm' | |
But this bright prospect nerves my arm | 20 |
He shall be strong who calls me | |
I too the mountain pile can rear | |
Outdone, there shall be just such here.'> | |
Then stript at once to set about it, | |
(Look at the spot and who can doubt it,) | 25 |
But, at the moment he was speaking | |
His arms <limbs> were stiff, his back was aching, | |
For Mendip, and the western shore, | |
The marks of his huge <recent> labours bore: | |
So, wearily, and <Weary he rested,> full of pain, | 30 |
By Nympsfield, on the upland plain, | |
He set them down with an envious smile | |
<And with a gnashing envious smile> | |
And <There> stuck his spade upright the while, | |
And chang'd his mind.—There <But Then> spurning first, | 35 |
O'er Severn's Vale a cloud of dust, | |
Again he pluck'd it from the ground, | |
The crumbling earth flew wizzing round; | |
Then dashing sternly to and fro, | |
And <He> cut a casual hole or two; | 40 |
In one of which (a sweet one truly) | |
Pigmies now dwell and call it Uley | |
<Some modern pigmies built up Uley>; | |
And Owlpen, by the dark wood side, | |
Which none can find without a guide. | 45 |
And here, the happy natives stroll | |
Around their green illshapen Bowl, | |
A Bowl all zigzagg'd round about | |
With one large gap to let them out. | |
Twas from that very gap we started, | 50 |
Four Female Tourists <travelers,> merry hearted, | |
Of charm, of power, of will <ample powers, of charms> possest | |
To cheer the souls of all the rest, | |
<Joy to insure to all the rest> | |
Prepared to wonder, and to caper, | 55 |
And bring all Wales home—upon paper; | |
With five companions in a row <protectors, healthful, strong, | |
And cheerful as the days were long | |
To point out beauties, stones, and more; | |
To hold the reins,> and guide the prow <—and pay the score;> | 60 |
Xxx <And> one, aye one < xxx besides>, in idle trim | |
Rode just where they would carry him, | |
And noted down a thing or two, | |
As having nothing else to do. | |
So hark ye Candor, stand you by him, | 65 |
Truth shall direct, and joy shall try him; | |
And you keep even, father Time, | |
The light-horse gallop of his rhime; | |
That gaily, lightly, run or fly, | |
Shall move unclog'd by history | 70 |
In spirits high, and happy hour, | |
Left Stinchcombe Hill <Uley we left>, and Dursley tower | |
Stinchcomes hill black that seems to stride | |
In conscious bulk towards the Tide | |
And Berkeley's old baronial pride | 75 |
With blood of Englands Monarch died | |
<And Stinchcombe's black hill that seems to stride | |
Towards Old Oceans furious tide | |
That inward roars while foaming by <with matchless power> | |
Of roaring Severn> | 80 |
Where blood-staind Barkley's banners fly <turrets lowr> | |
[continues from line 43 of Book I of the 1811 first edition] | |
British Library Add. MS 28265 f. 50, between lines 74 and 75 of Book I of the 1811 first edition:
An ugly Town, and those who chuse it, | |
May stop on purpose to abuse it, | |
But, being neither tired nor cross, | 85 |
We smiled, and drove away for Ross. | |
The Malvern Hills, at times descried, | |
The rock-bell on 'the Bailey's side,' | |
And Penyard Xxxx <brow Hill,> whose steeps are found | |
By one vast wood begirt around, | 90 |
A Farm enclosing on its brow, | |
Where never sparrow from below | |
2d Was, in its confines heard or seen, | |
1st Check'd by its upright walls of green | |
High beat each heart with strong desire | 95 |
And expectation's <Each prospect fan'd the> kindling fire | |
Forward allready could employ | |
The morrow's sun in varying joy | |
Till expectation led away | |
<In With> In rapture xxxxed <gaze viewd> the unborn day. | 100 |
Not that the scene around was lost | |
Twas vegitation's bravest<xxxx> boast | |
Full, and oermeasure, round us lay | |
Qu Fix'd hills and one that ran away.* | |
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