<emph>The Banks of Wye</emph> A Romantic Circles Electronic Edition Robert Bloomfield (1766–1823) Tim Fulford Romantic Circles General Editor, Neil Fraistat General Editor, Steven E. Jones General Editor, Carl Stahmer Technical Editor Laura Mandell BanksOfWyeIII Romantic Circles, http://www.rc.umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, MD October 10, 2010

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 Tim Fulford Book III Robert Bloomfield - <emph>The Banks of the Wye</emph> A Romantic Circles Electronic Edition Robert Bloomfield (1766–1823) Tim Fulford Romantic Circles University of Maryland

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The Banks of Wye; A Poem. In Four Books, 1811, 1813, 1823. The text of the first edition of The Banks of Wye; A Poem. In Four Books (London: Vernor, Hood & Sharpe, 1811), collated with the corrected second edition (London, B. & R. Crosby & Co., 1813) and the third edition (London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Co., 1823).
BOOK III. CONTENTS OF BOOK III.

Departure for Ragland.––Ragland Castle.––Abergavenny.––Expedition up the 'Pen-y-Vale,' or Sugar-Loaf Hill.––Invocation to the Spirit of Burns.––View from the Mountain.––Castle of Abergavenny.––Departure for Brecon.––Pembrokes of Crickhowel.––Tre-Tower Castle.––Jane Edwards.

PEACE to your white-wall'd cots, ye vales, Untainted fly your summer gales;gales;] gales: 1823 Health, thou from cities lov'st to roam, O make the Monmouth hills thy home! Great spirits of her bards of yore, While harvests triumph, torrents roar, Train her young shepherds, train them high To sing of mountain liberty: Give them the harp and modest maid; Give them the sacred village shade. Long be Llandenny, and Llansoy, Names that import a rural joy; Known to our fathers, when May-day Brush'd a whole twelvemonth's care away. Oft on the lisping infant's tongue Reluctant information hung,Oft on the lisping infant's tongue / Reluctant information hung,] Far diff'rent joys possess'd the mind, / When Chepstow fading sunk behind, 1813, 1823 Till,Till] And 1813, 1823 from a belt of woods full grown, Arose immense thy turrets brown, Majestic RAGLAND! Harvests wave Where thund'ring hosts their watch-word gave, When cavaliers, with downcast eye, Struck the last flag of loyalty:This castle, with a garrison commanded by the Marquis of Worcester, was the last place of strength which held out for the unfortunate Charles the First [Bloomfield's note]. Then, left by gallant WORC'STER'S band, To devastation's cruel hand The beauteous fabric bow'd, fled all The splendid hours of festival. No smoke ascends; the busy hum Is heard no more; no rolling drum, No high-toned clarion sounds alarms, No banner wakes the pride of arms; 30 But ivy, creeping year by year, Of growth enormous, triumphs here.'These magnificent ruins, including the citadel, occupy a tract of ground not less than one-third of a mile in circumference.'

'In addition to the injury the castle sustained from the parliamentary army, considerable dilapidations have been occasioned by the numerous tenants in the vicinity, who conveyed away the stone and other materials for the construction of farm-houses, barns, and other buildings. No less than twenty-three staircases were taken down by these devastators; but the present Duke of Beaufort no sooner succeeded to his estate than he instantly gave orders that not a stone should be moved from its situation, and thus preserved these noble ruins from destruction.' History of Monmouthshire, page 148. [Bloomfield's note, quoting William Coxe, An Historical Tour in Monmouthshire: Illustrated with views by Sir R. C. Hoare, Bart. A New Map of the County, and other Engravings (London, 1801), p. 148].

 Each dark festoonfestoon] festoon, 1813 with pride upheaves Its glossy wilderness of leaves On sturdy limbs, that, clasping, bow Broad o'er the turrets' utmost brow, Encompassing, by strength alone, In fret-work bars, the sliding stone, That tells how years and storms prevail, And spreads its dust upon the gale. 40 The man who could unmov'dunmov'd] unmoved 1823 survey What ruin, piecemeal, sweeps away; Works of the pow'rful and the brave, All sleeping in the silent grave; Unmov'dUnmov'd] unmoved 1823 reflect, that here were sung Carols of joy, by beauty's tongue, Is fit, where'er he deigns to roam, And hardly fit––to stay at home. Spent herehere] here 1813, 1823 in peace, onein peace, one] in peace,––one 1813, 1823 solemn hour 'Midst'Midst] ('Midst 1813, 1823 legends of the YELLOW TOWER, Truth and tradition's mingled stream, Fear's start, and superstition's dreamdream] dream) 1813 ] A village woman, who very officiously pointed out all that she knew respecting the former state of the castle, desired us to remark the descent to a vault, apparently of large dimensions, in which she had heard that no candle would continue burning; 'and,' added she, 'they say it is because of the damps; but for my part, I think the devil is there' [Bloomfield's note]. Is pregnant with a thousand joys, That distance, place, nor time destroys; That with exhaustless stores supply Food for reflection till we die. ONWARD the rested steeds pursu'dpursu'd] pursued 1823 The cheerful route, with strength renew'd, For onward lay the gallant town, Whose name old custom hath clipp'd down, With more of music left than many, So handily to ABERGANY.ABERGANY] ABERGANNY 1823 And as the sidelong, sober light Left valleys darken'd, hills less bright, Great BLORENGE rose to tell his tale; And the dun peak of PEN-Y-VALE Stood like a sentinel, whose brow Scowl'd on the sleeping world below; Yet even sleep itself outspread The mountain paths we meant to tread, 'Midst fresh'ning gales all unconfin'd,unconfin'd] unconfined 1823 Where USK'S broad valley shrinks behind. JOYOUS the crimson morning rose, As joyous from the night's repose Sprung the light heart. The glancing eye Beheld, amidst the dappl'ddappl'd] dappled 1823 sky, Exulting PEN-Y-VALE. But how Could females climb his gleaming brow, Rude toil encount'ring? how defy The wintrywintry] wint'ry 1823 torrent's course, when dry, A rough-scoop'd bed of stones? or meet The powerful force of August heat? Wheels might assist, could wheels be found Adapted to the rugged ground: 'Twas done; for prudence bade us start With three WelchWelch] Welsh 1823 ponies, and a cart; A red-cheek'd mountaineer, a wit, Full of rough shafts, that sometimes hit,The driver, Powell, I believe, occupied a cottage, or small farm, which we past during the ascent, and where goats [goats' 1813, 1823] milk was offered for refreshment [Bloomfield's note]. Trudg'dTrudg'd] Trudged 1823 by their side, and twirl'd his thong, And cheer'd his scrambling team along. At ease to mark a scene so fair, And treat their steeds with mountain air, Some rode apart, or led before, Rock after rock the wheels upbore; The careful driver slowly sped, To many a bough we duck'd the head, And heard the wild inviting calls Of summer's tinkling waterfalls, In wooded glens below; and still, At every step the sister hill, BLORANGE, grew greater; half unseen At times from out our bowers of green, That telescopic landscapes made, From the arch'd windows of its shade; For woodland tracts begirt us round; The vale beyond was fairy ground, That verse can never paint. Above Gleam'd, somethingsomething] (something 1813, 1823 like the mount of Jove, (But(But] But 1823 how much, let the learned say, Who take Olympus in their way) Gleam'd the fair, sunny, cloudless peak That simple strangers ever seek. And are they simple? Hang the dunce Who would not doff his cap at once In extasy, when, bold and new, Bursts on his sight a mountain-view. Though vast the prospect here became, Intensely as the love of fame Glow'd the strong hope, that strange desire, That deathless wish of climbing higher, 120 Where heather clothes his graceful sides, Which many a scatter'd rock divides, Bleach'd by more years than hist'ry knows, Mov'dMov'd] Moved 1823 by no power but melting snows, Or gushing springs, that wash away Th' embedded earth that forms their stay. The heart distends, the whole frame feels, Where, inaccessible to wheels, The utmost storm-worn summit spreads Its rocks grotesque, its downy beds; Here no false feelingfeeling] feeling, 1813, 1823 sense belies, Man lifts the weary foot, and sighs; Laughter is dumb; hilarity Forsakes at once th' astonish'd eye; E'en the clos'dclos'd] closed 1823 lip, half useless grown, Drops but a word, 'Look down; look down.' GOOD Heav'ns! must scenes like these expand, Scenes so magnificently grand, And millions breathe, and pass away, Unbless'd,Unbless'd,] Unbless'd 1813, 1823 throughout their little day, With one short glimpse? By place confin'dconfin'd] confined 1823, Shall many an anxiousanxious] anxious, 1823 ardent mind, Sworn to the Muses, cow'rcow'r] cower 1823 its pride, Doom'd but to sing with pinions tied? SPIRIT of BURNS! the daring child Of glorious freedom, rough and wild, How have I wept o'er all thy ills, How blest thy Caledonian hills! How almost worshipp'd in my dreams Thy mountain haunts,––thy classic streams! How burnt with hopeless, aimless fire, To mark thy giant strength aspire In patriot themes! and tun'dtun'd] tuned 1823 the while Thy 'Bonny Doon,'Doon,] Doon or 'Balloch Mile.'Burns, 'Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon' (1791): Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon, How can ye blume sae fair! How can ye chant, ye little birds, And I sae fu' o' care! Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird That sings upon the bough; Thou minds me o' the happy days When my fause Love was true. Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird That sings beside thy mate; For sae I sat, and sae I sang, And wist na o' my fate. Aft hae I roved by bonnie Doon To see the woodbine twine, And ilka bird sang o' its love; And sae did I o' mine. Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose, Frae aff its thorny tree; And my fause lover staw the rose, But left the thorn wi' me. 'The Bonie lass of Ballochmyle' (1786): 'Twas even: the dewy fields were green, On every blade the pearls hang, The zephyr wanton'd round the bean, And bore its fragrant sweets alang, In ev'ry glen the mavis sang, All Nature list'ning seem'd the while, Except where greenwood echoes rang Amang the braes o' Ballochmyle. With careless step I onward stray'd, My heart rejoic'd in Nature's joy, When musing in a lonely glade, A maiden fair I chanc'd to spy. Her look was like the Morning's eye, Her air like Nature's vernal smile. Perfection whisper'd, passing by:- 'Behold the lass o' Ballochmyle!' Fair is the morn in flowery May, And sweet is night in autumn mild, When roving thro' the garden gay, Or wand'ring in the lonely wild; But women, Nature's darling child - There all her charms she does compile! Even there her other works are foil'd By the bonie lass o' Ballochmyle. O, had she been a country maid, And I the happy country swain, Tho' shelter'd in the lowest shed That ever rose on Scotia's plain, Thro' weary winter's wind and rain With joy, with rapture, I would toil, And nightly to my bosom strain The bonie lass o' Ballochmyle! Then pride might climb the slipp'ry steep, Where fame and honours lofty shine. And thirst of gold might tempt the deep, Or downward seek the Indian mine! Give me the cot below the pine, To tend the flocks or till the soil, And ev'ry day have joys divine With the bonie lass o' Ballochmyle. Spirit of BURNS! accept the tear That rapture gives thy mem'ry here On the bleak mountain top. Here thou Thyself had rais'dhad rais'd] hadst raised 1823 the gallant brow Of conscious intellect, to twine Th' imperishable verse of thine, That charm'stcharm'st] charms 1813, 1823 the world. Or can it be, That scenes like these were nought to thee? That Scottish hills so far excel, That so deep sinks the Scottish dell, That boasted PEN-Y-VALE had been, For thy loud northern lyre too mean; Broad-shoulder'd BLORANGE a mere knoll, And SKYRID, let him smile or scowl, A dwarfish bully, vainly proud, Because he breaks the passing cloud? If even so, thou bard of fame, The consequences rest the same: For, grant that to thy infant sight Rose mountains of stupendous height; Or grant that Cambrian minstrels taught 'Mid scenes that mock the lowland thought; Grant that old TALLIESSIN flung His thousand raptures, as he sung From huge PLYNLIMON'S awful brow, Or CADER IDRIS, capt with snow; Such Alpine scenes with them or thee Well suited.––These are Alps to me. LONG did we, noble BLORENGE,The respective heights of these mountains above the mouth of the Gavany were taken barometrically by Gen. Roy. Feet. The summit of the Sugar-Loaf………… 1852 Of the Blorenge………………………… 1720 Of the Skyrid…………………………… 1498 [Bloomfield's note, referring to William Roy (1726-90), who surveyed the Scottish Highlands and then southern England to create military maps. Roy was an advocate of the complete triangulation of Britain, laying the foundations for the Ordnance Survey mapping of the whole country]. gaze On thee, and mark the eddying haze That strove to reach thy level crown, From the rich stream, and smoking town; And oft, old SKYRID, hail'd thy name, Nor dar'ddar'd] dared 1823 deride thy holy fame.There still remains, on the summit of the Skyrid, or St. Michael's Mount, the foundation of an ancient chapel, to which the inhabitants formerly ascended on Michaelmas Eve, in a kind of pilgrimage. A prodigious cleft, or separation in the hill, tradition says, was caused by the earthquake at the crucifixion; it was therefore termed the Holy Mountain [Bloomfield's note]. Long follow'd with untiring eye Th' illumin'dillumin'd] illumined 1823 clouds, that o'er the sky Drew their thin veil, and slowly sped, Dipping to every mountain's head, Dark-mingling,Dark-mingling] Dark mingling 1813, 1823 fading, wild, and thence, Till admiration, in suspense, Hung on the verge of sight. Then sprung, By thousands known, by thousands sung, Feelings that earth and time defy, That cleave to immortality. A light gray haze inclosed us round; Some momentary drops were found, Borne on the breeze; soon all dispell'd; Once more the glorious prospect swell'd Interminably fair. Again Stretch'd the BLACK MOUNTAIN'S dreary chain! When eastward turn'd the straining eye, Great MALVERN met the cloudless sky:This hill commands a view of the counties of Radnor, Salop, Brecknock, Glamorgan, Hereford, Worcester, Gloucester, Somerset, and Wilts. [Bloomfield's note]. Southward arose th' embattled shores,Southward arose th' embattled shores,] Dark in the south uprose the shores 1813, 1823 Where Ocean in his fury roars, And rolls abrupt his fearful tides, Far still from MENDIP'S fern-clad sides; 210 From whose vast range of mingling blue,blue,] blue 1823 The weary, wand'ring sight withdrew, O'er fair GLAMORGAN'S woods and downs, O'er glitt'ring streams, and farms, and towns, Back to the TABLE ROCK, that lourslours] lowers 1813, 1823 O'er old CRICKHOWEL'S ruin'd towers. Here perfect stillness reign'd. The breath A moment hush'd, 'twas mimic death. The ear, from all assaults released, As motion, sound, and life, had ceased. The beetle rarely murmur'd by, No sheep-dog sent his voice so high, Save when, by chance, far down the steep, Crept a live speck, a straggling sheep; Yet one lone object, plainly seen, Curv'dCurv'd] Curved 1823 slowly, in a line of green, On the brown heath: no demon fell, No wizard foe, with magic spell, To chain the senses, chill the heart, No wizard guided POWEL'S cart; He of our nectar had the care, All our ambrosia rested there. At leisure, but reluctant still, We join'd him by a mountain rill; And there, on springing turf, all seated, Jove's guests were never half so treated; Journies they had, and feastings many, But never came to ABERGANY; Lucky escape:––the wrangling crew, Mischief to cherish or to brew, 240 Was all their sport:sport:] sport; 1823 and when, in rage, They chose 'midst warriors to engage, 'Our chariots of fire,''Our chariots of fire,'] Loud for their fiery steeds 1813, 1823 [see Ezekiel 1:1-28]. they cried, And dash'd th' gates of heavengates of heaven] opposing clouds 1813, 1823 aside, Whirl'd through the air, and foremost stood 'Midst mortal passions, mortal blood,blood,] blood! 1823 Celestial power with earthly mix'd;Celestial power with earthly mix'd; / Gods by the arrow's point transfix'd] omit 1813, 1823 Gods by the arrow's point transfix'd! Beneath us frown'd no deadly war, And POWEL'S wheels were safer far; As on them, without flame or shield, Or bow to twang, or lance to wield, We left the heights of inspiration, And relish'd a mere mortal station; Our object, not to fire a town, Or aid a chief, or knock him down; But safe to sleep, from war and sorrow, And drive to BRECKNOCK on the morrow. HEAVY and low'ring, crouds on crouds,crouds on crouds] crowds on crowds 1823 Drove adverse hosts of dark'ning clouds Low o'er the vale, and far away, Deep gloom o'erspread the rising day; No morning beauties caught the eye, O'er mountain top, or stream, or sky, As round the castle's ruin'd tower We mus'dmus'd] mused 1823 for many a solemn hour; And, half-dejected, half in spleen, Computed idly, o'er the scene, How many murders there had dy'd Chiefs and their minions, slaves of pride; 270 When perjury, in every breath, Pluck'd the huge falchion from its sheath, And prompted deeds of ghastly fame, That hist'ry's self might blush to name.In Jones's History of Brecknockshire, the castle of Abergavenny is noticed as having been the scene of the most shocking enormities. [Bloomfield's note, referring to events of the twelfth century. In 1175 the Norman lord William de Braose murdered Seisyllt ap Dyfnwal, lord of the neighbouring Welsh Castell Arnallt. In retaliation the Welsh lord of Caerleon, Hywel ap Iorwerth, burnt Abergavenny castle in 1182. Bloomfield's source is Theophilus Jones, A History of the County of Brecknock, 2 vols (Brecon, 1805-09)]. At length, through each retreating shower, Burst, with a renovating power, Light, life, and gladness; instant fled All contemplations on the dead. Who hath not mark'd, with inward joy, The efforts of the diving boy; And, waiting while he disappear'd, Exulted, trembled, hop'd,hop'd] hoped 1823 and fear'd? Then felt his heart, 'midst cheering cries, Bound with delight to see him rise? Who hath not burnt with rage, to see Falsehood's vile cant, and supple knee; Then hail'd, on some courageous brow, The power that works her overthrow; That, swift as lightning, seals her doom, With, 'Miscreant!With, 'Miscreant!] 'Hence, miscreant! 1813, 1823 vanish!––truth is come?' So PEN-Y-VALE upheav'dupheav'd] upheaved 1823 his brow, And left the world of fog below; So SKYRID, smiling, broke his way To glories of the conqu'ring day; With matchless grace, and giant pride, So BLORENGE turn'd the clouds aside, And warn'd us, not a whit too soon, To chase the flying car of noon, Where herds and flocks unnumber'd fed, Where USK her wand'ring mazes led. Here on the mind, with powerful sway, Press'd the bright joys of yesterday; For still, though doom'd no more t'inhale The mountain air of PEN-Y-VALE, His broad dark-skirting woods o'erhung Cottage and farm, where careless sung The labourer, where the gazing steer Low'd to the mountains, deep and clear. SLOW less'ning BLORENGE, left behind, Reluctantly his claims resign'd, And stretch'd his glowing front entire, As forward peep'd CRICKHOWEL spire; But no proud castle's turrets gleam'd; No warrior Earl's gay banner stream'd;stream'd] stream'd. 1813; streamed 1823 E'en of thy palace, grief to tell!grief to tell!] (grief to tell!) 1813, 1823 A tower withoutA tower without] A tower––without 1813, 1823 a dinner bell; An arch whereAn arch where] An arch––where 1813, 1823 jav'lin'd sentries bow'd Low to their chief, or fed the croud,croud] crowd 1823 Are all that mark where once a train Of barons grac'dbarons grac'd] Barons grac'd 1813; Barons graced 1823 thy rich domain, Illustrious PEMBROKE!Part of the original palace of the powerful Earls of Pembroke is still undemolished by time [Bloomfield's note]. drain'd thy bowl, And caught the nobleness of soulsoul] soul–– 1813, 1823 The harp-inspir'd,harp-inspir'd] harp-inspired 1823 indignant blood That prompts to arms and hardihood. To muse upon the days gone by, Where desolation meets the eye, Is double life;life;] life: 1823 truth, cheaply bought, The nurse of sense, the food of thought, Whence judgment, ripen'd, forms, at will, Her estimates of good or ill; And brings contrasted scenes to view, And weighs the old rogues with the new; Imperious tyrants, gone to dust, With tyrants whom the world hath curs'dcurs'd] cursed 1823 Through modern ages. ByAges. By] Ages.––By 1813, 1823 what power Rose the strong walls of old TRE TOWER?TRE TOWER?] TRE TOWER 1813, 1823 Deep in the valley; whose clear rill Then stole through wilds, and wanders still Through village shades, unstain'd with gore Where war-steeds bathe their hoofs no more.more.] more? 1813 340 Empires have fallen, armies bled, Since yon old wall, with upright head, Met the loud tempest; who can trace When first the rude mass, from its base, Stoop'd in that dreadful form? E'en thou, JANE, with the placid silver brow, Know'st not the day, though thou hast seen A hundredJane Edwards, or as she pronounced it, Etwarts, a tall, bony, upright woman, leaning both hands on the head of her stick, and in her manners venerably impressive, was then at the age of one hundred. She was living in 1809, then one hundred and two [Bloomfield's note]. springs of cheerful green, A hundred winters' snows increase That brook, thebrook, the] brook,––the 1813, 1823 emblem of thy peace. 350 Most venerable dame! and shall The plund'rer, in his gorgeous hall, His fame,fame,] fame 1823 with Moloch-frown prefer, And scorn thy harmless character?character?] character, 1823 Who scarcely hear'st of his renown, And never sack'd or burnt a town? But should he crave, with coward cries, To be Jane Edwards when he dies, Thou'ltThou'lt] Thou'lt 1813, 1823 be the CONQUEROR, old lass, So take thy alms, and let us pass. FORTH, from the calm sequester'd shade, Once more approaching twilight, bade; When, as the sigh of joy arose, And while e'en fancy sought repose, One vast transcendant object sprung, Arresting every eye and tongue. Strangers, fair BRECON,fair BRECON,] (fair BRECON,) 1813, 1823 wondering, scan The peaks of thy stupendous Vann: But how can strangers, chain'd by time, Through floating clouds his summit climb? Another day had almost fled; A clear horizon, glowing red, Its promise on all hearts impress'd, Bright sunny hours, and Sabbath rest.

END OF THE THIRD BOOK.