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-Who, if he rise to station of command,
Rises by open means; and there will stand
On honourable terms, or else retire,

And in himself possess his own desire;
Who comprehends his trust, and to the same
Keeps faithful with a singleness of aim;
And therefore does not stoop, nor lie in wait
For wealth, or honours, or for worldly state;

Whom they must follow; on whose head must fall,
Like showers of manna, if they come at all:
Whose powers shed round him in the common strife,
Or mild concerns of ordinary life,

A constant influence, a peculiar grace;

But who, if he be called upon to face

Some awful moment to which Heaven has joined
Great issues, good or bad for human kind,

Is happy as a Lover; and attired

With sudden brightness, like a Man inspired;
And, through the heat of conflict, keeps the law
In calmness made, and sees what he foresaw;
Or if an unexpected call succeed,

Come when it will, is equal to the need:

-He who, though thus endued as with a sense
And faculty for storm and turbulence,

Is yet a Soul whose master-bias leans

To homefelt pleasures and to gentle scenes;
Sweet images! which, whereso'er he be,
Are at his heart; and such fidelity

It is his darling passion to approve;

More brave for this, that he hath much to love :

'Tis, finally, the Man, who, lifted high, Conspicuous object in a Nation's eye, Or left unthought-of in obscurity,—

Who, with a toward or untoward lot,
Prosperous or adverse, to his wish or not-
Plays, in the many games of life, that one
Where what he most doth value must be won:
Whom neither shape of danger can dismay,
Nor thought of tender happiness betray;
Who, not content that former worth stand fast,
Looks forward, persevering to the last,
From well to better, daily self-surpast:

Who, whether praise of him must walk the earth
For ever, and to noble deeds give birth,
Or he must fall, to sleep without his fame,1
And leave a dead unprofitable name-

Finds comfort in himself and in his cause;

And, while the mortal mist is gathering, draws
His breath in confidence of Heaven's applause:
This is the happy Warrior; this is He

That every Man in arms should wish to be.2

The following note was added, in the edition of 1807. "The above verses were written soon after tidings had been received of the Death of Lord Nelson, which event diverted the Author's thoughts to the subject. His respect for the memory of his great fellow-countryman induces him to mention this; though he is well aware that the Verses must suffer from any connection in the Reader's mind, with a name so illustrious."

This note would seem to warrant our removing the date of the composition of the poem, from 1806 to 1805; since Lord Nelson died at the battle of Trafalgar, on the 21st of October 1805. On the other hand, Wordsworth himself gave the date, 1806; and the “soon after" of the above note may perhaps be stretched to include two months and a half. In writing to Sir George Beaumont on the 11th of February 1806, and enclosing a copy of these verses, he says, "they were written several weeks

1 C. and 1843.

Or he must go to dust without his fame,
Or he must fall, and sleep without his fame,

1807.

1836.

2

1845.

Whom every Man

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ago." Southey, writing to Sir Walter Scott, from Keswick, on the 4th of February 1806, says, "Wordsworth was with me last week; he has of late been more employed in correcting his poems than in writing others; but one piece he has written, upon the ideal character of a soldier, than which I have never seen anything more full of meaning and sound thought. The subject was suggested by Nelson's most glorious death, though having no reference to it. He had some thoughts of sending it to the Courier, in which case you will easily recognise it." (The Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, Vol. III. p. 19.) As it is impossible to decide with accuracy, in the absence of more definite data, I have followed the poet's own statement, and assigned the poem to the year 1806. It was classed by Wordsworth amongst his "Poems of Sentiment and Reflection."

In the edition of 1807, the following note was added to the lines

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persevering to the last

From well to better, daily self-surpassed.
For knighte's ever should be persevering,
To seek honour without feintisse or slouth,
Fro wele to better in all manner thing."

Chaucer-The Floure and the Leafe.-ED.

THE HORN OF EGREMONT CASTLE.

Comp. 1806.

Pub. 1807.

[A Tradition transferred from the ancient mansion of Hutton John, the seat of the Hudlestones, to Egremont Castle.]

ERE the Brothers through the gateway
Issued forth with old and young,

To the Horn Sir Eustace pointed
Which for ages there had hung.1

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Horn it was which none could sound,
No one upon living ground,

Save He who came as rightful Heir
To Egremont's Domains and Castle fair.

Heirs from times of earliest record1
Had the House of Lucie born,

Who of right had held the Lordship
Claimed by proof upon the Horn :2
Each at the appointed hour

Tried the Horn,-it owned his power;

He was acknowledged: and the blast,

Which good Sir Eustace sounded, was the last.

With his lance Sir Eustace pointed,

And to Hubert thus said he,

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'What I speak this Horn shall witness

For thy better memory.

Hear, then, and neglect me not!

At this time, and on this spot,

The words are uttered from my heart,

As my last earnest prayer ere we depart

On good service we are going

Life to risk by sea and land,

In which course if Christ our Saviour
Do my sinful soul demand,

Hither come thou back straightway,
Hubert, if alive that day;

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Return, and sound the Horn, that we

May have a living House still left in thee!"

"Fear not," quickly answered Hubert;
"As I am thy Father's son,

What thou askest, noble Brother,
With God's favour shall be done."
So were both right well content:
Forth they from the Castle went,1
And at the head of their Array

To Palestine the Brothers took their way.

Side by side they fought (the Lucies
Were a line for valour famed)

And where'er their strokes alighted,

There the Saracens were tamed.

Whence, then, could it come-the thought—

By what evil spirit brought?

Oh! can a brave Man wish to take

His Brother's life, for Lands' and Castle's sake?

"Sir!" the Ruffians said to Hubert,

"Deep he lies in Jordan flood."
Stricken by this ill-assurance,
Pale and trembling Hubert stood.
"Take your earnings."-Oh! that I
Could have seen my Brother die!
It was a pang that vexed him then;
And oft returned, again, and yet again.

Months passed on, and no Sir Eustace!
Nor of him were tidings heard;

1 C. and 1845.

From the Castle forth they went,

1807.

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