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George Crabbe: Poems, Volume 3 (of 3) cover

George Crabbe: Poems, Volume 3 (of 3)

Chapter 136: Tale VII.
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About This Book

The volume gathers later narrative and miscellaneous poems, presenting a sequence of Tales of the Hall followed by posthumous pieces and shorter lyrics. An editor’s preface and textual notes outline manuscript sources and variant readings. The poems offer realistic portraits of rural and domestic life, closely observed scenes, and moral reflection on passions such as pride, grief, revenge, and belated refinement, delivered through narrative sketches and reflective commentary. Tone alternates between anecdotal storytelling, satirical observation, and sober moralizing.

Tale VII.

instead of ll. 1–4:

Farewell, my Friend, the Brother of my Heart;
With whom ’tis new, ’tis difficult, to part;
Whom I from very Infancy approved,
And never asked the Question why I loved! (D.) 

l. 10. for mourner read Weeper. (D.) 

instead of ll. 11–5:

My faults forgiving, sharing in my Joy,
A frank, sincere, engaging, generous Boy!
My Friend in pleasures of the passing Day,
Mine in Disputes as transient as they,
Each other’s Champion, never sought the Cause. (D.) 

l. 13: At School each other’s prompter, and at play.

instead of ll. 21–2:

And made that first Impression on my breast
That rested not—perchance will never rest. (D.) 

l. 23. for fancy read Passion. (D.) 

instead of l. 24:

I heard and shudder’d at th’ expected Wound. (D.) 

after l. 24:

And thus we parted, with the same design:
He had his Care in View, and I had mine.
We wrote not, could not write; nor had we Woes
In sentimental Sadness to disclose.
Ours were the daily Troubles, such as Men
Feel, keenly feel, but give not to the pen—
Wounds that in after time may heal indeed,
But pain us sorely while they’re fresh and bleed;
Cares of the World and of the troubled Day,
That in new Troubles die and pass away.
But I must cease; or, speaking of my Friend,
The Pain and Pleasure would not quickly end. (D.)