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

George Crabbe: Poems, Volume 3 (of 3)

Chapter 92: [BELIEF AND UNBELIEF.]
By George Crabbe
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British LiteraturePoetry

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.

[CONSCIOUS GUILTINESS.]

(Jan. 23, 1813.)
The Good are happy—in the joyful hour
No inward fears the present peace o’erpower,
And in the Evil time the pleasant force
Of conscious Virtue checks it in its Course.
Men all Abandon’d, Desperation all,
Feel not their Guilt nor tremble at their fall;
Vice for herself has found the desperate Cure
And banished thoughts no bosom could endure.
But the most wretched of the Guilty train
Are they who Virtue love and prize in vain; 10 
Griev’d by the Life they yet resolve to lead,
Bound by the Ill, yet panting to be freed—
To them the Ways of Sacred Truth are known,
Yet they proceed and suffer in their Own.
Onward they go, still sighing to retrieve
Their Steps, and longing for the Good they leave.

[BELIEF AND UNBELIEF.]

(March 7) [1813?]
“Dost thou believe,” the Saviour said;
The trembling parent look’d around;
A thousand Wonders he survey’d,
And Hope and kindling faith he found.
The Sick, the blind, the Deaf, and Lame,
All whole and sound and light became;
He knew such power could not deceive
And answer’d, joyful, “I believe.”
But, when he look’d his Heart within,
And saw the Darkness, felt the Shame, 10 
The fear, the Dread, the Doubt, the Sin—
How cold and humble he became!
The former Joy was now suppress’d,
And grieving, guilty, and distress’d,
He added, in despairing Grief:
“Help thou, O Lord, mine Unbelief!”