With hurrying steps yet nothing fast.
Her lucky stars the lady blest,
And Christabel she sweetly said—
All our household are at rest,
Each one sleeping in his bed;
Sir Leoline is weak in health,
And may not awakened be,
So to my room we'll creep in stealth,
And you to-night must sleep with me.
[So, too, First Edition, with the sole variant, 'And may not well awakened be'.]
And thus bespake sweet Christabel:
All our household is at rest,
The hall as silent as a cell.
[In H. 1816 ll. 112-22 of the text are inserted in Coleridge's handwriting. Line 113 reads: 'yet were not fast'. Line 122 reads: 'share your bed with me'. In 1828, ll. 117-22 were added to the text, and 'Her gracious stars' (l. 114) was substituted for 'Her lucky stars'.]
And Christabel she sweetly cried MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Praise we] O praise MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Outside] Beside MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Lay fast] Was stretch'd H. 1816. [Not in S. T. C.'s handwriting.]
om. S. T. C. (a).
And nothing else she saw thereby MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
niche] nitch all MSS. and First Edition.
And they are creeping up the stairs,
Now in glimmer, and now in gloom,
Added in 1828.
With stifled breath, as still as death H. 1816. [Not in S. T. C.'s handwriting.]
The rushes of her chamber floor.
The rushes of her chamber floor.
cordial] spicy MS. W., S. T. C. (a), S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Between 193-4
Believe me it will comfort you.
[The omission was made in the First Edition.]
And faintly said I'm better now MS. W., S. T. C. (a): I am better now S. T. C. (c), S. H.
far] fair MS. W.
Between 252-3 Are lean and old and foul of hue. MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
And she is to sleep with Christabel. MS. W.: And she is to sleep by Christabel. S. T. C. (c), S. H., First Edition: And must she sleep by Christabel. H. 1816 [not in S. T. C.'s handwriting]: And she is alone with Christabel. H. 1816 erased [not in S. T. C.'s handwriting]: And must she sleep with Christabel. H. 1816 erased [not in S. T. C.'s handwriting].
om. MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H., First Edition: included in H. 1816. [Not in S. T. C.'s handwriting.] First published in 1828.
Between 254 and 263
And lay down by the maiden's side,
Then
low] sad MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
this] my MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
The mark of my shame, the seal of my sorrow. MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
And didst bring her home with thee, with love and with charity. MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
To shield her, and shelter her, and shelter far from the damp air. MS. W.
The Conclusion to Part I] The Conclusion of Book the First MS. W.: The Conclusion to Book the First S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Here in MS. W. the handwriting changes. 'Dreaming' was written by S. T. C., 'yet' by Mary Hutchinson.
is] is H. 1816.
who] that MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H., H. 1816.
Tairn or Tarn (derived by Lye from the Icelandic Tiorn, stagnum, palus) is rendered in our dictionaries as synonymous with Mere or Lake; but it is properly a large Pool or Reservoir in the Mountains, commonly the Feeder of some Mere in the valleys. Tarn Watling and Blellum Tarn, though on lower ground than other Tarns, are yet not exceptions, for both are on elevations, and Blellum Tarn feeds the Wynander Mere. Note to S. T. C. (c).
A query is attached to this line H. 1816.
Part II] Book the Second MS. W.: Christabel Book the Second S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Wyndermere] Wyn'dermere MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H., First Edition.
sinful] simple MS. W.
A query is attached to this line H. 1816.
the] their MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Borodale] Borrowdale MS. W., S. H., First Edition, 1828, 1829: Borrodale S. T. C. (c).
The air is still through many a cloud MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
the] her MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
silken] simple MS. W.
thus] so MS. Letter to Poole, Feb. 1813.
They] And MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
But] And MS. W.
Can wholly, &c.,
tourney] Tournay MS. W., S. T. C. (c), First Edition.
The vision foul of fear and pain MS. W., S. T. C. (a), S. T. C. (c), S. H.: The vision of fear, the touch of pain S. T. C. (b).
The pang, the sight was passed away S. T. C. (a): The pang, the sight, had passed away MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
om. MS. W.
beautiful] beauteous MS. W.
take] fetch MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
Many a summer's suns have shone MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
seems] seem'd MS. W., S. T. C. (c).
vowed] swore MS. W.
loiter] wander MS. W.
Jesu, Maria] Jesu Maria MS. W.
Shuddered aloud with hissing sound MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H.
on] o'er MS. W.
And] But MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H., First Edition.
her Father's Feet MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H., First Edition, 1828.
the] that MS. W.
but] not MS. W.
wronged] insulted MS. W., S. T. C. (c), S. H., First Edition, 1828, 1829.
The Conclusion to Part II] Not in any of the MSS. or in S. H. For the first manuscript version see Letter to Southey, May 6, 1801. (Letters of S. T. C., 1895, i. 355.)
'finds' and 'seeks' are italicized in the letters.
Which fills a father's eyes with light.
In H. 1816 there is a direction (not in S. T. C.'s handwriting) to print line 664 as two lines.
In words of wrong and bitterness. Letter, 1801.
LINES TO W. L.[236:1]
WHILE HE SANG A SONG TO PURCELL'S MUSIC
And I have many friends who hold me dear,
L——[236:2]! methinks, I would not often hear
Such melodies as thine, lest I should lose
All memory of the wrongs and sore distress 5
For which my miserable brethren weep!
But should uncomforted misfortunes steep
My daily bread in tears and bitterness;
And if at Death's dread moment I should lie
With no belovéd face at my bed-side, 10
To fix the last glance of my closing eye,
Methinks such strains, breathed by my angel-guide,
Would make me pass the cup of anguish by,
Mix with the blest, nor know that I had died!
1797.
FOOTNOTES:
[236:1] First published in the Annual Anthology for 1800: included in Sibylline Leaves, 1817, 1828, 1829, and 1834. A MS. is extant dated Sept. 14, 1797.
LINENOTES:
Title] To Mr. William Linley MS. 1797: Sonnet XII, To W. L.——[236:2]! Esq., while he sung &c. An. Anth.: To W. L. Esq. &c. S. L. 1828, 1829: Lines to W. Linley, Esq. 1893.
L——[236:2]!] Linley! MS. 1893.
at] by An. Anth.
Methinks] O God! An. Anth.
FIRE, FAMINE, AND SLAUGHTER[237:1]
A WAR ECLOGUE
The Scene a desolated Tract in La Vendée. Famine is discovered lying on the ground; to her enter Fire and Slaughter.
Spirits hear what spirits tell:
'Twill make a holiday in Hell. 5
No! no! no!
Myself, I named him once below,
And all the souls, that damnéd be.
Leaped up at once in anarchy,
Clapped their hands and danced for glee. 10
They no longer heeded me;
But laughed to hear Hell's burning rafters
Unwillingly re-echo laughters!
No! no! no!
Spirits hear what spirits tell: 15
'Twill make a holiday in Hell!
In a dark hint, soft and slow.
And who sent you?
And I have drunk the blood since then
Of thrice three hundred thousand men.
Letters four do form his name. 25
He let me loose, and cried Halloo!
To him alone the praise is due.
Their wives and their children faint for bread.
I stood in a swampy field of battle; 30
With bones and skulls I made a rattle,
To frighten the wolf and carrion-crow
And the homeless dog—but they would not go.
So off I flew: for how could I bear
To see them gorge their dainty fare? 35
I heard a groan and a peevish squall,
And through the chink of a cottage-wall—
Can you guess what I saw there?
I had starved the one and was starving the other!
Letters four do form his name.
He let me loose, and cried, Halloo!
To him alone the praise is due. 45
Hedge and corn-fields all on flame,
I triumph'd o'er the setting sun!
And all the while the work was done,
On as I strode with my huge strides, 50
I flung back my head and I held my sides,
It was so rare a piece of fun
To see the sweltered cattle run
With uncouth gallop through the night,
Scared by the red and noisy light! 55
By the light of his own blazing cot
Was many a naked Rebel shot:
The house-stream met the flame and hissed,
While crash! fell in the roof, I wist,
On some of those old bed-rid nurses, 60
That deal in discontent and curses.
Letters four do form his name.
He let me loose, and cried Halloo!
To him alone the praise is due. 65
How shall we yield him honour due?
I'll gnaw, I'll gnaw the multitude,
Till the cup of rage o'erbrim: 70
They shall seize him and his brood—
1798.
FOOTNOTES:
[237:1] First published in the Morning Post, January 8, 1798: included in Annual Anthology, 1800, and (with an Apologetic Preface, vide Appendices) in Sibylline Leaves, 1828, 1829, and 1834. The poem was probably written in 1796. See Watchman, passim.
LINENOTES:
Title] Scene: A depopulated Tract in La Vendée. Famine is discovered stretched on the ground; to her enter Slaughter and Fire M. P., Jan. 8, 1798.
Slaughter. I will name him in your ear. M. P.
a] an all editions to 1834.
me] me M. P.
a] an all editions to 1834.
Darkly hint it—soft and low!
Four letters form his name. M. P.
Both] Famine M. P.
Of thrice ten hundred thousand men.
drunk] drank An. Anth., S. L. 1828, 1829.
Both] Fire and Famine M. P.
Four letters form his name. M. P.
Their wives and children M. P.
and the carrion crow M. P., An. Anth.
Both] Slaughter and Fire M. P.
Both] Slaughter and Fire M. P.
Four letters form his name. M. P.
Hedge] Huts M. P.
om. An. Anth.
Halloo! Halloo! the work was done An. Anth.
As on I strode with monstrous strides M. P.: And on as I strode with my great strides An. Anth.
and held M. P., An. Anth.
through] all M. P.