NOVEMBER, 1813
Reading edition
Composed November 1813.—Published 1815
Included among the "Sonnets dedicated to Liberty."—Ed.
Now that all hearts are glad, all faces bright, Our aged Sovereign sits, to the ebb and flow Of states and kingdoms, to their joy or woe, Insensible. He sits deprived of sight, And lamentably wrapped in twofold night, 5 Whom no weak hopes deceived; whose mind ensued, Through perilous war, with regal fortitude, Peace that should claim respect from lawless Might. Dread King of Kings, vouchsafe a ray divine To his forlorn condition! let thy grace 10 Upon his inner[1] soul in mercy shine; Permit his heart to kindle, and to embrace[2] (Though it were[3] only for a moment's space) The triumphs of this hour; for they are Thine!
The reference is to the rejoicings on the Leipzig victory of the Allied Forces, October 16 to 19, 1813. Napoleon crossed the Rhine on the 2nd November, and returned to Paris with the wreck of his army. George III. was English Sovereign; but, owing to his illness, the Prince of Wales had been appointed Regent, and assumed executive power in January 1811. The King died at Windsor in 1820, being eighty-two years of age. He had been entirely blind for some years before his death. The "twofold night" referred to in the sonnet is sufficiently obvious.—Ed.
VARIANTS:
END OF VOL. IV
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh.
Transcriber's Note:
1. All footnotes have been moved to the chapter or sub-chapter ends and cross-links provided EXCEPTING the footnote at the end of Tyrolese Sonnet VI, which has been placed immediatly after the sonnet though the chapter continues and other succeeding footnotes appear at the end.
In the original text the printer used multiple periods to push single and multiple word "Variants" into the place in the notes where they occured in the poem. In this e-text a single ellipsis (...) is used to represent positioning of preceeding and succeeding words. The variant anchor point indicates the relative position of the word variant in the poem.
In footnote [A] to the poem "In the Grounds of Coleorton", p. 79 "l. 7." has been changed to p. 79 "l. 13." While the note correctly identifies the 7th line of the text of the poem printed on p. 79, it is actually l. 13. of the poem.
2. All poetry line markers have been retained as placed and numbered by the printer in 5, 4 or 6 line intervals.
3. Pg. 5 changed "in" to "on" (which befell him on the way.)
4. Pg. 197, Note II. incorrectly shows p. 201 for The Force of Prayer, or the Founding of Bolton Priory. This poem begins on Pg. 204 and the reference has been corrected.
5. Pg. 193 changed single close quote ['] to ["]. (motion of The White Doe.")
6. Pg. 273 removed single double quote from (..., deep embayed,)
7. Several word variations appearing in the text have been retained including but not limited to:
"achieves" and "atchieved" "antient", "ancyent", and "ancient" "belovèd" and "beloved" "birthplace" (Ed.) and "birth-place" (poems) "blessèd" and "blessed" "Buonaparté" and "Buonaparte" "cheer(ed)(ful)" and "chear(ed)(ful)" "eye-sight" and "eyesight" "farm-house" and "farmhouse" "Mauleverers" and "Mauliverers" "negociation" and "negotiation" "out-spread" and "outspread" "re-appearing" and "reappearing" "recognised" and "recognized" "Shakspeare"('s) (3) and "Shakespeare"('s) (3) "Stockton-on-Tees" and "Stockton-upon-Tees" "strong-hold" (in poetry) and "stronghold" (in letter) "wingèd" and "winged" "wreathèd" and "wreathed"
8. The translations of the Tyrolese Sonnets in German were originally printed in the Fraktur Font, and with other Blackletter Gothic fonts are represented in "Antiqua" in this e-text.