The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume I Part 138

'The fifth stanza is the eleventh of Cotton's poem.'

In 1852 (p. 385) the note reads: 'The fourth and last stanzas are from Cotton's _Chlorinda_, with very slight alteration.'

A first draft of this adaptation is contained in one of Coleridge's Malta Notebooks:--

[I]

Made worthy by excess of Love A wretch thro' power of Happiness, And poor from wealth I dare not use.

[II]

This separation etc.

[III]

[*The Pomp of Wealth*]

[*Stores of Gold, the pomp of Wealth*]

[*Nor less the Pride of n.o.ble Birth*]

The dazzling charm etc.

(l. 4) Supplied the place etc.

[IV]

Is not true Love etc.

[V]

O ?S??! ?S?? could'st thou see Into the bottom of my Heart!

There's such a Mine of Love for Thee-- The Treasure would supply desert.

[VI]

Death erst contemn'd--O ?S??! why Now terror-stricken do I see-- Oh! I have etc.

THE RASH CONJURER[399:1]

Strong spirit-bidding sounds!

With deep and hollow voice, 'Twixt Hope and Dread, Seven Times I said Iohva Mitzoveh 5 Vohoeen![399:2]

And up came an imp in the shape of a Pea-hen!

I saw, I doubted, And seven times spouted 10 Johva Mitzoveh Yahoevohaen!

When Anti-Christ starting up, b.u.t.ting and baing, In the shape of a mischievous curly 15 black Lamb-- With a vast flock of Devils behind and beside, And before 'em their Shepherdess Lucifer's Dam, 20 Riding astride On an old black Ram, With Tartary stirrups, knees up to her chin.

And a sleek chrysom imp to her Dugs muzzled in,-- 'Gee-up, my old Belzy! (she cried, 25 As she sung to her suckling cub) Trit-a-trot, trot! we'll go far and wide Trot, Ram-Devil! Trot! Belzebub!'

Her petticoat fine was of scarlet Brocade, And soft in her lap her Baby she lay'd 30 With his pretty Nubs of Horns a- sprouting, And his pretty little Tail all curly-twirly-- St. Dunstan! and this comes of spouting-- Of Devils what a Hurly-Burly! 35 'Behold we are up! what want'st thou then?'

'Sirs! only that'--'Say when and what'-- You'd be so good'--'Say what and when'

'This moment to get down again!'

'We do it! we do it! we all get down! 40 But we take you with us to swim or drown!

Down a down to the grim Engulpher!'

'O me! I am floundering in Fire and Sulphur!

That the Dragon had scrounched you, squeal 45 and squall-- Cabbalists! Conjurers! great and small, Johva Mitzoveh Evohaen and all!

Had _I_ never uttered your jaw-breaking words, I might now have been slos.h.i.+ng down Junket and Curds, Like a Devons.h.i.+re Christian: 51 But now a Philistine!

Ye Earthmen! be warned by a judgement so tragic, And wipe yourselves cleanly with all books of magic-- Hark! hark! it is Dives! 'Hold your Bother, you b.o.o.by!

I am burnt ashy white, and you yet are but ruby.' 56

_Epilogue._

We ask and urge (here ends the story) All Christian Papishes to pray That this unhappy Conjurer may Instead of h.e.l.l, be but in Purgatory-- 60 For then there's Hope,-- Long live the Pope!

Catholicus.

? 1805, ? 1814.

FOOTNOTES:

[399:1] Now first printed from one of Coleridge's Notebooks. The last stanza--the Epilogue--was first published by H. N. Coleridge as part of an 'Uncomposed Poem', in _Literary Remains_, 1836, i. 52: first collected in Appendix to _P. and D. W._, 1877-80, ii. 366. There is no conclusive evidence as to the date of composition. The handwriting, and the contents of the Notebook might suggest a date between 1813 and 1816.

The verses are almost immediately preceded by a detached note printed at the close of an essay ent.i.tled 'Self-love in Religion' which is included among the '_Omniana_ of 1809', _Literary Remains_, 1834, i. 354-6: 'O magical, sympathetic, _anima_! [Archeus, _MS._] _principium hylarchichum! rationes spermaticae!_ ????? p???t????! O formidable words!

And O Man! thou marvellous beast-angel! thou ambitious beggar! How pompously dost thou trick out thy very ignorance with such glorious disguises, that thou mayest seem to hide in order to wors.h.i.+p it.'

With this piece as a whole compare Southey's 'Ballad of a Young Man that would read unlawful Books, and how he was punished'.

[399:2] A cabbalistic invocation of Jehovah, obscure in the original Hebrew. I am informed that the second word Mitzoveh may stand for 'from Sabaoth'.

A CHILD'S EVENING PRAYER[401:1]

Ere on my bed my limbs I lay, G.o.d grant me grace my prayers to say: O G.o.d! preserve my mother dear In strength and health for many a year; And, O! preserve my father too, 5 And may I pay him reverence due; And may I my best thoughts employ To be my parents' hope and joy; And O! preserve my brothers both From evil doings and from sloth, 10 And may we always love each other Our friends, our father, and our mother: And still, O Lord, to me impart An innocent and grateful heart, That after my great sleep I may 15 Awake to thy eternal day! _Amen._

1806.

FOOTNOTES:

[401:1] First published in 1852. A transcript in the handwriting of Mrs.

S. T. Coleridge is in the possession of the Editor.

LINENOTES:

[3] mother] father MS.