"What flower in meadow-ground or garden grows "That to the towering lily doth not yield? "Let both meet only on thy royal shield! "Go forth, great King! claim what thy birth bestows; "Conquer the Gallic lily which thy foes "Dare to usurp;-thou hast a sword to wield, "And Heaven will crown the right."-The mitred Sire Thus spake and lo! a Fleet, for Gaul addrest, Ploughs her bold course across the wondering seas; For, sooth to say, ambition, in the breast Of youthful heroes, is no sullen fire, But one that leaps to meet the fanning breeze. * XVI. WARS OF YORK AND LANCASTER. THUS is the storm abated by the craft Of a shrewd Counsellor, eager to protect The Church, whose power hath recently been checked, So the shaft Of victory mounts high, and blood is quaffed Pride to be washed away by bitter tears! But mark the dire effect in coming years! 1822. * Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1414, persuaded Henry V. to carry on war with France, and helped to raise money for the purpose. Henry crossed to Harfleur, Chichele accompanying him, with an army of 30,000, and won the battle of Agincourt.-ED. + E.g., the battles of St Alban's, Wakefield, Mortimer's Cross, Towton, Barnet, Tewkesbury, Bosworth.-ED. WICLIFFE. Is by these shocks exhausted, spiritual truth 1 Gathers unblighted strength from hour to hour. 47 XVII. WICLIFFE. ONCE more the Church is seized with sudden fear, And at her call is Wicliffe disinhumed; Yea, his dry bones to ashes are consumed And flung into the brook that travels near. Forthwith, that ancient Voice which Streams can hear Of Severn, Severn to the narrow seas, "An emblem yields to friends and enemies "How the bold Teacher's Doctrine, sanctified " 'By truth, shall spread, throughout the world dispersed." * 1 1827. that 66 1822. * The Council of Constance condemned Wicliffe as a heretic, and issued an order that his remains should be exhumed, and burnt. 'Accordingly, by order of the Bishop of Lincoln, as Diocesan of Lutherworth, his grave, which was in the chancel of the church, was opened, forty years after his death; the bones were taken out and burnt to ashes, and the ashes thrown into a neighbouring brook called the Swift."-(Southey, Vol I., p. 384). "This brook," says Fuller, "conveyed his ashes into Avon, Avon into Severn, Severn into the narrow seas, they into the main ocean; and thus the ashes of Wicliffe are the emblem of his doctrine, which now is dispersed all the world over." In the note to the 11th Sonnet of Part I., Wordsworth acknowledges his obligations to Fuller in this Sonnet on Wicliffe.-ED. XVIII. CORRUPTIONS OF THE HIGHER CLERGY. "WOE to you, Prelates! rioting in ease And cumbrous wealth-the shame of your estate; XIX. ABUSE OF MONASTIC POWER. AND what is penance with her knotted thong, Wan cheek, and knees indùrated with prayer, And rob1 the people of his daily care, 1 1827. and robs 1822. * The secular clergy are the priests of the Roman church, who belong to no special religious order, but have the charge of parishes, and so live in the world (seculum). The regularc lergy are the monks belonging to one or other of the monastic orders, and are subject to its rules (regulæ).—ED. MONASTIC VOLUPTUOUSNESS. 49 Scorning that world whose blindness makes her strong? XX. MONASTIC VOLUPTUOUSNESS. YET more,-round many a Convent's blazing fire There Venus sits disguised like a Nun,— An instant kiss of masterful desire To stay the precious waste. Through every brain Spreads high conceits to madding Fancy dear,3 1 1827. Scorning their wants because her arm is strong? 1822. VII. Spreads the dominion of the sprightly juice, Ꭰ Of its grave echoes, swells a choral strain, Whose votive burthen is-" OUR KINGDOM'S HERE!" XXI. DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES. THREATS come which no submission may assuage, The tapers shall be quenched, the belfries mute, To stoop her head before these desperate shocks- XXII. THE SAME SUBJECT. THE lovely Nun (submissive, but more meek * See Wordsworth's note to the next Sonnet.-ED. + These two lines are adopted from a MS., written about the year 1770, which accidentally fell into my possession. The close of the preceding Sonnet on monastic voluptuousness is taken from the same source, as is the verse, "Where Venus sits," &c., and the line, "Once ye were holy, ye are holy still," in a subsequent Sonnet.-W. W., 1822. Waltham Abbey is in Essex, on the Lea.-ED. § Alluding to the Roman legend that Joseph of Arimathea brought Christianity into Britain, and built Glastonbury Church. See note to Sonnet V.-ED. |