Unadopted MS Passages
British Library Add. MS 28265 ff. 48-49, in place of lines 1-42 of Book I of the
1811 first edition:
(Uley. Aug 7.
1807)
(From Uley to
Ross)
Time was but young, the
earth was gay
<When Time's young curls embower'd his brow>
And infant streams began to play <flow>,
When <Huge
giant> Scoop the Giant
<with> with spade in hand,
And all the Island at command,
With puffing breath and monstrous stride
Came thundering on by Severn's side.
Fancy still hears his foot rebound,
For <When>
Stinchcombe trembled at the sound.
Where <Here>
Cambrian mountains caught his eye
He gnash'd his teeth in
jealousy
And xxxxx xxxxxx
xxxx
Exclaim'd 'there shall
be just such here.'
<Towring to meet the distant sky
Jealous he mark'd them one by one
And dreading much to
be sore the work out-done
'Out-done' he cried, 'Tis true I'm warm'
But this bright prospect nerves my arm
He shall be strong who
calls me
I too the mountain pile can rear
Outdone, there shall be just such here.'>
Then stript at once to set about it,
(Look at the spot and who can doubt it,)
But, at the moment he was speaking
His arms
<limbs> were stiff, his back was aching,
For Mendip, and the western shore,
The marks of his
huge <recent> labours bore:
So, wearily, and
<Weary he rested,> full of pain,
By Nympsfield, on the upland plain,
He set them down with an
envious smile
<And with a gnashing envious smile>
And <There>
stuck his spade upright the while,
And chang'd his mind.—There <But
Then> spurning first,
O'er Severn's Vale a cloud of dust,
Again he pluck'd it from the ground,
The crumbling earth flew wizzing round;
Then dashing sternly to and fro,
And <He> cut
a casual hole or two;
In one of which (a sweet one truly)
Pigmies now dwell and
call it Uley
<Some modern pigmies built up Uley>;
And Owlpen, by the dark wood side,
Which none can find without a guide.
And here, the happy natives stroll
Around their green illshapen Bowl,
A Bowl all zigzagg'd round about
With one large gap to let them out.
Twas from that very gap we started,
Four Female Tourists <travelers,> merry hearted,
Of
charm, of power, of
will <ample powers, of charms> possest
To cheer the souls of
all the rest,
<Joy to insure to all the rest>
Prepared to wonder, and to caper,
And bring all Wales home—upon paper;
With five
companions in
a row <protectors, healthful, strong,
And cheerful as the days were long
To point out beauties, stones, and more;
To hold the reins,>
and guide the prow <—and pay
the score;>
Xxx <And>
one,
aye one <
xxx besides>, in idle trim
Rode just where they would carry him,
And noted down a thing or two,
As having nothing else to do.
So hark ye Candor, stand you by him,
Truth shall direct, and joy shall try him;
And you keep even, father Time,
The light-horse gallop of his rhime;
That gaily, lightly, run
or fly,
Shall move unclog'd by
history
In spirits high, and happy hour,
Left Stinchcombe
Hill <Uley we left>, and Dursley tower
Stinchcomes hill black
that seems to stride
In conscious bulk
towards the Tide
And Berkeley's old
baronial pride
With blood of Englands
Monarch died
<And Stinchcombe's
black hill that seems to stride
Towards Old Oceans furious tide
That inward roars while
foaming by <with matchless power>
Of roaring
Severn>
Where blood-staind Barkley's banners fly <turrets lowr>
[continues from line 43 of Book I of the 1811 first
edition]
British Library Add. MS 28265 f. 50, between lines 74 and 75 of Book I of the
1811 first edition:
An ugly Town, and those who chuse it,
May stop on purpose to abuse it,
But, being neither tired nor cross,
We smiled, and drove away for Ross.
The Malvern Hills, at times descried,
The rock-bell on 'the Bailey's side,'
And Penyard Xxxx
<brow Hill,> whose
steeps are found
By one vast wood begirt around,
A Farm enclosing on its
brow,
Where never sparrow from
below
2d Was, in its confines
heard or seen,
1st Check'd by its
upright walls of green
High beat each heart with strong desire
And expectation's
<Each prospect fan'd the> kindling fire
Forward allready could
employ
The morrow's sun in
varying joy
Till expectation led away
<In With> In
rapture xxxxed <gaze viewd> the unborn
day.
Not that the scene around was lost
Twas vegitation's bravest<xxxx> boast
Full, and oermeasure, round us lay
Qu Fix'd hills and one that ran away.*
