*Lines 13–21 from this piece were included by Capel Lofft in the Supplement to the 2nd edn of The Farmer’s Boy, where he remarked: ‘I think every Reader will of opinion that it is indeed desirable the whole Song, of which this is a Fragment, should be recover’d. It will probably be found (according to the recollection of the Author) either in the General Advertiser, Gazetteer, or Courant’. The whole was later published in the ‘Advertisment’ to the 8th edn, where the text was based on that published in the General Advertiser (pub. by John Almon, London) for 11 November 1786, and, with a slightly different text, in The Remains of Robert Bloomfield (1824). BACK
[2] My home … in sight] My friendships, my cottage, my Home full in sight! Remains BACK
[4] I’ve gold … of delight] I’ve gold now—and love will give zest to delight Remains BACK
[6] clear’d] skimm’d Remains BACK
[8] but Anna] but of Anna] Remains BACK
[9] me. Limbs numb’d with age, fain would move;] home, and my fondness to prove Remains BACK
[10] flow] glowing Remains [Bloomfield’s note on the poem included in the 8th edn of The Farmer’s Boy:] The above lines were suggested by the return of some regiments from the East Indies, as the verses themselves will evince. The word ‘flow,’ was substituted by the editor of the paper for the original word ‘offspring.’ This I remembered, and gave the original in the fragment I sent to Mr. Lofft. But, in the 4th stanza, the original word had escaped all recollection, until this unexpected sight of the piece, and of its connection, so that if ‘hardships’ be read for ‘ought,’ all the meaning I had will be seen. I perfectly remember feeling rather indignant, at seeing myself so badly corrected; and this feeling, perhaps, engraved those trifles on my mind much deeper than they deserved. BACK