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EDWIN AND ANGELINA.
A BALLAD.
1 "TURN, gentle hermit of the dale,
2 " And guide my lonely way,
3 "To where yon taper cheers the vale,
4 " With hospitable ray.
5 "For here forlorn and lost I tread,
6 " With fainting steps and slow;
7 "Where wilds immeasureably spread,
8 " Seem lengthening as I go. "
9 "Forbear, my son," the hermit cries,
10 "To tempt the dangerous gloom;
11 " For yonder phantom only flies
12 "To lure thee to thy doom.
13 "Here to the houseless child of want,
14 " My door is open still;
15 "And though my portion is but scant,
16 " I give it with good will.
17 "Then turn to-night, and freely share
18 " Whate'er my cell bestows;
19 "My rushy couch, and frugal fare,
20 " My blessing and repose.
21 "No flocks that range the valley free,
22 " To slaughter I condemn;
23 "Taught by that power that pities me,
24 " I learn to pity them.
25 "But from the mountain's grassy side,
26 " A guiltless feast I bring;
27 "A scrip with herbs and fruits supply'd,
28 " And water from the spring.
29 "Then, pilgrim, turn, thy cares forego;
30 " For earth-born cares are wrong:
31 "Man wants but little here below,
32 " Nor wants that little long. "
33 Soft as the dew from heav'n descends,
34 His gentle accents fell:
35 The grateful stranger lowly bends,
36 And follows to the cell.
37 Far shelter'd in a glade obscure
38 The modest mansion lay;
39 A refuge to the neighbouring poor,
40 And strangers led astray.
41 No stores beneath its humble thatch
42 Requir'd a master's care;
43 The door just opening with a latch,
44 Receiv'd the harmless pair.
45 And now when worldly crouds retire
46 To revels or to rest,
47 The hermit trimm'd his little fire,
48 And cheer'd his pensive guest:
49 And spread his vegetable store,
50 And gayly prest, and smil'd;
51 And skill'd in legendary lore,
52 The lingering hours beguil'd.
53 Around in sympathetic mirth
54 Its tricks the kitten tries;
55 The cricket chirrups in the hearth;
56 The crackling faggot flies.
57 But nothing could a charm impart
58 To soothe the stranger's woe;
59 For grief was heavy at his heart,
60 And tears began to flow.
61 His rising cares the hermit spy'd,
62 With answering care opprest:
63 "And whence, unhappy youth," he cry'd,
64 "The sorrows of thy breast?
65 "From better habitations spurn'd,
66 " Reluctant dost thou rove;
67 "Or grieve for friendship unreturn'd,
68 " Or unregarded love?
69 "Alas! the joys that fortune brings,
70 " Are trifling and decay;
71 "And those who prize the paltry things,
72 " More trifling still than they.
73 "And what is friendship but a name,
74 " A charm that lulls to sleep;
75 "A shade that follows wealth or fame,
76 " But leaves the wretch to weep?
77 "And love is still an emptier sound,
78 " The haughty fair one's jest:
79 "On earth unseen, or only found
80 " To warm the turtle's nest.
81 "For shame, fond youth, thy sorrows hush,
82 " And spurn the sex, "he said:
83 But while he spoke a rising blush
84 The bashful guest betray'd.
85 He sees unnumber'd beauties rise,
86 Expanding to the view;
87 Like clouds that deck the morning skies,
88 As bright, as transient too.
89 Her looks, her lips, her panting breast,
90 Alternate spread alarms:
91 The lovely stranger stands confest
92 A maid in all her charms.
93 And, "Ah, forgive a stranger rude,
94 " A wretch forlorn, "she cry'd;
95 " Whose feet unhallow'd thus intrude
96 "Where heav'n and you reside.
97 "But let a maid thy pity share,
98 " Whom love has taught to stray;
99 "Who seeks for rest, but finds despair
100 " Companion of her way.
101 "My father liv'd beside the Tyne,
102 " A wealthy lord was he;
103 "And all his wealth was mark'd as mine,
104 " He had but only me.
105 "To win me from his tender arms,
106 " Unnumber'd suitors came;
107 "Who prais'd me for imputed charms,
108 " And felt, or feign'd a flame.
109 "Each morn the gay phantastic crowd
110 " With richest proffers strove:
111 "Among the rest young Edwin bow'd,
112 " But never talk'd of love.
113 "In humble, simplest habit clad,
114 " No wealth nor pow'r had he;
115 "A constant heart was all he had,
116 " But that was all to me.
117 "The blossom opening to the day,
118 " The dews of heav'n refin'd,
119 "Could nought of purity display,
120 " To emulate his mind.
121 "The dew, the blossom on the tree,
122 " With charms inconstant shine;
123 "Their charms were his, but woe to me,
124 " Their constancy was mine.
125 "For still I try'd each fickle art,
126 " Importunate and vain;
127 "And, while his passion touch'd my heart,
128 " I triumph'd in his pain.
129 "'Till, quite dejected with my scorn,
130 " He left me to my pride;
131 "And sought a solitude forlorn,
132 " In secret, where he dy'd.
133 "But mine the sorrow, mine the fault,
134 " And well my life shall pay;
135 "I'll seek the solitude he sought,
136 " And stretch me where he lay.
137 "And, there forlorn despairing hid,
138 " I'll lay me down and die:
139 "'Twas so for me that Edwin did,
140 " And so for him will I. "
141 "Thou shalt not thus," the hermit cry'd,
142 And clasp'd her to his breast:
143 The wond'ring fair one turn'd to chide;
144 'Twas Edwin's self that prest.
145 "Turn, Angelina, ever dear,
146 " My charmer, turn to see,
147 "Thy own, thy long-lost Edwin here,
148 " Restor'd to love and thee.
149 "Thus let me hold thee to my heart,
150 " And ev'ry care resign:
151 "And shall we never, never part,
152 " O thou — my all that's mine. "
153 "No, never, from this hour to part,
154 " We'll live and love so true;
155 "The sigh that rends thy constant heart,
156 " Shall break thy Edwin's too.
About this text
Author: Oliver Goldsmith
Themes:
retirement; rural life; happiness; contentment; money; wealth
Genres:
ballad metre
References:
DMI 31045
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Source edition
Goldsmith, Oliver, 1730?-1774. The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith, M.B. Containing all his Essays and Poems. London: printed for W. Griffin, Catherine-street, in the Strand, 1775, pp. []-188. [8],iv,[1],10-200p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T146118; OTA K113624.000)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.