Vulgar words in The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (Page 1)
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Founded upon an anecdote which I read in a newspaper, of an ass being found hanging his head over a canal in a wretched posture.
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380 Across the [32] deep and quiet spot Is Peter driving through the grass-- And now has reached the skirting trees; [33] When, turning round his head, he sees A solitary Ass.
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425 The poor Ass staggered with the shock; And then, as if to take his ease, [40] In quiet uncomplaining mood, Upon the spot where he had stood, Dropped gently down upon his knees; 430 As gently on [41] his side he fell; And by the river's brink did lie; And, while [42] he lay like one that mourned, The patient Beast on Peter turned His shining hazel eye.
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560 His staring bones all shake with joy, And close by Peter's side he stands: While Peter o'er the river bends, The little Ass his neck extends, And fondly licks his hands.
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575 He pulls--and looks--and pulls again; And he whom the poor Ass had lost, The man who had been four days dead, Head-foremost from the river's bed Uprises like a ghost!
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[G] 580 And Peter draws him to dry land; And through the brain of Peter pass Some poignant twitches, fast and faster; "No doubt," quoth he, "he is the Master Of this poor miserable Ass!"
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595 With that resolve he boldly mounts [64] Upon the pleased and thankful Ass; And then, without a moment's stay, That [65] earnest Creature turned away, Leaving the body on the grass.
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650 Of that intense and piercing cry The listening Ass conjectures well; [70] Wild as it is, he there can read Some intermingled notes that plead With touches irresistible.
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710 To a close lane they now are come, Where, as before, the enduring Ass Moves on without a moment's stop, Nor once turns round his head to crop A bramble-leaf or blade of grass.
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725 At length he spies a bleeding wound, Where he had struck the Ass's head; [80] He sees the blood, knows what it is,-- A glimpse of sudden joy was his, But then it quickly fled; 730 Of him whom sudden death had seized He thought,--of thee, O faithful Ass!
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810 "And, say the best you can, 'tis plain, That here has [91] been some wicked dealing; No doubt the devil in me wrought; I'm not the man who could have thought An Ass like this was worth the stealing!"
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865 The unheeding Ass moves slowly on, And now is passing by an inn Brim-full of a carousing crew, That make, [96] with curses not a few, An uproar and a drunken din.
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980 Meanwhile the persevering Ass, Turned towards a gate that hung in view Across a shady lane; [108] his chest Against the yielding gate he pressed And quietly passed through.
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990 Along the lane the trusty Ass Went twice two hundred yards or more, And no one could have guessed his aim,-- Till to a lonely house he came, And stopped beside the door.
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1015 As he beheld the Woman lie [112] Breathless and motionless, the mind Of Peter sadly was confused; But, though to such demands unused, And helpless almost as the blind, 1020 He raised her up; and, while he held Her body propped against his knee, The Woman waked--and when she spied The poor Ass standing by her side, She moaned most bitterly.
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1040 A piercing look the Widow [113] cast Upon the Beast that near her stands; She sees 'tis he, that 'tis the same; She calls the poor Ass by his name, And wrings, and wrings her hands.
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1110 Forth to [120] the gentle Ass he springs, And up about his neck he climbs; In loving words he talks to him, He kisses, kisses face and limb,-- He kisses him a thousand times!
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1125 And many years did this poor Ass, Whom once it was my luck to see Cropping the shrubs of Leming-Lane, Help by his labour to maintain The Widow and her family.
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All by the moonlight river side It gave three miserable groans; "'Tis come then to a pretty pass," Said Peter to the groaning Ass, "But I will _bang_ your bones!"
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[Variant 34: "No doubt I'm founder'd in these woods-- For once," quoth he, "I will be wise, With better speed I'll back again-- And, lest the journey should prove vain, Will take yon Ass, my lawful prize!"
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... Ass's back, ...
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In the two editions of 1819 this stanza formed two stanzas, thus: All by the moonlight river side He gave three miserable groans, "'Tis come then to a pretty pass," Said Peter to the groaning ass, "But I will _bang_ your bones!"
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And Peter halts to gather breath, And now full clearly was it shown (What he before in part had seen) How gaunt was the poor Ass and lean, Yea wasted to a skeleton!
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Cramm'd just as they on earth were cramm'd-- Some sipping punch, some sipping tea, But, as you by their faces see, All silent and all damn'd!