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Literary
April 7, 1827
New Hampshire Statesman And Concord Register
Concord, Merrimack County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
Poem by Thomas Warton, D.D., inscribed in a hermitage at Ansley Hall, Warwickshire, England. It describes the hermit's peaceful, solitary life amid nature, simple pleasures, and religious reflection, contrasting it favorably with worldly pomp and tumult.
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OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
POETRY.
INSCRIPTION IN A HERMITAGE
At Ansley Hall, in Warwickshire, England.
BY THOMAS WARTON, D.D.
Beneath this stony roof reclin'd,
I sooth to peace my pensive mind;
And while to shade my lonely cave,
Embow'ring elms their umbrage wave;
And while the maple dish is mine,
The beechen cup, unstain'd with wine;
I scorn the gay licentious crowd,
Nor heed the toys that deck the proud.
Within my limits lone and still,
The black-bird pipes an artless trill;
Fast by my couch congenial guest,
The wren has wove her massy nest;
From busy scenes and brighter skies,
To lurk with innocence she flies;
Here hopes in safe repose to dwell,
Nor aught suspects the sylvan cell.
At morn I take my custom'd round
To mark how buds yon shrubby mound,
And ev'ry op'ning primrose count
That trimly paints my blooming mount;
Or o'er the sculptures quaint and rude,
That grace my gloomy solitude,
I teach in winding wreaths to stray
Fantastic ivy's gadding spray.
At eve within yon studious nook,
I ope my brass-embossed book,
Portrayed with many a holy deed
Of martyrs crown'd with heavenly meed:
Then, as my taper waxes dim,
Chant, ere I sleep, my measur'd hymn;
And, at the close, the gleams behold
Of parting wings bewrapt with gold.
While such pure joys my bliss create,
Who but would smile at guilty state?
Who but would wish his holy lot
In calm oblivion's humble grot?
Who but would cast his pomp away,
To take my staff and amice gray;
And to the world's tumultuous stage
Prefer the blameless hermitage?
INSCRIPTION IN A HERMITAGE
At Ansley Hall, in Warwickshire, England.
BY THOMAS WARTON, D.D.
Beneath this stony roof reclin'd,
I sooth to peace my pensive mind;
And while to shade my lonely cave,
Embow'ring elms their umbrage wave;
And while the maple dish is mine,
The beechen cup, unstain'd with wine;
I scorn the gay licentious crowd,
Nor heed the toys that deck the proud.
Within my limits lone and still,
The black-bird pipes an artless trill;
Fast by my couch congenial guest,
The wren has wove her massy nest;
From busy scenes and brighter skies,
To lurk with innocence she flies;
Here hopes in safe repose to dwell,
Nor aught suspects the sylvan cell.
At morn I take my custom'd round
To mark how buds yon shrubby mound,
And ev'ry op'ning primrose count
That trimly paints my blooming mount;
Or o'er the sculptures quaint and rude,
That grace my gloomy solitude,
I teach in winding wreaths to stray
Fantastic ivy's gadding spray.
At eve within yon studious nook,
I ope my brass-embossed book,
Portrayed with many a holy deed
Of martyrs crown'd with heavenly meed:
Then, as my taper waxes dim,
Chant, ere I sleep, my measur'd hymn;
And, at the close, the gleams behold
Of parting wings bewrapt with gold.
While such pure joys my bliss create,
Who but would smile at guilty state?
Who but would wish his holy lot
In calm oblivion's humble grot?
Who but would cast his pomp away,
To take my staff and amice gray;
And to the world's tumultuous stage
Prefer the blameless hermitage?
What sub-type of article is it?
Poem
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Nature
Religious
What keywords are associated?
Hermitage
Solitude
Nature
Pomp
Religious Reflection
Simple Life
What entities or persons were involved?
By Thomas Warton, D.D.
Literary Details
Title
Inscription In A Hermitage
Author
By Thomas Warton, D.D.
Subject
At Ansley Hall, In Warwickshire, England.
Key Lines
Beneath This Stony Roof Reclin'd,
I Sooth To Peace My Pensive Mind;
While Such Pure Joys My Bliss Create,
Who But Would Smile At Guilty State?
And To The World's Tumultuous Stage
Prefer The Blameless Hermitage?