THE COMMON TROUT. 201 



And blooming thickets, nor by rocky bands 

 Held, but in radiant progress toward the deep, 

 Where mightiest rivers into powerless sleep 

 Sink, and forget their nature. 



So let us adorn and dignify our unpretending 

 volume, by ever and anon inserting radiant gems 

 by great artificers, and then the weary pannier- 

 laden angler, who has haply surmounted some lofty 

 barrier in search of mountain tarn, or the sweet 

 waters of a neighbouring vale, unbuckling his finny 

 burden, may seat himself complacently amid the 

 storm-swept herbage, and gaze around, awe-struck, 

 but yet with grateful and rejoicing heart, on all 

 the " dread magnificence " which there surrounds 

 him. When he has drawn his breath a little, let 

 him read the following lines.* 



* We know not what degree of plagiaristic immorality we commit 

 in thus pilfering entire poems from any writer whatsoever, but, so far 

 as concerns the case in question, we try to hold ourselves excused 

 alike to author and publisher, by the fact of our having purchased 

 for ourself or friends five copies of the latest collected edition of 

 Wordsworth's works within the last two years, besides having pre- 

 viously procured (by honest payment) three former English editions, 

 and a Parisian one by Galignani (this last a present from J. D. F.) in 

 a single volume. We have thus, including a few spare copies of the 

 " Excursion" (one in 4to. and two in small 8vo.), and of " Yarrow re- 

 visited, and other Poems," which we caught up before they were 

 collected, possessed ourselves (or benignly rendered others the glad 

 possessors), of about 44 volumes of Wordsworth's poetry. Therefore, 

 in thus drawing from " other orbs " our golden light, we hope not 

 to offend. Indeed, we never heard of the God of Day complaining 

 that 



" The moon doth with delight, 

 Look round her when the heavens are bare." 



And yet, who doubts that she, in common with ourselves, must ever 

 shine only by borrowed lustre? We therefore hope, that we, the 

 " inferior creatures," may shelter ourselves unblamed beneath " Ry- 



