Sonnets from Dramatic Scenes, Sketches, and Other Poems

Edited by Lisa M. Wilson☐Lisa M. Wilson, Managing Editor, Bibliography and Correspondence, Founding Editor, State University of New York at Potsdam
Lisa M. Wilson is Professor in the Department of English and Communication at SUNY Potsdam, where she has taught since 2005. Her areas of interest include transatlantic Romantic and Victorian era literature, particularly women’s writing and popular forms such as the Gothic novel and the literary ballad. She is also interested in book history and bibliographical studies, particularly in the study of authorship in the long nineteenth century (1780-1900). She has published in European Romantic Review, Romanticism on the Net (now RaVon), Romantic Circles, Romantic Textualities, and elsewhere. She is currently working on a monograph on Romantic-period authorship and literary celebrity. Her work on Digital Mitford thus far includes editing and coding Mitford’s Introduction to her collected Dramatic Works (1854), a critical memoir that recounts the author’s influences and experiences at Covent Garden and Drury Lane in the 1820s and 30s. It also includes researching Mitford’s publication history for the site’s working bibliography, particularly tracking the migration of Mitford’s stories from their first publication to their later reappearances in collections and periodicals. A Founding Editor of Digital Mitford, she and her teams of student research assistants have been at work since 2013 on transcribing, coding, and researching Mitford’s letters from 1819 to the early 1820s and on Mitford’s early poems. .

Sponsored by:

First digital edition in TEI, date: 14 February 2016.

Published by: Digital Mitford: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive, digitalmitford.org: 2021.

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Digital Mitford: Poetry

Source: Mitford, Mary Russell. Dramatic Scenes, Sonnets, and Other Poems. London☐London, England | London | England | 51.5073509 -0.12775829999998223 Capital city of England and the United Kingdom; one the oldest cities in Western Europe. Major seaport and global trading center at the mouth of the Thames. From 1831 to 1925, the largest city in the world.—lmw: G. B. Whittaker☐G. B. Whittaker
G. B. Whittaker was a publishing firm located in London, founded and run by George Byrom Whittaker, who was also a bookseller. George Whittaker published under this firm name as well as under G. & W. B. Whittaker, the firm founded and run by himself and his brother William Budd Whittaker. Source: WorldCat.—lmw , 1827.

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Maintained by: Elisa E. Beshero-Bondar (eeb4 at psu.edu) Creative Commons License Last modified: 2021-09-06T17:05:36.259-04:00


I.
WRITTEN IN A BLANK-PAPER BOOK GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A FRIEND.[1] ☐Also appeared in the 1821 New Monthly Magazine as Sonnet. Written in a Blank Paper Book Given To the Author by a Friend(page 387).—lmw

My little book, as o’er thy page so white.1
With half-closed eyes in idlest mood I lean,2
Whose is the form that rises still between3
Thy page and me,—a vision of delight?4
Look on those eyes by the bright soul made bright;5
Those curls, which who Antinous☐Antinous Antinous | Born: 0111-11-27 in Claudiopolis, Bithynia, Roman Empire. Died: 0130-10-30 in Nile River, Egypt, Roman Empire.
Beautiful young man who was a court favorite of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian deified him after death and he was worshipped as a god (theos) and as a hero (heros) in different sections of the Roman Empire. By the eighteenth century, his name had become proverbial for a beautiful young man, often with a connotation of someone who was an object of male homosexual desire.—lmw’ bust hath seen6
Hath loved; that shape which might beseem a queen;7
That blush of purity; that smile of light.8
’Tis she! my little book dost thou not own9
Thy mistress? She it is, the only she!10
Dost thou not listen for the one sweet tone11
Of her unrivalled voice? Dost thou not see12
Her look of love, for whose dear sake alone,13
My little book, thou art so dear to me?14


II.
ON MRS.[2] ☐Likely a 1827 printer’s error that should read MR., rather than MRS., Hofland. Thomas Hofland was a painter; his spouse, Barbara Hofland, was a writer.—slc HOFLAND’S PICTURE OF JERUSALEM AT
THE TIME OF THE CRUCIFIXION☐Jerusalem at the Time of the Crucifixion.
A Hofland painting on a New Testament subject exhibited at the British Institution (#33) in 1818. Purchased from the artist in 1824 for £150. Further exhibited in 1827 at the British Society of Fine Artists. Now at Tabley House, Cheshire, England. —lmw

.[3] ☐This poem first appears in print in The Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, Part 1, 59 (7 March 1818): 155 in the column Original Poetry. There, the poem is dated 24 February 1818. This periodical also contains, on page 105, a review of Hofland’s painting as exhibited at the British Institution. In La Belle Assemblee’s review of the 1827 Dramatic Scenes volume, this poem was chosen to be reprinted in full in the review (See 5 (Jan. to June 1827): 246).—lmw

Jerusalem☐Jerusalem, Israel | 31.768319 35.21370999999999 Ancient city sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and one of the oldest cities in the world. It is located in the Judaean Mountains, between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean. Today, both the State of Israel and the State of Palestine claim the city as their capital.—ebb, lmw! and at the fatal hour!1
No need of dull and frivolous question here!2
No need of human agents to make clear3
The most tremendous act of human power!4
The distant cross; the rent and falling tower;5
The opening graves, from which the dead uprear6
Their buried forms; the elemental fear7
Where horrid light and horrid darkness lower;8
All tell the holy tale: the mystery9
And solace of our souls. Awe-struck we gaze10
On that so mute yet eloquent history!11
Awe-struck and sad at length our eyes we raise12
To go;—yet oft return that scene to see13
Too full of the great theme to think of praise.14


III.
THE FORGET-ME-NOT☐Name: Forget-Me-Not or true Forget-Me-Not or water Forget-Me-Not | Genus: Myosotis | Family: Boraginaceae | Species: Myosotis scorpioides.
Blue-flowered perennial plant in the borage family, with long, narrow leaves, native to Eurasia and widespread in the UK. Prefers damp or wet habitats, including riparians areas, bogs, and ditches, and can form floating rafts in water. Symbolizes remembrance. The subject of Mitford's sonnet The Forget-Me-Not, which clearly describes the habit of the true or water forget-me-not. The woodland forget-me-not is also native to the UK.—lmw, slc
https://www.brc.ac.uk/plantatlas/index.php?q=node/1653
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myosotis_scorpioides .

Blossom that lov’st on shadowy banks to lie,1
Gemming the deep rank grass with flowers so blue,2
That the pure turquoise matched with their rich hue3
Pales, fades, and dims; so exquisite a dye,4
That scarce the brightness of the Autumn sky,5
Which sleeps upon the bosom of the stream,6
On whose fringed margent thy star-flowerets gleam7
In its clear azure with thy tints may vie;8
Shade-loving flower, I love thee! not alone9
That thou dost haunt the greenest coolest spot,10
For ever, by the tufted alder☐Name: alder or common alder or black alder or European alder | Genus: Alnus | Family: Betulaceae | Species: Alnus glutinosa.
Group of deciduous trees and shrubs with serrated leaves and woody catkins, generally found in riparian and marshy areas. Native to Europe and the UK. Alder is a relatively lightweight hardwood, used in furniture making, and the bark and wood contain tannins used to tan leather. The rot-resistant wood was also traditionally used for building foundations and making gunpowder.—lmw, slc
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/alder/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Alnus_glutinosa thrown,11
Or arching hazel☐Name: hazel or common hazel | Genus: Corylus | Family: Betulaceae | Species: Corylus avellana.
Deciduous nut-bearing tree in the birch family, native to Europe and western Asia. The fruit, called hazelnuts or cobnuts, are produced by male and female catkins, with the ripe nuts partially enclosed in a husk and harvested in the late summer. Hazelnuts are round and the kernel edible and may be eaten fresh or dried. Mitford employs the term cobnut and distinguishes it from the filberd. The shrubby trees form an important component of hedgerows, particularly in the English lowlands. The trees may also be managed by coppicing, a practice that produces the thin, curved poles traditionally used in making withy and wattle fencing, in wattle-and-daub building, and in framing coracle boats.—lmw
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Corylus_maxima
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hazel/ , or vine mantled cot,12
But that thy very name hath a sweet tone13
Of parting tenderness—Forget me not!14


IV.
TO MR. HENRY RICHARDSON☐Henry Kemp Richardson
Coles says this is Henry Kemp Richardson of Reading, see p.471, note 5. One of the 1827 sonnets is address to a Henry Richardson. Needs further research.—kdc, lmw,
ON HIS PERFORMANCE OF ADMETUS☐Admetus
Character in Alcestis by Euripides. —lmw IN THE ALCESTIS☐Alcestis. Euripides.
Athenian tragedy attributed to Euripides. First produced at the City Dionysia festival in 438 BCE; one of the earliest surviving plays of the playwright.—lmw OF EURIPIDES☐Euripides | Born: -0480 in Salamís. Died: -0406 in Macedonia.
Ancient world playwright, considered together with Aeschylus and Sophocles as establishing the classical foundation of Western tragedy. Author of Ion , on which Thomas Noon Talfourd later based his own play of the same title, as well as Orestes , and Cyclops , the only known complete example of a burlesque satyr play, translated into a satiric poem in 1819 by Percy Shelley . —ebb, lmw
,
AS REPRESENTED IN THE ORIGINAL GREEK AT READING SCHOOL☐Reading School, Reading, Berkshire, England | Reading | Berkshire | England | 51.4486089 -0.9542480999999725 Public grammar school originally founded as a Reading Abbey school, which dates to 1125, located in Reading. Dr. Richard Valpy was headmaster from 1754 to 1836 and was then succeeded by his son. Talfourdwas a pupil there. Mitford wrote reviews for the Reading Mercury of the plays performed there by the pupils as part of the triennial Oxford School Visitations.—lmw.
October, 1824.

For us, on whose sealed ear the classic strain1
Of Athens☐Athens | Athens | Attica | Greece | 37.983972 23.727806 Ancient world city-state and currently the capital of Greece. During Mitford's time, a stop on the Grand Tour, frequently referenced in literature as the center of Western civilization and learning.—lmw’ tenderest bard☐Euripides | Born: -0480 in Salamís. Died: -0406 in Macedonia.
Ancient world playwright, considered together with Aeschylus and Sophocles as establishing the classical foundation of Western tragedy. Author of Ion , on which Thomas Noon Talfourd later based his own play of the same title, as well as Orestes , and Cyclops , the only known complete example of a burlesque satyr play, translated into a satiric poem in 1819 by Percy Shelley . —ebb, lmw
 would idly fall2
As instrumental music, or the call3
Of wordless nightingale☐Name: nightingale | Genus: Luscinia | Family: Muscicapidae | Species: Luscinia megarhynchos.
A medium-sized migratory songbird, brown above and beige or whitish below, native to Eurasia and overwintering in sub-saharan Africa. Best known for its beautiful and powerful song. Prefers habitats of coppiced woods and scrubland. Great Britain represents the nothernmost extent of its range. Became proverbial for a person with a melodious speaking voice or with an extraordinary singing voice.—SMP, lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/nightingale/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Luscinia_megarhynchos s, for us again4
I thank thee, wondrous boy☐Henry Kemp Richardson
Coles says this is Henry Kemp Richardson of Reading, see p.471, note 5. One of the 1827 sonnets is address to a Henry Richardson. Needs further research.—kdc, lmw! that not in vain5
The scene hath overpast which held in thrall6
Milton☐John Milton, Secretary for Foreign Tongues, or: Secretary for Foreign Tongues | Born: 1608-12-09 in Bread Street, Cheapside, London, England. Died: 1674-11-08 in Bunhill, London, England.
English poet and polemical essayist who wrote in support of Parliamentary and Puritan causes, best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667).—esh, lmw
 * and Wordsworth☐William Wordsworth | Born: 1770-04-07 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. Died: 1850-04-23 in Rydal Mount, near Amberside, Cumberland, England.
First-generation poet of the Romantic era, Lake Poet and friend of fellow poet Coleridge, who co-authored Lyrical Ballads with him and to whom his major poem The Prelude was originally addressed. Poet Laureate from 1843-1850, succeeding his sometime friend and fellow Lake Poet Robert Southey in that role.—lmw, rnes
, mightiest names of all7
Living or dead that haunt the Muses☐the Muses | the nine Muses
In Greek (and later Roman) mythology, the nine goddesses who live on Mount Helicon and inspire mortals to create. Although in some traditions there were only three Muses, by the Hellenistic period, nine was the accepted number, and they were believed to be led by Apollo. By the neoclassical period, emblem books, sculpture, and painting had standardized the depictions of the goddesses: Calliope (epic poetry) carries a writing tablet and stylus or a lyre; Clio (history) carries a scroll or books; Euterpe (lyric poetry and song) carries a flute (the aulos); Erato (erotic/love poetry) carries a lyre or cithera or a crown of roses; Melpomene (tragedy) is seen with a tragic mask; Polyhymnia (sacred poetry) is depicted veiled or with a pensive expression; Terpsichore (choral song and dance) is depicted dancing or with a lyre; Thalia (comedy) is seen with a comic mask or shepherd's crook; and Urania (astronomy) carries compasses and a celestial globe.—lmw’ fane!8
Thy genius was a language; voice and look,9
Gesture and stillness the deep mystery10
Of a strong grief unveiled. As lightnings dart11
Their quivering brightness o’er the world, each nook12
Illumining and thrilling, so from thee13
Burst the storm-cloud of passion on the heart.14
* Milton’s allusion to the ALCESTIS☐Alcestis. Euripides.
Athenian tragedy attributed to Euripides. First produced at the City Dionysia festival in 438 BCE; one of the earliest surviving plays of the playwright.—lmw in the sonnet☐Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint. . Milton . London: Dring. 1673.
Milton's sonnet later designated 23, Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint, sometimes referred to as On His Late Wife or On His Deceased Wife —lmw on his wife is well known. Mr. Wordsworth☐William Wordsworth | Born: 1770-04-07 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. Died: 1850-04-23 in Rydal Mount, near Amberside, Cumberland, England.
First-generation poet of the Romantic era, Lake Poet and friend of fellow poet Coleridge, who co-authored Lyrical Ballads with him and to whom his major poem The Prelude was originally addressed. Poet Laureate from 1843-1850, succeeding his sometime friend and fellow Lake Poet Robert Southey in that role.—lmw, rnes
 in his Laodamia☐Laodamia. . William Wordsworth . London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. 1815. has the following exquisite lines on the same subject.
——“Did not Hercules☐Hercules
Roman god, the son of Jupiter and the mortal Alceme. Known as Heracles in Greek mythology. Proverbial for his strength.—lmw, slc by force
 Wrest from the guardian monster of the tomb
 Alcestis☐Alcestis
A princess in Greek mythology known for her loyalty to her husband and for returning from the dead. She married King Admetus after he achieves the feat of yoking a lion and a boar (or bear, in some versions) to a chariot. After the wedding, Admetus forgets to make a sacrifice to Artemis and finds his bed full of deadly snakes. He escapes death when Alcestis volunteers to die in his place; Alcestis is then rescued from Hades with the help of Heracles and returns to the land of the living. She is the titular character of a play by Euripides and was the subject of a painting by Angelica Kauffman.—lmw a reanimated corse,
 Given back to dwell on earth in beauty’s bloom?”[4] ☐Lines 79 to 82.—lmw
—MRM


V.
WRITTEN JULY, 1824.

How oft amid the heaped and bedded hay,1
Under the oak☐Name: common oak or English oak or pedunculate oak | Genus: Quercus | Family: Fagaceae | Species: Quercus robur.
Mitford likely refers to the common or English oak (Quercus robur), a variety of white oak, although the sessile oak (Quercus petraea) is also native to the Europe and the UK. Large, long-lived deciduous hardwood tree with lobed leaves, hanging catkins in spring, and then acorns, oval nuts with woody caps. In 19th-century English forests, oak was the predominant deciduous tree, often found with ash and elm. A hard wood with a distinctive light-and-dark grain, used since the early medieval period for making sturdy furniture, flooring, doors, household items such as chests and buckets, and for building sailing ships, particularly large naval vessels. Because the tree is large, strong and long-lived, it has accumulated numerous symbolic and national associations, particularly in the UK. In English folklore, Robin Hood hid in an oak to escape pursuers, and the oak became a national symbol after the future Charles II reportedly hid in an oak during the English Civil Wars. This tree became known as the Royal Oak, and led to a national celebration of Oak Apple Day in May. Royal Oak became a popular pub name, as well as the name of several Royal Navy warships. The symbolic association between Britain's military strength and the strength of its men is encapsulated in the song Heart of Oak, written in 1759 and revised in 1809: Heart of oak are our ships,/Hearts of oak are our men. Oak leaves, like laurel, were used as ceremonial wreaths and crowns, and both oak leaves and acorns appeared as neoclassical ornaments. The proverb great oaks from little acorns grow, dates from at least the 16th century, and the concept appears in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde. —lmw, slc
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/english-oak/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Quercus ’s broad shadow deep and strong,2
Have we sate listening to the noonday song3
(If song it were monotonously gay)4
Which crept along the field, the summer lay5
Of the grasshopper☐Name: grasshopper.
Insect of the order of Orthoptera with large head, chewing mouthparts, and large hind legs for jumping. Fourteen types of grasshoppers and groundhoppers are found in the UK. The most common are the woodland, common green, field, meadow, and rufous grasshoppers. Symbolic of laziness and lack of prudence and foresight in Aesop's fable, The Grasshopper and the Ant. Mitford generally uses the simple term grasshopper.—lmw
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Caelifera
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/crickets-and-grasshoppers/ . Summer is come in pride6
Of fruit and flower, garlanded as a bride,7
And crowned with corn, and graced with length of day8
But cold is come with her. We sit not now9
Listening that merry music of the earth10
Like Ariel☐Ariel
Character in Shakespeare's The Tempest who serves Prospero under magical duress.—scw beneath the blossomed bough;[5] ☐See The Tempest: Merrily, merrily shall I live now/ Under the blossom that hangs on the bough (act five, scene one).—slc11
But all for chillness round the social hearth12
We cluster.—Hark!—a note of kindred mirth13
Echoes!—Oh, wintery cricket☐Name: cricket or European field cricket | Genus: Gryllus | Family: Gryllidae | Species: Gryllus campestris.
A dark-colored flightless cricket found in dry grasslands and heathlands. In Mitford's time, common in the UK and Western Europe; currently the most endangered cricket in the UK, due to habitat loss, mainly surviving in southern England. Scaly crickets and several species of bush crickets are also found in the UK. Symbolically associated with good luck. Mitford generally uses the simple term cricket.—lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/conservation/projects/field-cricket-reintroduction/
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/crickets-and-grasshoppers/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Gryllus_campestris , welcome thou!14


VI.
TO MY MOTHER☐Mary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
 SLEEPING.

Sleep on, my mother☐Mary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
! sweet and innocent dreams1
Attend thee, best and dearest! Dreams that gild2
Life’s clouds like setting suns, with pleasure filled3
And saintly joy, such as thy mind beseems,—4
Thy mind where never stormy passion gleams,5
Where their soft nest the dove☐Name: dove | Genus: Streptopelia | Family: Columbidae | Species: Columbidae.
During the 19th century, four types of doves and pigeons were found in Britain: the stock dove, the rock dove, or feral species of the domestic pigeon, and the turtle dove, as well as the wood pigeon. Domesticated pigeons such as carrier, homing, and racing pigeons are species of the rock dove. In Britain, the wood pigeon is hunted as a game bird and domesticated pigeons were also used as food. In the ancient world, doves were associated with goddesses of love, sexuality, and maternity, such as Inanna Ishtar and Aphrodite. Doves carry symbolic significance in both the Old and New Testaments of the Hebrew Bible: in Genesis in the story of Noah and the ark as a symbol of peace and deliverance, in the Song of Songs as a term of endearment, and in Matthew as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Doves were also acceptable burnt offerings and came to symbolize peace in early Christianity. Later literary and artistic references often draw on this association of white doves with peace, deliverance, and spiritual gifts, and are representations of the rock dove, which is highly variable in color, ranging from white to shades of grey and pale brown.—lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/pigeons-and-doves/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Columbidae -like virtues build6
And calmest thoughts, like violet☐Name: violet | Genus: Viola | Family: Violaceae.
One of Mitford’s favorite flowers (as it was of many of her contemporaries), blooms in spring in Berkshire. Mentioned in the 1811 Poems as well as in Our Village Mitford likely refers to wild forms of the Viola, a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the family, containing more than 500 species. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The term pansy is normally used for those multi-coloured, large-flowered cultivars which are used as bedding plants. The terms viola and violet are used for small-flowered annuals or perennials, including the species. —lmws distilled,7
Their fragrance mingle with bright wisdom’s beams.8
Sleep on, my mother☐Mary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
! not the lily☐Name: lily | Genus: Lilium | Family: Liliaceae.
True lilies are flowering perennials that grow from bulbs, carrying large, trumpet- or bell-shaped flowers, distributed throughout the world and cultivated as garden plants. The quintessential lily in European culture is the white Madonna lily (Lilium candidum), native to the Mediterranean, appearing in art, literature, and religious text beginning in the ancient world. When Mitford uses the simple term lily, she likely refers to the Madonna lily.
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Lilium ’s bell9
So sweet; not the enamoured west-wind’s sighs10
That shake the dew-drop from her snowy cell11
So gentle; not that dew-drop ere it flies12
So pure. E’en slumber loves with thee to dwell13
Oh model most beloved of good and wise!14


VII.
ON A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.[6] ☐Also appeared in the 1822 New Monthly Magazine as Sonnet. (page 192).—lmw

Look where she sits in languid loveliness,1
Her feet upgathered, and her turban’d brow2
Bent o’er her hand, her robe in ample flow3
Disparted! Look in attitude and dress4
She sits and seems an Eastern Sultaness!5
And music is about her, and the glow6
Of young fair faces, and sweet voices go7
Forth at her call, and all about her press.8
But no Sultana she! As in a book9
In that fine form and lovely brow we trace10
Divinest purity, and the bright look11
Of genius. Much is she in mind and face12
Like the fair blossom of some woodland nook13
The wind-flower☐Name: anemone | Genus: Anemone | Family: Ranunculaceae.
Mitford may refer to the wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa), an early-spring flowering plant, native to Europe. Common names include wood anemone, windflower, thimbleweed, and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves. However, she may also refer to one of the cultivated varieties not native to England, such as the poppy anemone (Anemone coronaria), which is native to the Mediterranean region but was cultivated elsewhere in Europe beginning in the eighteenth century. Unlike the wood anemone, the poppy anemone appears in bright shades of red and blue.—lmw
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Anemone *,—delicate and full of grace.14
* The Hampshire☐Hampshire, England | Hampshire England | 51.05769480000001 -1.3080628999999817 County on the southern coast of England, known historically as the County of Southampton. The county town is Winchester. Abbreviated Hants. —lmw name of the wood-anemone☐Name: anemone | Genus: Anemone | Family: Ranunculaceae.
Mitford may refer to the wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa), an early-spring flowering plant, native to Europe. Common names include wood anemone, windflower, thimbleweed, and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves. However, she may also refer to one of the cultivated varieties not native to England, such as the poppy anemone (Anemone coronaria), which is native to the Mediterranean region but was cultivated elsewhere in Europe beginning in the eighteenth century. Unlike the wood anemone, the poppy anemone appears in bright shades of red and blue.—lmw
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Anemone .—MRM


VIII.
TO MISS PORDEN☐Eleanor Anne Franklin Porden | Born: 1795-07-14 in London, England. Died: 1825-02-22 in London, England.
Poet. Author of The Veils; or the Triumph of Constancy and Coeur de Lion; or the Third Crusade. A Poem in 16 books. Daughter of the Hanoverian court architect William Porden. Married Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin in 1823. Died of consumption, complicated by childbirth.—lmw, rnes
*,
ON HER POEM OF COEUR DE LION☐Coeur de Lion; or the Third Crusade. A Poem in 16 books. . Eleanor Anne Franklin Porden. Eleanor Porden Franklin Porden Franklin Eleanor Anne . 1822. .[7] ☐Also appeared in the August 17, 1822 Literary Gazette under the same title, dated June 10, 1822 (page 519).—lmw

Proudly thy sex may claim thee, young and fair1
And lofty poetess! proudly may tell2
How thou hast sung the arms invincible3
Of him the lion-hearted☐Richard I of England Richard Plantagenet King of England Duke of Normandy Duke of Aquitaine Count of Anjou | Born: 1157-09-08 in Beaumont Palace, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Died: 1199-04-06 in Châlus, Duchy of Aquitaine.
House of Plantaganet; Angevin dynasty. Son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, his consort was Berengaria of Navarre. Also known as Richard Coeur de Lion or Richard the Lionheart. Folklore portraying Robin Hood as a supporter of Richard I dates from the sixteenth century. —lmw
, in the snare4
Of Austria☐Austria | Austria | 47.333333 13.333333 Country in central Europe, now the Republic of Austria, made up of nine federated states, whose capital is Vienna. From the 16th century, a center of the Habsburg monarchy and an archduchy and center of the Holy Roman Empire. In the early 19th century, Austria established itself as an empire and a leading power in the German Confederation.—lmw, as amid the sultry glare5
Of Palestine☐Palestine | Palestine | 31.6253 35.1453 In Mitford's time, refers not to a country, but to the geographic region in Western Asia known as the Land of Israel or Holy Land referred to in the Christian Bible, comprising the present-day state of Israel, the Palestinian territories, and parts of Jordan. Similar names were used in the ancient world, and the region was later the Roman province of Syria Palaestina. It also refers to the southern section of broader regional designations such as Canaan or the Levant.—lmw, triumphant; or the spell6
Of poor Maimoune☐Maimoune
Character from Arabian Tales.—lmw; or the thoughts that swell7
When suddenly the old remembered air8
Rings from the harp of Blondel☐Blondel
Fictional character loosely based on a 13th-century French trouvére or troubador, either Jean I of Nesle (died 1202) or his son Jean II of Nesle (died 1241), associated with the more than twenty courtly songs attributed to Blondel de Nesle. In the Récits d'un Ménestrel de Reims, Blondel is a mythologized minstrel character who rescues an equally mythologized Richard I from prison through his songs. Blondel's story became popularized in the late eighteenth century and formed the basis for an opera as well as for Eleanor Porden's Coeur de Lion, in which Blondel turns out to be Richard's wife Berengaria in disguise.—lmw; or the bright9
And gorgeous train of England☐England | 52.3555177 -1.1743197000000691 Country in the British Isles. Borders Scotland and Wales. London is the capital city, and is situated on the River Thames.—bas’s chivalry;10
Or, worthy of his kingly foe, the might11
Of paynim Saladin☐Saladin An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub Salah ad-Din | Born: 1137 in Tikrit, Iraq. Died: 1193-03-04 in Damascus, Syria.
Known by his Arabic honorific,Salah ad-Din, westernized as Saladin. First Sultan of Egypt and Syria; founded the Ayyubid dynasty. In the 12th century, led Muslim forces against the Catholic Crusader-state forces in the eastern Mediterranean. Fought against Richard I and Philip II of France in what was later known as the 3rd Crusade and negotiated a three-year truce in the region.—lmw
https://viaf.org/viaf/90040943/ . Oh, proud of thee12
Is woman! proud of thy bold muse’s flight!13
Proud of thy gentle spirit’s purity.14
* My late dear and lamented friend Mrs. FrancklinFranklin☐Eleanor Anne Franklin Porden | Born: 1795-07-14 in London, England. Died: 1825-02-22 in London, England.
Poet. Author of The Veils; or the Triumph of Constancy and Coeur de Lion; or the Third Crusade. A Poem in 16 books. Daughter of the Hanoverian court architect William Porden. Married Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin in 1823. Died of consumption, complicated by childbirth.—lmw, rnes
.—MRM


IX.
TO MR. HAYDON☐Benjamin Robert Haydon | Born: 1786-01-26 in Plymouth, Devonshire, England. Died: 1846-06-22 in London, England.
Benjamin Robert Haydon was a painter educated at the Royal Academy, who was famous for contemporary, historical, classical, biblical, and mythological scenes, though tormented by financial difficulties. He painted William Wordsworth’s portrait in 1842. MRM was introduced to him at his London studio in the spring of 1817, and Sir William Elford was a mutual friend. He killed himself in 1846. —ebb
English painter and author (1786-1846) Published Autobiography in 3 vols. (1853) John Keats named him in several poems.
—lmw, ON A STUDY FROM NATURE.[8] ☐Haydon study, as yet unidentified, from before 21 May 1817, the first publication date of the poem. May refer to a preliminary sketch for Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem.—lmw, slc[9] ☐Also appeared in the July 19, 1817 Literary Gazette as To Mr. Haydon dated 21st May, 1817 (page 41).—lmw

Tears in the eyes and on the lips a sigh![10] ☐Likely an inexact quotation from Marmion: She look’d down to blush, and she look’d up to sigh,/ With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye, found in the often-quoted section on young Lochinvar.—lmw, slc1
Haydon☐Benjamin Robert Haydon | Born: 1786-01-26 in Plymouth, Devonshire, England. Died: 1846-06-22 in London, England.
Benjamin Robert Haydon was a painter educated at the Royal Academy, who was famous for contemporary, historical, classical, biblical, and mythological scenes, though tormented by financial difficulties. He painted William Wordsworth’s portrait in 1842. MRM was introduced to him at his London studio in the spring of 1817, and Sir William Elford was a mutual friend. He killed himself in 1846. —ebb
English painter and author (1786-1846) Published Autobiography in 3 vols. (1853) John Keats named him in several poems.
—lmw! the great, the beautiful, the bold,2
Thy wisdom’s king, thy mercy’s God unfold,3
There art and genius blend in union high.4
But this is of the soul. The majesty5
Of grief is here, grief cast in such a mould6
As Niobe☐Niobe
Greek mythological figure who boasted of her fourteen children, (called the Niobids). As a punishment for her boastfulness, Artemis killed all but one of her children. Became emblematic of tears and extreme sorrow, particularly maternal grief.—lmw, slc of yore. The tale is told7
All at a glance—A childless mother I!8
The tale is told:—but who can e’er forget9
That e’er hath seen that visage of despair!10
With unaccustom’d tears our cheeks are wet;11
Heavy our hearts with unaccounted care;12
Upon our thoughts it presses like a debt;13
We close our eyes in vain—that face is there!14


X.
ENGLEFIELD HOUSE☐Englefield House, Englefield, Berkshire, England | Englefield | Berkshire | England | 51.443 -1.106 Elizabethan-era country house, currently a Grade II listed building open to the public, which has been used several times as a filming location. During Mitford's lifetime, the estate was owned by of the Benyon family, including Richard Benyon the younger (died 1796) and Richard Benyon De Beauvoir, to whom Mitford dedicated her poem Englefield House in 1822.—lmw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englefield_House#/media/File:Neale(1827)_p4.026_-_Englefield_House,_Berkshire.jpg http://www.englefieldestate.co.uk :
THE SEAT OF R. BENYON DE BEAUVOIR, ESQ.☐Richard Benyon, or: Richard Powlett-Wrighte , Richard Benyon De Beauvoir | Born: 1769-04-28 in Westminster, London, England. Died: 1854-03-22.
One of the wealthiest commoners in Berkshire and a major landowner and philanthropist. A correspondent of Mary Russell Mitford; Mitford wrote a sonnet, Englefield House: The Seat of R. Benyon De Beauvoir, Esq., Near Reading, printed in her 1827 poems. He served as a Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant for Berkshire, and as High Sheriff of Berkshire. —lmw

 NEAR READING☐Reading, Berkshire, England | Reading | Berkshire | England | 51.4542645 -0.9781302999999753 County town in Berkshire, in the Thames valley at the confluence of the Thames and the River Kennet. The town developed as a river port and in Mitford’s time served as a staging point on the Bath Road and was developing into a center of manufacturing. Mitford lived here with her parents from 1791 to 1795, on Coley Avenue in the parish of St. Mary’s and attended the Abbey School. The family returned to Reading from 1797 to about 1804, after which they relocated to Bertram House. They frequently visited Reading thereafter from their homes at nearby Bertram House, Three Mile Cross and Swallowfield. Mitford later used scenes from Reading as the basis for Belford Regis; or Sketches of a Country Town.—lmw.

There is a pride, as of an elder day1
About thee, Englefield☐Englefield House, Englefield, Berkshire, England | Englefield | Berkshire | England | 51.443 -1.106 Elizabethan-era country house, currently a Grade II listed building open to the public, which has been used several times as a filming location. During Mitford's lifetime, the estate was owned by of the Benyon family, including Richard Benyon the younger (died 1796) and Richard Benyon De Beauvoir, to whom Mitford dedicated her poem Englefield House in 1822.—lmw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englefield_House#/media/File:Neale(1827)_p4.026_-_Englefield_House,_Berkshire.jpg http://www.englefieldestate.co.uk ! Midway thy steep2
And wood-crowned eminence, where round thee sweep3
Green flowery lawns, trees in the fresh array4
Of summer, meadows with the close-piled hay5
Studded, blue waters that do seem to creep6
All listlessly for heat, and cots that sleep7
I’ the sunshine. How thou tower’st above the gay8
And lovely landscape, in the majesty9
Of thy old beauty! Even those mansions bright,10
That pretty town, that gothic chapelry *11
With front and pinnacle so rich and light,12
Seem all as toys and costly pageantry13
Made but for thy proud halls and their delight.14
* The new Church at Theale☐Holy Trinity Church, Theale, Berkshire, England | Theale | Tilehurst | Berkshire | EnglandAnglican church built to replace a modest brick chapel built by clergyman Dr. Sheppard, who held the living of the entire parish of Tilehurst. Church, rectory, and school built in memory of Dr. Sheppard by his wife Sophia Routh Sheppard and her brother Martin Routh. Building began shortly after Dr. Sheppard's death in 1814, but the church was not completed and consecreated until August 21, 1832, although Mitford speaks of the new church in 1827.—lmw, slc http://www.holytrinitytheale.org.uk/content/pages/documents/1491582965.pdf , a beautiful specimen of modern Gothic.—MRM


XI.
NEW YEAR’S DAY. 1819.
TO MRS. DICKINSON☐Catherine Dickinson Allingham | Born: 1787 in Middlesex, England. Died: 1861-09-02 in St. Marylebone, Middlesex, England.
Catherine Allingham was the daughter of Thomas Allingham. She married Charles Dickinson on August 2, 1807 at St. Giles, South Mimms, Middlesex. They lived in Swallowfield, Berkshire, where their daughter Frances was born, and where they were visited by the Mitford family. According to Mitford, Catherine Dickinson was fond of match-making among her friends and acquaintances. (See Mitford's February 8th, 1821 letter to Elford . Her husband Charles died in 1827, when her daughter was seven. Source: L'Estrange). —ajc, lmw.

Banquet and song, and dance and revelry!—1
Auspicious year born in so fair a light2
Of gaiety and beauty! happy night3
Sacred to social pleasure, and to thee4
Its dear dispenser, of festivity5
The festive queen, the moving spirit bright6
Of music and the dance, of all delight7
The gentle mistress, bountiful and free.8
Oh happy night! and oh succeeding day9
Far happier! when ’mid converse and repose10
Handel☐George Georg Frederick Friedrich Handel Händel, or: Georg Friedrich Händel | Born: 1685-03-05. Died: 1759-04-14.
Anglo-German composer, influenced by the Italian Baroque. Settled in London in 1712 and became a naturalized British subject in 1727.—ncl, lmw
’s sweet strains came sweetened, and the lay11
Divine of that old Florentine☐Durante degliAlighieri, or: Dante Alighieri | Born: 1265 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Died: 1321-09-14 in Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Medieval poet, author of The Divine Comedy.—lmw
 arose,12
Dante☐Durante degliAlighieri, or: Dante Alighieri | Born: 1265 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Died: 1321-09-14 in Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Medieval poet, author of The Divine Comedy.—lmw
, and Genius flung his torch-like ray13
O’er the dark tale of Ugolino☐Count Ugolino
Character from Dante’s Inferno. Guilty of treason.—ncl, lmw’s woes.14


XII.
ON TWO OF MR. HOFLAND☐Thomas Christopher Hofland | Born: 1777-12-25 in Nottinghamshire. Died: 1843-01-03 in Leamington Spa.
Landscape painter, and second husband of the author Barbara Hofland.—ebb’S LANDSCAPES.[11] ☐The specific Hofland works referred to here have not yet been identified.—lmw

A mighty power is in that roaring main1
Broken into huge and foamy waves, which knock2
Against yon mass of battlemented rock3
Dark with storm-laden cloud, and wind-tost rain.4
A lovely power is in that sunny plain5
Where in their beauty the clear waters sleep,6
Fringed in by tender grass, or idly creep7
Where the close tufted banks their course restrain.8
Oh Painter of the elements! to thee9
Alike the gentle or tempestuous hour:10
The throes and heavings of the wintery sea,11
Whilst earth, and sky, and storm, and darkness, lour;12
Or the sweet sunshine brooding peacefully13
O’er wandering rivulet and summer bower.14


XIII.
ON HEARING MR. TALFOURD☐Thomas Noon Talfourd | Born: 1795-05-26 in Reading, Berkshire, England. Died: 1854-03-13 in Stafford, Staffordshire, England.
Close friend, literary mentor, and frequent correspondent of Mary Russell Mitford. A native of Reading, Talfourd was educated at the Reading’s newly-established Mill Hill school, a dissenting academy, from 1808 to 1810. He attended Dr. Richard Valpy’s Reading School from 1810 to 1812. His career in law began with a legal apprenticeship with Joseph Christy, special pleader, in 1817. He was called to the bar in London in 1821 and ultimately earned a D.C.L. (Doctor of Civil Laws) from Oxford on June 20, 1844. While establishing his practice as a barrister and special pleader, he worked as legal correspondent for The Times, reporting on the Oxford Circuit, and also continued his literary interests. After 1833, he was appointed Serjeant at Law, as well as a King’s and Queen’s Counsel. He was elected and served as Member of Parliament for Reading from 1835 to 1841 and from 1847 to 1849 ; he served with Charles Fyshe Palmer, Charles Russell, and Francis Piggott. Highlights of his political and legal career included introducing the first copyright bill into Parliament in 1837 (for which action Charles Dickens dedicated Pickwick Papers to him) and defending Edward Moxon’s publication of Percy Shelley’s Queen Mab in 1841 . He was appointed Queen’s Serjeant in 1846 and Judge of Common Pleas in 1849 , at which post he served until his death in 1854. He was knighted in 1850 .
Talfourd’s literary works include his plays Ion (1835), The Athenian Captive (1837) and Glencoe, or the Fate of the MacDonalds(1839).
—lmw, cmm, ebb
 PLEAD IN THE ASSIZE-
HALL☐Assize Hall, Reading, Berkshire, England | Reading | Berkshire | England | 51.4562 -0.967 Assize Court building in central Reading. The current Reading Crown Court Building was not built until 1861, after Mitford's death.—lmw https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1113476 AT READING☐Reading, Berkshire, England | Reading | Berkshire | England | 51.4542645 -0.9781302999999753 County town in Berkshire, in the Thames valley at the confluence of the Thames and the River Kennet. The town developed as a river port and in Mitford’s time served as a staging point on the Bath Road and was developing into a center of manufacturing. Mitford lived here with her parents from 1791 to 1795, on Coley Avenue in the parish of St. Mary’s and attended the Abbey School. The family returned to Reading from 1797 to about 1804, after which they relocated to Bertram House. They frequently visited Reading thereafter from their homes at nearby Bertram House, Three Mile Cross and Swallowfield. Mitford later used scenes from Reading as the basis for Belford Regis; or Sketches of a Country Town.—lmw, ON HIS FIRST CIRCUIT☐Oxford Circuit | EnglandOxford Circuit was one of six assize circuits in England and Wales. Before 1830, the Oxford Circuit consisted of the counties of Oxford, Worcester, Stafford, Salop, Hereford, Monmouth, Gloucester, and Berkshire. Judges were appointed by the monarch and traveled the Circuit twice per year to hear trials of serious crimes. Talfourd was appointed to the Oxford Circuit in 1821. —kdc,
March 1821.

Wherefore this stir? ’Tis but a common cause1
Of Cottage plunder: yet in every eye2
Sits expectation;—murmuring whispers fly3
Along the crowded court;—and then a pause;—4
And then a clear crisp voice invokes the laws,5
With such a full and rapid mastery6
Of sound and sense, such nice propriety,7
Such pure and perfect taste, that scarce the applause8
Can be to low triumphant words chained down9
Or more triumphant smiles. Yes, this is he,10
The young and eloquent spirit whose renown11
Makes proud his birth-place! a high destiny12
Is his; to climb to honour’s palmy crown13
By the straitstraight path of truth and honesty.14


XIV.
THE FISHING-SEAT, WHITEKNIGHTS☐Whiteknights, Berkshire, England | Whiteknights | Berkshire | England | 51.440426 -0.9427994999999783 Berkshire estate of George Spencer-Churchill, the sixth Duke of Marlborough. Purchased by him in 1798 and extensively renovated at great expense until the Duke’s bankruptcy in 1819, when the estate and contents were sold at auction. Subject of an 1818 publication by the Hoflands. Formerly the manor of Earley Whiteknights; now Whiteknights Park, part of the campus of the University of Reading.—lmw.[12] ☐Mitford encloses a copy of this poem in her October 11, 1817 letter to Sir William Elford.—lmw[13] ☐Also appeared in the 1827 Literary Souvenir (page 287).—lmw

There is a sweet according harmony1
In this fair scene: this quaintly fluted bower,2
These sloping banks with tree and shrub and flower3
Bedecked, and these pure waters, where the sky4
In its deep blueness shines so peacefully;5
Shines all unbroken, save with sudden light6
When some proud swan☐Name: mute swan or domestic swan or tame swan | Genus: Cygnus | Family: Anatidae | Species: Cygnus olor.
The mute swan, a large white waterbird with a distinctive orange-red and black knobbed beak, is a Eurasian species prevalent across Europe and the UK. Associated with Apollo and Venus in classical mythology. Symbolic of purity, because of their color; and faithful love, since swans are believed to grieve for the loss or death of a mate or cygnet. Mythologized as singing beautifully before their death, and thus, identified with extraordinary singers or poets; for example, referring to Shakespeare as the swan of Avon.—lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/mute-swan/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_olor majestically bright7
Flashes her snowy beauty on the eye;8
Shines all unbroken, save with sudden shade9
When from the delicate birch☐Name: weeping birch or silver birch or European white birch | Genus: Betula | Family: Betulaceae | Species: Betula pendula.
Medium-sized birch tree with white, peeling bark, triangular leaves that turn yellow before falling, and catkins in spring. Mitford uses the term weeping birch to refer to a pendulous variety of the white birch (Betula alba). A lightweight and light-colored wood used in making furniture and skis. Birch brush is used historically for racecourse jumps, the bark in tanning and traditional medicine, and wood strips for weaving small containers, baskets, and footwear.—lmw
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/silver-birch/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Betula_pendula/ a dewy tear10
The west-wind brushes. Even the bee☐Name: bee | Genus: Apis.
Social insect collecting nectar to produce wax and honey. Both honeybees and bumblebees are common in the UK. Proverbial for busy and diligent workers, as in the Isaac Watts poem, Against Idleness and Mischief. —lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/other-garden-wildlife/insects-and-other-invertebrates/bees-wasps-ants/ ’s blithe trade,11
The lark☐Name: lark.
In the UK, the lark family includes the woodlark, the skylark, and the shore lark. In Britain, the term lark conventionally refers to the skylark. Because of its habit of singing early in the morning, proverbial for early rising, and symbolic of happiness.—lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/lark-family/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Alaudidae ’s clear carols, sound too loudly here;12
A spot it is for far-off music made,13
Stillness and rest—a smaller Windermere☐Windermere, Cumbria, England | Windermere | Cumbria | England | 54.358333 -2.936111 One of two longest and deepest lakes in England, in the Lake District, located near the town of the same name, now in the County of Cumbria and part of the Lake District National Park. Historically, the lake made up part of the border between the counties of Westmorland and Lancashire.—lmw.14


XV.
TO A FRIEND☐Jane Eleanor Webb | Born: 1797-03-03 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Died: 1851-03-24 in Sandgate, Kent, England.
Friend of Mary Russell Mitford, the daughter of James Webb and Jane Elizabeth Ogbourn. Baptized on March 3, 1797. Sister of Elizabeth (called Eliza) and Mary Webb and niece of the elder Mary Webb, Aunt Mary . In Needham’s papers, he notes from the Berkshire Directorythat she lived on Broad street, presumably in Wokingham, Berkshire. She married Henry Walters, Esq., a land-surveyor and amateur antiquarian, and they lived at The Willows, near Windsor, Berkshire, according to census and other period records. Their date of marriage is unknown, but is likely between 1822 and 1832, based on her father’s 1822 will and 1831 census records.—scw, lmw ON HER BIRTH-DAY.[14] ☐Also appeared in the 1822 New Monthly Magazine (page 369) signed M.—lmw

This is the day sacred to love and mirth1
And tender wishes; this the favoured day2
(Sweet superstition!) when the artless lay3
Is welcomed, and the token little worth,4
And the fond vows, which live and have their birth5
In the affectionate heart; a holiday6
It is, for good and gentle, fair and gay,7
My lovely Jane☐Jane Eleanor Webb | Born: 1797-03-03 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Died: 1851-03-24 in Sandgate, Kent, England.
Friend of Mary Russell Mitford, the daughter of James Webb and Jane Elizabeth Ogbourn. Baptized on March 3, 1797. Sister of Elizabeth (called Eliza) and Mary Webb and niece of the elder Mary Webb, Aunt Mary . In Needham’s papers, he notes from the Berkshire Directorythat she lived on Broad street, presumably in Wokingham, Berkshire. She married Henry Walters, Esq., a land-surveyor and amateur antiquarian, and they lived at The Willows, near Windsor, Berkshire, according to census and other period records. Their date of marriage is unknown, but is likely between 1822 and 1832, based on her father’s 1822 will and 1831 census records.—scw, lmw, it gave thee to the earth.8
And thou hast trodden life’s path with a wise glee,9
Maid of the laughing eye! Were I the Queen10
Of that so famous land of of Faëry 11
Where quaintest spirits weave their spells unseen,12
No better benison I’d pour on thee13
Than to be happy still as thou hast been.14


XVI.
ON LEAVING A FAVOURITE PICTURE.[15] ☐Appeared in the 1821 New Monthly Magazine as Sonnet. On a Landscape by Mr. Hofland(page 392). Later appeared in the 1827 Literary Souvenir (page 233).—lmw

Young world of peace and loveliness farewell!1
Farewell to the clear lake; the mountains blue;2
The grove, whose tufted paths our eyes pursue3
Delighted; the white cottage in the dell4
By yon old church; the smoke from that small cell5
Amid the hills slow rising; and the hue6
Of summer air, fresh, delicate, and true,7
Breathing of light and life, the master spell!8
Work of the Poet’s eye, the Painter’s hand,9
How close to nature art thou, yet how free10
From earthly stain! the beautiful, the bland,11
The rose☐Name: rose | Genus: Rosa | Family: Rosaceae.
Large family of flowering shrubs that may appear as upright shrubs, woody climbers, or low-growing groundcovers. Mitford mentions a number of varieties of rose, including the wild rose, damask rose, moss rose, and sweet-briar.—lmw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose , the nightingale☐Name: nightingale | Genus: Luscinia | Family: Muscicapidae | Species: Luscinia megarhynchos.
A medium-sized migratory songbird, brown above and beige or whitish below, native to Eurasia and overwintering in sub-saharan Africa. Best known for its beautiful and powerful song. Prefers habitats of coppiced woods and scrubland. Great Britain represents the nothernmost extent of its range. Became proverbial for a person with a melodious speaking voice or with an extraordinary singing voice.—SMP, lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/nightingale/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Luscinia_megarhynchos resemble thee;—12
Thou art most like the blissful Fairy-land☐Faery landFictional setting of Spenser's Faerie Queen.—lmw13
Of Spenser☐Edmund Spenser | Born: 1552 in London, England. Died: 1599-01-13 in London, England.
Early modern poet and courtier, author of The Faerie Queen. Served in the military in Ireland and was later rewarded with lands confiscated from the Irish. Friend of Walter Raleigh. Buried in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.—lmw
, or Mozart☐Johannes Wolfgang Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Amadeus Mozart Mozart, or: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Born: 1756-01-27 in Salzburg, Austria. Died: 1791-12-05 in Prague, Bohemia.
’s fine melody.14


XVII.
WRITTEN IN A FRIEND’S ALBUM[16] ☐Also appeared in Marshall's Christmas Box in 1831.—lmw

Book of memorials fair! I cannot trace1
On thy white page the quaintly pencilled bower;2
I have no skill to bid the vivid flower3
Bloom ’mid thy leaves; nor with the immortal grace4
Of proud Apollo☐Apollo
In Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Leto; one of the twelve Olympians. He was known as the god of medicine, and later, was associated with the sun god Phoebus; however, his most important association in 18th- and 19th-century literature was as the leader of the Muses, and god of music and poetry. He is conventionally pictured carrying the kithara or lyre, and wearing a laurel wreath, emblems of poetic accomplishment.—lmw, or the goddess face5
Of Hebe☐Hebe
Greek mythological figure, the goodess of youth and the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Became proverbial for the budding beauty of adolescent women.—lmw deck them. ’Las! my ruder power6
Can but bear record faint of many an hour7
Passed thou mute witness in thy dwelling-place.8
Oh happiest hours, that ever me befall,9
Rich in commingling mind, in fancy’s play!10
Oh happiest hours, whether in music’s thrall,11
Or converse sweet as music pass the day!12
Oh happiest hours! and most beloved of all13
The cherished friend that speeds them on their way!14


XVIII.
ON VISITING DONNINGTON CASTLE☐Donnington Castle, Donnington, Berkshire, England | Donnington | Newbury | Berkshire | England | 51.419444 -1.3375 Ruined medieval castle, of which only the 14th-century gatehouse remains standing. In 1398, Thomas Chaucer, the brother of the poet Chaucer, purchased the castle for his daughter. In 1646, the Castle was captured by Royalist forces and endured an eighteen-month siege by Parliamentarian forces, after which time the main portion of the Castle was demolished. The gatehouse and ruins are now a scheduled ancient monument, number 233041.—lmw http://www.newburyhistory.co.uk/donnington-castle ,
Said to have been the latest residence of Chaucer☐Geoffrey Chaucer | Born: 1343 in London, England. Died: 1400-10-25 in London, England.
Medieval English poet, philsopher, and astronomer. Author of Canterbury Tales.—lmw
,
and celebrated for its resistance to the army of
Parliament☐Parlimentarians
Supporters of Cromwell and the parliamentary cause in the English Civil Wars. Also called English Republicans or Roundheads.—lmw during the civil wars.[17] ☐Also appeared in the 1821 New Monthly Magazine as Sonnet on Visiting Donnington Castle(page 532).—lmw

Oh, for some gentle spirit to surround1
With clinging ivy☐Name: ivy or common ivy or English ivy or European ivy | Genus: Hedera | Family: Araliaceae | Species: Hedera helix.
Flowering evergreen vine native to Eurasia and North Africa, it has a climbing or ground-creeping habit and may grow on walls or tree trunks. It carries inconspicuous yellow-green flower clusters that develop into orange or purple-black berries. In floriography, ivy represents married love and fidelity. Associated with Bacchus and also used as a tavern sign indicating that wine is sold. Ancient Roman literature spoke of a marriage between the elm and the vine, in which the elm represented the husband and the vine the wife, because of their practice of planting elms in vineyards to support the vines; in British literature, this motif appears most frequently as elm (or oak) and ivy. The Holly and the Ivy is a traditional English folk song that dates from the early nineteenth century, or earlier. The plants have been used as British Advent and Christmas decorations since at least the 15th century, and feature in other traditional holiday carols, as well.—qar, slc, lmw
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/ivy/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Hedera_helix thy high-seated towers,2
Fair Donnington,☐Donnington Castle, Donnington, Berkshire, England | Donnington | Newbury | Berkshire | England | 51.419444 -1.3375 Ruined medieval castle, of which only the 14th-century gatehouse remains standing. In 1398, Thomas Chaucer, the brother of the poet Chaucer, purchased the castle for his daughter. In 1646, the Castle was captured by Royalist forces and endured an eighteen-month siege by Parliamentarian forces, after which time the main portion of the Castle was demolished. The gatehouse and ruins are now a scheduled ancient monument, number 233041.—lmw http://www.newburyhistory.co.uk/donnington-castle and wipe from Chaucer☐Geoffrey Chaucer | Born: 1343 in London, England. Died: 1400-10-25 in London, England.
Medieval English poet, philsopher, and astronomer. Author of Canterbury Tales.—lmw
’s bowers3
The last rude touch of war! All sight, all sound4
Of the old strife boon nature from the ground5
Hath banished. Here the trench no longer lours.6
But, like a bosky dell, begirt with flowers7
And garlanded with May☐Name: mayflower or midland hawthorn or English hawthorn or woodland hawthorn | Genus: Crataegus | Family: Rosaceae | Species: Crataegus laevigata.
Flowering thorny shrub that develops a red, berry-like fruit that is actually a pome containing two or three nutlets. Native to western and central Europe, North Africa, and the UK. Closely related to the common hawthorne; the two species hybridize.—lmw
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/midland-hawthorn/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Crataegus_laevigata , sinks dimpling round8
A very spot for youthful lover’s dreams9
In the prime hour. Grisildi☐Grisildi
Character in The Clerk's Tale from Canterbury Tales, also called Griselda or Patient Grizzle who became proverbial for a patient, obedient, long-suffering wife. Mitford may have been familiar with the 1782 Martins edition of the Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, in which this tale appears in volume 3.—lmw’s mournful lay,10
The half-told tale* would sound still sweeter here.11
Oh for some hand to hide with ivy☐Name: ivy or common ivy or English ivy or European ivy | Genus: Hedera | Family: Araliaceae | Species: Hedera helix.
Flowering evergreen vine native to Eurasia and North Africa, it has a climbing or ground-creeping habit and may grow on walls or tree trunks. It carries inconspicuous yellow-green flower clusters that develop into orange or purple-black berries. In floriography, ivy represents married love and fidelity. Associated with Bacchus and also used as a tavern sign indicating that wine is sold. Ancient Roman literature spoke of a marriage between the elm and the vine, in which the elm represented the husband and the vine the wife, because of their practice of planting elms in vineyards to support the vines; in British literature, this motif appears most frequently as elm (or oak) and ivy. The Holly and the Ivy is a traditional English folk song that dates from the early nineteenth century, or earlier. The plants have been used as British Advent and Christmas decorations since at least the 15th century, and feature in other traditional holiday carols, as well.—qar, slc, lmw
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/ivy/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Hedera_helix spray12
War’s ravages, and chase the jarring themes13
Of King and State, Roundhead☐Parlimentarians
Supporters of Cromwell and the parliamentary cause in the English Civil Wars. Also called English Republicans or Roundheads.—lmw and Cavalier☐Royalists | Cavaliers
Supporters of Charles I and the Crown in the English Civil Wars. Also called Cavaliers, originally a perjorative term invented by the Parliamentarians but later embraced by the Royalists themselves.—lmw!14
Or call up him who left half told
 The story of Cambuscan bold.
 —Milton☐John Milton, Secretary for Foreign Tongues, or: Secretary for Foreign Tongues | Born: 1608-12-09 in Bread Street, Cheapside, London, England. Died: 1674-11-08 in Bunhill, London, England.
English poet and polemical essayist who wrote in support of Parliamentary and Puritan causes, best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667).—esh, lmw
 of Chaucer☐Geoffrey Chaucer | Born: 1343 in London, England. Died: 1400-10-25 in London, England.
Medieval English poet, philsopher, and astronomer. Author of Canterbury Tales.—lmw
.—Il Pensoroso☐Il Pensoroso. . Milton . London: 1645.
Written 1632, together with L' Allegro.—lmw.—MRM


XIX.
WRITTEN AFTER A VISIT FROM SOME FRIENDS.

I could have lengthened out one fleeting hour1
Into an age; sitting at set of sun2
Under the long, low, open shed where won3
The mellow evening light through leaf and flower;4
Playing the hostess in that summer bower5
To such dear guests, whilst rose the antique song6
By those young sister voices poured along7
So wild, so pure, so clear, full of sweet power8
Ringing and vibrating. It was a lay9
That sent a smile into the very heart;10
As when the early lark☐Name: lark.
In the UK, the lark family includes the woodlark, the skylark, and the shore lark. In Britain, the term lark conventionally refers to the skylark. Because of its habit of singing early in the morning, proverbial for early rising, and symbolic of happiness.—lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/lark-family/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Alaudidae shoots up in May11
With his blithe matins, rarer than all art12
Save this. Oh happiest and most fleeting day.13
Why art thou gone so soon! Why must we part!14


XX.
ON AN INTENDED REMOVAL FROM A FAVOURITE
RESIDENCE. November, 1820.[18] ☐Also appeared in the 1822 New Monthly Magazine (page 81) signed M.—lmw

Adieu beloved and lovely home! Adieu,1
Thou pleasant mansion, and ye waters bright,2
Ye lawns, ye aged elm☐Name: elm or smooth-leaved elm or English elm or field elm | Genus: Ulmus | Family: Ulmaceae | Species: Ulmus procera.
The so-called English elm is a deciduous tree with serrated leaves, a variety of the European field elm, introduced into England from Spain in the 16th century. Before Dutch elm disease decimated the population in the 20th century, mature elm trees were a prominent feature of mixed deciduous forests and were also frequently used in landscape gardening. In England, elms were found in mixed forests with oak and ash, often near rivers. While populations still exist, they do not grow to mature size, and so immature elms are today mainly found in hedgerows. Because of its resistance to rot, elm was frequently used to construct medieval water pipes as well as piers, jetties, and lock gates. Because of its resistance to splitting, it was also used to make chair seats, coffins, wagon wheel hubs, and bows. During the enclosure movement, elms were plants in hawthorn hedges, and avenues and groves of elms were popular features of 18th- and 19th-century landscape gardening. Wych elm, also called witch hazel or Scots elm, is also native to the UK. Ancient Roman literature spoke of a marriage between the elm and the vine, in which the elm represented the husband and the vine the wife, because of the Roman practice of planting elms in vineyards to support grape vines; in British literature, this motif appears most frequently as elm and ivy. The ancient Greek tradition of planting elms on graves has also given rise to a elm-and-death motif. They are also frequently mentioned in classical pastoral poetry, where their cool shade is praised as paradisal.—tfb, lmw
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/english-elm/
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ulmus s, ye shrubberies light3
(My own cotemporary trees, that grew4
Even with my growth;) ye flowers of orient hue,5
A long farewell to all! Ere fair to sight6
In summer-shine ye bloom with beauty dight,7
Your halls we leave for scenes untried and new.8
Oh shades endeared by memory’s magic power9
With strange reluctance from your paths I roam!10
But home lives not in lawn, or tree, or flower,11
Nor dwells tenacious in one only dome.12
Where smiling friends adorn the social hour,13
Where they, the dearest are, there will be home.14


XXI.
ON THE DEPARTURE OF A FRIEND☐Mary Ramsay | Born: 1803-01-31 in Barnton, Midlothian, Scotland. Died: 1819-10-20 in Lisbon, Portugal.
A friend of Mitford and Miss James in 1819. The 6th daughter of George Ramsay of Edinburgh (1769-1810). Emily James accompanied her to Lisbon before her death in 1819. Mitford notes that two of her sisters also died in young womanhood, likely Eleanor and Helen.—lmw TO LISBON☐Lisbon, Portugal | Lisbon | Portugal | 38.7222524 -9.139336599999979 The capital city of Portugal, located on the western Iberian peninsula; one of the oldest cities in the world.—err, lmw FOR
THE RECOVERY OF HER HEALTH. Nov. 1813.

Thou freshest spirit, that on Lisbon☐Lisbon, Portugal | Lisbon | Portugal | 38.7222524 -9.139336599999979 The capital city of Portugal, located on the western Iberian peninsula; one of the oldest cities in the world.—err, lmw’s shore1
Didst shake health-breathing airs so cheerily2
From thy soft wing, as oft the murmuring bee☐Name: bee | Genus: Apis.
Social insect collecting nectar to produce wax and honey. Both honeybees and bumblebees are common in the UK. Proverbial for busy and diligent workers, as in the Isaac Watts poem, Against Idleness and Mischief. —lmw
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/other-garden-wildlife/insects-and-other-invertebrates/bees-wasps-ants/ 3
Scatters the full-blown rose☐Name: rose | Genus: Rosa | Family: Rosaceae.
Large family of flowering shrubs that may appear as upright shrubs, woody climbers, or low-growing groundcovers. Mitford mentions a number of varieties of rose, including the wild rose, damask rose, moss rose, and sweet-briar.—lmw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose —the cannon’s roar4
Sacred thee, mild spirit! and the flood of gore,5
Tinging the bosom of thy heaving sea,6
Defiled thy snowy feet, and thou didst flee7
From ills thou could’st not cure and must deplore.8
War’s demons are gone by. Thy lovely strand9
Is purified. Oh spirit thither bend10
Thine airy flight, and wave thy healing wand11
O’er yon fair form where grace and virtue blend!12
Then proudly waft her to her native land—13
Her, loved and blest, the mother, wife and friend.14


XXII.
WRITTEN OCTOBER, 1825.[19] ☐Also appeared in the 1827 Amulet as Sonnet. By Miss Mitford(page 236).—lmw

Within my little garden is a flower,1
A tuft of flowers, most like a sheaf of corn☐Name: corn.
Refers to agricultural plants whose seeds are used to produce flour, or to the seeds themselves. In the UK, commonly refers to wheat, but may also refer to oats, barley, or maize. The term is used in this sense in Keats's Ode to a Nightingale, which references the Biblical Ruth: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path./Through the sad heart of Ruth when, sick for home,/She stood in tears amid the alien corn (stanza 7, lines 5-7; Ruth chapter 2, lines 2-3). This is also the sense of the term Corn Laws debated in the early 19th century, which concerned trade restrictions and tariffs on foodstuffs, including cereal grains.—lmw,2
The lilac blossomed daisy☐Name: Michaelmas daisy or European Michaelmas daisy or aster | Genus: Aster | Family: Asteraceae | Species: Aster amellus.
The Michaelmas daisy or aster is a Eurasian perennial plant that blooms in late summer with multiple purple or lavendar daisy-like flowers on a flower stalk. Hybridized varieties may have white, pink, or purple flowers. It came to symbolize farewell. In 1820, Laetitia E. Landon published a poem entitled Michaelmas Daisy. The only member of the aster family native to the UK is the sea aster (Aster tripolium).—lmw, slc
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Aster_amellus that is born3
At Michaelmas, wrought by the gentle power4
Of this sweet Autumn into one bright shower5
Of bloomy beauty; Spring hath nought more fair,6
Four sister butterflies inhabit there,7
Gay gentle creatures! Round that odorous bower8
They weave their dance of joy the livelong day,9
Seeming to bless the sunshine; and at night10
Fold their enamelled wings as if to pray.11
Home-loving pretty ones! would that I might12
For richer gifts as cheerful tribute pay,13
So meet the rising dawn, so hail the parting ray!14