The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume I Part 74

[Sidenote: And to teach, by his own example, love and reverence to all things that G.o.d made and loveth.]

Farewell, farewell! but this I tell 610 To thee, thou Wedding-Guest!

He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small; 615 For the dear G.o.d who loveth us, He made and loveth all.

The Mariner, whose eye is bright, Whose beard with age is h.o.a.r, Is gone: and now the Wedding-Guest 620 Turned from the bridegroom's door.

He went like one that hath been stunned, And is of sense forlorn: A sadder and a wiser man, He rose the morrow morn. 625

1797-1798.

FOOTNOTES:

[186:1] The _Ancient Mariner_ was first published in the _Lyrical Ballads_, 1798. It was reprinted in the succeeding editions of 1800, 1802, and 1805. It was first published under the Author's name in _Sibylline Leaves_, 1817, and included in 1828, 1829, and 1834. For the full text of the poem as published in 1798, vide Appendices. The marginal glosses were added in 1815-1816, when a collected edition of Coleridge's poems was being prepared for the press, and were first published in _Sibylline Leaves_, 1817, but it is possible that they were the work of a much earlier period. The text of the _Ancient Mariner_ as reprinted in _Lyrical Ballads_, 1802, 1805 follows that of 1800.

[186:2] The text of the original pa.s.sage is as follows: 'Facile credo, plures esse naturas invisibiles quam visibiles, in rerum universitate: pluresque Angelorum ordines in caelo, quam sunt pisces in mari: Sed horum omnium familiam quis n.o.bis enarrabit? Et gradus, et cognationes, et discrimina, et singulorum munera? Harum rerum not.i.tiam semper ambivit ingenium humanum, nunquam attigit . . . Juvat utique non etc.: _Archaeologiae Philosophicae sive Doctrina Antiqua De Rerum Originibus._ Libri Duo: Londini, MDCXCII, p. 68.'

[186:3] How a Ship, having first sailed to the Equator, was driven by Storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole; how the Ancient Mariner cruelly and in contempt of the laws of hospitality killed a Sea-bird and how he was followed by many and strange Judgements: and in what manner he came back to his own Country, [_L. B._ 1800.]

[195:1] _Om._ in _Sibylline Leaves, 1817_.

[196:1] For the last two lines of this stanza, I am indebted to Mr.

WORDSWORTH. It was on a delightful walk from Nether Stowey to Dulverton, with him and his sister, in the Autumn of 1797, that this Poem was planned, and in part composed. [Note by S. T. C., first printed in _Sibylline Leaves_.]

LINENOTES:

t.i.tle] The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere. In Seven Parts L. B. 1798: The Ancient Mariner. A Poet's Reverie L. B. 1800, 1802, 1805.

[Note.--The 'Argument' was omitted in L. B. 1802, 1805, Sibylline Leaves, 1817, and in 1828, 1829, and 1834.]

PART I] I L. B. 1798, 1800. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In Seven Parts. S. L., 1828, 1829.

[1] It is an ancyent Marinere L. B. 1798 [ancient is spelled 'ancyent'

and Mariner 'Marinere' through out L. B. 1798].

[3] thy glittering eye L. B. 1798, 1800.

[4] stopp'st thou] stoppest L. B. 1798, 1800.

[Between 8 and 13]

But still he holds the wedding guest-- There was a Ship, quoth he-- 'Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale, Marinere, [Mariner! 1800] come with me.'

He holds him with his skinny hand-- Quoth he, there was a Ship-- Now get thee hence thou greybeard Loon!

Or my Staff shall make thee skip.

L. B. 1798, 1800.

[Between 40 and 55]

Listen, Stranger! Storm and Wind, A Wind and Tempest strong!

For days and weeks it play'd us freaks-- Like chaff we drove along.

Listen Stranger! Mist and Snow, And it grew wondrous cauld; And Ice mast-high came floating by As green as Emerauld.

L. B. 1798.

[Between 40 and 51]

But now the Northwind came more fierce, There came a Tempest strong!

And Southward still for days and weeks Like Chaff we drove along.

L. B. 1800.

Lines 41-50 of the text were added in Sibylline Leaves, 1817. [_Note._ The emendation in the marginal gloss, 'driven' for 'drawn' first appears in 1893.]

[55] clifts] clift S. L. [probably a misprint. It is not corrected in the _Errata_.]

[57] Nor . . . nor] Ne . . . ne L. B. 1798.

[62] Like noises of a swound L. B. 1798: A wild and ceaseless sound L.

B. 1800.

[65] And an it were L. B. 1798: As if MS. Corr. S. T. C.

[67] The Mariners gave it biscuit-worms L. B. 1798, 1800.

[77] fog-smoke white] fog smoke-white L. B. 1798 (_corr. in Errata_).

PART II] II L. B. 1798, 1800: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Part the Second, S. L. 1828, 1829.

[83] The Sun came up L. B. 1798.

[85] And broad as a weft upon the left L. B. 1798.

[89] Nor] Ne L. B. 1798.

[90] mariners'] Marinere's L. B. 1798, 1800, S. L. 1817: Mariner's L. B. 1800.

[91] a] an all editions to 1834.

[95-6] om. L. B. 1798, 1800: were added in Sibylline Leaves.

[97] Nor . . . nor] ne . . . ne L. B. 1798. like an Angel's head L. B.

1800.