And Ignorance, with sceptic eye, [view: As her soft tears the spot bedew. Sweet smile of hope, delicious tear! And nature bid her blossoms bloom. And thou, O virgin queen of spring! Unfold thy robes of purest white, In the mild breeze unfettered wave So Faith shall seek the lowly dust And bear the long, cold, wintry night, ROBERT BLOOMFIELD. ROBERT BLOOMFIELD (1766-1823), author of the 'Farmer's Boy,' and other poems illustrative of English rural life and customs, was born at Honington, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. His father, a tailor, died whilst the poet was a child, and he was placed under his uncle, a farmer. Here he remained only two years, being too weak and diminutive for field-labour, and he was taken to London by an elder brother, and brought up to the trade of a shoemaker. His two years of country service, and occasional visits to his friends in Suffolk, were of inestimable importance to him as a poet, for they afforded materials for his 'Farmer's Boy,' and gave a freshness and reality to his descriptions. It was in the shoemaker's garret, however, that his poetry was chiefly composed; and the merit of introducing it to the world belongs to Mr. Capel Lofft, a literary gentleman residing at Troston, near Bury, to whom the manuscript was shewn, after being rejected by several London booksellers. Mr. Lofft warmly befriended the poet, and had the satisfaction of seeing his prognostications of success fully verified. At this time Bloomfield was thirtytwo years of age, was married, and had three children. The 'Farmer's Boy' immediately became popular; the Duke of Grafton patronised the poet, settling on him a small annuity, and through the influence of this nobleman, he was appointed to a situation in the Sealoffice. In 1810, Bloomfield published a collection of 'Rural Tales,' which fully supported his reputation; and to these were afterwards added Wild Flowers,' 'Hazelwood Hall,' a village drama, and 'Mayday with the Muses.' The last was published in the year of his death, and opens with a fine burst of poetical, though melancholy feeling. O for the strength to paint my joy once more! The worldly circumstances of the author seem to have been such as to confirm the common idea as to the infelicity of poets. His situation in the Seal-office was irksome and laborious, and he was forced to resign it from ill-health. He engaged in the bookselling business, but was unsuccessful. In his latter years he resorted to making Eolian harps, which he sold among his friends. We have been informed by the poet's son-a modest and intelligent man, a printerthat Mr. Rogers exerted himself to procure a pension for Bloomfield, and Mr. Southey also took much interest in his welfare; but his last days were embittered by ill-health and poverty. So severe were the sufferings of Bloomfield from continual headache and nervous irritability, that fears were entertained for his reason, when, happily, death stepped in, and released him from 'the world's poor strife.' He died at Shefford, in Bedfordshire, on the 19th of August 1823. The first remarkable feature in the poetry of this humble bard is the easy smoothness and correctness of his versification. His ear was attuned to harmony, and his taste to the beauties of expression, before he had learned anything of criticism, or had enjoyed opportunities for study. This may be seen from the opening of his principal poem: Humble Pleasures. O come, blest Spirit! whatsoe'er thou art, Thou kindling warmth that hover'st round my heart; That poverty itself cannot destroy, Be thou my Muse, and faithful still to me, Retrace the steps of wild obscurity. No deeds of arms my humble lines rehearse; Nature's sublimer scenes ne'er charmed mine eyes, O point these raptures! bid my bosom glow, For all the blessings of my infant days! Bear me through regions where gay Fancy dwells; Live, trifling incidents, and grace my song, To him whose drudgery unheeded goes, "Twas thus with Giles, meek, fatherless, and poor, Strange to the world, he wore a bashful look, And as revolving seasons changed the scene It is interesting to contrast the cheerful tone of Bloomfield's descriptions of rural life in its hardest and least inviting forms, with those of Crabbe, also a native of Suffolk. Both are true, but coloured with the respective peculiarities, in their style of observation and feeling, of the two poets. Bloomfield describes the various occupations of a farm-boy in seed-time, at harvest, tending cattle and sheep, and other occupations. In his tales, he embodies more moral feeling and painting, and his incidents are pleasing and well arranged. His want of vigour and passion, joined to the humility of his themes, is perhaps the cause of his being now little read; but he is one of the most characteristic and faithful of our national poets. Harvest. A glorious sight, if glory dwells below, Where heaven's munificence makes all things shew, That glads the ploughman's Sunday-morning's round; Here midst the boldest triumphs of her worth, Dares the keen sickle from its twelvemonth's rest, When the first sheaf its plumy top uprears. No rake takes here what Heaven to all bestows- Hark! where the sweeping scythe now rips along; Hies to the field the general toil to share. His cool brick floor, his pitcher, and his case, Wh le unrestrained the social converse flows, Occasioned by a visit to Whittlebury Forest, Northamptonshire, in August 1800. Genius of the forest shades! Lend thy power, and lend thine ear; A stranger trod thy lonely glades, Amidst thy dark and bounding deer; Inquiring childhood claims the verse, O let them not inquire in vain; Be with me while I thus rehearse The glories of thy silvan reign. Thy dells by wintry currents worn, And crowned the upland's graceful swell; While answering through the vale was heard Each distant heifer's tinkling bell. Hail, greenwood shades, that, stretching far, Defy e'en summer's noontide power, When August in his burning car Withholds the clouds, withholds the shower. The deep-toned low from either hill, Down hazel aisles and arches greenThe herd's rude tracks from rill to rillRoared echoing through the solemn scene. From my charmed heart the numbers sprung, Though birds had ceased the choral lay, I poured wild raptures from my tongue, And gave delicious tears their way. Then, darker shadows seeking still, Where human foot had seldom strayed, I read aloud to every hill Sweet Emma's love, 'the Nut-brown Shaking his matted mane on high, How would each sweeping ponderous bough Description of a Blind Youth. For from his cradle he had never seen Would dash his brow and weep upon his cheek; He grasped the saplings, measured every bough, May-day with the Muses. Banquet of an English Squire. Then came the jovial day, no streaks of red Doomed instantly, by simplest shepherd's ken, |