forced to work, 1815.

His dwindled body half awry,
Rests upon ancles swoln and thick;
His legs are thin and dry.
He has no son, he has no child,
His Wife, an aged woman,
Lives with him, near the waterfall,
Upon the village Common. 1820.]

[Variant 11:

1845.

But what avails the land to them,
Which they can till no longer? 1798.

"But what," saith he, "avails the land,
Which I can till no longer?" 1827.

But what avails it now, the land
Which he can till no longer? 1832.

'Tis his, but what avails the land
Which he can till no longer? 1837.

The time, alas! is come when he
Can till the land no longer. 1840.

The time is also come when he
Can till the land no longer. C.]

[Variant 12:

1827.

Old Ruth works out of doors with him,
And does what Simon cannot do;
For she, not over stout of limb, 1798.]

[Variant 13:

1840.

Alas! 'tis very little, all
Which they can ... 1798.

That they can ... 1837.]

[Variant 14:

1815.

His poor old ancles swell. 1798.]

[Variant 15:

1820.

And I'm afraid ... 1798.]

[Variant 16:

1820.

I hope you'll ... 1798.]

[Variant 17:

1798.

... _think_,

In the editions 1832 to 1843.]

[Variant 18:

1815.

About the root ... 1798.]

[Variant 19:

1820.

Has oftner ... 1798.

Has oftener ... 1805.]

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: Note that the phrase: 'But oh the heavy change,' occurs in
Milton's 'Lycidas'. (Professor Dowden.) See 'Lycidas', l. 37.--Ed.]

[Footnote B: Compare Shakspeare's Sonnet, No. xxx.:

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past;

and in Spenser's 'An epitaph upon the Right Honourable Sir Phillip
Sidney, Knight; Lord governor of Flushing.'

Farewell, self-pleasing thoughts, which quietness brings forth.

Ed.]

[Footnote C: See Appendix VI. to this volume.--Ed.]

* * * * *

LINES WRITTEN IN EARLY SPRING

Composed 1798.--Published 1798.

[Actually composed while I was sitting by the side of the brook that
runs down from the 'Comb', in which stands t