75
  To shelter from some object of her fear. 
—­And hence, long afterwards, when eighteen moons
  Were wasted, as I chanced to walk alone
  Beneath this rock, at sunrise, on a calm
  And silent morning, I sat down, and there, 80
  In memory of affections old and true,
  I chiselled out in those rude characters
  Joanna’s name deep in the living stone:—­[8]
  And I, and all who dwell by my fireside,
  Have called the lovely rock, JOANNA’S ROCK.” 85

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1: 

1827.

  Your time ... 1800.]

[Variant 2: 

1836.

  Is slow towards... 1800.

  ... toward.... 1827.]

[Variant 3: 

1836.
  ... are taught... 1800.]

[Variant 4: 

1836.

  ... betwixt ... 1800.]

[Variant 5: 

1836.

  Which looks towards the East, I there stopp’d short, 1800.

  ... toward ... 1827.]

[Variant 6: 

1836.

  And trac’d ... 1800.]

[Variant 7: 

1827.

  Is not for me to tell; but sure I am 1800]

[Variant 8: 

1845.

  Joanna’s name upon the living stone. 1800.]

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A:  The Rectory at Grasmere, where Wordsworth lived from 1811 to 1813, and where two of his children died.—­Ed.]

In Cumberland and Westmoreland are several Inscriptions upon the native rock which from the wasting of Time and the rudeness of the Workmanship had been mistaken for Runic.  They are without doubt Roman.

The Rotha, mentioned in this poem, is the River which flowing through the Lakes of Grasmere and Rydale falls into Wyndermere.  On Helm-Crag, that impressive single Mountain at the head of the Vale of Grasmere, is a Rock which from most points of view bears a striking resemblance to an Old Woman cowering.  Close by this rock is one of those Fissures or Caverns, which in the language of the Country are called Dungeons.  The other Mountains either immediately surround the Vale of Grasmere, or belong to the same Cluster.—­W.  W. 1800.

Most of the Mountains here mentioned immediately surround the vale of Grasmere; of the others, some are at a considerable distance, but they belong to the same cluster.—­W.  W. 1802.

The majority of the changes introduced into the text of this poem were made in the year 1836.