’Not ’mid the world’s vain objects that enslave
    The free-born soul—­that world whose vaunted skill
    In selfish interest perverts the will,
    Whose factions lead astray the wise and brave—­
    Not there; but in dark wood and rocky cave,
    And hollow vale which foaming torrents fill
    With omnipresent murmur as they rave
    Down their steep beds, that never shall be still,
    Here, mighty Nature, in this school sublime
    I weigh the hopes and fears of suffering Spain;
    For her consult the auguries of time,
    And through the human heart explore my way,
    And look and listen—­gathering where I may
    Triumph, and thoughts no bondage can restrain.’[9]

(c) Letter to Major-General Sir Charles W. Pasley, K.C.B., on his ‘Military Policy and Institutions of the British Empire,’ with another—­now first printed—­transmitting it.

[6] ‘Poems dedicated to National Independence and Liberty,’ viii.

[7] Southey’s ‘Life and Correspondence,’ vol. iii. p. 180; ’Gentleman’s Magazine’ for June 1850, p. 617.

[8] ‘Memoirs,’ as before, vol. i, pp. 404-5.

[9] ‘Poems dedicated to National Independence and Liberty,’ vii.

The former is derived from the ‘Memoirs’ (vol. i. pp. 405-20).  In forwarding it to the (now) Bishop of Lincoln, Sir CHARLES thus wrote of it:  ’The letter on my “Military Policy” is particularly interesting....  Though WORDSWORTH agreed that we ought to step forward with all our military force as principals in the war, he objected to any increase of our own power and resources by continental conquest, in which I now think he was quite right.  I am not, however, by any means shaken in the opinion then advanced, that peace with Napoleon would lead to the loss of our naval superiority and of our national independence, ... and I fully believe that the Duke of Wellington’s campaigns in the Spanish Peninsula saved the nation, though no less credit is due to the Ministry of that day for not despairing of eventual success, but supporting him under all difficulties in spite of temporary reverses, and in opposition to a powerful party and to influential writers.’  The letter transmitting the other has only recently been discovered on a reexamination of the Wordsworth MSS.  Both letters have a Shakespearian-patriotic ring concerning ‘This England.’  It is inspiring to read in retrospect of the facts such high-couraged writing as in these letters.

(d) Two Addresses to the Freeholders of Westmoreland, 1818.

The ‘Mr. BROUGHAM’ of these ‘Two Addresses’ was, as all the world knows, the (afterwards) renowned and many-gifted HENRY, Lord BROUGHAM and VAUX.  In his Autobiography he refers very good-humouredly to his three defeats in contesting the representation of Westmoreland; but there is no allusion whatever to WORDSWORTH.  With reference to his final effort he thus informs us:  ’Parliament