Tale I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIGG JJKLMMNNOOPPQRSSTTFF UUVVWWXYDDZNA2B2C2C2 C2D2D2E2E2GGF2F2HHG2 G2H2H2EEI2I2BBBBJ2J2 K2K2L2L2UUH2H2RRBBM2 M2N2N2AAO2O2P2P2Q2R2 S2T2U2U2UUI2I2V2V2W2 W2X2X2EEX2X2X2X2X2X2 X2X2N2N2Y2Y2TTX2X2Z2 X2A3A3X2X2X2X2YXMMGG C2 XYB3B3C3C3I2I2X2 D3D3X2 BBE3 F3F3OOS2S2 G3D2D2X2 X2 H3H3G3S2

That all men would be cowards if they dareA
Some men we know have courage to declareA
And this the life of many a hero showsB
That like the tide man's courage ebbs and flowsB
With friends and gay companions round them thenC
Men boldly speak and have the hearts of menC
Who with opponents seated miss the aidD
Of kind applauding looks and grow afraidD
Like timid travelers in the night they fearE
Th' assault of foes when not a friend is nearE
In contest mighty and of conquest proudF
Was Justice Bolt impetuous warm and loudF
His fame his prowess all the country knewG
And disputants with one so fierce were fewG
He was a younger son for law design'dH
With dauntless look and persevering mindH
While yet a clerk for disputation famedI
No efforts tired him and no conflicts tamedI
Scarcely he bade his master's desk adieuG
When both his brothers from the world withdrewG
An ample fortune he from them possessedJ
And was with saving care and prudence bless'dJ
Now would he go and to the country giveK
Example how an English 'squire should liveL
How bounteous yet how frugal man may beM
By well order'd hospitalityM
He would the rights of all so well maintainN
That none should idle be and none complainN
All this and more he purposed and what manO
Could do he did to realise his planO
But time convinced him that we cannot keepP
A breed of reasoners like a flock of sheepP
For they so far from following as we leadQ
Make that a cause why they will not proceedR
Man will not follow where a rule is shownS
But loves to take a method of his ownS
Explain the way with all your care and skillT
This will he quit if but to prove he willT
Yet had our Justice honour and the crowdF
Awed by his presence their respect avow'dF
In later years he found his heart inclineU
More than in youth to gen'rous food and wineU
But no indulgence check'd the powerful loveV
He felt to teach to argue and reproveV
Meetings or public calls he never miss'dW
To dictate often always to assistW
Oft he the clergy join'd and not a causeX
Pertain'd to them but he could quote the lawsY
He upon tithes and residence display'dD
A fund of knowledge for the hearer's aidD
And could on glebe and farming wool and grainsZ
A long discourse without a pause maintainN
To his experience and his native senseA2
He join'd a bold imperious eloquenceB2
The grave stern look of men inform'd and wiseC2
A full command of feature heart and eyesC2
An awe compelling frown and fear inspiring sizeC2
When at the table not a guest was seenD2
With appetite so lingering or so keenD2
But when the outer man no more requiredE2
The inner waked and he was man inspiredE2
His subjects then were those a subject trueG
Presents in fairest form to public viewG
Of church and state of law with mighty strengthF2
Of words he spoke in speech of mighty lengthF2
And now into the vale of years declinedH
He hides too little of the monarch mindH
He kindles anger by untimely jokesG2
And opposition by contempt provokesG2
Mirth he suppresses by his awful frownH2
And humble spirits by disdain keeps downH2
Blamed by the mild approved by the severeE
The prudent fly him and the valiant fearE
For overbearing is his proud discourseI2
And overwhelming of his voice the forceI2
And overpowering is he when he showsB
What floats upon a mind that always overflowsB
This ready man at every meeting roseB
Something to hint determine or proposeB
And grew so fond of teaching that he taughtJ2
Those who instruction needed not or soughtJ2
Happy our hero when he could exciteK2
Some thoughtless talker to the wordy fightK2
Let him a subject at his pleasure chooseL2
Physic or law religion or the museL2
On all such themes he was prepared to shineU
Physician poet lawyer and divineU
Hemm'd in by some tough argument borne downH2
By press of language and the awful frownH2
In vain for mercy shall the culprit pleadR
His crime is past and sentence must proceedR
Ah suffering man have patience bear thy woesB
For lo the clock at ten the Justice goesB
This powerful man on business or to pleaseM2
A curious taste or weary grown of easeM2
On a long journey travelled many a mileN2
Westward and halted midway in our isleN2
Content to view a city large and fairA
Though none had notice what a man was thereA
Silent two days he then began to longO2
Again to try a voice so loud and strongO2
To give his favourite topics some new graceP2
And gain some glory in such distant placeP2
To reap some present pleasure and to sowQ2
Seeds of fair fame in after time to growR2
Here will men say 'We heard at such an hourS2
The best of speakers wonderful his power 'T2
Inquiry made he found that day would meetU2
A learned club and in the very streetU2
Knowledge to gain and give was the designU
To speak to hearken to debate and dineU
This pleased our traveller for he felt his forceI2
In either way to eat or to discourseI2
Nothing more easy than to gain accessV2
To men like these with his polite addressV2
So he succeeded and first look'd aroundW2
To view his objects and to take his groundW2
And therefore silent chose awhile to sitX2
Then enter boldly by some lucky hitX2
Some observation keen or stroke severeE
To cause some wonder or excite some fearE
Now dinner past no longer he supprestX2
His strong dislike to be a silent guestX2
Subjects and words were now at his commandX2
When disappointment frown'd on all he plann'dX2
For hark he heard amazed on every sideX2
His church insulted and her priests beliedX2
The laws reviled the ruling power abusedX2
The land derided and its foes excusedX2
He heard and ponder'd What to men so vileN2
Should be his language For his threat'ning styleN2
They were too many if his speech were meekY2
They would despise such poor attempts to speakY2
At other times with every word at willT
He now sat lost perplex'd astonish'd stillT
Here were Socinians Deists and indeedX2
All who as foes to England's Church agreedX2
But still with creeds unlike and some without aZ2
-
creedX2
Here too fierce friends of liberty he sawA3
Who own'd no prince and who obey no lawA3
There were reformers of each different sortX2
Foes to the laws the priesthood and the courtX2
Some on their favourite plans alone intentX2
Some purely angry and malevolentX2
The rash were proud to blame their country's lawsY
The vain to seem supporters of a causeX
One call'd for change that he would dread to seeM
Another sigh'd for Gallic libertyM
And numbers joining with the forward crewG
For no one reason but that numbers doG
'How ' said the Justice 'can this trouble riseC2
This shame and pain from creatures I despise '-
And Conscience answer'd 'The prevailing causeX
Is thy delight in listening to applauseY
Here thou art seated with a tribe who spurnB3
Thy favourite themes and into laughter turnB3
Thy fears and wishes silent and obscureC3
Thyself shalt thou the long harangue endureC3
And learn by feeling what it is to forceI2
On thy unwilling friends the long discourseI2
What though thy thoughts be just and these itX2
-
seemsD3
Are traitors' projects idiots' empty schemesD3
Yet minds like bodies cramm'd reject their foodX2
Nor will be forced and tortured for their good '-
At length a sharp shrewd sallow man aroseB
And begg'd he briefly might his mind discloseB
'It was his duty in these worst of timesE3
T'inform the govern'd of their rulers' crimes '-
This pleasant subject to attend they eachF3
Prepare to listen and forbore to teachF3
Then voluble and fierce the wordy manO
Through a long chain of favourite horrors ranO
First of the Church from whose enslaving powerS2
He was deliver'd and he bless'd the hourS2
'Bishops and deans and prebendaries all '-
He said 'were cattle fatt'ning in the stallG3
Slothful and pursy insolent and meanD2
Were every bishop prebendary deanD2
And wealthy rector curates poorly paidX2
Were only dull he would not them upbraid '-
From priests he turn'd to canons creeds andX2
-
prayersH3
Rubrics and rules and all our Church affairsH3
Churches themselves desk pulpit altar allG3
The Justice reverenced and prS2

George Crabbe



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