Tale Xiv Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCDEEFFGGHHI HJJKKLLMMNNOOPPQQRRS STTUULLVVWWXX Y ZZA2A2DCB2B2B2IIC2C2 JJD2D2IILLD2D2E2 Q F2F2IIQQEEW G2 GGH2I2J2J2V BBE2 K2K2L2M2C2C2RRC2C2N2 N2HHC2C2C2C2O2P2Q2Q2 R2R2C2C2HHC2C2S2 R T2 C2C2B2B2 U2 C2 A2A2J2J2V2V2W2W2C2C2 H2H2X2X2VVC2C2K2 Y2Y2J2J2C2 Z2Z2Z2A3 B3B3C2C2R H2| THE STRUGGLES OF CONSCIENCE | A |
| - | |
| A serious Toyman in the city dwelt | B |
| Who much concern for his religion felt | B |
| Reading he changed his tenets read again | C |
| And various questions could with skill maintain | D |
| Papist and Quaker if we set aside | E |
| He had the road of every traveller tried | E |
| There walk'd a while and on a sudden turn'd | F |
| Into some by way he had just discern'd | F |
| He had a nephew Fulham Fulham went | G |
| His Uncle's way with every turn content | G |
| He saw his pious kinsman's watchful care | H |
| And thought such anxious pains his own might spare | H |
| And he the truth obtain'd without the toil might | I |
| - | |
| share | H |
| In fact young Fulham though he little read | J |
| Perceived his uncle was by fancy led | J |
| And smiled to see the constant care he took | K |
| Collating creed with creed and book with book | K |
| At length the senior fix'd I pass the sect | L |
| He call'd a Church 'twas precious and elect | L |
| Yet the seed fell not in the richest soil | M |
| For few disciples paid the preacher's toil | M |
| All in an attic room were wont to meet | N |
| These few disciples at their pastor's feet | N |
| With these went Fulham who discreet and grave | O |
| Follow'd the light his worthy uncle gave | O |
| Till a warm Preacher found the way t'impart | P |
| Awakening feelings to his torpid heart | P |
| Some weighty truths and of unpleasant kind | Q |
| Sank though resisted in his struggling mind | Q |
| He wish'd to fly them but compell'd to stay | R |
| Truth to the waking Conscience found her way | R |
| For though the Youth was call'd a prudent lad | S |
| And prudent was yet serious faults he had | S |
| Who now reflected 'Much am I surprised | T |
| I find these notions cannot be despised | T |
| No there is something I perceive at last | U |
| Although my uncle cannot hold it fast | U |
| Though I the strictness of these men reject | L |
| Yet I determine to be circumspect | L |
| This man alarms me and I must begin | V |
| To look more closely to the things within | V |
| These sons of zeal have I derided long | W |
| But now begin to think the laugher's wrong | W |
| Nay my good uncle by all teachers moved | X |
| Will be preferr'd to him who none approved | X |
| Better to love amiss than nothing to have loved ' | - |
| Such were his thoughts when Conscience first | Y |
| - | |
| began | Z |
| To hold close converse with th' awaken'd man | Z |
| He from that time reserved and cautious grew | A2 |
| And for his duties felt obedience due | A2 |
| Pious he was not but he fear'd the pain | D |
| Of sins committed nor would sin again | C |
| Whene'er he stray'd he found his Conscience rose | B2 |
| Like one determined what was ill t'oppose | B2 |
| What wrong t'accuse what secret to disclose | B2 |
| To drag forth every latent act to light | I |
| And fix them fully in the actor's sight | I |
| This gave him trouble but he still confess'd | C2 |
| The labour useful for it brought him rest | C2 |
| The Uncle died and when the Nephew read | J |
| The will and saw the substance of the dead | J |
| Five hundred guineas with a stock in trade | D2 |
| He much rejoiced and thought his fortune made | D2 |
| Yet felt aspiring pleasure at the sight | I |
| And for increase increasing appetite | I |
| Desire of profit idle habits check'd | L |
| For Fulham's virtue was to be correct | L |
| He and his Conscience had their compact made | D2 |
| 'Urge me with truth and you will soon persuade | D2 |
| But not ' he cried 'for mere ideal things | E2 |
| Give me to feel those terror breeding stings ' | - |
| 'Let not such thoughts ' she said 'your mind | Q |
| - | |
| confound | F2 |
| Trifles may wake me but they never wound | F2 |
| In them indeed there is a wrong and right | I |
| But you will find me pliant and polite | I |
| Not like a Conscience of the dotard kind | Q |
| Awake to dreams to dire offences blind | Q |
| Let all within be pure in all beside | E |
| Be your own master governor and guide | E |
| Alive to danger in temptation strong | W |
| And I shall sleep our whole existence long ' | - |
| 'Sweet be thy sleep ' said Fulham 'strong must | G2 |
| - | |
| be | - |
| The tempting ill that gains access to me | - |
| Never will I to evil deed consent | G |
| Or if surprised oh how will I repent | G |
| Should gain be doubtful soon would I restore | H2 |
| The dangerous good or give it to the poor | I2 |
| Repose for them my growing wealth shall buy | J2 |
| Or build who knows an hospital like Guy | J2 |
| Yet why such means to soothe the smart within | V |
| While firmly purposed to renounce the sin ' | - |
| Thus our young Trader and his Conscience dwelt | B |
| In mutual love and great the joy they felt | B |
| But yet in small concerns in trivial things | E2 |
| 'She was ' he said 'too ready with the stings ' | - |
| And he too apt in search of growing gains | K2 |
| To lose the fear of penalties and pains | K2 |
| Yet these were trifling bickerings petty jars | L2 |
| Domestic strifes preliminary wars | M2 |
| He ventured little little she express'd | C2 |
| Of indignation and they both had rest | C2 |
| Thus was he fix d to walk the worthy way | R |
| When profit urged him to a bold essay | R |
| A time was that when all at pleasure gamed | C2 |
| In lottery chances yet a law unblamed | C2 |
| This Fulham tried who would to him advance | N2 |
| A pound or crown he gave in turn a chance | N2 |
| For weighty prize and should they nothing share | H |
| They had their crown or pound in Fulham's ware | H |
| Thus the old stores within the shop were sold | C2 |
| For that which none refuses new or old | C2 |
| Was this unjust yet Conscience could not rest | C2 |
| But made a mighty struggle in the breast | C2 |
| And gave th' aspiring man an early proof | O2 |
| That should they war he would have work enough | P2 |
| 'Suppose ' said she 'your vended numbers rise | Q2 |
| The same with those which gain each real prize | Q2 |
| Such your proposal can you ruin shun ' | - |
| 'A hundred thousand ' he replied 'to one ' | - |
| 'Still it may happen ' 'I the sum must pay ' | - |
| 'You know you cannot ' 'I can run away ' | - |
| 'That is dishonest ' 'Nay but you must wink | R2 |
| At a chance hit it cannot be I think | R2 |
| Upon my conduct as a whole decide | C2 |
| Such trifling errors let my virtues hide | C2 |
| Fail I at meeting am I sleepy there | H |
| My purse refuse I with the priest to share | H |
| Do I deny the poor a helping hand | C2 |
| Or stop the wicked women in the Strand | C2 |
| Or drink at club beyond a certain pitch | S2 |
| Which are your charges Conscience tell me | - |
| - | |
| which ' | - |
| ''Tis well ' said she 'but ' 'Nay I pray | R |
| - | |
| have done | T2 |
| Trust me I will not into danger run ' | - |
| The lottery drawn not one demand was made | C2 |
| Fulham gain'd profit and increase of trade | C2 |
| 'See now ' said he for Conscience yet arose | B2 |
| 'How foolish 'tis such measures to oppose | B2 |
| Have I not blameless thus my state advanced ' | - |
| 'Still ' mutter'd Conscience 'still it might have | U2 |
| - | |
| chanced ' | - |
| 'Might ' said our hero 'who is so exact | C2 |
| As to inquire what might have been a fact ' | - |
| Now Fulham's shop contain'd a curious view | A2 |
| Of costly trifles elegant and new | A2 |
| The papers told where kind mammas might buy | J2 |
| The gayest toys to charm an infant's eye | J2 |
| Where generous beaux might gentle damsels please | V2 |
| And travellers call who cross the land or seas | V2 |
| And find the curious art the neat device | W2 |
| Of precious value and of trifling price | W2 |
| Here Conscience rested she was pleased to find | C2 |
| No less an active than an honest mind | C2 |
| But when he named his price and when he swore | H2 |
| His Conscience check'd him that he ask'd no more | H2 |
| When half he sought had been a large increase | X2 |
| On fair demand she could not rest in peace | X2 |
| Beside th' affront to call th' adviser in | V |
| Who would prevent to justify the sin | V |
| She therefore told him that 'he vainly tried | C2 |
| To soothe her anger conscious that he lied | C2 |
| If thus he grasp'd at such usurious gains | K2 |
| He must deserve and should expect her pains ' | - |
| The charge was strong he would in part confess | Y2 |
| Offence there was But who offended less | Y2 |
| 'What is a mere assertion call'd a lie | J2 |
| And if it be are men compell'd to buy | J2 |
| 'Twas strange that Conscience on such points should | C2 |
| - | |
| dwell | Z2 |
| While he was acting he would call it well | Z2 |
| He bought as others buy he sold as others sell | Z2 |
| There was no fraud and he demanded cause | A3 |
| Why he was troubled when he kept the laws ' | - |
| 'My laws ' said Conscience 'What ' said he ' | - |
| - | |
| are thine | B3 |
| Oral or written human or divine | B3 |
| Show me the chapter let me see the text | C2 |
| By laws uncertain subjects are perplex'd | C2 |
| Let me my finger on the statute lay | R |
| And I shall feel it duty to obey ' | - |
| 'Reflect ' said Conscience ''twas your | H2 |
George Crabbe
(1)
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About Tale Xiv
Tale Xiv is a poem by George Crabbe. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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