The church also
contained a monument to Southey the poet, erected at a cost of L1,100,
and bearing the following epitaph written by the poet Wordsworth:
The vales and hills whose beauty hither drew
The poet's steps, and fixed him here, on you
His eyes have closed! And ye, lov'd books, no more
Shall Southey feed upon your precious lore,
To works that ne'er shall forfeit their renown.
Adding immortal labours of his own--
Whether he traced historic truth, with zeal
For the State's guidance, and the Church's weal
Or fancy, disciplined by studious art,
Inform'd his pen, or wisdom of the heart.
Or judgements sanctioned in the Patriot's mind
By reverence for the rights of all mankind.
Wide were his aims, yet in no human breast
Could private feelings meet for holier rest.
His joys, his griefs, have vanished like a cloud
From Skiddaw's top; but he to heaven was vowed.
Through his industrious life, and Christian faith
Calmed in his soul the fear of change and death.
We attended the same church in the afternoon, and both the sermons were
preached by the curate, his texts being Deut. vi. 5 in the morning and
Hebrews iv.
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