And to my heart are still endeared
  The thoughts with which it then was cheered; [2]
  The faith which saw that gladsome pair
  Walk through the fire with unsinged hair. 30
  Or, if such faith [3] must needs deceive—­
  Then, Spirits of beauty and of grace, [A]
  Associates in that eager chase;
  Ye, who within the blameless mind
  Your favourite seat of empire find—­35
  Kind Spirits! may we not believe
  That they, so happy and so fair
  Through your sweet influence, and the care
  Of pitying Heaven, at least were free
  From touch of deadly injury? 40
  Destined, whate’er their earthly doom,
  For mercy and immortal bloom?

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1: 

  Spirits of beauty and of grace! 
  Associates in that eager chase;
  Ye, by a course to nature true,
  The sterner judgment can subdue;
  And waken a relenting smile
  When she encounters fraud or guile;
  And sometimes ye can charm away
  The inward mischief, or allay,
  Ye, who within the blameless mind
  Your favourite seat of empire find!

The above is a separate stanza in the editions of 1827 and 1832.  Only the first two and the last two lines of this stanza were retained in the edition of 1836, and were then transferred to the place they occupy in the final text.—­Ed.]

[Variant 2: 

1836.

  And to my heart is still endeared
  The faith with which ... 1827.]

[Variant 3: 

1836.

  ... such thoughts ... 1827.]

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A:  This and the three following lines were placed here in the edition of 1836.  See note to the previous page.—­Ed.]

* * * * *

TO A BUTTERFLY (#1)

Composed March 14, 1802.—­Published 1807

[Written in the Orchard, Town-end, Grasmere.  My sister and I were parted immediately after the death of our mother, who died in 1778, both being very young.—­I.  F.]

One of the “Poems referring to the Period of Childhood.”—­Ed.

  Stay near me—­do not take thy flight! 
  A little longer stay in sight! 
  Much converse do I find in thee,
  Historian of my infancy! 
  Float near me; do not yet depart! 5
  Dead times revive in thee: 
  Thou bring’st, gay creature as thou art! 
  A solemn image to my heart,
  My father’s family!

  Oh! pleasant, pleasant were the days, 10
  The time, when, in our childish plays,
  My sister Emmeline [A] and I
  Together chased the butterfly! 
  A very hunter did I rush
  Upon the prey:—­with leaps and springs 15
  I followed on from brake to bush;
  But she, God love her! feared to brush
  The dust from off its wings.