Robert Southey （b. 1774,d. 1843） was born in Bristol,England. He entered Balliol College,Oxford,in 1793. In 1804 he established himself permanently at Greta Hall,near Keswick,Cumberland,in the "Lake Country," where he enjoyed the friendship and society of Wordsworth and Coleridge,other poets of the "Lake School." He was appointed poet laureate in 1813,and received a pension of ?300 a year from the government in 1835. Mr. Southey was a voluminous writer in both prose and verse. As a poet,he can not be placed in the first rank,although some of his minor poems are very happy in thought and expression. Among his most noted poetical works are "Joan of Arc," "Thalaba the Destroyer," "Madoc," "Roderick," and the "Curse of Kehama."
1.It was a summer evening,Old Kaspar’s work was done,And he,before his cottage door,Was sitting in the sun;And by him sported on the green,His little grandchild Wilhelmine.
2.She saw her brother PeterkinRoll something large and round,Which he beside the rivulet,In playing there,had found;He came task what he had found,That was slarge,and smooth,and round.
3.Old Kaspar took it from the boy,Whstood expectant by;And then the old man shook his head,And,with a natural sigh," ‘T is some poor fellow’s skull," said he,"Whfell in the great victory.
4."I find them in the garden,For there‘s many hereabout;And often when I gtplow,The plowshare turns them out;For many thousand men," said he,"Were slain in that great victory."
5."Now tell us what ’t was all about," Young Peterkin he cries;While little Wilhelmine looks up With wonder-waiting eyes;"Now tell us all about the war,And what they killed each other for."
6."It was the English," Kaspar cried,"Whput the French trout,But what they killed each other for,I could not well make out;But everybody said," quoth he,"That ‘t was a famous victory:
7."My father lived at Blenheim then,Yon little stream,hard by;They burnt his dwelling tthe ground,And he was forced tfly;So,with his wife and child he fled,Nor had he where trest his head.
8."With fire and sword,the country round Was wasted,far and wide;And many a nursing mother then,And newborn baby died;But things like that,you know,must be At every famous victory.
9."They say it was a shocking sight After the field was won;For many thousand bodies here Lay rotting in the sun:But things like that,you know,must be After a famous victory.
10."Great praise the Duke of Marlboro’ won,And our young prince,Eugene."
"Why,‘t was a very wicked thing!" Said little Wilhelmine.
"Nay,nay,my little girl!" quoth he,"It was a famous victory.
11."And everybody praised the Duke Whthis great fight did win.""But what good came of it at last?" Quoth little Peterkin.
"Why,that I can not tell," said he,"But ’t was a glorious victory."
Notes.-The Battle of Blenheim,in the "War of the Spanish Succession," was fought August 13,1704,near Blenheim,in Bavaria,between the French and Bavarians,on one Ride,and an allied army under the great English general,the Duke of Marlborough,and Eugene,Prince of Savoy,on the other. The latter won a decisive victory: 10,000 of the defeated army were killed and wounded,and 13,000 were taken prisoners.