# Then She bore Pale desire/edited

Written before 1777. In a Manuscript Fragment. Publ. in 1903. So called "blank-versed prose".
* then She bore Pale desire...
* (as edited by Geoffrey Keynes)
* then She bore Pale desire, father of Curiosity, a Virgin ever young.
* And after, Leaden Sloth, from whom came Ignorance, who brought
* forth Wonder. These are the Gods which came from fear, for Gods
* like these nor male nor female are, but Single Pregnate, or, if they list,
* 5 together mingling bring forth mighty pow'rs. She knew them not;
* yet they all war with Shame and strengthen her weak arm. [Now
* day arose, the golden Sun his mighty Race began, Refreshing the
* Cold earth with beaming Joy (del.) But Pride awoke, nor knew that Joy
* was born, and taking Pois'nous Seed from her own Bowels in the
* 10 Monster Shame infus'd; forth Came Ambition, crawling like a toad.
* Pride Bears it in her Bosom, and the Gods all bow to it. So Great its
* Power that Pride, inspir'd by it, Prophetic saw the Kingdoms of the
* World & all their Glory, Giants of Mighty arm, before the flood,
* Cain's City. built with Murder. Then Babel mighty Rear'd him to the
* 15 Skies, Babel with thousand tongues. Confusion it was call'd. and
* Given to Shame; this Pride observing inly Griev'd, but knew not that
* the rest was Giv'n to Shame as well as this. [words del.]
* Then Nineva & Babylon & Costly tyre And ev'n Jerusalem was
* shewn, the holy City. Then Athens' learning, & the Pride of Greece;
* 20 and, further from the Rising Sun, was Rome, seated on Seven hills,
* the mistress of the world, Emblem of Pride. She Saw the Arts their
* treasures Bring, and luxury his bounteous table spread: but now a
* cloud o'er casts and back to th'East. to Constantine's Great City,
* Empire fled, Ere long to bleed & die, A sacrifice done by a Priestly
* 25 hand. So, once, the Sun his Chariot drew back to prolong a Good
* King's life. The Cloud o'er past & Rome now Shone again, Miter'd
* & Crown'd with triple crown. Then Pride was better Pleas'd. She
* Saw the World fall down in Adoration. [Nor could Refrain but Cry'd,
* "O this is the blest time when Pride shall hold the sway" (del.)] But now,
* 30 full to the Setting Sun, a Sun arose out of the Sea; it rose, & shed
* Sweet Influence o'er the Earth. Pride feared for her City, but not
* long, for looking stedfastly, she saw that Pride Reign'd here. Now
* Direful Pains accost her, and Still pregnant, so Envy came, & Hate,
* twin progeny. Envy hath a serpent's head of fearful bulk, hissing with
* 35 hundred tongues; her pois'nous breath breeds Satire foul contagion,
* from which none are free: o'er whelmd by ever During Thirst she
* swalloweth her own Poison, which consumes her nether Parts, from
* Whence a River Springs. Most Black & loathsom through the land
* it Runs, Rolling with furious Noise; but at the last it settles in a lake
* 40 called Oblivion: 'tis at this River's fount where ev'ry mortal's Cup
* is Mix't. My Cup is fill'd with Envy's Rankest Draught [and Death
* is in the Pot (del.)]; a miracle, No less, can set me Right. Desire still
* pines but for one Cooling Drop, and 'tis Deny'd; while others in
* Contentment's downy Nest do sleep, it is the cursed thorn wounding
* 45 my breast that makes me sing: however sweet 'tis Envy that Inspires
* my Song: prickt by the fame of others how I mourn, and my com-
* plaints are Sweeter than their Joys; but O, could I at Envy Shake my
* hands, my notes should Rise to meet the New born Day. Hate,
* Meager hag sets Envy on, Unable to Do ought herself, but Worn
* 50 away a Bloodless Daemon. The Gods all Serve her at her will; so
* great her Power is, like fabled hecate, she doth bind them to her law.
* Far in a Direful Cave she lives unseen, Clos'd from the Eye of Day,
* to the hard Rock transfixt by fate, and here she works her witcheries,
* that when she Groans she shakes the Solid Ground. Now Envy she
* 55 controlls with numming trance, & Melancholy, sprung from her
* dark womb. There is a Melancholy, O how lovely 'tis whose heaven
* is in the heavenly Mind, for she from heaven came, and where she
* goes heaven still doth follow her. She brings true Joy once fled, &
* Contemplation is her Daughter. Sweet Contemplation! [She teacheth
* 60 knowledge how to know (del.)] She brings humility to man. "Take
* her," she says, "& wear her in thine heart, lord of thyself, thou then
* art lord of all." [humility, her Daughter (del.)] 'Tis Contemplation
* teacheth knowledge truly how to know, and Reinstates him on his
* throne, once lost; how lost, I'll tell. But stop the motley Song. I'll
* shew how Conscience Came from heaven. But O, who listens to his
* 65 Voice. 'Twas Conscience who brought Melancholy down, Conscience
* was sent, a Guard to Reason, Reason once fairer than the light, till
* foul'd in Knowledge's dark Prison house. For knowledge drove
* sweet Innocence away, and Reason would have follow'd, but fate
* suffer'd not; then down came Conscience with his lovely band. The
* 70 Eager Song Goes on, telling how Pride against her father Warr'd &
* Overcame. Down his white Beard the silver torrents Roll and swelling
* sighs burst forth, his Children all in arms appear to tear him from
* his throne. Black was the deed, most Black. Shame in a Mist sat
* Round his troubled head, & filld him with confusion. Fear as a
* 75 torrent wild Roar'd Round his throne; the mighty pillars shake. Now
* all the Gods in black'ning Ranks appear, like a tempestuous thunder
* Cloud. Pride leads. them on. Now they surround the God and bind
* him fast. Pride bound him, then usurp'd o'er all the Gods. She Rode
* upon the swelling wind, and scatter'd all who durst t'oppose; but
* 80 Shame opposing fierce and hovering over her in the darkning storm,
* She brought forth Rage. And Shame bore honour, & made league
* with Pride. Meanwhile Strife, Mighty Prince, was born. Envy in
* direful Pains him bore; then Envy brought forth Care. Care sitteth
* in the wrinkled brow. Strife, shapeless, sitteth under thrones of
* 85 kings, like smould'ring fire, or in the Buzz of cities flies abroad. Care
* brought forth Covet, Eyeless & prone to th'Earth, and Strife brought
* forth Revenge. Hate, brooding in her Dismal den, grew Pregnant, &
* [brought forth (del.)] bore Scorn, & Slander. Scorn waits on Pride, but
* Slander flies around the World to do the Work of hate, her drudge
* 90 & Elf: but Policy doth drudge for hate, as well as Slander, & oft makes
* use of her. Policy, Son of Shame. Indeed hate controlls all the Gods
* at will. Policy brought forth Guile & fraud; these Gods last nam'd
* live in the Smoke of Cities, on Dusky wing breathing forth Clamour
* & Destruction; alas, in Cities where's the man whose face is not a mask
* 95 unto his heart? Pride made a Goddess fair, or Image rather, till
* knowledge animated it; 'twas Calld Self love. The Gods admiring
* loaded her with Gifts, as once Pandora. She 'mongst men was sent,
* and worser ills attended her by far. She was a Goddess Powerful &
* bore Conceit [& Emulation. Conceit] and Shame bore honour & made
* 100 league with Pride & Policy doth dwell with her by whom she had
* Mistrust & Suspition; [by Shame she had a Son call'd Honour who
* bore Revenge (del.)] then [Self love (del.)] bore a Daughter called
* Emulation, who married honour; these follow her around the World.
* Go See the city friends, Join'd Hand in Hand. Go see the Natural tie
* 105 of flesh & blood. Go See more strong the ties of marriage love—thou
* Scarce Shall find, but Self love Stands Between. <Before 1777>

## Notes

* ↑ The 7-page manuscript is now in the New York Public Library. First printed by W. M. Rossetti, divided into lines, in The Monthly Review for August, 1903, with the title "The Passions".
* ↑ This sentence is marked for insertion in two places. See below.
* ↑ [& Emulation. Conceit] Keynes printed these with no brackets; Erdman omitted these, which is reasonable because Emulation will come later. (DS)
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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