Poetry Exhibit → Collection Intro → Browse Collection → Document → → Transcript

Rossetti Archive Textual Transcription

Document Title: Minstrels' Marriage Song
Author: Thomas Chatterton
Date of Composition: 1880 May
Type of Manuscript: draft manuscript
Scribe: DGR

The full Rossetti Archive record for this transcribed document is available.

Image of page [1] page: [1]
Minstrels' Marriage-Song.

from “Œlla; a Tragical Interlude.”
First Minstrel
  • The budding floweret blushes at the
  • light;
  • The meads are sprinkled with
  • the yellow hue;
  • In daisied mantles is the mountain
  • dight;
  • The slim x young cowslip bendeth
  • with the dew;
  • The trees enleafèd, into heaven
  • straight,
  • When gentle winds do blow, to
  • whistling din are brought.
  • The evening comes and brings the
  • dew along;
  • The ruddy welkin sheenth to
  • the eyne;
  • Around the ale-stake minstrels
  • sing the song;
  • 10Young ivy round the door port
  • doth entwine;
  • I lay me on the grass; yet, to my will,
  • Allbeit all is fair, there lacketh
  • something still.
Transcribed Footnote (page [1]):

“Nesh,” Tender. Chatterton

Image of page [2] page: [2]
Second Minstrel.
  • So Adam thought, what time, in
  • Paradise,
  • All heaven and earth did homage
  • to his mind
  • In woman and none else man's
  • pleasaunce lies,
  • As instruments of joy are kind
  • with kind. x
  • Go, take a wife unto thine arms,
  • and see,
  • Winter and dusky hills will have a
  • charm for thee.
Third Minstrel.
  • When Autumn stript and sunburnt
  • doth appear,
  • 20With his gold hand gilding the
  • falling leaf,
  • Bringing up Winter to fulfil the year,
  • Bearing upon his back the ripened
  • sheaf;
  • When all the hills with woody seed
  • are white;
  • When levin-fires and gleams do meet
  • from far the sight,—
Transcribed Footnote (page [2]):

  • “Ynn womman alleyne mannès
  • pleasaunce lyes,
  • As instruments of jo y ie were made
  • the Kynde.”
Chatterton.

Image of page [3] page: [3]
  • When the fair apples, red as even-sky,
  • Do bend the tree unto the fruitful
  • ground;
  • When juicy pears, & berries of black dye,
  • Do dance in air and call the eyes
  • around;
  • Then, be it evening foul or evening
  • fair,
  • 30Methinks my joy of heart is
  • shadowed with some care.
Second Minstrel
  • Angels are wrought to be of neither
  • kind;
  • Angels alone from hot desire are free;
  • Where is a somewhat ever in the mind,
  • That, without woman, cannot stillèd be
  • No saint in cell, but, having blood & cheer, x
  • Doth find the spirit joy in sight of
  • woman fair.
  • Women are made not for themselves
  • but man,—
  • Bone of his bone and child of his
  • desire;
  • They from an useless member first
  • began,
Transcribed Footnote (page [3]):

“Tere,” health. Chatterton.

Image of page [4] page: [4]
  • 40Y
    Transcription Gap:  (hole in page)
    wrought with much of water,
  • little fire;
  • Therefore they seek the fire of love,
  • to heat
  • the milkiness of kind, and make
  • themselves complete.
  • Allbeit, without women, men were
  • peers
  • To savage kind, and would but
  • live to slay ; —
  • Yet woman oft the spirit of peace
  • so cheers,—
  • Dowered with an angel's angelic joy, true
  • angels they. ! x
  • Go, take thee straightaway to thy bed
  • a wife;
  • Be burned, or highly blest, in proving
  • marriage life.
Transcribed Footnote (page [4]):

  • “Tochelod yn Angel joie heie ( they)
  • Angeles bee.”
Chatterton.

Electronic Archive Edition:
Source File: chatterton.minstrelsong1.delms.rad.xml