Woodhouse, James (bap. 1735, d. 1820)

The Life and Lucubrations of Crispinus Scriblerus. A Novel, in Verse, Written in the Last Century

1814, 1816, 1896

"But, in the Soul, still suffer some Alloy / To pinion Pride, and damp injurious Joy--"

He never thought, before this Theme began,
His feeble Pow'rs could frame a faultless Plan--
Ne'er let enthusiastic, vain, Self-love
Expect unerring helps from Pow'rs above--
Ne'er suffer'd Superstitious, crude Conceit
To hope his Pow'rs could make such Plan complete;
Nor, weakly, when the Scheme was clos'd, conceiv'd
His Labours had a blameless Work achiev'd;
Or, that the choicest of his chosen Lays
Might challenge from each Churl implicit Praise.
No! well aware the gracious Gifts of Heav'n
Ne'er set aside, on Earth, all human Leav'n,
But, in the Soul, still suffer some Alloy
To pinion Pride, and damp injurious Joy--
To turn attention; keep Affection fixt
On that pure Place where Raptures reign, unmixt--
Lest Man's fall'n carnal Nature should forget
His fearful Doom from first Forefather's Debt;
With pains and penalties Himself deserves,
When from the Rules of Heav'n his Reason swerves;
Resting on frail Delights each false Desire,
Whose objects and enjoyments must expire!

Mineral::Alloy

Searching "soul" and "alloy" in HDIS (Poetry)

Poem first published in its entirety in 1896. The 1814 first edition receives notice in The New Monthly Magazine (March 1815); the poem was written "in the last century" (w. 1795-1820?).

Text from The Life and Poetical Works of James Woodhouse, ed. R. I. Woodhouse, 2 vols. (London: The Leadenhall Press, 1896). <Link to Hathi Trust> <Link to LION>

04/14/2005