Gustavus Vasa

A free download from www.dertz.in

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Gustavus Vasa, by W. S. Walker
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Gustavus Vasa
and other poems
Author: W. S. Walker
Release Date: February 12, 2006 [EBook #17754]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
0. START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GUSTAVUS
VASA ***
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Taavi Kalju and the Online

Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Gustavus Vasa,
AND
OTHER POEMS.
BY
W.S. WALKER.
--Tentanda via est, qua me quoque possim
Tollere humo.
London:
PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND
BROWN, PATERNOSTER ROW.

1813.
J.G. BARNARD, SKINNER-STREET, LONDON.
TO
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE BARONESS HOWE.
It would be a sufficient reason for sanctioning this work with your
Ladyship's name, that it is an offering of gratitude, presented because
there is nothing worthier to give.
But there is another cause. He who celebrates a patriot, cannot address
himself to any one more properly than to the daughter of a patriot; of
one who was for years the naval sun of England, and from whom the
young and enterprising caught the unextinguishable rays of patriotism
and courage.
For actions and glory such as his, the female mind is not formed; but in
the calm and active virtues of private life, which are almost equally
honourable to the possessor, your Ladyship maintains the dignity of
your race. I call to witness those whom you have soothed in affliction,
and those whom you have honoured with your friendship. They will
vindicate me from the charge of flattery, and support my assertion, that
your patronage is as glorious to me, as any I could possibly have
chosen.
With the hope, that the virtues of your excellent daughter, and your son,
whom I am proud to call my friend, may answer your fullest
expectations,
I remain,
Your Ladyship's
Most obliged
And devoted Servant,

W.S. WALKER.
PREFACE.
As the author of these Poems is only seventeen, some apology may be
required for offering them to the public.
Many precedents may be quoted in favour of early publication; and the

practice perhaps is not in itself blameable, except when the advice of
good judges is unasked, or the work itself uncorrected and negligent.
To neither of these charges is the author liable. These poems, as well as
the design of publishing them, have been approved of by many sincere
and judicious friends; and the work has been altered in many parts, in
conformity to the advice of the same persons. The author has made no
improper sacrifice to the Muse: he has deserted no duty, and neglected
no necessary employment. Influenced by these motives, he appears
before the bar of criticism, not indeed without diffidence, but
unconscious of having deserved censure. If his verses are bad, he is
content to sink into oblivion; and if the public confirms the favourable
judgment of his friends, he does not deny that it will give him real
satisfaction.--He is sensible, that if he delayed till time had matured his
judgment, and reflection perfected his ideas, the "_scribendi
cacoëthes_," perhaps an unfortunate inclination, would take a firm and
unalterable possession of his mind. He is therefore determined to try
the public opinion; that he may be enabled either to pursue his poetical
studies under their encouragement, or to desist in time from an useless
employment. This volume is not intended to challenge approbation, but
to be the precursor of something which may challenge it in future: it is
not an attempt to gain the prize, but a specimen of his powers, which
may entitle him to the honour of standing candidate for that prize. The
reader will here find the genuine effusions of a youthful fancy, free, yet
not uncontrolled; a collection of pieces, exempt from negligence and
inaccuracy, though not from the usual and inevitable faults of early
compositions. To offer less than this would be arrogant, and to require
more than this would be unreasonable.
"Gustavus Vasa" was originally planned (the reader will smile) at
eleven years of age. When the author began to know what poetry was,
his first design was to write an epic poem--no matter of what sort or
character, so it was an epic poem. The subject was soon chosen; and the
progress of the work was various: sometimes hurried on with all the
ardour of hope and enterprize, sometimes relinquished for more lively
pursuits, and left to sleep for months in the leaves of a portfolio. In this
manner were six long cantos completed. At length the author, in his
thirteenth year, perceived numerous faults and extravagances in