The Farmers Boy | Page 2

Author. And these are qualities which whoever has
the eye, the heart, the awakened and surrounding intellect, and the
diviner sense of the Poet, which alone can deserve the name, must
possess.
But, with these general Characters of true Poetry, "The Farmer's Boy"
has, as I have said, a character of its own. It is discriminated as much as
the circumstances and habits, and situation, and ideas consequently
associated, which are so widely diverse in the two Authors, could make
it different. Simplicity, sweetness, a natural tenderness, that _molle
atque facetum_ which HORACE celebrates in the Eclogues of VIRGIL,
will be found to belong to it.
I intend some farther and more particular CRITICAL REMARKS on
this charming Performance. But I now pass to the Account of the

Author himself, as given me by his Brother:... a Man to whom also I
was entirely a stranger:... but whose Candor, good Sense, and brotherly
Affection, appear in this Narrative; and of the justness of whose
Understanding, and the Goodness of his Heart, I have had many Proofs,
in consequence of a correspondence with him on different occasions
which have since arisen, when this had made me acquainted with him,
and interested me in his behalf.
In writing to me, Mr. GEORGE BLOOMFIELD, who is a Shoemaker
also, as his Brother, and lives at BURY, thus expresses himself.
"As I spent five years with the Author, from the time he was thirteen
years and a half old [Footnote: This by farther recollection has since
been discover'd and stated by Mr. G. and Mr. R. BLOOMFIELD not to
be quite exact. See p. viii. C. L.] till he was turned of eighteen, the most
interesting time of life (I mean the time that instruction is acquir'd, if
acquir'd at all), I think I am able to give a better account of him than
any one can, or than he can of himself: for his Modesty would not let
him speak of his Temper, Disposition, or Morals."
"ROBERT was the younger Child of GEORGE BLOOMFIELD, a
Taylor, at HONINGTON. [Footnote: This Village is between Euston_
and _Troston, and about eight miles N E. of Bury. L.] His Father died
when he was an infant under a year old. [Footnote: Our Author was
born, as his Mother has obligingly informed me, 3 Dec. 1766. L.] His
Mother [Footnote: ELIZABETH, Daughter of ROBERT MANBY.
Vide Note at the end of this Preface.] was a Schoolmistress, and
instructed her own Children with the others. He thus learn'd to read as
soon as he learn'd to speak."
"Though the Mother was left a Widow with six small Children, yet
with the help of Friends she manag'd to give each of them a little
schooling."
"ROBERT was accordingly sent to Mr. RODWELL, [Footnote: This
respectable Man is senior Clerk to the Magistrates of the Hundred of
BLACKBOURN, in which Honington is situated, and has conducted
himself with great propriety in this and other public employments. L.]

of Ixworth, to be improved in Writing: but he did not go to that School
more than two or three months, nor was ever sent to any other; his
Mother again marrying when ROBERT was about seven years old."
"By her second Husband, JOHN GLOVER, she had another Family."
"When Robert_ was not above _eleven years old, the late Mr. W.
AUSTIN, of SAPISTON, [Footnote: This little Village adjoins to
HONINGTON. L.] took him. And though it is customary for Farmers
to pay such Boys only 1s. 6d. per week, yet he generously took him
into the house. This reliev'd his Mother of any other expence than only
of finding him a few things to wear: and this was more than she well
knew how to do."
"She wrote therefore," Mr. G. BLOOMFIELD continues, "to me and
my Brother NAT (then in London), to assist her; mentioning that he,
ROBERT, was so small of his age that Mr. AUSTIN said he was not
likely to be able to get his living by hard labour."
Mr. G. BLOOMFIELD on this inform'd his Mother that, if she would
let him take the Boy with him, he would take him, and teach him to
make shoes: and NAT promis'd to clothe him. The Mother, upon this
offer, took coach and came to LONDON, to Mr. G. BLOOMFIELD,
with the Boy: for she said, she never should have been happy if she had
not put him herself into his hands.
"She charg'd me," he adds, "_as I valued a Mothers Blessing, to watch
over him, to set good Examples for him, and never to forget that he had
lost his Father_." I religiously confine myself to Mr. G.
BLOOMFIELD'S own words; and think I should wrong all the parties
concern'd if in mentioning this pathetic and successful Admonition, I