tenant of these ruined walls.' These were composed in
1795, at Racedown; and for several passages describing the employment
and demeanour of Margaret during her affliction, I was indebted to
observations made in Dorsetshire, and afterwards at Alfoxden, in
Somersetshire, where I resided in 1797 and 1798. The lines towards the
conclusion of the 4th book, 'Despondency corrected,' beginning 'For the
man who in this spirit,' to the words 'intellectual soul,' were in order
of time composed the next, either at Racedown or Alfoxden, I do not
remember which. The rest of the poem was written in the vale of
Grasmere, chiefly during our residence at Allan Bank. The long poem on
my own education was, together with many minor poems, composed while we
lived at the cottage at Town-End. Perhaps my purpose of giving an
additional interest to these my poems, in the eyes of my nearest and
dearest friends, may he promoted by saying a few words upon the
character of the 'Wanderer,' the 'Solitary,' and the 'Pastor,' and some
other of the persons introduced. And first of the principal one, the
'Wanderer.'

My lamented friend Southey (for this is written a month after his
decease[12]) used to say that had he been a Papist, the course of life
which would in all probability have been his, was the one for which he
was most fitted and most to his mind, that of a Benedictine Monk, in a
Convent, furnished, as many once were, and some still are, with an
inexhaustible library. _Books_, as appears from many passages in his
writings, and was evident to those who had opportunities of observing
his daily life, were, in fact, _his passion_; and _wandering_, I can
with truth affirm, was mine; but this propensity in me was happily
counteracted by inability from want of fortune to fulfil my wishes.

[12] Which took place in March, 1843.

But had I been born in a class which would have deprived me of what is
called a liberal education, it is not unlikely that, being strong in
body, I should have taken to a way of life such as that in which my
'Pedlar' passed the greater part of his days. At all events, I am here
called upon freely to acknowledge that the character I have represented
in his person is chiefly an idea of what I fancied my own character
might have become in his circumstances.

Nevertheless much of what he says and does had an external existence,
that fell under my own youthful and subsequent observation.

An individual, named Patrick, by birth