A pleasing wonder throo' my fancy moves
Title:
Untitled. Lines upon Eastwell Park. Primary Text:
MS Folger, unpaginated iii, quoted by Finch in "The Preface."
A pleasing wonder throo' my fancy moves,
Smooth as her lawnes, and lofty as her Groves.
Boundlesse my Genius seems, when my free sight,
Finds only distant skys to stop her flight.
Like mighty Denhams, then, methinks my hand,
Might bid the Landskip, in strong numbers stand.
Fix all itts charms, with a Poetick skill,
And raise itts Fame, above his Cooper's hill.
Secondary Eds:
1903 Reynolds prints Folger text, 8-9; rpt of 1903 Reynolds: 1979 Rogers AF, 10. 20C:
Rpt of 1903: 1991 Uphaus/Foster, 167. Comment:
Although this fragment is only a fragment, it is effective, and suggests Finch began a poem in imitation of John Denham's "Cooper's Hill" (as did Pope in "Windsor Forest"). It is not clear whether this comes from a poem begun shortly after Finch came to live permanently at Eastwell or was an earlier effort in response to visits at the estate.
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