The White Doe is a story of the days of Queen
Elizabeth, of the days when England was still in the midst of
religious struggle. There was a rebellion in Yorkshire, in which
the old lord of Rylstone fought vainly if gallantly for the Old
Religion, and he and his sons died the death of rebels. Of all
the family only the gentle Emily remained "doomed to be the last
leaf on a blasted tree." About the country-side she wandered
alone accompanied only by a white doe. In time she, too, died,
then for many years the doe was seen alone. It was often to be
seen in the churchyard during service, and after service it would
go away with the rest of the congregation.
The Excursion, though a long poem, is only part of what
Wordsworth meant to write. He meant in three books to give his
opinions on Man, Nature, and Society, and the whole was to be
called The Recluse. To this great work The Prelude was to be the
introduction, hence its name. But Wordsworth never finished his
great design and The Excursion remains a fragment.
Pages:
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876