#The Gascon O'Driscol #### Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition ### Background details and bibliographic information The Gascon O'Driscol ==================== Author: Samuel Ferguson ----------------------- ### File Description Electronic edition compiled and proof-read by Beatrix Färber Funded by School of History, University College, Cork 1. First draft.Extent of text: 1645 words #### Publication CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork College Road, Cork, Ireland—http://www.ucc.ie/celt (2016) Distributed by CELT online at University College, Cork, Ireland. Text ID Number: E860001-006Availability [RESTRICTED] The works by Sir Samuel Ferguson are in the public domain. This electronic text is available with prior consent of the CELT programme for purposes of private or academic research and teaching. #### Notes #### Sources **Life and Work of Sir Samuel Ferguson**2. Mary Catherine Guinness Ferguson, Sir Samuel Ferguson in the Ireland of his Day (Edinburgh/London 1896). 3. Arthur Deering, Sir Samuel Ferguson, Poet and Antiquarian (Philadelphia 1931). 4. Malcolm Brown, Sir Samuel Ferguson (Lewisburg) 1973. 5. Robert O'Driscoll, An ascendancy of the heart: Ferguson and the beginnings of modern Irish literature in English (Dublin 1976). 6. Joseph Th. Leerssen, Mere Irish and Fíor-Ghael: Studies in the idea of Irish nationality, its development and literay expression prior to the nineteenth century (Amsterdam/Philadelphia 1986). 7. Terence Brown and Barbara Hayley (eds), Samuel Ferguson: a centenary tribute (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy 1987). 8. Maurice Harmon, The Enigma of Samuel Ferguson, in: O. Komesu, M. Sekine (eds), Irish writers and politics (Irish Literary Studies 36) (Gerrards Cross 1989) 62–79. 9. Peter Denman, Samuel Ferguson: the literary achievement (Gerrards Cross, Bucks. 1990). 10. Eve Patten, 'Samuel Ferguson: a tourist in Antrim', in: Gerald Dawe and John Wilson Foster, (eds), The poet's place: Ulster literature and society: essays in honour of John Hewitt, 1907–87 (Belfast: Queen's University of Belfast, Institute of Irish Studies, 1991). 11. Gréagóir Ó Dúill, Samuel Ferguson: Beatha agus Saothar (Baile Átha Cliath [=Dublin] 1993. 12. Gréagóir Ó Dúill, Sir Samuel Ferguson (1810–1886), in: Eamon Phoenix (ed), A century of northern life: The Irish News and 100 years of Ulster history, 1890s–1990s (Belfast 1995) 182–186. 13. Sean Ryder, 'The politics of landscape and region in nineteenth-century poetry', in: Leon Litvack, Glenn Hooper (eds), Ireland in the nineteenth century: regional identity (Dublin 2000). 14. Eve Patten, Samuel Ferguson and the culture of nineteenth-century Ireland (Dublin 2004). 15. Peter Denman, William Carleton and Samuel Ferguson: lives and contacts, in: Gordon Brand (ed), William Carleton, the authentic voice (Gerard's Cross 2006) 360–377. 16. Eve Patten, Samuel Ferguson's Hibernian Nights' Entertainments, in: James H. Murphy (ed), The Irish book in English, 1800–1891. The Oxford History of the Irish Book, 4 (Oxford: 2011). 17. Matthew Campbell, 'Samuel Ferguson's Maudlin Jumble', in: Kirstie Blair, Mina Gorji (eds), Class and the canon: constructing labouring-class poetry and poetics, 1780–1900 (Basingstoke 2013). **Online**2. Poems of Sir Samuel Ferguson are available on www.archive.org. **The edition used in the digital edition**2. Samuel Ferguson The Gascon O'Driscol in , Ed. Alfred Perceval Graves Poems of Sir Samuel Ferguson. Talbot Press, Dublin, (1918) pages 32–38 ### Encoding #### Project Description CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts #### Sampling Declaration The whole poem. #### Editorial Declaration ##### Correction The text has been proof-read twice. ##### Normalization The electronic text represents the edited text. ##### Hyphenation The editorial practice of the hard-copy editor has been retained. ##### Segmentation div0= the individual poem, the stanzas are marked lg. The divison into stanzas was made at CELT. ##### Interpretation Names of persons (given names), and places are not tagged. Terms for cultural and social roles are not tagged. ### Profile Description Created: Date range: 1858–1864. #### Use of language ##### Language: [EN] The poem is in English. ### Revision History * (2014-06-15) Beatrix Färber (ed.) * SGML and HTML files created. * (2014-06-14) Beatrix Färber (ed.) * File proofed (1, 2); structural markup applied according to CELT practice; bibliographic details added; file parsed and validated. * (2016-06-14) Beatrix Färber (data capture) * Text captured. --- #### Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition: E860001-006 ### The Gascon O'Driscol: Author: Samuel Ferguson --- p.32 1. In old O'Driscol's pedigree, 'Mong lords of ports and galleys, "The Gascon" whence? and who was he First bore the surname? tell us. Not difficult the task To answer what you ask. 2. The merchants from the Biscay sea To ports of Munster sailing, With wines of Spain and Gascony Supplied carouse unfailing To guests of open door, Of old, at Baltimore. --- p.33 5. Till when against one festal day O'Driscol stock'd his cellars, He found not but of gold to pay In part, the greedy dealers: And, for the surplusage Gave this good son in pledge. 6. They bore the boy to fair Bayonne, Where vines on hills were growing; And, when the days of grace were gone, And still the debt was owing, The careful merchant's heart Grew hard with angry smart. --- p.3 9. "The wine I sold the Irish knave Is spent in waste and surfeit; The pledge for payment that he gave Remains, a sorry forfeit: Bring forth the hostage boy And set him on employ." 10. "Now youth, lay by the lettered page, Leave Spanish pipe and tabor To happier co-mates of thy age, And put thy hands to labour. Ten ridged rows of the vine To dress and till, be thine." 11. From solar-chamber came the lad; In sooth, a comely creature As e'er made eye of mother glad In well-shaped limb and feature. --- p.34 As 'mid the vines he stepp'd, His cheek burned, and he wept. 12. "The grief that wrings this pungent tear Springs not from pride or anger; Let the hoe be my hunting-spear, The pruning-knife my hanger: The work ye will I'll do, But, deem my kinsmen true. 13. "Be sure, in some unknown resort Their messengers have tarried; Some head-wind held their ship in port, Some tribute-ship miscarried; Else never would they leave Their pledge without reprieve. 14. "I've seen when, round the banquet board From stintless-circling beaker To all the Name our butlers pour'd The ruby-royal liquor, And every face was bright With mirth and life's delight. 15. "And, as the warming wine exhaled The shows of outward fashion, Their very hearts I've seen unveil'd In gay and frank elation; And not a breast but grew More trusty, more seen through. 16. "These vineyards grew the grape that gave My soul that fond assurance; --- p.35 And if for them I play the slave, I grudge not the endurance, Nor stronger mandate want To tend the truthful plant." 17. The seniors of the sunny land Beheld him daily toiling— (Old times they were of instincts bland The pagan heart assoiling)— And this their frequent speech And counsel, each with each: — 18. "A patient boy, with gentle grace He bears his yoke of trouble; Serenely grave the ample face, The gesture large and noble, Erect, or stooping low, Along the staky row. 19. "Where'er he moves, the serving train, Accord him their obeisance; The very vintagers refrain Their rude jests in his presence; And—what is strange indeed— His vines their vines exceed. 20. "The tendrils twine, the leaves expand, The purpling bunches cluster To pulpier growth beneath his hand, As though 'twere formed to foster, By act of mere caress, Life, wealth, and joyousness. --- p.36 23. "It seems as if a darkling sense In root and stem were native; As if an answering effluence And virtue vegetative (Anointed kings own such) Went outward from his touch. 24. "Behold his nation's sages say A righteous king's intendance Is seen in fishy-teeming bay And corn-fields' stock' d abundance, In udder-weighted cows And nut-bent hazel boughs. 25. "These Scots, apart in ocean set Since first from Shinar turning, Preserve the simple wisdom yet Of mankind's early morning, While God with Adam's race Still communed, face to face. 26. "Not in the written word alone He woos and warns the creature; His will is still in wonders shown Though manifesting Nature; And Nature here makes plain This youth was born to reign. 27. "Ill were it, for a merchant's gains, To leave, at toil appointed For horny-handed village swains. God's designate anointed: --- p.37 But good for him and us The act magnanimous. 28. "Blest are the friends of lawful kings To righteous rule consenting: Secure the blessing that he brings By clemency preventing; And, granting full release, Return him home in peace. 29. "And, ere your topsails take the wind, Stow ye within his vessel A pipe the ripest search may find In cellars of the Castle; Of perfume finer yet Than rose and violet. 30. "That, when, at home, his kin shall pour The welcoming libation, Such rapture-pitch their souls shall soar Of sweet exhilaration, As Bacchus on his pard With moist eye might regard." 31. They stowed the ship; he stepped on board In seemly wise attended; But this was still his parting word When farewells all were ended: "Be sure my father yet Will satisfy the debt." 32. And, even as from the harbour mouth They northward went careering, --- p.38 There passed to windward, steering south, O'Driscol's galley bearing, From Baltimore, the gold Of ransom safe in hold.