The Idiot Boy Composed 1798.--Published 1798. Alfoxden, 1798. The last stanza, 'The cocks did crow to-whoo, to-whoo, and the sun did shine so cold,' was the foundation of the whole. The words were reported to me by my dear friend Thomas Poole; but I have since heard the same repeated of other idiots. Let me add, that this long poem was composed in the groves of Alfoxden, almost extempore; not a word, I believe, being corrected, though one stanza was omitted. I mention this in gratitude to those happy moments, for, in truth, I never wrote anything with so much glee.--I. F.

One of the "Poems founded on the Affections."—Ed.

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Variant 1:

text	variant	footnote	line number

1827
He shouts from ...	1798

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Variant 2: Inserted in the editions 1798 to 1820.

Beneath the moon that shines so bright,
Till she is tired, let Betty Foy
With girt and stirrup fiddle-faddle;
But wherefore set upon a saddle
Him whom she loves, her idiot boy?

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Variant 3:

1836
There's scarce a soul that's out of bed;	1798

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Variant 4: Inserted in the editions 1798 to 1820.

The world will say 'tis very idle,
Bethink you of the time of night;
There's not a mother, no not one,
But when she hears what you have done,
Oh! Betty she'll be in a fright.

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Variant 5:

1836
Has up upon the saddle set,	1798

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Variant 6:

1820
... that's in the dale,	1798

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Variant 7:

1827
... bough's ...	1798

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Variant 8:

1827
And Betty's standing at the door, And Betty's face with joy o'erflows,	1798

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Variant 9:

1820
And Johnny's in a merry tune,	1798

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Variant 10:

1827
And ...	1798

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Variant 11:

1836
What comfort Johnny soon will bring, What comfort soon her Boy will bring,	1798 1827

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Variant 12:

1827
And Betty's still at Susan's side: By this time she's not quite so flurried;	1798

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Variant 13:

1827
They'll both be ...	1798

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Variant 14:

1827
'Tis on the stroke—"If Johnny's near," Quoth Betty, "he will soon be here,"	1798

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Variant 15:

1836
Appear ...	1798

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Variant 16:

1827
... she begins to fear	1798

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Variant 17:

1800
Good Bettyi ...	1798

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Variant 18:

1836
She's past the bridge that's in the dale, And now the thought torments her sore, She's past the bridge far in the dale; The bridge is past—far in the dale;	1798 1820 1827

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Variant 19:

1827
... that's in the brook,	1798

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Variant 20:

1827
And now she's high ...	1798

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Variant 21:

1827
...would ...	1798

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Variant 22:

1836
And now she's got into the town,	1798

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Variant 23:

1827
... my Johnny here,	1798

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Variant 24:

1836
All like a silent horseman-ghost, He travels on along the vale.	1798

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Variant 25:

1820
... he's hunting . .	1798

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Variant 26:

1820
...that's so trim ....	1798

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Variant 27:

1827
...he'll gallop ....	1798

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Variant 28:

1802
For sure he met .....	1798

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Variant 29:

1798
...unfriendly....	Only in MS. and in the edition of 1805.

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Variant 30:

1827
...that's feeding ...	1798

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Variant 31:

1827
And now she's ...	1798

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Variant 32:

1827
... she's happy there,	1798

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Variant 33:

1827
Long Susan lay deep lost in thought,	1798

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Variant 34:

1836
... she posts ...	1798

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Footnote A: As Wordsworth gives the date of this poem as 1798, the above line implies that his poetical work began at least in 1784, when he was fourteen years of age. The note to An Evening Walk dictated to Miss Fenwick (see p. 5) implies the same.—Ed.
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Sub-Footnote i: This change was made by S. T. C.—Ed.
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Contents
Contents p.2

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