Mary Anne Rawson's The Bow in the Cloud (1834): A Scholarly EditionMain MenuEditor's IntroductionEditor's IntroductionThe Published AnthologyContains all of the pieces published in the anthology, with an editor's noteSelected Unpublished PiecesTranscriptions of some unpublished pieces sent to RawsonText analysisResults of analysing the anthology and its manuscriptsNetwork AnalysisNetwork analysis prototypes, including a network graph of connections in the archiveMap of PlacenamesA map of all places associated with pieces in the anthologyPeople MentionedBow in the Cloud: PersonographyFurther ReadingsA Bibliography of sources relating to this projectThis project was supported by an NEH-Mellon Fellowship for Digital Publication in 2023/2024 (FEL-289788). Find project data on GitHub.
Revision narrative on the 'huntsman' of 'The Wild Forester of Winterberg' (English MS 415/146)
12023-11-14T17:05:16+00:00Christopher Ohge67a4fbaba4797c94aa865988788fca89b5c37616110plain2023-11-14T17:24:05+00:00Christopher Ohge67a4fbaba4797c94aa865988788fca89b5c37616In Pringle's original manuscript, he began his description of the huntsman this way, in the fourth stanza: 'Then bounded that huntsman blithe to my side, | And shook my hand with a forester's pride. | Full jocund we feasted beneath a tree -- | Then thus spoke the'. He then deleted the entire stanza and wrote the new description, which is closer to the published version: 'The stranger came galloping up to my side, | And greeted me then with a forester's pride: | Full blithely we feasted beneath a tree; | Then thus spoke the huntsman, bold Arend Plessie'. Rawson made a minor change to the last line in her fair copy: 'And thus spoke the huntsman, bold Arend Plessie', which was further modified for the published version into 'Then out spoke the forester, Arend Plessie'.
We met in the midst of the Neutral Ground, 'Mong the hills where the buffalo's haunts are found; And we joined in the chase of the noble game, Nor asked each other of nation or name.
The buffalo bull wheeled suddenly round, When first from my rifle he felt a wound; And, before I could gain the Umtoka's bank, His horns were tearing my courser's flank.
That instant a ball whizzed past my ear, Which smote the beast in his fierce career; And the turf was drenched with his purple gore, As he fell at my feet with a bellowing roar.The stranger came galloping up to my side, And greeted me with a bold huntsman's pride; Full blithely we feasted beneath a tree; -- Then out spoke the forester, Arend Plessie.
"Stranger! we now are true comrades sworn; Come pledge me thy hand while we quaff the horn; Thou 'rt an Englishman good, and thy heart is free, And 'tis therefore I'll tell my story to thee.
"A Heemraad of Camdebóo was my sire; He had flocks and herds to his heart's desire, And bondmen and maidens to run at his call, And seven stout sons to be heirs of all.
"When we had grown up to man's estate, Our father bade each of us choose a mate, Of Fatherland blood, from the black taint free, As became a Dutch burgher's proud degree.
"My brothers they rode to the Bovenland, And each came with a fair bride back in his hand; But I brought the handsomest bride of them all -- Brown Dinah, the bondmaid who sat in our hall.
"My father's displeasure was stern and still; My brothers' flamed forth like a fire on the hill; And they said that my spirit was mean and base, To lower myself to the African race.
"I bade them rejoice in their herds and flocks, And their pale-faced spouses with flaxen locks; While I claimed for my share, as the youngest son, Brown Dinah alone with my horse and gun.
"My father looked black as a thunder-cloud, My brothers reviled me and railed aloud, And their young wives laughed with disdainful pride, While Dinah in terror clung close to my side.
"Her ebon eyelashes were moistened with tears, As she shrunk abashed from their venomous jeers; But I bade her look up like a burgher's wife -- Next day to be mine, if God granted life.
"At dawn brother Roelof came galloping home From the pastures -- his courser all covered with foam; ' 'Tis the Bushmen!' he shouted; 'haste, friends, to the spoor! Bold Arend! come help with your long-barrelled roer.'
"Far o'er Bruintjes-hoogtè we followed -- in vain: At length surly Roelof cried, 'Slacken your rein; We have quite lost the track.' -- Hans replied with a smile. -- Then my dark-boding spirit suspected their guile.
"I flew to our father's. Brown Dinah was sold! And they laughed at my rage as they counted the gold. But I leaped on my horse, with my gun in my hand, And sought my lost love in the far Bovenland.
"I found her; I bore her from Gauritz' fair glen, Through lone Zitzikamma, by forest and fen. To these mountains at last like wild-pigeons we flew, Far, far from the cold hearts of proud Camdebóo.
"I've reared our rude shieling by Gola's green wood, Where the chase of the deer yields me pastime and food: With my Dinah and children I dwell here alone, Without other comrades -- and wishing for none.
"I fear not the Bushman from Winterberg's fell, Nor dread I the Caffer from Kat-River's dell: By justice and kindness I've conquered them both, And the sons of the desert have pledged me their troth.
"I fear not the leopard that lurks in the wood, The lion I dread not, though raging for blood: My hand it is steady -- my aim it is sure -- And the boldest must bend to my long-barrelled roer.
"The elephant's buff-coat my bullet can pierce; And the giant rhinoceros, headlong and fierce, Gnu, eland, and buffalo furnish my board, When I feast my allies like an African lord.
"And thus from my kindred and colour exiled, I live like old Ismael, Lord of the Wild -- And follow the chase with my hounds and my gun; Nor ever regret the bold course I have run.
"But sometimes there sinks on my spirit a dread Of what may befall when the turf's on my head; I fear for poor Dinah -- for brown Rodomond And dimpled-faced Karel, the sons of the bond.
"Then tell me, dear stranger, from England the free, What good tidings bring'st thou for Arend Plessie? Shall the Edict of Mercy be sent forth at last, To break the harsh fetters of Colour and Caste?"