Joseph Mallord William Turner

Verses on ‘Sweet Independence...’ (Inscription by Turner); The Gable of a Cottage

c.1816–18

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Not on display

Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of
The Aqueduct Sketchbook
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
Support: 180 × 117 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D40713

Catalogue entry

Turner used this page to draft three verses of a poem:
Sweet independence, rough is thy nature, hardy [?] sincere
Tho gives the humble roof content devoid of fear
Even of tomorrows fate, and adds a blissful joy
To its perhaps lone inmate, [...?] without alloy
To thee the sociall being carrolls as he goes
Or tells his prattling babes [tales|?] at his return
Even to thy honoured name the whitened wede [?] ever glows deleted shows
With acts which tilling makes his bosom glow
Through thee the mind who [...?] innate
A quality possesses beyond [deleted owns] the crown of wealth
Guides its self choice own no concentrating frown [?]
But self recourse a personal Estate
Far beyond purchase [?] of the grasp of state:
These appear to be a slightly more refined version of the verses drafted on Tate D11974; Turner Bequest CLIII 1, opposite.

David Hill
September 2008

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