He laid his hand on the iron chains,

And like flax they moulder'd asunder, And the coffin lid, which was barr'd so firm, He burst with his voice of thunder.

And he bade the Old Woman of Berkeley rise,
And come with her master away;

A cold sweat started on that cold corpse,
At the voice she was forced to obey.

She rose on her feet in her winding sheet,
Her dead flesh quiver'd with fear,

And a groan like that which the Old Woman gave
Never did mortal hear.

She follow'd her Master to the church door,
There stood a black horse there;
His breath was red like furnace smoke,
His eyes like a meteor's glare.

The Devil he flung her on the horse,

And he leapt up before,

And away like the lightning's speed they went,

And she was seen no more.

They saw her no more, but her cries

For four miles round they could hear,

And children at rest at their mothers' breast
Started, and scream'd with fear.

Hereford, 1798.

THE SURGEON'S WARNING.

THE subject of this parody was suggested by a friend, to whom also I am indebted for some of the stanzas.

Respecting the patent coffins herein mentioned, after the manner of Catholic Poets, who confess the actions they attribute to their Saints and Deity to be but fiction, I hereby declare that it is by no means my design to depreciate that useful invention; and all persons to whom this Ballad shall come are requested to take notice, that nothing herein asserted concerning the aforesaid coffins is true, except that the maker and patentee lives by St. Martin's Lane.

THE Doctor whisper'd to the Nurse,
And the Surgeon knew what he said;

And he grew pale at the Doctor's tale,
And trembled in his sick-bed.

"Now fetch me my brethren, and fetch them with speed,"

The Surgeon affrighted said;

"The Parson and the Undertaker,

Let them hasten or I shall be dead."

The Parson and the Undertaker

They hastily came complying,

And the Surgeon's Prentices ran up stairs
When they heard that their Master was dying.

The Prentices all they enter'd the room,

By one, by two, by three;

With a sly grin came Joseph in,

First of the company.

The Surgeon swore as they enter'd his door,
'T was fearful his oaths to hear, .
"Now send these scoundrels out of my sight,
I beseech ye, my brethren dear!"

He foam'd at the mouth with the rage he felt,
And he wrinkled his black eye-brow,
"That rascal Joe would be at me, I know,
But zounds, let him spare me now!"

Then out they sent the Prentices,
The fit it left him weak,

He look'd at his brothers with ghastly eyes,
And faintly struggled to speak.

"All kinds of carcases I have cut up,

And now my turn will be;

But, brothers, I took care of you,

So pray take care of me.

"I have made candles of dead men's fat,
The Sextons have been my slaves,
I have bottled babes unborn, and dried
Hearts and livers from rifled graves.

"And my Prentices now will surely come
And carve me bone from bone,

And I who have rifled the dead man's grave
Shall never have rest in my own.

"Bury me in lead when I am dead, My brethren, I entreat,

And see the coffin weigh'd, I beg,

Lest the plumber should be a cheat.

"And let it be solder'd closely down, Strong as strong can be, I implore;

And put it in a patent coffin,

That I may rise no more.

"If they carry me off in the patent coffin, Their labour will be in vain ;

Let the Undertaker see it bought of the maker, Who lives by St. Martin's Lane.

"And bury me in my brother's church, For that will safer be;

And I implore, lock the church door,

"And all night long let three stout men

The vestry watch within;

To each man give a gallon of beer,
And a keg of Holland's gin;

"Powder and ball and blunderbuss,
To save me if he can,

And eke five guineas if he shoot
A Resurrection Man.

"And let them watch me for three weeks,
My wretched corpse to save;
For then I think that I may stink
Enough to rest in my grave."

The Surgeon laid him down in his bed,

His eyes grew deadly dim,

Short came his breath, and the struggle of death Did loosen every limb.

They put him in lead when he was dead,

And with precaution meet,

First they the leaden coffin weigh,

Lest the plumber should be a cheat.

They had it solder'd closely down,
And examin'd it o'er and o'er,
And they put it in a patent coffin
That he might rise no more.