All other men had been unmanned That served a skeleton to stand By way of sentry; In fact, Death has a very grand And awful entry. Throughout his dismal sign prevails, A scull that mocketh, Grins on the gloomy gate, and quails And lo! on either side, arise Two monstrous pillars-bones of thighs: The step of stone, Where, waiting for his master, lies The dog leaped up, but gave no yell, But caused no riot; The ways of Death, we all know well, Old Bones stepped in; Jack stepped behind : As I shall treat ye A friend or two of goblin kind, I've asked to meet ye.” And lo! a crowd of spectres tall, An eager watcher. "My friends," says Death-" friends, Mr. Hall, The body-snatcher." Lord, what a tumult it produced, Felt just as if his back were sluiced With freezing springs! Each goblin face began to make Some horrid mouth-ape-gorgon-snake; And then a spectre-hag would shake An airy thigh-bone; And cried (or seemed to cry), I'll break Your bone, with my bone! Some ground their teeth; some seemed to spit(Nothing but nothing came of it); A hundred awful brows were knit In dreadful spite. Thought Jack—I'm sure I'd better quit, One skip and hop, and he was clear, And, running like a hunted deer, As fleet as people run by fear Well spurred and whipped, Death, ghosts, and all in that career Were quite outstripped. But those who live by death, must die; Of doctors came; but not to try No ravens ever scented prey A last convulse: A dozen "guests" day after day Were "at his pulse. 'Twas strange, although they got no fees, How still they watched by twos and threes: But Jack a very little ease Obtained from them; In fact he did not find M. D.s Worth one D—M. The passing bell with hollow toll And then a cough: "There's something weighing on my soul I wish was off; "All night it roves about my brains, When I am dead :" Twelve wigs and twelve gold-headed canes Drew near his bed. "Alas!" he sighed, "I'm sore afraid, There was a little bargain made Twelve suits of black began to close, Twelve noses turned against his nose, "Ten guineas did not quite suffice, In short, I have received its price Twelve brows got very grim and black, Took up position, By long division. Twelve angry doctors wrangled so, That twelve had struck an hour ago, Before they had an eye to throw On the departed; Twelve heads turned round at once, and lo! Twelve doctors started. Whether some comrade of the dead, Or Satan took it in his head To steal the corpse-the corpse had fled! 'Tis only written, That "there was nothing in the bed, But twelve were bitten.” JOHN TROT. A BALLAD. JOHN TROT he was as tall a lad As York did ever rear; A sergeant soon came down to York, My lads, said he, let broadcast be, But when he wanted John to list, In war he saw no fun, Where what is called a raw recruit But I have got a shoulder-knot Imposed upon my arms. For John he had a footman's place To wait on Lady Wye She was a dumpy woman, though 1 |