The vision was no more--and Nick alone- -His garment, too, was somewhat short behind,— The ring,-which made him most his fate bemoan-The iron ring,—no doubt of some trap door, 'Neath which the old dead Miser kept his store. "What's to be done?" he cried, "'t were vain to stay Here in the dark without a single clew Oh, for a candle now, or moonlight ray! 'Fore George, I'm sadly puzzled what to do." And drag their victims to the gulfs below;- Scared by his Lady's heart-appalling cry, Vanished at once poor Mason's golden dreamFor dream it was;-and all his visions high, Of wealth and grandeur, fled before that scream And still he listens, with averted eye, When gibing neighbors make "the Ghost" their theme While ever from that hour they all declare That Mrs. Mason used a cushion in her chair! A LAY OF ST. GENGULPHUS. GENGULPHUS comes from the Holy Land, R. HARRIS BARHAM With his scrip, and his bottle, and sandal shoon; Full many a day hath he been away, Yet his lady deems him return'd full soon. Full many a day hath he been away, Yet scarce had he crossed ayont the sea, Ere a spruce young spark of a Learned Clerk Had called on his Lady, and stopp'd to tea. This spruce young guest, so trimly drest, Stay'd with that Lady, her revels to crown; They would walk in the park, that spruce young Clerk, Trying balls and plays, and all manner of ways, Now the festive board with viands is stored, There's a flagon of ale as large as a pail When, cockle on hat, and staff in hand, * While on naught they are thinking save eating and drinking, Gengulphus walks in from the Holy Land! "You must be pretty deep to catch weasels asleep," Says the proverb: that is "take the Fair unawares:" A maid o'er the banisters chancing to peep, Whispers, "Ma'am, here's Gengulphus a-coming up-stairs.' Pig, pudding, and soup, the electrified group, Then oh! what rapture, what joy was exprest, When "poor dear Gengulphus" at last appear'd ! Such hugging and squeezing! 't was almost unpleasing, She was so very glad, that she seem'd half mad, Then she calls up the maid and the table-cloth's laid, Then again she began at the "poor dear" man; She press'd him to drink, and she press'd him to eat, And she brought a foot-pan, with hot water and bran, To comfort his "poor dear" travel-worn feet. "Nor night nor day since he'd been away, Had she had any rest," she "vow'd and declared.” She "never could eat one morsel of meat, For thinking how 'poor dear' Gengulphus fared." She "really did think she had not slept a wink Since he left her, although he'd been absent so long," Here he shook his head,-right little he said, But he thought she was coming it rather too strong." Now his palate she tickles with the chops and the pickles, His weaken'd body, subdued by the toddy, Then out comes the Clerk from his secret lair; He lifts up the legs, and she lifts up the head, And, between them, this most reprehens.ble pair Undress poor Gengulphus and put him to bed. Then the bolster they place athwart his face, And his night-cap into his mouth they cram; And she pinches his nose underneath the clothes, Till the "poor dear soul" goes off like a lamb. And now they tried the deed to hide; For a little bird whisper'd "Perchance you may swing; Here's a corpse in the case, with a sad swell'd face, And a Medical Crowner's a queer sort of thing!" So the Clerk and the wife, they each took a knife, Thus, limb from limb, they dismember'd him So entirely, that e'en when they came to his wrists, With those great sugar-nippers they nipped off his "flippers," As the Clerk, very flippantly, termed his fists. When they cut off his head, entertaining a dread Lest the folks should remember Gengulphus's face, But first the long beard from the chin they shear'd, They contriv'd to pack up the trunk in a sack, But to see now how strangely things sometimes turn out, Who'd been thus carbonado'd, cut up, and dissected ? No doubt 't would surprise the pupils at Guy's; I am no unbeliever--no man can say that o' me--- You may deal as you please with Hindoos and Chinese, A Jew or a Turk, but it's rather guess work When a man has to do with a Pilgrim or Palmer. By chance the Prince Bishop, a Royal Divine, * Sends his cards round the neighborhood next day, and urges his Wish to receive a snug party to dine, Of the resident clergy, the gentry, and burgesses. At a quarter past five they are all alive, At the palace, for coaches are fast rolling in, And to every guest his card had express'd Half-past" as the hour for "a greasy chin.” Some thirty are seated, and handsomely treated With the choicest Rhine wine in his Highness's stock; When a Count of the Empire, who felt himself heated, Requested some water to mix with his Hock. The Butler, who saw it, sent a maid out to draw it, Only fancy her dread when she saw a great head In her bucket;-with fright she was ready to drop:Conceive, if you can, how she roar'd and she ran, With the head rolling after her, bawling out "Stop!" She ran and she roar'd, till she came to the board At her heels, on the table bounced up with a bound. Never touching the cates, or the dishes or plates, Kicking open the casement, to each one's amazement Next, before the beholders, two great brawny shoulders, They march up to the head, not one syllable said, As the limbs in their sight arrange and unite, Till Gengulphus, though dead, looks as sound as a trout I will venture to say, from that hour to this day, With a dead body placed in the center between. |