And near them they beheld a child,
Upon a crag he stood,
A little crag, and all around
Was spread the rising flood.
The boatman plied the oar, the boat
Approach'd his resting place,
The moon-beam shone upon the child
And show'd how pale his face.
Now reach thine hand! the boatman cried
Lord William reach and save!
The child stretch'd forth his little hands
To grasp the hand he gave.
Then William shriek'd; the hand he touch'd
Was cold and damp and dead!
He felt young Edmund in his arms
A heavier weight than lead.
The boat sunk down, the murderer sunk
Beneath the avenging stream;
He rose, he scream'd, no human ear
Heard William's drowning scream.
A BALLAD,
SHEWING HOW AN OLD WOMAN RODE DOUBLE, AND WHO RODE BEFORE HER.
[Illustration: heavy black-and-white drawing (woodcut) of the title.]
A.D. 852. Circa dies istos, mulier quaedam malefica, in villa quae
Berkeleia dicitur degens, gulae amatrix ac petulantiae, flagitiis modum
usque in senium et auguriis non ponens, usque ad mortem impudica
permansit. Haec die quadam cum sederet ad prandium, cornicula quam pro
delitiis pascebat, nescio quid garrire coepit; quo audito, mulieris
cultellus de manu excidit, simul et facies pallescere coepit, et emisso
rugitu, hodie, inquit, accipiam grande incommodum, hodieque ad sulcum
ultimum meum pervenit aratrum, quo dicto, nuncius doloris intravit;
muliere vero percunctata ad quid veniret, affero, inquit, tibi filii tui
obitum & totius familiae ejus ex subita ruina interitum.
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