Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Charms of melody, or, Siren medley

576
BALLADS ANCIENT a n d- m o d e kn-; £:£ GEWDARIES^ &c.
At this the father rais'd liis hook,
And fnapp'd a Higgot band ;
He plied his work, and Luey took
The Uintcrn in her hand.
iS'ot bli'her is the mountnin roe,
Wiih many a wanton flroke.
Her feet difperfe the posvd'ry fnow
That riles up like fmoke.
The florm came on before its time,
Slie wander'd np and clown,
And many a hill did Lucy climb
But never rcacli'd the to\Mj.
The wrenched parents all that night
Went -Ihoiuing far and wide ;
But there was neither found nor fight
to ferve them for a guide.
At day-break on a hill they flood
That overlook'd the moor ;
And thence they faw the bridge of wood
A furlong from their door.
And now they homeward turti'd, and cry d
" In Heav'n we all fhall meet !"
When in the fnow the mother fpied
The print of Lucy's feet.
Then downward from the fteep hill's edge
They track'd the footmarks fma 11 ;
And through the broken hawthorn-hedge,
And by the long ftone-wall.
And then an open field they crofs'd.
The marks w-ere ffill the fame ;
They track'd them on, nor ever loft.
And to the bridge they came.
They follow'd from the fnowy barik.
The footmarks, one by one,
Into the middle of the plank.
And further there were none.
Yet fome maintain that to this day
She is a living child.
That you may fee fweet Lucy Gray
Upon the lonefome wild.
Q'er rough and fmooth fhe trips along,
And never looks behind ;
And fings a folitary fong
That whillles in the wind.
U^. ft'orJ/worth.
We are Seven.
SIMPLE child, dear brother Jim,
That lightly draws its breath.
And feels its life in ev'ry limb.
What fhould it know of death.
I met a little cottage girl.
She was eight years old, fne faid,
Her hair was thick with many a curl.
That clufter'd round her head.
S e h?d a ruflic, woodland air,
And fhe was >vildly clad ;
lier eyes were fait, and very fair —
Her beauty made me glad.
" Siflers and brothers, little maid,
" How many tnay you be ?"
" How many ? fe\en in all," fhe faid,
And wond'ring look'd at me.
" And where are they, I pray you tell I"
She anlwer'd, " Seven are we,
" And two of us at Conway dwell,
" And two are gone to fea.
" Two of us in the church-yard lie,
" Myfifterand my brother,
" And in the church-yard cottage, I
" Dwell near them with my mother."
" You fay that two at Conway dwell,
" And two are gone to fea,
" Yet you are feven j I pray you tell,
" Sweet maid, how this may be .'"
Then did the little maid reply,
" Seven boys and girls are we;
" Two of us in the church yard lie,
" Beneath tlie church yard tree."
" You run about, my little maid,
" Your limbs they are alive ;
" If two are Lu the church yard laid,
" Then ye are only five."
" Their graves are green, they may feen,
The little maid replied,
" Twelve fteps or more from mother's door,
" And they are fide by fide.
" My ftockings there I often knit,
" My 'kerchief there I hem ;
" And there upon the ground I fit—
" I fit and fing to them.
" And often after fun-fet. Sir,
" When it is light and fair,
" I take my little porringer,
" And eat my fupper there.
" The firft that died was little Jane,
" In bed fhe mourning lay,
" Till God releasM her of her pain,
" And then fhe went away.
" So in the church-yard fhe was laid,
" And all the fummer dry,
" Together round her grave we play'd,
" My brother John and I.
" And when the ground was white with fnow,
" And I could run and flide,
" My brother John was forced to go,
" And he lies by her fide."
" How many are you then," faid I,
" If they two are in Heaven,"
The little maiden did reply,
" O mafier ! we are feven."
" But they are dead; thofe two are dead.'
" Their fpirirs are in heaven !"
Twas throwing words auay; tor ftill
The little maid would have her will.
And faid, " Naj, w^ are feven!"
fjirkal BdladK