And when she heard the dismal sound,
Her godly book she cast away,
With bitter cries would pierce the ground.
Her fainting heart ’gan to decay:
She to her pensive mother said,
‘I cannot live now he is dead.’
Then after three short minutes’ space,
As she in sorrow groaning lay,
A gentleman [108b] did her embrace,
And mildly unto her did say,
‘Dear melting soul be not so sad,
But let your passion be allayed.’
Her answer was, ‘My heart is burst,
My span of life is near an end;
My love from me by death is forced,
My grief no soul can comprehend.’
Then her poor heart it waxèd faint,
When she had ended her complaint.
For three hours’ space, as in a trance,
This broken-hearted creature lay,
Her mother wailing her mischance,
To pacify her did essay:
But all in vain, for strength being past,
She seemingly did breathe her last.
Her mother, thinking she was dead,
Began to shriek and cry amain;
And heavy lamentations made,
Which called her spirit back again;
To be an object of hard fate,
And give to grief a longer date.
Distorted with convulsions, she,
In dreadful manner gasping lay,
Of twelve long hours no moment free,
Her bitter groans did her dismay:
Then her poor heart being sadly broke,
Submitted to the fatal stroke.
When things were to this issue brought,
Both in one grave were to be laid:
But flinty-hearted Hannah thought,
By stubborn means for to persuade,
Their friends and neighbours from the same,
For which she surely was to blame.
And being asked the reason why,
Such base objections she did make,
She answerèd thus scornfully,
In words not fit for Billingsgate:
‘She might have taken fairer on—
Or else be hanged:’ Oh heart of stone!
What hell-born fury had possessed,
Thy vile inhuman spirit thus?
What swelling rage was in thy breast,
That could occasion this disgust,
And make thee show such spleen and rage,
Which life can’t cure nor death assuage?
Sure some of Satan’s minor imps,
Ordainèd were to be thy guide;
To act the part of sordid pimps,
And fill thy heart with haughty pride;
But take this caveat once for all,
Such devilish pride must have a fall.