The ghost then seized her all so grim, All for to go along with him, Fol de riddle, etc. “Come, come,” said he, “e’er morning beam.” “I von’t,” says she, and screamed a scream, Then she awoke, and found she’d dream’d a dream. Fol de riddle, de riddle lido. A POLISHED VERSION. Young Giles the fair Maria wooed; Flower of the village maidenhood; Heigho, alack, and well-a-day! His pledge this legend bore inlaid,―― Love, that two hearts hath mutual made, Defies the knife of keenest blade; Heigho! &c. But keen, alas! as knives are shears And dubious all our fleeting years, Heigho! &c. The morn that should have made them one, Fate’s shears the bridegroom’s thread outspun, Sever’d; and bridal there was none, Heigho! &c. Maria sought her couch to weep; Till grief, exhausted, sank in sleep: Heigho! &c. When stood, her lonely pillow nigh, A figure more than mortal high; And cried――“Behold, my love, ’tis I” Heigho! &c. All solemnly the spirit said, “Away with me unto the dead,” Heigho! &c. “To cool thy passion in the tomb!” ――“What, ere my days of earthly doom?” “No matter!” cried the shape of gloom, Heigho! &c. Grimly the phantom clutch’d the fair, To death’s dark realm his prize to bear, Heigho! &c. “Hence! hence!” he cried, “ere morning’s light;” “Begone!” she shriek’d, and with the fright Woke. ’Twas a vision of the night. Heigho! &c. _Punch._ April 13, 1844. [Illustration] The Rev. George Crabbe. Born December 24, 1754. Died Feb. 3, 1832. Although the works of this author are now but little read, they were widely popular at the time when the brothers Smith produced _The Rejected Addresses_ in 1812, and naturally Mr. Crabbe’s poetry came in for imitation. Indeed this particular imitation was singled out by Lord Jeffrey as being the best piece in the collection. “It is,” said he, “an exquisite and most masterly imitation, not only of the peculiar style, but of the taste, temper, and manner of description of that most original author (Crabbe), and can hardly be said to be in any respect a caricature of that style or manner, except in the excessive profusion of puns and verbal jingles, which are never so thick sown in the original works as in this admirable imitation.” Even Mr. Crabbe, himself, was amused, he wrote “There is a little ill-nature in their prefatory address; but in their versification they have done me admirably, yet it is easier to imitate style than to furnish matter.” From this it will be gathered that the prose introduction is as much a parody as the poem, both of which were written by James Smith, who gives the following lines as a fair sample of Mr. Crabbe’s versification:――