 | Rhymes with reason and without |  |
218
THE WITCH OF LYNN:
OR, A GOOD MANY YEARS AGO.
“Go not to-day on the broad, deep sea,
And trust not your shallow bark,
For well I know a storm there will be,
Ere another night grows dark;
And trust not your shallow bark,
For well I know a storm there will be,
Ere another night grows dark;
“And the surges will dash your cold corse o'er,
And the shark-fish claim its own,
Or, mangled and stark, on a rugged shore
Will your ghastly form be thrown!
And the shark-fish claim its own,
Or, mangled and stark, on a rugged shore
Will your ghastly form be thrown!
“The foul bird will peck out your jet-black eyes,
And the loud winds laugh through your hair;
Beware, beware how my words you despise,
Or how you my anger dare!”
And the loud winds laugh through your hair;
Beware, beware how my words you despise,
Or how you my anger dare!”
O, the witch of Lynn is a fearful wife,
And well will she keep her word;
And he must bear a thrice-charmed life
Who has ever her anger stirred.
And well will she keep her word;
And he must bear a thrice-charmed life
Who has ever her anger stirred.
The young man launched his boat on the tide,
And dashed along through the spray,
The bright waves gleaming on every side,
In the glow of a summer day.
And dashed along through the spray,
The bright waves gleaming on every side,
In the glow of a summer day.
219
And light was the heart of that young man bold,
As he sportively onward sped,
As free as the billows that round him rolled,
Or the sunlight round his head.
As he sportively onward sped,
As free as the billows that round him rolled,
Or the sunlight round his head.
But a cloud soon arose within the west,
That curtained the windows of light;
A gloom came down on the ocean's breast,
Like the gathering shades of night;
That curtained the windows of light;
A gloom came down on the ocean's breast,
Like the gathering shades of night;
And the winds piped loud o'er the troubled seas,
And frightened the ocean bird,
And the young man's bosom was ill at ease,
For a well-known voice he heard:
And frightened the ocean bird,
And the young man's bosom was ill at ease,
For a well-known voice he heard:
“The surges will dash your cold corse o'er,
And the shark-fish claim its own,
Or, mangled and stark, on a rugged shore
Will your ghastly form be thrown.”
And the shark-fish claim its own,
Or, mangled and stark, on a rugged shore
Will your ghastly form be thrown.”
Then a huge wave reared its hideous head,
And rushed on him amain;
And his mind flew back, in the time of dread,
To scenes he 'd ne'er see again;
And rushed on him amain;
And his mind flew back, in the time of dread,
To scenes he 'd ne'er see again;
And a view of a misspent life was given,
All marked and sullied by sin;
One prayer for mercy he raised to heaven,
One curse for the witch of Lynn.
All marked and sullied by sin;
One prayer for mercy he raised to heaven,
One curse for the witch of Lynn.
220
With quick resolve he seized an oar,
And smote the wave in its breast;
Enough—the tempest was speedily o'er,
And the billows sank to their rest.
And smote the wave in its breast;
Enough—the tempest was speedily o'er,
And the billows sank to their rest.
Now rowed he briskly the billows o'er,
And cheerily neared the land,
And well-known forms on the sea-beat shore
He saw before him stand.
And cheerily neared the land,
And well-known forms on the sea-beat shore
He saw before him stand.
“Ah, well have ye come, for a wonder dread
Awaits you in yonder room;
For the witch of Lynn lieth cold and dead,
With a sudden and fearful doom.”
Awaits you in yonder room;
For the witch of Lynn lieth cold and dead,
With a sudden and fearful doom.”
And cold and stiff her body he found,
And, stranger than all the rest,
It bore no sign of bruise or wound,
Save an oar-blade mark on the breast!
And, stranger than all the rest,
It bore no sign of bruise or wound,
Save an oar-blade mark on the breast!
A pious man said 't was the devil's seal,
But the young man said not a word,
And left the town—but, for woe or for weal,
No one in Lynn ever heard.
But the young man said not a word,
And left the town—but, for woe or for weal,
No one in Lynn ever heard.
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