Who ransom'd us, and haler too than I;
And treat their loathsome hurts and heal mine own
And so wear out in almsdeed and in prayer
The sombre close of that voluptuous day,
Which wrought the ruin of my lord the King.'

She said. they took her to themselves; and she
Still hoping, fearing is it yet too late?'
Dwelt with them, till in time their Abbess died.
Then she, for her good deeds and her pure life,
And for the power of ministration in her,
And likewise for the high rank she had borne,
Was chosen Abbess, there, an Abbess, lived
For three brief years, and there, an Abbess, past
To where beyond these voices there is peace

NORTHERN FARMER.

OLD STYLE.

I.

WHEER 'asta beän saw long and meä liggin' 'ere aloän?

Noorse? thoort nowt o' a noorse: whoy, doctor's abeän an' agoän:

Says that I moänt 'a naw moor yaäle: but I beänt a fool:

Git ma my yaäle, for I beänt a-gooin' to break my rule.

II.

Doctors, they knaws nowt, for a says what's nawways true:

Naw soort o' koind o' use to saäy the things that a do.

I've 'ed my point o' yaäle ivry noight sin' I beän

'ere,

An' I've 'ed my quart ivry market-noight for foorty

year.

III.

Parson's a beän loikewoise, an' a sittin 'ere o' my

bed.

'The amoighty's a taäkin o' you to 'issen, my friend,'

'a said,

An' a towd ma my sins, an's toithe were due, an' I gied it in hond;

I done my duty by un, as I 'a done by the lond.

IV.

Larn'd a ma' beä. I reckons I 'annot sa mooch to

larn.

But a cost oop, thot a did, 'boot Bessy Marris's

barn.

Thof a knaws I hallus voäted wi' Squoire an' choorch an' staäte,

An' ' the woost o' toimes I wur niver agin the

raäte.

V.

An' I hallus comed to 's choorch afoor my Sally wur dead,

An' 'eerd un a bummin' awaäy loike a buzzardclock ower my yead,

An' I niver knaw'd whot a meän'd but I thowt a 'ad summut to saäy,

An' I thowt a said whot a owt to 'a said an' I comed awady.

VI.

Bessy Marris's barn! tha knaws she laäid it to

meä.

Mowt 'a beän, mayhap, for she wur a bad un,

sheä.

'Siver, I kep un, I kep un, my lass, tha mun understond;

I done my duty by un as I 'a done by the lond

• Cockchafer.

VII.

But Parson a comes an' a goos, an' a says it easy an' freeä

'The amoighty's a taäkin' o' you to 'issen, my friend,' says 'eä.

I weänt saäy men be loiars, thof summun said it in 'aäste:

But a reads wonn sarmin a weeäk, an' I 'a stubb'd Thornaby waäste.

VIII.

D'ya moind the waäste, my lass? naw, naw, not born then ;

tha was

Theer wur a boggle in it, I often 'eerd un mysen; Moäst loike a butter-bump, for I 'eerd un aboot

an' aboot,

*

But I stubb'd un oop wi' the lot, anʼ raäved an' rembled un oot.

IX.

Keäper's it wur; fo' they fun un theer a laäid on 'is faäce.

Doon i' the woild 'enemies † afoor I comed to the place.

Noäks or Thimbleby — toner 'ed shot un as dead as a naäil.

Noaks wur 'ang'd for it oop at 'soize

but git ma

my yaäle.

X.

Dubbut looäk at the waäste: theer warn't not feäd

for a cow:

Nowt at all but bracken an' fuzz, an' looäk at it

now

. Bittern.

† Anemones.

VOL. II.

22

Warn't worth nowt a haäcre, an' now theer's lots o' feäd, Fourscore yows upon it an' some on it doon in sead.

XI.

Nobbut a bit on it's left, an' I meän'd to 'a stubb'd it at fall,

Done it ta-year I meän'd, an' runn'd plow thruff it an' all,

If godamoighty an' parson 'ud nobbut let ma aloän, Mea, wi' haäte oonderd haäcre o' Squoire's an' lond o' my oän.

XII.

Do godamoighty knaw what a's doing a-taäkin' o' mea?

I beänt wonn as saws 'ere a beän an' yonder a

peä;

An' Squoire 'ull be sa mad an' all a' dear a'

dear!

And I 'a monaged for Squoire come Michaelmas thirty year.

XIII.

A mowt 'a taäken Joänes, as 'ant a 'aäpoth o'

sense,

Or a mowt 'a taäken Robins -a niver mended a

fence :

But godamoighty a moost taäke meä an' taäke ma

now

Wi 'auf the cows to cauve an' Thornaby holms to plow!

XIV.

Looak 'ow quoloty smoiles when they sees mi a

passin' by,

Says to thessen naw doot what a mon a he

sewer-ly!'