The History of Burke and Hare Part 19

Over vale, &c.

When the blue lightnings flash'd through the glen, and it shone, And there rose a wild cry, and there heaved a deep groan, As the Ghost of the innocent boy disappear'd, But his shrieks down the glen, in the night breeze were heard.

Over vale, &c.

THE RESURRECTIONISTS.

In No. XXIX of _The Emmet_, an old Glasgow periodical, published on Sat.u.r.day, 18th October, 1823, is the following:--

"_The_ Resurrectionists, _a Tale_ (in Blind Alek verse) _Humbly Inscribed to the Editor of the 'Glasgow Chronicle.' Printed for John Smith, 25, Gallowgate._

"ORIGINAL.

"This _elegant_ poem was put into our hands as we were going to press, so we must be excused for pa.s.sing it over more slightly than such a performance _deserves_. In fact we have only room for a single extract. It opens as follows, in a style which leaves Lewis, and Ratcliffe, and all our writers on the horrible, far in the rear. John Starke himself, with his 'Thesaurus of Horror,' never penned anything so deliciously frightful.

'Twas a cold winter night, and dark _was_ the clouds, And the dead men lay quietly still in their shrouds; The worms revelled sweetly their eyeholes among,-- It was a rout night, and there was a great throng: Some fed upon brains, others fed upon liver, Had we e'er such a feast, all cried out, O! no, never.

"We suspect our readers will think we have given them enough of this feast; if they pant for more of it, let them turn to the work itself. More disgusting trash never emanated from the press. Blind Alek is a Milton compared with the blockhead who would sit down and pen such a ma.s.s of loathesomeness.... Lord preserve us from this imitator of Blind Alek.

'Some heads replete with strange bombastic stuff, Think words when rhym'd poetical enough.'"

THE LAMENT.

"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."--GENESIS, ix. 6.

"b.l.o.o.d.y and deceitful men shall not live out half their days."--PSALM, lv.

23.

"Depart from me therefore, ye b.l.o.o.d.y men."--PSALM, cx.x.xix. 19.

"Now thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the b.l.o.o.d.y city?"--EZEKIEL, xxii. 2.

"The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground."--GENESIS, iv. 10.

O woe for bonny Scotland, For murder is abroad, And we must flee for refuge, To an avenging G.o.d.

For we have seen that Law alone, Can do us little _gude_, As it has let three demons loose, To work _mair_ deeds of _blude_.

Ye b.l.o.o.d.y fiends, ye h.e.l.lish fiends, Dare ye here yet be seen, With the mark of blood upon your brows, And murder in your _een_!

O woe for my _ain_ Scotland, For thou art now the land, Chosen for such deeds of darkness, As man before ne'er plann'd.

Alas for Mary Paterson, Cut off in her young days, Wi' a' her sins upon her, And in her wicked ways; While steep'd in drunk stupidity, And overcome by sleep, On his devoted victim Burke took the dreadful leap.

And alas for the old woman, Entic'd to revelry, Under the mask of country kindness, By a Judas for his fee; That he might sell her body, When he had done the deed, And with the price of human blood, His _loathsome_ carca.s.s feed.

O'hon for poor _Daft_ Jamie, Whom we shall miss away, In his own happy _idiocy_, _Sae gude-natur'd_ and gay!

O! who shall cheer the mother For the want of her poor boy, By's simpleness the more endear'd To her--her only joy.

But our all-gracious Maker Will surely soon look down, On this detested murder With his all-powerful frown!

In search of his dear mother, Burke found him wand'ring then, And for to see his parent, Was lur'd to Hare's dread den; Where he was ply'd with liquor, (And all by coaxings prest), Till he was quite o'erpow'red, And laid him down to rest.

The two fell fiends they watch'd then, Until he soundly slept, Then Hare upon his destin'd prey With murderous purpose crept.

And having fastened on him, Hare strove his life to take; Which recall'd his long lost reason, And did his senses wake.

He shook the butcher from him, And seeing no help there, He fought with all the frenzy Of madness and despair.

His cowardly a.s.sa.s.sin, Did crouch beneath his blows, And called on Burke his comrade To give the murderous close.

They two, conjoin'd together, Depriv'd him of his life; But not before he left them Marks of the desperate strife.

In his tremendous struggle, Though weaken'd much by drink, He showed how men do fight for life, When on death's dreadful brink.

His body, it is said, (if true, Let those who bought beware) Was sold to an Anatomist; And some one did declare, When it lay on his table For the dissecting knife, That it was poor _daft_ Jamie, Whom he saw strong in life

But yesterday; and more 'twas strange As all knew pa.s.sing well, He was a stout and hearty youth, The rest I may not tell; But loudly it's been whisper'd, That d.a.m.ning marks of strife Show'd clear that death by violence Had _twin'd_ him of his life.

'Tis told, that then the body Was laid in spirits strong, To remove all such suspicions, And hide the cruel wrong.

If so! O righteous Heaven, To thee we look for aid; Nor will thy kindling anger Be longer much delay'd!

Thou art the _poor's_ avenger, The _idiot's_ only guard, The _childless_ mother's helper, The good man's high reward.

To Thee then we are looking, To appease the cry of blood Which runs throughout our city, Like a portentous flood!

AND WE DO HOLD THY PROMISE, WE SHALL NOT LOOK IN VAIN; FOR WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S BLOOD, HE SURELY SHALL BE SLAIN!

THE END.