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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MRS. BOTHERBY'S STORY: THE LEECH OF FOLKESTONE, by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM Poem Explanation Poet's Biography First Line: Reader, were you ever bewitched? - I do not mean Last Line: Characters which compose the name of thomas %marsh, of marston Alternate Author Name(s): Ingoldsby, Thomas | |||
In Folkestone town, not long ago, A wight there was, and his name, Joe; A boon companion, blithe and gay, Was Joe; but he was led astray By Nance, a witching syren, who Wove snares for this light-hearted screw. One day he took a morning stroll, And drank at every barber's bowl; In fact, he guzzled far too much, And this, you'll say, was out of clutch. But men will do such things, they say, And Joe was one of that stamp, they say. Down to the well his way he wended, And stooped to drink ere he had ended The last new song, which Master Brown Had brought from London town. But as he drank, a something crept Athwart his throat, and down he leapt. Now, as it happened, there were there Some folks who did not much care For Joe, and so they left him there. A change came o'er his aspect soon, His cheeks assumed a bilious hue; His eyes grew dim, his pulse beat quick, His limbs refused their wonted kick; And all exclaimed, when they him saw, Joe's very ill! - he's got the flaw! He raved and swore, he laughed and wept, He hiccoughed, and he sobbed, and slept; And then he woke, and then he sighed, And then he groaned, and then he cried, And then he shrieked, and then he sipped, And then he took another whiff. Now, every hour, the gurgling sound Of water at his heart-strings round, Warned Joe, with many a boding groan, Of something he had never known; While, spite of all his doctor's skill, The leech within grew louder still. Cut for the stone, at length they cried, As poor Joe gasped, and groaned, and died; But when, upon the post-mortem Search, his inside they did come at, They found - Good Lord! - what do you think? Why, a great long gutta percha link, A yard of oil-cloth, and, to crown all, A quart or so of gravel and small. The fact was this, the morning Joe Drank at the well I've told you of, A party there had washed, that night, Some pieces of their linen white, Which, hung to dry upon a line, Joe mistook for the purest brine. And hence, the grave and learned debate On what was come at in his pate. Some held that he had got the blues, And others, that he'd read the news; While others swore, with solemn tone, It was the liquor did the drone. But Mrs. Botherby took her oath That there were leeches in the cloth; And these, she said, had found their way To Joe's interior next day. So, let us take a warning due, And never do as Joe did do; But always carefully inquire If water, when we drink, is clear; And, next, beware of linen white, Lest, mixed with brine, it bring - despite All caution - graver ills to light Than ever Joe was plagued with quite. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LAST LINES OF THOMAS INGOLDSBY by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM NEW-MADE HONOUR (IMITATED FROM MARTIAL) by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM THE INEBRIATE by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM THE POPLAR by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM A LAY OF ST. DUNSTAN by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM A LAY OF ST. GENGULPHUS by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM A ROW IN AN OMNIBUS BOX; A LEGEND OF THE HAYMARKET by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM AUNT FANNY; A LEGEND OF A SHIRT by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM BLOUDIE JACKE OF SHREWSBERRIE; THE SHROPSHIRE BLUEBEARD by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM EPIGRAM by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM |
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