Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE RECENT MURDERS; A NEW SONG, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE RECENT MURDERS; A NEW SONG, by                    
First Line: God prosper long our noble king
Last Line: May never more be done
Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers;crimes & Criminals;murder;singing & Singers


God prosper long our noble King,
Our lives and safeties all,
I'll sing of murders that till now,
Did never yet befal.

In modern Athens as it's call'd,
In Wester Portsburgh Street,
Two murderers had their horrid den,
And there did nightly meet.

These wretches' names were Burke and Hare,
Both from the sister Isle,
Their plan was to take strangers in
And them of life beguile.

Which having done, they wrapped them up
And laid them in a box,
And without either dread or fear
Sold them to Dr. K-----.

The first was Margaret Paterson
Whom drink had led astray,
She fell into their wicked hands,
Who chok'd her as she lay.

Next on the list was daft Jamie,
Who laugh'd and sang sae crouse,
And seeking his mother was decoy'd
Into the murderers' house.

* * *

Next was a wife who came to town
In search of her dear son,
Was by these wicked wretches dogg'd
And barbarously undone.

Last Burke had seized an infant dear,
Oh! horrible disgrace,
Who while he chok'd it on his knee
Did smile up in his face.

Such are the horrid deeds of Burke,
Deeds never done before,
Who since his sentence has confess'd
To twenty murders more.

His trusty friend, the wicked Hare,
Now waits alike his fate,
And though vengeance is often slow
It never comes too late.

Now all ye powers that rule above
Grant we may evil shun
And that henceforth such dreadful acts
May never more be done.





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