The Sun.
London, England, 1824-10-09 00:00:00

FOR TIIE SUN.

Ma. EDITOR—Among a Manuscript Collection
of Ballads, belonging to a friend of mine, I met
with the following, which 1 have copied and
send to you, less on account of any intrinsic merit
which it possesses, than because the story bears so
near a resemblance to late transactions in my
neighbourhood, that, did I not know otherwise,
I should almost have supposed it could have been
composed on no other occasion. The slumbers
of the dead—slumbers undisturbed for ages past
—have lately been broken in our church-yard :
in one instance, indeed, the very case which
forms the subject of this Ballad, I am credibly
informed, took 'place. A coffin, containing a
body, was sawn through. Much speculation, of
course, arose on the object of these resurrec-
tionary proceedings. It is now ascertained that
a %all is to be built round the church-yard ;
whether the circumstances have any connection,
like that of slinilercircumstances in the Ballad, it
is not for me to determine. But certain it is,
that, not long after the removal of the bodies, a
notice appeared on the church-door, advertising
the sale of " Dust and Ashes," which every one
must regard as only an euphonious way of an-
nouncing the vendibility of the said bodies.
Certainly the thing could not have been more
delicately done. Having said thus much on the
reasons which induced me to send you the follow-
ing, I leave it at your disposal, begging leave to
remain, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,

lEGIDIANUS TRANSTAMESINUS.

A New and Right Pleasannt Ballad to be sung to the Tune of
6' The Law and the Profits," called ANASTASIA DICHOTO-

MIZOMILNE.
Hollow and deep the death bell toll'd
As they laid her corse in the dark damp mould :
'follower, deeper, the midnight bell
Struck, as they open'd her earthy cell.
Black was her coffin. and black her pall :
But the night they rais'd her was blacker than
Deep and close her grave they made :
But sleeper and closer dig mattock and spade.
Oak was her coffin so strong to see;
But the saw will cut thro' the stout oak tree:
Lead was the coffin that bound the dead: •
But mallet and chisel will cut thro' lead.
Long bed she lain in the dark damp ground :
rho her flesh had decay's!, her bones were sound:
'.l'hro' shroud, sound hones, and flesh decay'd,
\Vent mattock and chisel and saw and spade.
Right thro' the midst, with unholy force,
They have torn the coffins, and shroud, and corse:
In the head of the coffins lir shoulders and head:
In the foot the rest of the mangled dead.
Is the mangled dead Mr. Brooks's price ?
Is she rais'd for St. Thomas's sons or Guy's ?
Or steal they the corse at midnight hour
For necromancie's sudsiest power ?
They steal her not for Cooper or Brooks:
Nor yet with her skin to bind magic books :
But with her to build a wall they trust :
Her bones the mortar, the bricks her dust,
Now holy St. Giles and St. George to speed
Gramercye, Churchwarden, for this thy deed !
In parish porter and wassailing,
Thou mayst not drown this unhallowed thing
The incuba foul, Dyspepsia bight,
Shall sit on thy fcvcr'd breast all night :
Below the third rib, where they tore her thro',
The fearful visitant tears thee too !
Dieaming awake, and restless asleep,
A slumbering watch thou Reenlist to keep :
'Leitrim thou the clang of the midnight bell ?
Churchwarden! Churchwarden! thou limiest it well!
Full well I ween, Churchwarden ! that night
Thou wouldist not have slept without a rushlight:
Can a rushlight the shapes of fear dispel ?
Churchwarden ! Churchwarden ! thou seest them well I
Pale was her eye, as night on the sea,
When the clouded moon shines dubiously;
Green was her face where it was not blue,
Or where a glimpse of the skull pcep'd thro'
Scant on her long arms lay the akin:
The curtain of flesh on her ribs was thin :
All from the third rib down to the feet
She held in her hand with her winding sheet.
" Now list, thou Churchwarden I for thee I erect!,
Dear shalt thou rue this unhallowed deed
Thou bast rent my shrouded frame In twain,
And ne'cr shall its parts be join's' again.
Bake me in bricks to build thy wall!
Thy bricks shall break and thy rampart fall.
Grind my bones to mortar small !
Thy mortar shall break and desert thy wall."
Cold is the grave in the dark damp mould ;
lint I ween the Churchwarden felt yet more cold :
Blue was the gleam that the rushlight threw;
But I ween the Churchwarden look'd yet mire blue.
Builder and bricklayer rise with the day:
But where is the mortar, and where the clay P
Ready arc shovels, and trowels, anti all :
But where's the Churchwarden to build the wall ?
Far is the mortar, and far the clay :
And I ween the Churchwarden is far away.:
ByF auction
ortlsebonhesatah the Churchwardenmithe dinistforthesold.
good bright gold,
Now good St. Giles and St. George be his stay,
Whoever has bought the bones and the clay !
At twelve to-night, I would not be he
For the golden mines of Iberie I
And all the good saints preserve us all
From baking in bricks to build a wall ;
And they who cut lead to cut up the dead
Nay they be cut up, in spite of' their lead !

CANTERBURY, OCT. B.—The CATCH CLUB Of
this City commenced for the season on Wednesday evening, and
at an early hour the room was crowded in every part. The
Chair was again resumed by the President (Mr. C. DE tstan,)
who for so many years has given such general satisfaction, by.
his urbanity and gentlemanly conduct, and which has likewise
added to the prosperity of Society. The Orchestra was very
effective, and the company were highly delighted with several
select pieces, overtures, glees, &c. ; Miss Longhurstalso added
much to the entertainments of the evening, by giving several
songs in that pleasing manner which was so much admired last
season. The room has been much improved, the access to the
ladies loom being made more convenient, and the bottom of the
room displayed a very handsome new curtain surmounted by
a musical emblem, which is the gift of the Committee, and had
a very pleasing effect. In the course of the evening, the Chair.;
those man'sal? cAail
rt h.
°wane sd dn raann, ka
nwdi ttl
er agpet
nu
dr oeums
eanp
aplf atush
ee as e
Orchestrar e a;1
;--.alas
the Officers of the Society, &c. The same compliment was paid
from the Chair to the late and present Mayor, who, together
with the gentlemen mentioned above, acknowledged in appro.
priseteventeirmngsp,aaatheed off withhonourc tittotrgredreauteapqnhtitertirity a
. On d the
lwchole,
the
pany (among whom were several of the Officers of the 17th
Lancers), expressed themselves, highly gratitied....(Kentish Ga.
rate.)

Onlo. t icon Ai T%
thel mu rc.., suou, m r. LAntittNGTON,
of Spaldwick, in the county of Huntingdon, one of the gentle-
men pensioners to Queen Elizabeth, - had a horsy that died
suddenly, which being opened, there was found in the hole
of the heart a strange kind of worm, that lay in a round
head, in a caul or skin, of the likeness of a toad, which
being taken out and spread, was in shape not to be de.
scribed : it was divided into many grains,, to the number
of fifty, spread from the body like the branches of a tree; its
length, from the snout to the end of the longest grain, seven-
teen inches, having four issues, from which there drop-
ped a red water t the body was of, the colour of a mackerel,
and three inches and a half round. It tried to crawl away,
'but was stabbed with a dagger, and, its akin being stuffed, was
shewn to Queen Elizabeth, and most of the principal Nobility
of the kingdom.