In the succeeding Legend we come nearer home. -Father Ingoldsby is particular in describing its locality, situate some eight miles from the Hall-less, if you take the bridle-road by the Church-yard, and so along the valley by Mr. Fector's Abbey.-In the enumeration of the various attempts to appropriate the treasure (drawn from a later source), is omitted one, said to have been undertaken by the worthy ecclesiastic himself, who, as Mrs. Botherby insinuates, is reported to have started for Dover, one fine morn ing, duly furnished with all the means and appliances of Exorcism.-I cannot learn however, that the family was ever enriched by his expedition.

THE LAY OF THE OLD WOMAN

CLOTHED IN GREY.

A LEGEND OF DOVER.

NCE there lived, as I've heard people say,
An "Old Woman clothed in grey,"

So furrow'd with care,

So haggard her air,

In her eye such a wild supernatural stare,

That all who espied her

Immediately shied her,

And strove to get out of her way.

This fearsome Old Woman was taken ill:
-She sent for the Doctor he sent her a pill,
And by way of a trial,

A two-shilling phial,

Of green-looking fluid, like lava diluted,

To which I've professed an abhorrence most rooted.*
One of those draughts they so commonly send us,
Labell'd "Haustus catharticus, mane sumendus; '-
She made a wry face,

And, without saying Grace,

Toss'd it off like a dram-it improv'd not her case.

* Vide page 11.

-The Leech came again;

He now open'd a vein,

Still the little Old Woman continued in pain.
So her "Medical Man," although loth to distress her,
Conceived it high time that her Father Confessor
Should be sent for to shrive, and assoilize, and bless her
That she might not slip out of these troublesome scenes
"Unnaneal'd and Unhouseled,"-whatever that means.

Growing afraid,

He calls to his aid

A bandy-legg'd neighbour, a “ Tailor by trade,” †
Tells him his fears,

Bids him lay by his shears,

His thimble, his goose, and his needle, and hie
With all possible speed to the Convent hard by,
Requests him to say

That he begs they'll all pray,

Viz: The whole pious brotherhood, Cleric and Lay,
For the soul of an Old Woman clothed in grey,
Who was just at that time in a very bad way,
And he really believed could'nt last out the day ;-
And to state his desire

That some erudite Friar,

Would run over at once, and examine, and try her

*

* Alack for poor William Linley to settle the point! His elucidation of Macbeth's "Hurlyburly" casts a halo around his memory. In him the world lost one of its kindliest Spirits, and the Garrick Club its acutest

commentator.

All who are familiar with the Police Reports, and other Records of our Courts of justice, will recollect that every gentleman of this particular profession invariably thus describes himself, in contradistinction to the Bricklayer, whom he probably presumes to be indigenous, and to the Shoemaker, born a Snob.