Thanks to Frank T. Zumbach of Munich, Germany, who supplied this etext to The Literary Gothic.
'Twas in the middle of the night,
To sleep young William tried,
When Mary´s ghost came stealing in,
And stood at his bed-side.
O William dear! O William dear! 5
My rest eternal ceases;
Alas! my everlasting peace
Is broken into pieces.
I thought the last of all my cares
Would end with my last minute; 10
But tho´ I went to my long home
I didn´t stay long in it.
The body-snatchers they have come,
And made a snatch at me;
It´s very hard them kind of men 15
Won´t let a body be!
You thought that I was buried deep
Quite decent like and chary,
But from her grave in Mary-bone
They´ve come and boned your Mary. 20
The arm that used to take your arm
Is took to Dr. Vyse;
And both my legs are gone to walk
The hospital at Guy´s.
I vow´d that you should have my hand, 25
But fate gives us denial;
You´ll find it there, at Dr. Bell´s
In spirits and a phial.
As for my feet, the little feet
You used to call so pretty, 30
There´s one, I know, in Bedford Row,
The t´other´s in the city.
I can´t tell where my head is gone,
But Doctor Carpue can:
As for my trunk, it´s all pack´d up 35
To go by Pickford´s van.
I wished you´d go to Mr. P.
And save me such a ride;
I don´t half like the outside place,
They´ve took for my inside. 40
The cock it crows - I must begone!
My William we must part!
But I´ll be yours in death, altho´
Sir Astley has my heart.
Don´t go to weep upon my grave, 45
And think that there I be;
They haven´t left an atom there
Of my anatomie.
