THE MAD WANDERER, A BALLAD. Amelia Opie (née Alderson) Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Opie, Amelia Alderson, 1769-1853. The Warrior's Return, and Other Poems. By Mrs. Opie. 2d. ed. London Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, Paternoster-row 1808 pp. [45]-[48].

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THE MAD WANDERER , A BALLAD .

[ Written to a Provincial Tune , and published by Mr. Biggs . ]

THERE came to Grasmere's pleasant vale A stranger maid in tatters clad , Whose eyes were wild , whose cheek was pale , While oft she cried , " Poor Kate is mad ! " Four words were all she'd ever say , Nor would she shelter in a cot ; And e'en in winter's coldest day She still would cry , " My brain is hot . " A look she had of better days ; And once , while o'er the hills she ranged , We saw her on her tatters gaze , And heard her say , " How Kate is changed ! " Whene'er she heard the death-bell sound , Her face grew dreadful to behold ; She started , trembled , beat the ground , And shuddering cried , " Poor Kate is cold ! " And when to church we brought the dead , She came in ragged mourning drest ; The coffin-plate she trembling read , Then laughing cried , " Poor Kate is blest ! " But when a wedding peal was rung , With dark revengeful leer she smiled , And , curses muttering on her tongue , She loudly screamed , " Poor Kate is wild ! " To be in Grasmere church interred , A corpse one day from far was brought ; Poor Kate the death-bell sounding heard , And reached the aisle as quick as thought : When on the coffin looking down , She started , screamed , and back retired , Then clasped it .... breathing such a groan ! And with that dreadful groan expired .