Written, originally extempore, on seeing a Mad HEIFER run through the Village where the Author lives. Elizabeth Hands (née Herbert) 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. T141063 Hands, Elizabeth, 1746-1815. The death of Amnon. A poem. With an appendix: containing pastorals, and other poetical pieces. By Elizabeth Hands. [Coventry] Printed for the author, by N. Rollason, Coventry, M,DCCLXXXIX. 1789 pp. 115-116. [40],127,[1]p.; 8⁰.

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Written , originally extempore , on seeing a Mad HEIFER run through the Village where the Author lives . When summer smil'd , and birds on ev'ry spray , In joyous warblings tun'd their vocal lay , Nature on all sides shew'd a lovely scene , And people's minds were , like the air , serene ; Sudden from th' herd we saw an heifer stray , And to our peaceful village bend her way . She spurns the ground with madness as she flies , And clouds of dust , like autumn mists , arise ; Then bellows loud : the villagers alarm'd , Come rushing forth , with various weapons arm'd : Some run with pieces of old broken rakes , And some from hedges pluck the rotten stakes ; Here one in haste , with hand-staff of his flail , And there another comes with half a rail : Whips , without lashes , sturdy plough-boys bring , While clods of dirt and pebbles others fling : Voices tumultuous rend the listening ear ; Stop her — one cries ; another — turn her there : But furiously she rushes by them all , And some huzza , and some to cursing fall : A mother snatch'd her infant off the road , Close to the spot of ground where next she trod ; Camilla walking , trembled and turn'd pale ; See o'er her gentle heart what fears prevail ! At last the beast , unable to withstand Such force united , leapt into a pond : The water quickly cool'd her madden'd rage ; No more she'll fright our village , I presage .