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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Granny Grey, a Love Tale</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">DAME DOWSON, was a granny grey,<br>Who, three score years and ten,<br>Had pass'd her busy hours away,<br>In talking of the Men !<br>They were her theme, at home, abroad,<br>At wake, and by the winter fire,<br>Whether it froze, or blew, or thaw'd,<br>In sunshine or in shade, her ire<br>Was never calm'd; for still she made<br>Scandal her pleasure--and her trade!</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">A Grand-daughter DAME DOWSON had--<br>As fair, as fair could be!<br>Lovely enough to make Men mad;<br>For, on her cheek's soft downy rose<br>LOVE seem'd in dimples to repose;<br>Her clear blue eyes look'd mildly bright<br>Like ether drops of liquid light,<br>Or sapphire gems,--which VENUS bore,<br>When, for the silver-sanded shore,<br>She left her native Sea!</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">ANNETTA, was the damsel's name;<br>A pretty, soft, romantic sound;<br>Such as a lover's heart may wound;<br>And set his fancy in a flame:<br>For had the maid been christen'd JOAN,<br>Or DEBORAH, or HESTER,--<br>The little God had coldly prest her,<br>Or, let her quite alone!<br>For magic is the silver sound--<br>Which, often, in a NAME is found!</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">ANNETTA was belov'd; and She<br>To WILLIAM gave her vows;<br>For WILLIAM was as brave a Youth,<br>As ever claim'd the meed of truth,<br>And, to reward such constancy,<br>Nature that meed allows.<br>But Old DAME DOWSON could not bear<br>A Youth so brave--a Maid so fair.</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">The GRANNY GREY, with maxims grave<br>Oft to ANNETTA lessons gave:<br>And still the burthen of the Tale<br>Was, "Keep the wicked Men away,<br>"For should their wily arts prevail<br>"You'll surely rue the day!"<br>And credit was to GRANNY due,<br>The truth, she, by EXPERIENCE, knew!<br>ANNETTA blush'd, and promis'd She<br>Obedient to her will would be.</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">But Love, with cunning all his own,<br>Would never let the Maid alone:<br>And though she dar'd not see her Lover,<br>Lest GRANNY should the deed discover,<br>She, for a woman's weapon, still,<br>From CUPID'S pinion pluck'd a quill:<br>And, with it, prov'd that human art<br>Cannot confine the Female Heart.</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">At length, an assignation She<br>With WILLIAM slily made,<br>It was beneath an old Oak Tree,<br>Whose widely spreading shade<br>The Moon's soft beams contriv'd to break<br>For many a Village Lover's sake.<br>But Envy has a Lynx's eye<br>And GRANNY DOWSON cautious went<br>Before, to spoil their merriment,<br>Thinking no creature nigh.</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">Young WILLIAM came; but at the tree<br>The watchful GRANDAM found!<br>Straight to the Village hasten'd he<br>And summoning his neighbours round,<br>The Hedgerow's tangled boughs among,<br>Conceal'd the list'ning wond'ring throng.<br>He told them that, for many a night,<br>An OLD GREY OWL was heard;<br>A fierce, ill-omen'd, crabbed Bird--<br>Who fill'd the village with affright.<br>He swore this Bird was large and keen,<br>With claws of fire, and eye-balls green;<br>That nothing rested, where she came;<br>That many pranks the monster play'd,<br>And many a timid trembling Maid<br>She brought to shame<br>For negligence, that was her own;<br>Turning the milk to water, clear,<br>And spilling from the cask, small-beer;</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">Pinching, like fairies, harmless lasses,<br>And shewing Imps, in looking-glasses;<br>Or, with heart-piercing groan,<br>Along the church-yard path, swift gliding,<br>Or, on a broomstick, witchlike, riding.<br>All listen'd trembling; For the Tale<br>Made cheeks of Oker, chalky pale;<br>The young a valiant doubt pretended;<br>The old believ'd, and all attended.</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">Now to DAME DOWSON he repairs<br>And in his arms, enfolds the Granny:<br>Kneels at her feet, and fondly swears<br>He will be true as any !<br>Caresses her with well feign'd bliss<br>And, fearfully , implores a Kiss--<br>On the green turf distracted lying ,<br>He wastes his ardent breath, in sighing.</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">The DAME was silent; for the Lover<br>Would, when she spoke,<br>She fear'd, discover<br>Her envious joke:<br>And she was too much charm'd to be<br>In haste,--to end the Comedy!</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">Now WILLIAM, weary of such wooing,<br>Began, with all his might, hollooing:--<br>When suddenly from ev'ry bush<br>The eager throngs impatient rush;<br>With shouting, and with boist'rous glee<br>DAME DOWSON they pursue,<br>And from the broad Oak's canopy,<br>O'er moonlight fields of sparkling dew,<br>They bear in triumph the Old DAME,<br>Bawling, with loud Huzza's, her name;<br>"A witch, a witch !" the people cry,<br>"A witch !" the echoing hills reply:<br>'Till to her home the GRANNY came,<br>Where, to confirm the tale of shame,<br>Each rising day they went, in throngs,<br>With ribbald jests, and sportive songs,<br>'Till GRANNY of her spleen, repented;<br>And to young WILLIAM'S ardent pray'r,<br>To take, for life, ANNETTA fair,--<br>At last ,--CONSENTED.</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><a href="http://www.citatepedia.com/comments.php?id=455719" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none">And should this TALE, fall in the way<br>Of LOVERS CROSS'D, or GRANNIES GREY,--<br>Let them confess, 'tis made to prove--<br>The wisest heads ,--TOO WEAK FOR LOVE!</a></div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><a href="http://poems.citatepedia.com/">poem</a> by <strong><a rel="author" href="http://authors.citatepedia.com/by.php?a=Mary+Darby+Robinson">Mary Darby Robinson</a></strong></div>