(Sing  centipede  and  crocodile  and  bomb-shell.)

"  Five  minutes  more  and  through  the  door  came  Mr.  Land-
lord swearing,
(Sing  Oliver,  Tom  Nopes,  and  Benjamin  Seegar.)

And  after  him  came  all  the  folks  a-wondering  and  a-staring,
(Sing  Oliver,  Queen  Moll,  and  Colonel  Wager.)

'  Your  horse  won't  touch  the  oysters,  sir,  altho'  they  're  fresh
and  new,  sir.'

'He  won't?'   asked  Mr.  Franklin;   'that's  no  offence  to
you,  sir.
You  see  he  does  n't  know  what 's  good;  but  if  he  don't  I  do,
sir!'
(Sing  rheumatiz  and  gout  and  shaking  ager.)

'  If  he  had  tried  your  oysters  fried  he  might  not  then  refuse
'em;

But  I  will  sit  and  toast  my  feet  while  Mistress  Bowers  stews
'em.'

"  And  we  have  a  local  version  as  well  of  Queen
Anne's  taking  hold  of  the  Indian  road.  I  am
afraid,  however,  it  is  not  much  more  authentic  than
the  Franklin  story.  For  as  you  will  see  when  I
read  it  to  you,  it  introduces  a  son  of  Roger  Wil-


Matunuck  497

Hams,  who  is  a  purely  mythical  person.  All  the
same,  it  gives  a  good  enough  description  of  the
fight  which  took  place  around  the  poor  Queen's
bed  when  the  Catholic  Church  on  the  one  side  and
the  English  Church  on  the  other  were  fighting  for
the  possession  of  her  soul :  —

"  Old  Queen  Anne,  she  lay  a-dying,

Oh,  sad  to  see,
On  her  silver  bedstead  lying,
While  the  golden  sands  are  flying.
Ah,  weary  me  !

"  On  her  right  the  priest  is  kneeling.
With  his  Latin  prayer
To  the  queen  of  heaven  appealing,
That  this  queen,  whose  life  is  stealing
Far  from  earth  or  earthly  feeling.
May  quickly  name  her  heir.
"  At  her  left  the  bishop  praying.
