something of her tale may trace.

XI I'll give you the best help I can:
Before you up the mountain go,
Up to the dreary mountain-top,
I'll tell you all I know.]

[Variant 10:

1845.

'Tis now some two and twenty years, 1798.

'Tis known, that twenty years are passed 1820.]

[Variant 11:

1820.

And she was happy, happy still
Whene'er she thought of Stephen Hill. 1798.]

[Variant 12:

1815.

... on that woful day
A cruel, cruel fire, they say,
Into her bones was sent:
It dried her body like a cinder,
And almost turn'd her brain to tinder. 1798.]

[Variant 13:

1836.

'Tis said, a child was in her womb,
As now to any eye was plain; 1798.

'Tis said, her lamentable state
Even to a careless eye was plain; 1820.

Alas! her lamentable state 1827.]

[Variant 14:

1836.

... she was... 1798.]

[Variant 15:

1820.

Oh me! ten thousand times I'd rather
That he had died, that cruel father! 1798.]

[Variant 16:

1820.

Last Christmas when we talked of this,
Old Farmer Simpson did maintain,
That in her womb the infant wrought 1798.]

[Variant 17:

1827.

No more I know, I wish I did,
And I would tell it all to you; 1798.]

[Variant 18:

1827.

There's none that ever knew: 1798.]

[Variant 19:

1827.

And if a child was born or no,
There's no one that could ever tell; 1798.]

[Variant 20:

1827.

There's no one knows, as I have said, 1798.]

[Variant 21:

1827.

... I've described ... 1798.]

[Variant 22:

1845.

... in faith, ... 1798.]

[Variant 23:

1798.

In truth, it was ... 1800.

The edition of 1815 returns to the text of 1798.]

[Variant 24:

1827.

... and what's the pond?
And what's the hill of moss to her?
And what's the ... 1798.]

[Variant 25:

1800.

I've heard the scarlet moss is red 1798.]

[Variant 26:

1845.

But then the beauteous hill of moss 1798.

It might not be--the Hill of moss 1827.

But then the beauteous Hill of moss 1832.
(Returning to the text of 1798.)

But then the speckled hill of moss 1836.]

[Variant 27:

1827.

But ... 1798.]

[Variant 28:

1845.

... is buried ... 1798.