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lib. j. cap. xiiii. Delrio. Disquis., Mag. lib. ij. Quæst. xvj. Bodin. Dæmonoman. lib. ij. cap. iiij. Barthol. de Spina quæst. de strigib. Phillippo Ludwigus Elich. Quaest.x. Paracelsus in magn. et occul. Philosophia teacheth the confection. Unguentū ex carne recens natorū infantium, in pulmenti formá coctum, et cum herbis somniferis, quales sunt papauer, solanu, cicuta, &c. and Joa. Bapti. Porta, lib. ij. Mag. natur. cap. xxvij.

I. CHARME.

Dame, Dame, the watch is set:
Quickly come, we all are met.
From the lakes, and from the fennes,
From the rockes, and from the dennes,
From the woods, and from the caues,
From the Church-yards, from the graues,
From the dungeon, from the tree,

That they die on, here are wee.

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such persons

should come; and were notably obserued by that excellent Lucan in the description of his Erictho. lib, vj. To which we may adde this corollarye, out of Agrippa de Occult. philosop. lib j. cap. xlviij. Saturno correspondent loca quævis fœtida, tenebrosa, subterranea, religiosa et funesta, vt cœmiteria, busta, et hominibus deserta habitacula, et vetustate caduca, loca obscura, et horrenda, et solitaria antra, cauernæ, putei, præterea piscina, stagna, paludes et eiusmodi. And in lib. iij. cap. xlij., speaking of the like, and in lib. iiij. about the end. Aptissima sunt loca plurimum experientia visionu, nocturnaruq incursionum et consimilium phantasmatu, vt cœmiteria, et in quibus fieri solent executio et criminalis iudicij, in quibus recentibus annis publica strages factæ sunt, vel ubi occisorū cadauera nec dum expiata, nec rite sepulta recentioribus annis subhumata sunt.

Comes she not yet?

Strike another heate.

2. CHARME.

The weather is fayre, the wind is good,

Vp, Dame o' yorh horse of wood,

h Delrio. Disq. Magic.

See

lib. 2 Quæst vj. has a story out of Triezius of this horse of wood: But y1 wch or witches call so is sometime a broome staffe, sometime a reede, sometime a distaffe. Remig. Dæmonol. lib. j. cap. xiiij. Bodin. lib. ij. cap. iiij. &c.

Or else, tuck up yor gray frock,

And sadle yori Goate, or yor greene' Cock,

i The goate is

ye Deuil himselfe, vpon whome they ride, often, to their solem

nities, as ap

And make his bridle a bottome of thrid,

To roule up how many miles you have rid.
Quickly come away:

For we all stay.

pears by th' confessions in Rem. and Bodin, ibid. His Matie also remembers the story of the Diuell's appearance to those of Calicut, in that forme. Daemonol. lib. ij. cap. iij. j of the greene Cock we have no other ground (to confesse ingenuously) than a vulgar fable of a witch that wth a cock of that colour, and a bottome of blewe thred, would transport herselfe through the ayre; and so escap'd (at the time of her being brought to execution) from the hand of Justice. It was a tale when I went to schoole. And somewhat there is like it in Mar. Delrio. Disqui. Mag. lib. ij. quest vj. of one Zyto, a Bohemian, that, among other his dexterities, aliquoties equis rhedarijs vectum, gallis gallinaceis ad epirrhedium suum alligatis susequebatur.

k All this is but a Periphrasis of

the night, in theyr

Nor yet? Nay, then,

Wee'll try her agen.

3. CHARME.

The Owle is abroad, the Bat, and the Toade,

And so is the Cat-à-Mountaine ;

The Ant and the Mole sit both in a hole,

And Frog peepes out o' the fountayne;

The Dogges they do bay, and the Timbrells play,

k

The Spindle is now à turning;

The Moone is red, and the starres are fled,

But all the Sky is à burning;

charme, and theyr applying themselves to it with theyr instruments, wherofy spindle, in antiquitye, was ye cheife: and (beside the testemony of Theocritus in Pharmaceutria, who only vsd it in amorous affayres) was of speciall act to the troubling of the moone. To wch Martial alludes, lib. ix. Epi. xxx. Quæ nunc Thessalico Luna deducere rhombo, etc. And lib. xij. Epig. Ivij. Cum secta Colcho, Luna vapulat rhombo.

This rite

also of making a ditch with theyr nayles is frequent with

The ditch is made, and or nayles the spade,

With pictures full of waxe and of wooll;
Theyre livers I stick wth needles quick:

There lackes but the blood to make vp the flood.

our witches; whereof see Bodin. Remigius, Delrio, Malleus Malefic. Godelman, lib.ij. de Lamijs, as also the antiquity of it most viuely exprest by Hora. Satir. viij. lib. j., where he mentions the pictures and the blood of a blacke lambe, all wch are yet in vse wth of moderne

witchcraft. Scalpere Terram (speaking of Canidia and Sagana) unguibus, et pullam divellere mordicus agnam Cæperunt : cruor in fossam confusus, ut inde Maneis elicerent animas responsa daturas. Lanea et effigies erat, altera cerea, etc., and then by and by, Serpenteis atque videres Infernas errare caneis, Lunamq. rubentem, Ne foret his testis, post magna latere sepulchra. Of this ditch Homer makes mention in Circes speach to Vlysses: Odyss K. about the end Bóopov ópúέai, etc. and Ovid Metam. lib. vij in Medeas Magick. Haud procul egestá scrobibus tellure duabus Sacra facit, cultrosque in gutture velleris atri Conjicit, et patulas perfundit sanguine fossas. And of the waxen images in Hypsipyles epistle to Jason, where he expresseth that mischiefe also of the needles. Deuouet absentes simulacraq. cerea fingit, Et miserum tenues in iecur urget acus. Bodin. Dæmon: lib. ij. cap. viij. hath (beside the knowne story of K. Duffe out of Hector Boetius) much of the witches later practise in yt kind, and reports a relation of a French ambassadours out of England, of certayne pictures of waxe found in a dunghill, neare Islington, of our late Queenes; wch rumor I myselfe (being then very young) can yet remember to have bene current.

Quickly, Dame, then bring yr part in,
Spur, spur, upon little Martin;m

Merely, merely, make him sayle,

A worme in his mouth, and a thorne in's tayle;
Fire above and fire below,

With a whip i' your hand to make him

O, now she's come!

Let all be dumbe.

goe.

m Theyr little Martin is hee that calls them to theyre Conventicles; wch is done in a

humane

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they find him in the shape of a great Bucke-Goate, upon whome they ride to theyr meetings. Delrio. Disquis. Mag. quest. xvj. lib. ij. and Bod. Dæmonom. lib. ij. cap. iiij. have both the same relation, from Paulus Grillandus, of a witch. Adveniente nocte et hord euocabatur voce quadam velut humand ab ipso Dæmone, quem non vocant Dæmonem, sed Magisterulum, aliæ Magistrum Martinettu, sive Martinellum. Quæ sic euocata mox sumebat pyxidem unctionis, et liniebat corpus suum in quibusdam partibus, et membris: quo linito exebat ex domo et inveniebat Magisterulū suum in formá hirci, illam expectantem apud ostium, super quo mulier equitabat, et applicare solebat fortiter manus ad crineis, et statim hircus ille adscendebat per aerem, et brevissimo tempore deferebat ipsam, etc.

beare the

At this the Dame" entered to them, naked armed, bare- n This Dame footed, her frock tucked, her hayre knotted, and folded with I make to vipers; in her hand a torch made of a dead man's arme, lighted, girded with a snake. To whome they all did reverence, and she spake, vttring by way of question, the end where fore they came: weh, if it had bene done eyther before, or otherwise, had not bene so naturall. For, to have made them

person of Ate, or mischeife, for so I interpret it out

of Homer's description of

where he

makes her

swift to hunt mankind,

her, Iliad, I. selves theyr owne decipherers, and each one to have told upon their entrance what they were, and whether they would, had bene a most piteous hearing, and vtterly vnworthy any quality of a Poeme: wherein a Writer should alwayes trust strong and sound of her somewhat to the capacity of the Spectator, especially at these and spectacles, where men, beside inquiring eyes, are understood to bring quick eares, and not those sluggish ones of Porters walking upon men's heads; and Mechanicks, that must be bor❜d through at every act wth

feete;

Iliad T.

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one and the same phrase to signifie her power; Βλαπτες ανθρώπες, Ladens homines. I present her barefooted and her frock tuck'd, to make her seeme more expedite; by Horace his authority. Sat. viij. lib. j. Succinctam vadere pallá Canidiam pedibus nudis, passoq. capillo. But for her hayre, I rather respect another place of his, Epod. lib. ode. v., where she appears Canidia brevibus implicata viperis crineis Et incomptu caput. And that of Lucan lib. vj. speaking of Erictho's attire, Discolor et vario Furialis cultus amictu Induitur, vultusque aperitur crine remoto, Et coma vipereis substringitur horrida sertis. For her torch, see Remig., lib. ij. cap. iij.

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Well done, my Hagges. And come we fraught wth spight,
To overthrow the glory of this night?

Holds our great purpose? Hag. Yes.

there none

Dam. But wants

Of our iust number? Hag. Call us one by one,

And then or Dame shall see.

Dam. First, then, advance

chayning of My drowsy servant, stupide Ignorance,
these vices I Knowne by thy scaly vesture; and bring on
Thy fearfull Sister, wild Suspicion,

make, as if one linke produced

Whose eyes do neuer sleepe; Let her knit hands
Dame Wth quick Credulity, that next her stands,

another, and the

were

borne Who hath but one eare, and that allwayes ope;

out of them Two-faced Falshood follow in the rope; all; SO as

they

might And lead on Murmure, wth the cheekes deepe hung; say to her, She Malice, whetting of her forked tongue; Sola tenes And Malice Impudence, whose forhead's lost;

scelerum quicquid

Let Impudence lead Slaunder on, to boast

Her oblique looke; and to her subtill side

Thou, black-mouthed Execration, stand apli'de;

Draw to thee Bitternesse, whose pores sweat gall;

possedimus omnes. Nor will it ap

peare much

She flame-ey'd Rage; Rage Mischeife. Hag. Here we are all. violenc'd if

theyr series be considered, when the opposition to all vertue begins out of Ignorance; that Ignorance begets Suspicion (for knowledge is euer open and charitable); that Suspicion Credulity, as it is a vice; for beeing a virtue and free, it is opposite to it: but such as are iealous of them selues do easely credit anything of others whome they hate. Out of this Credulity springs Falsehood, which begets Murmure; and that Murmure presently growes Malice, wch begetts Impudence; that Impudence Slander; that Slander Execration; Execration Bitterness; Bitternesse Fury; and Fury Mischiefe. Now for the personal presentation of them, the authority in Poetry is vniuersall. But in the absolute Claudian there is a particular and eminent place, where yo Poet not only produceth such persons, but almost to a like purpose: in Ruf. lib. j., where Alecto, envious of the times, infernas ad limina tetra sorores, Concilium deforme vocat, glomerantur in unum Innumeræ pestes Erebi quascunque sinistro Nox genuit fœtu: nutrix discordia belli, Imperiosa Fames, leto vicina Senectus, Impatiensque sui Morbus, Livorque secundis, anxius et scisso marens velamine Luctus, et timor, et cæco præceps Audacia vultu; with many others, fit to disturbe the world, as ours the night.

Dam.P Joyne now our hearts, we faythfull Opposites
To Fame and Glory. Let not these bright nights
Of Honor blaze thus, to offend or eyes.

Shew or selues truly envious; and let rise
Our wonted rages. Do what may beseeme
Such names and natures. Vertue else will deeme
Our powers decreast, and think vs banish'd earth,
No lesse then heauen. All her antique birth,
As Justice, Fayth, she will restore: and bold
Vpon or sloth, retriue her Age of Gold.
We must not let or natiue manners thus
Corrupt wth ease. Ill liues not, but in us.
I hate to see these fruicts of a soft peace,
And curse the piety giues it such increase.

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Poet cannot know a greater vice, he being yt kind of artificer, to whose worke is required so much exactness, as indifferency is not tolerable.

Let us disturbe it then; and blast the light;
Mixe Hell wth Heauen; and make Nature fight

a These powers of trou

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