Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

And whereas they are naturally prone to believe any thing; so do they receive such impressions and steadfast imaginations into their minds, as even their spirits are altered thereby; not thinking upon any thing else, either by day or by night. And this helpeth them forward in their imaginations, that their usual food is none other commonly but beets, roots, nuts, beans, peas, &c.

REGINALD SCOT, The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584

Transformation

Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee?
Bottom. What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you?
Quince. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, III. i. 120—125

It happened in the city of Salamin, in the kingdom of Cyprus (wherein is a good haven) that a ship loaden with merchandize stayed there for a short space. In the mean time many of the soldiers and mariners went to shore, to provide fresh victuals. Among which number, a certain Englishman, being a sturdy young fellow, went to a woman's house, a little way out of the city, and not far from the sea side, to see whether she had any eggs to sell. Who perceiving him to be a lusty young fellow, a stranger, and far from his country (so as upon the loss of him there would be the less miss or inquiry) she considered with herself how to destroy him; and willed him to stay there awhile, whilst she went to fetch a few eggs for him. But she tarried long, so as the young man called unto her, desiring her to make haste: for he told her that the tide would be spent, and by that means his ship would be gone, and leave him behind. Howbeit, after some detracting of time, she brought him a few eggs, willing him to return to her, if his ship were gone when he came. The young fellow returned towards his ship: but before he went aboard, he would needs eat an egg or twain to satisfy his hunger, and within short space he became dumb and out of his wits (as he afterwards said). When he would have entered into the ship, the mariners beat him back with a cudgel, saying: "What a murrain lacks the ass? Whither the devil will this ass?" The ass or young man (I cannot tell by which name I should term him) being many

times repelled, and understanding their words that called him ass, considering that he could speak never a word, and yet could understand every body; he thought that he was bewitched by the woman, at whose house he was. And therefore, when by no means he could get into the boat, but was driven to tarry and see her departure, being also beaten from place to place as an ass, he remembered the witch's words, and the words of his own fellows that called him ass, and returned to the witch's house, in whose service he remained by the space of three years, doing nothing with his hands all that while, but carried such burdens as she laid on his back; having only this comfort, that although he were reputed an ass among strangers and beasts, yet that both this witch, and all other witches knew him to be

a man.

After three years were passed over, in a morning betimes he went to town before his dame, who upon some occasion (of like to make water) stayed a little behind. In the mean time being near to a church, he heard a little sacring bell ring to the elevation of a morrow mass, and not daring to go into the church, lest he should have been beaten and driven out with cudgels, in great devotion he fell down in the churchyard upon the knees of his hinder legs, and did lift his forefeet over his head, as the priest doth hold the sacrament at the elevation. Which prodigious sight when certain merchants of Genoa espied and with wonder beheld, anon cometh the witch with a cudgel in her hand, beating forth the ass. And because (as it hath been said) such kinds of witchcrafts are very usual in those parts, the merchants aforesaid made such means, as both the ass and the witch were attached by the judge. And she being examined and set upon the rack, confessed the whole matter, and promised, that if she might have liberty to go home, she would restore him to his old shape: and being dismissed, she did accordingly. So as notwithstanding, they apprehended again, and burned her: and the young man returned into his country with a joyful and merry heart.

REGINALD SCOT, The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584

And whereas they are naturally prone to believe any thing; so do they receive such impressions and steadfast imaginations into their minds, as even their spirits are altered thereby; not thinking upon any thing else, either by day or by night. And this helpeth them forward in their imaginations, that their usual food is none other commonly but beets, roots, nuts, beans, peas, &c.

REGINALD SCOT, The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584

Transformation

Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee?
Bottom. What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you?
Quince. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1II. i. 120—125

It happened in the city of Salamin, in the kingdom of Cyprus (wherein is a good haven) that a ship loaden with merchandize stayed there for a short space. In the mean time

many of the soldiers and mariners went to shore, to provide fresh victuals. Among which number, a certain Englishman, being a sturdy young fellow, went to a woman's house, a little way out of the city, and not far from the sea side, to see whether she had any eggs to sell. Who perceiving him to be a lusty young fellow, a stranger, and far from his country (so as upon the loss of him there would be the less miss or inquiry) she considered with herself how to destroy him; and willed him to stay there awhile, whilst she went to fetch a few eggs for him. But she tarried long, so as the young man called unto her, desiring her to make haste: for he told her that the tide would be spent, and by that means his ship would be gone, and leave him behind. Howbeit, after some detracting of time, she brought him a few eggs, willing him to return to her, if his ship were gone when he came. The young fellow returned towards his ship: but before he went aboard, he would needs eat an egg or twain to satisfy his hunger, and within short space he became dumb and out of his wits (as he afterwards said). When he would have entered into the ship, the mariners beat him back with a cudgel, saying: "What a murrain lacks the ass? Whither the devil will this ass?" The ass or young man (I cannot tell by which name I should term him) being many

times repelled, and understanding their words that called him ass, considering that he could speak never a word, and yet could understand every body; he thought that he was bewitched by the woman, at whose house he was. And therefore, when by no means he could get into the boat, but was driven to tarry and see her departure, being also beaten from place to place as an ass, he remembered the witch's words, and the words of his own fellows that called him ass, and returned to the witch's house, in whose service he remained by the space of three years, doing nothing with his hands all that while, but carried such burdens as she laid on his back; having only this comfort, that although he were reputed an ass among strangers and beasts, yet that both this witch, and all other witches knew him to be

a man.

After three years were passed over, in a morning betimes he went to town before his dame, who upon some occasion (of like to make water) stayed a little behind. In the mean time being near to a church, he heard a little sacring bell ring to the elevation of a morrow mass, and not daring to go into the church, lest he should have been beaten and driven out with cudgels, in great devotion he fell down in the churchyard upon the knees of his hinder legs, and did lift his forefeet over his head, as the priest doth hold the sacrament at the elevation. Which prodigious sight when certain merchants of Genoa espied and with wonder beheld, anon cometh the witch with a cudgel in her hand, beating forth the ass. And because (as it hath been said) such kinds of witchcrafts are very usual in those parts, the merchants aforesaid made such means, as both the ass and the witch were attached by the judge. And she being examined and set upon the rack, confessed the whole matter, and promised, that if she might have liberty to go home, she would restore him to his old shape: and being dismissed, she did accordingly. So as notwithstanding, they apprehended again, and burned her: and the young man returned into his country with a joyful and merry heart.

REGINALD SCOT, The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584

§4. Fairy-land

But we are spirits of another sort.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, III. ii. 388

Either I mistake your shape and making quite
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are you not he
That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;
Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck :
Are not you he?
ibid. II. i. 32-42

[The little book from which the following extracts are taken, has been described as the most valuable and important contemporary illustration of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Though the first edition extant is dated 1628, it was probably written far earlier, and Shakespeare's masterpiece may owe something to it.]

How King Oberon called Robin Good-fellow to dance

King Oberon, seeing Robin Good-fellow do so many honest and merry tricks, called him one night out of his bed with these words, saying:

Robin, my son, come quickly rise:

First stretch, then yawn, and rub your eyes;

For thou must go with me to-night,

To see, and taste of my delight.

Quickly come, my wanton son;

"Twere time our sports were now begun.

Robin, hearing this, rose and went to him. There were with King Oberon a many fairies, all attired in green silk: all these, with King Oberon, did welcome Robin Good-fellow into their company. Oberon took Robin by the hand and led him a dance. Their musician was little Tom Thumb, for he had an excellent bag-pipe made of a wren's quill and the skin of a Greenland louse. This pipe was so shrill, and so sweet, that a Scottish pipe, compared to it, it would no more come near it, than a Jew's-trump doth to an Irish harp. After they had

« AnteriorContinuar »