Whene'er to drink you are inclin'd, Or cutty-sarks run in your mind, Think, ye may buy the joys o'er dear,' Remember Tam o' Shanter's mare. 'O'er dear, too dear. No. XXXIV. THE WITCHES' SONG. BEN JONSON. "From the Masque of Queens, presented at Whitehall, Feb. 2d, 1609." I WITCH. I HAVE been all day looking after A raven feeding upon a quarter; And, soone as she turn'd her beak to the south, I snatch'd this morsell out of her mouth. 2 WITCH. I have beene gathering wolves haires, The madd dogges foames, and adders eares; And all since the evening starre did rise. 3 WITCH. I last night lay all alone On the ground, to heare the mandrake grone; And pluck'd him up, though he grew full low: And, as I had done, the cocke did crow. 4 WITCH. And I ha' beene chusing out this scull By day; and, when the childe was a-sleepe 6 WITCH. I had a dagger: what did I with that? Killed an infant to have his fat. A piper it got at a church-ale, I bade him again blow the wind ï' the taile. 7 WITCH. A murderer, yonder, was hung in chaines ; The sunne and the wind had shrunke his veines: I bit off a sinew; I clipp'd his haire ; I brought off his ragges, that danced i' the ayre. 8 WITCH. The scrich-owles egges and the feathers blacke, The bloud of the frogge, and the bone in his backe I have been getting; and made of his skin A purset, to keep Sir Cranion in. 9 WITCH. And I ha' beene plucking (plants among) 10 WITCH. I from the jawes of a gardener's bitch Did snatch these bones, and then leap'd the ditch: Yet went I back to the house againe, Kill'd the blacke cat, and here is the braine. 11 WITCH. I went to the toad, breedes under the wall, I tore the batt's wing: what would you have more? |