And scarcely had he Maggie rallied, I As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke, When pop! she starts before their nose ; When "Catch the thief!" refounds aloud; 6 Wi' mony an eldritch skreech and hollow. Ah, Tam! Ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin !" Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg, 9 Herds, fhepherds. 5 Puie's a hare. 7 Fairin, a fairing, Brig, bridge. a prefent. • Eldritch skreech, frightful scream. • Comin, coming. It is a well known fact, that witches, or any evil spirits, have no power to follow a poor wight any farther than the middle of the next running ftream. It may be proper likewise to mention to the benighted traveller, that when he falls in with bogles, whatever danger may be in his going forward, there is much more hazard in turning back. But But ere the key-ftane fhe could make, I 2 The fient a tail fhe had to fhake! Now, wha 7 this tale o' truth fhall read, * The fient a tail, fient is a petty oath, as, "the devil a tail." No. XXXIV. THE WITCHES' SONG. BEN JONSON. "From the Mafque of Queens, prefented at Whitehall, Feb. 2d, 1609." I WITCH. I HAVE been all day looking after A raven feeding upon a quarter; And, foone as fhe turn'd her beak to the fouth, I fnatch'd this morfell out of her mouth. 2 WITCH. I have beene gathering wolves haires, 3 WITCH. 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 chufing out this fcull By day; and, when the childe was a-sleepe 6 WITCH. I had a dagger: what did I with that? A piper it got at a church-ale, I bade him again blow the wind i' the taile. 7 WITCH. A murderer, yonder, was hung in chaines; I bit off a finew; I clipp'd his haire ; I brought off his ragges, that danced i' the ayre. 8 WITCH. The fcrich-owles egges and the feathers blacke, 9 WITCH. And I ha' beene plucking (plants among) IO WITCH. I from the jawes of a gardener's bitch Did fnatch thefe bones, and then leap'd the ditch: Kill'd the blacke cat, and here is the braine. II WITCH. I went to the toad, breedes under the wall, I fcratch'd out the eyes of the owle before; DAME. |