Canidia, or the Witches A Rhapsody. In Five Parts |
 |
|
| 1. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. | CANTO IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
 | 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
|
 | Canidia, or the Witches |  |
CANTO IV.
Then have at all; Oh, we would burn
The Universe, and overturn
The frame of Nature, and look on
And laugh at such Confusion!
A Chaos would be a fine sight,
Of all things buried in dark Night
And after all, 'twere rarely well
If we could turn all into Hell.
The Universe, and overturn
The frame of Nature, and look on
And laugh at such Confusion!
A Chaos would be a fine sight,
Of all things buried in dark Night
And after all, 'twere rarely well
If we could turn all into Hell.
'Mongst Cannibals and Savage Beasts,
And Monsters we do make our Nests;
W'are conversant in Holes and Caves,
In Sepulchres and Dead mens Graves;
In Hills and Dales, and Desert Woods,
In Gulfs and Quick-Sands, Springs and Floods;
We muster all the dreadful Devils,
As Mistresses of all the Revels.
And Monsters we do make our Nests;
W'are conversant in Holes and Caves,
In Sepulchres and Dead mens Graves;
In Hills and Dales, and Desert Woods,
In Gulfs and Quick-Sands, Springs and Floods;
We muster all the dreadful Devils,
As Mistresses of all the Revels.
14
To burn the Thatch, or a poor Lamb,
Torture the Devil and his Dam;
When Women scratch or burn our Hair,
W'are in a fit of great despair:
When they cut off Cats Legs or Heads,
It makes us forthwith take our Beds;
But most of all, when w'hear the Hiss
Of Pipkins stopt with Pins or Piss.
Torture the Devil and his Dam;
When Women scratch or burn our Hair,
W'are in a fit of great despair:
When they cut off Cats Legs or Heads,
It makes us forthwith take our Beds;
But most of all, when w'hear the Hiss
Of Pipkins stopt with Pins or Piss.
We whisper in a Camels Ear,
Or nod unto a rugged Bear;
And they shall carry us out or in,
O're all the World, through thick and thin:
But throw an Old-shoe with a Spell,
Or nail a Horse-shoe cross the Cell,
'Twill drive away Devil or Man,
And let them hurt you if they can.
Or nod unto a rugged Bear;
And they shall carry us out or in,
O're all the World, through thick and thin:
But throw an Old-shoe with a Spell,
Or nail a Horse-shoe cross the Cell,
'Twill drive away Devil or Man,
And let them hurt you if they can.
St. Dunstan's Tongs, under the Rose,
Took the Devil by the Nose;
Th' enchanted Chair, and Holy-Wand,
Cap, Cowl and Pall do him command:
The Holy-Water, Ring or Smoak,
Drive him quite away, or Choak
The Circle Character'd round,
Raises or sinks him under-ground.
Took the Devil by the Nose;
Th' enchanted Chair, and Holy-Wand,
Cap, Cowl and Pall do him command:
The Holy-Water, Ring or Smoak,
Drive him quite away, or Choak
The Circle Character'd round,
Raises or sinks him under-ground.
We sit in the Great Cham's Lap,
And feed his Brungeons with Pap;
The Mogul and Crim-Tartar is our Friend,
And we to them are no less kind.
The Roman State had not so thriv'd,
If we their Policies had not contriv'd;
From Monotape to Tapobran,
We strive to advance every Man.
And feed his Brungeons with Pap;
The Mogul and Crim-Tartar is our Friend,
And we to them are no less kind.
The Roman State had not so thriv'd,
If we their Policies had not contriv'd;
From Monotape to Tapobran,
We strive to advance every Man.
15
Semyramis, Sesostris, Cyrus,
All the Magi did admire us:
Turky, Russia, Lituania,
Moscovy, Prusia, Transylvania:
What so remote or Barbarous Nation,
When we have not fix'd our Station;
Planted our Oracles of Fame,
For their Wise men to get a Name?
All the Magi did admire us:
Turky, Russia, Lituania,
Moscovy, Prusia, Transylvania:
What so remote or Barbarous Nation,
When we have not fix'd our Station;
Planted our Oracles of Fame,
For their Wise men to get a Name?
China had Guns and Sulphur Dust,
Printing and curious Arts in trust
By us; nor do they their Faith betray,
To teach their Neighbours to this day.
Others have stumbl'd on them by chance;
But we first of all led the Dance.
Never no glorious Enterprize,
But from us it took its Rise.
Printing and curious Arts in trust
By us; nor do they their Faith betray,
To teach their Neighbours to this day.
Others have stumbl'd on them by chance;
But we first of all led the Dance.
Never no glorious Enterprize,
But from us it took its Rise.
Columbus the New World first found,
Vespucius conquered the Ground;
But we were Aborigino's there,
As we are almost every where.
We rockt and knockt Old Time in's Cradle,
Which makes his Brains ever since Adle;
Yet he eats Children still,
And wields his Sythe admirably well.
Vespucius conquered the Ground;
But we were Aborigino's there,
As we are almost every where.
We rockt and knockt Old Time in's Cradle,
Which makes his Brains ever since Adle;
Yet he eats Children still,
And wields his Sythe admirably well.
Manetho, Sanchuniathon,
Joyn'd with us in Consultation.
Zoroastres, Orpheus, Plato,
Aristotle, Theophrastus, Cato,
Proclus, Mercurius, Trismegistus,
At our Councils never mist us:
Porphyry, Psellus waited there,
Jamblichus too had his Chair.
Joyn'd with us in Consultation.
Zoroastres, Orpheus, Plato,
Aristotle, Theophrastus, Cato,
Proclus, Mercurius, Trismegistus,
At our Councils never mist us:
Porphyry, Psellus waited there,
Jamblichus too had his Chair.
16
Socrates Dæmon, infinite more
Attendants on the same score.
Ægyptian, Chaldee, Assyrian Rites,
Are our Mysterious Delights.
Memphis, Thebes, Athens, Rome,
We take to be our constant Home.
All the abstruse and Sacred Arts,
Profest by Men of profound Parts,
The Sybils taught, I do declare,
And every Body knows what they were.
Attendants on the same score.
Ægyptian, Chaldee, Assyrian Rites,
Are our Mysterious Delights.
Memphis, Thebes, Athens, Rome,
We take to be our constant Home.
All the abstruse and Sacred Arts,
Profest by Men of profound Parts,
The Sybils taught, I do declare,
And every Body knows what they were.
We bind the Spirits in the Red Sea
A Thousand years, and set them free.
Methinks I see the Rogues, till then,
(Damnation to the Sons of Men)
Vow, when they come abroad again,
Ten Thousand times more grief and pain:
But for all this Harly-bur,
Till we give leave they shall not stir.
A Thousand years, and set them free.
Methinks I see the Rogues, till then,
(Damnation to the Sons of Men)
Vow, when they come abroad again,
Ten Thousand times more grief and pain:
But for all this Harly-bur,
Till we give leave they shall not stir.
They talk of Laws; the World shall know
We give, not take Laws from high or low.
We'l cramp the Judge, and Grand Inquest,
And stop the Verdict of the rest.
Jaylor, Hang-man we deny,
And all such Rogues we can defie;
We'l live and die at our own Pleasures,
There's none shall give us Rules or Measures.
We give, not take Laws from high or low.
We'l cramp the Judge, and Grand Inquest,
And stop the Verdict of the rest.
Jaylor, Hang-man we deny,
And all such Rogues we can defie;
We'l live and die at our own Pleasures,
There's none shall give us Rules or Measures.
Swimming, Biting, Scratching, Banging,
Keeps us from Drowning, not from Hanging.
Judges and Sheriffs fain would tame us;
Juries bring in all Ignoramus.
'Tis only the Rabble, Women and Boys,
That are afraid of their Pigs and Poultry Decoys.
The Country-man loses his Dairy and Cows,
Children, Horses, Waggons and Plows.
Keeps us from Drowning, not from Hanging.
Judges and Sheriffs fain would tame us;
Juries bring in all Ignoramus.
'Tis only the Rabble, Women and Boys,
That are afraid of their Pigs and Poultry Decoys.
17
Children, Horses, Waggons and Plows.
I'm angry, be reveng'd on all,
Though for Pluto's help they call;
We scorn his Aid, 'tis come to pass,
We'l quickly prove the Devil's an Ass.
W'have got the day, serve him no more,
Nor Proserpine, his dirty Whore;
And that we may b'alone in Evil,
Let's all resolve to kill the Devil.
Though for Pluto's help they call;
We scorn his Aid, 'tis come to pass,
We'l quickly prove the Devil's an Ass.
W'have got the day, serve him no more,
Nor Proserpine, his dirty Whore;
And that we may b'alone in Evil,
Let's all resolve to kill the Devil.
| Canidia, or the Witches | |