Canidia, or the Witches A Rhapsody. In Five Parts |
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 | 1. |
| 2. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. | CANTO III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
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 | Canidia, or the Witches |  |
CANTO III.
Statesmen count it a great Intrigue
To get us into their League:
For we break Faith on all occasions,
By open or close Evasions.
Algier, Tunis observe our Rules,
The Grand Turk works by our Tools;
And all that do not so are Fools.
What think ye, were we made for Joyn'd-Stools?
To get us into their League:
For we break Faith on all occasions,
By open or close Evasions.
Algier, Tunis observe our Rules,
The Grand Turk works by our Tools;
And all that do not so are Fools.
What think ye, were we made for Joyn'd-Stools?
9
Great Armies, if Kings lack, we'l feed 'um,
And when they'd have us, we can bleed 'um.
We dive into the bosom of the Deeps,
Diamonds, Pearls gather on Heaps.
Clamber Rocks for Amber-Grees,
And for all Rarities scum the Seas.
And when they'd have us, we can bleed 'um.
We dive into the bosom of the Deeps,
Diamonds, Pearls gather on Heaps.
Clamber Rocks for Amber-Grees,
And for all Rarities scum the Seas.
The Physician trusts to his Drugs,
But we dare take him by the Lugs:
For all his Antidotes we'l but Fart,
And that shall poyson all his Art;
Our pretty Pugs put in their Noses
In all his Pots, and spoil his Doses.
He is the veriest Fool in Nature,
To grasp with Giants of our Stature.
But we dare take him by the Lugs:
For all his Antidotes we'l but Fart,
And that shall poyson all his Art;
Our pretty Pugs put in their Noses
In all his Pots, and spoil his Doses.
He is the veriest Fool in Nature,
To grasp with Giants of our Stature.
Great Fools are flatter'd and fear'd by all;
But we nor fawn, nor fear at all.
They're glad to crouch and speak us fair,
We cannot live by the Air.
And we can find 'um out, O Rare!
We can slighly hit 'um, and put by
Their deadly blows, and make 'um dye.
If they fly us, we can catch 'um,
Secretly, suddenly dispatch 'um.
But we nor fawn, nor fear at all.
They're glad to crouch and speak us fair,
We cannot live by the Air.
And we can find 'um out, O Rare!
We can slighly hit 'um, and put by
Their deadly blows, and make 'um dye.
If they fly us, we can catch 'um,
Secretly, suddenly dispatch 'um.
Whence had Lycurgus all his Laws?
We find in them Ten thousand Flaws.
Solon was such another Fool,
To us they should have come to School.
Numa Pompilius had the Witch
Nymph Ægeria by the Britch,
She taught him Tales; the Twelve-Tables
Were but Greek and Latin Fables.
We find in them Ten thousand Flaws.
Solon was such another Fool,
To us they should have come to School.
Numa Pompilius had the Witch
Nymph Ægeria by the Britch,
She taught him Tales; the Twelve-Tables
Were but Greek and Latin Fables.
10
Justinian, for his Pandects and Code,
Burnt better Books, many a Cart-load:
Trebonian his Plagiary; he's Curst,
For leaving the best and taking the worst.
Rescripts, Decrees, Pragmalicants,
All his Works are Extravagants.
Decrees, Decretals are of the same stamp,
For want of Power they have the Cramp.
Burnt better Books, many a Cart-load:
Trebonian his Plagiary; he's Curst,
For leaving the best and taking the worst.
Rescripts, Decrees, Pragmalicants,
All his Works are Extravagants.
Decrees, Decretals are of the same stamp,
For want of Power they have the Cramp.
To what purpose is all this Doing?
The Wisest come to us a Woing:
And we have taught them without Law,
How to keep the World in Awe;
To do all Business 'twixt Man and Man,
Without a Bible or Alcoran:
To make Scholars without Teaching;
To make Saints without Preaching.
The Wisest come to us a Woing:
And we have taught them without Law,
How to keep the World in Awe;
To do all Business 'twixt Man and Man,
Without a Bible or Alcoran:
To make Scholars without Teaching;
To make Saints without Preaching.
Here's a Pudder among States;
Walls, Trenches, Castles, Bars and Gates,
Navies, Armies, Pallisado's,
Mines, Counter-Mines and Barracado's:
Killing and Robbing, Fire and Sword,
All is not worth a ------
We could save all this Charge,
And govern the World at large:
Without this or that Association,
Without Lines of Communication.
Walls, Trenches, Castles, Bars and Gates,
Navies, Armies, Pallisado's,
Mines, Counter-Mines and Barracado's:
Killing and Robbing, Fire and Sword,
All is not worth a ------
We could save all this Charge,
And govern the World at large:
Without this or that Association,
Without Lines of Communication.
But oh, the sly Stoick and his Mate,
He condemns all by Fate.
We're gone now, this is the last Trick,
He hath just taken us in the Nick.
He thinks we are now surrounded,
And all our Witchcraft quite confouned.
It must be, as it must be, a Close Bar,
We cannot stir to make nor marr.
He condemns all by Fate.
We're gone now, this is the last Trick,
He hath just taken us in the Nick.
He thinks we are now surrounded,
And all our Witchcraft quite confouned.
11
We cannot stir to make nor marr.
Now we're defunct, troubled with the Gripes,
'Tis high time to put up our Pipes.
Well, if we should be so Confin'd,
Yet we may be still Combin'd,
And to all Mischief most inclin'd.
Still all may say, 'Twas well meant,
Though we could not perform our Intent.
We'l be as wicked still as ever,
And never mend, O never, never.
'Tis high time to put up our Pipes.
Well, if we should be so Confin'd,
Yet we may be still Combin'd,
And to all Mischief most inclin'd.
Still all may say, 'Twas well meant,
Though we could not perform our Intent.
We'l be as wicked still as ever,
And never mend, O never, never.
You that are of our side, stand fast in spight,
The Fates shall not cut us out quite.
But what if we're the Fates our selves?
(For surely they be all such Elves.)
We're acknowledged by All;
For Oracles Fatidical.
Then All's our own still,
All to have, and do our Will.
All the Rogues that ever pist,
Shall never do what they list.
The Fates shall not cut us out quite.
But what if we're the Fates our selves?
(For surely they be all such Elves.)
We're acknowledged by All;
For Oracles Fatidical.
Then All's our own still,
All to have, and do our Will.
All the Rogues that ever pist,
Shall never do what they list.
Then rowze up one more, ye Jolly Dames,
Never lose your glorious Names.
Still we are uppermost, and will be so
In spight of Fates, where e're we go.
We're in our Kingdom still, and I am told it
By the best Fates, we're like to hold it.
The World could never be without us,
Nor never shall, ye need not doubt us.
Never lose your glorious Names.
Still we are uppermost, and will be so
In spight of Fates, where e're we go.
We're in our Kingdom still, and I am told it
By the best Fates, we're like to hold it.
The World could never be without us,
Nor never shall, ye need not doubt us.
Get you about your Business, Jades,
And never fear those Sullen Blades;
Do all the Baseness you are able,
And fear not the Council Table.
Bear up briskly Ladies fair,
Upon me be all your Care:
You'l ne're want Favourites, my Word is past,
As long as Malice or Revenge shall last.
And never fear those Sullen Blades;
12
And fear not the Council Table.
Bear up briskly Ladies fair,
Upon me be all your Care:
You'l ne're want Favourites, my Word is past,
As long as Malice or Revenge shall last.
Why, we are very pretty Creatures,
Want not for Colours, nor yet for Features;
But for Conditions to be sure,
None are morefierce, none more demure.
We'l dazle ye with glorious Beams,
And poyson ye with deadly Steams.
Want not for Colours, nor yet for Features;
But for Conditions to be sure,
None are morefierce, none more demure.
We'l dazle ye with glorious Beams,
And poyson ye with deadly Steams.
| Canidia, or the Witches | |