Canidia, or the Witches A Rhapsody. In Five Parts |
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| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. | CANTO X. |
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 | Canidia, or the Witches |  |
59
CANTO X.
‘There was but lately sent from Hell,
‘A Scroll, containing such a Spell,
‘As rarely did Epitomize
‘What e're Pluto's Wit could devise.
‘With that a Shirt of Lawn, dy'd red,
‘And all over Charactered.
‘It was a Present from a Fiend,
‘Sent up to me, as a True Friend.
‘A Scroll, containing such a Spell,
‘As rarely did Epitomize
‘What e're Pluto's Wit could devise.
‘With that a Shirt of Lawn, dy'd red,
‘And all over Charactered.
‘It was a Present from a Fiend,
‘Sent up to me, as a True Friend.
‘Th' inchanted Clout was for a Boy,
‘A Shirt to wear a Prety Toy.
‘Nessus his Shirt was such which caus'd the Wo,
‘Which Hercules did undergo.
‘Upon this in the dead of Night,
‘Most solemnly I did Recite
‘The Magick Spell, with whisp'ring Voice,
‘Seconded with so fierce a Noise,
‘As if the just then tottering World,
‘To its first Chaos had been hurl'd.
‘A Shirt to wear a Prety Toy.
‘Nessus his Shirt was such which caus'd the Wo,
‘Which Hercules did undergo.
‘Upon this in the dead of Night,
‘Most solemnly I did Recite
‘The Magick Spell, with whisp'ring Voice,
‘Seconded with so fierce a Noise,
‘As if the just then tottering World,
‘To its first Chaos had been hurl'd.
‘As if the Elements together russel'd,
‘To their first Matter had been jussl'd.
‘Then with an Ointment I bespread
‘The Fatal Cloth, and moistened
‘The same with a Heart-scorching Oil,
‘Mumbling and Mutt'ring all the while.
‘To their first Matter had been jussl'd.
‘Then with an Ointment I bespread
‘The Fatal Cloth, and moistened
‘The same with a Heart-scorching Oil,
‘Mumbling and Mutt'ring all the while.
‘After this dire Conjuration,
‘These Magick Drugs eftsoon began
‘To shew their strength; the Wretch shall feel
‘In his heart, like hot burning Steel.
‘When it clings close 'bout him, it shall Sear
‘To th' Bone the broiled Flesh all rear.
‘Forthwith I bath it with tart Wine,
‘Suppling it now and then with Brine.
‘These Magick Drugs eftsoon began
‘To shew their strength; the Wretch shall feel
‘In his heart, like hot burning Steel.
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‘To th' Bone the broiled Flesh all rear.
‘Forthwith I bath it with tart Wine,
‘Suppling it now and then with Brine.
‘Sowst in this Pickle, poor Wights lay
‘Soaking many a live-long Day.
‘With leaden Wings then Time shall fly,
‘And seeming, the Worlds glorious Eye
‘Stand stone-still, staring, and loytered
‘His Journey t'wards his Western-Bed.
‘Sol's Royal Sister does display,
‘A tedious Night prolonging Ray.
‘Soaking many a live-long Day.
‘With leaden Wings then Time shall fly,
‘And seeming, the Worlds glorious Eye
‘Stand stone-still, staring, and loytered
‘His Journey t'wards his Western-Bed.
‘Sol's Royal Sister does display,
‘A tedious Night prolonging Ray.
‘And sporting in Conjunction,
‘With some more lusty Planet, run
‘Beyond her wonted bounds of Night,
‘Encroaching on her Brothers Right.
‘Then give a Drink that does restore
‘The Flesh as perfect, as before.
‘An Icy Julip, I dare reveal,
‘Shall make the boyling Blood congeal.
‘Thus adverse Tortures both meet,
‘The last of Cold, the first of Heat.
‘With some more lusty Planet, run
‘Beyond her wonted bounds of Night,
‘Encroaching on her Brothers Right.
‘Then give a Drink that does restore
‘The Flesh as perfect, as before.
‘An Icy Julip, I dare reveal,
‘Shall make the boyling Blood congeal.
‘Thus adverse Tortures both meet,
‘The last of Cold, the first of Heat.
‘When Children are by me Accurst,
‘Distracted, and ready to burst.
‘They stretch their Throats with woful crying,
‘While in their Cradles they lye dying,
‘And could they, thus they would have spake,
‘Mother, do not make our Hearts ake.
‘Dearest Mother, pray forbear,
‘Be, O be mov'd with this one Tear.
‘Distracted, and ready to burst.
‘They stretch their Throats with woful crying,
‘While in their Cradles they lye dying,
‘And could they, thus they would have spake,
‘Mother, do not make our Hearts ake.
‘Dearest Mother, pray forbear,
‘Be, O be mov'd with this one Tear.
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‘This brinish Tear, that trickling-streams
‘About our Rosy-Cheeks; these Beams
‘That from our blubb'ring Eye-balls dart,
‘O let them pierce thy very Heart;
‘Or it into Compassion melt,
‘Let it suffice what we have felt.
‘O spare our Lives, we humbly crave,
‘And make us every one your Slave.
‘About our Rosy-Cheeks; these Beams
‘That from our blubb'ring Eye-balls dart,
‘O let them pierce thy very Heart;
‘Or it into Compassion melt,
‘Let it suffice what we have felt.
‘O spare our Lives, we humbly crave,
‘And make us every one your Slave.
‘We cannot speak, our Looks they plead,
‘Good sweet Nurse, do not make us bleed.
‘List to the language of our Eyn,
‘See how our hands express our Mind.
‘Our looks beg thus, and not our Tongue,
‘Then do not poor dumb Infants wrong.
‘Good sweet Nurse, do not make us bleed.
‘List to the language of our Eyn,
‘See how our hands express our Mind.
‘Our looks beg thus, and not our Tongue,
‘Then do not poor dumb Infants wrong.
‘Did y'ever hear a Captive Slave,
‘More earnestly for Freedom crave.
‘And that he might but see the Light,
‘Once more, before Deaths endless Night
‘Approach, that the Dungeon Cave
‘Might not, alas, be made his Grave.
‘More earnestly for Freedom crave.
‘And that he might but see the Light,
‘Once more, before Deaths endless Night
‘Approach, that the Dungeon Cave
‘Might not, alas, be made his Grave.
‘Or have you heard poor Pris'ners yawl
‘At Passengers, with lowder Call,
‘To force their Charity; or sing
‘A New-Gate sadder Tone; or ring
‘Their Shackles, with a noise more shrill
‘Than these poor Creatures will.
‘All to no purpose, all in vain,
‘I'le make them have more cause t'complain.
‘They strive and cry, all does no good,
‘The Horse-Leech longs to suck more Blood.
‘At Passengers, with lowder Call,
‘To force their Charity; or sing
‘A New-Gate sadder Tone; or ring
‘Their Shackles, with a noise more shrill
‘Than these poor Creatures will.
‘All to no purpose, all in vain,
‘I'le make them have more cause t'complain.
‘They strive and cry, all does no good,
‘The Horse-Leech longs to suck more Blood.
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‘Alas, no Mercy, I forgo it,
‘Compassion, I, I never show it,
‘I care not, if all the World know it.
‘Compassion, I, I never show it,
‘I care not, if all the World know it.
‘O were we banish'd out from Men,
‘Thrust into a Wolf or Tygers Den;
‘We should find more Mercy sure,
‘And lesser Torments endure.
‘'Tis Death we every moment fear,
‘No comfort is to be found here:
‘Yet Death denying still to come,
‘We are still cheated by its Ludibrium.
‘Thrust into a Wolf or Tygers Den;
‘We should find more Mercy sure,
‘And lesser Torments endure.
‘'Tis Death we every moment fear,
‘No comfort is to be found here:
‘Yet Death denying still to come,
‘We are still cheated by its Ludibrium.
‘But is this all? No, nor the thousand part
‘Of what I could repeat, by roat of heart.
‘In Graves, and ev'ry Charnel Hall,
‘Was our delight, and ever shall.
‘Of what I could repeat, by roat of heart.
‘In Graves, and ev'ry Charnel Hall,
‘Was our delight, and ever shall.
‘But, Oh I faint, I'm out of breath,
‘If I go on, I meet with Death.
‘My strength now will not bear it,
‘Nor your Patience, to hear it.
‘My Lords o're all the World admir'd,
‘If I go on, I meet with Death.
‘My strength now will not bear it,
‘Nor your Patience, to hear it.
‘To serve you we shall be re-inspir'd.
‘Now you may make a full Report
‘Of Witchcrafts, to the Infernal Court,
‘To whom my Duty; Fare ye well,
‘I hope to meet you all in Hell.
Dixi.
Canidia.
‘Thanks Sister, for your pains due to you,
‘Satis fecisti Officio Tuo.
‘Now, my Lords, I as President,
‘By my Authority, not Complement,
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‘We shall study all your Praise.
‘But bare Words shall not suffice,
‘We'l fit you with a Sacrifice.
‘We have exchang'd a Noble Boy,
‘Left in his room an Ideot Toy;
‘Him we devote, by Instigation,
‘For a Magick Propitiation.
‘And when you are all fixt in Hell,
‘This Odor from our Altars you shall smell.
Dixi.
‘So, now they're gone, and I ha'done,
‘For this Job, my Web is spun.
‘Sisters, my Charge to you is, When enrag'd
‘For deep Revenge, you stand engag'd.
‘You have your Commissions, you know,
‘From the Illustrious States below:
‘And because they are at large,
‘I give you this special Charge.
‘For this Job, my Web is spun.
‘Sisters, my Charge to you is, When enrag'd
‘For deep Revenge, you stand engag'd.
‘You have your Commissions, you know,
‘From the Illustrious States below:
‘And because they are at large,
‘I give you this special Charge.
‘You know my mind, Go strip the Lad,
‘Whom you in safe Custody have had.
‘Dig a Hole in the ground, put him in,
‘Bury him close up to the Chin.
‘Regard not his Cries nor Tears,
‘For fear you should stop close your Ears.
‘That you may do him the utmost spight,
‘Set Delicacies in his sight;
‘Let him smell, not taste, pine day and night.
‘When all's consum'd to Skin and Bone,
‘Favour him not to dye alone.
‘Whom you in safe Custody have had.
‘Dig a Hole in the ground, put him in,
‘Bury him close up to the Chin.
‘Regard not his Cries nor Tears,
‘For fear you should stop close your Ears.
‘That you may do him the utmost spight,
‘Set Delicacies in his sight;
‘Let him smell, not taste, pine day and night.
‘When all's consum'd to Skin and Bone,
‘Favour him not to dye alone.
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‘Take him up alive, and roast the Brat,
‘As you would do a Dog or Cat:
‘But save his Liver, Lungs and Heart,
‘Keep them safe in an Urn apart,
‘Beat them to Powder, serve them up
‘In a Lovers Spiced Cup.
‘Burn the Carkass, for a Perfume
‘To Proserpina's Dining-Room.
‘As you would do a Dog or Cat:
‘But save his Liver, Lungs and Heart,
‘Keep them safe in an Urn apart,
‘Beat them to Powder, serve them up
‘In a Lovers Spiced Cup.
‘Burn the Carkass, for a Perfume
‘To Proserpina's Dining-Room.
‘So I dismiss you, I am tyr'd,
‘As a Hackney in a Bog bemir'd.
‘Get you gone you Mischievous Jades,
‘Go, keep your Shops, and follow your Trades.
‘As a Hackney in a Bog bemir'd.
‘Get you gone you Mischievous Jades,
‘Go, keep your Shops, and follow your Trades.
Dixi.
| Canidia, or the Witches | |