Canidia, or the Witches :: :: University of Virginia Library

‘As for us, give us over,
‘To Conversion and Trover,
‘Let the Law pass from Berwick to Dover.
‘Witches and Wizards none shall Rule 'um,
‘Fiat Justitia, Ruat Cœlum.
‘When I and my Maids are in a good Mood,
‘We confess our selves overcome with Good.
‘When we speak good, and practise Evil.
‘'Tis enough, a Conscience to convert the Devil.

‘I wish I were in your case,
‘I would resolve never to be so base.
‘'Tis time to Reform, when we shame you,
‘'Tis time to be better when we blame you,
‘If you won't, we must tame you.
‘For lack of better Mistresses and Masters,
‘We offer to be your Tasters,
‘If not, we come to be your Taskers.

‘If this won't do, 'tis past my skill,
‘You may be better, if you will.

121

‘And so, you'l say, may We be?
‘What if not, are you so dull and sleepy?
‘You're fit to be sent to the Isles of Charybe.
‘We must hang in Wind and Weather,
‘And the Devils and We shall mend together.
‘As for you, you may live in hopes,
‘We must come to the Dancing on the Ropes,
‘Tho pardoned by never so many Popes.

‘We are Sinners of another kind,
‘Scholars and Artists, you know my mind.
‘The Devils and We are Apostates, you'l find,
‘Then you must needs see, if you won't be blind.

‘And now I'le get me behind the Door,
‘To spy, if I can catch you any more.
‘And then I'le not fail to fly in your Faces,
‘Betray you with killing Embraces.
‘But I would fain from us you should be gone,
‘And leave us to despair all alone.
‘I have Preached, as the Devil can do,
‘For good luck, throw after me an Old Shoe.
‘To't agen Boys, if all this won't do,
‘But we must needs have your Company too.

‘You may say very well, you may all thank your selves,
‘For you have had warning enough from us Elves.
‘I have then no more to say,
‘For we must all return to our Play,
‘'Tis Night with us, and 'twill never be Day.

‘Away ye Rascals, go to, go to,
‘Must you needs be damn'd with us whither we will or no?

122

‘If Salvation it self can't save you,
‘'Tis your own fault if the Devil have you.
‘Damnation its self must needs damn you,
‘When Hell it self can't fright you nor sham you.

‘For this once, Geese, never fear Over-reaching,
‘You shall be safe, tho the Fox be a preaching.
‘I'le promise you this time, but if hereafter I catch you,
‘To be sure, I shall bite and scratch you,
‘Look to't, for we'l narrowly watch you.
‘When Ranters and Witches rebuke Sin,
‘Then, or never, Rogues and Whores will come in.
‘Capons and Turkies never fat well 'till they're cram'd,
‘Hypocrites will ne're turn 'till they are damn'd.

‘The Reason that makes me so kind to forewarn you,
‘Is, because I never have a mind to harm you.
‘Because I have had oft good turns done by you,
‘I have still a longing desire to try you.
‘As for other old beggarly Rogues,
‘They shall never have our good Vogues.
‘They have always been pitiful Shrimps,
‘And never belov'd by us, or our Imps,
‘They're good for nothing, but Panders and Pimps.

‘They might have amended long ago,
‘'Tis too late now for them I know.
‘If they had ta'ne good Counsel in time,
‘When they were all in their Prime,
‘It might have sav'd my pains for this Rhime.

123

‘Some Pardon then might have been had,
‘Upon Repentance, tho they were never so bad,
‘At last to be saved they would be glad.
‘But 'tis too late, it can never be had,
‘They're rightly serv'd, for being so mad.

‘After they have had their full Play,
‘Vengeance for them will no longer stay.
‘To Hell, to rights, they must away,
‘And there they must tormented lay,
‘And Fry for ever and a day.
‘One thing I'le tell you Hypocrites,
‘You shall be put to the greatest frights:
‘And be Rackt most of all by terrible Sprights,
‘Because you have tasted of all Delights,
‘And have turn'd Days into Nights,
‘Therefore you shall behold sad Sights.

‘Because you presum'd to make Black, White,
‘And have put Darkness for Light,
‘Therefore you must suffer the greatest Spight.
‘Others, by frailty of Pleasures,
‘Of Pain shall feel far lesser measures;
‘But you of Grace have had the richest Treasures.
‘The more of Mercies you had the store,
‘The more Judgments lay at your door.

‘'Tis you that fram'd false Oaths and Lyes,
‘To undo whole Families:
‘And would never hear their Cries,
‘Therefore you can never rise.
‘Such heavy loads press down so low,
‘That up to Light you cannot go.
‘It sinks you deeper, all so well,
‘Into the darkest Pit of Hell.

124

‘If you should think all this a Fable,
‘To dispute you we are able.
‘You believe no Spirit, well,
‘Consequently you believe no Hell.
‘But we are sensible of both,
‘Which to feel you wou'd be loth,
‘You are right enough serv'd by my Troth.
‘If there be bad, there must be good,
‘If there be War, there must be Blood.

‘We feel Sprights plainly, when they suck,
‘How they our Teats in sunder pluck.
‘They never bring us good luck,
‘At last they leave us to Tuck.
‘We see them often, as they rise
‘Out of the Earth, with our own Eyes.
‘To them we're glad to Sacrifice,
‘For fear they should tear out our Eyes.
‘As they do to others play their parts,
‘Plucking out their very Hearts.

‘And whether you believe, or no,
‘I'le warrant you shall find it so,
‘And feel what you must undergo.
‘Then brave Gallants take your pleasure,
‘Be Jovial, and repent at leisure,
‘Lose all your Ill-gotten Treasure.
‘Your wretched Clients have cause full well,
‘To curse you to the Pit of Hell.
‘They have already rung out your Knell,
‘And I have giv'n you a lusty Spell.

‘And yet you'l venture 'twill be so,
‘Whether you believe it, or no,
‘The more you suffer, for the more you know.

125

‘Still you sleep, still you slumber,
‘You do but the World encumber,
‘For Hell you will be Fuel and Lumber.
‘'Cause no good Warning you will take,
‘The Devil will you Examples make.

‘You shall burn at the Stake,
‘And boyl in Styx scalding Lake,
‘And in Cocytus freeze and quake.
‘The more weary, the more your hearts shall ake,
‘The more Wise, the more Fools make.
‘When the Truth of all you see,
‘Not till then you'l remember me.
‘To day 'tis laughter, but to morrow,
‘It must end in endless Sorrow.

‘You taste the Honey of the Bee,
‘The deadly Sting you will not see.
‘Do we not find that Nature's Law,
‘Keeps us evermore in awe?
‘And for every wilful Offence,
‘Disquiets tender Conscience,
‘Where there is a Judgment Bench.

‘If there were not some kind of God,
‘Whence should proceed such a Rod?
‘And if there were no higher Numen,
‘What should distinguish Rogues from True-men?
‘But now we plainly do discern,
‘The difference 'twixt Grass and Fearn.
‘Then do but grind in this Quern,
‘Good from Bad you shall discern.

126

‘So all is very plain and clear,
‘As 'twixt Wine, Water, and strong Beer,
‘Betwixt bad and good Chear.
‘To Vertue we may now draw near,
‘And from Vice, if you will, disappear.
‘Here you may escape a Fall,
‘And stand upright for good and all;
‘Not one, but one and all.

‘So we may avoid a Frown,
‘And so inherit a Crown.
‘So some go up and some go down,
‘As it is in London Town.
‘Some Spirits clearly upwards fly,
‘Some like Beasts descend and dye.
‘Some happy sure in Misery,
‘I tell you no Lye.
‘And I tell you the Reason why,
‘No man in his Wits can deny.

‘Wherefore all Atheism I defy,
‘The greater is my Villany,
‘The greater will be my Misery.
‘I know better, I do worse,
‘I deserve the greater Curse.
‘Stand Slaves, deliver your Purse,
‘No Reason, but for better for worse,
‘When you're sick, I'le be your Nurse.

‘This is no pleasing Subject to me,
‘'Cause Happiness I ne're look to see,
‘But everlasting Misery.
‘From this Doom you may be free,
‘W'have already too much Company.

127

‘I know what Religion I like best,
‘The Devil in Hell take all the rest.
‘Mahomet, Sergius, I and the Devil were all at work,
‘To fit a Religion for the Persian and Turk.
‘Ease, Pleasure, Luxury, and Lust,
‘Is all the Heaven for which they trust.
‘By the Sword, and all manner of Lies,
‘They hope to get such a Paradise.
‘As for Heathen Religions, Old and New,
‘I hold them every one untrue.