University of Virginia Library

previous section A Medicinable Morall
next section

The eyght Satyre.

THE GARDINGE GOD Priapus beinge erected as a watche to driue awaye byrdes and theues, complaineth hym selfe to be sore scarred of the olde witche Canadie, her fellowe sorcerers Sagana, and such lyke. He partlye toucheth the maner of their practisynge.

I was sumtimes a very blocke,
the bodye of a tree,
The wryghte vncertaine what to make,
a stoole or God of me,
His pleasure was to make me God,
mine office is to fray,
Both birdes and theues that wolde cum filtche
our fruite from hence awaye.
As images (most commonly)
the woorkemen vse to make,
To purchase ease or wealthe to men,
and for their lucre sake.
This orcharde was a sepulchre
indeede, a publique graue,
For Nomentane and Pantoble,
and euerye rascall slaue.
The plat of grounde, was brode and square,
and of a mightie lengthe,
Sum tombes there were righte beautifull,
and of a during strengthe.
This place that was a dampishe soyle,
and whyte, with dead mens bones,
Is now a pleasaunte paradise,
to walke in for the nones.
The veluet grasse, the holsom herbes,
the trees, in motley lyuerie,

Both arte and nature haue bestowde,
abundantlye their tapestrye.
I am molested very muche
with fowles, and cleekynge theues,
Yet moste these charmynge sorcerers,
vndoubtedly me greues.
Who doe with poyson, and with spells,
bereue men of their witts
I can not stay these mother mabbes,
but they will charme by fyttes.
When as the moone beginnes to shew
her younge and cumlye face,
They cum to gather, deade mens bones,
and hurtefull herbes a pace.

Canadie a witche,

I saw my selfe olde Canadie,
about twelue of the clocke,
Bare foote, hyr lockes about her heade,
Ytuckde in pukishe frocke.
She howled with an other hagge,
a color sallow wan
Made them to looke, lyke gastefull goosts,
(good for to curse and ban)
These two with teeth, did rente in twaine
a lambe of blackithe hue
The blood resorted to an hole,
purple, and smoking new.
Thence did they scyte, the damned soules,
from Plutos pallace large:
The soules, that al things should expounde,
as it was geuen in charge.
Stode statues two, the greate of wull,
of wax was made the lesse,
The greater gurnde with visage grim,
as thoughe he woulde oppresse
The lesse which lowred lowtishlye,
dispairinge all redresse.

The one she calde of Heccatye,
Kinge Plutos chamber feare,
The other calde Tisephonie,
that hath in spite no peare,
Fyndes, serpentes, furyes, hellish impes.
the moone inflamde to reade,
Thou mightes haue seene, the witches couch
behynde the tombes of deade.
For beinge spyde, If that I lye,
the dawes defyle my noule,
And all the theues of Rome cum in,
and of my fruite take toule.
What shoulde I shew particulers?
by course how they did speake,
The witche and goosts how they did houle,
againe how they did squeake,
How they enterred in the grounde,
a speakled serpentes hyde:
And hare of woolfes, and by and by,
a flame there out did glyde.
And as the flame did grow in bulke,
and gan for to increase:
So did the waxen image (lo.)
by smale and smale decrease.
I markte the drabbishe sorcerers
and harde their dismall spell
The matter, went so harde with me,
(there was no other boote)
I let a scape? Dame Cannadie
she moude her aged foote,
And trotteth on her way so harde,
that all her teethe out fall:
The other trot loste her read hyue,
she hid her bushe with all.
There mightes thou fynde their coniurde hearbes,
their threades and knackes of arte

And, for to see the beldoms scarde,
haue laughed out thy parte.
previous section A Medicinable Morall
next section