Hec. What, Firestone, our sweet son ? Fire. A little sweeter than some of you; or a dunghill were too good for me. Hec. How much hast here? Fire. Nineteen, and all brave plump ones; besides six lizards, and three serpentine eggs. Hec. Dear and sweet boy: what herbs hast thou ? Hec. Marmaritin and Mandragora thou wouldst say. Fire. Here's Pannax too: I thank theo, my pan akes I am sure With kneeling down to cut 'em. Hec. And Selago, Hedge hysop too: how near he goes my cuttings! Were they all cropt by moon-light? Fire. Every blade of 'em, or I am a moon-calf, mother. Hec. Ilie thee home with 'em. Look well to the house to-night; I am for aloft. Fire. Aloft, quoth you ? I would you would break your neck once, that I might have all quickly. Hark, hark, mother; they are above the Steeple already, flying over your head with a noise of musicians. Hec. They are indeed. Help me, help me; I'm too late else. [Abore. There's one come down to fetch his dues ; A kiss, a coll, a slip of blood: And why thou stay'st so long, I muse, I muse, Since the air's so sweet and good. Hec. Oh art thou come? What news, what news? Spirit. All goes still to our delight : Either come, or else Refuse, refuse. Hec. Now I am furnish'd for the flight. Fire. Hark, hark, the Cat sings a brave treble in her own lan guage. Hec. [Going up.] Now I go, now I fly, Malkin my sweet Spirit and I. Oh what a dainty pleasure 'tis When the moon shines fair, And sing, and dance, and toy, and kiss: We fly by night 'mongst troops of Spirits. Or cannon's throat, our height can reach. [Abore. No ring of bells, &c. Fire. Well, mother, I thank your kindness; you must be Gamboling in the air, and leave me to walk here like a fool and a mortal. A Duchess consults the Witch about inflicting a sudden Death DUCHESS. HECATE. FIRESTONE. Hec. What death is 't you desire for Almachildes ? Duch. A sudden and a subtle. Hec. Then I've fitted you. Here lie the gifts of both; sudden and subtle: His picture made in wax, and gently molten By a blue fire, kindled with dead men's eyes, Duch. In what time prithee? Hec. Perhaps in a moon's progress. Duch. What, a month? Out upon pictures, if they be so tedious: Give me things with some life. Hec. Then seek no farther. Duch. This must be done with speed, dispatch'd this night, If it be possible. Hec. I have it for you: Here's that will do 't: stay but perfection's time, And that's not five hours hence. Duch. Canst thou do this? Hcc. Can 17 Duch. I mean, so closely Hec. So closely do you mean too? Duch. So artfully, so cunningly Hec. Worse and worse. Doubts and incredulitics, They make me mad. Let scrupulous creatures know: Can you doubt me then, daughter; That can make mountains tremble, miles of woods walk : Of the entomb'd to burst out from their marbles; Nay, draw yon Moon to my involv'd designs ? Fire. I know as well as can be when my mother 's mad, and Our Great cat angry; for one spits French then, and the other spits Hec. No! what, did you? My power's so firm, it is not to be question'd. Duch. Forgive what 's past; and now I know th' offensiveness That vexes art, I'll shun the occasion ever. Hec. Leave all to me and my five sisters, daughter. It shall be convey'd in at howlet-time. Take you no care. My spirits know their moments: But they call in (I thank 'em) and they lose not by 't. They shall have semina cum sanguine, Their gorge cramm'd full, if they come once to our house: Fire. They fare but too well when they come hither: they ate up as much the other night as would have made me a good conscionable pudding. Hec. Give me some lizard's brain, quickly, Firestone. Where's grannam Stadlin, and all the rest of the sisters? Fire. All at hand, forsooth. [The other Witches appear. Hec. Give me Marmaritin; some Bear-breech: when? And fetch three ounces of the red-hair'd girl I kill'd last midnight. Fire. Whereabout, sweet mother? Hec. Hip; hip, or flank. Where's the Acopus ? Fire. You shall have Acopus, forsooth. Hec. Stir, stir about; whilst I begin the charm. A Charm Song about a Vessel. Hec. Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey; Fire-drake, Puckey, make it lucky; Liard, Robin, you must bob in. Round, around, around, about, about; All Ill come running in, all Good keep out. First Witch. Here's the blood of a bat. Sec. Witch. Here's libbard's bane. Hec. Put in again. First Witch. The juice of toad; the oil of adder. Hec. Put in, there 's all, and rid the stench. Fire. Nay, here's three ounces of the red-hair'd wench. Hec. So, so, enough: into the vessel with it. But is a tune methinks. Fire. A tune! 'tis to the tune of damnation then, I warrant you, And that song hath a villainous burthen. Hec. Come my sweet sisters, let the air strike our tune; Whilst we show reverence to yon peeping moon. [The Witches dance, el Exeunt. [Though some resemblance may be traced between the Charms in Macbeth, and the incantations in this Play, which is supposed to have preceded it, this coincidence will not detract much from the originality of Shakspeare. His witches are distinguished from the Witches of Middleton by essential differences. These are creatures to whom man or woman plotting some dire mischief might resort for occasional consultation. Those originate deeds of blood, and begin bad impulses to men. From the moment that their eyes first meet with Macbeth's, he is spell bound. That meeting sways his destiny. He can never break the fascination. These Witches can hurt the body: those have power over the soul.—Hecato in Middleton has a Son, a low butloon; the hags of Shakspearo have neither child of their own, nor seem to be descended from any parent. They are foul Anomalies, of whom we know not whence they are sprung, nor whether they have beginning or ending. As they are without human passions, so they seem to be without human relations. They come with thunder and lightning, and vanish to airy music. This is all we know of them.-Except Hecate, they have no names; which heightens their mysteriousness. Their names, and some of the properties, which Middleton has given to his hags, excite smiles. The Weird Sisters are serious things. Their presence cannot coexist with mirth. But, in a lesser degree, the Witches of Middleton are fine creations. Their power too is, in some measure, over the mind. They raise jars, jealousies, strifes, like a thick scurf o'er life.] * Light-hearted.' |