Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Charms of melody, or, Siren medley

3^0 BALLADS ancient and modern, LEGENDARIESy &c.
The Witches' Song.
I WITCH.
1HAVE been all day looking after
A raven feedirrg upon a quarter;
And, foone as (he turn'd her beak to the foutli,
I fnaich'd this morfell out of her mouth.
2 WITCH.
1 have beene gathering wolves haires,
The madd dogges foames, and adders eares ;
The fpurging of a deadman's eyes :
And all fince the evening ftarre did rife.
3 WITCH.
I laft night lay all alone
On the ground, to heare the mandrake grone ;
And pluck'd him up, though he grew full low :
And, as I had done, the cocke did crow.
4 WITCH.
And I ha' beene chooling out this fcull
From charnell houfej that were full ;
From private grors, and publike pits ;
And frighted a fexton out of his wits.
5 WITCH.
Under a cradle I did crepe
By day J and, when the childe was a-fleepe
At nighr, 1 fuck'd the breath ; and rofe,
And pluck'd the nodding nurfe by the nofe.
1 had a dagger : what did I with that ?
Killed an infant to have his fat.
A piper it got at a church-ale,
I bade him again blow the wind i' the taile.
7 WITCH.
A murderer, yonder, was hung in chaines ;
The funne and the wind had fhrunke his veines
I bit off a finew ; I clipp'd his haire ;
1 brought off his ragges, that danced i' the ayre.
The fcrich-owles egges and the feathers blacke,
The bloud of the frogge, and the bone in his backe
1 have been getting ; and made of his Ikin
A purfer, to keep Sir Cranion in.
9 WITCH,
And 1 ha' beene plucking (plants among)
Hemlock, henbane, adder's-tongue,
Night-lliade, moone-wort, libbard's-bane ;
And cwife by the dogges was like to be tane.
ID WITCH.
I from the jawes of a gardener's bitch
Did fnatch thefe bones, and then lea p'd the ditch :
Yet went I back to the houfe againe,
Kill'd the blacke cat, and here is the braine.
II WITCH.
1 went to the toad, breedes under the wall,
I charmed him out, and he came at my call;
I fcratch'd out the eyes of the owie before;
1 tore the batt's wing : what would you have more?
DAME.
Yes: I have brought, to heipe your vows.
Horned poppie, cyprelTe boughes.
The fig-tree wild, that growes on tombes,
And juice that from the larch-tree comes,
The bafilille's bloud, and the viper's fkin :
And no\v our orgies let's begin.
Ben. Johnfin,
Elver's Hoh.
Danijh. — M. G. Le-wit.
THE knight laid his head upon Elver's Hoh,j
Soft numbers his fenfes beguiling;
Fatigue prefs'd its feal on his eyelids, when lo»
Two maidens drew near to him, fmiling ;
The one fhe kifs'd foftly Sir Algamore's eyes;
The other fhe whifper'd him fweetly,
" Arife! thou gallant young warrior, arife,
" For the dance it goes gaily and featly !
" Arife, thou gallant young warrior, arife,
" And dance with us now and for ever!
" My damfels with mufic thine ear ilrall furprife,
" And fweeter, a mortal heard never — "
Then ftraight of young maidens appear'd a fair
throng.
Who their voices in harmony raifing,
The winds they were ftill as the founds flewi
along,
By filence their melody praifmg.
The winds they were ftill as the founds flevwj
alon^„,__
The wolf howl'd no more from the mountains
The rivers were mute upon hearing the fono-,
And calm'd the loud ru(h of their fountains : ,
They fifh, as they, fwam in the waters fo clear, j
To the foft founds delighted attended, \
And nightingales, charm'd the fweet accents to
hear,
Their notes with the melody blended.
" Now hear me, thou gallant young war-
rior, now hear!
" If thou wilt partake of our pleafure, ,
" We'll teach thee to draw the pale moon from
her fphere, |
" We'll (how thee the forcerer's treafure ! !
' We'll teach thee the Runic rhyme, teach thee
to hold „ 1
" The wild bear in magical fetters, |
" To charm the red dragon, who broods ovei,
gold,
" And tame him by myftical letters."
Now hither, now thither, then danced the gay
band.
By witchcraft the hero furprifing.
Who ever fat filent, his fword in his hand.
Their fports and their pleafures defpifing.
— " Now hear me, thou gallant young warrior,
now hear !
" If ftill thou difdain'ft what we proffer,
" With dagger and J<nife from thy breaft will!
we tear
" Thine hearty which refufes our offer !" —
Oh ! glad was the knight when he heard the
cock crow !
His enemies trembled, and left him:
Elfe mud he have ftayed upon Elver's Hoh,
And the witches of life had bereft him.
Beware then, ye warriors, returning by night
From court, drefs'd in gold and in filver ;
Beware how you flumber on Elver's rough height.
Beware of the witches of Elver I
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