And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellifh legion fallied.

I

As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke,
When plundering herds 3 affail their byke; ✦
As open puffie's 5 mortal foes,

When pop! she starts before their nose ;
As eager runs the market-crowd,

When "Catch the thief!" refounds aloud;
So Maggie runs, the witches follow,

6

Wi' mony an eldritch skreech and hollow.

Ah, Tam! Ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin !"
In hell they'll roaft thee like a herrin !
In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin ! 8
Kate foon will be a woefu' woman!

Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,
And win the key-ftane* of the brig;
There at them thou thy tail may toss,
A running stream they dare na cross.

9

Herds, fhepherds.

5 Puie's a hare.

7 Fairin, a fairing,

Brig, bridge.

a prefent.

• Eldritch skreech, frightful scream.

• Comin, coming.

It is a well known fact, that witches, or any evil spirits, have no power to follow a poor wight any farther than the middle of the next running ftream. It may be proper likewise to mention to the benighted traveller, that when he falls in with bogles, whatever danger may be in his going forward, there is much more hazard in turning back.

But

But ere the key-ftane fhe could make,

I

2

The fient a tail fhe had to fhake!
For Nannie, far before the rest,
Hard upon noble Maggie preft,
And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle; *
But litle wift fhe Maggie's mettle-
Ae spring 3 brought off her master hale,4
But left behind her ain 5 gray tail :
The carlin claught her by the rump,
And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.

Now, wha 7 this tale o' truth fhall read,
Ilk man and mother's fon, take heed:
Whene'er to drink you are inclin❜d,
Or cutty-farks gun in your mind,
Think, ye may buy the joys o'er dear,
Remember Tam o'Shanter's mare.

* The fient a tail, fient is a petty oath, as, "the devil a tail."

No. XXXIV.

THE WITCHES' SONG.

BEN JONSON.

"From the Mafque of Queens, prefented at Whitehall, Feb. 2d, 1609."

I WITCH.

I HAVE been all day looking after

A raven feeding upon a quarter;

And, foone as fhe turn'd her beak to the fouth,

I fnatch'd this morfell out of her mouth.

2 WITCH.

I have beene gathering wolves haires,
The madd dogges foames, and adders eares;
The fpurging of a deadman's eyes:
And all fince the evening starre did rife.

3 WITCH.

3 WITCH.

I last 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 chufing out this fcull
From charnell houses that were full;
From private grots, and publike pits;
And frighted a fexton out of his wits.

By day; and, when the childe was a-sleepe
At night, I fuck'd the breath; and rose,
And pluck'd the nodding nurse by the nose.

6 WITCH.

I 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 ;

I brought off his ragges, that danced i' the ayre.

8 WITCH.

The fcrich-owles egges and the feathers blacke,
The bloud of the frogge, and the bone in his backe
I have been getting; and made of his skin
A purfet, to keep Sir Cranion in.

9 WITCH.

And I ha' beene plucking (plants among)
Hemlock, henbane, adders-tongue,
Night-fhade, moone-wort, libbards-bane ;
And twife by the dogges was like to be tane.

IO WITCH.

I from the jawes of a gardener's bitch

Did fnatch thefe bones, and then leap'd the ditch:
Yet went I back to the house againe,

Kill'd the blacke cat, and here is the braine.

II WITCH.

I 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 owle before;
I tore the batt's wing: what would you have more?

DAME.