SATAN'S SUPPER.24
Reading edition
SATAN'S SUPPER.24
I.
Ye Evil One giveth unto them a stayve.
The 'Old Lad' sat upon his throne, Beneath a blasted oak, And fiddled to the mandrake's groan, The marsh-frog's lonely croak;
II.
Ye corpses dashe their wigges.
Whilst winds they hissed, and shrieked, and moaned About the branches bare, And all around the corpses groaned, And shook their mould'ring hair;
III.
Ye hagges crowde to ye levee.
As witches gathered one by one, And knelt at Satan's feet, With faces some all worn and wan, And some with features sweet,
IV.
Ye power of Musicke.
The earth did ope and imps upsprang Of every shape and shade, Who 'gan to dance as th' welkin rang With tunes the 'Old Lad' played;
V.
Ye poetrie of motion.
At which the witches clapped their hands, And laughed and screamed in glee; Or jumped about in whirling bands, And hopped in revelry,
VI.
Ye delicacies of ye season,
Till Satan ceased, when all did rest, And swarmed unto the meat: The flesh of infants from the breast, The toes from dead men's feet,
VII.
Ye ditto,
With sand for salt, and brimstone cates, With blood for old wine red; On glittering dish and golden plates The dainty food was spread.
VIII.
Ye coolinge drinkes.
From heavy cups, with jewels rough, The witches quenched their thirst; Yet not before the ruddie stuff Had been by Satan cursed.
IX.
Ye barde telleth of an outcaste impe.
But one lank fiend of skin and bone, With hungry-looking eyne, Gazed at the food with dreary moans, And many a mournful whine;
X.
Of hys unparalleled wickednesse;
For Satan would not let him feed Upon the toothsome cheer, (He had not done all day a deed To cause a human tear);
XI.
Of hys gamboles and praieres,
And so he hopped from side to side, To beg a bit of 'toke,' And, vagrant-like, his plea denied, He prayed that they might choke
XII.
And of hys revylyngs of goode menne.
Themselves with morsels rich and fat Or die upon the floor, Like paupers (grieving much thereat The guardians of the poor).
XIII.
Ye earlie byrde prepareth for ye 'Diet of Wormes.'
A cock then flapped his wings and crew, Announcing coming light; When, seizing on a jar of stew, The snubbed imp took his flight.
XIV.
Les Adieux.
And at the solemn sound of doom The witches flew away, While Satan slunk off through the gloom, Afraid of break of day;
XV.
Ye fruitlesse remorse of Beelzebubbe.
And in the darkness drear he cried— His voice a trifle gruff, 'Those omelettes were nicely fried; I have not had enough!'
XVI.
Ye resulte of ye meetynge uponne ye
A blight fell on the trembling flowers And on the quivering trees— No buds there drink the passing showers, Or leaves wave in the breeze;
XVII.
Agryculture of ye dystricte.
For Satan's presence withered all The daisies and the grass, And all things over which like pall His sulphurous tail did pass.