Part 2 / Act 3 — SCENE III.
Reading edition
A Field.
Enter Hecate, Stadlin, Hoppo, and other Witches; Firestone in the back-ground.
Hec. The moon’s a gallant; see how brisk she rides!
Stad. Here’s a rich evening, Hecate.
Hec. Ay, is’t not, wenches,
To take a journey of five thousand mile?
Hop. Ours will be more to-night.
Hec. O 'twill be precious!
Heard you the owl yet?[545]
Stad. Briefly in the copse,
As we came through now.
302Hec. ’Tis high time for us then.
Stad. There was a bat hung at my lips three times
As we came through the woods, and drank her fill:
Old Puckle saw her.
Hec. You are fortunate still;
The very screech-owl lights upon your shoulder
And woos you, like a pigeon. Are you furnish’d?
Have you your ointments?
Stad. All.
Hec. Prepare to flight then;
I’ll overtake you swiftly.
Stad. Hie thee, Hecate;
We shall be up betimes.
Hec. I’ll reach you quickly.
[Exeunt all the Witches except Hecate.
Fire. They are all going a-birding to-night: they
talk of fowls i’ th’ air that fly by day; I am sure
they’ll be a company of foul sluts there to-night:
if we have not mortality after’t, I’ll be hanged, for
they are able to putrefy it, to infect a whole region.
She spies me now.
Hec. What, Firestone, our sweet son?
Fire. A little sweeter than some of you, or a dunghill were too good for me. [Aside.
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?
Fire. I have some marmartin and mandragon.
Hec. Marmaritin and mandragora, thou wouldst say.
Fire. Here’s panax too—I thank thee—my pan aches, I’m sure,
With kneeling down to cut 'em.
Hec. And selago,
303Hedge-hyssop too: how near he goes my cuttings!
Were they all cropt by moonlight?
Fire. Every blade of 'em,
Or I’m a moon-calf, mother.
Hec. Hie thee home with 'em:
Look well to the house to-night; I’m for aloft.
Fire. Aloft, quoth you? I would you would break your neck once, that I might have all quickly! [Aside.]—Hark, hark, mother! they are above the steeple already, flying over your head with a noise[546] of musicians.
Hec. They’re they indeed. Help, help me; I’m too late else.
Song above.[547]
Come away, come away,
Hecate, Hecate, come away!
Hec. I come, I come, I come, I come,
With all the speed I may,
With all the speed I may.
Where’s Stadlin?
[Voice above.] Here.
304Hec. Where’s Puckle?
[Voice above.] Here;
And Hoppo too, and Hellwain too;
We lack but you, we lack but you;
Come away, make up the count.
Hec. I will but 'noint, and then I mount.
[A Spirit like a cat descends.
[Voice above.] There’s one comes down to fetch his dues,
A kiss, a coll,[548] a sip of blood;
And why thou stay’st so long
I muse, I muse,
Since the air’s so sweet and good.
Hec. O, art thou come?
What news, what news?
Spirit. All goes still to our delight:
Either come, or else
Refuse, refuse.
Hec. Now I’m furnish’d for the flight.
Fire. Hark, hark, the cat sings a brave treble in
her own language!
Hec. [going up] Now I go, now I fly,
Malkin my sweet spirit and I.
O what a dainty pleasure ’tis
To ride in the air
When the moon shines fair,
And sing and dance, and toy and kiss!
Over woods, high rocks, and mountains,
Over seas, our mistress’ fountains,
Over steep[549] towers and turrets,
We fly by night, 'mongst troops of spirits:
305No ring of bells to our ears sounds,
No howls of wolves, no yelps of hounds;
No, not the noise of water’s breach,
Or cannon’s throat our height can reach.
[Voices above.] No ring of bells, &c.
Fire. Well, mother, I thank your kindness: you must be gambolling i’ th’ air, and leave me to walk here like a fool and a mortal. [Exit.