Part 2 / Act 5 — THE WITCH.

247A Tragi-Coomodie, called The Witch; Long since acted by His Ma^ties Servants at the Black-Friers. Written by Tho. Middleton.

The MS., from which this drama is now given, forms part of Malone’s Collection in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. In 1778 a small impression of The Witch was printed by Isaac Reed, for distribution among his friends: it was intended to exhibit the original text verbatim et literatim; but from a collation which was obligingly made for me by the Rev. Stephen Reay, I find that it is not without some errors and omissions.

On the disputed question, whether this drama was composed before or after the appearance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, see the Account of Middleton and his writings.

Some of the incidents in The Witch were suggested by the following passage of Machiavel’s Florentine History. “Their [the Lombards’] kingdom descending upon Alboinus a bold and warlike man, they passed the Danube, and encountering Comundus King of the Lepides then possessed of Pannonia, overthrew and slew him. Amongst the captives Alboinus finds Rosamund the daughter of Comundus, and taking her to wife becomes Lord of Pannonia; but out of a brutish fierceness in his nature, he makes a drinking cup of Comundus’s skull, and out of it used to carouse in memory of that victory. Invited now by Narsetes, with whom he had been in league during the Gothick war, he leaves Pannonia to the Huns, who, as we have said, were after the death of Attila returned into their own Countrey, and comes into Italy, which finding so strangely divided, he in an instant possesses himself of Pavia, Milan, Verona, Vicenza, all Tuscany, and the greatest part of Flaminia, at this day called Romania. So that by these great and sudden victories judging himself already Conquerour of Italy, he makes a solemn feast at Verona, and in the heat of wine growing merry, causes Comundus’s skull to be filled full of wine, and would needs have it presented to Queen Rosamund, who sate at table over against him, telling her so loud that all might hear, that in such a time of mirth he would have her drink with her father; those words were as so many darts in the poor ladies bosome, and consulting with revenge, she bethought her self, how Almachildis a noble Lombard, young and valiant, courted one of the Ladies of her 248bed-chamber; with her she contrives that she should promise Almachildis the kindness of admitting him by night to her chamber; and Almachildis according to her assignation being received into a dark room, lyes with the Queen, whilest he thought he lay with the Lady, who after the fact discovers herself, offering to his choice either the killing of Alboinus and enjoying her and the Crown, or the being made his sacrifice for defiling his bed. Almachildis consents to kill Alboinus; but they seeing afterwards their designs of seizing the kingdom prove unsuccessful, nay rather fearing to be put to death by the Lombards (such love bore they to Alboinus) they fled with all the Royal Treasure to Longinus at Ravenna,” &c. English translation, 1674, pp. 17, 18.

See also Histoires Tragiques de Belleforest, 1616, t. iv. Hist. lxxiii.

249TO THE

TRULY WORTHY AND GENEROUSLY AFFECTED

THOMAS HOLMES, Esquire.

Noble Sir,

As a true testimony of my ready inclination to your service, I have, merely upon a taste of your desire, recovered^[465] into my hands, though not without much difficulty, this ignorantly ill-fated labour of mine.

Witches are, ipso facto, by the law condemned, and that only, I think, hath made her lie so long in an imprisoned obscurity. For your sake alone she hath thus far conjured herself abroad, and bears no other charms about her but what may tend to your recreation, nor no other spell but to possess you with a belief, that as she, so he that first taught her to enchant, will always be

Your devoted

THO. MIDDLETON.

250DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

Duke.

Lord Governor of Ravenna.

Sebastian, contracted to Isabella.

Fernando, his friend.

Antonio, husband to Isabella.

Aberzanes, Almachildes, gentlemen.

Gasparo, Hermio, servants to Antonio..

Firestone, Hecate’s son.

Servants, &c.

Duchess.

Isabella, wife to Antonio, and niece to the governor.

Francisca, sister to Antonio.

Amoretta, the duchess’s woman.

Florida, a courtesan.

Hecate, the chief witch.

Stadlin, Hoppo, witches.

Other Witches, &c.

Scene, Ravenna and its neighbourhood.

251THE WITCH.