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Chapters (43)
  1. Cover Page
  2. The Witch
  3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  4. ABBREVIATIONS
  5. INTRODUCTION
  6. FURTHER READING
  7. The Witch
  8. [DRAMATIS PERSONAE]
  9. THE WITCH
  10. [Act I,] Scene ii
  11. Act II, Scene i
  12. [Act II,] Scene ii
  13. [Act II,] Scene iii
  14. Act III, Scene i
  15. [Act III,] Scene ii
  16. [Act III,] Scene iii
  17. Act IV, Scene i
  18. [Act IV,] Scene ii
  19. [Act IV,] Scene iii
  20. Act V, Scene i
  21. [Act V,] Scene ii
  22. [Act V,] Scene iii
  23. APPENDIX
  24. In a maiden time profess’d
  25. Come Away, Hecate!
  26. Notes
  27. Thomas Holmes, Esquire
  28. Act I, Scene i
  29. [Act I,] Scene ii
  30. Act II, Scene i
  31. [Act II,] Scene ii
  32. [Act II,] Scene iii
  33. Act III, Scene i
  34. [Act III,] Scene ii
  35. [Act III,] Scene iii
  36. Act IV, Scene i
  37. [Act IV,] Scene ii
  38. Act IV Scene iii
  39. Act V, Scene i
  40. [Act V,] Scene ii
  41. [Act V,] Scene iii
  42. Appendix
  43. Footnotes
ALMACHILDES
Call you these witches?
They be tumblers, methinks, very flat tumblers.
HECATE
’Tis Almachildes – fresh blood stirs in me – 195
The man that I have lusted to enjoy.
I have had him thrice in incubus already.
ALMACHILDES
Is your name Goody Hag?
HECATE      ’Tis anything.
Call me the horrid’st and unhallowed’st things
That life and nature trembles at – for thee 200
I’ll be the same. Thou com’st for a love-charm now?
ALMACHILDES
Why thou’rt a witch I think.
HECATE
Thou shalt have choice of twenty, wet or dry.
ALMACHILDES
Nay, let’s have dry ones.
HECATE
If thou wilt use’t by way of cup and potion, 205
I’ll give thee a remora shall bewitch her straight.
ALMACHILDES
A remora? what’s that?
HECATE      A little suck-stone;
Some call it a sea-lamprey, a small fish.
ALMACHILDES      And must’t be
buttered?
HECATE
The bones of a green frog too, wondrous precious,
The flesh consumed by pismires.
ALMACHILDES      Pismires? Give me a
chamberpot! 210
FIRESTONE
[Aside] You shall see him go nigh to be so unmannerly,
He’ll make water before my mother anon.
ALMACHILDES
And now you talk of frogs, I have somewhat here;
I come not empty pocketed from a banquet;
I learned that of my haberdasher’s wife. 215
Look Goody Witch, there’s a toad in marchpane for you.
[Gives it HECATE]
HECATE
Oh sir, you’ve fitted me.
ALMACHILDES      And here’s a spawn or two
Of the same paddock-brood too for your son.
[Gives it FIRESTONE]
FIRESTONE
I thank your worship sir. How comes your handkercher
so sweetly thus berayed? Sure ’tis wet sucket sir. 220
ALMACHILDES
’Tis nothing but the syrup the toad spit.
Take all I prithee.
HECATE      This was kindly done sir,
And you shall sup with me tonight for this.
ALMACHILDES
How? Sup with thee? Dost think I’ll eat fried rats
And pickled spiders?
HECATE      No; I can command, sir, 225
The best meat i’th’ whole province for my friends,
And reverently served in too.
ALMACHILDES      How?
HECATE      In good fashion.
ALMACHILDES
Let me but see that, and I’ll sup with you.

She conjures and enter [MALKIN, a spirit like] a cat, playing on a fiddle, and spirits with meat

The cat and fiddle? An excellent ordinary!
You had a devil once in a fox-skin? 230
HECATE
Oh I have him still. Come walk with me sir.
Exeunt [all but FIRESTONE]
FIRESTONE
How apt and ready is a drunkard now to reel to the
devil! Well I’ll even in and see how he eats – and I’ll be
hanged if I be not the fatter of the twain with laughing
at him.     Exit 235

Act II, Scene i

Enter ANTONIO and GASPERO