BooksBarbecue
Back The Witch Save as PDF
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

Enter HECATE, WITCHES [STADLIN, PUCKLE, HOPPO, HELLWAIN]; and FIRESTONE [in the background, carrying eggs and herbs]

HECATE
The moon’s a gallant; see how brisk she rides.
STADLIN
Here’s a rich evening, Hecate.
HECATE      Ay, is’t not, wenches,
To take a journey of five thousand mile?
HOPPO
Ours will be more tonight.
HECATE      Oh ’twill be precious.
Heard you the owl yet?
STADLIN      Briefly in the copse 5
As we came through now.
HECATE      ’Tis high time for us then.
STADLIN
There was a bat hung at my lips three times
As we came through the woods, and drank her fill;
Old Puckle saw her.
HECATE      You are fortunate still;
The very screech-owl lights upon your shoulder, 10
And wooes you like a pigeon. Are you furnished?
Have you your ointments?
STADLIN      All
HECATE      Prepare to flight then.
I’ll overtake you swiftly.
STADLIN      Hie thee Hecate;
We shall be up betimes.
HECATE      I’ll reach you quickly.
[Exeunt all WITCHES except HECATE]
FIRESTONE
[Aside] They’re all going a-birding tonight. They talk of 15
fowls i’th’ air that fly by day; I am sure they’ll be a
company of foul sluts there tonight. If we have not
mortality after it, I’ll be hanged, for they are able to
putrefy it, to infect a whole region. She spies me now.
HECATE
What, Firestone, our sweet son? 20
FIRESTONE
[Aside] A little sweeter than some of you or a dunghill
were too good for me.
HECATE
How much hast here?
FIRESTONE      Nineteen, and all brave plump ones,
Besides six lizard’s and three serpentine eggs.
HECATE
Dear and sweet boy; what herbs hast thou? 25
FIRESTONE
I have some marmartin and mandragon.
HECATE
Marmaritin and mandragora thou wouldst say.
Here’s panax too; I thank thee.
FIRESTONE      My pan aches I am sure
With kneeling down to cut ’em.
HECATE      And selago,
Hedge-hyssop too. How near he goes my cuttings! 30
Were they all cropped by moonlight?
FIRESTONE      Every blade of ’em
Or I am a moon-calf mother.
HECATE      Hie thee home with ’em.
Look well to the house tonight; I am for aloft.
FIRESTONE
[Aside] Aloft, quoth you? I would you would break your
neck once, that I might have all quickly! [Music] [To 35
HECATE] Hark, hark, mother! They are above the steeple
already, flying over your head with a noise of musicians.
HECATE
They are there indeed. Help, help me; I’m too late else.

Song

[VOICES OF WITCHES] in the air
Come away, come away;
Hecate, Hecate, come away. 40
HECATE
I come, I come, I come, I come,
With all the speed I may,
With all the speed I may.
Where’s Stadlin?
[STADLIN] in the air   Here.
[HECATE]
Where’s Puckle?
[PUCKLE] in the air   Here – 45
And Hoppo too and Hellwain too;
We lack but you, we lack but you.
Come away, make up the count.
HECATE
I will but ’noint and then I mount.
[VOICES OF WITCHES] above
There’s one comes down to fetch his dues: 50