Canidia, or, The witches a rhapsody, in five parts / by R.D.

THE WITCHES.

CANTO I.

COme gallant Sisters, come along, Let's meet the Devil Ten thousand strong, Upon the Whales and Dolphins backs, Let's try to choak the Sea with Wrecks; Split Ships on Rocks in the dark Nights, Spring Leaks, and sink them down to rights. And then wee'l scud away to Shoar, And try what Tricks we can play more.

Blow Houses down, ye Jolly Dames, Or burn them up in fiery Flames; Lets rowze up Mortals from their sleep, And send them packing to the Deep. Let's strike them dead with Thunder-Stones, With Lightning scorch to Skin and Bones; For Winds and Storms by Sea or Land, You may dispose, you may command.

Sometimes in dismal Caves we lie, Or in the Air aloft we flie; Sometimes we caper o're the Main, Thunders and Lightnings we disdain; Sometimes we tumble Churches down; And level Castles with the ground; We fire whole Cities, and destroy Whole Armies, if they us annoy.

We strangle Infants in the Womb, And raise the Dead out of their Tomb; We haunt the Palaces of Kings, And play such prancks and pretty things: And this is all our chief delight, To do all mischief in despight, And when w'have done, to shift away Untoucht, unseen by night or day.

When Imps do suck our postern Teats, We make them act unlucky Feats, In Puppets, Wax, sharp Needles-points We stick, to torture Limbs and Joynts; With Frogs and Toads, most poys'nous gore, Our grizly Limbs we 'noint all ore, And strait away, away we go, Sparing no Mortal, friend nor foe.

We'l sell you Winds, and every Charm, Or venemous Drug that may do harm; For Beasts or Fowls we have our Spells, Laid up in store in our dark Cells: For there the Devils use to meet, And dance with Horns and Cloven-feet; And when w'have done we frisk about, And through the World play Revel-Rout.

In Charnel-houses we do crawl, Ratling the Bones of great and small; We hurl Wild-fire-Balls or'e mens heads, And slily creep into their Beds; We knock men down, and hurl huge Stones, And Clubs and Bats to break their Bones; We play Bo-peep, and put out Lights, Groan, howl and scare Folk with strange sights.

We ride on Cows and Horses Rumps, O're Lakes and Rivers fetch large Jumps; We grasp the Moon, and scale the Sun, And stop the Planets as they run: We kindle Comets, dazeling flames, And whistle for the Winds by names; And for our Pastimes and mad Freaks, 'Mong Stars we play at Barly-breaks.

We are Ambassadors of State, And know the Mysteries of Fate; In Pluto's Bosom, there we ly, To learn each Mortals Destiny, As Oracles their Fortunes shew, If they be born to Wealth or Wo. The Spinning Sisters hands we guide, And in all this we take a pride.

To Lapland, Finland we do Skice, Sliding on Seas and Rocks of Ice; T'old Beldams there, our Sisters kind, We do impart our Hellish mind; We take their Seals and Hands in Blood, For ever to renounce all Good: And then as they in Dens do lurk, We set the ugly Jades a-work.

We know the Treasures and the Stores, Lock'd up in Caves with Brazen-doors; Gold and Silver sparkling Stones We pile on heaps, like Dead mens Bones; There the Devils brood and hover, Keep Guards that none should them discover; But upon all the Coasts of Hell, 'Tis we, 'tis we stand Centinel.