And whoso kept not secretly Now they have left our quarters; A Register they have, Who can preserve their charters; A man both wise and grave. An hundred of their merry pranks By one that I could name Are kept in store; con twenty thanks cheare To William Churne of Staffordshire Were lost, if it were addle. After these SONGS on the FAIRIES, the Reader may be curious to see the manner in which they were formerly invoked and bound to human service. In Ashmole's collection of MSS. at Oxford [Num. 8259. 1406. 2.] are the papers of some Alchymist, which contain a variety of Incantations and Forms of Conjuring both FAIRIES, WITCHES, and DEMONS, principally, as it should seem, to assist him in his great work of transmuting metals. Most of them are too impious to be reprinted: but the two following may be very innocently laughed at. Whoever looks into Ben Jonson's ALCHYMIST, will find that these imposters, among their other secrets, affected to have a power over FAIRIES: and that they were commonly expected to be seen in a crystal glass appears from that extraordinary book, "The Relation "of Dr. John Dee's actions with Spirits, 1659," folio. "AN EXCELLENT WAY to gett a FAYRIE. (For myself I call MARGARET BARRANCE; but this will obteine any one that is not allready bownd.) "FIRST, gett a broad square christall or Venice glasse, in length and breadth 3 inches. Then lay that glasse or christall in the bloud of a white henne, 3 Wednesdayes, or 3 Fridayes. Then take it out, and wash it with holy aq. and fumigate it. Then take 3 hazle sticks, or wands of an yeare groth: pill them fayre and white; and make them' soe longe, as you write the SPIRITтs name, or FAYRIES name, which you call, 3 times on every sticke being made flatt on one side. Then bury them under some hill, whereas you suppose FAYRIES haunt, the Wednesday before you call her and the Friday followinge take them uppe, and call her at 8 or 3 or 10 of the clocke, which be good planetts and houres for that turne: but when you call, be in cleane life, and turne thy face towards the east. And when you have her, bind her to that stone or glasse." "AN UNGUENT to annoynt under the Eyelids, and upon the Evelids eveninge and morninge but especially when you call; or find your sight not perfect. "R. A pint of sallet-oyle, and put it into a viallglasse: but first wash it with rose-water, and marygold-water: the flowers to be gathered towards the east. Wash it till the oyle come white; then put it into the glasse, ut supra: and then put thereto the budds of hollyhocke, the flowers of marygold, the flowers or toppes of wild thime, the budds of young hazle and the thime must be gathered neare the side of a hill where FAYRIES use to be: and 'take' the grasse of a fayrie throne, there. All these put into the oyle, into the glasse: and set it to dissolve S dayes in the sunne, and then keep it for thy use; ut supra." After this Receipt for the Unguent follows a Form of Incantation, wherein the Alchymist conjures a Fairy, named ELABY GATHON, to appear to him in that Crystal Glass, meekly and mildly; to resolve him truly in all manner of questions; and to be obedient to all his commands, under pain of Damnation, &c. One of the vulgar opinions about Fairies is, that they cannot be seen by human eyes, without a particular charm exerted in favour of the person who is to see them and that they strike with blindness such as, having the gift of seeing them, take notice of them mal a-propos. As for the Hazle Sticks mentioned above, they were to be probably of that species called the WrгCH HAZLE; which received its name from this manner of applying it in incantations. THE END OF BOOK THE SECOND. RELIQUES OF Ancient Poetry, etc. SERIES THE THIRD. BOOK III. I. THE BIRTH OF ST. GEORGE. The incidents in this, and the other ballad of Sr. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON, are chiefly taken from the old story-book of the Seven Champions of Christendome; which, though now the plaything of children, was once in high repute. Bp. Hall, in his Satires, published in 1597, ranks "St. George's sorell, and his cross of blood,” among the most popular stories of his time: and an ingenious critic thinks that Spencer himself did not disdain to borrow hints from it;* though I much doubt whether this popular romance was written so early as the Faery Queen. The author of this book of the Seven Champions was one Richard Johnson, who lived in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, as we collect from his other publications; viz." The nine worthies of London: 1592," 4to." The pleasant walks of Moor fields: 1607,” 4to.-" A crown garland of Goulden Roses, gathered, &c. 1612," 8vo." The life and death of Rob. Cecill, E. of Salisbury, 1612," 4to.-" The (Hist. of Tom of Lincoln," 4to. is also by R. J. who likewise reprinted "Don Flores of Greece," 4to. The Seven Champions, though written in a wild inflated style, contains some strong Gothic painting; which seems, for the most part, copied from the metrical romances of former ages. At least the story of St. George and the fair Sabra is taken almost verbatim from the old poetical legend of "Syr Bevis of Hampton." This very antique poem was in great fame in Chaucer's time [see above pag. 144.] and so continued till the introduction of printing, when it ran through several editions; two of which are in black letter, 4to. "imprinted by Wyllyam Copland,” without date; containing great variations. As a specimen of the poetic powers of this very old rhymist, and as a proof how closely the author of the Seven Champions has followed him, take a description of the dragon slain by sir Bevis. -Whan the dragon, that foule is, "Had a syght of syr Bevis, "He cast up a loude cry, "As it had thondred in the sky; Mr. Warton. Vid. Observations on the Fairy Queen, 2 vols. 1762, 12mo. passim. |