When Tom came home from labour, Or Cifs to milking rofe, Then merrily went their tabour, Witness thofe rings and rounddelayes But fince of late Elizabeth 25 A tell-tale in their company Their mirth, was punish'd fure: To pinch fuch blacke and blue : O how the common-welth doth need Such juftices, as you! 40 45 Now they have left our quarters; A Register they have, Who can preserve their charters; A man both wife and grave. 50 An hundred of their merry pranks Are kept in ftore; con twenty thanks 55 To William Churne of Staffordshire Who every meale can mend your cheare To William all give audience, For all the fairies evidence Were loft, if it were addle. After thefe SONGS on the FAIRIES, the Reader may be curious to fee the manner in which they were formerly invoked and bound to human fervice. In Afhmole's Collection of MSS. at Oxford, [Num. 8259. 14c6. 2.] are the papers of fome Alchymift, which contain a variety of Incantations and Forms of Conjuring both FAIRIES, WITCHES and DEMONS, principally, as it should feem, to affift him in his Great Work of tranfmuting 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 impoftors, among their other Secrets, affected to have a power over FAIRIES. " AN EXCELLENT WAY to gett a FAYRIE. (For myself I call MARGARETT BARRANCE; but this will obteine any one that is not allready bound.) "FIRST, gett a broad fquare chriftall or Venice glaffe, in length and breadth 3 inches. Than lay that glafe or chriftall in the bloud of a white henne, 3 Wednesdayes, or 3 Fridyes. Then take it out, and wash it with holy aq. and fumigate it. Then take 3 bazle flicks, or wands of an yeare groth: pill them fayre and white; and make them' foe longe, as you write the SPIRITTS name, or FAYRIES name, which call, 3 times on every fricke being made flatt on one fide. Then bury them under fome hill, whereas you fuppofe 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 ftone or glaffe." you "AN UNGUENT to annoynt under the Eyelids, and upon the Eyelids evninge and morninge: but especially when you call; or find your fight not perfect. "R. A pint of fallet-oyle, and put it into a viall glaffe: but first wash it with rofe-water, and 'marygoldwater; the flowers' to' be gathered towards the east. Wash it till the oyle come white; then put it into the glaffe, ut fupra: and then put thereto the budds of holyhocke, the flowers of marygold, the flowers or toppes of wild thime, the budds of young bazle: and the thime must be gathered neare the fide of a hill where FAYRIES ufe to be: and 'take' the graffe of a fayrie throne, there. All these put into the oyle, into the glafe: and fet it to diffolve 3 dayes in the funne, and then keep it for thy use; ut fupra.” After this follows a Form of Incantation, wherein the Alchymift conjures a Fairy, named ELABY GATHON, to appear to him in that Chryftal Glafs, meekly and mildly; to refolve him truly in all manner of questions; and to be obedient to all his commands, under pain of Damnation, &c. THE END OF BOOK THE SECOND. BUDED F B SONGS AND BALLADS, &c. SERIES THE THIRD. BOOK III. I. THE BIRTH OF ST. GEORGE. The incidents in this, and the other ballad of ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON, are chiefly taken from the old story-book of the Seven Champions of Christendome; which, tho' now the play-thing of children, was once in high repute. Bp. Hall in his fatires, published in 1597, ranks "St. George's forell, and his cross of blood" among the most popular stories of his time: and an ingenious critic thinks that Spencer himself did not difdain to borrow hints from it † ; tho' I much doubt whether this popular romance were written fo 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 P 4 12mo. paffim. and fames, as we collect from his other publications: viz."The nine worthies of London: 1592. 4to." The pleasant valks of Moor-fields: 1607. 4to.-" A crown garland of Goulden Rofes, gathered, &c. 1612. 8vo." The life and death of Rob. Cecill, E. of Salisbury: 1612.410.-"The hift. of Tom of Lincoln, 4to." is aljo by R. J. who likewife reprinted" Don Flores of Greece, 4to." The Seven Champions, tho' written in a wild inflated fiyle, contains fome ftrong Gothic painting; which feems, for the most part, copied from the metrical romances of former ages. At least the ftory of St. George and the fair Sabra, is taken almoft verbatim from the old poetical legend of "Syr Bevis of Hampton." This very antique poem was in great fame in Chaucer's time, [fee above pag. 100.] and fo continued till the introduction of printing, when it ran thro' several editions ; two of which are in black letter, 4to, "imprinted by Wyllyam Copland" without date; containing great variations. As a fpecimen of the poetic powers of this very old rhimist, and as a proof bow clofely the author of the Seven Champions has followed him, take a defcription of the dragon flain by fir Bevis. "Whan the dragon, that foule is, "He caft up a loude cry, "As it had thondred in the fky; "He turned his bely towarde the fon; After |