XVI.

Sports of the Fairies.

[From MS. Ashmole 36, 37.]

I SPIED kinge Oberon and his beuteous queene

Attended by a nimble footed trayne

Of fayeryes trippinge ore the medows greene,
And to meewards (methought) they came amayne.
I coucht myselfe behinde a bushe to spye,
What would betide the noble company.

It gann to rayne, the kinge and queene they runne
Under a mushroom fretted over head,
With glowormes artificially donne,

Resemblinge much the canopy of a bedd

:

Of cloth of silver and such glimmeringe light
It gave, as stars doe in a frosty night.

The kinge perceivinge it grew night apace,
And that faint light was but for show alone,
Out of a box made of a fayre topace,
Hee toke a blasinge carbuncle that showne

Like to a flameinge barre of iron, and
Stuck it among the glowormes with his hand.

S

Like as the sunne darts forth his ruddy beames,
Unable longer to hold up his head,

Glaunceinge his gloateinge eye upon the streames,
Such was the lustre that this mixture bredd,

So light it was that one might plainely see,
What was donne under that rich canopy.

The floore whereon they trode, it was of jett
And mother of pearle, pollished and cutt,
Chequerd, and in most decent order sett,
A table dyamond was theire table, butt

To see th'reflection from the roofe to the table,
'Twas choyce, meethought, and showed admir-
able.

Like to a heaven directly was that table,

And these bright wormes they doe resemble starres, That precious carbunckle soe invaluable,

Lookt like a meteor with his ominous barres
Hung out in heaven by th' allseeinge eye,
Bidd us expect to heare a tragedye.

Soe this great light appeard amongst the rest.
But now it grew towards suppertyme apace,
And for to furnish out this suddaine feast,
The servitours, who knew each one his place,
Disperse themselves immediately, and

Some find the choycest daynes on the land.

Others dive downe to th'bottome of the deepe,
Another mounts up to the lofty skye,
To fetch downe hony dew of mowntaynes steepe-
In every corner doe they serch and pry,

Who can the best accepted present bringe,
To please theire soe much honoured queene
kinge.

and

One gathers grapes ripe from the lusty vine, And with his little hands hee squeazeth out The juice, and then presents it up for wine; And straight theire presses in among the rowt Another loaden with an eare of wheate, The whitest and the fairest hee cann gett.

XVII

Conjurations for Fairies.

F

ROM MS. Ashmole 1406, written about the year 1600. One of these has been printed by Dr Percy. The impiety of the originals has been omitted; but it runs through all the old charms and conjurations, and affords a curious picture of the times. The three last are given from a MS. in my own possession.

An excellent way to gett a fayrie, but for myselfe I call Margarett Barrance, but this will obteine any one that is not allready bownd.

First, gett a broad square cristall or Venus glasse, in length and breadth three inches. Than lay that glasse or christall in the bloud of a white henne three Wednesdayes, or three Fridayes; then take it out and wash it with holy aqua, and fumigate it. Then take three hazle stickes or wands of an yeare groth, pill them fayre and white, and make soe longe as you write the spiritts name, or fayries name, which you call three times, on every sticke being made flatt

one 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 eight or three or ten of the clocke, which be good plannetts and howres for that turne. But when you call, be in cleane life, and turne thy face towardes the East; and when you have her, bind her to that stone ore glasse.

An unguent to annoynt under the eyelids, and upon the eylidds, ev[e]ninge and morninge; but especially when you call, or finde your sight not perfect.

Take one pint [of] sallet oyle, and put it into a viall glasse, but first wash it with rose-water, and marygold flower water, the flowers 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 holyocke, the flowers of marygold, the flowers or toppes of wilde time, the budds of younge hazle, and the time must be gathered neare the side of a hill where fayries use to be, and the grasse of a fayrie throne there. All these put into the oyle into the glasse, and sett it to dissolve three dayes in the sonne, and then keepe it for thy use, ut supra.

To call Elabigathan, a fayrie.

I, E. A., call the Elaby-Gathen, in the name &c., And I adjure the, Elaby-Gathen, conjure, and straightly charge and command thee by Tetragrammaton, Emanuell, Messias, Sether, Panton, Cratons, Alpha et Omega, and by all other high and reverent names &c., I adjure and commande thee, Elaby, by all the powers and grace and vertues of all the holy meritorious virginnes and patriarckes, and I conjure