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"For ther as wont to walken was an elf,
"Ther walketh now the limitour himself,
"In undermeles and in morweninges,
"And sayth his Matines and his holy thinges,
"As he goth in his limitatioun,

"Women may now go safely up and doun,
"In every bush, and under every tree,

"Ther is non other incubus but he,

"And he ne will don hem no dishonour."

Tyrwhitt's Chaucer, I. p. 255.

Dr. Richard Corbet, having been bishop of Oxford about three years, and afterwards as long bishop of Norwich, died in 1635, ætat. 52.

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And though they sweepe their hearths no less 5

Than mayds were wont to doe,

Yet who of late for cleaneliness

Finds sixe-pence in her shoe?

Lament, lament old Abbies,

The fairies lost command;

10

They did but change priests babies,

But some have chang'd your land:

And all your children stoln from thence

Are now growne Puritanes,

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Witness those rings and roundelayes
Of theirs, which yet remaine;
Were footed in queene Maries dayes

On many a grassy playne.

But since of late Elizabeth

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And whoso kept not secretly 2

Their mirth, was punish'd sure:
It was a just and christian deed

To pinch such blacke and blue:
O how the common-welth doth need
Such justices as you!

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

To William for the same.

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To William Churne of Staffordshire

Give laud and praises due,

Who every meale can mend your cheare:

With tales both old and true :

To William all give audience,
And pray yee-for his noddle;

For all the fairies evidence

Were lost, if it were addle.

60

*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. 9259. 1406. 2.], are the papers of, some Alchymist, which contain

a variety

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 impostors, among their other secrets, affected to have a power over FAIRIES: and that they were commonly expected to be seen in a christal 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 MARGARETT 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 SPIRItts 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 Eyelids eveninge and morninge: but especially when you call; or find your sight not perfect.

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R. A pint of sallet-oyle, and put it into a viall glasse: but first wash it with rose-water, and marygold

water;

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 holyhocke, 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 3 dayes in the sunne, and then keep it for thy use; ut supra."

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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 Chrystal 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 WITCH Hazle; which received its name from this manner of applying it in incantations.

THE END OF BOOK THE SECOND.

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