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 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 MARGARETT BARRANCE; but this will obteine ony 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. "R. A pint of sallet-oyle, and put it into a viall glasse: 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 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." : 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 hazel sticks mentioned above, they were to be, probably, of that species called the Witch Hazel ; which received its name from this manner of applying it in incantations. END OF THE SECOND BOOK. RELIQUES OF ANCIENT POETRY, &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, though now the plaything of children, was once in high repute. Bishop Hall, in his Satires, published in 1597, ranks "St. George's sorell, and his cross ofe blood," among the most popular stories of his time: and an ingenious critic thinks that Spenser himself did not disdain to borrow hints from it1: though I much doubt whether this popular romance were written so early as the Faerie Queen. The author of this book of the Seven Champions was 1 Mr. Warton. Vide Observations on the Faerie Queen, 2 vol. 1762, 12mo, passim. 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, page 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. And to hym a spere he thraste That all to shyvers he it braste: And two rybbes of Bevis brused than." After a long fight, at length, as the dragon was pre paring to fly, Sir Bevis "Hit him under the wynge, As he was in his flyenge, There he was tender without scale, And Bevis thought to be his bale. Up to the hiltes Morglay yode Through harte, lyver, bone, and bloude: Great joye syr Bevis begon. He smote off his head forth right, And put it on a spere :" &c. Sign. K. iv. Sir Bevis's dragon is evidently the parent of that in the Seven Champions, see chapter iii. viz., "The dragon no sooner had a sight of him [St. George] but he gave such a terrible peal, as though it had thundered in the elements. . . . Betwixt his shoulders and his tail were fifty feet in distance, his scales glistering as bright as silver, but far more hard than brass; his belly of the colour of gold, but bigger than a tun. Thus weltered he from his den, &c. . . . The champion . gave the dragon such a thrust with his spear, that it shivered in a thousand pieces whereat the furious dragon so fiercely smote him with his venomous tail, that down fell man and horse: in which fall two of St. George's ribs were so bruised, &c. At length. St. George smote the dragon under the wing where it was tender without scale, whereby his good sword Ascalon with an easie passage went to the VOL. III. . T |