A forest glade
Enter Hecate, [Stadlin, Hoppo, Puckle and other] Witches, and Firestone.
HECATE
The moon’s a gallant, see how brisk she rides.
STADLIN
Here’s a rich evening, Hecate.
HECATE
Ay, is’t not, wenches,
To take a journey of five thousand mile?
HOPPO
Ours will be more tonight.
HECATE
Oh, ‘twill be precious:
Heard you the owl yet?
STADLIN
Briefly in the copse,
As we came through now.
HECATE
’Tis high time for us then.
STADLIN
There was a bat hung at my lips three times
As we came through the woods and drank her fill.
Old Puckle saw her.
HECATE
You are fortunate still;
The very shriek-owl lights upon your shoulder
And woos you like a pigeon. Are you furnish’d?
Have you your ointments?
STADLIN
All.
HECATE
Prepare to flight then.
I’ll overtake you swiftly.
STADLIN
Hie thee, Hecate:
We shall be up betimes.
HECATE
I’ll reach you quickly.
[Exeunt all but Hecate and Firestone.]
FIRESTONE
[Aside] They’re all going a-birding tonight: they talk of fowls i’ th’ air that fly by day; I am sure they’ll be a company of foul sluts there tonight: if we have not mortality after it, I’ll be hang’d, for they are able to putrefy it, to infect a whole region.
She spies me now.
HECATE
What, Firestone, our sweet son?
FIRESTONE
[Aside] A little sweeter than some of you, or a dunghill were too good for me.
HECATE
How much hast here?
FIRESTONE
Nineteen, and all brave plump ones,
Besides six lizards and three serpentine eggs.
HECATE
Dear and sweet boy! What herbs hast thou?
FIRESTONE
I have some mar-martin and mandragon.
HECATE
Marmaritin and mandragora, thou wouldst say.
Here’s panax, too: I thank thee.
FIRESTONE
My pan aches, I am sure,
With kneeling down to cut ‘em.
HECATE
And selago,
Hedge-hyssop, too: how near he goes my cuttings!
Were they all cropp’d by moonlight?
FIRESTONE
Every blade of ‘em,
Or I am a mooncalf, mother.
HECATE
Hie thee home with ‘em.
Look well to the house tonight; I am for aloft.
FIRESTONE
[Aside] Aloft, quoth you? I would you would break your neck once,
That I might have all quickly. — Hark, hark, mother.
They are above the steeple already, flying
Over your head with a noise of musicians.
HECATE
They are they indeed. Help, help me: I’m too late else.
Song[, the witches] in the air [offstage].
[WITCHES]: Come away, come away,
Hecate, Hecate, come away.
HECATE: I come, I come, I come, I come,
With all the speed I may,
With all the speed I may,
Where’s Stadlin?
[STADLIN]: Here.
HECATE: Where’s Puckle?
[PUCKLE]: Here.
[WITCHES]: And Hoppo, too, and Hellwain, too;
We lack but you, we lack but you.
Come away, make up the count.
HECATE: I will but ‘noint, and then I mount.
A spirit like a cat descends.
[WITCHES]: There’s one comes down to fetch his dues,
A kiss, a coll, a sip of blood,
And why thou stay’st so long
I muse, I muse,
Since the air’s so sweet and good.
HECATE: Oh, art thou come?
What news, what news?
[MALKIN]: All goes still to our delight,
Either come or else
Refuse, refuse.
HECATE: Now I am furnish’d for the flight.
FIRESTONE
Hark, hark, the cat sings a brave treble in her own language!
HECATE, going up: Now I go, now I fly,
Malkin my sweet spirit and I.
Oh, what a dainty pleasure ’tis
To ride in the air
When the moon shines fair
And sing, and dance, and toy, and kiss;
Over woods, high rocks, and mountains,
Over seas, [over misty] fountains,
Over [steeples,] towers, and turrets,
We fly by night, ‘mongst troops of spirits.
No ring of bells to our ears sounds,
No howls of wolves, no yelps of hounds,
No, not the noise of water’s breach
Or cannon’s throat our height can reach.
No ring of bells, etc.
[Hecate and her spirit ascend out of view.]
FIRESTONE
Well, mother, I thank your kindness. You must be gambolling i’ th’ air and leave me to walk here like a fool and a mortal.
Exit.