Hecate’s cave, a cauldron set
Enter Duchess, Hecate, Firestone.
HECATE
What death is’t you desire for Almachildes?
DUCHESS
A sudden and a subtle.
HECATE
Then I have fitted you.
Here lie the gifts of both sudden and subtle:
His picture made in wax and gently molten
By a blue fire kindled with dead men’s eyes
Will waste him by degrees.
DUCHESS
In what time, prithee?
HECATE
Perhaps in a moon’s progress.
DUCHESS
What? A month?
Out upon pictures, if they be so tedious!
Give me things with some life.
HECATE
Then seek no farther.
DUCHESS
This must be done with speed, dispatch’d this night,
If it may possible.
HECATE
I have if for you.
[Here’s] that will do’t: stay but perfection’s time,
And that’s not five hours hence.
DUCHESS
Canst thou do this?
HECATE
Can I?
DUCHESS
I mean, so closely.
HECATE
So closely
Do you mean, too?
DUCHESS
So artfully, so cunningly.
HECATE
Worse and worse; doubts and incredulities!
They make me mad: let scrupulous greatness know
Cum volui, ripis ipsis mirantibus, amnes
In fontes rediere suos; concussaque, sisto
Stantia, concutio cantu freta; nubila pello
Nubilaque induco; ventos abigoque vocoque;
Vipereas rumpo verbis et carmine fauces;
Et silvas moveo, jubeoque tremiscere montes,
Et mugire solum, manesque exire sepulchris.
Te [quo]que, luna, traho. Can you doubt me then, daughter,
That can make mountains tremble, miles of woods walk,
Whole earth’s foundation bellow, and the spirits
Of the entomb’d to burst out from their marbles,
Nay, draw yond moon to my envolv’d designs?
FIRESTONE
[Aside] I know as well as can be when my mother’s mad and our great cat angry, for one spits French then and th’other spits Latin.
DUCHESS
I did not doubt you, mother.
HECATE
No? What did you?
My power’s so firm, it is not be question’d.
DUCHESS
Forgive what’s past: and now I know th’ offensiveness
That vexes art, I’ll shun th’ occasion ever.
HECATE
Leave all to me and my five sisters, daughter.
It shall be convey’d in at howlet-time.
Take you no care; my spirits know their moments:
Raven or screech-owl never fly by th’ door
But they call in — I thank ‘em — and they lose not by’t.
I give ‘em barley soaked in infants’ blood;
They shall have semina cum sanguine,
Their gorge cramm’d full, if they come once to our house.
We are no niggard.
FIRESTONE
They fare but too well when they come [hither]: they eat up as much tother night as would have made me a good conscionable pudding.
[Exit Duchess.]
HECATE
Give me some lizard’s brain, quickly, Firestone.
Where’s Grannam Stadlin and all the rest o’ th’ sisters?
FIRESTONE
All at hand, forsooth.
[Enter Stadlin, Hoppo, and the Witches.]
HECATE
Give me marmaritin, some bear-breech; when!
FIRESTONE
Here’s bear-breech, and lizard’s brain, forsooth.
HECATE
Into the vessel;
And fetch three ounces of the red-hair’d girl
I kill’d last midnight.
FIRESTONE
Whereabouts, sweet mother?
HECATE
Hip; hip or flank. Where is the acopus?
FIRESTONE
You shall have acopus, forsooth.
HECATE
Stir, stir about, whilst I begin the charm.
A charm song about a vessel.
HECATE: Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey,
Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.
Titty, Tiffin, keep it stiff in.
Firedrake, Puckey, make it lucky.
[Liard], Robin, you must bob in.
Round, around, around, about, about,
All ill come running in, all good keep out.
FIRST WITCH: Here’s the blood of a bat.
HECATE: Put in that, oh, put in that.
SECOND WITCH: Here’s libbard’s bane.
HECATE: Put in again.
FIRST WITCH: The juice of toad, the oil of adder.
SECOND WITCH: Those will make the younker madder.
HECATE: Put in; there’s all, and rid the stench.
FIRESTONE: Nay, here’s three ounces of the red-hair’d wench.
ALL: Round, around, around, about, about,
All ill come running in, all good keep out.
HECATE
So, so, enough: into the vessel with it.
There, ‘t hath the true perfection: I am so light
At any mischief; there’s no villainy
But is a tune, methinks.
FIRESTONE
[Aside] A tune? ’Tis to the tune of [damnation] then, I warrant you, and that song hath a villainous burthen.
HECATE
Come, my sweet sisters, let the air strike our tune
Whilst we show reverence to yond peeping moon.
Here they dance. The witches dance and exit.