I judg'd it better from a quick

fet hedge to cut a knotted stick,
With which I furiously laid on,
Till in a harsh and doleful tone
It roar'd, O hold, for pity, Sir;

305

I am too great a sufferer,

Abus'd, as you have been, b' a witchy.

But conjur'd int' a worse caprich,
Who fends me out on many a jaunt,

310

Old houfes in the night to haunt,

For opportunities t' improve
Designs of thievery or love;

With drugs convey'd in drink or meat,
All feats of witches counterfeit,

Kill pigs and geefe with powder'd glass,

315

And make it for inchantment pass;

With cow-itch meazle like a leper,

And choke with fumes of Guiney pepper;

320

Make lechers, and their punks, with dewtry,

Commit fantastical advowtry;

About their necks, and took a turn.

I pity'd the fad punishment

"The wretched caitiff underwent,

And held my drubbing of his bones

345

Too great an honour for pultrones;

For knights are bound to feel no blows

From paltry and unequal foes,

Who, when they flash, and cut to pieces,
Do all with civileft addreffes :

350

Their horfes never give a blow,

But when they make a leg and bow.

I therefore fpar'd his flesh, and prest him

About the witch with many a question.

355

Quoth he, For many years he drove

A kind of broking-trade in love,
Employ'd in all th' intrigues and trust
Of feeble speculative luft;

Procurer to th' extravagancy

And crazy ribaldry of fancy,

By thofe the devil had forfook,
As things below him, to provoke ;

360

But

But being a virtuofo, able

To fmatter, quack, and cant, and dabble,

He held his talent most adroit,

For any myftical exploit,

As others of his tribe had done,

And rais'd their prices three to one;

For one predicting pimp has th' odds
Of chaldrons of plain downright bawds.
But, as an elf (the devil's valet)
Is not fo flight a thing to get;
For those that do his business best,
In hell are us'd the ruggedeft;

365

370

Before fo meriting a perfon

375

Could get a grant, but in reversion,

He ferv'd two 'prenticeships, and longer,

I' th' mystery of a lady-monger :

For (as fome write) a witch's ghost,

380

As foon as from the body looft,
Becomes a puiney imp itself,
And is another witch's elf:
He, after searching far and near,

At length found one in Lancashire,

With whom he bargain'd beforehand,

And, after hanging, entertain’d:

Since which he 'as play'd a thousand feats,
And practis'd ali mechanic cheats;
Transform'd himself to th' ugly fhapes
Of wolves, and bears, baboons, and apes,
Which he has vary'd more than witches,
Or Pharaoh's wizards, could their fwitches i

585

390

And

And all with whom he 'as had to do,
Turn'd to as monftrous figures too;
Witness myself, whom he 'as abus'd,.
And to this beastly shape reduc'd,
By feeding me on beans and pease.
He crams in nafty. crevices,

395

And turns to comfits by his arts,

To make me relish for deferts,

400:

And one by one, with fhame and fear,,

Lick up the candy'd provender.

Befide-But as h' was running on,
To tell what other feats he 'ad done,
The Lady ftopt his full career,

405

And told him now 'twas time to hear.
If half those things (faid fhe) be true,

(They're all, quoth he, I swear by you):. Why then, faid fhe, that Sidrophel

Has damn'd himself to th' pit of hell,

410

Who, mounted on a broom, the nag
And hackney of a Lapland hag,
In queft of you came hither post,
Within an hour (I 'm fure) at most,,
Who told me all you fwear and fay,
Quite contrary another way;

Vow'd that you came to him, to know
If you should carry me or no,

445

And would have hir'd him and his imps
To be your match-makers and pimps,

420

T'engage the devil on your fide,

And steal (like Proferpine) your bride;

But

But he difdaining to embrace

So filthy a defign and base,

You fell to vapouring and huffing,

425

And drew upon him like a ruffian;
Surpriz'd him meanly, unprepar'd,
Before he 'ad time to mount his guard,
And left him dead upon the ground,
With many a bruise and desperate wound;

430

Swore you had broke and robb'd his house,
And ftole his talifmanique louse,

And all his new-found old inventions,

With flat felonious intentions,

Which he could bring out where he had,

435

And what he bought them for, and paid:

His flea, his morpion, and punefe,

He 'ad gotten for his proper eafe,

And all in perfect minutes made,

By th' ableft artift of the trade;

440

Which (he could prove it) fince he lost,
He has been eaten up almoft,

And altogether might amount

To many hundreds on account;

For which he 'ad got fufficient warrant
To feize the malefactors errant,

445

And did not doubt to bring the wretches
To ferve for pendulums to watches,

Which, modern virtuosi say,

Incline to hanging every way.

VOL. I..