XVI. SPORTS OF THE FAIRIES.

[From MS. Ashmole 36, 37.]

I spied kinge Oberon and his beuteous queene,
Attended by a nimble footed trayne

Of fayeryes trippinge ore the medows greene,
And to meewards (methought) they came amayne.
I coucht myselfe behinde a bushe to spye,
What would betide the noble company.

It

gann to rayne, the kinge and queene they runne Under a mushroom fretted over head,

With glowormes artificially donne,

Resemblinge much the canopy of a bedd

Of cloth of silver: and such glimmeringe light
It gave, as stars doe in a frosty night.

The kinge perceivinge it grew night apace,
And that faint light was but for show alone,
Out of a box made of a fayre topace,

Hee toke a blasinge carbuncle that showne
Like to a flameinge barre of iron, and

Stucke it among the glowormes with his hand.

Like as the sunne darts forth his ruddy beames,
Unable longer to hold up his head,
Glaunceinge his gloateinge eye upon the streames,
Such was the lustre that this mixture bredd,
So light it was that one might plainely see,
What was donne under that rich canopy.

The floore whereon they trode, it was of jett
And mother of pearle, pollished and cutt,

Chequerd, and in most decent order sett,

A table dyamond was theire table, butt

To see th'reflection from the roofe to the table,
'Twas choyce, meethought, and shewed admirable.

Like to a heaven directly was that table,

And these bright wormes they doe resemble starres, That precious carbunckle soe invaluable,

Lookt like a meteor with his ominous barres
Hung out in heaven by th' allseeinge eye,
Bidd us expect to heare a tragedye.

Soe this great light appeard amongst the rest.
But now it grew towards suppertyme apace,
And for to furnish out this suddaine feast,
The servitours, who knew each one his place,
Disperse themselves immediately, and

Some find the choycest dayntyes on the land.

Others dive downe to th'bottome of the deepe,
Another mounts up to the lofty skye,
To fetch downe hony dew of mowntaynes steepe
In every corner doe they serch and pry,
Who can the best accepted present bringe,
To please theire soe much honoured

queene and kinge.

One gathers grapes ripe from the lusty vine,
And with his little hands hee squeazeth out
The juice, and then presents it up for wine;
And straight theire presses in among the rowt
Another loaden with an eare of wheate,
The whitest and the fairest hee cann gett.

XVII. CONJURATIONS FOR FAIRIES.

From MS. Ashmole 1406, written about the year 1600. One of these has been printed by Dr. Percy. The impiety of the originals has been omitted; but it runs through all the old charms and conjurations, and affords a curious picture of the times. The three last are given from a MS. in my own pos

*session.

An excellent way to gett a fayrie, but for myselfe I call Margarett Barrance, but this will obteine any one that is not allready bound.

First, gett a broad square cristall or Venus glasse, in length and breadth three inches. Than lay that glasse or christall in the bloud of a white henne three Wednesdayes, or three Fridayes; then take it out and wash it wit holy aqua, and fumigate it. Then take three hazle stickes or wands of an yeare groth, pill them fayre and white, and make soe longe as you write the spiritts name, or fayries name, which you call three times, on every sticke beinge made flatt one 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 eight or three or ten of the clocke, which be good plannetts and howres for that turne. But when you call, be in cleane life, and turne thy face towardes the East; and when you have her, bind her to that stone ore glasse.

An unguent to annoynt under the eyelids, and upon the eylidds, ev[e]ninge and morninge; but especially when you call, or finde your sight not perfect.

Take one pint [of] sallet oyle, and put it into a viall glasse, but first wash it with rose-water, and marygold flower water,

the flowers 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 holyocke, the flowers of marygold, the flowers or toppes of wilde time, the budds of younge hazle, and the time must be gathered neare the side of a hill where fayries use to be, and the grasse of a fayrie throne there. All these put into the oyle into the glasse, and sett it to dissolve three dayes in the sonne, and then keepe it for thy use, ut supra.

To call Elabigathan, a fayrie.

I, E. A., call the Elaby-Gathen, in the name &c., And I adjure the, Elaby-Gathen, conjure, and straightly charge and command thee by Tetragrammaton, Emanuell, Messias, Sether, Panton, Cratons, Alpha et Omega, and by all other high and reverent names &c., I adjure and commande thee, Elaby, by all the powers and grace and vertues of all the holy meritorious virginnes and patriarckes, and I conjure thee, Elaby-Gathen, by these holy names, Saday, Eloy, Iskyros, Adonay, Sabaoth, that thou appeare presently meekely and myldly in this glasse without doing hurt or daunger unto me, or any other livinge creature, and to this I binde thee by the whole power and vertue &c. of Adonay, Adonatos, Eloy, Elohim, Suda, Ege, Jeth, and Heban, that is to say, Lord of vertue and king of Israell, dwellinge upon the whole face of the earth, whose seate is in heaven, and his power in earth, and by Him, and by these glorious and powerfull names, I binde thee to give and doe thy true, humble, and obedient servise unto me, E. A., and never to depart without my consent and lawfull authoritie, in the name &c. And I command thee, Elaby-Gathen, by all &c., that thou doest come and appeare presently to me, E. A., in this cristall or glasse meekely and myldlye, to my true and perfect sight, and truly without fraud, dissymilation, or deceite, resolve and satisfie me in and of all manner of such questions and commands, and demandes, as I shall either aske, require,

desire, or demande of thee; and that thou, Elaby-Gathen, be true and obedient unto me, both now and ever hereafter, at all time and times, howers, dayes, nightes, mynittes, and in and at all places wheresoever, either in field, howse, or in any other place whatsoever and wheresoever I shall call upon thee; and that thou, Elaby-Gathen, doe not start, depart, or desire to goe or departe from me, neyther by arte or call of any other artist of any degree or learninge whatsoever, but that thou in the humblyest manner that thou mayest be commaunded to attend and give thy true obedience unto me, E. A., and that even as thou wilt, answer it unto and before &c. And to this, I, E. A., sweare thee, Elaby-Gathen, and binde thee by the whole power &c., to be trew and faithfull unto me in all reverente humillity. Let it be done quickly! quickly! quickly! come! come! come! fiat! fiat! fiat! amen! amen! amen! &c.

A call to call any fayrie.

In nomine &c., Amen, I, E. A., with a true and stedfast faith &c., call thee &c. by the power &c., and commaund thee &c. that thou doest come and appeare before me in this christall stone or glasse, humblye, meekly, and mildly, and that in the lowliest, humbliest shape and manner that thou canst, to the true and perfecte sight of me, the sayed E. A., without prejudice, feare, harme, or danger of me, my body or soule, or any other member unto my body belonginge. I, E. A., doe therefore call thee, &c., by all the strength, power, and vertue &c., I commaund thee &c., and I conjure thee &c., I call thee &c., to appeare in this christall stone or glasse, by all the most high, excellent and reverent names &c., and by these most holy names, Tetragrammaton, Sother, Panton, Craton, Alpha et Omega, and by all the whole powers, dominion, rule, and command of, &c., I adjure, conjure, and straightly commaund thee, &c., to attend me, and come and appeare unto me as aforesayed in this cristall, and with all thy power, skill,