DOUGHTY

No, you are his child to live in fear of him, indeed they say old men become children again, but before I would become my child's child, and make my foot my head, I would stand upon my head, and kick my heels at the sides. Very handsome. What not your Father Mr. Gregory? Pray tell me then sir, how many years has he to serve you. Enough good Laurence, you have said enough. She is most evidently bewitched. Now comes the Maid to set her Miss sses to work. Here's a house well governed? And I will wait with wonder the event. Well Gentlemen, let's follow the in, and fear no thing yet, the house smells well of good . We were now coming. Peugh, I am not so old but I can carry more meat then I can eat, if the young coo worser carry their drink as well, the Country would be quieter— Hold up your head Mr. Bridegroom. 'Zookes, I brought as good a Surloin of Beef from the Dresser as Knife cooed be put to, and see—I'll stay in this house no longer. Witches, live Witches, the house is full of witches, if we love our lives let's out on't. Zookes, I fear nothing living that I can see more then you, and that's nothing at all, but to think of these invisi ble mischiefs, troubles me I confess. Zookes thou art so brave a fellow that I will stick to thee, and if we come off handsomely, I am and old Bachelor thou knowest, and must have and heir, I Like thy spirit, where's the Bride? where's the Bridegroom? where's the Music? where be the Lasses? have you any wine in the house, though we make no dinner lets try if we can make and afternoon. Say you me so, but will not your son be angry, and your daughter chide you. Nam, if the Witches have but robbed of your meat, and restored your reason, here has been no hurt done to day, but this is strange, and as great a wonder as the rest to me. I am glad on't, but the devil good them with my Surloin, I thought to have set that by mine own Trencher—But you have cold meat you say? Come away Wenches, where are you Gentlemen? Play Fiddlers: lets have a dance would my little rogue. Zookes what ails thy nose. Nay thats unreasonable. Heigh day! Here comes the pair of boiled Lovers in Sorrel ops. Come away Bridegroom, wee'll stay your stomach with a dance. Now Master's play a good: come my Lass we'll show them how it's Why dost thou laugh? A witty Rogue. You lying Rascal. Do you hear any thing? It's so, the rogues are bribed to cross me, And their Fiddles shall suffer, I will break em as small as the Bride cake was to day. Well said, a good boy nów; come bride and bride groom, leave your kissing and fooling, and prepare to come in to the dance. We'll have a Hornpipe, and then a posset and to bed when you please. Welcome Piper, blow till thy bag crack again, a lusty Hornpipe, and all into the dance, nay young and old. What I have done, I ha'done, if it be well, it's well, J do not Like the bouncing of good Offices, if the little care I have taken shall do these poor people good, I have my end in't, and so my reward. as poor folks, they are as far to seek of how they do, or what they do, or what they should do, as any of the rest, they are all grown Idiots, and till some of these dam nable jades, with their devilish devises be found out, tod S charm them, no remedy can be found, I mean to lay the Con try for their Hagships, and if J can anticipate the purpose, of their grand Mr. Devil to confound'em before their lease be out, be sure isle do it Whats the matter now, is Hell broke lose? Witchery, witcher , more witchery still flat and plain witchery. Now do I think upon the codpiece point the young jade gave him at the wedding: she is a witch, and that was a charm, if there be any in the World. Marry but isle not undertake her at these years, if lusty Laurence cannot do't. We have herd enough of your valour already, wec know you have beaten him, let that suffice. The meaning is, you must get half a dozen bastards Within this twelvemonth, and that will mend your next ma riage. I care not, though we leave not above three untain ted women in the Parish, we'll do it. It would not come, it? Ah Rogue! Ah good Boy. In that he was my son again, would boy; I see him at it now. Oh the grand Devil pare they. And she told no body but folks on't. Well Gossip Gretty, as thou art a Miller, and a close thief, now let us keep it as close as we may till we take them, and see them handsome lie hanged of the way: Would my little Cum e-divell, thou art a made man. Come, away with me. Do ou laugh Gentlewoman? what say you to all these matters? That's a good woman, how long hast had's acquain tance, would? Humh—and how? and how a little? was he a good Bedfellow? I trust me is't. Give the Devil his endue. Peace, and did he wear good clothes? On afore Drovers with your untoward Cattle. I have known this, and till very lately, as well go verne a Family as the Country yields, and now what a nest of several humours it is grown, and all devilish ones, sure all the Witches in the Country, have their hands in this homespun medley; and there be no few it's thought. What shall we do, dare we stay any longer? And Wine you say? I hope the Country wenches and the Fiddlers are not gone. Thou art a dogged Sire, and doestnot know the virtue of my Godson, my son now; he shall be thy son no longer: he and I will worry all the Witches in Lanca shire. It's well he did so, we will so swing them in two penny halters Boy. Villainous H gs Is't possible That the Devil should put in their hearts to delight in such Villainies! I have sought these two days, and he of a , though none mor tall, but could not find whom to mistrust for a Witch till now this boy, this happy boy informs me. And they should near have been sought for me if their of frightments and dive devices, had not brought my Boy in to such a sickness; Whereupon indeed I thought good to ac quaint your worship, and bring the Boy unto you being his Godfather, and as you now stick not to say his Father. After you I thank the Gossip. But my Boy thou would fied me in their names, and thy knowledge of the woe men, their turning into shapes, their dog-trickes, and their horse tricks, and their great Feast in the Bairn (a pox take them with my Surloin, I say still.) But a little more of thy combat with the Devil, I prithee; he came to thee Like a Boy thou say est, about thine own bigness? A pox, but by his feet, he may be the Club-footed Horse-coursers father, for all his young looks. Come Gossip, come Boy—Gentlemen you are come to the bravest discovery—Mr. Silly and the rest, how is't with you? you look reasonable well me thinks. Now a shame take you for a farthel offooles, have you known so many of the Devils tricks, and can be ignorant of that common feat of the old Juggler; that is, to leave you all to the Law, when you are once seized on by the talons of Au thority? I'll undertake this little Demigorgon Constable with these Commonwealth Characters upon his staff here, is able inspite of all your bugs-words, to stave off the grand Devil for doing any of you good till you come to his Kingdom to him, and there take what you can find. Well say, stand out Boy, stand out Miller, stand out Robin, stand out Soldier, and lay your accusation upon they. Ah would, that's her Devil, her Incubus I warrant; take her off from the rest they'll hurt her. Come hither poor old woman. I'll dandle a Witch a little, thou wilt speak, and tell the truth, and shalt have favour doubt not. Say art not thou a Witch? And that Mamilion which thou callest upon Is thy familiar Devil is't not? Nay prithee speak. A pretty matter. What was he Like a man? And then he lay with thee, did he not sometime? There was sweet coupling. I, very Like his points were black enough. But come we'll trifle w'yee no longer. Now shall you all to the Justices, and let them take order with you till the Sizes, and then let Law take his course, and Vivat Rex. Mr. Generous I am sorry for your cause of sorrow, we shall not have your company? Mr. Silly I rejoice for your families atonement. It is and office that I am but weakly versd in, To plead to a son in the father's behalf, Bless me what looks the devilish young Rascal Frights the poor man withal! Come I must tell you, you forget your self, And in this foul unnatural strife wherein You trample on your father. You are fallen Below humanity. You're so beneath The title of a son, you cannot claim To be a man, and let me tell you were you mine Thou shouldst not eat but on thy knees before me. Alas poor man? Can you stand open eyed Or dry eyed either at this now in a Father? He is a happy re that has brought up his son to this. Pray Mr. Gregory forget it, you see how Submissive your poor penitent is, forget it, Forget it, put it out o'your head, knock it Out of your brains. I protest, if my Father, Nay if my father's dog should have said As much to me, I should have embraced him. What was the trespass? It c'ud not be so heinous. Is that the business: why if he had done it, had he not been sufficiently secured in having the mortgage made over to himself. Fie Mr. Gregory Silly is this seemly in a son. You'll have a rod for the child your father shortly I fear. Alas did he make it cry? Give me a stroke and I'll Beatrice him, Bless me, they make me almost as mad as themselves. Art thou his man fellow would? that talkest thus to him? This is quite upside down, the son controls the fa there, and the man overcrowes his Master's coxscombe, sure they are all bewitched. I know not what to say to any thing here, This cannot be but witchcraft. Heigh day! the daughter upon the mother too. Here's a mad business towards. No, no, yet I would almost ha'sworn, I would not have sprite or goblin blast thy face, for all their kingdom. But hangt there is no such thing: Fiddlers will you play? Gentlemen will you dance? Hold a little then. They are all natural fools man, I find it now. Art thou mad to dream of Witchcraft? Heigh day! why you rogues. You drunken rogues, hold, hold, I say, and begin again soberly the beginning of the World This is something towards it. I bade them play the be ginning of the World, and they play, I know not what. I, and lets see your faces, that you play fairly with us. Stay, where my lass? Now do I plainly perceive again, here has been nothing but witchery all this day; herfore into your posset, & agree a mong your selves as you can, isle out o'the house. And Gentle men, if you love me or your selves, follow me. Beware Wedlock hoe. Now out upon her she has a greedy worm in her, I have herd the fellow complained on, for and over much m n a mong the maids. I know not, she catterwawles I think. Parnel be patient good Parnell, and a little modest too, it's not amiss, we know not the relifh of every ear that hears us, lets talk within our selves. Whats the defect? Whats the impediment? Laurence has had a lusty name among the Batch llors. Heres good stuff for a jury of women to pass upon. He's out of a doing case it seems. And honest woman: thats a good mind Parnel What say you to this Laurence? Alas it is too plain, the poor fellow is bewitched. Heres a plain Maleficium versus hanc now. It's best to have these away first. Good master Silly I do understand you, and over and over understand you so much, that I could e'ene blush at your fondness; and had I a son to serve me so, I would con ure a devil out of him. Is all so well with you already? go to, will you know a reason for't Gentlemen: I have catched a whole Kennel of Witches. It seems their Witch is one of them, and so they are discharm'd, they are all in Officers hands, and they will touch here with two or three of them for a little private parley, be before they go to the Justices. Master Generous is coming him there too, with a supply that you dream not of, and your Ne phew Arthur. TO How art a brave Boy, the honour of thy Con try; thy Statue shall be set up in brass upon the Market Cross in Lancaster, I bless the time that I answered at the thee: oaks did I ever thin that a Godson of min should have ought hand to fist with the Devil! A brave beginning. They agree better then the Bells eene now, 'slid they ȝung tunably till we were all out of the Church, and then they clattered as the devil had been in the Bel ry: on in the name of Wedlock, Fiddlers on. And that will be about a day after next Sizes I take it, Think! I think they are drunk Prithee do not thou think of Witchcraft; for my partly, I shall as soon think this maid one, as that theres any in Lancashire. How now Laurence, what has thy wedlock brought thee already to thy nightcap? If not a Wedding we will make a Wake on't, and away with the Witch; I fear nothing now you have your wits again: but look you, hold they while you have they. ? the devil of crumb is here, but bran; no thing but bran, what prodigy this? Best tarry till thy head be whole Laurence. What mean? What says she?