Part 37 (1/2)

Their ears were then a.s.sailed by a wild hubbub of discordant sounds, hootings and croakings as of owls and ravens, shrieks and jarring cries as of night-birds, bellowings as of cattle, groans and dismal sounds, mixed with unearthly laughter. Undefined and extraordinary shapes, whether men or women, beings of this world or of another they could not tell, though they judged them the latter, flew past with wild whoops and piercing cries, flapping the air as if with great leathern bat-like wings, or bestriding black, monstrous, misshapen steeds. Fantastical and grotesque were these objects, yet hideous and appalling. Now and then a red and fiery star would whiz crackling through the air, and then exploding break into numerous pale phosphoric lights, that danced awhile overhead, and then flitted away among the ruins. The ground seemed to heave and tremble beneath the footsteps, as if the graves were opening to give forth their dead, while toads and hissing reptiles crept forth.

Appalled, yet partly restored to herself by this confused and horrible din, Alizon stood still and kept fast hold of Dorothy, who, seemingly under a stronger influence than herself, was drawn towards the eastern end of the fane, where a fire appeared to be blazing, a strong ruddy glare being cast upon the broken roof of the choir, and the mouldering arches around it. The noises around them suddenly ceased, and all the uproar seemed concentrated near the spot where the fire was burning. Dorothy besought her friend so earnestly to let her see what was going forward, that Alizon reluctantly and tremblingly a.s.sented, and they moved slowly towards the transept, taking care to keep under the shelter of the columns.

On reaching the last pillar, behind which they remained, an extraordinary and fearful spectacle burst upon them. As they had supposed, a large fire was burning in the midst of the choir, the smoke of which, ascending in eddying wreaths, formed a dark canopy overhead, where it was mixed with the steam issuing from a large black bubbling caldron set on the blazing embers. Around the fire were ranged, in a wide circle, an a.s.semblage of men and women, but chiefly the latter, and of these almost all old, hideous, and of malignant aspect, their grim and sinister features looking ghastly in the lurid light. Above them, amid the smoke and steam, wheeled bat and flitter-mouse, horned owl and screech-owl, in mazy circles. The weird a.s.semblage chattered together in some wild jargon, mumbling and muttering spells and incantations, chanting fearfully with hoa.r.s.e, cracked voices a wild chorus, and anon breaking into a loud and long-continued peal of laughter. Then there was more mumbling, chattering, and singing, and one of the troop producing a wallet, hobbled forward.

She was a fearful old crone; hunchbacked, toothless, blear-eyed, bearded, halt, with huge gouty feet swathed in flannel. As she cast in the ingredients one by one, she chanted thus:-

”Head of monkey, brain of cat, Eye of weasel, tail of rat, Juice of mugwort, mastic, myrrh- All within the pot I stir.”

”Well sung, Mother Mould-heels,” cried a little old man, whose doublet and hose were of rusty black, with a short cloak, of the same hue, over his shoulders. ”Well sung, Mother Mould-heels,” he cried, advancing as the old witch retired, amidst a roar of laughter from the others, and chanting as he filled the caldron:

”Here is foam from a mad dog's lips, Gather'd beneath the moon's eclipse, Ashes of a shroud consumed, And with deadly vapour fumed.

These within the mess I cast- Stir the caldron-stir it fast!”

A red-haired witch then took his place, singing,

”Here are snakes from out the river, Bones of toad and sea-calf's liver; Swine's flesh fatten'd on her brood, Wolf's tooth, hare's foot, weasel's blood.

Skull of ape and fierce baboon, And panther spotted like the moon; Feathers of the horned owl, Daw, pie, and other fatal fowl.

Fruit from fig-tree never sown, Seed from cypress never grown.

All within the mess I cast, Stir the caldron-stir it fast!”

Nance Redferne then advanced, and, taking from her wallet a small clay image, tricked out in attire intended to resemble that of James Device, plunged several pins deeply into its breast, singing as she did so, thus,-

”In his likeness it is moulded, In his vestments 'tis enfolded.

Ye may know it, as I show it!

In its breast sharp pins I stick, And I drive them to the quick.

They are in-they are in- And the wretch's pangs begin.

Now his heart, Feels the smart; Through his marrow, Sharp as arrow, Torments quiver He shall s.h.i.+ver, He shall burn, He shall toss, and he shall turn.

Unavailingly.

Aches shall rack him, Cramps attack him, He shall wail, Strength shall fail, Till he die Miserably!”

As Nance retired, another witch advanced, and sung thus:

”Over mountain, over valley, over woodland, over waste, On our gallant broomsticks riding we have come with frantic haste, And the reason of our coming, as ye wot well, is to see Who this night, as new-made witch, to our ranks shall added be.”

A wild burst of laughter followed this address, and another wizard succeeded, chanting thus:

”Beat the water, Demdike's daughter!

Till the tempest gather o'er us; Till the thunder strike with wonder And the lightnings flash before us!

Beat the water, Demdike's daughter!

Ruin seize our foes and slaughter!”

As the words were uttered, a woman stepped from out the circle, and throwing back the grey-hooded cloak in which she was enveloped, disclosed the features of Elizabeth Device. Her presence in that fearful a.s.semblage occasioned no surprise to Alizon, though it increased her horror. A pail of water was next set before the witch, and a broom being placed in her hand, she struck the lymph with it, sprinkling it aloft, and uttering this spell:

”Mount, water, to the skies!

Bid the sudden storm arise.

Bid the pitchy clouds advance, Bid the forked lightnings glance, Bid the angry thunder growl, Bid the wild wind fiercely howl!

Bid the tempest come amain, Thunder, lightning, wind, and rain!”

The Incantation.

As she concluded, clouds gathered thickly overhead, obscuring the stars that had hitherto shone down from the heavens. The wind suddenly arose, but in lieu of dispersing the vapours it seemed only to condense them. A flash of forked lightning cut through the air, and a loud peal of thunder rolled overhead.

Then the whole troop sang together-