Reliques of ancient English poetry: consisting of old heroic ballads ...

A N D B A L L A D S. 199
XXIII.
THE WITCHES' SONG
— From Ben Jon/on* $ Mafque of Queens, prefented at
Whitehall, Feb. 2, 1609.
The editor thought it incumbent on him to infer t fome old
pieces on the popular fuperftition concerning witches, hobgoblins,
fairies, and ghofis. The lajl ofthefe make their appearance
in mojl of the tragical ballads ; and in thefollow-
ingfongs 'will befoundfome defcription of theformer.
It is true, this fong of the Witches, falling from the
learned pen of Ben Jonfon, is rather an extracl from the
^various incantations ofclajjlc antiquity, than a difplay of
the opinions of our own vulgar. But let it be obferved,
that a parcel of learned wifeacres had jujl before bufeed
themfel'ves on thisfubjeB, with our Britijh Solomon fames /„
at their head : and thefe had fo ranfacked all writers an-
cient and modern, andfo blended and kneaded together the
federal fuperftitions of different times and nations, that
thofe of genuine Englijh growth could no longer be traced
out and dijlinguijhed.
By good luck the whimfical belief of fairies and goblins
could furnijh no pretences for torturing our fellow -creatures,
and therefore we ha