But there were other hell broths used by witches, as we may see by the accompanying illustration from Molitor’s ‘Die Hexen’ (1489?), in which a cock and serpent form part of the ingredients of the broth, which is being brewed during a violent hailstorm. In ‘The Witch: a Tragi-comedie,’ by Thomas Middleton, we have good notices of the component parts of these mixtures:
‘Heccat. Goe feed the vessell for the second houre.
Stadlin. Where be the magical herbes?
Hec. They’re downe his throate.
His mouth cramb’d full; his eares, and nosthrills stufft.
I thrust in Eleoselinum—lately
Aconitum, frondes populeus, and soote,
Then Sium, Acharum, Volgaro too,
Dentaphillon, the blood of a flitter-mouse,[30]
Solanum somnificum, et oleum.’
We all know the Witches scene in ‘Macbeth,’ but few are probably aware to what extent Shakespeare was indebted to this play of Middleton’s for its telling effect and language.
‘Heccat. Give me some lizard’s braine: quickly, Firestone.
Where’s grannam Stadlin, and all the rest o’ th’ sisters?
Firestone. All at hand, forsooth.
Hec. Give me Marmaritin; some Bear-Breech; when?
Fire. Heer’s Bear-breech, and lizard’s braine, forsooth.
Hec. Into the vessell;
And fetch three ounces of the red-haired girle
I kill’d last midnight.
Fire. Whereabouts, sweet Mother?
Hec. Hip; hip or flanck. Where is the Acopus?
Fire. You shall have Acopus, forsooth.
Hec. Stir, stir about; whilst I begin to charme.
A CHARME SONG, ABOUT A VESSEL.
Black spiritts, and white; Red spiritts and gray;
Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.
Titty, Tiffin, keepe it stiff in;
Fire-drake, Puckey, make it luckey;
Liard, Robin, you must bob in.
Round, around, around, about, about.
All ill come running in, all good keepe out!
1 Witch. Heer’s the blood of a bat.
Hec. Put in that; oh put in that.
2 Witch. Heer’s libbard’s bane.
Hec. Put in againe.
1 Witch. The juice of toad; the oile of adder.
2 Witch. Those will make the yonker madder.
Hec. Put in; there’s all, and rid the stench.
Fire. Nay, heer’s three ounces of the red-haired wench.
All. Round, around, around, about, about.
All ill come running in, all good keepe out!
Hec. So, soe, enough: into the vessell with it.
There, ’t hath the true perfection: I am so light
At any mischief; there’s no villany
But is a tune methinkes.
Fire. A Tune! ’tis to the tune of dampnation then, I warrant
You that that song hath a villainous burthen.
Hec. Come my sweet sisters; let the aire strike our tune,
Whilst we show reverence to yond peeping moone.
Here they daunce. The Witches daunce and Ext.’
After this introduction to and instruction from the Devil, the novice has to do homage to her master. Still quoting Reginald Scot:
‘Sometimes their homage, with their oth and bargaine is receiued for a certeine number of yeares; sometimes for euer. Sometimes it consisteth in the deniall of the whole faith, sometimes in part. The first is, when the soule is absolutelie yeelded to the Diuell and hell fier; the other is, when they have but bargained to obserue certeine ceremonies and statutes of the Church; as to conceale faults at shrift, to fast on sundaies, &c. And this is doone, either by oth, protestation of words, or by obligation in writing, sometimes sealed with wax, sometimes signed with bloud, sometimes by kissing the Diuell’s bare buttocks; as did a Doctor called Edlin, who (as Bodin saith) was burned for witchcraft.