Nathaniel.

Father! here father! I have found a horse-shoe!

Faith it was just in time, for t’other night

I laid two straws across at Margery’s door,

And afterwards I fear’d that she might do me

A mischief for’t. There was the Miller’s boy

Who set his dog at that black cat of hers,

I met him upon crutches, and he told me

’Twas all her evil eye.

Father.

’Tis rare good luck;

I would have gladly given a crown for one

If t’would have done as well. But where did’st find it?

Nathaniel.

Down on the Common; I was going a-field

And neighbour Saunders pass’d me on his mare;

He had hardly said “good day,” before I saw

The shoe drop off; ’twas just upon my tongue

To call him back,—it makes no difference, does it.

Because I know whose ’twas?

Father.

Why no, it can’t.

The shoe’s the same you know, and you did find it.

Nathaniel.

That mare of his has got a plaguey road

To travel, father, and if he should lame her,

For she is but tender-footed,—

Father.

Aye, indeed—

I should not like to see her limping back

Poor beast! but charity begins at home,

And Nat, there’s our own horse in such a way

This morning!

Nathaniel.

Why he ha’nt been rid again!

Last night I hung a pebble by the manger

With a hole thro’, and every body says

That ’tis a special charm against the hags.

Father.

It could not be a proper natural hole then,

Or ’twas not a right pebble,—for I found him

Smoking with sweat, quaking in every limb,

And panting so! God knows where he had been

When we were all asleep, thro’ bush and brake

Up-hill and down-hill all alike, full stretch

At such a deadly rate!—

Nathaniel.

By land and water,

Over the sea perhaps!—I have heard tell

That ’tis some thousand miles, almost at the end

Of the world, where witches go to meet the Devil.

They used to ride on broomsticks, and to smear

Some ointment over them and then away

Out of the window! but ’tis worse than all

To worry the poor beasts so. Shame upon it

That in a Christian country they should let

Such creatures live!

Father.

And when there’s such plain proof!

I did but threaten her because she robb’d

Our hedge, and the next night there came a wind

That made me shake to hear it in my bed!

How came it that that storm unroofed my barn,

And only mine in the parish? look at her

And that’s enough; she has it in her face—

A pair of large dead eyes, rank in her head,

Just like a corpse, and purs’d with wrinkles round,

A nose and chin that scarce leave room between

For her lean fingers to squeeze in the snuff,

And when she speaks! I’d sooner hear a raven

Croak at my door! she sits there, nose and knees

Smoak-dried and shrivell’d over a starved fire,

With that black cat beside her, whose great eyes

Shine like old Beelzebub’s, and to be sure

It must be one of his imps!—aye, nail it hard.

Nathaniel.

I wish old Margery heard the hammer go!

She’d curse the music.

Father.

Here’s the Curate coming,

He ought to rid the parish of such vermin;

In the old times they used to hunt them out

And hang them without mercy, but Lord bless us!

The world is grown so wicked!

Curate.

Good day Farmer!

Nathaniel what art nailing to the threshold?

Nathaniel.

A horse-shoe Sir, ’tis good to keep off witchcraft,

And we’re afraid of Margery.

Curate.

Poor old woman!

What can you fear from her?

Father.

What can we fear?

Who lamed the Miller’s boy? who rais’d the wind

That blew my old barn’s roof down? who d’ye think

Rides my poor horse a’nights? who mocks the hounds?

But let me catch her at that trick again,

And I’ve a silver bullet ready for her,

One that shall lame her, double how she will.

Nathaniel.

What makes her sit there moping by herself,

With no soul near her but that great black cat?

And do but look at her!

Curate.

Poor wretch! half blind

And crooked with her years, without a child

Or friend in her old age, ’tis hard indeed

To have her very miseries made her crimes!

I met her but last week in that hard frost

That made my young limbs ache, and when I ask’d

What brought her out in the snow, the poor old woman

Told me that she was forced to crawl abroad

And pick the hedges, just to keep herself

From perishing with cold, because no neighbour

Had pity on her age; and then she cried,

And said the children pelted her with snow-balls,

And wish’d that she were dead.

Father.

I wish she was!

She has plagued the parish long enough!

Curate.

Shame farmer!

Is that the charity your bible teaches?

Father.

My bible does not teach me to love witches.

I know what’s charity; who pays his tithes

And poor-rates readier?

Curate.

Who can better do it?

You’ve been a prudent and industrious man,

And God has blest your labour.

Father.

Why, thank God Sir,

I’ve had no reason to complain of fortune.

Curate.

Complain! why you are wealthy. All the parish

Look up to you.

Father.

Perhaps Sir, I could tell

Guinea for guinea with the warmest of them.

Curate.

You can afford a little to the poor,

And then what’s better still, you have the heart

To give from your abundance.

Father.

God forbid

I should want charity!

Curate.

Oh! ’tis a comfort

To think at last of riches well employ’d!

I have been by a death-bed, and know the worth

Of a good deed at that most awful hour

When riches profit not.

Farmer, I’m going

To visit Margery. She is sick I hear—

Old, poor, and sick! a miserable lot,

And death will be a blessing. You might send her

Some little matter, something comfortable,

That she may go down easier to the grave

And bless you when she dies.

Father.

What! is she going!

Well God forgive her then! if she has dealt

In the black art. I’ll tell my dame of it,

And she shall send her something.

Curate.

So I’ll say;

And take my thanks for her’s. [goes]

Father.

That’s a good man

That Curate, Nat, of ours, to go and visit

The poor in sickness; but he don’t believe

In witchcraft, and that is not like a christian.

Nathaniel.

And so old Margery’s dying!

Father.

But you know

She may recover; so drive t’other nail in!