Folk-lore of Shakespeare / by the Rev. T.F. Thiselton Dyer.

  • Thomas Firminger Thiselton-Dyer
Date:
[1883]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Folk-lore of Shakespeare / by the Rev. T.F. Thiselton Dyer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    46/578 (page 32)
    Though palaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations ; though the treasure Of nature’s germens tumble all together, Even till destruction sicken.” Thus, by way of illustration we may quote a curious con- fession made in Scotland, about the year 1591, by Agnes Sampson, a reputed witch. She vowed that at the time his Majesty (James VI.) was in Denmark, she took a cat and christened it, and afterwards bound to each part of that cat the chiefest parts of a dead man, and several joints of his body; and that in the night following, the said cat was con- veyed into the midst of the sea, by herself and other witches, sailing in their riddles, or crieves, and so left the said cat right before the town of Leith, in Scotland. This done, there arose such a tempest in the sea, as a greater hath not been seen, which tempest was the cause of the perishing of a boat or vessel coming from the town of Brunt Island to the town of Leith, wherein were sundry jewels and rich gifts, which should have been presented to the new Queen of Scotland at his Majesty’s coming to Leith. Again, it is confessed that the said christened cat was the cause of the king’s majesty’s ship, at his coming forth of Denmark, having a contrary wind to the rest of the ships then being in his company, which thing was most strange and true, as the king’s majesty acknowledged.” It is to this circumstance that Shakespeare probably alludes in “Macbeth” (i. 3), where he makes the witch say— “ Though his bark cannot be lost. Yet it shall be tempest-tost.” Witches were also believed to be able to sell or give winds, a notion thus described in Drayton’s “ Moon-Calf” (865)— “ She could sell winds to any one that would Buy them for money, forcing them tq hold What time she listed, tie them in a thread, Which ever as the seafarer undid They rose or scantled, as his sails would drive To the same port whereas he would arrive.” So in “ Macbeth ” (i. 3)— “ 2 Witch. I’ll give thee a wind. I Witch. Thou’rt kind. 3 Witch. And 1 another.