| |
| FROM 1 thy forehead thus I take | |
| These herbs, and charge thee not awake | |
| Till in yonder holy well | |
| Thrice, with powerful magic spell, | |
| Filled with many a baleful word, | 5 |
| Thou hast been dipped. Thus, with my cord | |
| Of blasted hemp, by moonlight twined, | |
| I do thy sleepy body bind. | |
| I turn thy head unto the east, | |
| And thy feet unto the west, | 10 |
| Thy left arm to the south put forth, | |
| And thy right unto the north, | |
| I take thy body from the ground, | |
| In this deep and deadly swound, | |
| And into this holy spring | 15 |
| I let thee slide down by my string. | |
| Take this maid, thou holy pit, | |
| To thy bottom; nearer yet; | |
| In thy water pure and sweet, | |
| By thy leave I dip her feet; | 20 |
| Thus I let her lower yet, | |
| That her ankles may be wet; | |
| Yet down lower, let her knee | |
| In thy waters washèd be. | |
| There stop. Fly away, | 25 |
| Everything that loves the day! | |
| Truth, that hath but one face, | |
| Thus I charm thee from this place. | |
| Snakes that cast your coats for new, | |
| Chameleons that alter hue, | 30 |
| Hares that yearly sexes change, | |
| Proteus altering oft and strange, | |
| Hecate with shapes three, | |
| Let this maiden changèd be, | |
| With this holy water wet, | 35 |
| To the shape of Amoret! | |
| Cynthia, work thou with my charm! | |
| Thus I draw thee free from harm, | |
| Up out of this blessèd lake: | |
| Rise both like her and awake! | 40 |
