Ballad XIV: The Witch of Wokey
In aunciente days tradition showesA base and wicked elfe arose,The Witch of Wokey hight:Oft have I heard the fearfull taleFrom Sue, and Roger of the vale,On some long winter's night.
Deep in the dreary dismall cell,Which seem'd and was ycleped hell,This blear-eyed hag did hide:Nine wicked elves, as legends sayne,She chose to form her guardian trayne,And kennel near her side.
Here screeching owls oft made their nest,While wolves its craggy sides possest,Night-howling thro' the rock:No wholesome herb could here be found;She blasted every plant around,And blister'd every flock.
Her haggard face was foull to see;Her mouth unmeet a mouth to bee;Her eyne of deadly leer,She nought devis'd, but neighbour's ill;She wreak'd on all her wayward will,And marr'd all goodly chear.
All in her prime, have poets sung,No gaudy youth, gallant and young,E'er blest her longing armes;And hence arose her spight to vex,And blast the youth of either sex,By dint of hellish charms.
From Glaston came a lerned wight,Full bent to marr her fell despight,And well he did, I ween:Sich mischief never had been known,And, since his mickle lerninge shown,Sich mischief ne'er has been.
He chauntede out his godlie booke,He crost the water, blest the brooke,Then--pater noster done,--The ghastly hag he sprinkled o'er;When lo! where stood a hag before,Now stood a ghastly stone.
Full well 'tis known adown the dale:Tho' passing strange indeed the tale,And doubtfull may appear,I'm bold to say, there's never a one,That has not seen the witch in stone,With all her household gear.
But tho' this lernede clerke did well;With grieved heart, alas! I tell,She left this curse behind:That Wokey-nymphs forsaken quite,Tho' sense and beauty both unite,Should find no leman kind.
For lo! even, as the fiend did say,The sex have found it to this day,That men are wondrous scant:Here's beauty, wit, and sense combin'd,With all that's good and virtuous join'd,Yet hardly one gallant.
Shall then sich maids unpitied moane?They might as well, like her, be stone,As thus forsaken dwell.Since Glaston now can boast no clerks;Come down from Oxenford, ye sparks,And, oh! revoke the spell.
Yet stay--nor thus despond, ye fair;Virtue's the gods' peculiar care;I hear the gracious voice:Your sex shall soon be blest agen,We only wait to find sich men,As best deserve your choice.
Words in this poem 27
- hight v. t.
- To be called or named. [OE. heiten, highten, haten, hoten; also hight, hatte, hette, is called, was called, AS. hatan to call, name, be called, to command, promise; also hatte is calle]
- fearfull a.
- Full of fera, apprehension, or alarm; afraid; frightened.
- roger n.
- A black flag with white skull and crossbones, formerly used by pirates; -- called also Jolly Roger.
- vale n.
- A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley. [OE. val, F. val, L. vallis; perhaps akin to Gr. Avalanche, Vail to lower, Valley.]
- dreary a.
- Sorrowful; distressful. [OE. dreori, dreri, AS. dreórig, sad; akin to G. traurig, and prob. to AS. dreósan to fall, Goth. driusan. Cf. Dross, Drear, Drizzle, Drowse.]
- dismall a.
- Fatal; ill-omened; unlucky. [Formerly a noun; e. g., "I trow it was in the dismalle." Chaucer. Of uncertain origin; but perh. (as suggested by Skeat) from OF. disme, F. dîme, tithe, the phr]
- ycleped p. p.
- Called; named; -- obsolete, except in archaic or humorous writings. [Spelt also yclept.] [AS. geclipod, p. p. of clipian, cleopian, cliopian, to call. See Clepe, and also the Note under Y-.]
- kennel n.
- The water course of a street; a little canal or channel; a gutter; also, a puddle. Bp. Hall. [See Channel, Canal.]
- blasted a.
- Blighted; withered.
- haggard a.
- Wild or intractable; disposed to break away from duty; untamed; as, a haggard or refractory hawk. Shak [F. hagard; of German origin, and prop. meaning, of the hegde or woods, wild, untamed. See Hedge, 1st Haw, and -ard.]
- unmeet a.
- Not meet or fit; not proper; unbecoming; unsuitable; -- usually followed by for.
- eyne n.
- Plural of eye; obsolete, or used only in poetry.
- wayward a.
- Taking one's own way; disobedient; froward; perverse; willful. [OE. weiward, for aweiward, i. e., turned away. See Away, and -ward.]
- goodly a.
- Pleasant; agreeable; desirable. [OE. godlich, AS. g. See Good, and Like.]
- spight n.
- A woodpecker. See Speight.
- dint n.
- A blow; a stroke. [OE. dint, dent, dunt, a blow, AS. dynt; akin to Icel. dyntr a dint, dynta to dint, and perh. to L. fendere (in composition). Cf. 1st Dent, Defend.]
- wight n.
- A whit; a bit; a jot. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. v]
- marr n.
- A small lake. See Mere.
- ween v. i.
- To think; to imagine; to fancy. [OE. wenen, AS. w, fr. w hope, expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w, OS. & OHG. wan, G. wahn delusion, Icel. van hope, expectation, Goth. w, and D. w]
- mickle a.
- Much; great. [Old Eng. & Scot.] [OE. mikel, muchel, mochel, mukel, AS. micel, mycel; akin to OS. mikil, OHG. mihil, mihhil, Icel. mikill, mykill, Goth. mikils, L. magnus, Gr. mahat. sq. root103]
- adown adv.
- From a higher to a lower situation; downward; down, to or on the ground. [OE. adun, adoun, adune. AS. of dune off the hill. See Down.]
- leman n.
- A sweetheart, of either sex; a gallant, or a mistress; -- usually in a bad sense. Chaucer. Spenser. [OE. lemman, legman; AS.leóf dear + mann man. See Lief, and Man.]
- wondrous adv.
- In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully. [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.). See Wonder, n., and cf. -wards.]
- virtuous a.
- Possessing or exhibiting virtue. Specifically: -- (a) Exhibiting manly courage and strength; valorous; valiant; brave. [OE. vertuous, OF. vertuos, vertuous, F. vertueux, fr. L. Virtuous. See Virtue, and cf. Virtuoso.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- dwell v. i.
- To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
- despond v. i.
- To give up, the will, courage, or spirit; to be thoroughly disheartened; to lose all courage; to become dispirited or depressed; to take an unhopeful view. [L. despond, desponsum, to promise away, promise in marriage, give up, to lose (courage); de- + spond to promise solemnly. See Sponsor.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Ballad XIV: The Witch of Wokey is in the public domain. This text is taken from Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, Volume 1 (of 3) Consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs and Other Pieces of Our Earlier Poets Together With Some Few of Later Date, Project Gutenberg ebook #45939; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Thomas Percy, Ballad XIV: The Witch of Wokey, in Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, Volume I (1765), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #45939, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/percy-reliques/ballad-xiv-the-witch-of-wokey.html, id L08560.
Form and metre
Ballad XIV: The Witch of Wokey is 72 lines in 12 stanzas of 6 lines each. The rhyme scheme is AABCCB, complete in 7 of its 12 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 93%). 97% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 7.3 syllables. 2 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending.
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABCCB showesA · aroseA · hightB · taleC · valeC · nightB
- 2 AABCCB cellA · hellA · hideB · sayneC · trayneC · sideB
- 3 AABCCB nestA · possestA · rockB · foundC · aroundC · flockB
- 4 AABCCB seeA · beeA · leerB · illC · willC · chearB
- 5 AABCCB sungA · youngA · armesB · vexC · sexC · charmsB
- 6 AABCCB wightA · despightA · weenB · knownC · shownC · beenB
- 7 AA---- bookeA · brookeA · done · o'er · before · stone
- 8 AAB--B daleA · taleA · appearB · one · stone · gearB
- 9 AABCCB wellA · tellA · behindB · quiteC · uniteC · kindB
- 10 AAB--B sayA · dayA · scantB · combin'd · join'd · gallantB
- 11 AAB--B moaneA · stoneA · dwellB · clerks · sparks · spellB
- 12 AAB--B fairA · careA · voiceB · agen · men · choiceB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| In aunciente days tradition showes | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| A base and wicked elfe arose, | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| The Witch of Wokey hight: | 6 | ······ |
| Oft have I heard the fearfull tale | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| From Sue, and Roger of the vale, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| On some long winter's night. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Deep in the dreary dismall cell, | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Which seem'd and was ycleped hell, | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| This blear-eyed hag did hide: | 6 | ······ |
| Nine wicked elves, as legends sayne, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| She chose to form her guardian trayne, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And kennel near her side. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Here screeching owls oft made their nest, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| While wolves its craggy sides possest, | 8 | ···/˘·/˘ |
| Night-howling thro' the rock: | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| No wholesome herb could here be found; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| She blasted every plant around, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| And blister'd every flock. | 7 | ·/˘/˘˘· |
| Her haggard face was foull to see; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Her mouth unmeet a mouth to bee; | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| Her eyne of deadly leer, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| She nought devis'd, but neighbour's ill; | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| She wreak'd on all her wayward will, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And marr'd all goodly chear. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| All in her prime, have poets sung, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| No gaudy youth, gallant and young, | 8 | ·/˘·/˘·· |
| E'er blest her longing armes; | 6 | ···/˘· |
| And hence arose her spight to vex, | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| And blast the youth of either sex, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| By dint of hellish charms. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| From Glaston came a lerned wight, | 8 | ······˘· |
| Full bent to marr her fell despight, | 8 | ········ |
| And well he did, I ween: | 6 | ······ |
| Sich mischief never had been known, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| And, since his mickle lerninge shown, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Sich mischief ne'er has been. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| He chauntede out his godlie booke, | 8 | ········ |
| He crost the water, blest the brooke, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Then--pater noster done,-- | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| The ghastly hag he sprinkled o'er; | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| When lo! where stood a hag before, | 8 | ········ |
| Now stood a ghastly stone. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Full well 'tis known adown the dale: | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| Tho' passing strange indeed the tale, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| And doubtfull may appear, | 6 | ·/˘·˘/ |
| I'm bold to say, there's never a one, | 8 | ·····/·· |
| That has not seen the witch in stone, | 8 | ········ |
| With all her household gear. | 6 | ···/·· |
| But tho' this lernede clerke did well; | 8 | ········ |
| With grieved heart, alas! I tell, | 8 | ··˘·˘/·· |
| She left this curse behind: | 6 | ······ |
| That Wokey-nymphs forsaken quite, | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Tho' sense and beauty both unite, | 8 | ···/˘·/· |
| Should find no leman kind. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| For lo! even, as the fiend did say, | 8 | ··/····· |
| The sex have found it to this day, | 8 | ········ |
| That men are wondrous scant: | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Here's beauty, wit, and sense combin'd, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| With all that's good and virtuous join'd, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Yet hardly one gallant. | 6 | ·/˘·/˘ |
| Shall then sich maids unpitied moane? | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| They might as well, like her, be stone, | 8 | ········ |
| As thus forsaken dwell. | 6 | ··˘/˘· |
| Since Glaston now can boast no clerks; | 8 | ········ |
| Come down from Oxenford, ye sparks, | 8 | ········ |
| And, oh! revoke the spell. | 6 | ··˘/·· |
| Yet stay--nor thus despond, ye fair; | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| Virtue's the gods' peculiar care; | 8 | /˘··˘/˘· |
| I hear the gracious voice: | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Your sex shall soon be blest agen, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| We only wait to find sich men, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| As best deserve your choice. | 6 | ··˘/·· |
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