brought together. That which is hidden by the poems, we can catch a
glimpse of otherwhere. With those ethereal passions, many gross things
were clearly blended.

All we know of the charms and philtres used by the witches is very
fantastic, not seldom marked by malice, and recklessly mixed up with
things that seem to us the least likely to have awakened love. By
these methods they went a long way without the husband's perceiving in
his blindness the game they made of him.

These philtres were of various kinds. Some were for exciting and
troubling the senses, like the stimulants so much abused in the East.
Others were dangerous, and often treacherous draughts to whose
illusions the body would yield itself without the will. Others again
were employed as tests when the passion was defied, when one wished to
see how far the greediness of desire might derange the senses, making
them receive as the highest and holiest of favours, the most
disagreeable services done by the object of their love.

The rude way in which a castle was constructed, with nothing in it but
large halls, led to an utter sacrifice of the inner life. It was long
enough before they took to building in one of the turrets a closet or
recess for meditation and the saying of prayers. The lady was easily
watched. On certain days set or waited for, the bold youth would
attempt the stroke, recommended him by the Witch, of mingling a
philtre with her drink.

This, however, was a dangerous matter, not often tried. Less difficult
was it to purloin from the lady things which escaped her notice, which
she herself despised. He would treasure up the very smallest paring of
a nail; he would gather up respectfully one or two beautiful hairs
that might fall from her comb. These he would carry to the Witch, who
often asked, as our modern sleep-wakers do, for something very
personal and strongly redolent of the person, but obtained without her
leave; as, for instance, some threads torn out of a garment long worn
and soiled with the traces of perspiration. With much kissing, of
course, and worshipping, the lover was fain reluctantly to throw these
treasures into the fire, with a view to gathering up the ashes
afterwards. By and by, when she came to look at her garment, the fine
lady would remark the rent, but guessing at the cause, would only sigh
and hold her tongue. The charm had already begun to work.

* * * * *

Even if she hesitated f