They'll little help her now,--her caps and ribbons, And her red paragon bodice and her plumes, With which she flaunted in the Meeting-house!
When next she goes there, it will he for trial.
COREY.
When will that be?
MARTHA.
This very day at ten.
COREY.
Then get you ready.We'll go and see it.
Come; you shall ride behind me on the pillion.
MARTHA.
Not I.You know I do not like such things.
I wonder you should.I do not believe In Witches nor in Witchcraft.
COREY.
Well, I do.
There's a strange fascination in it all.
That draws me on and on.I know not why.
MARTHA.
What do we know of spirits good or ill, Or of their power to help us or to harm us?
COREY.
Surely what's in the Bible must be true.
Did not an Evil Spirit come on Saul?
Did not the Witch of Endor bring the ghost Of Samuel from his grave? The Bible says so.
MARTHA.
That happened very long ago.
COREY.
With God There is no long ago.
MARTHA.
There is with us.
COREY.
And Mary Magdalene had seven devils, And he who dwelt among the tombs a legion!
MARTHA.
God's power is infinite.I do not doubt it.
If in His providence He once permitted Such things to be among the Israelites, It does not follow He permits them now, And among us who are not Israelites.
But we will not dispute about it, Giles.
Go to the village if you think it best, And leave me here; I'll go about my work.
[Exit into the house.
COREY.
And I will go and saddle the gray mare.
The last word always.That is woman's nature.
If an old man will marry a young wife, He must make up his mind to many things.
It's putting new cloth into an old garment, When the strain comes, it is the old gives way.
Goes to the door.
Oh, Martha! I forgot to tell you something.
I've had a letter from a friend of mine, A certain Richard Gardner of Nantucket, Master and owner of a whaling-vessel;He writes that he is coming down to see us.
I hope you'll like him.
MARTHA.
I will do my best.
COREY.
That's a good woman.Now I will be gone.
I've not seen Gardner for this twenty year;But there is something of the sea about him,--Something so open, generous, large; and strong, It makes me love him better than a brother.
[Exit.
MARTHA comes to the door.
MARTHA.
Oh these old friends and cronies of my husband, These captains from Nantucket and the Cape, That come and turn my house into a tavern With their carousing! Still, there's something frank In these seafaring men that makes me like them.
Why, here's a horseshoe nailed upon the doorstep!
Giles has done this to keep away the Witches.
I hope this Richard Gardner will bring him A gale of good sound common-sense to blow The fog of these delusions from his brain!
COREY (within).
Ho! Martha! Martha!
Enter COREY.
Have you seen my saddle?
MARTHA.
I saw it yesterday.
COREY.
Where did you see it?
MARTHA.
On a gray mare, that somebody was riding Along the village road.
COREY.
Who was it? Tell me.
MARTHA.
Some one who should have stayed at home.
COREY (restraining himself).
I see!
Don't vex me, Martha.Tell me where it is.
MARTHA.
I've hidden it away.
COREY.
Go fetch it me.
MARTHA.
Go find it.
COREY.
No.I'll ride down to the village Bareback; and when the people stare and say, "Giles Corey, where's your saddle?" I will answer, "A Witch has stolen it." How shall you like that!
MARTHA.
I shall not like it.
COREY.
Then go fetch the saddle.
[Exit MARTHA.
If an old man will marry a young wife, Why then--why then--why then--he must spell Baker!
Enter MARTHA with the saddle, which she throws down.
MARTHA.
There! There's the saddle.
COREY.
Take it up.
MARTHA.I won't!
COREY.
Then let it lie there.I'll ride to the village, And say you are a Witch.
MARTHA.
No, not that, Giles.
She takes up the saddle.
COREY.
Now come with me, and saddle the gray mare With your own hands; and you shall see me ride Along the village road as is becoming Giles Corey of the Salem Farms, your husband!
[Exeunt.
SCENE II.-- The Green in front of the Meeting-house in Salem village.People coming and going.Enter GILES COREY.
COREY.
A melancholy end! Who would have thought That Bridget Bishop e'er would come to this?
Accused, convicted, and condemned to death For Witchcraft! And so good a woman too!
A FARMER.
Good morrow, neighbor Corey.
COREY (not hearing him).
Who is safe?
How do I know but under my own roof I too may harbor Witches, and some Devil Be plotting and contriving against me?
FARMER.
He does not hear.Good morrow, neighbor Corey!
COREY
Good morrow.
FARMER.
Have you seen John Proctor lately?
COREY.
No, I have not.
FARMER.
Then do not see him, Corey.
COREY.
Why should I not?
FARMER.
Because he's angry with you.
So keep out of his way.Avoid a quarrel.
COREY.
Why does he seek to fix a quarrel on me?
FARMER.
He says you burned his house.
COREY.
I burn his house?
If he says that, John Proctor is a liar!
The night his house was burned I was in bed, And I can prove it! Why, we are old friends!
He could not say that of me.
FARMER.
He did say it.
I heard him say it.
COREY.
Then he shall unsay it.
FARMER.
He said you did it out of spite to him For taking part against you in the quarrel You had with your John Gloyd about his wages.
He says you murdered Goodell; that you trampled Upon his body till he breathed no more.
And so beware of him; that's my advice!
[Exit.
COREY.
By heaven! this is too much! I'll seek him out, And make him eat his words, or strangle him.
I'll not be slandered at a time like this, When every word is made an accusation, When every whisper kills, and every man Walks with a halter round his neck!
Enter GLOYD in haste.
What now?
GLOYD.
I came to look for you.The cattle--
COREY.
Well, What of them? Have you found them?
GLOYD.
They are dead.
I followed them through the woods, across the meadows;Then they all leaped into the Ipswich River, And swam across, but could not climb the bank, And so were drowned.
COREY.
You are to blame for this;
For you took down the bars, and let them loose.
GLOYD.
That I deny.They broke the fences down.
You know they were bewitched.
COREY.
Ah, my poor cattle!
The Evil Eye was on them; that is true.
Day of disaster! Most unlucky day!
Why did I leave my ploughing and my reaping To plough and reap this Sodom and Gomorrah?
