"--how the drudging goblin sweat To earn his cream-bowl duly set, When in one night, ere glimpse of morn, His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn That ten day-laborers could not end. Then lies him down the lubbar fiend, And stretcht out all the chimney's length Basks at the fire his hairy strength." MILTON: _L'Allegro._ Such sprites did not scruple to pull away the chair as one was about to sit down, to pinch, or even to steal children and leave changelings in their places. The first hint of dawn drove them back to their haunts. "When larks 'gin sing, Away we fling; And babes new borne steal as we go, And elfe in bed We leave instead, And wend us laughing, ho, ho, ho!" JONSON: _Robin Goodfellow._ Soulless and without gratitude or memory spirits of the air may be, like Ariel in _The Tempest_. He, like the fairy harpers of Ireland, puts men to sleep with his music. "_Sebastian._ What, art thou waking? _Antonio._ Do you not hear me speak? _Sebastian._ I do; and, surely, It is a sleepy language; and thou speak'st Out of thy sleep: What is it thou didst say? This is a strange repose, to be asleep With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving, And yet so fast asleep." SHAKSPERE: _The Tempest._ The people of England, in common with those who lived in the other countries of Great Britain and in Europe, dreaded the coming of winter not only on account of the cold and loneliness, but because they believed that at this time the powers of evil were abroad and ascendant. This belief harked back to the old idea that the sun had been vanquished by his enemies in the late autumn. It was to forget the fearful influences about them that the English kept festival so much in the winter-time. The Lords of Misrule, leaders of the revelry, "beginning their rule on All Hallow Eve, continued the same till the morrow after the Feast of the Purification, commonlie called Candelmas day: In all of which space there were fine and subtle disguisinges, Maskes, and Mummeries." This was written of King Henry IV's court at Eltham, in 1401, and is true of centuries before and after. They gathered about the fire and made merry while the October tempests whirled the leaves outside, and shrieked round the house like ghosts and demons on a mad carousal. "The autumn wind--oh hear it howl: Without--October's tempests scowl, As he troops away on the raving wind! And leaveth dry leaves in his path behind. * * * * * "'Tis the night--the night Of the graves' delight, And the warlock[1] are at their play! Ye think that without The wild winds shout, But no, it is they--it is they!" COXE: _Hallowe'en._ [1] Devils.