{
 "id": "c-s-lewis/the-witch",
 "title": "The Witch",
 "ordinal": "XIV",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "C. S. Lewis",
 "poet_slug": "c-s-lewis",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Spirits in Bondage",
 "book_slug": "spirits-in-bondage",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 12,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1919,
  "venue": "Spirits in Bondage (1919)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/spiritsinbondage00lewirich",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2003"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/c-s-lewis_poetry",
  "file": "spirits-in-bondage-chapter-14.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2003",
   "https://archive.org/details/spiritsinbondage00lewirich",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/101865124"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 50,
  "n_stanzas": 1,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 40,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Trapped amid the woods with guile",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They’ve led her hound in fetters vile",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To death, a deadlier sorceress",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Than any born for earth’s distress",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Since first the winner of the fleece",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Bore home the Colchian witch to Greece⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Seven months with snare and gin",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They’ve sought the maid o’erwise within",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The forest’s labyrinthine shade.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The lonely woodman half afraid",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Far off her ragged form has seen",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sauntering down the alleys green,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or crouched in godless prayer alone",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At eve before a Druid stone",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But now the bitter chase is won,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The quarry’s caught, her magic’s done,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The bishop’s brought her strongest spell",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To naught with candle, book, and bell;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With holy water splashed upon her,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She goes to burning and dishonour",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Too deeply damned to feel her shame,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For, though beneath her hair of flame",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her thoughtful head be lowly bowed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It droops for meditation proud",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Impenitent, and pondering yet",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Things no memory can forget,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Starry wonders she has seen",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brooding in the wildwood green",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With holiness. For who can say",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In what strange crew she loved to play,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "What demons or what gods of old",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Deep mysteries unto her have told",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At dead of night in worship bent",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At ruined shrines magnificent,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or how the quivering will she sent",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Alone into the great alone",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where all is loved and all is known,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Who now lifts up her maiden eyes",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And looks around with soft surprise",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Upon the noisy, crowded square,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The city oafs that nod and stare,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The bishop’s court that gathers there,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The faggots and the blackened stake",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where sinners die for justice’ sake?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now she is set upon the pile,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The mob grows still a little while,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Till lo! before the eager folk",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Up curls a thin, blue line of smoke.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Alas!” the full-fed burghers cry,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“That evil loveliness must die!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}