from Madge Ye Hoyden

by Eugene Field — a poem card from Justes Mots

A brief dramatic fragment from Eugene Field's 'Madge Ye Hoyden,' rendered in archaic dialect, depicting a Faustian bargain in which a devil offers Robin freedom from sickness in exchange for his soul. The fragment captures a moment of moral temptation and spiritual vulnerability with historical stylization. It serves as a meditation on the human desire for healing and the terrible price of such bargains.

Whiles Robin lay within his bed,
A divell came and whispered lowe,—
"Giff you will doe my will," he said,
"None more of sickness you shall knowe!"
Ye which gave joy to Robin's soul—
Saies Robin: "Divell, be it soe,
an that you make me whoale!"…

Themes: gratitude · friendship · admiration · reflection