Mer. O,then I fee, Queen Mabhath been with you.(10) She is the Fancy's midwife, and fhe comes In fhape no bigger than an agat ftone On the fore-finger of an alderman; Drawn with a team of little atomies, Athwart mens' nofes as they lie afleep: Her waggon fpokes made of long fpinners' legs; The cover, of the wings of grafhoppers; The traces, of the smallest spider's web;

The collars, of the moonshine's

watry beams
Her whip, of cricket's bone; the lafh, of film;
Her waggoner, a fmall grey coated-gnat,
Not half fo big as a round little worm,
Prickt from the lazy finger of a maid.
Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut,

Made by the joiner fquirrel, or old grub,,tise des
Time out of mind the fairies' coach-makers:qolbat
And in this ftate fhe gallops night by night, ele ten
Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love

(10) 0, then I fee, Queen Mab bath been with you:

upon what occafion Why, as a Being that But then according to

She is the fairies' midwife.] Thus begins that admirable speech upon the effects of the imagination in dreams. But, Queen Mab the fairies midwife? What is the then Queen of? Why, the fairies. What! and their midwife too? Sure, this is a wonderful condescen◄ fion in her Royal Highness. But this is not the greatest of the ab furdities. The fairies' midwife? But let us fee the is introduced, and under what quality. has great power over human imaginations. the laws of common fenfe, if the has any title given her, must not that title have reference to the employment fhe is put upon? First, then, the is called Queen; which is very pertinent; for that defigns her power: then the is called the fairies' midwife; but what has that to do with the point in hand? If we would think that Shakef peare wrote fenfe, we muft fay, he wrote the Fancy's midwife: and this is a title the moft à propos in the world, as it introduces all that is faid afterwards of her wagaries. Befides, it exactly quadrates with thefe lines:

I talk of dreams;

Which are the children of an idle brain,

Begot of nothing but vain fantafie.

Thefe dreams are begot upon fantafie, and Mab is the midwife to bring them forth. And Fancy's midwife is a phrase altogether in the manner of our Author,

Mr. Warburton,

'On courtiers' knees, that dream on curtfies ftrait:
O'er lawyers fingers, who ftrait dream on fees:
O'er ladies' lips, who ftrait on kiffes dream,
Which oft the angry Mab with blifters plagues,
Because their breaths with fweet-meats tainted are.
Sometimes the gallops o'er a lawyer's nofe,
And then dreams he of fmelling out a fuit:
And fometimes comes the with a tithe-pig's tail,
Tickling the parfon as he lies asleep;
Then dreams he of another benefice.
Sometimes the driveth o'er a foldier's neck,
And then he dreams of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,
Of healths five fathom deep; (11) and then anon
Drums in his ears, at which he starts and wakes;
And, being thus frighted, fwears a prayer or two,
And fleeps again. This is that very Mab,
That plats the manes of horfes in the night,
And cakes the elf-locks in foul fluttish hairs,
Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes.
This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,
That preffes them, and learns them first to bear;
Making them women of good carriage :
This is fhe

Rom. Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace;
Thou talk'ft of nothing.

Mer. True, I talk of dreams;

Which are the children of an idle brain :

(11) of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,

Of healths five fatbom deep;] As the generality of the terms coupled here, have a reference to the wars, fome ingenious perfons have conjectured that our Poet wrote;

Of delves five fathoms deep;•

i. e.. Trenches; places delv'd, or dug down. But, with fubmiflion, I conceive the text to be fincere as it is; and alludes to drinking deep. to a mistress's health. I find the like expreffion in Weftward boe, a comedy wrote in our Author's time. 4

Troth, Sir, my mafter, and Sir Goflin are guzzling; they are dabbling together fathom deep. The knight has drunk fo much bealth to the gentleman yonder on his knees, that he hath almost lost the ufe of his legs, Begot

Begot of nothing, but vain phantasy ;
Which is as thin of fubftance as the air,
And more unconftant than the wind; who wooes
Ev'n now the frozen bofom of the north,
And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence,
Turning his face to the dew-dropping fouth.

Ben. This wind, you talk of, blows us from ourselves; Supper is done, and we shall come too late. Rom. I fear, too early; for my mind misgives, Some confequence, yet hanging in the stars, Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night's revels; and expire the term Of a defpifed life clos'd in my breaft, By fome vile forfeit of untimely death. But he, that hath the fteerage of my course, Direct my fuit! On, lufty gentlemen. Ben. Strike, drum.

[They march about the Stage, and Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Hall in Capulet's Houfe.

Enter Servants, with Napkins.

1 Serv. W Here's Porpan, that he helps not to take

trencher!

away; he shift a trencher! he fcrape a

2 Serv. When good manners fhall lie all in one or two men's hands, and they unwash'd too, 'tis a foul thing.

1 Serv. Away with the joint ftools, remove the courtcup board, look to the plate: good thou, fave me a piece of march pane; and, as thou loveft me, let the porter let in Sufan Grindstone, and Nell. Antony, and Potpan

2 Serv. Ay, boy, ready.

1 Serv. You are look'd for, call'd for, afk'd for, and fought for, in the great chamber.

2 Serv. We cannot be here and there too; cheerly, boys; be brisk a while, and the longer liver take atl.

[Exeunt.

Exter

Enter all the Guefts and Ladies, with the mafkers.

1 Cap. Welcome, gentlemen. Ladies, that have your

feet

Unplagu'd with corns,

we'll have a bout with you.

Ah me, my miftreffes, which of you all

Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
I'll fwear, hath corns; am I come near you now?
Welcome, all gentlemen; I have seen the day
That I have worn a vifor, and could tell

A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear,

Such as would pleafe: 'tis gone; 'tis gone; 'tis gone!
[Mufick plays, and they dance.
More light, ye knaves, and turn the tables up;
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah, Sirrah, this unlook'd-for fport comes well.
Nay, fit; nay, fit, good cousin Capulet,
For you and I are past our dancing days:
How long is't now fince last yourself and I
Were in a mask ?

2 Cap. By'r lady, thirty years.

1 Cap. What, man! 'tis not fo much,'tis not fo much; "Tis fince the nuptial of Lucentio,

Come Pentecoft as quickly as it will,

Some five and twenty years, and then we mafk'd. 2 Cap. 'Tis more, 'tis more; his fon is elder,

His fon is thirty.

1 Cap. Will you tell me that?

His fon was but a ward two years ago.

Sir:

Rom. What lady's that, which doth enrich the hand

Of yonder knight?

Serv. I know not, Sir.

Rom. O, fhe doth teach the torches to burn bright; Her beauty hangs upon the cheek fnight,

Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear:
Beauty too rich for ufe, for earth too dear!
So fhews a fnowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows fhows.
The meafure done, I'll watch her place of ftand,
And, touching her's, make happy my rude hand.

Did my heart love till now? forfwear it, fight;
I never faw true beauty till this night.

Tyb. This by his voice fhould be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy: what! dares the flave
Come hither cover'd with an antick face,
To fleer and fcorn at our folemnity?

Now by the ftock and honour of my kin,
To ftrike him dead I hold it not a fin. bond

Cap. Why how now, kinfman, wherefore storm you fo?
Tyb. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe:
A villain, that is hither come in fpight,
To fcorn at our folemnity this night.
Cap. Young Romeo, is't?

Tyb. That villain Romeo.

Cap. Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
He bears him like a portly gentleman:
And, to fay truth, Verona brags of him,
To be a virtuous and well-govern'd youth.
I would not for the wealth of all this town,
Here in my houfe, do him difparagement.
Therefore be patient, take no note of him;
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Shew a fair prefence, and put off thefe frowns,
An ill befeeming femblance for a feat.

Tyb. It fits, when fuch a villain is a guest.
I'll not endure him.

Cap. He fhall be endur'd.

What, goodman boy-I fay, he fhall.

Am I the mafter here, or you? go to

Go to

You'll not endure him! God fhall mend my foul,

You'll make a mutiny among my guests!

You will fet cock-a-hoop? you'll be the man?
Tyb. Why, uncle, 'tis a fhame.

Cap. Go to, go to,

You are a faucy boy-is't fo, indeed ?

This trick may chance to fcathe you ; I know what.
You must contrary me! Marry, 'tis time.

Well faid, my hearts: -You are a princox, go:.
Be quiet, or (more light, more light, for fhame)
I'll make you quiet-What? cheerly, my hearts.

B 2

Tyb