King. [1] Oh! welcome most, most welcome to my arms. [Footnote 1: This figure is in great use among the tragedians: 'Tis therefore, therefore 'tis.—Victim. I long, repent, repent, and long again.—Busiris. ] Queen.—————[1] Oh! ye gods! [Aside. [Footnote 1: A tragical exclamation.] Thumb. When I'm not thank'd at all, I'm thank'd enough. [1] I've done my duty, and I've done no more, [Footnote 1: This line is copied verbatim in the Captives.] Queen. Was ever such a godlike creature seen? [Aside. King. Thy modesty's a [1]candle to thy merit, It shines itself, and shews thy merit too. But say, my boy, where didst thou leave the giants? [Footnote 1: We find a candlestick for this candle in two celebrated authors: ———Each star withdraws A soul grown old and sunk into the socket.—Sebastian. Thumb. My liege, without the castle gates they stand, The castle gates too low for their admittance. King. What look they like? Thumb. Like nothing but themselves. Queen. [1]And sure thou art like nothing but thyself. [Aside. [Footnote 1: This simile occurs very frequently among the dramatic writers of both kinds.] King. Enough! the vast idea fills my soul. [Footnote 1: Mr Lee hath stolen this thought from our author: This perfect face, drawn by the gods in council, —At his birth the heavenly council paused, Dryden hath improved this hint to the utmost perfection: So perfect, that the very gods who form'd you wonder'd Banks prefers the works of Michael Angelo to that of the gods: A pattern for the gods to make a man by, Thumb. Then were the gods mistaken—she is not A woman, but a giantess——whom we, [1] With much ado, have made a shift to hawl Within the town:[2] for she is by a foot Shorter than all her subject giants were. [Footnote 1: It is impossible, says Mr W——, sufficiently to admire this natural easy line.] [Footnote 2: This tragedy, which in most points resembles the ancients, differs from them in this—that it assigns the same honour to lowness of stature which they did to height. The gods and heroes in Homer and Virgil are continually described higher by the head than their followers, the contrary of which is observed by our author. In short, to exceed on either side is equally admirable; and a man of three foot is as wonderful a sight as a man of nine.] Glum. We yesterday were both a queen and wife, One hundred thousand giants own'd our sway, Twenty whereof were married to ourself. Queen. Oh! happy state of giantism where husbands Like mushrooms grow, whilst hapless we are forced To be content, nay, happy thought, with one. Glum. But then to lose them all in one black day, [Footnote 1: My blood leaks fast, and the great heavy lading My soul is like a ship.—Injured Love. Queen. Madam, believe Glum. [1]Madam, I am Your most obedient and most humble servant. [Footnote 1: This well-bred line seems to be copied in the Persian To be your humblest and most faithful slave. King. Think, mighty princess, think this court your own, [Footnote 1: This doubt of the king puts me in mind of a passage in the Captives, where the noise of feet is mistaken for the rustling of leaves. ———Methinks I hear Thumb. [1] I ask not kingdoms, I can conquer those; I ask not money, money I've enough; For what I've done, and what I mean to do, For giants slain, and giants yet unborn, Which I will slay—-if this be called a debt, Take my receipt in full: I ask but this,— [2] To sun myself in Huncamunca's eyes. [Footnote 1: Mr Dryden seems to have had this passage in his eye in the first page of Love Triumphant.] [Footnote 2: Don Carlos, in the Revenge, suns himself in the charms of his mistress: While in the lustre of her charms I lay. King. Prodigious bold request. [Aside. Queen. ————[1] Be still, my soul. [Aside. [Footnote 1: A tragical phrase much in use.] Thumb. [1]My heart is at the threshold of your mouth, [Footnote 1: This speech hath been taken to pieces by several tragical authors, who seem to have rifled it, and shared its beauties among them. My soul waits at the portal of thy breast, My soul stands list'ning at my ears.—Cyrus the Great. Love to his tune my jarring heart would bring, ———-I should have loved, And when it (my heart) wild resolves to love no more, King. It is resolv'd—the princess is your own. Thumb. Oh! [1]happy, happy, happy, happy Thumb. [Footnote 1: Massinissa is one-fourth less happy than Tom Thumb.] Oh! happy, happy, happy!—Ibid. Queen. Consider, sir; reward your soldier's merit, But give not Huncamunca to Tom Thumb. King. Tom Thumb! Odzooks! my wide-extended realm, Queen. Though greater yet his boasted merit was, He shall not have my daughter, that is pos'. King. Ha! sayst thou, Dollallolla? Queen.————-I say he shan't. King. [1]Then by our royal self we swear you lie. [Footnote 1: No by myself.—Anna Bullen.] Queen. [1] Who but a dog, who but a dog Would use me as thou dost? Me, who have lain [2] These twenty years so loving by thy side! But I will be revenged. I'll hang myself. Then tremble all who did this match persuade, [3] For, riding on a cat, from high I'll fall, And squirt down royal vengeance on you all. [Footnote 1: —————Who caused [Footnote 2: ——————A bride, Who twenty years lay loving by your side.—Banks. ] [Footnote 3: For, borne upon a cloud, from high I'll fall, And rain down royal vengeance on you all.—Alb. Queens. ] Food. [1]Her majesty the queen is in a passion. [Footnote 1: An information very like this we have in the tragedy of Love, where, Cyrus having stormed in the most violent manner, Cyaxares observes very calmly, Why, nephew Cyrus, you are moved. King. [1] Be she, or be she not, I'll to the girl [Footnote 1: 'Tis in your choice. Love me, or love me not.—Conquest of Granada. ] Thumb. [1] Whisper ye winds, that Huncamunca's mine! So when some chimney-sweeper all the day [Footnote 1: There is not one beauty in this charming speech but what hath been borrow'd by almost every tragick writer. ] |