The Works of Henry Fielding Part 26

[Footnote 1: Dr. Young seems to have copied this engagement in his Busiris:

_Myr_. Villain!

_Mem_. Myron!

_Myr_. Rebel!

_Mem_. Myron!

_Myr_. h.e.l.l!

_Mem_. Mandane!

_Griz_. Tom Thumb!

_Thumb_. Rebel!

_Griz_. Tom Thumb!

_Thumb_. h.e.l.l!

_Griz_. Huncamunca!

_Thumb_. Thou hast it there.

_Griz_. Too sure I feel it.

_Thumb_. To h.e.l.l then, like a rebel as you are, And give my service to the rebels there.

_Griz_. Triumph not, Thumb, nor think thou shalt enjoy, Thy Huncamunca undisturb'd; I'll send [1] My ghost to fetch her to the other world; [2] It shall but bait at heaven, and then return.

[3] But, ha! I feel death rumbling in my brains: [4] Some kinder sprite knocks softly at my soul, And gently whispers it to haste away.

I come, I come, most willingly I come.

[5] So when some city wife, for country air, To Hampstead or to Highgate does repair, Her to make haste her husband does implore, And cries, "My dear, the coach is at the door:"

With equal wish, desirous to be gone, She gets into the coach, and then she cries--"Drive on!"

[Footnote 1: This last speech of my lord Grizzle hath been of great service to our poets:

I'll hold it fast As life, and when life's gone I'll hold this last; And if thou tak'st it from me when I'm slain, I'll send my ghost, and fetch it back again.

--_Conquest of Granada_.

[Footnote 2: My soul should with such speed obey, It should not bait at heaven to stop its way.

Lee seems to have had this last in his eye:

'Twas not my purpose, sir, to tarry there; I would but go to heaven to take the air.--_Gloriana_.

[Footnote 3: A rising vapour rumbling in my brains.--_Cleomenes_.

[Footnote 4: Some kind sprite knocks softly at my soul, To tell me fate's at hand.

[Footnote 5: Mr Dryden seems to have had this simile in his eye, when he says,

My soul is packing up, and just on wing.

--_Conquest of Granada_.

_Thumb_. With those last words [1] he vomited his soul, Which, [2] like whipt cream, the devil will swallow down.

Bear off the body, and cut off the head, Which I will to the king in triumph lug.

Rebellion's dead, and now I'll go to breakfast.

[Footnote 1: And in a purple vomit pour'd his soul --_Cleomenes_.

[Footnote 2: The devil swallows vulgar souls Like whipt cream.

--_Sebastian_.

SCENE X.--KING, QUEEN, HUNCAMUNCA, Courtiers.

_King_. Open the prisons, set the wretched free, And bid our treasurer disburse six pounds To pay their debts.--Let no one weep to-day.

Come, Dollallolla; [1] curse that odious name!

It is so long, it asks an hour to speak it.

By heavens! I'll change it into Doll, or Loll, Or any other civil monosyllable,

That will not tire my tongue.--Come, sit thee down.

Here seated let us view the dancers' sports; Bid 'em advance. This is the wedding-day Of Princess Huncamunca and Tom Thumb; Tom Thumb! who wins two victories [2] to-day, And this way marches, bearing Grizzle's head.

[_A dance here._

[Footnote 1: How I could curs my name of Ptolemy!

It is so long, it asks an hour to write it, By Heaven! I'll change it into Jove or Mars!

Or any other civil monosyllable, That will not tire my hand.

--_Cleomenes_.

[Footnote 2: Here is a visible conjunction of two days in one, by which our author may have either intended an emblem of a wedding, or to insinuate that men in the honey-moon are apt to imagine time shorter than it is. It brings into my mind a pa.s.sage in the comedy called the Coffee-House Politician: We will celebrate this day at my house to-morrow.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Death of Lord Grizzle.]

_Nood_. Oh! monstrous, dreadful, terrible, oh! oh!

Deaf be my ears, for ever blind my eyes!

Dumb be my tongue! feet lame! all senses lost!

[1] Howl wolves, grunt bears, hiss snakes, shriek all ye 'ghosts!