me trudge; and fince that time it is eleven years, for then she could ftand alone; nay, by th' rood, she could have run, and waddled all about; for even the day before fhe broke her brow, and then my husband, (God be with his foul, a' was a merry man;) took up the child; yea, quoth he, doft thou fall upon thy face? thou wilt fall backward when thou haft more wit, wilt thou not, Julé? and by my holy dam, the pretty wretch left crying, and faid, ay; To fee now, how a jeft fhall come about. I warrant, an' I fhould live a thousand years, I fhould not forget it: Wilt thou not, Fulé, quoth he? and, pretty fool, it ftinted, and faid, ay. La. Cap. Enough of this, I pray thee, hold thy peace. Nurfe. Yes, Madam; yet I cannot chufe but laugh, to think it fhould leave crying, and fay, ay; and yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow a bump as big as a young cockrel's ftone: a perilous knock, and it cried bitterly. Yea, quoth my husband, fall'ft upon thy face? thou wilt fall backward when thou comeft to age, wilt thou not, Julé? it ftinted, and faid, ay. Ful. And flint thee too, I pray thee, nurse, say I. Nurfe. Peace, I have done: God mark thee to his grace! Thou waft the prettiest Babe, that e'er I nurst. An' I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish. La. Cap. And that fame marriage is the very theam I came to talk of.. Tell me, daughter Juliet, How ftands your difpofition to be married? Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of. Nurfe. An honour? were not I thine only nurse, I'd say, thou hadft fuck'd wisdom from thy teat. La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers. By my count, I was your mother much upon thefe years That you are now a maid. Thus, then, in brief; The The valiant Paris feeks you for his love. Nurfe. A man, young lady, lady, fuch a man La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not fuch a flower. man ? This Night you fhall behold him at our Feast; And fee, how one another lends Content: This precious book of Love, this unbound Lover, The fish lives in the Sea, and 'tis much pride, Nurfe. No lefs? Nay, bigger; Women grow by Men. Ser. Madam, the guests are come, fupper ferv'd up, you call'd, my young lady ask'd for, the nurse curft in the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must hence to wait; I beseech you, follow strait. La. Cap. We follow thee. Juliet, the County stays.. Nurfe. Go, girl, feek happy nights to happy days.. [Exeunt. SCENE, SCENE, a Street befere Capulet's house. Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, with five or fix other maskers, torch-bearers, and drums. Rom. HAT, fhall this speech be spoke for our excufe? WH Or fhall we on without apology? Ben. The date is out of fuch prolixity. Mer. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have So ftakes me to the ground, I cannot move. Mer. And to fink in it, should you burthen Love: Too great Oppreffion for a tender Thing! Rom. Is Love a tender Thing? It is too rough, Too rude, too boift'rous; and it pricks like Thorn. Love ; Prick Love for pricking, and you beat Love down. [Pulling off his Mask. what care I, doth quote deformities? Here Here are the beetle-brows fhall blush for me. Rom. A torch for me. Let wantons, light of heart, ; Mer. Tut! dun's the mouse, the conftable's own word If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire; Or, fave your reverence, Love, wherein thou ftickest Mer. I mean, Sir, in delay We burn our lights by light, and lamps by day. Mer. Why, may one ask? Rom. I dreamt a dream to night. Rom. Well; what was yours? Mer. That dreamers often lie. Rom. In bed asleep; while they do dream things true. Mer. O, then I fee, Queen Mab hath been with you. (4) (4) 0, then I fee, Queen Mab bath been with you : She 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 Condefcenfion in her Royal Highness. But this is not the greatest of the Abfurdities. Let us fee upon what Occafion fhe is introduced, and under what Quality. Why, as a Being that has great Power over human Imaginations. But then, according to the Laws of common Sense, if the has any Title given her, must not that Title have refe renco She is the Fancy's mid-wife, and fhe comes Her waggon-fpokes made of long spinners' legs; rence to the Employment fhe is put upon? First, then, she is called Queen: which is very pertinent; for that designs her Power: Then he is called the Fairies' Midwife; but what has that to do with the Point in hand? If we would think that Shakespeare wrote Senfe, we muft fay, he wrote : the Fancy's Midwife and this is a Title the most à propos in the World, as it introduces all that is faid afterwards of her Vagaries. Befides, it exactly quadrates with these Lines: I talk of Dreams; Which are the Children of an Idle Brain, Thefe Dreams are begot upon Fantafie, and Mab is the Midwife to bring them forth. And Fancy's Midwife is a Phrafe altogether in the Manner of our Author, Mr. Warburton. And |