As when the chimney-sweeper
Has all the live long day,
Through darksome paths a creeper,
Pursued his sooty way:

At night, to wash with water
His hands and face he flies;

And, in his t'other tatter,

With his Brickdusta lies.

[Exit.-Flourish of trumpets.

King. [Looking fondly at GLUMDALCA.] I feel a sudden pain across my breast;

[Aside. Nor know I whether it proceeds from love Or the wind cholic-But time will shew.-Hu. Sure thou wert form'd by all the gods in council; geous queen of hearts, Who, having made a lucky hit, beyond their journeywork,

Cry'd out" This is a woman!"

Glum. Then were the gods confoundedly mis-
taken.

We yesterday were both a queen and wife;
We are a giantess-I tell thee, Arthur,
One hundred thousand giants own'd our sway;
Twenty whereof were wedded to ourself.

Queen. Oh blest prerogative of giantism!

[Aside. King. Oh! vast queen!-Think our court thine own;

Call for whate'er thou likest—there's nought to

He shall not have my daughter, that is pos. [Advancing to the King.

King. Ha! say'st thou?

Queen. Yes, I say he shan't.

King. How, shan't!

Queen. How! hast thou seen no giants? Are there not

Now in our yard ten thousand proper giants? Griz. Madam, shall I tell you what I'm going to say? I do not positively know, but, as near as I can guess, I cannot tell; though I firmly do

but he shall.

AIR.-Queen.

Then tremble all, who weddings ever made, And tremble more who did this match persuade; For, like a worried cat, I'll spit, I'll squall, I'll scratch, I'll tear the eyes out of ye all. [The King throws his hat at the Queen.] [Exeunt Queen and Ladies

Dood. Her majesty, the queen, is in a passion. King. She may be damn'd. Who cares? We were indeed

A pretty king of clouts, were we to truckle
To all her mauling humours.

Enter Queen, in a rage.

Queen. Teach me to scold, O Grizzle!

Griz. Yes, yes, I go; but, madam, know, (Since your majesty's so pert) That a flood of Tommy's blood,

King.

To allay this storm shall spirt.

[Exeunt.

SCENEI IV.-An Anti-chamber. The King on a Couch. -Methought I heard a voice say, "Sleep no more!" Glumdalca exiles sleep-and therefore, Arthur Can sleep no more.

The Ghost of GAFFER THUMB rises, with a blue Lantern on a long staff.

Ghost. Oh, Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! Soon shalt thou sleep enough.

King. Ah! what art thou?

Ghost. The ghost of Gaffer Thumb.
King. A ghost!-stand off!

I'll have thee laid in the Red Sea.
Ghost. Oh, Arthur! take heed.
My thread is spun-list, list, ob, list!

so much?

wherefore!

Queen. Wherefore!

Faggots and fire-my daughter to Tom Thumb! Griz I'll mince the atom into countless pieces.

Queen. Oh! no; prevent the match, but hurt not him

Him!-thou!-thou kill the man
Who kil'd the giants?

Gris. Giants!-why, madam, 'tis all flum

merv:

He made the giants first, and then he kill'd them.

By Jove, this bo-peep ghost makes game of us, Therefore, Fate, keep your secret to yourself.

Griz. [Kneeling.] Oh, Huncamunca! Huncamunca, oh!

Hunc. This to my rank,-bold man!
Griz. Ah, beauteous princess!

Love levels rank,-lords down to cellar bears,
And bids the brawny porter walk up stairs.-
Nought is for love too high, nor ought too
low-

Oh, Huncamunca! Huncamunca, oh!

Hunc. Mylord, in vain, a-suitoring you come, For I'm engaged this instant to Tom Thumb. Griz. Play not the fool! that less than baby shun,

Or you will near be brought to bed of one. Hunc. Am I thus fobb'd?-then I my words recall,

Griz. Shall I to Doctor's Common?
Hunc. Do so, pray-

I now am in the mood, and cannot stay.

Hunc. Too sure, 'tis enter'd in fate's journal.
Tom. Enter'd!

Zounds! I'll tear out the leaf-I'll blot the page
-I'll burn the book.

I tell thee, princess, had I been thy helpmate, We soon had peopled this whole realm with Thumbs.

Hunc. O fie! I shudder at the gross idea! Tom. Then go we to the king-let him decide, Whether you shall be Grizzle's or my bride.

[Going out hand-in-hand, are met by GLUMDALCA.

Glum. Stop, brandy-nose! hopest thou, the

wight,

Who once hath worn my easy chains, will toil in thine?

Hunc. Easy, no doubt, by twenty husbands

worn.

Tom. In the balcony which o'erhangs the stage, I've seen one wench, two 'prentices engage: This half-a-crown doth in his fingers hold, That just lets peep a little bit of gold. Miss the half guinea wisely doth purloin, And scorns the bigger, and the baser coin.

TRIO.

Glum. Oh! the vixen pigmy brat,
Of inches scarce half six;
To slight me for a chit like that,
Ah! Mr. Tom, are these your tricks?
Hunc. Oh! the coarse salacious trull,
Who giant paramours twice ten
To bed can pull,
With hugs can lull,
Yet still would gull
Young gentlemen.

Tom. Little though I be,

I scorn the sturdy strum;
Nor ever she,

My dear, from thee

Shall debauch thy own Tom Thumb.

Glum. Oh the vixen, &c.

Hunc, Oh!

Griz. Ah!

Hunc. Oh the coarse, &c.

[Exit.

Tom. Little though I be, &c.

[Exeunt.

[Exit.

[Attendants lay hold of GRIZZLE.]

ful grave?

Atten. Sir, we came to bear your body off. Griz. Then I'll bear it off myself.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-The Presence-Chamber.

Enter King, Queen, HUNCAMUNCA, DOODLE, PLUMANTE, FRIZALETTA, and Attendants.

Gallants behold! one touch of Merlin's magic, Shall to gay comic change this dismal tragic. [Waves his Wand.]

SCENE changes, and discovers the Cow. First at my word, thou horned cannibal, Return again our England's Hannibal.

[Thunder.

free!

And bid our treasurer disburse five guineas
To pay their debts.-Let our arch necromancer,
Sage Merlin, straight attend us :-we the while
Will view the triumph of our son-in-law,

Hunc. Take note, sir, that on this our wedding day

Two victories hath my gallant husband won.
Enter NOODle.

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

King. What means the blockhead?

Nood. But to grace my tale with decent horror;

Tom Thumb is no more!

A huge red cow, larger than the largest size, just now i'the open street,

Before my eyes, devour'd the great Tom Thumb!
[A general groan.
King. Shut, shut again the prisons:
Let our treasurer

Not issue out three farthings. Hang all the culprits,

And bid the schoolmasters whip all their little

boys.

Nood. Her majesty the queen is in a swoon. Queen. Not so much in a swoon, but to have still

Strength to reward the messenger of ill. [Queen kills NOODLE.

starts fiercely.]

Mine too went a fleeting; Now we in a nipperkin

May toast this merry meeting.

[Kills FRIZALEtta.

Friz. My lover kill’d— His death I thus revenge. Hunc. Kill my mamma! O base assassin ! there! Dood. For that, take this! Plum. And thou, take that. King. Die, murdress vile! Ah! Death makes a feast to day,

And but reserves ourselves for his bon bouche.
So when the boy,whom nurse from danger guards,
Sends Jack for mustard with a pack of cards;
Kings, queens, and knaves, tip one another down,

Thus all our pack upon the floor is cast,

And my sole boast is, that I will die the last.

[Stabs himself. They all lie on the stage dead,

To love's law be pliant; Me you'll find a mun of proof, Although not quite a giant.