The Works of Henry Fielding Part 25

Were heaven and earth in wild confusion hurl'd, Should the rash G.o.ds unhinge the rolling world, Undaunted would I tread the tott'ring ball, Crush'd, but unconquer'd, in the dreadful fall.

--_Female Warrior_.

_Merl_. Tom Thumb!

_Thumb_. What voice is this I hear?

_Merl_. Tom Thumb!

_Thumb_. Again it calls.

_Merl_. Tom Thumb!

_Glum_. It calls again.

_Thumb_. Appear, whoe'er thou art; I fear thee not.

_Merl_. Thou hast no cause to fear--I am thy friend, Merlin by name, a conjuror by trade, And to my art thou dost thy being owe.

_Thumb_. How!

_Merl_. Hear, then, the mystick getting of Tom Thumb.

[1] His father was a ploughman plain, His mother milk'd the cow; And yet the way to get a son This couple knew not how, Until such time the good old man To learned Merlin goes, And there to him, in great distress, In secret manner shows How in his heart he wish'd to have A child, in time to come, To be his heir, though it may be No bigger than his thumb: Of which old Merlin was foretold That he his wish should have; And so a son of stature small The charmer to him gave.

Thou'st heard the past--look up and see the future.

[Footnote 1: See the History of Tom Thumb, page 2.]

_Thumb_. [1] Lost in amazement's gulf, my senses sink; See there, Glumdalca, see another [2] me!

[Footnote 1: Amazement swallows up my sense, And in the impetuous whirl of circling fate Drinks down my reason.--_Persian Princess_.

[Footnote 2: I have outfaced myself.

What! am I two? Is there another me?--_King Arthur_.

_Glum_. Oh, sight of horror! see, you are devour'd By the expanded jaws of a red cow.

_Merl_. Let not these sights deter thy n.o.ble mind, [1] For, lo! a sight more glorious courts thy eyes.

See from afar a theatre arise; There ages, yet unborn, shall tribute pay To the heroick actions of this day; Then buskin tragedy at length shall chuse Thy name the best supporter of her muse.

[Footnote 1: The character of Merlin is wonderful throughout; but most so in this prophetick part. We find several of these prophecies in the tragick authors, who frequently take this opportunity to pay a compliment to their country, and sometimes to their prince. None but our author (who seems to have detested the least appearance of flattery) would have past by such an opportunity of being a political prophet.]

_Thumb_. Enough: let every warlike musick sound, We fall contented, if we fall renown'd.

SCENE IX.--LORD GRIZZLE, FOODLE, Rebels, _on one side_; TOM THUMB, GLUMDALCA, _on the other_.

_Food_. At length the enemy advances nigh, [1] I hear them with my ear, and see them with my eye.

[Footnote 1: I saw the villain, Myron; with these eyes I saw him.

--_Busiris_.

In both which places it is intimated that it is sometimes possible to see with other eyes than your own.

_Griz_. Draw all your swords: for liberty we fight, [1] And liberty the mustard is of life.

[Footnote 1: "This mustard," says Mr D., "is enough to turn one's stomach. I would be glad to know what idea the author had in his head when he wrote it." This will be, I believe, best explained by a line of Mr Dennis:

And gave him liberty, the salt of life.--_Liberty a.s.serted_.

The understanding that can digest the one will not rise at the other.]

_Thumb_. Are you the man whom men famed Grizzle name?

_Griz_. [1] Are you the much more famed Tom Thumb?

[Footnote 1: _Han_. Are you the chief whom men famed Scipio call?

_Scip_. Are you the much more famous Hannibal?

--_Hannibal_.

_Thumb_. The same.

_Griz_. Come on; our worth upon ourselves we'll prove; For liberty I fight.

_Thumb_. And I for love.

[_A b.l.o.o.d.y engagement between the two armies here; drums beating, trumpets sounding, thunder and lightning. They fight off and on several times. Some fall_. GRIZ. _and_ GLUM. _remain_.

_Glum_. Turn, coward, turn; nor from a woman fly.

_Griz_. Away--thou art too ign.o.ble for my arm.

_Glum_. Have at thy heart.

_Griz_. Nay, then I thrust at thine.

_Glum_. You push too well; you've run me through the guts, And I am dead.

_Griz_. Then there's an end of one.

Thumb_. When thou art dead, then there's an end of two, [1] Villain.