rather have to apologize for the omission, considering how excellent they are. To add what novelty we could, or rather to make our quotations as peculiar to our work as possible, we had made up our minds to bring together all the passages in question out of Shakespeare's drama, as far as they could be separated from other matter, and present them to our readers under the title of a Fairy Play; but we began to fear that the profane might have some color of reason for complaining of us, and accusing us of an intention to swell our pages. We have, therefore, confined ourselves to selections which are put under distinct heads, so as to form a kind of gallery of Fairy pictures. We shall take the liberty of commenting as we go, even if our remarks are called forth on points not immediately belonging to the subject. It is not easy to read a great poet, and not indulge in exclamations of fondness. Besides, there is something fairy-like in having one's way.

EMPLOYMENT OF A DAMSEL OF THE FAIRY COURT.

Fairy. Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander every where,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green:
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours:

In those freckles live their savours;

I must go seek some dew-drops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Flowers, in the proper fairy spirit, which plays betwixt sport and wisdom with the profoundest mysteries of na

ture, are here made alive, and turned into fantastic servants.

In fairy-land, whatever may be, is. We may gather from this and another passage in Cymbeline, that Shakespeare was fond of cowslips, and had observed their graces with delight. It is a delicate fancy to suppose that those ruby spots contain the essence of the flower's odor, and were presents from their ruling sprite. And the hanging a pearl in every cowslip's ear (besides the beauty of the line) seems to pull the head of the tall pensioner sideways, and make him quaintly conscious of his new favor.

BOWER OF QUEEN TITANIA.

I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows,
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows;
Quite over-canopied with lush woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine;
There sleeps Titania, some time of the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight

What beautiful lines are these? Observe in the next the goggle-eyed owl, who is nightly astonished at the fairies, as if amazement were his business; and also the childlike warning to the snails and daddy longlegs to keep aloof.

Tita.

THE QUEEN IN HER BOWER.
Come, now a roundel, and a fairy song;
Then, for the third part of a minute, hence;
Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds;
Some war with rear-mice for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats; and some keep back
The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots and wonders
At our quaint spirits: sing me now asleep;
Then to your offices, and let me rest.

SONG.

1st Fairy. You spotted snakes, with double tongue, Thorny hedge-hogs, be not seen;

Newts and blind-worms do no wrong;
Come not near our fairy queen.

Chorus. Philomel, with melody,

Sing in our sweet lullaby;

Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby;
Never harm, nor spell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh,

So, good night, with lullaby.

2d Fairy. Weaving spiders, come not here;

Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence;
Beetles black, approach not near;

Worm, nor snail, do no offence.

Chorus. Philomel, with melody, &c.

1st Fairy. Hence, away! now all is well.

One, aloof, stand sentinel.

TRICKS OF THE FAIRY KING ON HIS QUEEN.

Titania, by practice of Oberon, falls in love with a weaver, on whom Puck has clapped an ass's head. Enter Puck with him and some others. Imagine the weaver to be Liston.

Quince. O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! help!

Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about, around,

Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier;
Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire,

[Exeunt Clowns.

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,

Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

[Exit.

Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

Re-enter SNOUT.

Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! What do I see on thee?

[Exit Snout.

Bot. What do you see? You see an ass's head of your own, do you?

Re-enter QUINCE.

Quin. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated.

[Exit.

Bot. I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me, to fright me if they

could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.

Tita.

Bot.

The ousel-cock, so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill;

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill.

What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay;

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? — who would give a bird the lie, though he cry cuckoo never so?

Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:

Mine ear is much enamoured of thy note,

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me,

On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days: the more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon the occasion.

Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

Bot. No so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go;

Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.

I am a spirit of no common rate;

The summer still doth tend upon my state,

And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;

I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;

And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,

And sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep.

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so,

That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.

Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-seed!

Feed him with apricocks, and dewberries;
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,
And, for night-tapers, crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arise;
And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

1st Fairy. Hail mortal!

Bot. I cry your worship's mercy, heartily. I beseech your worship's

Bot. I shall desire of you more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman? Peas. Peas-blossom.

Bot. I pray you to remember me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peas-blossom, I shall desire of you more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir?

Bot. Good Master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like, ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of

your house:

I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire of you more acquaintance, good Master Mustard-seed.

Tita. Come wait upon him; lead him to my bower.

The moon, methinks, looks with a wat❜ry eye;
And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,
Lamenting some enforced chastity.

Tie up love's tongue, and bring him silently.

The luxurious reduplication of the rhyme in this exquisite passage, has been noticed by Mr. Hazlitt.

Tita. Come, sit thee down upon this flow'ry bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.

Bot. Where's Peas-blossom?

Peas. Ready.