Read Romeo and Juliet Online

30 ROMEO AND JULIET. 

Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film, 

Her wagoner a small gray-coated gnat, 

Not half so big as a round little worm 

Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid ; 

Her chariot is an empty hazel-nnt 

Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, 

Time out o' mind the fairies' coach-makers. 

And in this state she gallops night by night 

Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love ; 

O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight ; 

O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees ; 

O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream. 

Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, 

Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. 

Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, 

And then dreams he of smelling out a suit. 

And sometimes comes she with a tithe-pig's tail 

Tickling a parson's nose as a' lies asleep, 

Then dreams he of another benefice. 

Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, 

And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, 

Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades. 

Of healths five-fatliom deep ; and then anon 

Drums in his ears, at which he starts and wakes, 

And being thus frighted swears a prayer or two 

And sleeps again. This is that very Mab 

That plats the manes of horses in the night.