THOUGH small in its subject, this "tragedy of tragedies" has engaged the attention of two dramatic writers; its original parent, Henry Fielding, our celebrated novelist, brought it on the Haymarket stage, in the year 1730, when it met with great success. This burlesque may be considered almost the best that ever appeared. It is, also, a proper sequel to the Duke of Buckingham's Rehearsal; as it embraces and satirises the absurdities of almost all the writers of tragedy from the period when that piece stops. The love-scenes, rage, marriage, battle, and catastrophe, are such forcible imitations of the rules observed by the tragic writers of that time, that the satire conveyed in them cannot escape the observation of any one conversant with the writers of the last century; and to those who do not comprehend every turn of its humour, it will always appear agreeable. In Mr. O'Hara's alteration of this piece of true burlesque, he has certainly, allowing for its compression, pre served the points of the original, and presented an entertainment that maintains its credit undiminished on the stage DRAMATIS PERSONE. Characters in Fielding's Original Piece, entitled, "The Tragedy of Tragedies; or, the Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great;" as performed at the Haymarket, 1730. KING ARTHUR, a passionate sort of King, husband to Queen Dollallolla, of whom he ToM THUMB THE GREAT, a little hero with a great soul, something violent in his MERLIN, a Conjurer, and in some sort father to Tom Thumb,.. S NOODLE, Courtiers in place, and consequently of that party that is uppermost,.. FOODLE, a Courtier that is out of place, and consequently of that party that is under most,. BAILIFF, FOLLOWER, Of the party of the plaintiff,.. PARSON, of the side of the church,........... QUEEN DOLLALLOLLA, wife to King Arthur, and mother to Huncamunca; a woman The PRINCESS HUNCAMUNCA, daughter to their Majesties King Arthur and Queen MUSTACHA, {Maids of Honour, in love with.. . Mr. Mullart. Young Verhuyck Mr. Jones. Mr. Reynolds. Mr. Ayres. Mr. Watson Mrs. Mullart. Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Dove. NOODLE. Courtiers, Guards, Rebels, Drums, Trumpets, Thunder and Lightning. *Fielding's original, with his notes by Scriblerus Secundus, the Preface, &c. form a fund of sterling satire on the criticisms of his cotemporaries, and on the works of former writers of tragedies. tawdry; Even Mr. Sol, So tifted out, so glorious, Queen. Is't so? why then perdition catch the failers! Let's have a row, and get as drunk as tailors. AIR. What though I now am half seas o'er, I scorn to balk this bout, Of stiff rack-punch fetch bowls a score, 'Fore George, I'll see them out. What though, &c. But, Sir, your queen 'twould ill become, No drop of brandy, gin, or rum, Chorus.-Rum ti iddity, row, row, row If we'd a good sup, we'd take it now. King. Though rack, in punch, ten shillings were a quart, Glitters like a beau in a new birth-day embroidery. And rum and brandy be but half-a-crown, Dood. Oh, 'tis a day Of jubilee, cajollery; A day we never saw before; A day of fun and drollery. Nood. That you may say, Their majesties may boast of it; Dood. Oh, 'tis a day, &c. Nood. Courtiers so gay, &c. Dood. Yes, Noodle, yes;-to-day the mighty Returns triumphant.-Captive giants swarm SCENE II-Inside of the Palace. [Exit. The KING and QUEEN seated on a throne.LORD GRIZZLE, Courtiers, and Attendants. DOODLE and NOODLE apart. King. Let no face but a face of joy be seen! The man, who this day frowns, shall lose his head, That he may have no face to frown withalSmile, Dollallolla! [Kisses her. Dood. [Kneeling.] Dread liege, This petition King. [Dashes it away.] Petition me no peti tions, Sir, to-day; To-day it is our pleasure-to be drunk, And this our queen shall be as drunk as we. Rather than quarrel, thou shalt have thy fill. [Flourish of drums and trumpets. Nood. These martial sounds, my liege, an nounce the general. King. Haste we to meet, and meetly to receive him. [Rises from the throne; martial music. Thou tiny hero-pigmy giant queller! [Takes him up and embraces him. [Aside Queen. Oh! ye gods! Tom. When I'm not thank'd at all I'm thank'd I've done my duty, and I've done no more enough Queen. Was ever such a godlike creature seen? King. Thy modesty 's a flambeau to thy merit; It shines itself, and shows thy merit too. O Tommy, Tommy Thumb! what to thy prow ess do we owe! Ask some reward-great as we can bestow. Tom. I ask not kingdoms, I can conquer those; I ask not money, money I've enough: If this be called a debt, take my receipt in full: I ask but this, to sun myself in Huncamunca's eyes, If the husband, once gives way The bloody bus'ness of grim war is o'er, AIR. As when the chimney-sweeper At night, to wash in water [Exit;-flourish of Trumpets. Sure thou wert form'd by all the gods in council; Who, having made a lucky hit beyond their journey-work, Cry'd out-" This is a woman!" [taken. Glum. Then were the gods confoundedly mis- Queen. Oh, bless'd prerogative of giantism! [Aside. Madam, believe that with a woman's eye merit was, He shall not have my daughter, that is pos. King. Ha! say'st thou ? King. How, sha'n't! Now by our royal self, we swear-I'll be damn'd, but he shall. AIR. QUEEN. Then tremble all, who weddings ever made, [The KING throws his hat at the QUEEN. Dood. Her majesty, the queen, is in a passion. A pretty king of clouts, were we to truckle AIR.-KING. We kings, who are in our senses, To his wife's capricious sway, May go whoop and hollow. [Exeunt Enter LORD GRIZZLE. Griz. Arthur wrongs me! A Monmouth-street laced coat, gracing to-day Enter QUEEN, in a rage. Queen. Teach me to scold, O Grizzle! wherefore! Griz. Scold, would my queen ?-Say, ah! Queen. Wherefore! Faggots and fire-my daughter to Tom Thumb! Him!-thou !-thou kill the man Griz. Giants-why, Madam, 'tis all flummery: Griz. Madam, shall I tell you what I am going to say? I do not positively know, but, as near as I can guess, I cannot tell; though I firmly do believe there is not one. Queen. Out from my sight, base Pickthank By all my stars, thou enviest Tom Thumb. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-An Antechamber. The KING, on a Couch. King, Methought I heard a voice say, "Sleep no more! The Ghost of GAFFER THUMB rises, with a blue Soon shalt thou sleep enough. Ghost. Oh! Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! King. Ah! what art thou? Ghost. Oh, Arthur! take heed. Pale death is prowling, With horrid groans: Enter LORD GRIZZLE. 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 aught too lowOh, Huncamunca! Huncamunca, oh! Hunc. My lord, in vain, a-suitoring you come, For I'm engaged this instant to Tom Thumb. Griz. Play not the fool! that less than baby Or you will ne'er be brought to bed of one. recal. Griz. Shall I to Doctors' Commons? I now am in the mood, and cannot stay. AIR.-GRIZZLE. In hurry post haste for a license, In hurry ding dong I come back; For that you sha'n't need bid me twice hence, I'll be there, and here, in a crack. Hey ting, My heart's on the wing, I now could leap over the moon, Let the chaplain Tom. Where is my Huncamunca ? where's my princess? Where those bright eyes, the card-matches of Cupid, That light up all with love my waxen soul? Hunc. Put out the light, nor waste thy little taper. Tom. Put out the light? impossible! As well Sir Solomon might put out his rush-light. Hunc. I am to Lord Grizzle promis'd. Tom. Promis'd! Hunc. Too sure, 'tis enter'd in fate's journal. Zounds! I'll tear out the leaf-I'll blot the page I tell thee, princess, had I been thy help-mate, 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 stage, I've seen one wench two 'prentices engage: Glum. Oh! the vixen pigmy brat, Of inches scarce half six; Tom. Little though I be, I scorn the sturdy strum; My dear from thee Shall debauch thy own Tom Thumb Glum. Oh! the vixen, &c. Hunc. Oh! the coarse, &c. Tom, Little though I be, &c. ACT II. [Exeun AIR.. King Arthur in love ancle deep-speed the Enter LORD GRIZZLE, hastily. Griz. If this be true, all women kind are damn'd. Nood. If it be not, may I be damn'd myself. [Exit. Griz. Then, get out, patience! oh, I'm whirl- Havoc, let loose the dogs of war, halloo! [Exit. Queen. Ah! wherefore from his Dollallolla's Enter KING. King. We hop'd the fumes, sweet queen, of Had glued thy lovely eyes; but, ah ! we find Nood. Long life to both your majesties,—if life King. The devil he will!-but see the princess! Say, where's the mighty Thumb, our sword and Hunc. About an hour and a half ago Come, Dollallolla: Huncamunca, come; T'humb. SCENE III-A Plain. [Exeunt Enter LORD GRIZZLE, NOODLE, and Rebels. [A March.] Griz. Thus far with victory our arms crown'd; are [found For, though we have not fought, yet have we No enemy to fight withal. [Drums and Trumpets. Griz. Art thou the much more fam'd Tom Tom. The same. Griz. The same. Tom. His prowess now each prove. Griz. For liberty I stand. Tom. And I for love. job: Rebellion 's dead, and now-I'll go to breakfast. Attend. Sir, we came to bear your body off. SCENE IV-The Presence-chamber. King. Open the prisons, set the wretched free Hunc. Take note, Sir, that on this our wed- Two victories hath my gallant husband won. Nood. Oh, monstrous, dreadful, terrible! oh! oh! A huge red cow, larger than the largest size, just [A battle between the two armies; they Strength to reward the messenger of ill. fight off. prits, [QUEEN kills NOODLE |