Friday, October 7, 2011


"⊗, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with y⊗u.
She is the fairies’ midwife, and she c⊗mes
In shape n⊗ bigger than an agate-st⊗ne
⊗n the f⊗re-finger ⊗f an alderman,
Drawn with a team ⊗f little at⊗mies
Athwart men's n⊗ses as they lie asleep;
Her wag⊗n-sp⊗kes made ⊗f l⊗ng spinners’ legs,
The c⊗ver ⊗f the wings ⊗f grassh⊗ppers,
The traces ⊗f the smallest spider's web,
The c⊗llars ⊗f the m⊗⊗nshine's wat'ry beams,
Her whip ⊗f cricket's b⊗ne; the lash ⊗f film;
Her wagg⊗ner a small grey-c⊗ated gnat,
N⊗t half s⊗ big as a r⊗und little w⊗rm
Pricked fr⊗m the lazy finger ⊗f a maid:
Her chari⊗t is an empty hazelnut
Made by the j⊗iner squirrel ⊗r ⊗ld grub,
Time ⊗ut ⊗’ mind the fairies’ c⊗achmakers.
And in this state she gall⊗ps night by night
Thr⊗ugh l⊗vers’ brains, and then they dream ⊗f l⊗ve;
⊗’er c⊗urtiers’ knees, that dream ⊗n c⊗urt'sies straight,
⊗’er lawyers’ fingers, wh⊗ straight dream ⊗n fees,
⊗’er ladies ‘ lips, wh⊗ straight ⊗n kisses dream,
Which ⊗ft the angry Mab with blisters plagues,
Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are:
S⊗metime she gall⊗ps ⊗’er a c⊗urtier's n⊗se,
And then dreams he ⊗f smelling ⊗ut a suit;
And s⊗metime c⊗mes she with a tithe-pig's tail
Tickling a pars⊗n's n⊗se as a’ lies asleep,
Then dreams, he ⊗f an⊗ther benefice:
S⊗metime she driveth ⊗’er a s⊗ldier's neck,
And then dreams he ⊗f cutting f⊗reign thr⊗ats,
⊗f breaches, ambuscad⊗es, Spanish blades,
⊗f healths five-fath⊗m deep; and then an⊗n
Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes,
And being thus frighted swears a prayer ⊗r tw⊗
And sleeps again. This is that very Mab
That plaits the manes ⊗f h⊗rses in the night,
And bakes the elfl⊗cks in f⊗ul sluttish hairs,
Which ⊗nce untangled, much misf⊗rtune b⊗des:
This is the hag, when maids lie ⊗n their backs,
That presses them and learns them first t⊗ bear,
Making them w⊗men ⊗f g⊗⊗d carriage:
This is she—"


Dear, it's time to stop playing pretend now. 

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