SONG, AND DANCE. Ob. Now, until the break of day, So shall all the couples three And the blots of nature's hand 5 Shall upon their children be.- Every fairy take his gait : And each several chamber bless,7 And the owner of it blest. [3] I am afraid this song is gone after many other things of greater value. The truth is that two songs are lost. The series of the scene is this; after the speech of Puck, Oberon enters, and calls his fairies to a song, which song is apparently wanting in all the copies. Next Titania leads another song, which is indeed lost like the former, though the editors have endeavoured to find it. Then Oberon dismisses his fairies to the despatch of the ceremonies. The songs, I suppose were lost, because they were not inserted in the players' parts, from which the drama was printed. JOHNSON. [4] This defect in children seems to have been so much dreaded, that numerous were the charms applied for its prevention. The following might be as efficacious as any of the rest. "If a woman with chylde have her smocke slyt at the neather ende or skyrt thereof, &c. the same chylde that she then goeth withall, shall be safe from having a cloven or hare lippe." Thomas Lupton's Fourth Book of Notable Thinges, 4to. bl. 1. STEE. [5] Prodigious has here its primitive signification of portentous. STEEV. [6] i. e. take his way, or direct his steps. STEEV. Gait, for a path or road, is commonly used at present in the northern HARRIS. counties. [7] The same superstitious kind of benediction occurs in Chaucer's Mil ter's Tale, v. 3479, Tyrwhitt's edition: "I crouche thee from elves, and from wightes. "And on the threswold of the dore withoute. "Jesu Crist, and Seint Benedight, "Blisse this hous from every wicked wight, "Fro the nightes mare, the wite Paternoster," &c. STEEV Trip away; Meet me all by break of day. [Exe. OBER. TITA. and Train. Puck. If we shadows have offended, T'hink but this, (and all is mended,) So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands,1 if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends. [8] i. e. if we have better fortune than we have deserved. [9] That is, if we be dismissed without hisses. [Exit. STEEV. JOHNSON 211 That is, Clap your hands. Give us your applause. JOHNSON |