Chapter 24

_King_. [1] Let nothing but a face of joy appear; The man who frowns this day shall lose his head, That he may have no face to frown withal. Smile Dollallolla--Ha! what wrinkled sorrow [2] Hangs, sits, lies, frowns upon thy knitted brow? Whence flow those tears fast down thy blubber'd cheeks, Like a swoln gutter, gushing through the streets?

[Footnote 1: Phraortes, in the Captives, seems to have been acquainted with King Arthur:

Proclaim a festival for seven days' space, Let the court shine in all its pomp and lustre, Let all our streets resound with shouts of joy; Let musick's care-dispelling voice be heard; The sumptuous banquet and the flowing goblet Shall warm the cheek and fill the heart with gladness. Astarbe shall sit mistress of the feast.

]

[Footnote 2:

Repentance frowns on thy contracted brow.--_Sophonisba_.

Hung on his clouded brow, I mark'd despair.--_Ibid_.

--A sullen gloom Scowls on his brow.--_Busiris_. ]

_Queen_. [1]Excess of joy, my lord, I've heard folks say, Gives tears as certain as excess of grief.

[Footnote 1: Plato is of this opinion, and so is Mr Banks:

Behold these tears sprung from fresh pain and joy. --_Earl of Essex_. ]

_King_. If it be so, let all men cry for joy, [1]Till my whole court be drowned with their tears; Nay, till they overflow my utmost land, And leave me nothing but the sea to rule.

[Footnote 1: These floods are very frequent in the tragick authors:

Near to some murmuring brook I'll lay me down, Whose waters, if they should too shallow flow, My tears shall swell them up till I will drown. --_Lee's Sophonisba_.

Pouring forth tears at such a lavish rate, That were the world on fire they might have drown'd The wrath of heaven, and quench'd the mighty ruin. --_Mithridates_.

One author changes the waters of grief to those of joy:

----These tears, that sprung from tides of grief, Are now augmented to a flood of joy.--_Cyrus the Great_.

Another:

Turns all the streams of heat, and makes them flow In pity's channel.--_Royal Villain_.

One drowns himself:

----Pity like a torrent pours me down, Now I am drowning all within a deluge.--_Anna Sullen_.

Cyrus drowns the whole world:

Our swelling grief Shall melt into a deluge, and the world Shall drown in tears.--_Cyrus the Great_. ]

_Dood_. My liege, I a petition have here got.

_King_. Petition me no petitions, sir, to-day: Let other hours be set apart for business. To-day it is our pleasure to be [1]drunk. And this our queen shall be as drunk as we.

[Footnote 1: An expression vastly beneath the dignity of tragedy, says Mr D--s, yet we find the word he cavils at in the mouth of Mithridates less properly used, and applied to a more terrible idea:

I would be drunk with death.--_Mithridates_.

The author of the New Sophonisba taketh hold of this monosyllable, and uses it pretty much to the same purpose:

The Carthaginian sword with Roman blood Was drunk.

I would ask Mr D--s which gives him the best idea, a drunken king, or a drunken sword?

Mr Tate dresses up King Arthur's resolution in heroick:

Merry, my lord, o' th' captain's humour right, I am resolved to be dead drunk to-night.

Lee also uses this charming word:

Love's the drunkenness of the mind.--_Gloriana_. ]

_Queen_. (Though I already[1] half seas over am) If the capacious goblet overflow With arrack punch----'fore George! I'll see it out: Of rum and brandy I'll not taste a drop.

[Footnote 1: Dryden hath borrowed this, and applied it improperly:

I'm half seas o'er in death.--_Cleomenes_ ]

_King_. Though rack, in punch, eight shillings be a quart, And rum and brandy be no more than six, Rather than quarrel you shall have your will. [_Trumpets_. But, ha! the warrior comes--the great Tom Thumb, The little hero, giant-killing boy, Preserver of my kingdom, is arrived.