Category: CLASP IV-V

¹

Who knows, but that in every² brain may dwell
Those creatures we call³ fairies—who can tell?
And by their several actions they may make⁴
Those forms and figures we for fancy take.⁵
And when we sleep, those visions dreams we call                5
May by their industry⁶ be raisèd all,
And all the objects which through senses get,
Within the brain they may in order set,
And some pack up, as merchants do each thing,⁷
Which they⁸ sometimes may to the mem’ry⁹ bring.            10
And thus,¹⁰ besides our own imaginations,
May fairies¹¹ in our brain beget inventions.
If so, then th’eye’s the sea where, by the gale¹²
Of passions, on salt tears their ship doth sail,¹³
And when¹⁴ a tear doth break, as it doth fall                         15
Or wiped away, they may a shipwreck call.
When¹⁵ from the stomach vapors do arise,
Fly up into¹⁶ the head (as to the skies),
And, as great storms,¹⁷ their houses down may blow,
Which¹⁸ by their fall the head may dizzy grow.                    20
And when those houses they build up again,
With knocking they may¹⁹ put the head to pain.
When they dig deep, perchance a²⁰ tooth may ache,
And from a tooth a quarry-bone may take,
Which they, like²¹ stone, may build their house withal;      25
If much took out, the tooth may rotten fall.
Those that dwell near the ears are very cool,
For they are both the South, and Northern Pole.
The eyes are sun and moon, which give them light:
When open, day; when shut, it is dark night.                         30

¹

The city is the brain, encompassed in²
Double walls (dura mater, pia mater thin);³
It’s trenchèd round about with a thick skull,⁴
And faced without with wondrous art and skill.⁵
The forehead is the fort, which is built⁶ high,                        5
And for the sentinels is either⁷ eye.
And that same⁸ place where memory lies⁹ in,
Is great King Oberon his magazine.¹⁰
The marketplace, the mouth; when full, begun
Is market day; when empty, market’s done.                          10
The city conduit, where the water flows,
Is with¹¹ two spouts, the nostrils of the nose,
And when these watery spouts are not stopped close,¹²
Then we do say it is a cold or pose.¹³
The gates are¹⁴ the two ears; when deaf they are,               15
Then those two city gates the fairies¹⁵ bar.
This city’s governed as most cities be,
By aldermen, and so by mayoralty.
And Ob’ron¹⁶ King dwells never anywhere
But in a royal head, whose court is there,                              20
Which is the kernel of the brain; if seen,
We there might view him and his beauteous queen.
Sure that’s their court, and there they sit in state,
And noble lords and ladies on them wait.

When we have pious thoughts and think of heaven,
Yet go about, not ask to be forgiven,
Perchance they’re¹ preaching, or a chapter saying,
Or on their knees they are devoutly² praying.
When we are sad, and know no reason why,                            5
Perchance it is because some there do die,
And some place may i’th’head be³ hung with black,
Which makes us dull, yet know not what we lack.
Our fancies which in verse or prose we put
May pictures be, which they do draw or⁴ cut,                         10
And when these fancies fine and thin do show,⁵
They may be graven in seal, for ought we know.⁶
When we have cross⁷ opinions in the mind,
Then we may them in schools disputing⁸ find.
When we of childish toys do think, a fair⁹                               15
May be i’th’brain, where crowds of fairies are,¹⁰
And in each stall¹¹ may all such knacks be sold,
As rattles, bells, or bracelets made¹² of gold;
Pins, whistles, and the like may¹³ be bought there,
And thus within the head may be a fair.                                  20
And when¹⁴ our brain with amorous thoughts is stayed,¹⁵
Perhaps there is a bride and bridegroom made,¹⁶
And when our thoughts are merry, humours¹⁷ gay,
There may be¹⁸ dancing on their wedding day.

Those spirits which we animal do call
May men and women be, and creatures small,
And may the body into kingdoms wide¹—
As muscles, nerves, veins, arteries—divide.²
The head and heart, East and West Indies be,                         5
Which through the veins may traffic, as the sea;
In fevers may by shipwreck many die,³
For when the blood is hot, and vapors high⁴
Do rise, as waves they toss, and when they⁵ hit
Against rocks of obstructions, life doth⁶ split.                       10
I’th’head, th’East Indies,⁷ spicy fancy grows;⁸
From oranges and lemons sharp satyr flows;⁹
I’th’heart,¹⁰ the West, where heat the blood refines,
The blood’s like gold, the heart like silver¹¹ mines.
Those from the head, in ships their spice they fetch,¹²       15
And from the heart, the gold and silver rich.¹³

¹

Sometimes these animal creatures, when they² jar,
Then all their kingdoms rise up into³ war,
And when they fight we cramps,⁴ convulsions feel,
Gouts in our⁵ toes, and chilblains in our⁶ heel.

¹

When they keep² peace, and all do well agree,
Then is commerce in every kingdom free,
And through the nerves they travel without fear;
There are no thieves to rob them of their ware.
Those³ wares are several touches which they bring              5
Unto the senses, which⁴ buy everything.
But to the muscles they do much⁵ recourse,
For in those kingdoms trading hath great force,
Which kingdoms always⁶ join by two and two,
That they with ease may⁷ pass and repass through.            10

¹

The art’ries² are the ocean deep and wide,
The blood the sea, which ebbs and flows in tide,
The nerves, the³ continent they travel through;
Muscles are cities, which⁴ they traffic to.

¹

The nerves are France, and Italy, and Spain;
The liver, Brit’n;² the narrow seas, the veins;³
The spleen is Ethiopia, wherein⁴
Is bred a peopl’of⁵ black and tawny skin;
The stomach, Egypt; the chylus, Nile, that flows⁶                  5
Quite through the body, by which it fruitful grows.⁷
The heart and head, East and West Indies are;⁸
The South and Northern Pole is either ear.⁹
The lungs are rocks and caverns, whence rise winds,
Where¹⁰ life which passes through great danger finds.     10

¹

Sir Charles²into³ my chamber coming in
When I was writing of my⁴ Fairy Queen,
“I pray,” said he, “when Queen Mab you do see,
Present my service to her Majesty,
And tell her I have heard Fame’s loud report,                     5
Both of her beauty and her stately court.”
When I Queen Mab within my fancy viewed,
My thoughts bowed low, fearing I should be rude,
Kissing her garment thin, which fancy made,
Kneeling upon a thought, like one that prayed.                10
And then in⁵ whispers soft I did present
His humble service, which in mirth was sent.
Thus by imagination I have been
In Fairy Court, and seen the Fairy Queen,
For why imagination runs about                                          15
In every place, yet⁶ none can trace it out.