His father was a ploughman plain, His mother milk'd the cow; And yet the way to get a son This couple knew not how, Until such time the good old man To learned Merlin goes, And there to him, in great distress, In secret manner shows How in his heart he wish'd to have A child, in time to come, To be his heir, though it may be No bigger than his thumb: Of which old Merlin was foretold That he his wish should have; And so a son of stature small The charmer to him gave.[185] Thou'st heard the past--look up and see the future. _Thumb._ Lost in amazement's gulf, my senses sink;[186] See there, Glumdalca, see another me![187] _Glum._ O, sight of horror! see, you are devour'd By the expanded jaws of a red cow. _Merl._ Let not these sights deter thy noble mind, For, lo! a sight more glorious courts thy eyes.[188] See from afar a theatre arise; There ages, yet unborn, shall tribute pay To the heroic actions of this day; Then buskin tragedy at length shall choose Thy name the best supporter of her muse. _Thumb._ Enough: let every warlike music sound. We fall contented, if we fall renown'd. SCENE IX. LORD GRIZZLE, FOODLE, REBELS, _on one side_; TOM THUMB, GLUMDALCA, _on the other._ _Food._ At length the enemy advances nigh, I hear them with my ear, and see them with my eye.[189] _Griz._ Draw all your swords: for liberty we fight, And liberty the mustard is of life.[190] _Thumb._ Are you the man whom men famed Grizzle name? _Griz._ Are you the much more famed Tom Thumb?[191] _Thumb._ The same. _Griz._ Come on, our worth upon ourselves we'll prove; For liberty I fight. _Thumb._ And I for love. [_A bloody engagement between the two armies; drums beating, trumpets sounding, thunder, lightning, They fight off and on several times. Some fall._ GRIZZLE _and_ GLUMDALCA _remain._ _Glum._ Turn, coward, turn; nor from a woman fly. _Griz._ Away--thou art too ignoble for my arm. _Glum._ Have at thy heart. _Griz._ Nay, then I thrust at thine. _Glum._ You push too well; you've run me through the body, And I am dead. _Griz._ Then there's an end of one. _Thumb._ When thou art dead, then there's an end of two. Villain.[192] _Griz._ Tom Thumb! _Thumb._ Rebel! _Griz._ Tom Thumb! _Thumb._ Hell! _Griz._ Huncamunca! _Thumb._ Thou hast it there. _Griz._ Too sure I feel it. _Thumb._ To hell then, like a rebel as you are, And give my service to the rebels there.