Oberon's Feast

Hapcot! To thee the Fairy State I with discretion, dedicate. Because thou prizest things that are Curious, and un-familiar. Take first the feast; these dishes gone, We'll see the Fairy Court anon. A little mushroom table spread, After short prayers, they set on bread; A moon-parched grain of purest wheat, With some small glit'ring grit, to eat His choice bits with; then in a trice They make a feast less great than nice. But all this while his eye is serv'd, We must not think his ear was sterv'd: But that there was in place to stir His spleen, the chirring grasshopper, The merry cricket, the puling fly, The piping gnat for minstralcy. And now, we must imagine first, The elves present to quench his thirst A pure seed-pearl of infant dew, Brought and besweetened in a blue And pregnant violet; which done His kitling eyes begin to run Quite through the table, where he spies The horns of papery butterflies, Of which he eats, and tastes a little Of that we call the "cuckoo's spittle." A little fuzz-ball-pudding stands     By, yet not blessed by his hands, That was too coarse; but then forthwith He ventures boldly on the pith Of sugar'd rush, and eats the sag And well bestrutted bee's sweet bag; Gladding his palate with some store Of emit's eggs; what would he more? But beards of mice, a newt's stew'd thigh, A bloated earwig, and a fly, With the red-capp'd worm that's shut Within the concave of a nut, Brown as his tooth. a little moth Late fatten'd in a piece of cloth; With wither'd cherries, mandrake's ears, Mole's eyes; to these, the slain stag's tears, The unctuous dewlaps of a snail, The broke-heart of a nightingale O'er-come in music; with a wine, Ne'er ravish'd from the flattering vine, But gently press'd from the soft side Of the most sweet and dainty bride, Brought in a dainty daisy, which He fully quaffs up to bewitch His blood to height; this done, commended Grace by his priest, the feast is ended.