line of Mr Midwinter against them all:

In Arthur's court Tom Thumb did live.

"But then," says Dr B--y, "if we place Tom Thumb in the court of king
Arthur, it will be proper to place that court out of Britain, where no
giants were ever heard of." Spenser, in his Fairy Queen, is of another
opinion, where, describing Albion, he says,

------Far within a savage nation dwelt
Of hideous giants.

And in the same canto:

Then Elfar, with two brethren giants had,
The one of which had two heads------
The other three.

Risum teneatis, amici.
]


_Dood_. When Goody Thumb first brought this Thomas forth,
The Genius of our land triumphant reign'd;
Then, then, O Arthur! did thy Genius reign.

_Nood_. They tell me it is [1]whisper'd in the books
Of all our sages, that this mighty hero,
By Merlin's art begot, hath not a bone
Within his skin, but is a lump of gristle.