and in the old song, just mentioned,
and this mighty monarch asserts of himself, and his subjects,
The fairies, as we already see, were male and female; but, it is not equally clear that they procreated children.
Their government was monarchical, and Oberon the king of Fairy-land, must have been a sovereign of very extensive territory. The name of his queen was Titania, both are mentioned by Shakspeare, being personages of no little importance in the above play: where they in an ill-humour, thus encounter:
"Obe. Ill met by moon-light, proud Titania.
Tita. What, jealous Oberon? Fairy skip hence; I have forsworn his bed and company."
That the name [Oberon] was not the invention of our great dramatist is sufficiently proved. The allegorical Spenser gives it to king Henry the eighth. Robert Greene was the author of a play entitled "The Scottishe history of James the fourthe...intermixed with a pleasant comedie presented by Oberon king of the fairies." He is, like-
