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ACT III. SCENE I.

The WOO D.

Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout and Starveling.

The Queen of Fairies lying afleep.

Вот том.

RE we all met? i

AR Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our ftage, this hauthorn-brake our tyring house, and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the Duke.

Bot. Peter Quince

Quin. What fay'ft thou, bully Bottom?

Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How anfwer you that?

Snout. By'rlaken, a parlous fear.

Star. I believe we muft leave the killing out, when all is done.

Bot. Not a whit, I have a device to make all well; write me a prologue, and let the prologue feem to fay, we will do no harm with our fwords, and that Pyramus is not kill'd indeed; and for more better affurance tell them, that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver; this will put them out of fear.

Quin. Well, we will have fuch a prologue, and it fhall be written in eight and fix.

Bot. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight.

Snout.

Snout. Will not the ladies be afraid of the lion?
Star. I fear it, I promise you.

Bot. Masters, you ought to confider with your felves; to bring in, God fhield us, a lion among ladies, is a moft dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to it.

Snout. Therefore another prologue must tell, he is not a lion.

Bot. Nay you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, faying thus, or to the fame defect; ladies, or fair ladies, I would with you, or I would request you, or I would intreat you, not to fear, not to tremble; my life for yours; if you think, I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life; no, I am no fuch thing, I am a man as other men are; and there indeed let him name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner.

Quin. Well, it fhall be fo; but there is two hard things, that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber; for, you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light.

Snug. Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

Bot. A kalendar, a kalendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moon-fhine.

Quin. Yes, it doth fhine that night.

Bot. Why then may you leave a cafement of the great chamber-window, where we play, open; and the moon may fhine in at the cafement.

Quin. Ay, or elfe one must come in with a bufh of thorns and a lanthorn, and fay, he comes to dif figure, or to prefent, the perfon of moon-fhine. Then there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber, for Pyramus and Thisby (fays the ftory) did talk through the chink of a wall.

Snug.

Snug. You never can bring in a wall. What fay you, Bottem?

Bot. Some man or other muft prefent Wall; and let him have fome plafter, or fome lome, or fome rough-caft about him, to fignify wall: Or let him hold his fingers thus; and through the cranny fhall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, fit down every mother's fon, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin; when you have spoken your fpeech, enter into that brake; and fo every one according to his cue.

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Puck. What hempen home-fpuns have we fwaggering here.

So near the cradle of the fairy Queen?

What, a play tow'rd? I'll be an auditor;
An Actor too, perhaps, if I fee cause.

Quin. Speak, Pyramus; Thisby, stand forth.
Pyr. Thisby, the flower of odious favours fweet.
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr. Odours, favours fweet.

So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby, dear;
But hark, a voice! ftay thou but here a whit;

And, by and by, I will to thee appear, [Exit Pyr.
Puck. Aftranger Pyramus than e'er plaid here! [Afide.
Thif. Muft I speak now?

Quin. Ay, marry, muft you; for you muft underftand, he goes but to fee a noife that he heard, and is to come again.

Thif. Moft radiant Pyramus, moft lilly-white of hue, Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant bryer, Most brisky Juvenile, and eke moft lovely Jew, As true as trueft horfe, that yet would never tire, I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

Quin. Ninus' tomb, man; why you must not speak that yet that you anfwer to Pyramus; you speak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter; your cue is paft; it is, never tire.

Re-enter Bottom, with an Ass-head.

Thif. O, As true as trueft horfe, that yet would never tire.

Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine.

Quin. O monstrous! Oftrange! we are haunted; pray, mafters; fly, mafters; help! [The Clowns exeunt. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round. Through bog, through bush, through brake, through bryer;

Sometimes a horse I'll be, fometimes a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, fometime a fire, And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

[Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

Enter Snout.

Snout. O Bottom, thou art chang'd; what do I see on thee?

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fee? fee an afs-head of your you

Enter Quince.

Quin. Blefs thee, Bottom, blefs thee; thou art tranflated.

Bot. I fee their knavery, this is to make an ass of me, to fright me if they could; but I will not ftir from this place, do what they can; I will walk up and down here, and I will fing, that they fhall hear I am not afraid.

[Sings.

The

The Oufel cock, fo black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throftle with his note fo true,

The wren with little quill.

Queen. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?

[Waking. Bot. The finch, the fparrow, and the lark, [Sings. The plain-fong cuckow gray,

Whofe note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer, nay.

For, indeed, who would fet his Wit to fo foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lye, tho' he cry suckow never fo?

Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, fing again;
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
So is mine eye enthralled to thy fhape;

And thy fair virtue's force (perforce) doth move me,
On the first view to fay, to fwear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days. The more the pity, that fome honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon oc

cafion.

I

Queen. Thou art as wife, as thou art beautiful.

Bot. Not fo neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to ferve mine

own turn.

Queen. Out of this wood do not defire to go,
Thou fhalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a fpirit of no common rate;

The fummer ftill doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee; therefore, go with me,
I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;

1 Joke or scoff.

VOL. I.

Mr. Pope.

K

And

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