"The raging rocks, "With fhivering fhocks, "Of prison-gates; "And Phibbus' car "Shall fhine from far, "And make and mar "The foolish fates." This was lofty!-Now name the rest of the players.This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is more condoling. Quin. Francis Flute, the bellows-mender. Flu. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You must take Thisby on you. Flu. What is Thisby? a wandering knight? Flu. Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming. Quin. That's all one; you shall play it 'in a mask, and you may speak as fmall as you will. Bot. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too: I'll speak in a monstrous little voice;-Thifne, Thifne,Ab, Pyramus, my lover dear; thy Thisby dear! and lady dear! Quin. No, no; you must play Pyramus, and, Flute, you Thisby. Bot. Well, proceed. Quin. Robin Starveling, the taylor. Star. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother. Tom Snowt, the Tinker. Snow. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You, Pyramus's father; myself, Thisby's father; in a mask,]-as was ufual, when men play'd the characters of women. Snug, -Snug, the joiner, you, the lion's part:-and, I hope, there is a play fitted. Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am flow of study. g Quin. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring. Bot. Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke fay, Let him roar again, let him roar again. Quin. An you fhould do it too terribly, you would fright the dutchess and the ladies, that they would fhriek; and that were enough to hang us all. All. That would hang us every mother's fon. Bot. I grant you, friends, if that you fhould fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more difcretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice fo, that I will roar you as gently as any fucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale. Quin. You can play no part but Pyramus: for Pyramus is a sweet-fac'd man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's-day; a most lovely, gentleman-like man; therefore you muft needs play Pyramus. Bot. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in? Quin. Why, what you will. Bot. I will discharge it in either your ftraw-coloured beard, your orange- tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French-crown-colour beard, your perfect yellow. Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-fac'd.-But, masters, here are flow of ftudy.]-in getting a part by rote. French crowns &c.]-The common confequence of the corona vemeris is baldness. your your parts and I am to entreat you, request you, and defire you, to con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moon light; there will we rehearse: for if we meet in the city, we shall be dog'd with company, and our devices known. In the mean time, I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not. Bot. We will meet; and there we may rehearse more 'obfcenely, and courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu. Quin. At the duke's oak we meet. Bot. Enough; Hold, or cut bow-strings. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. A Wood. Enter a Fairy at one door, and Puck (or Robin-goodfellow) at another. Puck. How now, fpirit! whither wander you? Thorough bufh, thorough briar, Thorough flood, thorough fire, obscenely,]-privately, and with less restraint. * Hold, or cut bow-ftrings.]-I'll be there most affuredly, whether my bow-ftrings bold or break ;-If I fail, cut my bow-ftrings, and fpoil me for an archer, or, perhaps, a fidler. moones]-the Saxon genitive cafe. LOVE'S LABOUR LOST, Act V, S. 2. Biron. And And I ferve the fairy queen, To dew. her m orbs upon the green: In those freckles live their favours: Puck. The king doth keep his revels here to night; Because that she, as her attendant, hath P And jealous Oberon would have the child But fhe, per-force, withholds the loved boy, By fountain clear, or spangled star-light ' sheen, norbs]-verdant circles on the ground, where fairies dance. n penfioners]-compofe her train or retinue; band or guard of pen. fioners, prime favourites. • In their gold coats fpots you fee ;] "A mole cinque-spotted, like the crimson drops "I' th' bottom of a cowflip." Plob]-looby, lubber. CYMBELINE, A&t II, S. 2. Jack. a changeling]-ufually applied to the child faid to be left by the fairies, here to that taken away. fbeen,]-gay, bright. Square ;]-jar, quarrel, difagree. "Mine honefty and I begin to fquare." ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, A& III, S. 11. Eno. Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, "And fometimes make the breathlefs housewife churn Puck. I am, thou speak'ft aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night. In very likeness of a roasted crab; And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob, Robin-goodfellow-or Puck, a mischievous fprite, fond of creating domeftic confufion; employed by Oberon to detect the intrigues of Titania. * Skim milk; and fometimes labour in the quern, And bootlefs make the breathlefs bufwife churn; x barm]-yeast. Y aunt,]-crone, old woman; bawd, trull. "Are fummer fongs for me and my aunts." WINTER'S TALE, A& IV, S. 2. Aut. 2 taylor cries,]-an old exclamation on a perfon's flipping befide his chair, who then refembles a taylor fquatting on his board-And tail-fore cries-And rails, or cries. VOL. II. C And |