Quin. An you should do it too terribly, you | would fright the dutchess and the ladies, that ey would shriek: and that were enough to Jang us all. All. That would hang us every mother's son. Bot. I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale. Quin. You can play no part but Pyramus: for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's day; a most lovely, gentleman-like man; therefore you must 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 strawcoloured beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your Frenchcrown-colour beard, your perfect yellow. Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-faced. -But, masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire 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 obscenely, and courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu. Quin. At the duke's oak we meet. ACT II. [Exeunt. SCENE I-A Wood near Athens. Enter a FAIRY at one door, and PUCK at another Thorough bush, thorough brier, Thorough flood, thorough fire, Take heed, the queen come not within his sight. And now they never meet in grove, or green, * As it. 4t ali events. A Circles. A term of contempt. By fountain clear, or spangled star-light sheen, But they do square; that all their elves, for fear, Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there. Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Call'd Robin Good-fellow: are you not he, That fright the maidens of the villagery; Skim milk; and sometimes labour in the quern, And bootless make the breathless housewife churn; [barm ;§ And sometime make the drink to bear no Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, You do their work, and they shall have good harm? luck: Are not you he? Puck. Thou speak'st aright; And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear Fai. And here my mistress:-'Would that he were gone! SCENE II. Enter OBERON, at one door, with his train, and TITANIA, at another, with hers. Obe. I'll meet by moon-light, proud Titania. Tita. What, jealous Oberon? Fairy, skip hence; I have forsworn his bed and company. Obe. Tarry, rash wanton; Am not I thy lord? Tita. Then I must be thy lady: But I know When thou hast stol'n away from fairy land, And in the shape of Corin sat all day, Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, Come from the farthest steep of India? But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, Your buskin'd mistress, and your warrior love, To Theseus must be wedded; and you come To give their bed joy and prosperity. [nia, Obe. How canst thou thus, for shame, Tita- From Perigenia, whom he ravished? Tita These are the forgeries of jealousy: Shining. Quarrel Mill. (Yeast. Wild apple. ontagious fogs; which falling in the land, Have every pelting* river made so proud, That they have overborne their continents:+ The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain, The ploughman lost his sweat; and the green corn Hath rotted, ere his youth attain'd a beard: And this same progeny of evils comes Obe. Do you amend it then; it lies in you: Tita. Set your heart at rest, The fairy land buys not the child of me. Would imitate; and sail upon the land, Tita. Perchance, till after Theseus' wedding- If you will patiently dance in our round, Tita. Not for thy kingdom.-Fairies, away: this grove, ill I torment thee for this injury.My gentle Puck, come hither: Thou remember'st Since once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back, Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, That the rude sea grew civil at her song; And certain stars shot madly from their spheres, * Petty. † Banks which contain them. A game played by boys. Page. The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid, Obe. Having once this juice, Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him. Dem. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander, and fair Hermia? The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. Thou told'st me, they were stol'n into this wood, And here am I, and wood+ within this wood, Because I cannot meet with Hermia. Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more. Hel. You draw me, you hard-hearted ada mant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Dem. Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? [more. Hel. And even for that do I love you the Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick, when I do look on thee. Exempt from love. And the ill counsel of a desert place, Hel. Your virtue is my privilege for that. And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. Hel. The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be chang'd; Dem. I will not stay thy questions; let me Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love.Re-enter PUCK. Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. Puck. Ay, there it is. Obe. I pray thee, give it me. I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, Where ox-lipst and the nodding violet grows; Quite over-canopied with lush woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania, some time of the night, Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in: [grove : And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes, [Exeunt. SCENE 111. Another part of the Wood. Enter TITANIA, with her train. Tita. Come, now a roundel, and a fairy song; Then, for the third part of a minute, hence; Some, to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds; Some, war with rear-mice for their leathern SONG. 1 Fai. You spotted snakes, with double tongue, CHORUS. Philomel, with melody, Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, tullaby: 2 Fai. Weaving spiders, come not here; Philomel, with melody, &c. 1 Fai. Hence, away; now all is well : One, aloof, stand sentinel. [Exeunt Fairies.-TITANIA sleeps, Love take the meaning, in love's conference. Her. Lysander riddles very prettily:- And then end life, when I end loyalty! Lys. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I; Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his rest! Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd! [They sleep. + Vigorous. 1 Sports. * Efts. Enter PUCK. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, [Exit. Dem. Stay, on thy peril; I alone will go. [Exit DEMETRIUS. Hel. O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies; For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears: If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers. For beasts that meet me, run away for fear: But who is here?-Lysander! on the ground! Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content. Who will not change a raven for a dove? When, at your hands, did I deserve this scorn? Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you And never may'st thou come Lysander near! To honour Helen, and to be her knight! [Exit. Her. [starting.] Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best, To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Alack, where are you? speak, an if you hear; ACT. III. [Exit. Quin. What say'st thou, bully Bottom? Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. Bot. There are things in this comedy of First, Pyramus must draw his sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Snout. By'rlakin,† a parlous‡ fear. Star. I believe, we must 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 seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords; and that Pyramus is not killed indeed: and, for the more better assurance, tell them, that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: This will put them out of fear. Quin. Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.Bot. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight. Snout. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? Star. I fear it, I promise you. Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves to bring in, God shield us! a lion among ladies, is a most 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. never tire. As true as truest horse, that yet would never I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb. [tire, Quin. Ninus' tomb, man: Why you must not Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: half his face must be seen through the lion's you speak all your part at once, cues and neck; and he himself must speak through, say-all.-Pyramus enter; your cue is past; it is, ng thus, or to the same defect,-Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life: No, I am no such 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 shall be so. 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 calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moonshine. Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night. Bot. Why, then you may leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the casement. Quin. Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chinks of a wall. Snug. You never can bring in a wall.-What say you, Bottom? Bot. Some man or other must present wall: and let him have some plaster, or some lome, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper. Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you bave spoken your speech, enter into that brake* and so every one according to his cue. Pyr. Thisby, the flowers of odious Quin. Odours, odours. odours savours sweet: stand savours So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear But, hark, a voice! stay thou but here a while, And by and by I will to thee appear. [Exit. Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd [Aside.-Exit. bere! This. Must I speak now? Quin. Ay, marry, must you: for you must understand, he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again. This. Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue, Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier, Meet brisky juvenal,† and eke most lovely Jew, Re-enter Puck, and BOTTOM with an ass' head. This. O,-As true as truest horse, that yel would never tire. Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine:-Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [haunted. [Exeunt Clowns round, Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a [through briar; Through bog, through bush, through brake, Sometime a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roai and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at ever Re-enter SNOUT. Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? Bot. What do you see? you see an ass' head of your own; Do you? Re-enter QUINCE. Quin. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated. [Exit. The throstle with his note so true, Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark. Whose note full many a man doth mark, for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; [me, Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note, And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee. little reason for that: And yet, to say the truth, Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have reason and love keep little company together now-a-days: The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion. Tita. Thou are as wise as thou art beautiful. to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough mine own turn. Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go; The last words of the preceding speech, which serve as a hint to him who is to speak next. † Afraid. The Cuckoo with his uniform note. Joke. |