The. Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns. Horns, and shout within. DEMETRIUS, LYSANDke, HERMIA, and HELENA wake and start up. The. Good-morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is Begin these wood-birds but to couple now ? Lys. Pardon, my lord. The. [he and the rest kneel to Theseus. I pray you all, stand up. I know, you are two rival enemies. How comes this gentle concord in the world, To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity? Lys. My lord, I shall reply amazedly, I came with Hermia hither: our intent Was, to be gone from Athens, where we might be Without the peril of the Athenian law. Ege. Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough: I beg the law, the law, upon his head. They would have stolen away, they would, Demetrius, Alluding to the old saying, that birds begin to couple on Saint Valentine's day. Thereby to have defeated you and me : Fair Helena in fancy 1 following me. But, my good lord, I wot not by what power, upon : Which in my childhood I did dote Was I betrothed ere I saw Hermia: The. Fair lovers, you are fortunately met: For in the temple, by and by, with us, We'll hold a feast in great solemnity. Come, Hippolyta. [Exeunt Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and train. Dem. These things seem small, and undistinguishable, Like far-off mountains turned into clouds. Her. Methinks, I see these things with parted eye, When every thing seems double. Hel. So methinks: And I have found Demetrius like a jewel, Mine own, and not mine own. Dem. Are you sure That we are awake? It seems to me, That yet we sleep, we dream.-Do not you think, The duke was here, and bid us follow him? Her. Yea; and my father. Hel. And Hippolyta. Lys. And he did bid us follow to the temple. Dem. Why then, we are awake: let's follow him; And, by the way, let us recount our dreams. As they go out, Bottom awakes. [Exeunt. Bot. When my cue comes, call me, and I wul answer :-my next is, 'Most fair Pyramus.'-Hey, ho!-Peter Quince! Flute, the bellows-mender! Snout, the tinker! Starveling! God's my life! stolen hence, and left me asleep! I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream,-past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass, Methought if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was there is no man can tell what. I was, and methought I had,-But man is but a patched fool,1 if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen; man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream: it shall be called Bottom's Dream, because it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter end of a play, before the duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.o [Exit. SCENE II. Athens. A room in Quince's house. Enter QUINCE, flute, snout, and starveling. Quince. Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he come home yet? Starve. He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt, he is transported. Flute. If he come not, then the play is marred: it goes not forward, doth it? Quince. It is not possible: you have not a man in all Athens, able to discharge Pyramus, but he. A fool in a particolored coat. 2 Probably meaning the death of Thisbe. Flute. No; he hath simply the best wit of any handycraft man in Athens. Quince. Yea, and the best person too: and he is a very paramour for a sweet voice. Flute. You must say, paragon: a paramour is, God bless us! a thing of naught. Enter SNUG. Snug. Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, and there is two or three lords and ladies more married: if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made men. Flute. O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a day during his life; he could not have 'scaped sixpence a day: an the duke had not given him sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged; he would have deserved it: sixpence a day, in Pyramus, or nothing. Enter BOTTOM. Bot. Where are these lads? where are these hearts? Quince. Bottom!-O most courageous day! O most happy hour! Bot. Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not what; for, if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I will tell you every thing, right as it fell out. Quince. Let us hear, sweet Bottom. All that I will tell you, |