The. The best in this kind are but shadows; and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.

Hip. It must be your imagination then, and not theirs. The. If we imagine no worse of them than they of themselves, they may pafs for excellent men. come two noble beafts in, a man and a lion.

Enter Lion and Moonshine.

Here

Lion. You, ladies, you, whofe gentle hearts do fear The smallest monftrous mouse that creeps on floor, May now, perchance, both quake and tremble here, When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar. Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am No lion fell, nor elfe no lion's dam:

For if I fhould as lion come in ftrife

Into this place, 'twere pity of my life.

The. A very gentle beaft, and of a good confcience. Dem. The very best at a beast, my Lord, that e'er I faw.

Lyf. This lion is a very fox for his valour.

The. True; and a goofe for his discretion. Dem. Not fo, my Lord; for his valour cannot carry his discretion, and the fox carries the goofe.

The. His difcretion I am fure cannot carry his valour; for the goofe carries not the fox. It is well; leave it to his difcretion, and let us hearken to the moon.

Moon. This lanthorn doth the horned moon prefent. Dem. He fhould have worn the horns on his head. The. He is no crefcent, and his horns are invisible within the circumference.

Moon. This lanthorn doth the horned moon present: Myfelf the man i' th' moon doth feem to be.

The. This is the greatest error of all the reft. The man fhould be put into the lanthorn: how is it elfe the man i' th' moon?

Dem. He dares not come there for the candle; for you fee it is already in snuff.

Hip. I am weary of this moon; 'would he would change!

The. It appears by his small light of discretion that he is in the wane; but yet in courtesy, in all reason, we must stay the time.

Lyf.

Lyf. Proceed, Moon.

Moon. All that I have to fay, is to tell you, that that lanthorn is the moon; I the man in the moon; this thorn-bush, my thorn-buth; and this dog, my dog. : Dem. Why, all these should be in the lanthorn; for they are in the moon. But, filence; here comes Thisbe. Enter Thibe.

Thif. This is old Ninny's tomb; where is my love? Lion. Oh.[The Lion roars, Thisbe runs of:

Dem Well roar'd, Lion.

The. Well run, Thisbe.
Hip. Well fhone, Moon.

Truly the Moon fhines with a good grace.

2

The. Well mouz'd, Lion.

Dem. And then came Pyramus.

Lyf. And fo the Lion vanish'd.

Enter Pyramus.

Pyr. Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy funny beams;

I thank thee, Moon, for fhining now fo bright;

For by thy gracious, golden, glittering streams,
I trust to taste of trueft Thisby's fight.

But ftay: O fpight!

But mark, poor Knight,

What dreadful dole is here?

Eyes, do you fee?

How can it be?

O dainty duck! O deer?

Thy mantle good,

What, ftain'd with blood!

Approach, you furies fell:

O fates! come, come :

Cut thread and thrum;

Quail, crufh, conclude, and quell.

The. This paffion, and the death of a dear friend

Would go near to make a man look fad.

Hip. Befhrew my heart; but I pity the man.

Pyr. O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame? Since lion vile hath here deflour'd my dear:

Which is

no, no

which was the fairest dame,

That liv'd, that lov'd, that lik'd, that look'd with

cheer.

Come tears, confound: out fword, and wound

The pap of Pyramus,

Ay, that left pap where heart doth hop:
Thus die 1, thus, thus, thus.

Now am I dead, now am I fled, my foul is in the sky;
Tongue, lofe thy light; moon, take thy flight;
Now die, die, die, die, die.

[Dies. Dem. No die, but an ace for him; for he is but one. Lyf. Lefs than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing.

The. With the help of a furgeon he might yet recover, and prove an aís.

Hip. How chance the Moonfhine is gone, before Thisbe comes back, and finds her lover?

Enter Thibe.

The. She will find him by ftar-light.

Here fhe comes; and her paffion ends the play. Hip. Methinks fhe fhould not use a long one for fuch a Pyramus: I hope fhe will be brief.

Dem. A moth will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thibe, is the better.

Lyf. She hath fpy'd him already with those sweet eyes. Dem. And thus fhe moans, videlicet.

Thif. Afleep, my love?

What, dead, my dove?

O Pyramus, arife:

Speak, fpeak. Quite dumb?

Dead, dead? a tomb

Muft cover thy fweet eyes.

Thefe lily brows,

This cherry nofe,

Thefe yellow cowflip cheeks,

Are gone, are gone:

Lovers, make moan!

His eyes were green as leeks.
O fifters three,

Come, come to me,

With hands as pale as milk;

Lave them in gore,

Since you have fhore

With fhears his thread of filk.

Tongue,

[Dies.

The. Moonshine and I ion are left to bury the dead. Dem. Ay, and Wall too.

Bot. No, I affure you, the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it pleafe you to fee the epilogue, or to hear a bergomask dance between two of our company?

The. No epilogue I pray you; for your play needs no excufe. Never excuse; for when the players are all dead, there need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had played Pyramus, and hung himself in Thibe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy: and fo it is truly, and very notably discharged. But come, your bergomask; let your epilogue alone. [Here a dance of clowns.. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve. Lovers, to bed; 'tis almoft Fairy time.

4

I fear we shall out-fleep the coming morn,
As much as we this night have over-watch'd.
This palpable grofs play hath well beguil'd

The heavy gate of night. Sweet friends, to bed,
A fortnight hold we this folemnity,
In nightly revel, and new jollity.

SCENE III. Enter Puck.

Puck." Now the hungry lion roars, "And the wolf behowls the moon: "Whilft the heavy plowman fnoars, "All with weary tafk fore-done. "Now the wafted brands do glow,

"Whilft the fcritch-owl, fcritching loud, "Puts the wretch, that lies in woe,

"In remembrance of a shroud.

"Now it is the time of night,

"That the graves, all gaping wide,

[Exeunt.

Every

"Every one lets forth his spright,
"In the church-way paths to glide;
"And we fairies, that do run

66

By the tripple Hecate's team, "From the presence of the fun,

66

Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic; not a mouse
Shall disturb this hallow'd house:
I am fent with broom before,

To sweep the duft behind the door.

Enter King and Queen of Fairies, with their train. Ob. Through this houfe give glimmering light, By the dead and drowsy fire,

Every elf, and Fairy (prite,

Hop as light as bird from brier;

And this ditty after me

Sing, and dance it trippingly.

Queen. First rehearie this fong by rote,

To each word a warbling note.

Hand in hand, with Fairy grace,

Will we fing and bless this place.

The SON G.

Now until the break of day,
Through this houfe each Fairy fray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us fhall blessed be:
And the iffue there create,
Ever fhall be fortunate;
So fhall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be:

And the blots of Nature's hand
Shall not in their illue ftand;
Never mole, hair-lip, nor fear,
Nor mark prodigious, fuch as are
Defpifed in nativity,

Shall upon their children be.
With this field-dew confecrate,

Every Fairy take his gate,

And