Furfue her; and for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expence.
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have his fight thither, and back again.

SCENE IV. Changes to a cottage.

[Exit.

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

Quin. Is all our company here?

Bot. You were best to call them generally man by man, according to the fcrip.

Quin. Here is the fcrowl of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and Duchefs, on his weddingday at night.

Bot. Firft, good Peter Quince, fay what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and fo go on to a point.

Quin. Marry, our play is the most lamentable comedy, and moft cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe.

Bot. A very good piece of work, I affure you, and a merry Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the fcrowl. Mafters, fpread yourselves.

Quin. Anfwer, as I call you. Nick Bottom, the

Bot. Ready: name what part I am for, and proceed. Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are fet down for Pyramus. Bot. What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant? Quin. A lover that kills himself moft gallantly for love.

Bot. That will afk fome tears in the true performing of it; if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move ftorms; I will condole in fome measure. To the reft; yet my chief humour is for a tyrant; I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cap in : To make all fplit "the raging rocks, and shiver"ing fhocks fhall break the locks of prifon-gates"and Phibbus' carr shall shine from far, and make and

66

mar the foolish fates *.". This was lofty. Now

This was probably a piece of nonfenfical bombaft taken out of fome foolish play known at that time.

name

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.

Fla. Here, Peter Quince

Quin. You must take Thibe on you.

Flu. What is Thisbe, a wand'ring Knight?

Quin. It is the lady that Pyramus must love. Flu. Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming.

Quin That's all one, you fhall play it in a mafque; and you may speak as small as you will.

Bot. And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too; I'll fpeak in a monstrous little voice, Thifne, Thifne; ah Pyramus, my lover dear, thy Thisbe dear, and lady dear.

Quin. No, no, you must play Pyramus; and Flute, you, Thibe.

Bot. Well, proceed.

Quin. Robin Starveling, the tailor.

Star. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisbe's

mother.

Tom Snowt, the tinker.

Snow. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. You, Pyramus's father; myfelf, Thisbe's father; Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: 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.

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. If you fhould do it too terribly, you would fright the Duchefs 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 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,

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 fweet-face'd man; a proper man, as one fhall fee in a fummer's day; a molt lovely gentleman-like man therefore you must needs play Pyramus. What beard were

Bot. Well, I will undertake it.

I beft to play it in?

Quin. Why what you will.

Bot. I will difcharge it in either your ftraw-colour'd beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French crown-colour'd beard, your perfect yellow.

Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-face'd. But, masters, here are your parts; and I am to intreat 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 we will rehearse: for if we meet in the city, we fhall 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 courageoufly. Take pains, be perfect, adieu.

Quin. At the Duke's oak we meet.

Bot. Enough; hold, or cut bow-ftrings *.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE

I. ***

A Wood.

Enter a fairy at one door, and Puck (or Robin Good

Puck. H

fellow) at another.

OW now, fpirit, whither wander you?

Fai. Over hill, over dale,

Through bufh, through briar,

Over park, over pale,

Through flood, through fire,

• A proverbial phrase, signifying, without fail, or, in all events.

I

I do wander every where,
Swifter than the moon's fphere;
And I ferve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowflip tall her penfioners be,
In their gold coats spots you see,
Those be rubies, Fairy-favours;
In those freckles live their favours:
I must go feek fome dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowflip's ear.
Farewel, thou lob of fpirits, I'll be gone,

Our Queen and all our elves come here anon.

Puck. The King doth keep his revels here to-night,
Take heed the Queen come not within his fight.
For Oberon is paffing fell and wrath,

Because that fhe, as her attendant, hath
A lovely boy, ftoll'n from an Indian King:
She never had fo fweet a changeling;
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild;
But the per force with-holds the loved boy,
Crowns him with flow'rs, and makes him all her joy.
And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or fpangled ftar-light fheen,
But they do fquare, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn-cups, and hide them there.

Fai. Or I mistake your fhape and making quite,
Or else you are that fhrewd, and knavith sprite,
Call'd Robin Goodfellow. Are you not he,
That fright the maidens of the villageree,
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern,
And bootlefs make the breathlefs hufwife chern:
And fometimes make the drink to bear no barm,
Mislead night-wand'rers, laughing at their harm?
Thofe that Hobgoblin call you, and fweet Puck,
You do their work, and they fhall have good luck:
Are not you he?

Puck. Thou fpeak'ft aright;

I am that merry wand'rer of the night:
I jeft to Oberon, and make him smile,
When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,

Neighing in likeness of a filly-foal,
And fometimes lurk I in a goffip's bowl,
In very likeness of a roasted crab * ;
And when the drinks, against her lips 1 bob,
And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale.
The wifeft aunt, telling the faddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot ftool mistaketh me;
Then flip I from her bum, down topples fhe,
And rails or cries, and falls into a cough;
And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe,
And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear,
A merrier hour was never wasted there.

But make room, Fairy, here comes Oberon

Fai. And here my mistress: would that he were gone!

SCENE II. ***

Enter Oberon King of Fairies at one door with his train, and the Queen at another with her's.

Ob. Ill met at moon-light, proud Titania.
Queen. What, Jealous Oberon? Fairies, skip hence,
I have forfworn his bed and company.

Ob. Tarry, rash wanton; am not I thy lord?
Queen. Then I must be thy lady; but I know,
When thou haft ftol'n away from Fairy-land,
And in the fhape of Corin fat all day,
Playing on pipes of corn, and verfing love
To am'rous Phillida. Why art thou here,
Come from the fartheft steep of India ?
But that, forfooth, the bouncing Amazon,
Your buskin'd mistress and your warrior love,
To Thefeus must be wedded; and you come
To give their bed joy and profperity.

Ob. How can't thou thus for flame, Titania,
Glance at my credit with Hippolita;

Knowing, I know thy love to Thefeus!

Didit thou not lead him glimmering through the night,

From Perigune, whom he ravished;

And make him with fair Egle break his faith,
With Ariadne, and Antiopa?

* Crab-apple.

VOL. I.

K

Queen.