Bot. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight.

Snowt. Will not the ladies be afraid of the lion? Star. I fear it, I promise you.

Bot. Masters, you ought to confider with yourselves: to bring in, God fhield us, a lion among ladies, is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wildfowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to it.

Snowt. Therefore another prologue must tell, he is

not a lion.

:

Bot. Nay you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, faying thus, or to the fame defect Ladies, or, Fair ladies, I would with you, or I would request you, or I would intreat you, not to fear, not to tremble; my life for yours; if you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life; no, I am no fuch 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 fhall be fo; but there is two hard things, that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber; for, you know, Pyramus and Thiby meet by moon-light.

Snug. Doth the moon fhine that night we play our play!

Bot. A kalendar, a kalendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-fhine, find out moon-fline.

Quin. Yes, it doth fhine that night.

Bot. Why then may you leave a cafement of the great chamber-window, where we play, open; and the moon may fhine in at the casement.

Quin. Ay, or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and fay, he comes to disfigure, or to prefent, the perfon of moon-fhine. Then there is another thing; we must have a wall in the great chamber, for Pyramus and Thisby (fays the ftory) did talk through the chink of a wall.

Snug. You never can bring in a wall What fay you, Bottom?

Bot. Some man or other muft prefent Wall; and let

him have fome plafter, or fome lome, or fome roughcaft about him, to fignify wall: or let him hold his fingers thus; and through the cranny fhall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, fit down every mother's fon, and rehearfe your parts. Pyramus, you begin; when you have spoken your fpeech, enter into that brake; and fo every one according to his cue.

SCENE II. Enter Puck behind.

Puck. What hempen home-fpuns have we fwaggering here?

So near the craddle of the Fairy Queen?
What, a play tow'rd? I'll be an auditor;
An actor too, perhaps, if I fee cause.

Quin. Speak, Pyramus; Thisby, ftand forth.
Pyr. Thiby, the flower of odious favours fweet.
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr. Odours, favours fweet.

So doth thy breath. my dearest Thisby, dear;
But hark, a voice! ftay thou but here a whit;
And, by and by, I will to thee appear. [Exit Pyr.
Puck. A ftranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here!

Thif. Muft I fpeak now?

[dfide.

Quin. Ay, marry, muft you; for you muft underftand, he goes but to fee a noife that he heard, and is to come again.

Thif. Moft radiant Pyramus, moft lily-white of hue, Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant brier, Moft brifky Juvenile, and eke most lovely Jew,

As true as trueft horse, that yet would never tire, I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

Quin. Ninus tomb, man; why you must not speak that yet that you answer to Pyramus; you speak all your part at once, cues and all Fyramus, enter; your cue is paft; it is, never tire

Re enter Bottom, with an afs-head.

Thif. 0,

As true as trueft horse, that yet would

never tire.

Pyr.

Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine. Quin. O monftrous! O ftrange! we are haunted; pray, mafters; fly, mafters; help! [The Clowns exeunt. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round. Through bog, through bufh, through brake, through brier;

Sometimes a horfe I'll be, fometimes a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, fometimes a fire, And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

[Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

Enter Snowt.

Snowt. O Bottom, thou art change'd; what do I fee on thee?

Bot. What do you fee? you fee an afs-head of your own, do you?

Enter Quince.

Quin. Blefs thee, Bottom, bless thee; thou art tranflated.

Bot. I fee their knavery; this is to make an afs of me, to fright me if they could: but I will not stir from this place, do what they can; I will walk up and down here, and I will fing, that they fhall hear I am not afraid. [Sings.

The oufel cock, fo black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill;

The throftle with his note fo true,
The wren with little quill.

Queen. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?

[Waking.

Bot. The finch, the fparrow, and the lark, [Sings. The plain-fong cuckow gray,

Whofe note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer, nay.

For, indeed, who would set his wit to fo foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lye, though he cry cuckow never fo?

Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, fing again;

Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue's force (perforce) doth move me, On the first view to fay, to fwear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, Mistress, you should have little reafon for that: and yet, to fay the truth, reafon and love keep little company together now-a-days. The more the pitv, that fome honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occafion.

Queen. Thou art as wife as thou art beautiful.

Bot. Not fo neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to ferve mine own

turn.

Queen. Out of this wood do not defire to go, Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no. I am a fpirit of no common rate;

The fummer ftill doth tend upon my state,

And I do love thee: therefore go

with me,

I'll give thee Fairies to attend on thee;

And they fhall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And fing, while thou on preffed flowers doft fleep:
And I will purge thy mortal groffness so,
That thou fhalt like an airy spirit go.
Peafebloom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!

SCENE

1 Fair. Ready. 2 Fair. And I.

3 Fair. And I.

4 Fair. And I. Queen. Be kind

and courteous to this gentleman.
Hop in his walks, and gambole in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs and mulberries;
The honey-bags fteal from the humble bees,
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arise;

And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his fleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtefics.
1 Fair. Hail, mortal, hail!

2 Fair.

1

2 Fair. Hail!

3

Fair. Hail!

Bot. I cry your Worfhip's mercy heartily; I befseech your Worship's name.

Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I fhall defire of you more acquaintance, good
Master Cobweb; if I cut my finger, I shall make bold
with you.
Your name, honeft gentleman.
Peafe. Peafebloom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash
your mother, and to Mafter Peafecod your father.
Good Master Peafebloffom, I shall defire of
you more
acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, Sir.
Muf. Muftardfeed.

Bat. Good Malter Mustard feed, I know your parentage well that fame cowardly giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your houfe. I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire more of your acquaintance, good Master Muftard feed.

Queen. Come, wait upon him, lead him to my bower.
The moon, methinks, looks with a watry eye;
And when the weeps, weep ev'ry little flower,
Lamenting fome enforced chastity!

Tie up my love's tongue, bring him filently. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Enter King of Fairies.

Ob. I wonder if Titania be awak'd:
Then what it was that next came in her eye,
Which she must doat on in extremity.

Enter Puck.

Here comes my meffenger! How now, mad fprite!
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
Puck. My mistress with a monster is in love.
Near to her close and confecrated bower,
While fhe was in her dull and fleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian ftalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Thefeus' nuptial day.