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

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

Enter Lion and Moonshine.

Lion. You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear The fmallest monstrous moufe 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... .: T The True; and a goofe for his discretion. Dem Not fo, my Lord; for his valour cannot carry his difcretion, and the fox carries the goose.

The. His difcretion I am fure cannot carry his valour; for the goose 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 present. 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 rest. The man fhould be put into the lanthorn: how is it else the man i' th' moon?

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

for

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

The. It appears by his fmall light of difcretion 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-bufh, 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 Thibe. Enter Thibe.

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

Dem. Well roar'd, Lion.

The. Well run, Thisbe.

Hip. Well fhone, Moon.

Truly the Moon fhines with a good grace.

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 ftreams, FOI 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, cruth, conclude, and quell.

11

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, didft 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 loy'd, that lik'd, that look'd with

Come tears, confound: out fword, and wound
The pap of Pyramus.

Ay, that left pap where heart doth hop :

Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.

Now am I dead, now am I fled, my foul is in the fky;r
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 afs.

Hip How chance the Moonshine is gone, before Thibe comes back, and finds her lover?

Enter Thibe.

The. She will find him by ftar-light. Here he comes; and her paflion ends the play, Hip. Methinks the fhould not use a long one for fuch a Pyramus: I hope the will be brief.

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

Lyf. She hath spy'd him already with thofe fweet 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 shore

With fhears his thread of filk.

Tongue, not a word:

Come, trufty fword;

Come, blade, my breaft imbrue :

And farewel, friends,

Thus Thisby ends;

Adieu, adieu, adieu.

The. Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead, Dem. Ây, 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 bergomaik dance between two of our company?

The. No epilogue I pray you; for your play needs no excufe. Never excufe; 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 difcharged. But come, your bergomafk; let your epilogue alone. [Here a dance of clowns. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve, Lovers, to bed; 'tis almoft Fairy time.

I fear we fhall 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 task fore-done." "Now the wafted brands do glow, "Whilft the feritch-owl, feritching loud, "Puts the wretch, that lies in woe, "In remembrance of a fhroud.

"Now it is the time of night,

"That the graves, all gaping wide,

[Exeunt.

«Every

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

66

By the tripple Hecate's team, "From the prefence of the fun, "Following darkness like a dream, Now are frolic; not a mouse Shall disturb this hallow'd house: I am fent with broom before,

To fweep the duft behind the door,

Enter King and Queen of Fairies, with their train.

Ob. Through this house give glimmering light,
By the dead and drowfy fire,

Every elf, and Fairy fprite,

Hop as light as bird from brier;

And this ditty after me

Sing, and dance it trippingly.

Queen. First rehearse 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 bleffed be:
And the iue 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 ijue ftand;
Never mole, hair-lip, nor fear,
Nor mark prodigious, such as are
Defpifed in nativity,

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

Every Fairy take his gate,

And