Pyr. Odours, favours sweet.

So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby, dear;
But hark, a voice! ftay thou but here a whit; (12)
And, by and by, I will to thee appear.

he

[Exit Pyr.: Puck. A ftranger Pyramus than e'er plaid here! [Afide. Thif. Muft I fpeak now?

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

Thif. Moft radient Pyramus, moft lilly-white of hue, Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant briar, Molt brisky 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 fpeak that yet that you answer to Pyramus; you fpeak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter; your cue is paft; it is never tire.

Re-enter Bottom, with an Afs-head.

Thif. O,As true as trueft horse, that yet would

never tire.

Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine.

Quin. O monstrous! O ftrange! we are haunted; pray, masters; fly, mafters; help! [The Clowns exeunt. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round. Through bog, through bush, through brake, through

briar;

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.

(12) -fay thou bere a while;] The Verses here, 'tis plain, fhould be alternately in Rhyme: but fweet in the Clofe of the firft Line, and while in the third, will not do for this purpose. The Author, doubtlefs, gave it;

-flay thou but here a whit;

i. e. a little while: for fo it fignifies, as alfo any thing of no Price, or Confideration; a trifle: in which Senfe it is very frequent with our Author,

Bot.

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

Enter Snowt.

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

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

Enter Quince.

Quin. Blefs thee, Bottom, blefs 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 ftir 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, so 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?

Bot. The finch, the fparrow, and the lark,

The plain-fong cuckow gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer, nay.

Waking.

[Sings.

For, indeed, who would fet his wit to fo foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lye, tho' he cry cuckow never fot

Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, fing again;
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
So is mine eye enthralled to thy fhape;

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 reason for that: and yet, to fay the truth, reafon and love keep little company together now-a-days. The more the pity, that some honeft 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 shalt like an airy firit go.
Peafebloom! Cobweb! Moth! and Muftardfeed!

4 Fair. And I: where fall we go?

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 arife:

And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his fleeping eyes,
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtefies.

Fair. Hail, mortal, hail!

2 Fair. Hail!

3 Fair. Hail!.

Bot. I cry your worship's mercy heartily; I befeech, your worship's name.

Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I fhall defire of you more acquaintance, good mafter Cobweb; If I cut my finger, I fhall make bold with you. Your name, honeft gentleman ?

Peafe.

Peafe. Peafebloom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash your mother, and to mafter Peafcod your father. Good master Peafe bloffom, I fhall defire of you more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, Sir?

Muf. Muftardfeed.

Bot. Good mafter Muftardfeed, I know your patience well that fame cowardly giant-like Ox-beef hath devour'd many a gentleman of your houfe. I promife you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire more of your acquaintance, good matter Mustardfeed. 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.

Enter King of Fairies.

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

Enter Puck.

[Exeunt.

Here comes my meffenger! how now, mad fprite,
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
Puck. My miftrefs with a monster is in love.
Near to her close and confecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and fleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Thefeus' nuptial day.
The fhallow'ft thick-skin of that barren fort,
Who Pyramus prefented, in their fport,
For fook his fcene, and enter'd in a brake;
When I did him at this advantage take,
An Afs's nole I fixed on his head;
Anon, his Thisby must be answered,

And forth my minnock comes: when they him fpy,
As wild geefe, that the creeping fowler eye,

Or ruffet-pated choughs, many in fort,
Rifing and cawing at the gun's report,
Sever themselves, and madly fweep the sky;
So at his fight, away his fellows fly;

And, at our ftamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;
He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.

Their fenfe thus weak, loft with their fears thus ftrong,
Made fenfelefs things begin to do them wrong.
For briars and thorns at their apparel snatch,
Some, fleeves; fome, hats; from yielders all things catch..
I led them on in this diftra&ted fear,

And left fweet Pyramus tranflated there :
When in that moment (fo it came to pafs)
Titania wak'd, and ftraitway lov'd an afs.

Ob. This falls out better, than I could devife.
But haft thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes
With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

Puck. I took him fleeping; that is finish'd too; .
And the Athenian woman by his fide,

That when he wakes, of force she must be ey’d.

Enter Demetrius and Hermia.

Ob. Stand clofe, this is the fame Athenian.
Puck. This is the woman, but not this the man.
Dem. O, why rebuke you him that loves you

Lay breath fo bitter on your bitter foe.

fo?

Her. Now I but chide, but I fhould ufe thee worfe;
For thou, I fear, haft giv'n me cause to curse:
If thou haft flain Lyfander in his fleep,

Being o'er fhoes in blood, plunge in the deep,

And kill me too.

The fun was not fo true unto the day,

As he to me. Would he have ftoll'n away
From fleeping Hermia? I'll believe as foon,

This whole earth may be bor'd; and that the moon
May through the center creep, and fo difpleafe
Her brother's moon-tide with th' Antipodes.
It cannot be, but thou haft murder'd him;
So thould a murderer look, fo dread, fo grim.

Dem