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 shield 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, saying thus, of to the same defect : Ladies, or, Fair ladies, I would wish you, or I would request you, or I would intreat you, not to fear, not to tremble; my life for

ỹours ;

if
you

think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life; no, I am no such 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 shall be fo; but there is two hard things, that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber; for, you know, Pyramus and Thilby meet by moon-light.

Snug. Doth the mioon shine 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 shine that night.

Bot. Why then may you leave a casement of the great chamber-window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine 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 person of moon-fhine. Then there is another thing; we muit have a wall in the great chamber, for Pyramus and Thirby (says the story) did talk through the chink of a wall.

Snug. You never can bring in a wall What say you, Bottom ? Bot. Some man or other must present Wall; and let

him

him have fome plaster, or fome lome, or some roughcast about him, to signify wall: or let him hold his fingers thus; and through the cranny thall Pyramuś and Thisby whisper.

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

S CE N E II. Enter Puck behind.
Puck. What hempen honie-fpuns have we swagger-

ing 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 caule.

Quin. Speak, Pyramus ; Thisby, stand forth.
Pyr. Thisby, the flower of odious favours sweet.
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr. Odours, savours sweet.
So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby, dear ;
But hark, a voice ! stay thou but here a whit;

And, by and by, I will to thee appear. [Exit Pyr.
Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here!

[-side. This. Must I speak now? Quin. Ay, marry,

must
you;

for
you

must understand, he goes but to see a noite that he heard, and is to come again.

This. Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,

Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier, Most brisky Juvenile, and eke most lovely Jew,

As true as truett 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 antwer to Pyrainus; you speak all your part at once, cues and all Fyrainus, enter; your çue is past ; it is, never tire

Re enter Bottom, with an ass-head. This. 0, As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.

Pyr.

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

Quin. O monstrous ! O strange! we are haunted ; pray, masters; Ay, masters; help! [The Clowns exeunt.

Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round. Through bog, through bush, through brake, through

brier; Sometimes a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometimes 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 see on thee? Bot. What do you see?

you

lee an ass-head of your own, do you?

Enter Quince. Quin. Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee; thou art tranflated.

Bot. I see their knavery; this is to inake an ass of me, to fright me if they could: but will not ftir from this place, do what they can; I will walk up

and down here, and I will fing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.

[Sings. The oufel cock, so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill;
The throftle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill.
Queen. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?

[Waking Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, [Sings.

The plain-fong cuckow gray,
Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer, nay. For, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lye, though he cry cuckow never fo? Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing 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 say, to swear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, Mistress, you should have little reason for that: and yet, to lay the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days. The more the pitv, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, 1 can gleek upon occasion.

Cueen. Thou art as wife as thou art beautiful.

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

Queen. Out of this wond do not desire to go,
Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate ;
The summer still 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 shall fetch thee jewels from the deep, And fing, while thou on pressed flowers doft fleep: And I will purge thy mortal grossness so, That thou Thalt like an airy spirit go. Peafeblojom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard seed!

SCENE III. Enter four Fairies.
i Fair. Ready.
2 Fair. And I.
3

Fair. And I.
Fair. And I. Where shall 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 Iteal 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 sleeping eyes :
Nod to him, elves, and do hiin courtesics.
i Fair. Hail, mortal, hail !

2 Fair.

4

2 Fair. Hail ! 3

Fair. Hail! Bot. I cry your Worship's mercy heartily; I beseech your Worship's name.

Cob. Gobweb.

Bot. I shall defire of you more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb; if I cut my finger, I ihall make hold with you. Your name, honest gentleman.

Pease. Peafeblofom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash your mother, and to Master Peafecod your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire of you more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, Sir,

Muf. Muiftardfeed.

Bot. Good Master Mustard seed, I know your parentage well: that same cowardly giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house. I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I delire more of your acquaintance, good Master 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 some enforced chastity! Tie up my love's tongue, bring him filently. [Exeunt.

IV.

S CE N E 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 messenger! How now, mad fprite !
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?

Puck. My mistress with a moniter is in love.
Near to her close and confecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.