SCENE I. ACT III. - •The same. The Queen of Fairies lying asleep. Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING. Bat. Are we all met? Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal: This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tyring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the duke. Bot. Peter Quince, — Quin. What say'st thou, bully Bottom? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Snout. By'rlakin, a parlous fear. Star. I believe, we must leave the killing out, when all is done. Bst. Not a whit; I have a device to make all well Write me a prologue: and let the prologue sean to say, we will do no harm with our swords: and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and, for the more better assurance, tell them, that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: This will put them out of fear, Quia. Well, we will have such a prologue, and it shall be written in eight and six. Bat. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight. Saout. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? Bat. Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in, God shield us! a lion among ladies, is a most dreadful thing for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion, living; and we ought to look to it. Snout. Therefore, another prologue must tell, he is not a lion. But. Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he bisself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect, — Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat 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 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 jiner. Quin. Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard | things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a charaber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light. Saug. Doth the moon shine that night we play our play? Bat. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moon-shine. Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night. Bot. Why, then you may 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 lantern, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, 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 have some plaster, or some lome, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper. Come, Quin. If that may be, then all is well. sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake; and so every one according to his cue. Enter Puck behind. Puck. What hempen home-spuns have we swag- So near the cradle of the fairy queen? Quin. Speak, Pyramus: - Thisby, stand forth. Pyr. odours savours sweet: [Erit. So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear. This. Must I speak now? Quin. Ay, marry, must you: for you must understand, he goes but to see a noise 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 juvenal, and eke most lovely Jew, As true as truest 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. - Pyramus enter; your cue is past; it is, never tire. Re-enter Puck, and Borтом with an ass's head. This. O,As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire. Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine :Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [Exeunt Clowns. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier; Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire; [Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them, to make me afeard. Re-enter SNOUT. To fan the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes: Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies. see on thee? Bot. What do you see? you see an ass's head of your own; Do you? Re-enter QUINCE. Quin. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art [Exit. translated. Bot. I see their knavery: this is to make an ass 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 sing, that they shall ear I am not afraid. The ousel-cock, so black of hue, With orange-tawney bill, The throstle with his note so true, [Sings. Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo gray, [Waking. Whose note full many a man doth mark, for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry cuckoo, never so? Tita. 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 say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days: The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion. Tila. Thou art as wise 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. Tita. Out of this wood 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, - Where shall we go? Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; Feed him with apricocks, and dewberries; With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; The honey bags steal 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, 1 Fai. Hail, mortal! 2 Fai. Hail! 3 Fai. Hail! 4 Fai. Hail! Bot. I cry your worship's mercy, heartily. — I beseech, your worship's name. Cob. Cobweb. Bot. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good master Cobweb: If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.. Your name, honest gentle man? How now, mad spirit? And forth my mimick comes: When they him spy And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls; 1 I led them on in this distracted fear, Puck. I took him sleeping,- that is finish'd too,- Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA. Obe. Stand close; this is the same Athenian. Puck. This is the woman, but not this the man. Dem. O, why rebuke you him that love you so? Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe. Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse; For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse. The sun was not so true unto the day, Fiere'd through the heart with your stern cruelty: Dem. I had rather give his carcase to my hounds. Of maiden's patience. Has thou slain him then? Oh! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake; I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. Dea. An if I could, what should I get therefore? Her. A privilege, never to see me more. And from thy hated presence part I so: See me no no more, whether he be dead or no. [Erit. Dea. There is no following her in this fierce vein : Here, therefore, for a while I will remain. So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow [Lies down. One. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite, And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight: Of thy misprision must perforce ensue Bene truse-love turn'd, and not a false turn'd true. Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that, one man holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Puck. I go, I go; look, how I go; Hit with Cupid's archery, Re-enter PUCK. Puck. Captain of our fairy band, And the youth, mistook by me, Shall we their fond pageant see? Enter LYSANDER and Helena. [Exit. Your vows, to her and me, put in two scales, To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes, Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. The ear more quick of apprehension makes; Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press Her. What love could press Lysander from my side? Lys. Lysander's love, that would not let him bide, Fair Helena; who more engilds the night Than all yon fiery oes and eyes of light. Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know, The hate I bare thee made me leave thee so? Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be. Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem : To join with men in scorning your poor friend? Her. I am amazed at your passionate words: Her. I understand not what you mean by this. Hel. Ay, do, perséver, counterfeit sad looks, Make mows upon me when I turn my back; Wink at each other; hold the sweet jest up: This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled. If you have any pity, grace, or manners, You would not make me such an argument. But, fare ye well: 'tis partly mine own fault; Which death, or absence, soon shall remedy. Lys. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse; My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena ! Hel. O excellent! Since night, you lov'd me; yet, since night you left | Never so little show of love to her, Fine, i'faith! Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear Impatient answers from my gentle tongue? Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet you! Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the game. Now I perceive that she hath made compare I am a right maid for my cowardice; Let her not strike me: You, perhaps, may think, Because she's something lower than myself, That I can match her. Her. Lower! hark, again. Hel Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me. I evermore did love you, Hermia, Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you; Save that, in love unto Demetrius, I told him of your stealth unto this wood: But be hath chid me hence; and threaten'd me Her. Why, get you gone: Who is't that hinders Hd. A foolish heart that I leave here behind. Her. What, with Lysander? Hel. With Demetrius. Lys Be not afraid: she shall not harm thee, Helena. Dea. No, sir; she shall not, though you take her part. Hel 0, when she's angry, she is keen and shrewd: She was a vixen, when she went to school; And, though she be but little, she is fierce. Her. Little again? nothing but low and little? Why will you suffer her to flout me thus? Let me come to her. Get you gone, you dwarf; You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made; You bead, you acorn. Dem. You are too officious, In her behalf that scorns your services. Let her alone; speak not of Helena ; Take not her part: for if thou dost intend Thou shalt aby it. Lys. Now she holds me not; Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try whose right, Or thine or mine, is most in Helena. Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole. [Exeunt Lys. and DEM. Her. You, mistress, all this coil is long of you : Nay, go not back. Hel. [Exit. I will not trust you, I; Nor longer stay in your curst company. Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray; My legs are longer though, to run away. Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say. [Exit, pursuing Helena. Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mistak'st, Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully. Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook, Did not you tell me, I should know the man By the Athenian garments he had on? And so far blameless proves my enterprize, That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes: And so far am I glad it so did sort, As this their jangling I esteem a sport. Obe. Thou seest, these lovers seek a place to fight: Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night; haste; For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, Troop home to church-yards: damned spirits all, L |