But heerein meane I to enrich my paine,
To have his sight thither, and backe againe.

[Scene ii. The same. Quince's house.]

Exit.

Enter Quince the Carpenter, Snug the Joyner, Bottome the Weaver, Flute the bellowes-mender, Snout the Tinker, and | Starveling the Taylor.

Quin. Is all our company heere?

Bot. You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip.

Qui. Here is the scrowle of every mans name, which is thought fit through all Athens, to play in our Enterlude before the Duke and the Dutches, on his wedding day at night.

ΙΟ

Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on: then read the names of the Actors: and so grow on to a point.

Quin. Marry our play is the most lamentable Comedy, and most cruell death of Pyramus and Thisbie.

Bot. A very good peece of worke I assure you, and a merry. Now good Peter Quince, call forth your Actors by the scrowle. Masters spread your selves. Quince. Answere as I call you.

Weaver.

Nick Bottome the

20

Bottome. Ready; name what part I am for, and proceed.

Quince. You Nicke Bottome are set downe for Py

ramus.

Bot. What is Pyramus, a lover, or a tyrant?

Quin. A Lover that kills himselfe most gallantly for love.

6. accouding: according-QQ. 2-4F. 12-3. grow on to: grow to-QQ.

27

26. gallantly: gallant-QQ.

Bot. That will aske some teares in the true performing of it: if I do it, let the audience looke to their eies: I will moove stormes; I will condole in some measure. To the rest yet, my chiefe humour is for a tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to teare a Cat in, to make all split the raging Rocks; and shivering shocks shall break the locks of prison gates, and Phibbus carre shall shine from farre, and make and marre the foolish Fates. This was.lofty. Now name the rest of the Players. This is Ercles vaine, a tyrants vaine: a lover is more condoling.

Quin. Francis Flute the Bellowes-mender.

Flu. Heere Peter Quince.

Quin. You must take Thisbie on you.

Flut. What is Thisbie, a wandring Knight?

40

Quin. It is the Lady that Pyramus must love. Flut. Nay faith, let not mee play a woman, I have a beard comming.

Qui. That's all one, you shall play it in a Maske, and you may speake as small as you will.

Bot. And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbie too: Ile speake in a monstrous little voyce; Thisne, Thisne, ah Pyramus my lover deare, thy Thisbie deare, and Lady deare.

51

Quin. No no, you must play Pyramus, and Flute, you Thisby.

Bot. Well, proceed.

Qu. Robin Starveling the Taylor.

Star. Heere Peter Quince.

Quince. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisbies mother?

Tom Snowt, the Tinker.

33-5. 8 rhymed 11.-JOHNSON. 41. You must: Flute, you must-12.

Snowt. Heere Peter Quince.

60

Quin. You, Pyramus father; my self, Thisbies father; Snugge the Joyner, you the Lyons part: and I hope there is a play fitted.

Snug. Have you the Lions part written? pray you if be, give it me, for I am slow of studie.

Quin. You may doe it extemporie, for it is nothing but roaring.

Bot. Let mee play the Lyon too, I will roare that I will doe any mans heart good to heare me. I will roare, that I will make the Duke say, Let him roare againe, let him roare againe.

71

Quin. If you should doe it too terribly, you would fright the Dutchesse and the Ladies, that they would shrike, and that were enough to hang us all.

All. That would hang us every mothers sonne.

Bottome. I graunt you friends, if that you should fright the Ladies out of their Wittes, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voyce so, that I will roare you as gently as any sucking Dove; I will roare and 'twere any Nightingale.

81

Quin. You can play no part but Piramus, for Piramus is a sweet-fac'd man, a proper man as one shall see in a summers day; a most lovely Gentleman-like man, therfore you must needs play Piramus.

Bot. Well, I will undertake it.

best to play it in?

Quin. Why, what you will.

What beard were

I

Bot. I will discharge it, in either your straw-colour beard, your orange tawnie beard, your purple in graine

62. there: here-Qo.

72. If you: An you-CAPELL.

64-5. if be: if it be-QQ.2-4F. 80. roare and: roar you an

a-Qe.

beard, or your French-crowne colour'd beard, your perfect yellow.

92

Quin. Some of your French Crownes have no haire at all, and then you will play bare-fac'd. But masters here are your parts, and I am to intreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them by too morrow night: and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the Towne, by Moone-light, there we will rehearse: for if we meete in the Citie, we shalbe dog'd with company, and our devises knowne. In the meane time, I wil draw a bil of perties, such as our play wants. I pray you faile me not. Bottom. We will meete, and there we may rehearse more obscenely and couragiously. Take paines, be perfect, adieu.

Quin. At the Dukes oake we meete.
Bot. Enough, hold or cut bow-strings.

pro

104

Exeunt

Enter a Fairie at one doore, and Robin good-
fellow [Puck] at another.

Rob. [Puck] How now spirit, whether wander you?
Fai. Over hil, over dale, through bush, through briar,
Over parke, over pale, through flood, through fire,
I do wander everie where, swifter then the Moons sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queene, to dew her orbs upon the

green.

The Cowslips tall, her pensioners bee,

In their gold coats, spots you see,

91. colour'd: colour-Q2.

103. more: most-12.

5-6. through through: thorough 5-8. 8 rhymed 11.-POPE.

...

10

98. we will: will we-12.

thorough-12.

Those be Rubies, Fairie favors,

In those freckles, live their favors,

I must go seeke some dew drops heere,
And hang a pearle in every cowslips eare.
Farewell thou Lob of spirits, Ile be gon,

Our Queene and all her Elves come heere anon.

Rob. The King doth keepe his Revels here to night, Take heed the Queene come not within his sight, For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,

20

29

Because that she, as her attendant, hath
A lovely boy stolne from an Indian King,
She never had so sweet a changeling,
And jealous Oberon would have the childe
Knight of his traine, to trace the Forrests wilde.
But she (perforce) with-holds the loved boy,
Crownes him with flowers, and makes him all her joy.
And now they never meete in grove, or greene,
By fountaine cleere, or spangled star-light sheene,
But they do square,1 that all their Elves for feare
Creepe into Acorne cups and hide them there. 1quarrel
Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Or else you are that shrew'd and knavish spirit
Cal'd Robin Good-fellow. Are you not hee,
That frights the maidens of the Villagree, 2 hand-mill
Skim milke, and sometimes labour in the querne,2
And bootlesse make the breathlesse huswife cherne,
And sometime make the drinke to beare no barme,3
Misleade night-wanderers, laughing at their harme,
Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Pucke, 3froth
You do their worke, and they shall have good lucke. 40
Are not you he?

32. spirit: sprite-1Q.

33. Are you not: Are not you-1Q..

34. Villagree: villagery (ee)-1Q.