SCENE II.—ATHENS. A Room in QUINCE'S House. Enter QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING. Quince. Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he come home yet? Starveling. He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt, he is transported. Flute. If he come not, then the play is marred; It goes not forward, doth it! Quince. It is not possible: you have not a man in all Athens, able to discharge Pyramus, but he. Flute. No; he hath simply the best wit of any handycraft man in Athens. Quince. Yea, and the best person too: and he is a very paramour, for a sweet voice. Flute. You must say, paragon: a paramour is a thing of nought. Enter SNUG. Snug. Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, and there is two or three lords and ladies more married: if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made men. Flute. O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a-day during his life; he could not have 'scaped sixpence a-day: an the duke had not given him sixpence a-day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged; he would have deserved it: sixpence a-day, in Pyramus, or nothing. Enter BOTTOM, Bottom. Where are these lads? where are these hearts? Quince. Bottom !—0 most courageous day! O most happy hour! Bottom. Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not what; for, if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I will tell you every thing, right as it fell out. Quince. Let us hear, sweet Bottom. All that I will tell you, is, that the duke hath dined: Get your apparel together; a food strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look o'er his part; for, the short and the long is, our play is preferred. In any case, let Thisby have clean linen; and let not him, that plays the lion pare his nails, for they shall hang out for the lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions, nor garlick, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt, but to hear them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words; away; go, away. . [Exeunt. ACT V. ATTENDANTS. speak of. believe (Tere * Compacted, made. les bons we dite OUTE wz/te? relig a Or, in the night, imagining some fear, Hippolyta. But all the story of the night told over, Enter LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HERMIA, and HELENA. Theseus. Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth,Joy, gentle friends! joy, and fresh days of love, Accompany your hearts ! Lysander. More than to us we have, Philostrate. Here, mighty Theseus. evening? Philostrate. There is a brief, how many sports are ripe; Make choice of which your highness will see first. [Giving a paper. THESEUS. [Reads.] The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung, The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals, 5 Pastime. 6 Short account That is an old device; and it was play'd The thrice three muses mourning for the death Of learning, late deceas'd in beggary. That is some satire, keen, and critical, Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony. A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus, And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth. long; Theseus. What are they, that do play it? here, Theseus. And we will hear it. No, my noble lord, you service. I will hear that play; [Exit PHILOSTRATE. : Hippolyta. I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharg'd, And duty in his service perishing. Theseus. Why, gentlesweet, you shall see no such thing. Hippolyta. He says, they can do nothing in this kind. Theseus. The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing. Our sport shall be, to take what they mistake: And what poor duty can do, Noble respect takes it in might, not merit. Where I have come, great clerks have purposed To greet me with premeditated welcomes; Where I have seen them shiver and look pale, Make periods in the midst of sentences, Throttle their practis'd accent in their fears, And, in conclusion, dumbly have broke off, Not paying me a welcome: Trust me, sweet, Out of this silence, yet, I pick'd a welcome; And in the modesty of fearful duty I read as much, as from the rattling tongue Of sawcy and audacious eloquence. Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity, In least, speak most, to my capacity. Enter PHILOSTRATE. Philostrate. So please your grace, the prologue is addrest.? Theseus. Let him approach. [Flourish of trumpets. Enter PROLOGUE. should think, we come not to offend, But with good-will. To show our simple skill, That is the true beginning of our end. We do not come as minding to content you. you should here repent you. The actors are at hand; and, by their show, You shall know all, that you are like to know. Ready |