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Her. Ome! you juggler! you canker-blossom! | Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully.
You thief of love! what, have you come by night, Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
And stol'n my love's heart from him?

Did not you tell me, I should know the man
Hel. Fine, i'faith!

By the Athenian garments, he had on?
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,

And so far blameless proves my enterprize,
No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear

That I have'nointed an Athenian's eyes:
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?

And so far am I glad it so did sort,
Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet you !

As this their jangling I esteem a sport.
Her. Puppet! why so ? Ay, that way goes the game. Obe. Thou seest, these lovers seek a place to fight:
Now I perceive, that she hath made compare Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;
Between our statures, she hath urg'd her height; The starry welkin cover thou anon
And with her personage, her tall personage,

With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevailid with him. And lead these testy rivals so astray,
And are yon grown so high in his esteem,

As one come not within another's way.
Because I am so dwarfish, and so low?

Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,
How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak! Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
How low am I? I am not yet so low,

And sometime rail thou like Demetrius;
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen, Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
Let her not hurt me: I was never curst;

With leaden legs and batty wings doth

creep:
I have no gift at all in shrewishness;

Then crush this herbinto Lysander's eye;
I am a right maid for my cowardice;

Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
Let her not strike me; you, perhaps, may think, To take from thence all error, with his might,
Because she's something lower, than myself, And make his eye-balls roll with wonted sight.
That I can match her.

When they next wake, all this derision
Her. Lower! hark, again.

Shall seem a dream, and fruitless vision ;
Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me! And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,
I evermore did love you, Hermia,

With league, whose date till death shall never end.
Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you;

Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
Save that, in love unto Demetrius,

I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy;
I told him of your stealth unto this wood:

And then I will her charmed eye release
He follow'd you ; for love, I follow'd him.

From monster's view, and all things shall be peace.
But he hath chid me hence; and threaten'd me

Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste; To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too:

For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And now, so you will let me quiet go,

And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;
To Athens will I bear my folly back,

At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there,
And follow you no further. Let me go!

Troop home to church-yards; damned spirits all,
You see how simple and how fond I am.

That in cross-ways and floods have burial,
Her. Why, get you gone; who is't that hinders you ? Already to their wormy beds are gone,
Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind. For fear, lest day should look their shames upon,
Her. What, with Lysander?

They wilfully themselves exile from light,
Hel. With Demetrius.

And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night.
Lys. Be not afraid ; she shall not harm thee, Helena. Obe. But we are spirits of another sort:
Dem. No, sir; she shall not, though you take her part. I with the morning's love have oft made sport;
Hel. 0, when she's angry, she is keen and shrewd; And, like a forester, the groves may tread,
She was a vixen when she went to school;

Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red,
And, though she be bat little, she is fierce.

Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Her. Little again ? nothing but low and little ? - Turns into yellow gold his salt-green streams.
Why will you suffer her to flout me thus ?

But, nothwithstanding, haste; make no delay!
Let me come to her!

We may effect this business yet ere day. (Exit Oberon
Lys. Get you gone, yon dwarf;

Puck. Up and down, up and down;
You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made;

I will lead them up and down:
You bead, you acorn!

I am fear'd in field and town;
Dem. You are too officions

Goblin, lead them up and down.
In her behalf, that scorns your services.

Here comes one.
Let her alone; speak not of Helena;

Enter LysandeR.
Take not her part; for, if thon dost intend

Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou
Never so little show of love to her,

now! Thou shalt aby it.

Puck. Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art
Lys. Now she holds me not;

thon ?
Now follow, if thou dar’st, to try, whose right, Lys. I will be with thee straight.
Orthine or mine, is most in Helena.

Puck. Follow me then
Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole. To plainer ground. (Exit Lys. as following the voice.
(Exeunt Lys, and Dem.

Enter DEMETRIUS.
Her. You, mistress, all this coil is ʼlong of you : Dem. Lysander! speak again.
Nay, go not back!
Hel. I will not trust you, I ;

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thon fled ?
Nor longer stay in your carst company.

Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?

Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
Your hands, than mine, are quicker for afray:
Mylegs are longer though, to ran away.

Telling the bushes, that thou look'st for wars,
Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.

(Exit. And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou

child!
Obe. This is thy negligence : stilt thou mistak’st,
(Exit, pursuing Helena. I'll whip thee with a rod : he is defil'd,

That draws a sword on thee,

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Tita. Tell on That With

Dem. Yea; art thou there?

And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here. And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy!

[Exeunt. Bot. Where's Peas-blossom?
Re-enter LYSANDER.
Peas. Ready.

Ida VF
Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on; Bot.Scratch my head,Peas-blossom!-Where's mon-
When I come where he calls, then he is gone.

sieur Cobweb? The villain is much lighter heel'd than I: Cob, Ready:

HO I follow'd fast, but faster he did sly;

Bot. Monsieur Cobweb, good monsieur, get your That fallen am I in dark uneven way, weapons in your hand, and kill me a redhipped hum

ther Side And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day! ble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good monsieur,

[Lies down. bring me the honey-bag! Do not fret yourself too For if but once thou show me thy grey light,

much in the action, monsieur; and, good monsieur, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite. (Sleeps. have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be loath at Re-enter Puck and DEMETRIUS.

to have you over-flown with a honey-bag, signior.-Puck. Ho, ho! ho, ho! Coward, why com’st thou not? Where's monsieur Mustard-seed?

he. SOL Dem. Abide me, if thou dar’st; for well I wot, Must. Ready. Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place; Bot. Give me your nief, monsieur Mustard-seed.Pray

drick And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face,

you, leave your courtesy, good monsieur. Where art thou?

Must. What's your will? Puck. Come hither; I am here.

Bot. Nothing, good monsieur, but to help cavalero Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber's, monsieur; hable this dear,

for, methinks, I am marvellous hairy about the face: If ever I thy face by day-light see:

and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, Now, go thy way! –Faintness constraineth me I must scratch. To measure out my length on this cold bed.

Tita. What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet
By day's approach look to be visited.

love?
[Lies down and sleeps. Bot. I have a reasonable good ear in music: let us
Enter HELENA.

have the tongs and the bones.
Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night, . Tita. Or say, sweet love, what thou desir’st to eat.

Abate thy hours! shine, comforts, from the east; Bot. Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your
That I may back to Athens, by day-light,

good dry oats. Methinks, I have a great desire to a
From these, that my poor company detest!-- bottle of hay: good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.
And, sleep, that sometime shuts up sorrow's eye, Tita. I have a venturous fairy, that shall seek
Steal me a while from mine own company! (Sleeps. The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.
Puck. Yet but three? Come one more;

Bot. 1 had rather have a handful, or two, of dried
Two of both kinds make four.

peas. But, I pray you, let none of your people stir
I

TU Here she comes, curst and sad :

me; I have an exposition of sleep come upon me. Cupid is a knavish lad,

Tita. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms. Ånd Thus to make poor females mad.

Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away!-
Enter HIERMIA.
So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle,

Lace Her. Never so weary, never so in woe,

Gently entwist,--the female ivy so Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers; Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.

he I can no further crawl, no further go;

o, how I love thee! how I dote on thee! [They sleep. und My legs can keep no pace with my desires.

Oberon advances. Enter Puck. Here will i est me, till the break of day.

Obe. Welcome, good Robin! See'st thou this sweet H Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!

sight?

[Lies down. Her dotage now I do begin to pity.
Puek. On the ground

For meeting her of late, behind the wood,
Sleep sound:

Seeking sweet savours for this hateful fool,
I'll apply

I did upbraid her, and fall out with her:
To your eye,

For she his hairy temples then had rounded
Gentle lover, remedy.

With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers ;
(Squeezing the juice on Lysander's eye. And that same dew, which sometime on the buds
Whenthou wak'st,

Was wont to swell, like round and orient pearls,
'Thou tak'st

Stood now within the pretty flow'rets' eyes,
True delight

Like tears, that did their own disgrace bewail.
In the sight

When I had, at my pleasure, taunted her,
Ofthy former lady's eye:

And she, in mild terms, begg'd my patience,
And the country proverb known,

I then did ask of her her changeling child;
That every man should take his own,

Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent
In your waking shall be shown:

To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
Jack shall have Jill;

And now I have the boy, I will undo
Nought shall go ill;

This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be And, gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp
well.
[Exit Puck.- Dem. Hel. etc, asleep. From of the head of this Athenian swain ;

That he, awaking, when the other do,

May all to Athens back again repair;
A CT IV.

And think no more of this night's accidents,
SCENEI.--The same.

But as the fierce vexation of a dream,
Enter Titania and Bottom, Fairies attending; OBE- But first I will release the fairy queen.
RON behind unseen,

Be, as thou wast'wont to be; Tita. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,

[Touching her eyes with an herb. While (thy amiable cheeks do coy,

See, as thou wast wont to see:

up

For

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Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Horns and shout within. DENETRIUS, LYSANDER, HerHath such force and blessed power.

mia, and Helena, wake and start up.
Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen! The.Good-morrow, friends! Saint Valentine is past;

Tita. My Oberon! what visions have I seen! Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?
Methought, I was enamour'd of an ass.

Lys. Pardon, my lord.
Obe. There lies your love.

[He and the rest kneel to Theseus. Tita. How came these things to pass ?

The. I pray you all, stand up!
0, how mine eyes do loath his visage now!

I know, you are two rival enemies ;
Obe. Silence a while !-Robin, take off this head !- How comes this gentle concord in the world,
Titania, music call; and strike more dead

That hatred is so far from jealousy,
Than common sleep, of all these five the sense. To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity ?
Tita. Music, ho! music; such as charmeth sleep. Lys. My lord, I shall reply amazedly,
Puck. Now, when thou wak’st, with thine own fool's Half sleep, half waking: but as yet, I swear,
eyes peep.

I cannot truly say how I came here:
Obe. Sound, music ! [Still music.] Come, my queen, But, as I think, (for truly would I speak,-
take hands with me,

And now I do bethink me, so it is ;)
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be! I came with Hermia hither: our intent
Now thou and I are new in amity;

Was, to be gone from Athens, where we might be
And will, to-morrow midnight, solemnly,

Without the peril of the Ahenian law.
Dance in duke Theseus' house triumphantly,

Ege. Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough:
And bless it to all fair posterity:

I beg the law, the law upon his head.
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be

They would have stol'n away, they would, Demetrius,
Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.

Thereby to have defeated you and me:
Puck. Fairy king, attend and mark;

You, of your wife; and me, of my consent;
I do hear the morning lark.

Of my consent, that she should be your wife.
Obe. Then, my queen, in silence sad,

Dein. My lord, fair llelen told me of their stealth,
Trip we after the night's shade;

Ofthis their purpose hither, to this wood;
Wethe globe can compass soon,

And I in fury hither follow'd them;
Swifter than the wand'ring moon.

Fair Helena in fancy following me.
Tita. Come, my lord; and in our flight,

But, my good lord, I wot not, by what power,
Tell me how it came this night,

(But by some power it is,) my love to llermia,
That I sleeping here was found,

Melted as doth the snow, seems to me now
With these mortals on the ground.

[Exeunt. As the remembrance of an idle gawd,

[Horns sound within. Which in my childhood I did dote upon:
Enter Theseus, HIPPOLYTA, Eceus, and train. And all the faith and virtue of my heart,
The. Go, one of you, find out the forester!- The object, and the pleasure of mine eye,
For now our observation is perform’d:

Is only Helena. To her, my lord,
And since we have the vaward of the day,

Was I betroth'd ere I saw Hermia;
My love shall hear the music of my hounds.- But, like in sickness, did I loath this food:
Uncouple in the western valley; go:-

But, as in health, come to my natural taste,
Despatch, I say, and find the forester !-

Now do I wish it, loveit, long for it,
We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top, And will forevermore be true to it.
And mark the musical confusion

The. Fair lovers, you are fortunately met :
Of hounds and echo in conjunction.

Of this discourse we will hear more anon. -
Hip. I was with Hercules, and Cadmus, once, Egeus, I will overbear your will;
When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear For in the temple, by and by with us,
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear

These couples shall eternally be knit.
Such gallant chiding; for, besides the groves, And, for the morning now is something worn,
The skies, the fountains, every region near

Our purpos'd hunting shall be set aside.-
Seem'd all one mutual cry: I never heard

Away, with us, to Athens ! Three and three,
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.

We'll hold a feast of great solemnity.--
The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, Come, Hippolyta!
So flew'd, so sanded; and their heads are hung

[Exeunt Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and train.
With ears that sweep away the morning dew; Dem. These things seem small, and undistinguishable,
Crook-knee'd, and dew-lapp'd like Thessalian bulls; Like far-off mountains turned into clouds.
Slow in pursuit, but match'd irrmouth like bells, Her. Methinks, I see these things with parted eye,
Each under each. A cry more tuneable

When every thing seems double.
Was never holla'd to, nor cheer'd with horn,

Hel. Somethinks:
In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly:

And I have found Demetrius, like a jewel,
Judge, when you hear.-But, soft; what nymphs are Mine own, and not mine own.
these?

Dem. It seems to me,
Ege. My lord, this is my daughter here asleep; That yet we sleep, we dream.—Do not you

think, And this Lysander; this Demetrius is;

The duke was here, and bid us follow him?
This Helena, old Nedar's Helena:

Her. Yea; and my father.
I wonder of their being here together.

Hel. And Hippolyta.
The. No doubt, they rose up early, to observe Lys. And he did bid us follow to the temple.
The rite of May; and, hearing our intent,
Came here in grace of our solemnity:-

Dem. Why then, we are awake: let's follow him ;

And, by the way, let us recount our dreams! (Exeunt.
But, speak, Egens; is not this the day,

As they go out, Bottom awakes.
That Hermia should give answer of her choice?

Bot. When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer :
Ege. It is, my lord.

--my next is, Most fair Pyramus.-Hey, ho! - Peter The. Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their Quince ! Flute, the bellows-mender! Snout,the tiuker!

1 St arveling! God's mylife! stolen hence, and left me

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asleep! I have had a most rare vision. I have had a Lovers, and madmen, have such seething brains,

timit dream,-past the wit of man to say, what dream it was : Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream. More, than cool reason ever comprehends. Methought I was--there is no man can tell what. Me- The lunatic, the lover, and the poet,

Post thought I was, and methought I had, --but man is but a Are of imagination all compact: patched fool, if he will offer to say, what methought I One sees more devils, than vast hell can hold; had. The eye of man hath not heard, tho ear of man That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic,

this hath not seen: man's hand is not able to taste, his Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt:

Mhe. An tongue to conceive, por his heart to report, what my The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to

Ebeatfo this dream : it shall be called Bottom's Dream, be- heaven; cause it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter And, as imagination bodies forth end of a play, before the duke. Peradventure, to make The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death. [Exit. Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing

A local habitation, and a name. SCENE II.-- Athens. A room in Quince's house. Such tricks hath strong imaginations Enter Quince, Flute, Sxout, and STARVELING.

That, if it would but apprehend some joy, Quin. Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he come It comprehends some bringer of that joyi home yet?

Gr, in the night, imagining some fear,
Star. He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt, he is How easy is a bush suppos’d a bear?
transported.
Hip. But all the story of the night told over,

dut Flute. If he come not, then the play is marred; it goes And all their minds transfigur'd so together, not forward, doth it?

More witnesseth than fancy's images,
Quin. It is not possible: you have not a man in all And grows to something of great constancy;

The

. I Athens, able to discharge Pyramus, but he. But, howsoever, strange, and admirable.

Flute. No; he hath simply the best wit of any handy- Enter Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena. craft man in Athens.

The. Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth. – Quin. Yea, and the best person too: and he is a very Joy, gentle friends! joy, and fresh days of love paramour, for a sweet voice.

Accompany your hearts ! Flute. You must say, paragon: a paramour is, God Lys. More than to us bless us, a thing of nonght.

Wait on your royal walks, your board, your bed!
Enter Snug.

The. Come now; what masks, what dances shall we
Snug. Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, have,
and there is two or three lords and ladies more married: To wear away this long age of three hours,

Not if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made Between our after-supper, and bed-time?

Out Where is our usual manager of mirth ?

And Flute. O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost six - What revels are in hand ? Is there no play,

Trea pence a-day during his life; he could not have'scaped To ease the anguish of a torturing hour? sixpence a-day: an the duke had not given him six- Call Philostrate!

Love pence a-day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged; he Philost. Here, might Theseus. would have deserved it: sixpence a-day, in Pyramus, The. Say,what abridgment have you for this evening? or nothing

What mask? what music? How shall we beguile Pha Enter BOTTOM.

The lazy time, if not with some delight? Bot. Where are these lads? where are these hearts ? Philost. There is a brief how many sports are ripe; Quin. Bottom!-0 most courageous day! O most Make choice of which your lighness will see first! Pre happy hour!

(Gives a paper. TH. Bot. Masters, I am to discourse wonders : but ask The. [reads.] The battle with the Centaurs, to be menot, what; for, if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. sung

TE I will tell you every thing, right as it fell out.

By an Athenian eunuch, to the harp. Quin. Let us hear, sweet Bottom !

We'll none of that: that have I told my love, Bot. Not a word of me. All that I will tell you, is, In glory of my kinsman Hercules. that the duke hath dined. Get your apparel together; The riot of the tipsy Bachanals, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage. pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look That is an old device; and it was play'd o'er his part; for, the short and the long is, our play is When I from Thebes came last a conqueror. preferred. In any case, let Thisby have clean linen; The thrice three Muses mourning for the death and let pot him, that plays the on, pare his nails, for of learning, late deceas'd in beggary, they shall hang out for the lion's claws. And, most That is some satire, keen, and critical, dear actors, eat no onions, nor garlick, for we are to Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony. utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt, but to hear A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus, them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words; away; And his love Thisbe: very tragical mirth.

[Exeunt. Merry and Tragical? Tedious and brief?

That is, hot ice, and wonderous strange snow.

How shall we find the concord of this discord?
A CT
V.

Philost. A play there is, my lord, some ten words SCENE I.-The same. An apartment in the palace long; of Theseus.

Which is as brief, as I have known a play; Enter Theseus, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, Lords, and But by ten words, my lord, it is too long; Attendants.

Which makes it tedions: for in all the play lip. 'Tis strange, my Theseus, that these lovers There is not one word apt, one player fitted. speak of.

And tragical, my noble lord, it is ;
The. More strange than true. I never may believe For Pyramus therein doth kill himself.
These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.

Which, when I saw rehears'd, I must confess,

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Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears “This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn,
The passion of loud laughter never shed.

“Presenteth moon-shine: for, if you will know, The. What are they that do play it?

By moon-shine did these lovers think no scorn,
Philost. Hard-handed men, that work in Athens here, “To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo.
Which never labour'd in their minds till now; "This grisly beast, which by name lion hight,
And now have toil'd their unbreath'd memories "The trusty Thisby, coming first by night,
With this same play, against your nuptial.

“Did scare away, or rather did affright:
The. And we will hear it.

* And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall ; Philost. No, my noble lord,

“Which lidn vile with bloody mouth did stain: It is not for you : I have heard it over,

“Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth, and tall,
And it is nothing, nothing in the world;

And finds his trusty Thisby's mantle slain :
Unless you can find sport in their intents,

“Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
Extremely stretch'd, and conn'd with cruel pain, “He bravely broach'd his boiling bloody breast;
To do you service.

“And, Thisby tarrying in mulberry shade, The. I will hear that play:

“His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, For never any thing can be amiss,

Let lion, moon-shine, wall, and lovers twain, When simpleness and duty tenderit.

At large discourse, while here they do remain." Go, bring them in ;-and take your places, ladies!

(Exeunt Prol. Thisbe, Lion, and Moonshine.

(Exit Philostrate. The. I wonder, if the lion be to speak.
Hip. I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharg'd, Dem. No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many
And dutyin his service perishing,

asses do.
The. Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing. Wall. “In this same interlude, it doth befall,
Hip. He says, they can do nothing in this kind. “That I, one Snout by name, present a wall:
The. The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing." And such a wall, as I would have you think,
Our sport shall be, to take what they mistake: “That had in ita cranny'd hole, or chink,
And what poor duty cannot do,

Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby,
Noble respect takes it in might, not merit.

“Did whisper ofton very secretly.
Where I have come, great clerks have purposed “This loam, this rough-cast, and this stone, doth show
To greet me with premeditated welcomes ;

That I am that same wall; the truth is so :
Where I have seen them shiver and look pale,

“And this the cranny is, right and sinister,
Make periods in the midst of sentences,

“ Through which the fearfullovers are to whisper." Throttle their practis'd accent in their fears,

The. Would you desire lime and hair to speak better? And, in conclusion, dumbly have broke off,

Dem. It is the wittiest partition, that ever I heard Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet,

discourse, my lord.
Out of this silence, yet, I pick'd a welcome;

The. Pyramus draws near the wall: silence!
And in the modesty of fearful duty

Enter PYRAMUS.
I read as much, as from the rattling tongue

Pyr. “O grim-look'd night! O night with hue so
Of saucy and audacious eloquence.

black !
Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity, “O night, which ever art, when day is uot!
In least, speak most, to my capacity.

O night, О night, alack, alack, alack,
Enter PhiloSTRATE.

I fear my Thisby's promise is forgot!-
Philost. So please your grace, the prologue is addrest." And thou, O wall, 'O sweet, O lovely wall,
The. Let him approach ! (Flourish of trumpets. "That stand'st between her father's ground and mine;
Enter Prologue.

'Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,
Prol. If we offend, it is with our good will. "Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine
That you should think, we come not to offend,

eyne!

(Wall holds up his fingers. But with good will. To shew our simple skill, “Thanks, courteous wall : Jove shield thee well for That is the true beginning of our end.

this!
Consider then, we come but in despite.

“But what see I? No Thisby do I see.
We do not come, as minding to content you, “O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss;
Our true intent is. All for your delight,

“Curst be thy stones for thus deceiving me!"
We are not here. That you should here repent you, The. The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse
The actors are at hand; and, by their show,

again. You shall know all, that you are like to know.

Pyr. No, in truth, sir, he should not. Deceiving
The. This fellow doth not stand upon points. me, is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to
Lys. He hath rid his prologue, like a rough colt; he spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will full
knows not the stop. A good moral, my lord: It is not pat as I told you :-Yonder she comes.
enough to speak, but to speak true.

Enter ThisBE.
Hip. Indeed he hath played on this prologue, like a

This. O wall, fall often hast thou heard my moans,
child on a recorder; a sound, but not in government. For parting my fair Pyramus and me:
The. His speech was like a tangled chain; nothing “My cherry lips have often kiss'd thy stones;
impaired, but all disordered. Whois next?

“Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.” Enter Pyramus and Thisbe, Wall, Moonshine, and Pyr.“I see a voice: now will I to the chink, Lion, as in dumb show.

" To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face.
Prol. “Gentles, perchance, you wonder at this show; “Thisby!”
"But wonder on, till truth make allthings plain.
“This man is Pyramus, if you would know;

This. “My love! thou art my love, I think.”.

Pyr. “Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace; “This beauteous lady Thisby is, certain.

'Andʻlike Limander am I trusty still.”.
“This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present
"Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers sunder:

This. “And I like Helen, till the fates me kill."

Pyr. “Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true. "And through wall's chink, poor souls, they are

This. “As Shafalus to Procrus, I to yon.
“To whisper; at the which let no man wonder.

Pyr. "O, kiss me through the hole of this vile wall.“
This. “I kiss the wall's hole, not your lips at all.”

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