Quince. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you beg in: 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 swaggering here,

So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor

An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.

Quince. Speak, Pyramus:-Thisby, stand forth. Pyramus. Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet,——— Quince. Odours, odours.

Pyramus.

-odours savours sweet:

So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.But, hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile,

And by and by I will to thee appear.

[Exit.

Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here!

Thisbe. Must I speak now?

[Aside.-Exit.

Quince. Ay, marry, must you: for you must understand, he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again.

Thisby. 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.

Quince. 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.

4 Thicket.

5 Young man.

6 The last words of the preceding speech, which serve as a hint to him who is to speak next.

Re-enter Puck, and BOTTOм with an Ass's head. Thisby. O,-As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.

Pyramus. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine:— Quince. 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; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

[Exit. Bottom. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them, to make me afeard.

Re-enter SNOUT.

Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? [Exit. Bottom. What do you see? you see an ass's head of your own; Do you?

Re-enter QUINCE.

Quince. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated. [Exit. Bottom. 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 hear I am not afraid. [Sings.

The ousel cock, so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill.

Titania. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

[Waking.

Bottom. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
The plain-song cuckoo grey,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not answer, nay;-

or, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry, cuckoo, never so?

Titania. 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.

Bottom. 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.

Titania. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

Bottom. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get
out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.
Titania. 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,
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 sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep:
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so,
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.—
Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-seed!

Titania. 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,
To fan the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.
1 Fairy. Hail, mortal!

2 Fairy. Hail!

3 Fairy. Hail!

4 Fairy. Hail!

Bottom. I cry your worship's mercy, heartily.-I beseech, your worship's name?

Cobweb. Cobweb.

Bottom. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good master Cobweb: If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman?

--

Peas-blossom. Peas-blossom,

Bottom. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash, your mother, and to master Peascod, your father. Good master Peas-blossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir?

Mustard-seed. Mustard-seed.

Bottom. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your patience 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 desire you more acquaintance, good master Mustard-seed.

Titania. Come wait upon him; lead him to my bower. The moon, methinks, looks with a watery eye; And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity.

Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently.

[Exeunt

SCENE II.-Another part of the Wood.

Enter OBERON.

Oberon. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd; Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Which she must dote on in extremity.

Enter PUCK.

Here comes my messenger.-How now, mad spirit?
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
Puck. My mistress with a monster is in love.

Near to her close and consecrated 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.
The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented, in their sport
Forsook his scene, and enter'd in a brake:
When I did him at this advantage take,
An ass's now! I fixed on his head;
Anon, his Thisbe must be answered,

And forth my mimick comes: When they him spy,
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report
Sever themselves, and madly sweep the sky;
So, at his sight, away his fellows fly;

And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls

He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.

Is;

Their sense, thus weak, lost with their fears, thus strong, Made senseless things begin to do them wrong:

For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch;

Some, sleeves; some, hats: from yielders all things