Quin. You, Pyramus's father; myself Thisby's father; - Snug, the joiner, you, the lion's part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted. Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study. Quin. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring. Bot. Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say, Let him roar again, Let him roar again. Quin. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek: and that were enough to hang us all. All. That would hang us every mother's son. Bot. I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale. Quin. You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's day: a most lovely, gentleman-like man; therefore you must needs play Pyramus. Bot. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in? Quin. Why, what you will. Bot. I will discharge it in either your strawcoloured beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your perfect yellow. Quin. Masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse: for if we meet in the city, we shall be dog'd with company, and our devices known. In the mean time, I will draw a bill of properties 6, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not. Bot. We will meet; and there we may rehearse courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu. Quin. At the duke's oak we meet. Bot. Enough: Hold, or cut bow-strings. 7 [Exeunt. ACT II. Enter a Fairy at one door, and Puck at another. Puck. How now, spirit! whither wander you? Thorough bush, thorough briar, Thorough flood, thorough fire, In those freckles live their savours: Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite, Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are you not he, That fright the maidens of the villagery; I am that merry wanderer of the night. Fai. And here my mistress: -'Would that he were gone! SCENE II. Enter OBERON, at one door, with his train, and TITANIA, at another, with hers. Obe. Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. Tita. What, jealous Oberon? Fairy, skip hence; I have forsworn his bed and company. Obe. Tarry, rash wanton: Am not I thy lord? Tita. Then I must be thy lady: But I know When thou hast stol'n away from fairy land, And in the shape of Corin sat all day, 6 Articles required in performing a play. 7 At all events. 3 A term of contempt. 9 Yeast. & Mill. Wild apple. Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love Obe. How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania, Didst thou not lead him through the glimmering night, And make him with fair Æglé break his faith, Tita. These are the forgeries of jealousy : Obe. Do you amend it then; it lies in you: Why should Titania cross her Oberon? I do but beg a little changeling boy, To be my henchman. 6 Tita. Set your heart at rest, The fairy land buys not the child of me. His mother was a vot'ress of my order: And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, Full often hath she gossip'd by my side; And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, Marking the embarked traders on the flood But she, being mortal, of that boy did die; And, for her sake, I do rear up her boy; And, for her sake, I will not part with him. Obe. How long within this wood intend you stay? Tita. Perchance, till after Theseus' wedding-day. 2 Petty. ; 3 Banks which contain them. 4 Holes made for a game played by boys. 5 Autumn producing flowers unseasonably. 6 Page. My gentle Puck, come hither: Thou remember'st Puck. At a fair vestal, throned by the west; And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow, In maiden meditation, fancy-free. Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, Puck. I'll put a girdle round about the earth In forty minutes. [Exit PUCK. Obe. Having once this juice, Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him. Is true as steel: Leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you. Dem. Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or rather, do I not in plainest truth Tell you I do not, nor I cannot love you? 7 Raving mad. Hel. And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love, (And yet a place of high respect with me,) Than to be used as you use your dog? More fond on her, than she upon her love; SCENE III. Another part of the Wood. Enter TITANIA, with her train. Tita. Come, now a roundel 3, and a fairy song; Then, for the third part of a minute, hence; Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my Some, to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds; spirit ; For I am sick, when I do look on thee. Hel. And I am sick, when I look not on you. Dem. You do impeach 8 your modesty too much, To leave the city, and commit yourself Into the hands of one that loves you not. Hel. Your virtue is my privilege for that. It is not night, when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the night: Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company; For you, in my respect, are all the world: Then how can it be said, I am alone, When all the world is here to look on me? Dem. I'll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. Hel. The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be chang'd; Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind Makes speed to catch the tiger: Bootless speed! When cowardice pursues, and valour flies. Dem. I will not stay thy questions: let me go: Or, if thou follow me, do not believe But I shall do thee mischief in the wood. Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo. [Exeunt DEM. and HEL. Obe. Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove, Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love. — Re-enter PUCK. Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. Puck. Ay, there it is. Obe. I pray thee, give it me. I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, Where ox-lips' and the nodding violet grows; Quite over-canopied with lush woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania, some time of the night, Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in: And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes, And make her full of hateful fantasies. Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove A sweet Athenian lady is in love With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes; Some, war with rear-mice for their leathern wings, And to speak troth, I have forgot our way; We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, And tarry for the comfort of the day. Her. Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will rest my head. Such separation, as, may well be said, Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid: So far be distant; and good night sweet friend : Thy love ne'er alter, till thy sweet life end! Lys. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I; And then end life, when I end loyalty! Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest! Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd! [They sleep. |