grass,

Her silver visage in the watery glass,"
Decking, with liquid pearl, the bladed
A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal-
Through Athens' gates have we devised to 'steal.

Hermia adds:

Her. And in the Wood, where often you and I
Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,
There my Lysander and myself shall meet;
And thence, from Athens turn away our eyes,
To seek 'new friends and 'stranger companies."
Farewell, sweet playfellow: 'pray thou for 'us,
And good-luck 'grant thee thy Demetrius!-
When the lovers are gone, Helena is alone to continue her un-
grateful meditations :

d

Hel. How happy some, o'er 'other-some, can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as 'she;
But what of that? 'Demetrius thinks not so;
'He will not know what all 'but he do know :-
I will go 'tell him of fair Hermia's flight:
Then to the Wood will he, to-morrow night,
Pursue her; and for this intelligence
If I have 'thanks, it is dear recompense:*
But herein mean I to 'enrich my pain,-
To have 'his sight, thither and back again.

Exeunt Her.

and Lys.

[Exit.

Among other popular amusements to celebrate Theseus' marriage, half-a-dozen Athenian workmen resolve to represent a play before the Duke and his bride. The conversation of these amateurs will give us some idea of their histrionic qualifications; their rank in society is best told by the dramatist :-Peter Quince, a carpenter (manager of the company) Bottom, a weaver (the leading tragedian, leading comedian, and leading lady if necessaryf); Snug, a joiner; Starveling, a tailor; Flute, a bellows-mender; and Snout, a tinker. This is their first meeting to arrange for the distribution of parts. Peter Quince (the manager) asks:

Quin. Is 'all our company here?

g

Bottom the weaver-the orator of the group-at once replies: Bot. You were best to 'call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip."

the lake or river.

soft, yielding. CO. R. sweld. d O. R. strange companions f female parts were (in Shakespeare's time script, a written

O. R. it is a deere expense. formed by boys or young men.

6 for severally.

Quin. Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our Interlude, before the Duke and the Duchess, on his wedding-day, at night.

Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats01; 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 cruel death, of Pyramus and Thisby.”

Bot. A 'very good piece of work, I assure you, and a 'merry. -Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your 'actors, by the scroll.-Masters, spread yourselves.

Quin. Answer, as I 'call you.-Nick Bottom, the weaver.
Bot. Ready! Name what part I am for, and proceed.
Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.
Bot. .. What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?
Quin. A lover, that kills himself, most gallantly, for love.
Bot. .. That will ask some 'tears in the 'true performing
of it: if 'I do it, let the audience look to their eyes;
I will move 'storms, I will condole, in some measure.d
To the rest:-Yet my chief humour is for a 'tyrant:
I could play 'Ercles' rarely,—or a part to tear a 'cat
in!-to make all 'split !

...

"The raging rocks,

And shivering shocks,
Shall break the locks

Of prison-gates;
And Phibbuse car
Shall shine from far,
And make and mar

The foolish Fates."h

This was 'lofty!-Now name the 'rest of the players.— This is 'Ercles' vein, a 'tyrant's vein; a 'lover is more... condoling.

Quin. Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.

Flu. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. You must take Thisby on you.

Flu. What is Thisby? a wandering knight ?i
Quin. It is the 'lady, that Pyramus must love.

a list.

estand separately.

CO R. to the rest yet.

come to a conclusion.

àmetre (poetry).

ng plays.

Phoebus, the sun.

Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos..

Hercules, (the hero of the Twelve Labours,) was a favourite character in the old

h The three Sisters of Destiny, i a knight-errant.

Flu... Nay, faith, let me not play a 'woman; I have a 'beard-coming.

Quin. That's all one. You shall play it in a 'mask, and you may speak as small as you will.

Bot. An I may 'hide my face, let 'me play Thisby too. I'll speak in a 'monstrous little voice: "Thisny, Thisny," "Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear! thy Thisby dear!" and, "Lady dear!""

Quin. No, no; you must play Pyramus ;-and, Flute, you, Thisby. Robin Starveling, the tailor.

Star. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.-Tom Snout, the tinker.

Snout. Here, Peter Quince.

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. And 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.

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' 't were 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.

Quin. Masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con" them by tomorrow night; and meet me in the Palace Wood, a

squeakingly (womanishly).

dif.

e for modulate.

cat any time.

b glow in committing to memory.
fif. g know (commit them to memory).

d

mile" without the town, by moonlight: 'there will we rehearse; for if we meet in the 'City, we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known. In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not. Bot. We will meet; and there we may rehearse, more obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu.

Quin. At the "Duke's Oak" we meet.

Bot. Enough: Hold, or cut bowstrings."

[Exeunt.

This Wood was that in which Lysander and Hermia had appointed to meet : it was, besides, the favourite haunt of the Fairies, and the chosen residence of their King Oberon and their Queen Titania. The Wood is, by fairy enchantment, now before us.

A beautiful Fairy enters at one side, and the dumpy Puck at the other. The jolly "familiar" inquires of his diminutive compan

ion:

Puck. How now, Spirit! whither wander you?

Fairy.

Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander 'everywhere,
Swifter than the moony" sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs' upon the green:
The cowslips tall her pensioners be,
In their gold coats 'spots you see,-
Those be 'rubies, fairy favours,*
In those freckles live their savours ;
I 'must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a 'pearl in every cowslip's ear.-
Farewell, thou 'lob' of 'spirits; I'll be gone:
Our Queen, and all her Elves, come here anon.
Puck. The King doth keep his 'revels here to-night:
Take heed the 'Queen come not within his sight;
For Oberon is 'passing fell," and wroth,
Because that she, as her Attendant, hath

d articles required in the performance.

• plans, intentions. for obscurely (privately).

fHold (keep to your promise) or cut bowstrings (or cease to be one of us at archery). g through. hO. R. y moones sphere. ibody-guard, attendants. klove-gifts.

i fairy rings on the grass lubber, booby. in exceedingly angry.

Fai.

A lovely boy,-stolen from an Indian 'king:-
She never had so sweet a changeling;a
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of 'his train, to trace the forests wild;
But she, perforce, 'withholds the loved boy,

Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy :
And now, they never meet, in grove or green,
By fountain clear or spangled starlight sheen,"
But they do 'square; that all their Elves, for fear,
Creep into acorn-cups, and hide them there!

...

Either I 'mistake your shape and making quite,
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Called "Robin Good-fellow." Are you not he
That fright the maidens of the villagery?"
Skim milk? and sometimes labour in the quern ?h
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn ?i
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm ;
Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?—
Those that "Hobgoblin" call you, and "'Sweet Puck,"
'You do their work, and they shall have 'good luck:—
Are not you 'he?

Puck. Thou speak'st aright;

I'am that merry wanderer of the night.
I jest to Oberon; and make him smile,
When I a fat and bean-fed 'horse beguile,
Neighing in likeness of a 'filly-foal;
And sometimes lurk I in a 'gossip's bowl,*
In very likeness of a roasted crab;'
And when she drinks, against her lips I bob,
And on her withered dew-lap" pour the ale.-
The wisest aunt," telling the saddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me,
Then slip I from her, and down topples she,
And "Tailor 110
cries, and falls into a cough,"
And then the whole quire hold their sides and laugh,"
And waxen' in their mirth, and neeze, and swear

a an exchanged child. Witches and fairies were supposed to steal beautiful children at their birth, and to substitute those that were ill-favoured and stupid.

bwander through (to track). cglitter. d quarrel. e mischievous (knowing).

f spirit. g group of neighbouring villagers (rustic population). hahandmill for corn. imake cream into butter. j yeast. k the drinking vessel of a talkative friend. la small sour apple. m double chin (the skin hanging from the throats of cattle). "old people were familiarly called" aunt" and "uncle." a jocular nickname when a person slips down from his chair, and squats--as a tailor PO. R. coffe. q O. R. loffe. get louder.

on his board.

sneeze.