tell them, that I Piramus am not Piramus, but Bottome the Weaver; this will put them out of feare. 22 Quin. Well, we will have such a Prologue, and it shall be written in eight and sixe. Bot. No, make it two more, let it be written in eight and eight. Snout. Will not the Ladies be afear'd of the Lyon? Star. I feare it, I promise you. Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with your selves, to bring in (God shield us) a Lyon among Ladies, is a most dreadfull thing. For there is not a more fearefull wilde foule then your Lyon living: and wee ought to looke to it. 33 Snout. Therefore another Prologue must tell he is not a Lyon. Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and halfe his face must be seene through the Lyons necke, and he himselfe must speake through, saying thus, or to the same defect; Ladies, or faire Ladies, I would wish you, or I would request you, or I would entreat you, not to feare, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you thinke I come hither as a Lyon, it were pitty of my life. No, I am no such thing, I am a man as other men are; and there indeed let him name his name, and tell him plainly hee is Snug the joyner. 45 Quin. Well, it shall be so; but there is two hard things, that is, to bring the Moone-light into a chamber: for you know, Piramus and This by meete by Moonelight. Sn. Doth the Moone shine that night wee play our play? 51 Bot. A Calender, a Calender, looke in the Almanack, finde out Moone-shine, finde out Moone-shine. 33. to it: to't-Capell, 44. tell bim: tell them-QQ. Enter Pucke. Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night. Bot. Why then may you leave a casement of the great chamber window (where we play) open, and the Moone may shine in at the casement. 58 Quin. I, or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorne, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present the person of Moone-shine. Then there is another thing, we must have a wall in the great Chamber; for Piramus and Thisby (saies the story) did talke through the chinke of a wall. Sn. You can never bring in a wall. What say you Bottome? Bot. Some man or other must present wall, and let him have some Plaster, or some Lome, or some rough cast about him, to signifie wall; or let him hold his fingers thus; and through that cranny, shall Piramus and Thisby whisper. 71 Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit downe every mothers sonne, and rehearse your parts. Piramus, you begin; when you have spoken your speech, enter into that Brake, and so every one according to his cue. Enter Robin. Rob. What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here, So neere the Cradle of the Faierie Queene? An Actor too perhaps, if I see cause. Quin. Speake Piramus: Thisby stand forth. Pir. Thisby, the flowers of odious savors sweete. 54. Enter Pucke: out-Q2. 80 Quin. Odours, odours. Pir. Odours savors sweete, So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby deare. Exit. Pir. Puck. A stranger Piramus, then ere plaid here. 90 This. Must I speake now? Pet. I marry must you. For you must understand he goes but to see a noyse that he heard, and is to come againe. Thys. Most radiant Piramus, most Lilly white of hue, Of colour like the red rose on triumphant bryer, Most brisky Juvenall, and eke most lovely Jew, As true as truest horse, that yet would never tyre, Ile meete thee Piramus, at Ninnies toombe. 99 Pet. Ninus toombe man: why, you must not speake that yet; that you answere to Piramus: you speake all your part at once, cues and all. Piramus enter, your cue is past; it is never tyre. Thys. O, as true as truest horse, that yet would never tyre: Pir. If I were faire, Thisby I were onely thine. Pet. O monstrous. O strange. We are hanted; pray masters, flye masters, helpe. The Clownes all Exit. 109 Puk. Ile follow you, Ile leade you about a Round, Through bogge, through bush, through brake, through bryer, | Sometime a horse Ile be, fometime a hound: A hogge, a headlesse beare, sometime a fire, And neigh, and barke, and grunt, and rore, and burne, Like horse, hound, hog, beare, fire, at every turne. Exir. 112. fometime: sometime-2-4F. Enter Piramus with the Asse head. Bot. Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard. Enter Snowt. Sn. O Bottom, thou art chang'd; What doe I see on thee? Bot. What do you see? You see an Asse-head of your owne, do you? [Exit Snout.] Enter Peter Quince. 120 Pet. Blesse thee Bottome, blesse thee; thou art translated. Exit. 1 transformed Bot. I see their knavery; this is to make an asse of me, to fright me if they could; but I will not stirre from this place, do what they can. I will walke up and downe here, and I will sing that they shall heare I am not afraid. [Sings.] The Woosell cocke, so blacke of hew, The Throstle, with his note so true, 130 Tyta. [Awaking] What Angell wakes me from my flowry bed? | Bot. [Sings] The Finch, the Sparrow, and the Larke, The plainsong Cuckow gray; Whose note full many a man doth marke, And dares not answere, nay. 139 For indeede, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? Who would give a bird the lye, though he cry Cuckow, never so? 116. Enter Piramus, etc.: shifted to after 1. 105-Capell. 131. Woosell: ousel-POPE. 134. Wren and: wren with-Q0. Tyta. I pray thee gentle mortall, sing againe, Mine eare is much enamored of thy note; On the first view to say, to sweare I love thee. So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape, And thy faire vertues force (perforce) doth move me. Bot. Me-thinkes mistresse, you should have little reason for that: and yet to say the truth, reason and love keepe little company together, now-adayes. The more the pittie, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleeke1 upon occasion. 1 talk ironically 153 Tyta. Thou art as wise, as thou art beautifull. Bot. Not so neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine owne turne. Tyta. Out of this wood, do not desire to goe, Thou shalt remaine here, whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common rate: The Summer still doth tend upon my state, And I doe love thee; therefore goe with me, Ile give thee Fairies to attend on thee; 160 And they shall fetch thee Jewels from the deepe, Enter Pease-blossome, Cobweb, Moth, Mustard- 169 Fai. Ready; and I, and I, and I, Where shall we go? Tita. Be kinde and curteous to this Gentleman, 145. shifted to after 1. 147-1Q. 170. 5 ll. I Fai. Ready. 2 Fai. And I. 3 Fai. And I. 4 Fai. And I. All. Where, etc.-CAPELL. |