SCENE II.
Athens. Quince's House.
Enter Quince, Flute, Snout, and Starveling.
Quin.
Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he
come home yet?
Star.
He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt, he
is transported.
Flu.
If he come not, then the play is marr'd; It
goes not forward, doth it?
Quin.
It is not possible: you have not a man in all
Athens, able to discharge Pyramus, but he.
Flu.
No; he hath simply the best wit of any handy-craft
man in Athens.
Quin.
Yea, and the best person too: and he is a
very paramour, for a sweet voice.
Flu.
You must say, paragon: a paramour is, God
bless us! a thing of nought6 note
.
Enter Snug.
Snug.
Masters, the duke is coming from the temple,
and there is two or three lords and ladies more married:
if our sport had gone forward, we had all been
made men7 note
.
Flu.
O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost six-pence
a-day during his life; he could not have 'scaped
-- 103 --
six-pence a-day: an the duke had not given him six-pence
a day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hang'd; he
would have deserv'd it: six-pence a-day, in Pyramus,
or nothing8 note
.
Enter Bottom.
Bot.
Where are these lads? where are these hearts?
Quin.
Bottom!—O most courageous day! O most
happy hour!
Bot.
Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask
me not what; for, if I tell you, I am no true Athenian.
I will tell you every thing, right as it fell out.
Quin.
Let us hear, sweet Bottom.
Bot.
Not a word of me. All that I will tell you, is,
that the duke hath dined: Get your apparel together;
good strings to your beards, new ribbons to
your pumps; meet presently at the palace; every
man look o'er his part; for, the short and the long is,
our play is preferr'd. In any case, let Thisby have
clean linen; and let not him, that plays the lion, pare
his nails, for they shall hang out for the lion's claws.
And, most dear actors, eat no onions, nor garlick,
for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt
but to hear them say, it is a sweet comedy. No
more words; away; go, away.
[Exeunt.
-- 104 --
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].