Bot.

Are we all met?

Quin.

Pat, pat ^note; and here's a marvellous ^note convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tiring-house; and we will do it in action as we will do it before the duke.

Bot.

Peter Quince,—

Quin.

What sayest thou, bully Bottom?

Bot.

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?

Snout.

By'r lakin ^note, a parlous fear.

Star.

I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.

Bot.

Not a whit: I have a device ^note to make all well. Write me a prologue; and let the prologue seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and, for the more better ^note assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: this will put them out of fear.

Quin.

Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.

Bot.

No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight ^note.

Snout.

Will not the ladies be afeard ^note of the lion?

Star.

I fear it, I promise you.

Bot.

Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves ^note: to bring in,—God shield us!—a lion among ladies, is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to 't ^note.

Snout.

Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion.

Bot.

Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect ^note,—‘Ladies,’ —or, ‘Fair ladies,—I would wish you,’—or, ‘I would request you,’—or, ‘I would entreat you,—not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither

as a lion, it were pity 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 them ^note plainly, he is Snug the joiner.

Quin.

Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber; for, you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moonlight.

Snout. ^note

Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

Bot.

A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanac; find ^noteout moonshine, find out moonshine.

Quin.

Yes, it doth shine that night.

Bot. ^note

Why, then may you leave a casement of the great chamber window ^note, where we play, open, and the moon may shine in at the casement.

Quin.

Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moonshine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall.

Snout. ^note

You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?

Bot.

Some man or other must present wall: and let him have some plaster, or some loam ^note, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and ^note let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin.

If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake: and so every one according to his cue.

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 ^note, if I see cause.

Quin.
Speak, Pyramus. Thisby, stand forth.

Bot. ^note
Thisby, the flowers ^note of ^note odious savours ^note sweet,—

Quin.
Odours, odours ^note.

Bot. ^note
—odours savours sweet: ^note
  So hath ^note thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.
But hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile ^note,
  And by and by I will to thee appear. [Exit.

Puck. ^note
A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here. [Exit. ^note

Flu. ^note
Must I speak now?

Quin. ^note

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

Flu. ^note
Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,
  Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier,
Most brisky juvenal ^note, and eke most lovely Jew,
  As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire,
I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

Quin. ^note

‘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.’

Flu. ^note
O,—As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire. Re-enter Puck, and Bottom with an ass's head. ^note

Bot. ^note
If I were fair, Thisby ^note, I were only thine.

Quin. ^note

O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! Help!

Puck.
I'll follow you, I'll lead you about ^note a round,
  Through bog, ^note through bush, through brake, through brier:
Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,
  A hog, a headless ^note bear, sometime a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, ^note
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. [Exit.

Bot.

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

Snout.

O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? ^note

Bot.

What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you?

Quin.

Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated.

Bot.

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 ^note sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.

The ousel ^note cock so black of hue,
  With orange-tawny bill,
The throstle with his note so true,
  The wren with little ^note quill;

Tita. [Awaking]
What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

Bot. [Sings]

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
  The plain-song cuckoo gray,
Whose note full many a man doth mark,
  And dares not answer nay;—

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

Tita.
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. ^note

Bot.

Methinks, mistress ^note, 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.

Tita.

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

Bot.

Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

Tita.
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 ^note sleep:
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so,
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.
Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth ^note! and Mustardseed! ^note

^noteEnter ^note Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed.

First Fai.
Ready.

Sec. Fai.
And I.

Third Fai.
And I.

Fourth Fai.
And I.

All.
Where shall we go? ^note

Tita.
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 ^note 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 moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

First Fai.
Hail, mortal!

Sec. Fai.
Hail!

Third Fai.
Hail!

Fourth Fai.
Hail! ^note

Bot.

I cry your worships mercy, heartily: I beseech your worship's name.

Cob.

Cobweb.

Bot.

I shall desire you of ^note more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman?

Peas.

Peaseblossom.

Bot.

I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good

Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of ^note more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir?

Mus.

Mustardseed.

Bot.

Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience ^note well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you your kindred hath ^note made my eyes water ere now. I desire your more ^note acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.

Tita.
Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower.
  The moon methinks looks with a watery eye;
And when she weeps, weeps ^note every little flower,
  Lamenting some enforced chastity.
  Tie up my love's ^note tongue, ^note bring him silently. [Exeunt. ^note

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