Starveling.
Qui.
Is all our company here?
Bot.
You were best to call them generally, man by
man, according to the scrip. note
Qui.
Here † is the scrowl of every man's name, which
is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude
before the duke and the dutchess, on his wedding-day
at night.
Bot.
First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats
-- 12 --
on; then read the names of the actors; and so grow to note
a point.
Qui.
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 scrowl:—Masters, spread yourselves.
Qui.
Answer, as I call you.—Nick Bottom, the weaver.
Bot.
Ready: Name what part I am for, and proceed.
Qui.
You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.
Bot.
What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?
Qui.
A lover, that kills himself most gallant note 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. To
the rest;—Yet my chief humour is for a tyrant: I could
play Ercles rarely,14Q0238 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 Phibbus' car
Shall shine from far,
And make and mar
The foolish fates.
This was lofty!—Now name the rest of the players.—
This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is more
condoling.
Qui.
Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.
Flu.
Here, Peter Quince.
Qui.
Flute, you note must take Thisby on you.
-- 13 --
Flu.
What is Thisby? a wand'ring knight?
Qui.
It is the lady that Pyramus must love.
Flu.
Nay, 'faith, let not me play a woman; I have
a beard coming.
Qui.
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;—Thisne, Thisne!
—Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear; thy Thisby dear, and lady
dear.
Qui.
No, no; you must play Pyramus, and, Flute, you
Thisby.
Bot.
Well, proceed.
Qui.
Robin Starveling, the tailor.
Sta.
Here, Peter Quince.
Qui.
Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.
—Tom Snout, the tinker.
Sno.
Here, Peter Quince.
Qui.
You, Pyramus' father; myself, Thisby's father;—
Snug, the joiner, you, the lion's part:—and, I hope, here
is note a play fitted.
Snu.
Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if
it be, give it me, for I am slow of study.
Qui.
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.
Qui.
An you note should do it too terribly, you would
fright the dutchess, and the ladies, that they would
shriek; and that were enough to hang us all.
-- 14 --
Clo.
That would hang us every mother's son.
Bot.
I grant you, friends, if you note 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 an 'twere any nightingale.
Qui.
You can play no part but Pyramus: for Pyramus
is a sweet-fac'd 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?
Qui.
Why, what you will.
Bot.
I will discharge it in either your straw-colour
beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain
beard, or your French-crown-colour note beard, your perfect
yellow.
Qui.
Some of your French crowns have no hair at
all, and then you will play bare-fac'd.—But, masters,
here &dagger2; 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 moon-light; there will we rehearse: for if
we meet in the city, we shall note be dog'd with company,
and our devices known. In the mean time, 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 most
obscenely note, and courageously. Take pains; note be perfect;
adieu.
Qui.
At the duke's oak we meet:
Bot.
Enough; Hold, or cut bow-strings.
[Exeunt.
-- 15 --
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].