It stands as an edict in destiny: Then, let us teach our tryal patience: Because it is a cuftomary crofs, As due to love, as thoughts and dreams, and fighs, Lyf. A good perfuafion; therefore hear me, Hermia. I have a widow-aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and the hath no child; From Athens is her houfe remov'd feven leagues, There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee; Her. My good Lyfander, P I swear to thee by Cupid's ftrongest bow, By that, which knitteth fouls, and profpers loves; Lyf. Keep promife, love. Look, here comes Helena. Enter Helena. Iler. God fpeed, fair Helena! whither away? Your eyes are load-ftars, and your tongue's sweet air When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear. My My ear fhould catch your voice, my eye your eye; Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me ftill. Her. 1 give him curfes, yet he gives me love. Hel. None, but your beauty; would that fault were mine! Her. Take comfort; he no more shall fee my face; Lyfander and my felf will fly this place. Before the time I did Lyfander see, Seem'd Athens like a Paradife to me, O then, what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell? . Lyf. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold; Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass; Her. And in the wood, where often you and I (2) Emptying our Bafoms of their Counfels fwell'd; And thence from Athens turn away our Eyes, There This whole Scene is ftrictly in Rhyme; and that it deviates in thefe two Couplets, I am perfuaded, is owing to the Ignorance of the firit, and the Inaccuracy of the later, Editors: I have therefore ventur'd to reflore the Rhymes, as I make no Doubt but the Poet first gave them. Saveet was cafily corrupted into fwell'd, becaufe That made an Anti G 3 thefis There, my Lyfander and my self shall meet; Things bafe and vile, holding no quantity, Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; thefts to Emptying: and frange Companions our Editors thought was plain English; bur franger Companies, a little quaint and unintelligible. It may be neceffary, in Proof of my Emendation, to fhew, that our Author elsewhere uses the Subftantive Stranger adjectively; and Companies, to fignify Companions. King John. A&t. 5. Wherein we fep after a stranger March Rich. 2. A&t. 1. But tread the ftranger Paths of Banishment. Beaumont and Fletcher have used it in the like manner; Spanish Curate, Act. 3. To bring into my Family, to fucceed me, The ftranger Iue of another's Bed. 2 Hen. V. A&. 1. Since his Addiction was to Courses vain, His Companies unletter'd, rude, and fhallow. And fo, in a parallel Word, Merry Wives of Windfor, A&t. 3. As waggish boys themselves in game forfwear, SCENE changes to a Cottage. [Exit. Enter Quince, Saug, Bottom, Flute, Snowt, and Starveling. Quin. Is Bot. You were beft to call them generally S all our company here? man by man, according to the fcrip. Quin. Here is the fcrowl of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and Dutchefs, on his weddingday at night. Bot. First, good Peter Quince, fay what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and fo 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 affure you, and a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the fcrowl. Mafters, fpread your selves. Quin. Anfwer, as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver. Bot. Ready: name what part I am for, and proceed. Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are fet 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 fome tears in the true perform ing of it; if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move ftorms; I will condole in fome measure. To the reft; 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(3) " the raging "rocks, and fhivering fhocks thall break the locks of "prifon-gates-and Phibbus carr fhall fhine 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. Quin. Francis Flute, the bellows-mender. Flu. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You must take Thisby on you. Flu. What is Thisby, a wand'ring Knight? Flu. Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming. Quin. That's all one, you fhall play it in a masque; and you may speak as fmall, as you will.. Bot. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too; I'll speak in a monftrous little yoice, Thifne, Thifne; ah, Pyramus, my lover dear, thy Thisby dear, and lady dear, Quin. No, no, you must play Pyramus; and Flute, you, Thisby. Bot. Well, proceed. Quin. Robin Starveling, the taylor. Star. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisky's mother. (4) (3) The raging Rocks And fivering Shocks, &c.] I prefume This to be either a Quotation from fome fuftian old Play, which I have not been able to trace; or if not a direct Quotation, a Ridicule on fome bombaft Rants, very near resembling it. (4) -you must play Thisby's Mother] There feems a double Forgetfulness of our Poet, in relation to the Characters of this Interlude. The Father and Mother of Thisbe, and the Father of Pyramus, are here mention'd, who do not appear at all in the Interlude: but Wall and Moonshine are Both employ'd in it, of whom there is not the leait Notice taken here.. |