Tom Snowt, the tinker. Snowt. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You, Pyramus's father; my felf, Thisby's father; Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part; I hope, there is a play fitted. Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am flow of study. Quin. 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 fay, let him roar again, let him roar again. Quin. If you should do it too terribly, you would fright the Dutchefs and the ladies, that they would fhriek, and that were enough to hang us all. All. That would hang us every mother's fan. Bot. I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more difcretion but to hang us; but I will aggravate my voice fo, that I will roar you as gently as any fucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale. Quin. You can play no part but Pyramus, for Pyramus is a sweet-fac'd man; a proper man, as one shall fee in a fummer's day; a moft lovely gentleman-like man therefore you must needs play Pyramus. Bot. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I beft to play it in? Quin. Why, what you will. Bot. I will discharge it in either your ftraw-colour beard, your orange-tawny-beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French crown-colour'd beard; your perfect yellow. Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-fac'd. But, masters, here are your parts; and I am to intreat you, request you, and defire you, to con them by to morrow night; and meet me in the palace-wood, a mile without the town, by moon-light, there we will rehearfe; for if we meet in the city, we fhall be dog'd with company, and and our devices known. In the mean time I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. pray you, fail me not. I Bot. We will meet, and there we may rehearse more obfcenely and courageously. Take pains, be perfect, 'adieu. Quin. At the Duke's oak we meet. Bot. Enough; hold, or cut bow-ftrings.-[Exeunt. АСТ II. SCENE, a Wood. Enter a Fairy at one door, and Puck (or Robin-goodfellow) at another. PUCK. OW now, fpirit, whither wander you? H° Through bush, through briar, Over park, over pale, Through flood, through fire, Puck. The King doth keep his revels here to night, Take heed, the Queen come not within his fight. For For Oberon is paffing fell and wrath, Fai. Or I mistake your fhape and making quite, Puck. Thou speak'ft aright; I am that merry wand'rer of the night: And when the drinks, against her lips I bob, And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe, But But make room, fairy, here comes Oberon. Fai. And here my mistress: would, that he were gone! Enter Oberon King of Fairies at one door with his train, and the Queen at another with hers. Ob. Il met by moon-light, proud Titania. Ob. Tarry, rash wanton; am not I thy lord? Ob. How can't thou thus for fhame, Titania, Knowing, I know thy love to Thefeus? Didft thou not lead him through the glimmering night And make him with fair Egle break his faith, Queen. These are the forgeries of jealoufie: (5) From Perigenia, whom he ravis'd:] Thus all the Editors, either not knowing, or not attending to, the History of this Lady, have falfely call'd her but our Author, who diligently perus'd Plutarch, and glean'd from him, where his Subject would admit, knew, from the Life of Thefeus, that her Name was Perigyné; (or Perigané) by whom Thefeus had his Son Melanippus. She was the Daughter of Sinnis a cruel Robber, and Tormenter of Paffengers in the Ifthmus. Plutarch and Athenaus are both exprefs in the Circumftance of Thefeus ravishing her and the Former of them adds (as Diod. Siculus, Apollodorus and Paufanias, likewife tell us ;) that he killed her Father into the Bargain. I corrected this Miftake of the Name in my SHAKESPEARE reftor'd; and Mr. Pope has vouchfafed to correct from Me in his laft Edition. Met we on hill, in dale, foreft, or mead, (6) Να want their Winter here.] The concluding Word is, certainly, a very dragging Expletive: and tho' I have not ventur'd to difplace it, I fcarce believe it genuine. I once fufpected it should be want their winter Chear; i. e. their Jollity, ufual Merry-makings at that Seafon. Mr. Warburton has ingeniously advanced a more refin'd Emendation; which I'll fubjoin with his own Reasoning, in Confirmation. 46 66 66 66 "Is it an aggravating Circumftance of the Miferies here recapitulated, that the wretched Sufferers want their Winter? On the contrary, in the Descriptions of the Happiness of the Golden Age, it was always counted an Addition to it, that they wanted Winter. It feems as plain to Me as day, that we ought to read:, want their Winters heried; « i. e. prais'd, celebrated; an Old Word: and the Line, that follows, "fhews the propriety of it here. The Thing is this; The Winter is the "Seafon for rural Rejoycings on feveral Accounts; because they have got their Fruits in, and have wherewithal to make merry. (And therefore, well might she say, 66 The human Mortals want their Winters hereid, "when she had described the Dearths of the Seasons, and the fruitless "Toil of the Husbandman.) Then, the Gloominess of the Season, and the "Vacancy of it, encourage them to it; and laftly, which is principally in"timated here, (notwithstanding the Impropriety of the Sentiment, as it is "circumftanc'd) fince Chriftianity, this Seafon, on Account of the Birth of "the |