I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight:
Then to the wood will he, to-morrow night,
Pursue her; and for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expence.
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have this fight thither, and back again.

[Exit.

Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snowt, and Starveling.

Quin. S all our company here?

Bot. You were beft to call them generally 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 wedding-day at night.

Bot. First, good Peter Quince, fay what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and fo go on to a point.

2.

Quin. Marry, our play is the most lamentable comedy, and moft 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 yourselves. 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.

2 GROW on to a point] read Go on &c.

H 4

Bot.

Bot. That will ask fome tears in the true performing 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; 3 I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a Cap in: To make all split- "the raging rocks, and fhivering shocks shall break the locks of prison-gates"and Phibbus' carr fhall fhine from far, and make "and mar the foolish fates." This was lofty.

66

Now name the reft 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? Quin. It is the lady, that Pyramus must love. 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 fpeak in a monftrous little voice, 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,

3 I could play Ercles part rarely, or a part to tear a CAT in.] We fhould read,

A part to tear a CAP in.

for as a ranting whore was called a tear Sheet, [2d part of Hen. IV.] fo a ranting bully was called a tear-cap. For this reafon it is, the Poet makes bully Bottom, as he is called afterwards, wish for a part to tear a cap in. And in the ancient plays, the bombaft and the rant held the place of the fublime and pathetic: And indeed conftituted the very effence of their tragical Farces. Thus Bale in his Acts of English votaries, part 2d, fays Termagauntes in a play.

grennyng like

Star.

Star. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother.

Tom Snowt, the tinker.

Snow. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. You, Pyramus's father; myself, 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 fhould 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 fon.

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 fhall 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 best to play it in?

Quin. Why, what you will.

Bot. I will difcharge it in either your ftraw-colour'd 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 rehearse; for if we meet in the city, we fhall be dog'd with company, and our devices known. In the mean time I will draw a bill of properties, fuch as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not.

Bot. We will meet, and there we may rehearse more obfcenely and courageoufly. Take pains, be perfect, adieu.

Quin. 4 At the Duke's oak we meet.

Bot. Enough; hold, or cut bow-ftrings.

ACT II.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I. ***

A WOO D.

Enter a Fairy at one Door, and Puck (or Robin-good

fellow) at another.

PUCK.

OW now, fpirit, whither wander you?
Fai. Over hill, over dale,

Through bush, through briar,

4 At the Duke's Oak we meet -hold, or cut bowftrings.] This proverbial phrase came originally from the Camp. When a Rendezvous was appointed, the militia Soldiers would frequently make excufe for not keeping word that their bowstrings were broke, i. e. their arms unferviceable. Hence when one would give another abfolute affurance of meeting him, he would fay proverbially hold or cut bow-ftrings i. e. whether the bowftring held or broke. For cut is used as a neuter, like the verb frets. As when we fay, the firing frets — the filk frets, for the paffive, it is cut or fretted.

Over park, over pale,
Through flood, through fire,
I do wander every where,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I ferve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowflips tall her penfioners be,
In their gold coats fpots you fee,
Those be rubies, Fairy-favours:
In those freckles live their favours:
I must go seek fome dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowflip's ear.
Farewel, thou lob of fpirits, I'll be gone,
Our Queen and all her elves come here anon.

Puck. The King doth keep his revels here to night, Take heed, the Queen come not within his fight. For Oberon is paffing fell and wrath,

Because that she, as her attendant, hath
A lovely boy, ftoll'n from an Indian King:
She never had fo fweet a changeling;
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forefts wild;
But the per-force with-holds the loved boy,
Crowns him with flow'rs, and makes him all her joy.
And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or fpangled ftar-light fheen,
But they do fquare, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.

I

Fai. Or I miftake your fhape and making quite, Or elfe you are that shrewd, and knavish sprite, Call'd Robin-goodfellow. Are you not he, That fright the maidens of the villageree, Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern, And bootlefs make the breathlefs hufwife chern: And fometime make the drink to bear no barm, Mif-lead night-wand'rers, laughing at their harm? 1 i. e. quarrel or jar. Mr. Pope.

Thofe