Hel. The more I love, the more he hateth me. Her. Take comfort; he no more shall see my face; Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me: Lys. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold: 210 220 [Exit HERM. Lys. I will, my Hermia.-Helena, adieu: As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! [Exit. Lys. Hel Hel. How happy some, o'er othersome, can be! Things base and vile, holding no quantity, 230 240 250 [Exit SCENE SCENE II. A Cottage. Enter QUINCE the Carpenter, SNUG the Joiner, BOTTOм the Weaver, FLUTE the BellowsMender, SNOUT the Tinker, and STARVELING the Taylor. Quin. Is all our company here ? Bot. You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip. Quin. 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 dutchess, on his wedding-day at night. 261 · Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and so grow 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 assure you, and a merry.—Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scrow Masters, spread yourselves. 271 Quin. Answer, as I call you.-Nick Bottom the weaver. Bot. Ready Name what part I am for, and proceed. Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyra mus. Bot. What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant? Quin. A lover that kills himself most gallantly for love. 280 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, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split. "The raging rocks, "Of prison-gates ; "And Phibbus' car "Shall shine from far, "And make and mar "The foolish fates." 290 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. 300 Flu. What is Thisby? a wandering knight? Quin. It is the lady that Pyramus must love. Flu. Flu. Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming. Quin. 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! 310 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 Thisby's mother.-Tom Snout, the Tinker. Snou. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You, Pyramus's father; myself, Thisby's father;-Snug, the joiner, you, the lion's part :-and, I hope, there is a play fitted. 321 Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow 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 say, Let him roar again, let him roar again.. 329 Quin. An you 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. |