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or faire ladies, I would wish you, or I would request you, or I would entreat you not to feare, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hether as a lyon, it were pitty of my life. No, I am no such thing, I am a man as other men are; and there indeed let him name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the ioyner.

Quin. Well, it fhall be fo; but there is two hard things, that is, to bring the moone-light into a chamber: for you know, Piramus and Thifey meete by moone-light.

Sn. Doth the moone shine that night we play our play? Bottom. A calender, a calender, looke in the almanack, finde out moone-fhine, find out moone-shine.

Quin. Yes, it doth fhine that night.

Bot. Why then may you leaue a cafement of the great chamber window (where we play) open, and the moone may fhine in at the cafement.

Quin. I, or elfe one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorne, and fay he comes to disfigure, or to prefent the person of moon-fhine. Then there is another thing, we muft haue a wall in the great chamber; for Piramus and Thisby (faies the story) did talke through the chinke of a wall.

Sn. You can neuer bring in a wall. What fay you Bottome? Bot. Some man or other must present wall, and let him haue fome plafter, or fome lome, or fome rough cast about him, to fignifie wall; or let him hold his fingers thus; and through that cranny, shall Piramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, fit downe euery mothers fonne, and rehearse your parts. Piramus, you begin; when you haue spoken your speech, enter into that brake, and fo euery one according to his cue.

Enter Robin.

Rob. What hempen home-fpuns haue we fwaggering here, So neere the cradle of the Fairy Queene?

What,

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What, a play toward? Ile be an auditor,
An actor too perhaps, if I fee cause,

Quin. Speake Piramus, Thisby stand forth.

Pir. Thisby, the flowers of odious fauours fweete.
Quin. Odours, odorous.

Pir. Odours fauors fweete,

So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby deare.
But harke, a voyce: stay thou but heere a while,
And by and by I will to thee appeare.

Quin. A ftranger Piramus, then ere plaid here.
Thif. Muft I fpeake now?

Exit.

Pet. I marry muft you. For you must vnderstand he goes but to see a noyse that he heard, and is to come againe.

Thys. Most radiant Piramus, most lilly white of hue,
Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant bryer,
Moft brisky iuuenall, and eke most louely Iew,
As true as trueft horfe, that yet would neuer tyre,
Ile meete thee Piramus, at Ninnies toombe.

Pet. Ninus toombe man: why you must not fpeake that yet; that you anfwer to Piramus: you fpeake all your part at once, cues and al. Piramus enter, your cue is past; it is neuer tyre.

Thyf. Q, as true as trueft horse, that yet would neuer tyre. Pir. If I were faire, Thisby I were onely thine.

Pet. O monftrous. O ftrange. We are haunted; pray masters flye masters, helpe.

Rob. Ile follow you, Ile leade you about a round,

Through bogge, through bush, through brake, through bryer Sometime a horse Ile be, fometime a hound,

A hogge, a headleffe beare, fometime a fire,

And neigh, and barke, and grunt, and rore, and burne,
Like horse, hound, hog, beare, fire, at euery turne.

Exit.

Bot. Why do they run away? This is a knauery of them to make me afeard,

Enter

Enter Snowt.

Sn. O Bottom, thou art chang'd; what do I fee on thee? Bot. What do you fee? you fee an affe head of your own. Do you?

Enter Peter Quince.

Pet. Bleffe thee Bottome, blefle thee; thou art tranflated. Exit. Bot. I fee their knauery; this is to make an affe of me, to fright me if they could; but I will not ftir from this place, do what they can. I will walke vp and downe heere, and I will fing that they shall heare I am not afraid.

The woofell cocke, fo blacke of hew,

With orange tawny bill,

The throftle, with his note fo true,

The wren with little quill.

Tytania. What angell wakes me from my flowry bed?

Bot. The finch, the fparrow, and the larke,

The plainfong cuckow gray;

Whofe note full many a man doth marke,

And dares not anfwer, nay.

For indeed, who would fet his wit to fo foolish a bird? Who would giue a bird the lye, though he cry cuckow, neuer fo?

Tyta. I pray thee gentle mortall, fing againe,

Mine eare is much enamored of thy note;
*On the first view to fay, to fweare I loue thee.
So is mine eye enthralled to thy fhape,

And thy faire vertues force (perforce) doth moue me.

:

Bot. Me-thinks miftreffe, you should haue little reafon for that and yet to fay the truth, reafon and loue keepe little company together, now a dayes. The more the pitty, that fome honeft neighbours will not make them friends. Nay I can gleeke vpon occasion.

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape,

And thy faire vertues force (perforce) doth moue me
On the first view to fay, to fwcare I loue thee.

Tyta.

Tyta. Thou art as wife, as thou art beautifull.

Bot. Not fo neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I haue enough to ferue mine owne turne. Tyta. Out of this wood, do not desire to goe, Thou shalt remaine here, whether thou wilt or no.

I am a fpirit of no common rate:

The fommer ftill doth tend vpon my state,

And I do loue thee; therefore go with me,

Ile giue thee fairies to attend on thee;

And they shall fetch thee iewels from the deepe,
And fing, while thou on preffed flowers doft fleepe :
And I will purge thy mortall groffsenesse so,
That thou shalt like an ayry fpirit go.

Peafe-bloffome, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustard-feed.
Enter foure fairies.

Fai. Ready; and I, and I, and I.

Where fhall we go?

Tita. Be kinde and curteous to this gentleman,
Hop in his walkes, and gambole in his eies,
Feede him with apricocks, and dewberries,
With purple grapes, greene figs, and mulberries,
The hony bags fteale from the humble bees,
And for night tapers, crop their waxen thighes,
And light them at the fiery glow-wormes eies,
To haue my loue to bed, and to arise

And plucke the wings from painted butterflies,

To fanne the moone-beams from his fleeping eyes,

Nod to him elues, and do him curtefies.

1. Fai. Haile mortall,- haile.

2. Fai. Haile.

3. Fai. Haile..

Bot. I cry your worships mercy hartily; I befeech your worships name.

Cob. Cobweb.

Bot.

Bot. I fhall defire you of more acquaintance, good mafter Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I fhall make bold with you. Your name honeft gentleman ?

Peaf. Peafe-bloffome.

Bot. I pray you commend me to mistreffe Squafb, your mother, and to master Peafcod your father. Good mafter Peasebloffome, I fhall defire you of more acquaintance to. Your name I befeech you fir?

Muf. Mustard-feede.

Bot. Good mafter Mustard-feed, I know your patience well : that fame cowardly gyant-like oxe-beefe hath deuoured many a gentleman of your houfe. I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire you more acquaintance, good master Mustard-feede.

Tita. Come waite vpon him, leade him to my bower. The moone me-thinks, lookes with a watry eie,

And when the weepes, weepe euery little flower,

Lamenting fome enforced chastity.

Tye vp my louers tongue, bring him filently.

Enter King of Fairies, and Robin Good-fellow.

Ob. I wonder if Titania be awak't;

Then what it was that next came in her eye,
Which the muft dote on, in extremity.
Here comes my messenger: how now mad spirit,
What night-rule now about this haunted groue?
Puck. My mistresse with a monster is in loue,
Neere to her close and confecrated bower,
While fhe was in her dull and fleeping hower,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,

That worke for bread, vpon Athenian stalles, *
Were met together to rehearse a play,

Intended for great Thefeus nuptiall day:

Exit.

The

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