Her. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love. Hel. None, but your beauty; would that fault were mine! Her. Take comfort; he no more fhall fee my face; O then, what graces in my love do dwell, 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 * I. II. III. IV. His folly. He lena, is none of mine. Perhaps every reader may not. difcover the propriety of these lines. Hermia is willing to comfort Helena, and to avoid all appearance of triumph over her. She therefore bids her not to confider the power of pleafing, as an advantage to be much envied or much defired, fince Hermia, whom the confiders as poffeffing it in the fupreme degree, has found no other effect of it than the lofs of happiness. 3 Emptying our Bofoms of their Counfels fwell'd; 9 And There my Lyfander and myself This whole Scene is strictly in ventur'd to reflore the Rhymes, as I make no doubt but the Poet firft gave them. Sweet was eafily corrupted into favell'd, becaufe that made an Antithefis to Emp tying: And then from Athens turn away our eyes, Things bafe and vile, holding no quantity, tying and frange Companions And Hen. V. His Companies unletter'd, rude and fhallow. THEOBALD. 4 In game.] Game here fig. nifies not contentious play, but Sport, jeft. So Spenfer, Twixt earnest and twixt game, I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight: [Exit. Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snowt, and Starveling, s S here? Quin. Is all our company to call them generally Bot. You ale beft to 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 grow on to a point. 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 In this Scene Shakespear takes advantage of his knowledge of the theatre, to ridicule the prejudices and competitions of the Players Bottom, who is generally acknowledged the principal Actor, declares his inclination to be for a tyrant, for a part of fury, tumult, and noife, fuch as every young man pants to perform when he first steps upon the Stage. The fame Bottom, who feems bred in a tiring-room, has another hiftrionical paffion. He is for engroffing every part, and would exclude his inferiors from all poffibility of distinction. He is therefore defirous to play Pyramus, Thife and the Lyon at the fame time. 1. Grow to a point. a merry a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the fcrowl. Mafters, fpread yourselves. 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 fet down for Pyramus. Bot. What is Pyramus, a lover, or a tyrant? Quin. A lover, that kills himself moft gallantly for love. 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; I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in: To make all split !——— "The raging rocks, "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. Quin. You must take Thifly on you. Flu. What is Thisby, a wand'ring Knight? Quin. It is the lady, that Pyramus must love. Fi Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming. Quin. That's all one, you fhall play it in a mafque ; and you may speak as fmall as you will. 7 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. Robert Starveling, the taylor. Star. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thifty's mother, s 8 Tom Snowt, the tinker. Snow. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You, Pyramus's father; myself, Thisby's fa 7 This paffage fhews how the want of women on the old Stage was fupplied. If they had not a young man who could perform the part with a face that might pafs for feminine, the character was acted in a mafk, which was at that time a part of a Lady's drefs fo much in ufe that it did not give any unusual appearance to the Scene: and he that could modulate his voice in a female tone might play the woman very fuccefsfully. It is obferved in Downes's Memoirs of the Play houfe, that one of thefe counterfeit heroines moved the paffions more ftrongly than the women that have face been brought |