This. I kiss the wall's hole, not your lips at all.' Pyr. Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightway?' This.Tide life, tide death, I come without delay.' Wall. Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so; 'And, being done, thus Wall away doth go." [Exeunt Wall, Pyramus, and Thisbe. The. Now is the mural down between the two neighbours. Dem. No remedy, my lord, when walls are so wilful to hear without warning. Hip. This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard. The. The best in this kind are but shadows: and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them. Hip. It must be your imagination then, and not theirs. The. If we imagine no worse of them, than they of themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here come two noble beasts in, a moon and a lion. Enter Lion and Moonshine. Lion. You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor, May now, perchance, both quake and tremble here, When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar. 'Then know, that I, one Snug the joiner, am A lion fell, nor else no lion's dam: For if I should as lion come in strife 'Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.' The. A very gentle beast, and of a good conscience. Dem. The very best at a beast, my lord, that e'er I saw. Lys. This lion is a very fox for his valour. The. True; and a goose for his discretion. Dem. Not so, my lord: for his valour cannot earry his discretion; and the fox carries the goose. The. His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valour; for the goose carries not the fox. It is well: leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon. Moon. This lantern doth the horned moon present:' Dem. He should have worn the horns on his head. The. He is no crescent, and his horns are invisible within the circumference. Moon. This lantern doth the horned moon present; • Myself the man i' th' moon do seem to be.' The. This the greatest error of all the rest: the man should be put into the lantern: How is it else the man i' the moon? Dem. He dares not come there for the candle: for, you see, it is already in snuff.' Hip. I am aweary of this moon: Would, he would change! The. It appears, by his small light of discretion, that he is in the wane: but yet, in courtesy, in all reason, we must stay the time. (1) In anger; a quibble. (2) Coarse yarn. The. Well moused, lion. [The lion tears Thisbe's mantle, and exit. Dem. And so comes Pyramus. Lys. And then the moon vanishes. Pyr. Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams; 'I thank thee, moon, for shining now so bright: 'But mark:-Poor knight, 'What dreadful dole is here! Eyes, do you see? 'O dainty duck! O dear! Thy mantle good, O fates! come, come; 'Cut thread and thrum;2 Quail, crush, conclude, and quell !'3 The. This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would go near to make a man look sad. Hip. Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man. Pyr. O, wherefore, nature, didst thou lions frame? Enter Thisbe. Hip. Methinks, she should not use a long one, for such a Pyramus: I hope, she will be brief. Dem. A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thisbe, is the better. Lys. She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes. Dem. And thus she moans, videlicet. This. Asleep, my love? 'O Pyramus, arise, "Speak, speak. Quite dumb? 'Dead, dead? A tomb " Must cover thy sweet eyes. Come, come, to me, Since you have shore "With shears his thread of silk. Tongue, not a word:Come, trusty sword; 'Come, blade, my breast imbrue; And farewell, friends ; Thus, Thisby ends: 'Adieu, adieu, adieu.' [Dies. The. Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead. Dem. Ay, and Wall too. Bot. No, I assure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance, between two of our company? The. No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all dead, there need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had play'd Pyramus, and hanged himself in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy: and so it is, truly; and very notably discharged. But come, your Bergomask: let your epilogue alonc. [Here a dance of Clowns. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time. I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn, As much as we this night have overwatch'd. The heavy gait' of night.-Sweet friends, to bed.- In nighly revels, and new jollity. SCENE II-Enter Puck. Puck. Now the hungry lion roars, [Exeunt. Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud, Puts the wretch, that lies in wo, In remembrance of a shroud. Now it is the time of night, That the graves, all gaping wide, Every one lets forth his sprite, In the church-way paths to glide: And we fairies, that do run By the triple Hecate's team, From the presence of the sun, To sweep the dust behind the door. Enter Oberon and Titania, with their Train. Obe. Through this house give glimmering light, By the dead and drowsy fire: Every elf, and fairy sprite, Hop as light as bird from brier; And this ditty, after me, Sing and dance it trippingly. Tita. First rehearse this song by rote: SONG, AND DANCE. Obe. Now, until the break of day, So shall all the couples three Shall upon their children be.- Puck. [Exeunt Oberon, Titania, and Train. Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, Mercade, France. Don Adriano de Armado, a fantastical Spaniard. Jaquenetta, a country wench. Sir Nathaniel, a curate. Holofernes, a schoolmaster. Dull, a constable. ACT I. And, one day in a week to touch no food; SCENE I-Navarre. A park, with a palace And then to sleep but three hours in the night, in it. Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, Dumain. and And not to be seen to wink of all the day; fame, that all hunt after in their lives, Live register'd upon our brazen tombs, And then grace us in the disgrace of death; When, spite of cormorant devouring time, The endeavour of this present breath may buy That honour, which shall bate his scythe's keen edge, And make us heirs of all eternity. Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, (When I was wont to think no harm all night, I King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these. And stay here in your court for three years' space. jest. What is the end of study? let me know. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense; And the huge army of the world's desires,- King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense. Biron. I can but say their protestation over, When I to feast expressly am forbid ; King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain: To seek the like of truth; while truth the while Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile: (1) Dishonestly, treacherously. Therefore this article is made in vain, Study me how to please the eye indeed, That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; Than those that walk, and wot not what they are. King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the Biron. The spring is near, when green geese Fit in his place and time. Dum. In reason nothing. Before the birds have any cause to sing? Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. with you: And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And 'bide the penance of each three years' day. Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall Long. Four days ago. Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. Biron. So study evermore is overshot; While it doth study to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it should: And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, 'Tis won, as towns with fire; so won, so lost. King. We must, of force, dispense with this decree; She must lie3 here on mere necessity. Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space: For every man with his affects is born; Not by might master'd, but by special grace: I I [Subscribes. And he that breaks them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternal shame : Suggestions are to others, as to me; But, I believe, although I seem so loth, am the last that will last keep his oath. But is there no quick recreation granted: King. Ay, that there is: our court, you know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain; A man in all the world's new fashion planted, For interim to our studies, shall relate, Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight, And, so to study, three years is but short. Enter Dull, with a letter, and Costard. Biron. Let's see the penalty. Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility. This article, my liege, yourself must break; For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter, with yourself to speak, A maid of grace, and complete majesty,About surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Dull. Signior Arme-Arme-commends you.— There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you me. King. A letter from the magnificent Armado. Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope im God for high words. Long. A high hope for a low having: God grant us patience! Biron. To hear? or forbear hearing? Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us. cause to climb in the merriness. (5) Lively, sprightly. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning swain,) I keep her as a vessel of thy law's fury; Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken and shall, at the least of thy sweel nolice, bring her with the manner.1 to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty, Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO. Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but house, sitting with her upon the form, and taken the best that ever I heard. King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah, the manner, it is the manner of a man to speak what say you to this? to a woman: for the form,-in some form. Biron. For the following, sir? Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; and God defend the right! King. Will you hear this letter with attention? King. [Reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's God, and body's fostering patron,— Cost. Not a word of Custard yet. King. So it is, Cost. Sir, I confess the wench. King. Did you hear the proclamation? litte of the marking of it. King. It was proclaimed a year's imprisonment, to be taken with a wench. Cost. I was taken with none, sir, I was taken with a damosel. King. Well, it was proclaimed damosel. Cost. This was no damosel neither, sir; she was a virgin. King. It is so varied too; for it was proclaimed, virgin. Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, taken with a maid. in telling true, but so, so. be to me, and every man that dares King. Peace. Cost. not fight! King. No words. King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir. Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge. King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.- [Exeunt King, Longaville, and Dumain. Cost. of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King. So it is, besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour to the most wholesome physic of thy health-My giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, belook myself to walk. The time when? About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper. So much for the time when. Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon : it is yelepel thy park. Then for the place where ;| where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from mi snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which heri tou viewest, behol lest, surreyest, or seest; but to the place, where,-Il stan leth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden: there did I see that low-spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth, Cost. Me. King. that unletter'd small-knowing soul, King. that shallow vassal, Cost. Still me. Cost. With a wench. King. - with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more sweet understanding, a woman. Him I (as my ever-esteemed duly pricks me on) have sent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy sweet grace's officer, Antony Dull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and estimation. Dull. Me, an't shall please you; I am Antony Dull. King. For Jaquenetta (so is the weaker vessel called, which I apprehended with the aforesaid (1) In the fact. (2) A young man. | Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a rue girl; and therefore, Welcome the sour cup of Prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again, ind till then, Sit thee down, sorrow! [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Another part of the same. Arma do's house. Enter Armado and Moth. Arm. Boy, what sign is it, when a man of great spirit grows melancholy? Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp. Moth. No, no; O lord, sir, no. Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal ?2 Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the work ing, my tough senior. Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior? Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal? Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender. Moth. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough. Arm. Pretty, and apt. Moth. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or I apt, and my saving pretty? Arm. Thou pretty, because little. |