What dreadful dole is here?

'Eyes, do you fee?
How can it be?

O dainty duck. O dear!
Thy mantle good,
'What, ftain'd with blood?
Approach, ye furies fell!

O fates! come, come,

'Cut thread and thrum ;[9] Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!'

The. This paffion, and the death of a dear friend, would go near to make a man look fad.

Hip. Befhrew my heart, but I pity the man.

Pyr.

O wherefore, nature, didft thou lions frame? Since lion vile hath here deflour'd my dear : Which is-no, no-which was the faireft dame That liv'd, that lov'd, that lik'd, that look'd with 'cheer.

Ay, that left pap,

'Where heart doth hop :Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.

Now am I dead,

Now am I fled;
My foul is in the fky:

Tongue, lofe thy light!

Moon, take thy flight!

'Now die, die, die, die, die.' [Dies. Ex. MOONSH. Dem. No die, but an ace for him; for he's but one. Lyf. Lefs than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing. The. With the help of a furgeon, he might yet recover, and prove an afs.[1]

Hip. How chance the moonshine is gone, before Thisbe come back and finds her lover?

The. She will find him by star-light.

[9] 'Thrum' is the end or extremity of a weaver's warp; it is popularly ufed for very coarfe yarn. The maids now call a mop of yarn a thrum mop.' WARNER.

[1] The character of Thefeus in this play is more exalted in his humanity, than his greatnefs. Though fome fenfible obfervations on life, and animated descriptions fall from him, as it is faid of Jago, you should tafte him more as a foldier than as a wit,' which is a diftinction he is here ftriving to deferve, though with little fuccefs; as in fupport of his pretenfions he never STEEV. rifes higher than a pun, and frequently finks as low as a quibble.

VOL. II.

U

Enter THISBE.

Here the comes, and her paffion ends the play. Hip. Methinks, she should not use a long one for fuch a Pyramus: I hope, she will be brief.

Dem. A moth will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thisbe, is the better ;—

Lyf. She has fpied him already, with those sweet eyes. Dem. And thus fhe moans, videlicet.

Thif. Afleep, my love?

'What, dead, my dove?

"O Pyramus, arife,

Speak, fpeak. Quite dumb?
'Dead, dead? A tomb
Muft cover thy fweet eyes.
Thefe lily brows,
This cherry nofe,
Thefe yellow cowflip cheeks,
Are gone, are gone:
'Lovers, make moan!
'His eyes were green as leeks.
O fifters three,

'Come, come to me,
With hands as pale as milk;
Lay them in gore,

Since you have shore

With fhears his thread of filk.

Tongue, not a word :

'Come, trufty fword

'Come, blade, my breaft imbrue :

And farewel, friends ;—

Thus Thisbe ends :

Adieu, adieu, adieu.'

[Dies.

The. Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead. Dem. Ay, and Wall too.

Bot. No, I affure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it please you to fee the epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance, between two of our company.[2]

The. No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excufe. Never excufe; for when the players are all dead, there need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it,

[2] A 'Bergomask dance' (as fir T. H. obferves in his Gloffary) is a dance after the manner of the pealants of Bergomafco, a country in Italy, belonging to the Venetians. All the buffoons in Italy affect to imitate the ridicu lous jargon of that people, as well as their manner of dancing. STEBV.

had play'd Pyramus, and hang'd himself in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy: and fo it is, truly; and very notably discharg'd. But come, your Bergomask: let your epilogue alone. [Here a dance of Clowns. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve :Lovers, to bed; 'tis almoft fairy time.

I fear, we shall out-fleep the coming morn,
As much as we this night have overwatch'd.
This palpable-grofs play hath well beguil'd
The heavy gait of night.-Sweet friends, to bed.-
A fortnight hold we this folemnity,
In nightly revels and new jollity.

SCENE II. Enter PUCK,

[Exeunt.

Puck. Now the hungry lion roars,
And the wolf behowls the moon,
Whilft the heavy ploughman fnores,
All with weary task foredone.
Now the wafted brands do glow,
Whilft the fcritch-owl, fcritching loud,
Puts the wretch, that lies in woe,
In remembrance of a fhroud.
Now it is the time of night,

That the graves, all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his fpright,
In the church-way paths to glide ;
And we fairies, that do run

By the triple Hecat's team,
From the presence of the fun,
Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolick; not a mouse
Shall difturb this hallow'd house:
I am fent, with broom, before,
To sweep the dust behind the door.

Enter King and Queen of Fairies, with their Train.
Ob. Through this houfe give glimmering light,

By the dead and drowsy fire :

Every elf, and fairy fpright,

Hop as light as bird from brier;

And this ditty,`after me,

Sing and dance it trippingly.

Tit. Firft, rehearse the fong by rote,

To each word a warbling note,

Puck.

Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Will we fing, and blefs this place.[4]
Ob. Now, until the break of day,
Through this houfe each fairy tray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us fhall bleffed be;
And the iffue, there create,
Ever fhall be fortunate.

So fhall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be:

And the blots of nature's hand
Shall not in their iffue ftand;
Never mole, hare-lip, nor scar,
Nor mark prodigious, fuch as are
Despised in nativity,

Shall upon their children be.-
With this field-dew confecrate,

Every fairy take his gate:

And each feveral chamber blefs,
Through this palace, with fweet peace:
Ever fhall it fafely reft,

And the owner of it bleft.

Trip away;
Make no stay :

Meet me all by break of day.

[Exe. King, Queen, and Train.

If ave fhadows have offended,
Think but this (and all is mended),
That you have but Лlumber'd here,
While thefe vifions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend;
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I'm an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck

Now to Scape the ferpent's tongue,

We will make amends, ere long:

Elfe the puck a liar call.

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin hall reftore amends.

[Exit.

[4] The fongs, I fuppofe, were loft, because they were not inferted in

the players parts, from which the drama was printed. JOHNS.