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The wood.
[TITANIA lying asleep. Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and
STARVELING]
BOTTOM
Are we all met?
QUINCE
Pat, pat, and here's a marvelous convenient place for our rehearsal. This
green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tiring-house, and we
will do it in action, as we will do it before the duke.
BOTTOM
Peter Quince?
QUINCE
What sayest thou, bully Bottom?
BOTTOM
There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never
please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies
cannot abide. How answer you that?
SNOUT
By our lakin, a parlous fear.
STARVELING
I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.
BOTTOM
Not a whit, I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue, and let
the prologue seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords, and that
Pyramus is not killed indeed: and for the more better assurance, tell them,
that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: this will put them
out of fear.
QUINCE
Well, we will have such a prologue, and it shall be written in eight and
six.
BOTTOM
No, make it two more, let it be written in eight and eight.
SNOUT
Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?
STARVELING
I fear it, I promise you.
BOTTOM
Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves, to bring in (God shield
us) a lion among ladies, is a most dreadful thing. For there is not a more
fearful wild-fowl than your lion living: and we ought to look to it.
SNOUT
Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion.
BOTTOM
Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the
lion's neck, and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same
defect; Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or I would request
you, or I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for
yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity 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 joiner.
QUINCE
Well, it shall be so; but there is two hard things, that is, to bring the
moonlight into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by
moonlight.
SNOUT
Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?
BOTTOM
A calendar, a calendar, look in the almanac, find out moonshine, find out
moonshine.
QUINCE
Yes, it doth shine that night.
BOTTOM
Why then may you leave a casement of the great chamber window (where we
play) open, and the moon may shine in at the casement.
QUINCE
Aye, or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say
he comes to disfigure, or to present the person of Moonshine. Then there
is another thing, we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and
Thisby (says the story) did talk through the chink of a wall.
SNOUT
You can never bring in a wall. What say you Bottom?
BOTTOM
Some man or other must present Wall, and let him have some plaster, or some
loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his
fingers thus; and through that cranny, shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.
QUINCE
If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down every mother's son, and
rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin; when you have spoken your speech,
enter into that brake, and so every one according to his cue.
[Enter PUCK behind]
PUCK
, , ,
, 2 ,
What hem|pen home-|spuns have | we swag|gering
here,
, ,
, , ,
So near | the crad|le of | the fair|y queen?
,
, , ,
, 2
What, a | play to|ward? I'll / be an | auditor,
, , ,
. T T T
An act|or too | perhaps,| if I see cause.
QUINCE
, ,
, ___ ___
Speak Pyr/amus:| Thisby | stand | forth.
BOTTOM
, x
, 2 , ,
Thisby,| the flowers | of od|ious sav|ors sweet.
QUINCE
, ,
Odors,| odors.
BOTTOM
, , ___
odors | savors | sweet:
, , ,
, ,
So hath | thy breath,| my dear|est This|by dear.
, , ,
, ,
But hark,| a voice:| stay thou | but here | awhile,
, , ,
, ,
And by | and by | I will | to thee | appear.
[Exit]
PUCK
, , ,
, ,
A strang|er Pyr|amus,| than ere | played^here.
[Exit]
FLUTE
Must I speak now?
QUINCE
Aye marry must you. For you must understand he goes but to see a noise that
he heard, and is to come again.
FLUTE
, , , , ,
Most rad|iant Pyr|amus,| most li|ly-white | of
hue,
, , ,
, ,
,
Of col|or like | the red | rose on | triumph|ant
brier,
, , ,
, , ,
Most brisk|y juv|enal | and eke | most love|ly Jew,
, , ,
, , ,
As true | as tru|est horse,| that yet | would
nev|er tire,
T T T ,
, , __
I'll meet thee | Pyra|mus, at | Ninny's | tomb.
QUINCE
Ninus' tomb man: why, you must not speak that yet; that you answer to
Pyramus: you speak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus enter, your
cue is past; it is never tire.
FLUTE
2 , ,
, , ,
,
O, As true | as tru|est horse,| that yet | would
nev|er tire:
[Enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass's head]
BOTTOM
, ,
, , ,
___
If I | were fair,| Thisby | I were | only |
thine.
QUINCE
O monstrous. O strange. We are haunted; pray masters, fly masters, Help.
[Exeunt QUINCE, SNUG, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING]
PUCK
, , ,
, ,
I'll fol|low you,| I'll lead | you about | a round,
,
, ,
, o
Through bog,| through bush,| through brake,|
through bri|er,
, ,
, , ,
Sometime | a horse | I'll be,| sometime | a
hound:
, ,
, ,
x
A hog,| a head|less bear,| sometime | a fire,
, ,
, ,
,
And neigh,| and bark,| and grunt,| and roar,| and
burn,
, T
T T x . Tx
T
Like^horse,| hound, hog, bear,| fire, at every turn.
??
[Exit]
BOTTOM
Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afeard.
[Enter SNOUT]
SNOUT
O Bottom, thou art changed; what do I see on thee?
BOTTOM
What do you see? you see an asshead of your own, do you?
[Exit SNOUT; Enter QUINCE]
QUINCE
Bless thee Bottom, bless thee; thou art translated.
[Exit]
BOTTOM
I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me, to fright me if they
could; but I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up
and down here, and I will sing that they shall hear I am not afraid.
[Sings]
, , ,
,
The ous|el cock,| so black | of hue,
, , , oo
With or|ange-tawn|y bill.|
, ,
, ,
The thrust|le, with | his note | so true,
, , ,
oo
The wren | with lit|tle quill.|
TITANIA [Awaking]
, , ,
, 2 ,
What ang|el wakes | me from | my flow|ery bed?
BOTTOM [Sings]
, ,
, ,
The finch,| the spar|row, and | the lark,
. T T T ,
oo
The plain-song cuck|oo gray;|
, , 2
, ,
Whose note | full* ma|ny a man | doth mark,
, , ,
And dares | not ans|wer, nay.
For indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a
bird the lie, though he cry cuckoo never so?
TITANIA
, , ,
, ,
I pray | thee gent|le mort|al, sing | again,
, ,
, , ,
Mine^ear | is much | enam|ored of | thy note;
, ,
, , ,
So is | mine^eye | enthral|led to | thy shape.
, ,
, , ,
o
And thy / fair vir|tue's force |(perforce)| doth
move | me.
, ,
, ,
, o
On the / first view | to say, | to swear | I love
| thee.
BOTTOM
Methinks mistress, you should have little reason for that: and yet to say
the truth, reason and love keep little company together, nowadays. The more
the pity, that some honest neighbors will not make them friends. Nay, I can
gleek upon occasion.
TITANIA
, ,
, , ,
Thou art | as wise,| as thou | art beaut|iful.
BOTTOM
Not so neither; but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have
enough to serve mine own turn.
TITANIA
,
, , ,
,
Out of | this wood,| do not | desire | to go.
, ,
, 2 , ,
Thou shalt | remain | here*, wheth|er thou wilt |
or no.
, , ,
, ,
I am | a spir|it of | no com|mon rate:
, , ,
, ,
The sum|mer still | doth tend | upon | my state,
, , ,
, ,
And I | do love | thee; there|fore go | with me,
, ,
, , ,
I'll give | thee fair|ies to | attend | on thee;
, ,
, ,
,
And they | shall fetch | thee jew|els from | the
deep,
, ,
, , ,
And sing,| while thou | on pres|sed flowers |
dost^sleep:
, , ,
, ,
And I | will purge | thy mort|al gross|ness so,
, ,
, , ,
That thou | shalt like | an air|y spir|it go.
T Tx
T T T . T ,
Peaseblossom, Cob|web, Moth, and Mus|tardseed.
[Enter PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, and MUSTARDSEED]
PEASEBLOSSOM
,
Ready.
COBWEB
,
And I,
MOTH
,
And I,
MUSTARDSEED
,
And I,
ALL
3 3 ,
Where shall we go?
TITANIA
, , 2
, , ,
Be kind | and court|eous to | this gent|leman,
,
, , , ,
Hop in | his walks,| and gamb|ol in | his eyes,
,
, , ,
,
Feed him | with ap|ricots,| and dew|berries,
, ,
T T . T ,
With pur|ple grapes,| green figs, and
mul|berries,
, , ,
, ,
The hon|ey-bags | steal from | the hum|ble bees,
, , ,
, ,
And for / night-tap|ers crop | their wax|en
thighs,
, , 2 ,
T T T
And light | them at the | fiery | glow-worm's
eyes,
, ,
, , ,
To have | my love | to bed | and to | arise;
, ,
, , ,
And pluck | the wings | from paint|ed but|terflies,
, , ,
, ,
To fan | the moon|beams from | his sleep|ing
eyes.
,
, , , ,
Nod to | him elves,| and do | him court|esies.
PEASEBLOSSOM
__ ,
Hail,| mortal.
COBWEB
__
Hail.
MOTH
__
Hail.
MUSTARDSEED
__
Hail.
BOTTOM
I cry your worship's mercy heartily; I beseech your worship's name.
COBWEB
Cobweb.
BOTTOM
I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my
finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman?
PEASEBLOSSOM
Peaseblossom.
BOTTOM
I pray you commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master
Peascod your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more
acquaintance too. Your name I beseech you sir?
MUSTARDSEED
Mustardseed.
BOTTOM
Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly
giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house. I promise
you, your kindred had made my eyes water ere now. I desire your more
acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.
TITANIA
, ,
, ,
x
Come wait | upon | him, lead | him to | my bower.
, ,
, , 2
,
The moon | methinks,| looks with | a wat|ery eye,
, ,
, , x
And when | she weeps,| weeps^eve|ry lit|tle
flower,
, , , , ,
Lamen|ting some | enfor|ced chast|ity.
, 2
T T T , ,
Tie up my | love's tongue, bring | him
sil|ently.
[Exeunt]