Snug. You never can bring in a wall. What fay you, Bottom?

Bot. Some man or other muft prefent Wall; and let him have fome plafter, or some lome, or fome rough caft about him, to fignify wall: Or let him hold his fingers thus; and through the cranny fhall Pyramus and Thiby whifper.

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, fit down every mother's fon, and rehearfe your parts. Pyramus, you begin; when you have fpoken your fpeech, enter into that brake; and so every one according to his cue.

SCENE II.

Enter Puck behind.

Puck. WHAT hempen home-spuns have we swag

gering here.

So near the cradle of the fairy Queen?
What, a play tow'rd? I'll be an auditor;
An Actor too, perhaps, if I fee caufe.
Quin. Speak, Pyramus; Thisby, ftand forth.
Pyr. Thisby, the flower of odious favours fweet.
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr. Odours, favours sweet.

So doth thy breath, my deareft Thify, dear; But hark, a voice! ftay thou but here a whit; And, by and by, I will to thee appear. [Exit Pyr. Puck. A firanger Pyramus than e'er plaid here ! [Afide. Thif. Muft I fpeak now?

Quin. Ay, marry, muft you; for you must underftand, he goes but to fee a noife that he heard, and is to come again.

Thif. Moft radiant Pyramus, moft lilly-white of hue, Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant brier, Moft brifky Juvenile, and eke most lovely Jew, As true as trueft horse, that yet would never tire, I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

Quin.

Quin. Ninus' tomb, man; why you must not speak that yet: that you anfwer to Pyramus; you fpeak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter; your cue is past; it is, never tire.

Re-enter Bottom, with an Afs-head.

Thif. O,As true as trueft horse, that never tire.

yet

Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine.

would

Quin. O monftrous! O ftrange! we are haunted; pray, mafters; fly, mafters; help! [The Clowns exeunt. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round. Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier;

Sometimes a horfe I'll be, fometimes a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, fometime a fire,

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar and burn,
Like horfe, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. [Ex.
Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of
them to make me afeard.

Enter Snowt.

Snowt. O Bottom, thou art chang'd; what do I fee on thee?

Bot. What do you see? you see an afs-head of your own, do you?

Enter Quince.

Quin. Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee; thou art tranflated.

Bot. I fee their knavery, this is to make an ass of me, to fright me if they could; but I will not fir from this place, do what they can; I will walk up and down here, and I will fing, that they fhall hear I am not afraid.

[Sings.

Queen.

Queen. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed? [Waking. Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, [Sings. The plain-fong cuckow gray,

Whofe note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer, nay.

For, indeed, who would fet his Wit to fo foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, tho' he cry cuckow never fo?

Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, fing again;
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue's force (perforce) doth move me,
On the first view to fay, to fwear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, miftrefs, you should have little reafon for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days. The more the pity, that some honeft neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can * gleek upon occafion. Queen. Thou art as wife, as thou art beautiful.

Bot. Not fo neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to ferve mine.

own turn.

Queen. Out of this wood do not desire to go,

Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a fpirit of no common rate;

The fummer ftill doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee; therefore, go with me,
I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;

And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And fing, while thou on preffed flowers doft sleep:
And I will purge thy mortal groffness so,
That thou fhalt like an airy spirit go.
Peafebloffom! Cobweb! Moth!` and Mustardseed!

*Joke or Scoff.

Mr. Pope.

SCENE

4 Fair. And I: where fhall we go?

Queen. Be kind, and courteous to this gentleman;
Hop in his walks, and gambole in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs and mulberries,
The honey-bags fteal from the humble bees,
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arise:

And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his fleeping Eyes;
Nod to him elves, and do him courtefies.
1 Fair. Hail, mortal, hail!

Bot. I cry your worship's mercy heartily; I befeech your worship's name.

Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I fhall defire of you more acquaintance, good master Cobweb; if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman.

Peafe. Peafebloffom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash your mother, and to master Peafecod your father. Good mafter Peafebloffom, I fhall defire of you more acquaintance too. Your name, I befeech you, Sir. Muf. Muftardfeed.

Bot. Good mafter Muftardfeed, I know your parentage well: that fame cowardly giant-like Ox-beef hath devour'd many a gentleman of your houfe. I

pro

promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire more of your acquaintance, good mafter Mustardfeed.

Qu. Come, wait upon him, lead him to my bower. The moon. methinks, looks with a watry eye; And when the weeps, weep ev'ry little flower, Lamenting fome enforced chastity!

Tie up my love's tongue, bring him filently. [Exeunt

Ob.

I

Enter King of Fairies.

Wonder, if Titania be awak'd:

Then what it was that next came in her eye, Which the muft doat on in extremity.

Enter Puck.

Here comes my meffenger! how now, mad fprite,
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
Puck. My miftrefs with a monfter is in love.
Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While fhe was in her dull and fleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearfe a play,
Intended for great Thefeus' nuptial day.
The fhallow'ft thick-fkin of that barren fort,
Who Pyramus prefented, in their sport
Forfook his fcene, and enter'd in a brake;
When I did him at this advantage take,
An afs's nole I fixed on his head;

Anon, his Thisby muft be answered,

And forth my minnock comes: when they him spy,
As wild geefe, that the creeping fowler eye,

Or ruffet-pated choughs, many in fort,
Rifing and cawing at the gun's report,