BOT. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-fhine, find out moon-fhine.

QUIN. Yes, it doth fhine that night.

Bor. Why, then you may leave a cafement of the great chamber window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the casement.

QUIN. Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and fay, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, fays the story, did talk through the chink of a wall.

SNUG. You never can bring in a wall.—What say you, Bottom?

Bor. Some man or other must present wall: and let him have fome plafter, or some lome, or fome roughcast about him, to fignify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny fhall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

QUIN. If that may be, then all is well. Come, fit down, every mother's fon, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake; and fo every one according to his cue. Enter Puck behind.

Puck. What hempen home-fpuns have we fwaggering So near the cradle of the fairy queen?

What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor;

An actor too, perhaps, if I fee cause.

QUIN. Speak, Pyramus :-Thisby, stand forth.
PrR. Thisby, the flowers of odious favours fweet,—
QUIN. Odours, odours.

PrR.- odours favours fweet:

So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.

[here,

But, bark, a voice! Stay thou but here a while,
And by and by I will to thee appear.

PUCK. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here!

THIS. Muft I speak now?

[Exit.

[afide.-Exit.

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

THIS. Moft radiant Pyramus, moft lily-white of bue,

Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant brier,

Moft brifky juvenal, 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. 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 paft; it is, never tire.

Re-enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an afs's head. THIS. O,—As true as trueft horse, that yet would never tire. PrR. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine :QUIN. O monstrous! O ftrange! we are haunted. Pray, mafters! fly, mafters! help! [Exeunt CLOWNS.

PUCK. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through Sometime a horfe I'll be, fometime a hound, [brier;

A hog, a headless bear, fometime a fire;

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

Re-enter SNOUT.

SNOUT. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I fee on thee?

VOL. I.

3 Y

Bor. What do

you fee? you fee an afs' head of

your

own; Do you?

Re-enter QUINCE.

QUIN. Blefs thee, Bottom! blefs thee! thou art translated.

[Exit.

Bor. I see their knavery: this is to make an afs of me; to fright me, if they could. But I will not ftir 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.

The oufel-cock, fo black of bue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throfile with his note fo true,

The wren with little quill;

[Sings.

TITA. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

Bor. The finch, the fparrow, and the lark,

The plain-fong cuckoo gray,

Whofe note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer, nay;—

[Waking.

for, indeed, who would fet his wit to fo foolish a bird?

who would give a bird the lie, though he

never fo?

cry, cuckoo,

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

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

Bor. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: And yet, to fay the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days: The more the pity, that fome honeft neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek, upon occafion.

TITA. Thou art as wife as thou art beautiful.

Bor. Not fo, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn. TITA. Out of this wood do not defire 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 ftate,
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 fleep:
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so,

That thou shalt like an airy fpirit go.

Peas-bloffom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-feed!
Enter four FAIRIES.

1. FAI. Ready.

2. FAI. And I.

3. FAI. And I.

4. FAI. Where fhall we go?

TITA. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
Hop in his walks, and gambol 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. FAI. Hail, mortal!

2. FAI. Hail!

3. FAI. Hail!

4. FAI. Hail!

Bor. I cry your worships mercy, heartily.-I beseech, your worship's name.

COB. Cobweb.

BOT. I fhall defire you of more acquaintance, good mafter Cobweb: If I cut my finger, I fhall make bold with you. Your name, honeft gentleman?

PEAS. Peas-bloffom.

Bor. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash, your mother, and to mafter Peafcod, your father. Good mafter Peas-bloffom, I fhall defire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech fir?

Mus. Muftard-feed.

you,

Bor. Good mafter Mustard-feed, I know your patience well that fame cowardly, giant-like, ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire you more acquaintance, good master Mustardfeed.

TITA. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower. The moon, methinks, looks with a wat'ry eye; And when the weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting fome enforced chastity.

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

SCENE II. Another part of the Wood.

Enter OBERON.

OBE. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd;
Then, what it was that next came in her eye,
Which she must dote on in extremity.

Enter PUCK.

Here comes my meffenger. How now, mad spirit?
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?