HER. And in the Wood, where often you and I Helena, adieu : 220 [Exit HERMIA. As you on him, Demetrius doat on you! Things base and vile, holding no quantity,2 [exit. 230 240 250 [exit. 4 dearly bought. ACT I Sc. I ACT I Sc. II SCENE II. The Same. QUINCE's House. Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, QUIN. Is all our company here? BOT. You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip.' 1 QUIN. Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is BOT. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats IO BOT. A very good piece of work, I assure you, and 1 list. The raging rocks Of prison-gates; 2 make an end of these beginnings, and get to work. 4 Now deal with the others. 3 lament. 30 This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players. This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein; a lover is more condoling. QUIN. Francis Flute the Bellows-mender. FLU. Here, Peter Quince. QUIN. You must take Thisby on you. FLU. What is Thisby? a wandering knight? 40 FLU. Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming. QUIN. That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will. BOT. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too: I'll speak in a monstrous little voice. [calling as PYRAMUS.] Thisne,1 Thisne! [answering as THISBE.] Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear! thy Thisby dear, and lady dear! QUIN. No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby. Bor. Well, proceed. QUIN. Robin Starveling the Tailor. STAR. Here, Peter Quince. 51 QUIN. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother. Tom Snout the Tinker. SNOUT. Here, Peter Quince. QUIN. You, Pyramus's father; myself, Thisby's father; Snug the Joiner, you the Lion's part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted! 60 SNUG. Have you the Lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study. QUIN. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring. BOT. Let me play the Lion too: I will roar that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar that I will make the Duke say Let him roar again, let him roar again. QUIN. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the Duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all. 70 ALL. That would hang us, every mother's son. II : Y 1 meant, perhaps, as a pet form. 165 ACT I ACT I voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale. QUIN. You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a sweet-fac❜d man; a proper man as one shall see in a Summer's day; a most lovely gentleman-like man: therefore you must needs play Pyramus. 80 BOT. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in? QUIN. Why, what you will. BOT. I will discharge it in either your straw-colour beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain1 beard, or your French-crown-colour2 beard, your perfect yellow. QUIN. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play barefac'd. But, Masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the Palace Wood, a mile without the Town, by moonlight: there will we rehearse; for if we meet in the City, we shall be dogg'd with company, and our devices known. In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not. BOT. We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely* and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu. QUIN. At the Duke's Oak we meet. BOT. Enough; hold, or cut bow-strings.5 99 [exeunt. ACT II SCENE I. A Wood. Enter a Fairy at one door, and ROBIN GOODFELLOW 1 dyed red with grain: i.c. with kermes, an insect of the genus coccus. 2 the hue of gold. 3 heads: with an allusion to some grave consequences of the morbus Gallicus. 166 * (archers') 'expect us, or cut our strings.' 6 stage-entrance. 4 seemly. I do wander everywhere, In those freckles live their savours: Because that she as her attendant hath A lovely Boy stolen from an Indian King; But she perforce withholds the loved Boy, Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy : 8 By fountain clear or spangled starlight sheen," PUCK. I am thou speak'st aright; I am that merry Wanderer of the night. 1 fairy-rings. 2 a reference to Elizabeth's body-guard: composed of gentlemen choicely tall, handsome, and well dressed. 3 jewels. 4 clown, jester. 7 shining. 30 |