"The raging rocks, "Shall shine from far, "And make and mar "The foolish fates." This was lofty! Now name the reft 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? Quin. That's all one, you fhall play it in a masque; and you may speak as fmall as you will." Bot. the poet makes bully Bettom, as he is called afterwards, wifh for a part to tear a cap in. And in the antient plays, the bombaft and the rant held the place of the fublime and pathetic: and indeed conftituted the very effence of their tragical farces. Thus Bale in his Acts of English Votaries, part 2d, fays-grennyng like termaguantes in a play. WARBURTON. In the old comedy of the Roaring Girl, 1611, there is a character called Tear cat, who fays, I am called, by those who have "feen my valour, Tear-cat." In an anonymous piece called Hiftriomaftix, or the Player whipt, 1610, in fix acts, a parcel of foldiers drag a company of players on the ftage, and the captain fays, "Sirrah, this is you that would rend and tear a cat upon a "flage, &c." Again, In The Ile of Gulls, a comedy by J. Day, 1606. "I had "rather hear two fuch jefts, than a whole play of fuch Tear-cat thunderclaps." STEEVENS. This paffage fhews how the want of women on the old ftage was fupplied. If they had not a young man who could perform the Bot. An' I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too; I'll speak in a monftrous little voice, Thifne, Thifne: ab, Pyramus, my lover dear, thy Thisby dear, and lady dear. Quin. No, no, you must play Pyramus; and, Flute, you, Thisby. Bot. Well, proceed. Quin. Robin Starveling, the taylor. Star. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother. " Tom Snowt, the tinker. Snow. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You, Pyramus's father; myself, Thifby's father; Snug, the joiner, you, the lion's part:—and I hope there is a play fitted. " 8 Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am flow of study. Quin. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring. the part with a face that might pafs for feminine, the character was acted in a mafk, which was at that time a part of a lady's drefs fo much in ufe that it did not give any unufual appearance to the scene: and he that could modulate his voice in a female tone might play the woman very fuccefsfully. It is observed in Downes's Memoirs of the Playhouse, that one of these counterfeit heroines moved the paffions more ftrongly than the women that have fince been brought upon the stage. Some of the cataftrophes of the old comedies, which make lovers marry the wrong women, are, by recollection of the common use of masks, brought nearer to probability, JOHNSON. 7 you must play Thifby's mother.] There feems a double forgetfulness of our poet, in relation to the characters of this interlude. The father and mother of Thifby, and the father of Pyramus, are here mentioned, who do not appear at all in the interlude; but Wall and Moonshine are both employed in it, of whom there is not the least notice taken here. THEOBALD. there is a play fitted.] Both the quarto's read here. C 2 STEEVENS. Bot. Bot. Let me play the lion too: I will foar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar, that I will make the duke fay, let him roar again, let him roar again. Quin. If you fhould do it too terribly, you would fright the dutchefs and the ladies, that they would fhriek; and that were enough to hang us all. All. That would hang us every mother's fon. Bot. I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more difcretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice fo, that I will roar you as gently as any fucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale. Quin. You can play no part but Pyramus: for Pyramus is a fweet-fac'd man; a proper man, as one fhall fee in a fummer's day; a moft lovely gentlemanlike man; therefore you must needs play Pyramus. Bot. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I beft to play it in? Quin. Why, what you will. Bet. I will difcharge it in either your ftraw-coloured beard, your orange tawny beard, your purplein grain beard, or your French crown-coloured beard; your perfect yellow." Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-fac'd. But, mafters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and defire you, to con them by to-morrow night and meet me in the palace wood, a mile Here Bottom again difcovers a true genius for the ftage by his folicitude for propriety of drefs, and his deliberation which beard to chufe among many beards, all unnatural. JOHNSON. This cuftom of wearing coloured beards, the reader will find more amply explained in Meafure for Measure, act iv. fc. 2. STEEVENS. That is, a head from which the hair has fallen in one of the laft ftages of the lues venerea, called the corona veneris. To this our poet has frequent allufions. STEEVENS. without without the town, by moon light: there we will rehearse for if we meet in the city, we fhall be dog'd with company, and our devices known. In the mean time I will draw a bill of properties,fuch as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not. Bot. We will meet; and there we may rehearse more obfcenely and courageously. Take pains, be perfect, adieu. Quin. At the duke's oak we meet. Bot. Enough; hold, or cut bow-ftrings. ACT II. [Exeunt. SCENE I. A WOO D. Enter a Fairy at one door, and Puck (or Robin-good Ho fellow) at another. PUCK. TOW now, fpirit! whither wander you? Over 1 Properties are whatever little articles are wanted in a play for the actors, according to their refpective parts, dreffes excepted. The person who delivers them out is to this day called the property man. STEEVENS. 2 At the duke's oak awe meet-hold, or cut bow-ftrings] This proverbial phrase came originally from the camp. When a rendezvous was appointed, the militia foldiers would frequently make excufe for not keeping word, that their bowstrings were broke, i. e. their arms unferviceable. Hence when one would give another abfolute affurance of meeting him, he would fay proverbially -bold or cut bow-ftrings-i.e. whether the bow string held or broke. For cut is used as a neuter, like the verb frets. As when we fay, the fring frets, the filk frets, for the paffive, it is cut or fretted. WARBURTON. Over bill, over dale, &c.] So Drayton in his Court of Fairy, C 3 Over park, over pale, 4 Thorough flood, thorough fire, This Thorough brake, thorough brier, JOHNSON. poem of Drayton's was printed in 1593. STEEVENS. 4 To dew her orbs upon the green] For orbs Dr. Gray is inclined to fubftitute herbs. The orbs here mentioned are the circles fuppofed to be made by the Fairies on the ground, whose verdure proceeds from the fairy's care to water them. They in their courses make that round, DRAYTON, 5 The cowflip was a favourite among the fairies. There is a hint in Drayton of their attention to May morning. For the queen a fitting tow'r, But he hath made it in her way, The tallest there that groweth. JOHNSON. In their gold ceats, Spets you fee, &c.] Shakespeare, in Cym beline, refers to the fame red fpots. A mole cinque-fpotted like the crimson drops 1' th' bottom of a couflip. PERCY. 7-Lob of spirits.] Lob, lubber, loohy, labcock, all denote both inactivity of body and dulnefs of mind. JOHNSON. Puck. |