my life: No, I am no fuch 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.

Quin. Well, it fhall be fo. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light. Snug. Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moon-shine.

Quin. Yes, it doth fhine that night.

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

Quin. Ay; or elfe one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and fay, he comes to disfigure, or to prefent, the perfon of moon-fhine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, fays the ftory, did talk through the chink of a wall.

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

Bot. Some man or other must present wall; and let him have fome plaister, or some loam, or some rough cast about him, to fignify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thifby whifper.

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 fpoken your fpeech, enter into that brake; and fo every one according to his cue.

Enter Puck behind.

Puck. What hempen home-fpuns have we fwaggering

here,

So

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 :-Thifby, stand forth.
Pyr. Thisby, the flowers of odious favours feet,
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr. odours favours fweet:

So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.But, bark, a voice! Stay thou but here a while, And by and by I will to thee appear.

[Exit. Puck. A ftranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here! [Afide. Exit.

Thif. Muft I fpeak now?

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

Thif. Moft radiant Pyramus, moft lily-white of bue, Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant brier, Moft brifky juvenal, and eke moft lovely Jew, As true as trueft horfe, 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 anfwer 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.

Thif. 0,-As true as trueft horfe, that yet would

never tire.

Pyr. If I were fair, Thify, I were only thine :Quin. O monftrous! Oftrange! 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 bufh, through brake, through Sometime

brier;

Sometime a horfe I'll be, fometime a hound,

A hog, a headlefs bear, fometime a fire;

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar and bura: Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. [Exit. Bol. 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?

Bot. What do you fee? you see an afs' head of your own; Do you? [Exit SNOUT.

Re-enter QUINCE.

Quin. Blefs thee, Bottom! blefs thee! thou art tranflated. [Exit. Bot. I fee 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 shall hear I am not afraid. [Sings.

The oufel-cock, fo black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throfile with his note fo true,

The wren with little quill;

Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
The plain-fong cuckoo gray,

[Waking

Whofe note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not anfwer, nay ;—

for indeed, who would fet his wit to fo foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry, cuckoo, never fo.

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.

Bot. Methinks, miftrefs, you fhould have little reafon for that: And yet to say the truth, reafon 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.

Bot. Not fo, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to ferve 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 state,
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;

And they fhall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And fing, while thou on preffed flowers dost sleep:
And I will purge thy mortal groffness so,
That thou fhalt like an airy fpirit go.-

Peafe-bloffom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-feed!

Enter four Fairies.

1 Fai. Ready.

2 Fai. And I.

3 Fai. And I.

4

Fai. And I.

All. Where fhall we go?

Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;

Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes;

Feed

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!

Bot. I cry your worships mercy, heartily.—I befeech, your worfhip's name?

Cob. Cobweb.

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

Peafe. Peafe-bloffom.

of more

Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash, your mother, and to mafter Peafcod, your father. Good mafter Pease-bloffom, I fhall defire acquaintance too. -Your name, I befeech you, fir? Muft. Muftard-feed.

you

Bot. Good mafter Muftard-feed, I know your patience well that fame cowardly, giant-like, ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of hour houfe: I promife you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire you, more acquaintance, good mafter Mustard-feed.

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

Tie