219O then, what graces in my Loue do dwell,

220That he hath turn'd a heauen into hell.

221Lys. Helen, to you our mindes we will vnfold,

222To morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold

223Her siluer visage, in the watry glasse,

224Decking with liquid pearle, the bladed grasse

225(A time that Louers flights doth still conceale)

226Through Athens gates, haue we deuis'd to steale.

227Her. And in the wood, where often you and I,

228Vpon faint Primrose beds, were wont to lye,

229Emptying our bosomes, of their counsell sweld:

230There my Lysander, and my selfe shall meete,

231And thence from Athens turne away our eyes

232To seeke new friends and strange companions,

233Farwell sweet play-fellow, pray thou for vs,

234And good lucke grant thee thy Demetrius.

235Keepe word Lysander we must starue our sight,

236From louers foode, till morrow deepe midnight.

238Lys. I will my Hermia. Helena adieu,

239As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you. Exit Lysander.

240Hele. How happy some, ore othersome can be?

241Through Athens I am thought as faire as she.

242But what of that? Demetrius thinkes not so:

243He will not know, what all, but he doth know,

244And as hee erres, doting on Hermias eyes;

245So I, admiring of his qualities:

246Things base and vilde, holding no quantity,

247Loue can transpose to forme and dignity,

248Loue lookes not with the eyes, but with the minde,

249And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blinde.

250Nor hath loues minde of any iudgement taste:

251Wings and no eyes, figure, vnheedy haste.

252And therefore is Loue said to be a childe,

253Because in choise he is often beguil'd,

254As waggish boyes in game themselues forsweare;

255So the boy Loue is periur'd euery where.

256For ere Demetrius lookt on Hermias eyne,

257He hail'd downe oathes that he was onely mine.

258And when this Haile some heat from Hermia felt,

259So he dissolu'd, and showres of oathes did melt,

260I will goe tell him of faire Hermias flight:

261Then to the wood will he, to morrow night

262Pursue her; and for his intelligence,

263If I haue thankes, it is a deere expence:

264But heerein meane I to enrich my paine,

265To haue his sight thither, and backe againe. Exit.

269Quin. Is all our company heere?

270Bot. You were best to call them generally, man by

271man according to the scrip.

272Qui. Here is the scrowle of euery mans name, which

273is thought fit through all Athens, to play in our Enter-

274lude before the Duke and the Dutches, on his wedding

275day at night.

276Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats

277on: then read the names of the Actors: and so grow on

278to a point.

279Quin. Marry our play is the most lamentable Come-

280dy, and most cruell death of Pyramus and Thisbie.

281Bot. A very good peece of worke I assure you, and a

282merry. Now good Peter Quince, call forth your Actors

283by the scrowle. Masters spread your selues.

284Quince. Answere as I call you. Nick Bottome the

285Weauer.

286Bottome. Ready; name what part I am for, and

287proceed.

288Quince. You Nicke Bottome are set downe for Py-

289ramus.

290Bot. What is Pyramus, a louer, or a tyrant?

291Quin. A Louer that kills himselfe most gallantly for

292loue.

293Bot. That will aske some teares in the true perfor-

294ming of it: if I do it, let the audience looke to their eies:

295I will mooue stormes; I will condole in some measure.

296To the rest yet, my chiefe humour is for a tyrant. I could

297play Ercles rarely, or a part to teare a Cat in, to make all

298split the raging Rocks; and shiuering shocks shall break

299the locks of prison gates, and Phibbus carre shall shine

300from farre, and make and marre the foolish Fates. This

301was lofty. Now name the rest of the Players. This

302is Ercles vaine, a tyrants vaine: a louer is more condo-

303ling.

304Quin. Francis Flute the Bellowes-mender.

305Flu. Heere Peter Quince.

306Quin. You must take Thisbie on you.

307Flut. What is Thisbie, a wandring Knight?

308Quin. It is the Lady that Pyramus must loue.

309Flut. Nay faith, let not mee play a woman, I haue a

310beard comming.

311Qui. That's all one, you shall play it in a Maske, and

312you may speake as small as you will.

313Bot. And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbie too:

314Ile speake in a monstrous little voyce; Thisne, Thisne, ah

315Pyramus my louer deare, thy Thisbie deare, and Lady

316deare.

317Quin. No no, you must play Pyramus, and Flute, you

318Thisby.

319Bot. Well, proceed.

320Qu. Robin Starueling the Taylor.

321Star. Heere Peter Quince.

322Quince. Robin Starueling, you must play Thisbies

323mother?

324Tom Snowt, the Tinker.

325Snowt. Heere Peter Quince.

326Quin. You, Pyramus father; my self, Thisbies father;

327Snugge the Ioyner, you the Lyons part: and I hope there

328is a play fitted.

329Snug. Haue you the Lions part written? pray you if

330be, giue it me, for I am slow of studie.

331Quin. You may doe it extemporie, for it is nothing

332but roaring.

333Bot. Let mee play the Lyon too, I will roare that I

334will doe any mans heart good to heare me. I will roare,

335that I will make the Duke say, Let him roare againe, let

336him roare againe.

337Quin. If you should doe it too terribly, you would

338fright the Dutchesse and the Ladies, that they would

339shrike, and that were enough to hang vs all.

340All. That would hang vs euery mothers sonne.

341Bottome. I graunt you friends, if that you should

342fright the Ladies out of their Wittes, they would

343haue no more discretion but to hang vs: but I will ag-

344grauate my voyce so, that I will roare you as gently as

345any sucking Doue; I will roare and 'twere any Nightin-

346gale.

347Quin. You can play no part but Piramus, for Pira-

N2 mus