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

348mus is a sweet-fac'd man, a proper man as one shall see in

349a summers day; a most louely Gentleman-like man, ther-

350fore you must needs play Piramus.

351Bot. Well, I will vndertake it. What beard were I

352best to play it in?

353Quin. Why, what you will.

354Bot. I will discharge it, in either your straw-colour

355beard, your orange tawnie beard, your purple in graine

356beard, or your French-crowne colour'd beard, your per-

357fect yellow.

358Quin. Some of your French Crownes haue no haire

359at all, and then you will play bare-fac'd. But masters here

360are your parts, and I am to intreat you, request you, and

361desire you, to con them by too morrow night: and meet

362me in the palace wood, a mile without the Towne, by

363Moone-light, there we will rehearse: for if we meete in

364the Citie, we shalbe dog'd with company, and our deui-

365ses knowne. In the meane time, I wil draw a bil of pro-

366perties, such as our play wants. I pray you faile me not.

367Bottom. We will meete, and there we may rehearse

368more obscenely and couragiously. Take paines, be per-

369fect, adieu.

370Quin. At the Dukes oake we meete.

371Bot. Enough, hold or cut bow-strings. Exeunt