266262 Enter Quince, the Carpenter; and Snugge, the Ioyner; and 267263 Bottom, the Weauer; and Flute, the Bellowes mender; & 268264 Snout, the Tinker; and Starueling the Tayler. 269265Quin. Is all our company heere?
270266Bot. You were be
st to call them generally, man by
271267man, according to the
scrippe.
272268Quin. Here is the
scrowle of euery mans name, which is
273269thought
fit, through al
Athens, to play in our Enterlude, be
- 274270fore the Duke, & the Dutches, on his wedding day at night.
276271Bott. Fir
st good
Peeter Quince,
say what the Play treats on:
277272then read the names of the A
ctors: &
so grow to a point.
Quin.
A Midsommer nightes dreame.
279273Quin. Mary, our Play is the mo
st lamentable comedy,
280274and mo
st cruell death of
Pyramus and
Thisby.
281275Bot. A very good peece of worke, I a
ssure you, & a mer
- 282276ry. Now good
Peeter Quince, call forth your A
ctors, by the
283277scrowle. Ma
sters,
spreade your
selues.
284278Quin. An
swere, as I call you.
Nick Bottom, the Weauer?
286279Bott. Readie: Name what part I am for, and proceede.
288280Quin. You,
Nick Bottom are
set downe for
Pyramus.
290281Bott. What is
Pyramus? A louer, or a tyrant?
291282Quin. A louer that kils him
selfe, mo
st gallant, for loue.
293283Bott. That will a
ske
some teares in the true performing
294284of it. If I doe it, let the Audience looke to their eyes: I wil
295285mooue
stormes: I will condole, in
some mea
sure. To the
296286re
st yet, my chiefe humour is for a tyrant. I could play
Er- 297287cles rarely, or a part to teare a Cat in, to make all
split the
298288raging rocks: and
shiuering
shocks,
shall breake the locks
299289of pri
son gates, and
Phibbus carre
shall
shine from farre,
300290and make & marre the fooli
sh Fates. This was loftie. Now,
301291name the re
st of the Players. This is
Ercles vaine, a tyrants
302292vaine: A louer is more condoling.
304293Quin. Francis Flute, the Bellowes mender?
305294Flu. Here
Peeter Quince.
306295Quin. Flute, you mu
st take
Thisby, on you.
307296Flu. What is
Thisby? A wandring knight?
308297Quin. It is the Lady, that
Pyramus mu
st loue.
309298Fl. Nay faith: let not me play a
womā: I haue a beard cō
-(ming.
311299Quin. Thats all one: you
shall play it in a Ma
ske: and you
312300may
speake as
small as you will.
313301Bott. And I may hide my face, let me play
Thisby to: Ile
314302speake in a mon
strous little voice;
Thisne,
Thisne, ah
Py-,
315303ramus my louer deare, thy
Thysby deare, & Lady deare.
317304Qu. No, no: you mu
st play
Pyramus: &
Flute, you
Thysby.
319305Bot. Well, proceede.
Qui. Robin Starueling, the Tailer?
321306Star. Here
Peeter Quince.
322307Quin. Robin Starueling, you mu
st play
Thysbyes mother:
Tom
A Midsommer nightes dreame.
325309Snowt. Here
Peter Quince.
326310Quin. You,
Pyramus father; my
selfe,
Thisbies father;
327311Snugge, the Ioyner, you the Lyons part: And I hope here
329313Snug. Haue you the Lyons part written? Pray you, if it
330314bee, giue it mee: for I am
slowe of
studie.
331315Quin. You may doe it,
extempore: for it is nothing but
333317Bott. Let mee play the Lyon to. I will roare, that I will
334318doe any mans heart good to heare mee. I will roare, that
335319I will make the Duke
say; Let him roare againe: let him
337321Quin. And you
should do it too terribly, you would fright
338322the Dutche
sse, and the Ladies, that they would
shrike: and
339323that were inough to hang vs all.
340324All. That would hang vs, euery mothers
sonne.
341325Bot. I grant you, friends, if you
should fright the Ladies
342326out of their wits, they would haue no more di
scretion, but
343327to hang vs: but I will aggrauate my voice
so, that I wil
344328roare you as gently, as any
sucking doue: I will roare you,
345329and 'twere any Nightingale.
347330Quin. You can play no part but
Piramus: for
Piramus is a
348331sweete fac't man; a proper man as one
shall
see in a
som
- 349332mers day; a mo
st louely gentlemanlike man: therefore
350333you mu
st needes play
Piramus.
351334Bot. Well: I will vndertake it. What beard were I be
st 353336Quin. Why? what you will.
354337Bot. I wil di
scharge it, in either your
straw colour beard,
355338your Orange tawnie bearde, your purple in graine beard,
356339or your french crowne colour beard, your per
fit yellow.
358340Quin. Some of your french crownes haue no haire at all;
359341and then you will play bare fac't. But mai
sters here are
360342your parts, and I am to intreat you, reque
st you, and de
sire
you
A Midsommer nightes dreame.
361343you, to con them by to morrow night: and meete me in
362344the palace wood, a mile without the towne, by Moone
- 363345light; there will wee rehear
se: for if wee meete in the city,
364346wee
shal be dogd with company, and our deui
ses known.
365347In the meane time, I will draw a bill of properties,
such as
366348our play wants. I pray you faile me not.
367349Bot. Wee will meete, & there we may rehear
se mo
st ob
- 368350scenely and coragiou
sly. Take paines, bee per
fit: adieu.
370351Quin. At the Dukes oke wee meete.
371352Bot. Enough: holde, or cut bow
strings.
Exeunt.