456332Ro: What shall this speech bee spoke for our excuse?

457333Or shall we on without Apologie.

458334Benuoleo: The date is out of such prolixitie,

459335Weele haue no Cupid hudwinckt with a Scarfe,

460336Bearing a Tartars painted bow of lath,

461337Scaring the Ladies like a crow-keeper:

461.1338Nor no without booke Prologue faintly spoke

461.2339After the Prompter, for our entrance.

462340But let them measure vs by what they will,

463341Weele measure them a measure and be gone.

464342Rom: A torch for me I am not for this aumbling,

465343Beeing but heauie I will beare the light.

466344Mer: Beleeue me Romeo I must haue you daunce.

467345Rom: Not I beleeue me you haue dancing shooes

468346With nimble soles, I have a soule of lead

469347So stakes me to the ground I cannot stirre.

482348Mer: Giue me a case to put my visage in,

483349A visor for a visor, what care I

484350What curious eye doth coate deformitie.

488351Rom: Giue me a Torch, let wantons light of hart

489352Tickle the senceles rushes with their heeles:

490353For I am prouerbd with a Grandsire phrase,

491354Ile be a candleholder and looke on,

492355The game was nere so faire and I am done.

493356Mer: Tut dun's the mouse, the Cunstables old word,

494357If thou beest Dun, weele draw thee from the mire

495358Of this surreuerence loue wherein thou stickst.

496359Leaue this talke, we burne day light here.

C Rom: Nay

497360Rom: Nay thats not so. Mer: I meane sir in delay,

499361We burne our lights by night, like Lampes by day,

500362Take our good meaning for our iudgement sits

501363Three times a day, ere once in her right wits.

502364Rom: So we meane well by going to this maske:

503365But tis no wit to goe.

504366Mer: Why Romeo may one aske?

505367Rom: I dreamt a dreame to night.

506368Mer: And so did I. Rom: Why what was yours?

508369Mer: That dreamers often lie.

509370Rom: In bed a sleepe while they doe dreame things (true.

510371Mer: Ah then I see Queene Mab hath bin with you.

510.1372Ben: Queene Mab whats she?

511373She is the Fairies Midwife and doth come

512374In shape no bigger than an Aggat stone

512.1375On the forefinger of a Burgomaster,

513376Drawne with a teeme of little Atomi,

514377A thwart mens noses when they lie a sleepe.

378Her waggon spokes are made of spinners webs,

515379The couer, of the winges of Grashoppers,

516380The traces are the Moone-shine watrie beames,

517381The collers crickets bones, the lash of filmes,

518382Her waggoner is a small gray coated flie,

519383Not halfe so big as is a little worme,

520384Pickt from the lasie finger of a maide,

523385And in this sort she gallops vp and downe

386Through Louers braines, and then they dream of loue:

524387O're Courtiers knees: who strait on cursies dreame

388O're Ladies lips, who dreame on kisses strait:

527389Which oft the angrie Mab with blisters plagues,

528390Because their breathes with sweetmeats tainted are:

529391Sometimes she gallops ore a Lawers lap,

392And then dreames he of smelling out a sute,

530393And sometime comes she with a tithe pigs taile,

531394Tickling a Parsons nose that lies asleepe,

395And then dreames he of another benefice:

532396Sometime she gallops ore a souldiers nose,

533397And then dreames he of cutting forraine throats,

534398Of breaches ambuscados, countermines,

399Of healthes fiue fadome deepe, and then anon

535400Drums in his eare: at which he startes and wakes,

536401And sweares a Praier or two and sleepes againe.

541402This is that Mab that makes maids lie on their backes,

543403And proues them women of good cariage.

537404This is the verie Mab that plats the manes of Horses in (the night,

538405And plats the Elfelocks in foule sluttish haire,

539406Which once vntangled much misfortune breedes.

545407Rom: Peace, peace, thou talkst of nothing.

547408Mer: True I talke of dreames,

548409Which are the Chi dren of an idle braine,

549410Begot of nothing but vaine fantasie,

550411Which is as thinne a substance as the aire,

551412And more inconstant than the winde,

413Which wooes euen now the frosē bowels of the north,

553414And being angred puffes away in haste,

554415Turning his face to the dew-dropping south.

555416Ben: Come, come, this winde doth blow vs from our (selues.

556417Supper is done and we shall come too late.

557418Ro: I feare too earlie, for my minde misgiues

558419Some consequence is hanging in the stars,

559420Which bitterly begins his fearefull date

560421With this nights reuels, and expiers the terme

561422Of a dispised life, closde in this breast,

562423By some vntimelie forfet of vile death:

C2 But

563424But he that hath the steerage of my course

564425Directs my saile, on lustie Gentlemen.