Dem. And so comes Pyramus.
Lys. And so the lion vanished.

Enter PYRAMUS.

1

Pyr. “ Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny

beams. “ I thank thee, moon, for shining now so bright “For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering streams, “ I trust to taste of truest Thisby's sight.

“ But stay ;-0 spite !

“But mark ;-Poor knight, " What dreadful dole is here!

“Eyes, do you see?

• How can it be?
“O dainty duck! O dear!

Thy mantle good,
" What, stained with blood!
Approach, ye furies fell!
60 fates! come, come;

6 Cut thread and thrum ; “Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!” 2 The. This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would go near to make a man look sad.

Hip. Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.
Pyr. “0, wherefore, nature, didst thou lions frame?

“ Since lion vile hath here defloured my dear : " Which is—no, no—which was the fairest dame, 66 That lived, that loved, that liked, that looked with

cheer.3
“Come, tears, confound.

“Out, sword, and wound
“ The pap of Pyramus ;

“Ay, that left pap,

6. Where heart doth hop;
“Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.

1 Thrum is the end or extremity of a weaver's warp. It is used for any collection or tuft of short thread.

3 Countenance.

2 Destroy

6 Now am I dead,

6 Now am I fled;
“My soul is in the sky,
6. Tongue, lose thy light!

Moon, take thy flight!
“Now die, die, die, die, die."

[Dies.—Exit Moon-shine Dem. No die, but an ace, for him ; for he is but one.

Lys. Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing

The. With the help of a surgeon, he might yet recover, and prove an ass. Hip. How chance moon-shine is gone,

before Thisbe comes back and finds her lover?

The. She will find him by star-light.—Here she comes; and her passion ends the play.

Enter THISBE. Hip. Methinks, she should not use a long one, for such a Pyramus. I hope she will be brief.

Dem. A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thisbe, is the better.

Lys. She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes. Dem. And thus she moans, videlicet.

This. “ Asleep, my love ?

“What, dead, my dove? “O Pyramus, arise ;

Speak, speak. Quite dumb ?

Dead, dead ? A tomb
“ Must cover thy sweet eyes.

“ These lily brows,

“ This cherry nose,
“ These yellow cowslip cheeks,

"Are gone, are gone.
6 Lovers, make moan!

i The old copies read means, which had anciently the same signification as moans. Theobald made the alteration.

2 The old copies read lips instead of brows. The alteration was made for the sake of the rhyme by Theobald.

“His eyes were green as leeks.

66 O sisters three,

6 Come, come, to me,
6. With hands as pale as milk;

· Lay them in gore,
“Since you have shore
66 With shears his thread of silk.

“Tongue, not a word.

“ Come, trusty sword;
" Come, blade, my breast imbrue,

6 And farewell, friends ;

“ Thus Thisby ends. " Adieu, adieu, adieu."

[Dres. The. Moonshine and lion are left to bury the dead. Dem. Ay, and wall too.

Bot. No, I assure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance,' between two of our company?

The. No epilogue, 1 pray you: for your play needs no excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all dead, there need none to be blamed. "Marry, if he that writ it, had played Pyramus, and hanged himself with Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy; and so it is, truly, and very notably discharged. But come, your Bergomask. Let your epilogue alone.

[Here a dance of Clowns. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve. Lovers, to bed ; 'tis almost fairy time. I fear we shall outsleep the coming morn, As much as we this night have overwatched. This palpable-gross play hath well beguiled The heavy gait of night.-Sweet friends, to bed. A fortnight hold we this solemnity. In nightly revels, and new jollity.

[Exeunt

1 A rustic dance framed in imitation of the people of Bergamasco (a province in the state of Venice), who are ridiculed as being more clownish in their manners and dialect than any other people of Italy. The lin gua rustica of the buffoons, in the old Italian comedies, is an imitation of their jargon.

SCENE II.

Enter Puck.
Puck. Now the hungry lion roars,

And the wolf behowls the moon;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,

All with weary task foredone.?
Now the wasted brands do glow,

Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud.
Puts the wretch that lies in woe,

In remembrance of a shroud.
Now it is the time of night,

That the graves all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite,

In the church-way paths to glide ;
And we fairies, that do run,

By the triple Hecat's team,
From the presence of the sun,

Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic. Not a mouse
Shall disturb this hallowed house ;
I am sent, with broom, before,
To sweep the dust behind the door.?

Enter Oberon and TITANJA, with their Train. Obe. Through this house give glimmering light,

By the dead and drowsy fire.
Every elf and fairy sprite,

Hop as light as bird from brier;
And this ditty after me,
Sing and dance it trippingly.

Tita. First, rehearse this song by roce.
To each word a warbling note,

1 Overcome.

2 Cleanliness is always necessary to invite tne residence or favor of the Fairies.

Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Will we sing, and bless this place.

SONG AND DANCE.

1

Obe. Now, until the break of day..
Through this house each fairy stray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us shall blessed be ;
And the issue, there create,
Ever shall be fortunate.
So shall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be.
And the blots of nature's hand
Shall not in their issue stand;
Never mole, hare-lip, nor scar,
Nor mark prodigious, such as are
Despised in nativity,
Shall upon their children be.
With this field-dew consecrate,
Every fairy take his gate ; 3
And each several chamber bless,
Through this palace with sweet peace
E’er shall it in safety rest,
And the owner of it blest.

Trip away;

Make no stay;
Meet me all by break of day.

[Exeunt OBERON, TITANIA, and Train Puck. If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, (and all is mended,)
That you have but slumbered here,
While these visions did appear,
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream.
Gentles, do not reprehend;
If you pardon, we will mend.

1 This ceremony was in old times used at all marriages
2 Portentous.

3 Way, course.