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. 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, I 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 play'd Pyramus, and hanged himself in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy: and so it is, truly; xa Burgomask dance,] A dance after the manner of the peasants of Bergomasco, a country in Italy, belonging to the Venetians. 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 out-sleep the coming morn, In nightly revels, and new jollity. SCENE II. Enter PUCK. Puck. Now the hungry lion roars, Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud, That the graves, all gaping wide, By the triple Hecat's team, To sweep the dust behind the door." [Exeunt. Enter OBERON and TITANIA with their train. Obe. Through this house give glimmering light, a 1 am sent, with broom, before, - fordone.] i. e. Overcome. To sweep the dust behind the door.] Cleanliness is always necessary to invite the residence and the favour of the fairies.-JOHNSON. 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 rote: To each word a warbling note, Hand in hand, with fairy grace, Will we sing, and bless this place. SONG AND DANCE. Obe. Now, until the break of day,b And the blots in nature's hand Shall upon their children be. With this field-dew consecrate, Every fairy take his gait;d And each several chamber bless, Through this palace with sweet peace: b Now until, &c.-] This speech, which both the old quartos give to Oberon, is in the edition of 1623, and in all the following printed as the song. I have restored it to Oberon, as it apparently contains not the blessing which he intends to bestow on the bed, but his declaration that he will bless it, and his orders to the fairies how to perform the necessary rites. But where, then, is the song? I am afraid it is gone after many other things of greater value. The truth is, that two songs are lost. The series of the scene is this:-After the speech of Puck, Oberon enters, and calls his fairies to a song, which song is apparently wanting in all the copies. Next, Titania leads another song, which is indeed lost like the former, though the editors have endeavoured to find it. Then Oberon dismisses his fairies to the despatch of the ceremonies. The songs, I suppose, were lost, because they were not inserted in the players' parts, from which the drama was printed.-JOHNSON. Nor mark prodigious,] Prodigious for portentous. take his gait;] i. e. Take his way. Ever shall in safety rest, And the owner of it blest. 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 slumber'd here, So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends. [Exit.h unearned luck—] i. e. If we have better fortune than we have deserved. STEEVENS. Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,] That is, if we be dismissed without hisses.-JOHNSON. 8 Give me your hands,] That is, clap your hands. Give us your applause.— JOHNSON. h Wild and fantastical as this play is, all the parts in their various modes are well written, and give the kind of pleasure which the author designed. Fairies in his time were much in fashion; common tradition had made them familiar, and Spenser's poem had made them great.-JOHNSON. Thésée et Hippolyte ne sont qu'un cadre magnifique pour le tableau.— SCHLEGEL. |