Hermia. O spite! too old to be engag'd to young. Swift as a shadow, short as any dream, That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion. 140 145 Hermia. If then true lovers have been ever cross'd, 150 It stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs, Wishes and tears, poor fancy's followers. 155 Lysander. A good persuasion: therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and she hath no child: From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; And she respects me as her only son. And to that place the sharp Athenian law Cannot pursue us. If thou lov'st me then, Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night, To do observance to a morn of May, There will I stay for thee. Hermia. My good Lysander! I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow, By his best arrow with the golden head, By the simplicity of Venus' doves, - By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, 160 165 170 175 Lysander. Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena. Enter HELENA. Hermia. God speed fair Helena ! Whither away? Your eyes are lode-stars! and your tongue's sweet air 180 When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye, 185 My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody. O teach me how you look, and with what art 190 Hermia. I frown upon him, yet he loves me still. Helena. O! that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill. 195 Hermia. I give him curses, yet he gives me love. Helena. O! that my prayers could such affection move. Hermia. The more I hate, the more he follows me. Helena. The more I love, the more he hateth me. Hermia. His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. Helena. None, but your beauty: would that fault were mine! Hermia. Take comfort: he no more shall see my face; Lysander and myself will fly this place. Before the time I did Lysander see, Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me: 200 205 O! then, what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell. Lysander. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold. To-morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold Her silver visage in the wat❜ry glass, 210 Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal, Through Athens' gates have we devis'd to steal. Hermia. And in the wood, where often you and I 215 Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie, Farewell, sweet playfellow: pray thou for us; As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! 2:20 Helena, Helena. How happy some o'er other some can be! [Exit. 226 And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes, 230 Things base and vile, holding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind. 235 Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment taste; 240 245 To have his sight thither and back again. SCENE II.-The Same. A Room in QUINCE'S House. Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELing. Quince. Is all our company here? Bottom. You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip. Quince. Here is the scroll of every man's name, which 5 is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the duke and the duchess on his wedding-day at night. Bottom. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors, and so grow to a point. Quince. Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby. Bottom. A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves. Quince. Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver. Bottom. Ready. Name what part I am for, and love. To Bottom. That will ask some tears in the true performing of it if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some measure. the rest yet my chief humour is for a tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split. The raging rocks Of prison gates: And Phibbus' car Shall shine from far 10 15 20 25 30 35 And make and mar The foolish Fates. 40 This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players. This Quince. You must take Thisby on you. Flute. What is Thisby? a wandering knight? Quince. It is the lady that Pyramus must love. Flute. Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming. Quince. That's all one you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will. 45 50 Bottom. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too. I'll speak in a monstrous little voice, Thisne, 55 Thisne!' Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear; thy Thisby dear, and lady dear! Quince. No, no; you must play Pyramus; and Flute, you Thisby. Bottom. Well, proceed. Quince. Robin Starveling, the tailor. Starveling. Here, Peter Quince. Quince. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother. Tom Snout, the tinker. Snout. Here, Peter Quince. Quince. You, Pyramus's father; myself, Thisby's father; Snug, the joiner, you the lion's part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted. Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study. Quince. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring. Bottom Let me play the lion too. I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say, 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.' Quince. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all. All. That would hang us, every mother's son. Bottom. I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us; but I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you as 'twere any nightingale. Quince. You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's day; a most lovely, gentleman-like man; therefore, you must needs play Pyramus. Bottom. Well, 1 will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in? Quince. Why, what you will. Bottom. I will discharge it in either your straw-colour beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French-crown colour beard, your perfect yellow. GO 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 |