Tongue, not a word :-
Come, trusty sword;

Come, blade, my breast imbrue :

And farewell, friends,—

Thus Thisby ends:

Adieu, adieu, adieu !

[Stabs herself and dies.

The Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.
Dem. Ay, and Wall too.

excuse.

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 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 in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy; and so it is, truly, and very notably discharged. Bergomask: let your epilogue alone.

But come, your

[A comic dance.1

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve.-
Lovers to bed: 'tis almost fairy time.
I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn,
As much as we this night have overwatch'd.
This palpable gross play hath well beguil'd
The heavy gait of night.-Sweet friends, to bed.—
A fortnight hold we this solemnity,

In nightly revels, and new jollity.

[Exeunt.

A comic dance.] "A dance by two of the clowns," say modern editors; but the old editions say nothing about it. Theseus and his train go out after the next eight lines.

SCENE II.

Enter PUCK, with a broom on his shoulder.

Puck. Now the hungry lion roars,

And the wolf behowls the moon ;5
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,
All with weary task fordone.
Now the wasted brands do glow,

While 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 Hecate's team
From the presence of the sun,

Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic: not a mouse
Shall disturb this hallow'd house:

I am sent with broom before,

To sweep the dust behind the door.

Enter OBERON and TITANIA, with all their Train.

Obe. Through the house give glimmering light,

Here again the old printer blundered, and printed “beholds the moon" instead of "behowls the moon". No editor thought of giving Puck a broom, until they learned from the Corr. 1632 that that was his ancient property on the stage when the play was represented.

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 your song by rote,
To each word a warbling note:
Hand in hand with fairy grace
Will we sing, and bless this place.

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."

[The Song

The SONG.] In the folio, but not in either of the 4to. editions, Oberon's speech is printed in italic, as if it were "the song"; but it seems in fact to be wanting: in old plays songs, though mentioned,

were often omitted.

With this field-dew CONSECRATE.] It was, of course, the children

who were

to be "consecrate" from moles, hare-lips, &c.: the fairies

Every fairy take his gait,

And each several chamber bless,

Through this palace with sweet peace;

Ever shall it safely 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 slumber'd 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.
And, as I'm an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long,

Else the Puck a liar call:

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin shall restore amends.

[Exit.

could want no consecration. Three lines below the folio 1623 reads "Ever shall in safety rest"—another misprint, possibly from the haste of the old compositor.