Flourish. Enter KING, and Train. Cran. [Kneeling.] And to your royal grace, and the good queen, miss'd the meteor once, and hit that woman, who cried out, clubs! when I might see from far some forty truncheoneers draw to her succour, which were the hope of the Strand, where she was quartered. They fell on; I made good my place; at length they came to the broomstaff with me, I defied them still; when suddenly a file of boys behind them, loose shot, delivered such a shower of pebbles, that I was fain to draw nine honour in, and let them win the work: The devil is amongst them, I think, surely. Port. These are the youths that thunder at a play-house, and fight for bitten apples; that no audience, but the Tribulation of Tower-hill, or the limbs of Limehouse, their dear brothers, are able to endure. I have some of them in Limbo Patrum, and there they are like to dance these three days; besides the running banquet of two beadles, that is to come. Enter the Lord CHAMBERLAIN. Cham. Mercy o'me, what a multitude are bere ! They grow still too, from all parts they coming, are As if we kept a fair here! Where are these porters, These lazy knaves ?-Ye have made a fine hand, fellows. There's a trim rabble let in: Are all these Your faithful friends o'the suburbs? We shall bave Great store of room, no doubt, left for the When they pass back from the christening. We are but meu; and what so many may do, Port. Make way there for the princess. Port. You i'the camblet, get up o'the rail ; SCENE IV.-The Palace. ¶ Enter Trumpets, sounding: then two Aldermen, Lord MAYOR, GARTER, CRANMER, Duke of NORFOLK, with his Marshal's Staff, Duke of SUFFOLK, two Noblemen bearing great standing-bowls for the christening gifts; then four Noblemen bearing a canopy, under which the Duchess of NORFOLK, godmother, bearing the child richly habited in a mantle, &c. Train borne by a Lady; then follows the Marchioness of DORSET, the other godmother, and Ludies. The Troop pass once about the stage, and GARTER speaks. Gart. Heaven from thy endless goodness, send prosperous life, long, and ever happy, to the high and mighty princess of England, Elizabeth! ** My noble partners and myself thus pray :- K. He. Thank you, good lord archbishop. Cran. Elizabeth. K. Hen. Stand up, lord. [The KING kisses the child. With this kiss take my blessing: God protect thee ! Into whose hands I give thy life. Cran. Amen. K. Hen. My noble gossips, ye have been too I thank ye heartily; so shall this lady, For heaven now bids me; and the words I Let none think flattery, for they'll find them truth. This royal infant, (heaven still move about Though in her cradle, yet now promises (But few now living can behold that goodness,) Shall see this, and bless heaven. These lines to the interruption by the king seem have been inserted at a subsequent period. Scene IV. KING HENRY VIII. An aged princess; many days shall see her,⚫ And yet no day without a deed to crown it. 'Would I had known no more! but she must die, She must, the saints must have her; yet a virgin, A most unspotted lily shall she pass To the ground, and all the world shall mourn ber. K. Hen. O lord archbishop, Thou hast made me now a man; never, before To see what this child does, and praise my I thank ye all,-To you, my good lord mayor, And your good brethren, I am much beholden; I have receiv'd much honour by your presence, And ye sball find me thankful, lords ; Lead the way, Ye must all see the queen, and she must thank ye, As this play was probably written in the time of Queen Elizabeth, it is easily determined where Cranmer's eulogium termiuated. She will be sick else. This day, no man think He has business at his house; for all shall stay, This little one shall make it holiday. [Exeunt. EPILOGUE.• 'Tis ten to one, this play can never please All that are here: Some come to take their ease, And sleep an act or two; but those, we fear, We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 'tis clear They'll say, 'tis naught: others, to hear the city Abus'd extremely, and to cry,-that's witty! The merciful construction of good women; It is supposed that the epilogue and prologue to this play were both written by Ben Jonson. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE. THE title of this play was probably suggested (like Twelfth Night, and The Winter's Tale,) by the time st which it was first performed; viz. at Midsummer thus it would be announced as " A Dream for the Entertainment of a Midsummer Night." No other ground can be assigned for the name which our auther has given to it; since the action is distinctly pointed out as occurring on the night preceding May-day. The piece was written in 1592; and, according to Stevens, might have been suggested by the Knight's Tale in Chaucer, or, as Capell supposes, Shakspeare may have taken the idea of his fairies from Drapton's fantastical poem, called Nymphidia, or, The Court of Fairy. Mason, however, denies that our poet made use of the materials which Shakspeare had rendered so popular; and asserts (in opposition to Johnson) that there is no analogy or resemblance between the fairies of the one, and the fairies of the other. The same critics are also at issue upon the general merits of this singular play. Johnson de clares that "all the parts, in their various modes, are well written." Malone, that the principal personages are insignificant---the fable meagre and uninteresting. Hippolyta, the Amazon, is undistinguished from any other female; and the solicitudes of Hermia and Demetrius, of Lysander and Helena, ure childish and frivolous. Theseus, the companion of Hercules, is not engaged in any adventure worthy his rank and reputation: "he goes out a Maying; meets the lovers in perplexity, and makes no effort to promote their happiness; but when supernatural events have reconciled them, he joins their company, and concludes the entertainment by uttering some miserable puns, at an interlude represented by clowns." These faults are, however, almost wholly redeemed, by the glowing fervour, and varied imagination, which Shakspeare has displayed in the poetry; by the rich characteristic humour (free from the taint of grossness) which enlivens the blunt-witted devices of his theatrical tailors and cobblers; and by the admirable satire which he has passed on those self-conceited actors, who (not unlike some modern "stars") would monopolize the favours of the public, trample upon every competitor, and "bear the palm alone." Bottom was perhaps the leading tragedian of some rival house, and on that account is honoured with sa ass's head. Turn melancholy forth to funerals, and with revel Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! with thee? Ege. Full of vexation come I, with complaint duke, This hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child: And interchang'd love-tokens with my child: Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats; messen gers Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth: heart; Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me, Be it so she will not here before your grace I beg the ancient privilege of Athens; The. What say you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair To you your father should be as a god; one To whom you are but as a form in wax, Demetrius is a worthy gentleman. Her. So is Lysander. The. In bimself he is : new moon, (The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, Dem. Releut, sweet Hermia ;-And, Lysan- Thy crazed title to my certain right. Lys. You have her father's love, Deme- Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him. Ege. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love; And what is mine my love shall render him; Lys. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, I am belov'd of beauteous Hermia: Upon this spotted and inconstant man. The. I must confess, that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; and But, being over-full of self-affairs, Bat, in this kind, wanting your father's voice, Her. I would, my father look'd but with my eyes. The. Rather your eyes must with his judgment look. Her. I do entreat your grace to pardon me. In such a presence here, to plead my thoughts: The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, You can endure the livery of a nun; My mind did lose it.-But, Demetrius, come; I mast employ you in some business [Exeunt THES. HIP. EGE. DEM. and Lys. How now, my love? Why is your cheek How chance the roses there do fade so fast? Lys. Or else misgraffed, in respect of years Her. O spite! too old to be engag'd to young! Lys. Or else it stood upon the choice of friends: Her. O hell! to choose love by another's eye 1 t Ever. Lys. Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; night, That in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and And ere a man hath power to say,-Behold! So quick bright things come to confusion. Her. If then true lovers have been cross'd, It stands as an edict in destiny: As due to love, as thoughts, and dreams, sighs, ever and Wishes, and tears, poor fancy's + followers. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and she hath no child :' her seven And she respects me as her only son. Her. My good Lysander! I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow; that which knitteth souls, and prospers And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage When the false Trojan under sail was seen; Her. His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. Hel. None, but your beauty; Would that fault were mine! Her. Take comfort; he no more shall see my Lysander and myself will fly this place.- O then, what graces in my love do dwell, Lys. Helen, to you our minds we will un- To-morrow night when Phoebe doth behold Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, and I Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie, From lovers' food, till morrow deep midnight. [Exit LYSAN. ER. Hel. How happy some, o'er other some call be ! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. Things base and vile, holding no quantity, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind: swear, So the boy love is perjur'd every where: Demetrius loves your fair : O happy fair! More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear, My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, Hel. Oh! that your frowns would teach my Her. I give him curses, yet he gives me love. Hel. Oh! that my prayers could such affection move! Her. The more I bate, the more he follows me. felt, So he dissolv'd, and showers of oaths did melt. SCENE 11.-The same.-A Room in a Enter SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, QUINCE, Quin. Is all our company here! Bot. You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip. Quin. Here is the scroll of every man's rame, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the duke and duchess, on his wedding-day at night. Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the 20 Hel. The more I love, the more he hateth me.tors; and so grow to a point. |