Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

your lion, living; and we ought to look to it. Snout. Therefore, another prologue must tell, he is not a lion.

tire.

As true as truest horse, that yet would never I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb. [tire, Quin. Ninus' tomb, man: Why you must not Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: half his face must be seen through the lion's you speak all your part at once, cues and all. neck; and he himself must speak through, say--Pyramus enter; your cue is past; it is never ing thus, or to the same defect,-Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life : No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are :-and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them plainly, he is Snug the joiner.

Quin. Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light.

Snug. Doth the moon shine, that night we play our play?

Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find, out moonshine.

Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night.

Bot. Why, then you may leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the casement.

Quin. Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chinks of a wall.

Snug. You never can bring in a wall.-What say you, Bottom?

Bot. Some man or other must present wall: and let him have some plaster, or some lome, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake;* and so every one according to his cue.

Enter PUCK behind.

Puck. What hempen home-spuns have we
swaggering here,

So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor;
An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.

Quin. Speak, Pyramus :-Thisby, stand
forth.

Pyr. Thisby, the flowers of odious savours
sweet,-
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr. odours savours sweet :

So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.But hark, a voice! stay thou but here a while, And by and by I will to thee appear. [Exit. Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here! [Aside.-Exit.

This. Must I speak now? Quin. Ay, marry, must you: for you must understand, he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again.

This. Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,

Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier, Most brisky juvenal,† and eke most lovely Jew, ↑ Young man.

* Thicket.

Re-enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass' head.

This. O,-As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.

Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine :Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [haunted. [Exeunt Clowns.

round,

Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a [through briar; Through bog, through bush, through brake, Sometime a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar and burn,

Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every
turn.
[Exit.
Bot. Why do they run away? this is a kna-
very of them, to make me afeard.†

[blocks in formation]

Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery [Waking.

bed?

Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
The plain-song cuckoo‡ gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not answer, nay;—

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish
a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though
he cry, cuckoo, never so?

Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again;
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; [me,
And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move
On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days: The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go;

The last words of the preceding speech, which serve as a hint to him who is to speak next. † Afraid.

The Cuckoo with his uniform note.

Joke.

Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or
I am a spirit, of no common rate;
[no.
The summer still doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep:
And sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost
sleep:

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so,
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.-
Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-
seed!

Enter four FAIRIES.

1 Fai. Ready.

2 Fai. And I.

3 Fai. And I.

4 Fai. Where shall we go?

Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches,* rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.
The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort,†
Who Pyramus presented, in their sport
Forsook his scene, and enter'd in a brake:
When I did him at this advantage take,
An ass' nowl‡ I fixed on his head;
Anon, his Thisbe must be answered,

And forth my mimick comes: When they him
spy,

As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report
Sever themselves, and madly sweep the sky;

Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentle-So, at his sight, away his fellows fly:

man;

Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,*
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey bags steal from the humble-bees,
And, for night tapers, crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arise;
And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.
1 Fai. Hail, mortal!

[blocks in formation]

Mus. Mustard-seed.

Bot. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your
patience well: that same cowardly giant-like
ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of
your house: I promise you, your kindred hath
made my eyes water ere now. I desire you
more acquaintance, good master Mustard-seed.
Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my
bower.
[eye;
The moon, methinks, looks with a watery
And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,
Lamenting some enforced chastity.
Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently.
[Exeunt.
SCENE II.-Another part of the Wood.
Enter OBERON.

Obe. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd;
Then, what it was that next came in her eye,
Which she must dote on in extremity.

[blocks in formation]

And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;
He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.
Their sense, thus weak, lost with their fears,

thus strong,

Made senseless things begin to do them wrong:
For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch;
Some, sleeves; some, hats: from yielders all
things catch.

I led them on in this distracted fear,
And left sweet Pyramus translated there :
When in that moment (so it came to pass,)
Titania wak'd, and straightway lov'd an ass.

Obe. This falls out better than I could devise.
But hast thou yet latch'd|| the Athenian's eyes
With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

Puck. I took him sleeping,—that is finish'd

too,

And the Athenian woman by his side; [ey'd.
That, when he wak'd, of force she must be
Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA.

Obe. Stand close; this is the same Athenian.
Puck. This is the woman, but not this the

man.

Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe. [so?
Dem. O, why rebuke you him that loves you
Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee

worse;

For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse.
If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
And kill me too.

The sun was not so true unto the day,
As he to me: Would he have stol'n away
From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon,
This whole earth may be bor'd; and that the

[blocks in formation]

Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me. Dem. I had rather give his carcass to my hounds.

Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv'st me past
the bounds

Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him
[then?
Henceforth be never number'd among men!
*Simple fellows.
Actor.

†Stupid company Head.

Infected.

O! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake;
Durst thou have look'd upon him, being awake,
And hast thou kill'd him sleeping? O brave
touch!*

Could not a worm, an adder, do so much?
An adder did it; for with doubler tongue
Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.
Dem. You spend your passion on a mispriz'dt
I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; [mood:
Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell.
Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well.
Dem. And if I could, what should I get

therefore?

Her. A privilege, never to see me more.And from thy hated presence part I so; See me no more, whether he be dead or no. [Exit. Dem. There is no following her in this fierce

vein:

Here, therefore, for a while I will remain.
So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow
For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe;
Which now, in some slight measure it will pay,
If for his tender here I make some stay.

[Lies down. Obe. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite, [sight: And laid the love-juice on some true-love's Of thy misprison must perforce ensue [true. Some true-love turn'd, and not a false turn'd Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that, one man holding troth,

A million fail, confounding oath on oath.

Obe. About the wood go swifter than the
And Helena of Athens look thou find: [wind,
All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer
With sighs of love, that cost the fresh blood
dear;

By some illusion see thou bring her here;
I'll charm his eyes, against she do appear.
Puck. I go, I go; look, how I go;

Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.

[blocks in formation]

Puck. Captain of our fairy band, Helena is here at hand; And the youth, mistook by me, Pleading for a lover's fee;

Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be!

[Exit.

Obe. Stand aside: the noise they make,
Will cause Demetrius to awake.

Puck. Then will two at once, woo one;
That must needs be sport alone;
And those things do best please me,
That befal preposterously.

Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. Lys. Why should you think, that I should woo in scorn?

Scorn and derision never come in tears: Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born, In their nativity all truth appears. How can these things in me seem scorn to you, Bearing the badge of faith, to prove them true?

[blocks in formation]

Hel. You do advance your cunning more and

more.

When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray. These vows are Hermia's; Will you give her o'er? [weigh:

Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing Your vows, to her and me, put in two scales, Will even weigh; and both as light as tales. Lys. I had no judgement, when to her I swore. Hel. Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er.

Lys. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

Dem. [Awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph,
perfect, divine!

To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus' snow,
Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow,
When thou hold'st up thy hand: O let me kiss
This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!
Hel. O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
To set against me, for your merriment.
If you were civil, and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join in souls,* to mock me too?
If you were men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle lady so;
To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts,
When, I am sure, you hate me with your hearts.
You both are rivals, and love Hermia;
And now both rivals, to mock Helena :
A trim exploit, a manly enterprize,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes,
With your derision! none, of noble sort,t
Would so offend a virgin; and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so;
For you love Hermia; this, you know, I know:
And here, with all good will, with all my heart,
In Hermia's love I yield you up my part;
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love, and will do to my death.

Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath.

Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone. [none: My heart with her, but, as guest-wise, sojourn'd;

And now to Helen is it home return'd,
There to remain.

Lys. Helen, it is not so.

Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not Lest to thy peril, thou aby it dear.‡- [know, Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.

[blocks in formation]

Fair Helena; who more engilds the night

[blocks in formation]

Than all yon fiery oes* and eyes of light. Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know,

The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?
Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be.
Hel. Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd, all three,
To fashion this false sport in spite of me.
Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid!
Have you conspir'd, have you with these con-
To bait me with this foul derision? [triv'd

Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd,
The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us,-O, and is all forgot?

All school-days' friendship, childhood, inno-
We, Hermia, like two artificialt gods, [cence?
Have with our neelds‡ created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key;
As if our hands, our sides, voices and minds,
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet a union in partition;

Two lovely berries moulded on one stem:
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it;
Though I alone do feel the injury.

Her. I am amaz'd at your passionate words:
I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me.
Hel. Have you not set Lysander as in scorn,
To follow me, and praise my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius,
(Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,)
To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celestial: Wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander
Deny your love, so rich within his soul,
And tender me, forsooth affection;
But by your setting on, by your consent?
What though I be not so in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, so fortunate;
But miserable most, to love unlov'd?
This you should pity rather than despise.

Her. I understand not what you mean by this. Hel. Ay, do, persévere, counterfeit sad looks, Make mows upon me when I turn my back; Wink at each other; hold the sweet jest up: This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled. If you have any pity, grace, or manners, You would not make me such an argument. But, fare ye well: 'tis partly mine own fault; Which death, or absence, soon shall remedy. Lys. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse; My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena ! Hel. O excellent!

Her. Sweet, do not scorn her so.

Dem. If she cannot entreat, I can compel.
Lys. Thou canst compel no more than she

entreat;

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

ceive,

Dem. I would, I had your bond; for, I per[word. A weak bond holds you; I'll not trust your Lys. What should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?

Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so. Her. What, can you do me greater harm than hate? [love? Hate me wherefore? O me! what news, my Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander? I am as fair now, as I was erewhile.

Since night, you lov'd me; yet, since night you left me:

Why, then you left me,-O, the gods forbid!— In earnest shall I say?

Lys. Ay, by my life;

And never did desire to see thee more.
Therefore, be out of hope, of question, doubt,
Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jest,
That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me! you juggler! you canker-blossom !*

[night
You thief of love! what, have you come by
And stol'n my love's heart from him?
Hel. Fine, i'faith!

Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,
No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?
Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet you!

Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes

the game.

Now I perceive that she hath made compare
Between our statures,she hath urg'd her height;
And with her personage, her tall personage,
Her height forsooth, she hath prevail'd with
him.-

And are you grown so high in his esteem,
Because I am so dwarfish and so low?
How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak;
How low am I? I am not yet so low,
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.
Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gen-
tlemen,

Let her not hurt me: I was never curst;†
I have no gift at all in shrewishness;

I am a right maid for my cowardice; [think,
Let her not strike me: You, perhaps, may
Because she's something lower than myself,
That I can match her.

Her. Lower! hark, again.

Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with I evermore did love you, Hermia, [me. Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd Save, that, in love unto Demetrius, [you;

I told him of your stealth unto this wood:
He follow'd you; for love I follow'd him.
But he hath chid me hence; and threaten'd me
To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too:

*A worm that preys on buds of flowers.

† Shrewish or mischievous.

And now, so you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back,
And follow you no further: Let me go:
You see how simple and how fond* I am.
Her. Why, get you gone: Who is't that
hinders you?

Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind?
Her. What, with Lysander?
Hel. With Demetrius.

Lys. Be not afraid: she shall not harm thee,
Helena.

Dem. No, Sir; she shall not, though you take
her part.

Hel. O, when she's angry, she is keen and
shrewd :

She was a vixen, when she went to school;
And, though she be but little, she is fierce.
Her. Little again? nothing but low and
little?-

Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?
Let me come to her.

Lys. Get you gone, you dwarf;

You minimus, of hind'ring knot grasst made;
You bead, you acorn.

Dem. You are too officious,

In her behalf that scorns your services.
Let her alone; speak not of Helena;
Take not her part: for if thou dost intend‡
Never so little show of love to her,
Thou shalt aby it.

Lys. Now she holds me not;

Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try whose right,
Or thine or mine, is most in Helena.

Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek
by jole. [Exeunt Lys. and DEM.
Her. You, mistress, all this coil is 'long of
Nay, go not back.

[you:

Hel. I will not trust you, I;
Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray;
My legs are longer though, to run away. [Exit.
Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to
say. [Exit, pursuing HELENA.
Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mis-
tak'st,

Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully.
Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mis-
took.

Did not you tell me, I should know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprise,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes:
And so far am I glad it so did sort,§

As this their jangling I esteem a sport. [fight:
Obe. Thou seest, these lovers seek a place to
Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;
The starry welkin cover thou anon
With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
And lead these testy rivals so astray,
As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,
Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And sometime rail thou like Demetrius ;
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep:
Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye;
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error, with his might,
And make his eye-balls roll with wonted sight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall seem a dream, and fruitless vision;
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,¶
Foolish. Anciently knot-grass was believed to
prevent the growth of children. Pretend. Happen.
Medicinal efficacy.

Go.

With league, whose date till death shall never
end.

Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmed eye release
From monster's view, and all things shall be
peace.

Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with
haste;
[fast,
For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full
And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;
At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here
and there,
(all,
Troop home to church-yards: damned spirits
That in cross-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;
For fear lest day should look their shames upon,
They wilfuly themselves exile from light,
And must for aye consort with black-brow'd
night.

Obe. But we are spirits of another sort:
I with the Morning's Love* have oft made sport;
And, like a forester, the groves may tread,
Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his salt-green streams.
But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay:
We may effect this business yet ere day.

[Exit OBERON.. Puck. Up and down, up and down;

I will lead them up and down:

I am fear'd in field and town;
Goblin, lead them up and down.

Here comes one.

[blocks in formation]

When I come where he calls, then he is gone.
The villain is much lighter heel'd than I:
I follow'd fast, but faster he did fly;
That fallen am I in dark uneven way,
And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day!
For if but once thou show me thy gray light,
[Lies down.
I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite.
[Sleeps.

Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS.
Puck. Ho, ho! ho, ho! Coward, why com'st
thou not?

* Cephalus, the paramour of Aurora.

« VorigeDoorgaan »