When simpleness and duty tender it.
Go, bring them in ;-and take your places, ladies.
[exit Philostrate.
Hip. I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharg'd,
And duty in his service perishing. [thing.

The. Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such
Hip. He says, they can do nothing in this kind.
The. The kinder we, to give them thanks for
nothing.

Our sport shall be, to take what they mistake:
And what poor duty cannot do,

Noble respect takes it in might, not merit.
Where I have come, great clerks have purposed
To greet me with premeditated welcomes;
Where I have seen them shiver and look pale,
Make periods in the midst of sentences,
Throttle their practis'd accent in their fears,
And, in conclusion, dumbly have broke off,
Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet,
Out of this silence, yet, I pick'd a welcome;
And in the modesty of fearful duty

I read as much, as from the rattling tongue
Of saucy and audacious eloquence.
Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity,
In least, speak most, to my capacity.

Enter Philostrate.

Philost. So please your grace, the prologue is addrest.

The. Let him approach. [flourish of trumpets. Enter Prologue.

Pro. 'If we offend, it is with our good will, That you should think, we come not to offend, But with good will. To show our simple skill, That is the true beginning of our end. Consider then, we come but in despite.

We do not come as minding to content you, Our true intent is. All for your delight,

We are not here.

That you should here re

pent you, The actors are at hand; and, by their show, You shall know all, that you are like to know

The. This fellow doth not stand upon points. Lys. He hath rid his prologue, like a rough colt; he knows not the stop. A good moral, my lord it is not enough to speak, but to speak true.

Hip. Indeed he hath play'd on this prologue, like a child on a recorder; a sound, but not in government.

The. His speech was like a tangled chain; nothing impaired, but all disordered. Who is next?

To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo. This grisly beast, which by name lion hight, 'The trusty Thisby, coming first by night, 'Did scare away, or rather did affright: And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall; • Which lion vile with bloody mouth did stain: 'Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth, and tall,

And finds his trusty Thisby's mantle slain : 'Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, 'He bravely broach'd his boiling bloody breast; And, Thisby tarrying in mulberry shade,

'His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, 'Let lion, moonshine, wall, and lovers twain, 'At large discourse, while here they do remain.

[exeunt Prol. Thisbe, Lion, and Moonshire. The. I wonder, if the lion be to speak. Dem. No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many asses do.

Wall. In this same interlude, it doth befall, That I, one Snout by name, present a wall; And such a wall, as I would have you think, That had in it a cranny'd hole, or chink, "Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisty, 'Did whisper often very secretly. [show

This loam, this rough-cast, and this stone, doth 'That I am that same wall; the truth is so:

Enter Pyramus and Thisbe, Wall, Moonshine, and Lion, as in dumb show.

Prol. Gentles, perchance, you wonder at this show; [plain. But wonder on, till truth make all things This man is Pyramus, if you would know; 'This beauteous lady Thisby is, certain. [sent This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth pre'Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers sunder: [content And through wall's chink, poor souls, they are To whisper; at the which let no man wonder. "This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn,

Presenteth moonshine: for, if you will know, By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn

(

The. Pyramus draws near the wall: silence!
Enter Pyramus.

6

Pyr.

O grim-look'd night! O night with hue so black!

O night, which ever art, when day is not 'O night, O night, alack, alack, alack,

I fear my Thisby's promise is forgot!-And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall, That stand'st between her father's ground and

mine; Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, Show me thy chink, to blink through wita mine eyne. [Wall holds up his fingers. Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for this!

But what see I? No Thisby do I see. 'O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss; 'Curst be thy stones for thus deceiving me!' The. The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again.

Pyr. No, in truth, sir, he should not. Deceiving me, is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will fall pat, as I told you.-Yonder she

comes.

Enter Lion and Moonshine.

'Lion. You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear

The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor, May now, perchance, both quake and tremble here,

'When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar, Then know, that I, one Snug the joiner, am A lion fell, nor else no lion's dam:

For if I should as lion come in strife

Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.' [science. The. A very gentle beast, and of a good conDem. The very best at a beast, my lord, that e'er I saw.

Lys. This lion is a very fox for his valour. The. True; and a goose for his discretion. Dem. Not so, my lord: for his valour cannot carry his discretion; and the fox carries the goose.

Dem. He dares not come there for the candle: for, you see, it is already in snuff.

Hip. I am weary of this moon: 'would, he would change!

The. His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valour; for the goose carries not the fox. It is well: leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon.

Moon. This lantern doth the horned moon present?'

Dem. He should have worn the horns on his head.

The. He is no crescent, and his horns are in. visible within the circumference.

Moon. This lantern doth the horned moon present.

Myself the man i'th'moon do seem to be.'

The. This is the greatest error of all the rest : the man should be put into the lantern: how is it else the man i'the moon?

The. It appears, by his small light of discre tion, that he is in the wane: but yet, in courtesy, in all reason, we must stay the time. Lys. Proceed, moon.

Moon. All that I have to say, is, to tell you, that the lantern is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog.

Dem. Why, all these should be in the lantern; for they are in the moon. But, silence; here comes Thisbe.

A fortnight hold we this solemnity, In nightly revels, and new jollity.

SCENE II.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Now the hungry lion roars,
And the wolf behowls the moon;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,

All with weary task fordone.
Now the wasted brands do glow,
Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching 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 Hecat's team, ad
From the presence of the sun,

undd

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 their Train.
Obe. Through this house give glimmering light,
By the dead and drowsy fire:
Every elf, and fairy sprite,

1

***

Hop as light as bird from brier; And this ditty, after me, Sing, and dance it trippingly. til us Aura Tita. First, rehearse this song by rote: To each word a warbling note, molla Hand in hand, with fairy grace, Will we sing, and bless this place.

Obe. Now, until the break of day,

Song and Dance. t Yun vak

TO

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.

FIP

[excunt

Through this house each fairy stray. W
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 truc 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,
Every fairy take his gait;
And each several chamber bless,
Through this palace, with sweet peace;
E'er shall it in safety rest,
And the owner of it blest.
Trip away;
Make no stay;
Meet me all by break of day.

910407
20
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[exeunt Oberon, Titania, and

So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

Lexit,

Duke of Venice,
Itrabantio, a Senator.
Two other Senators.
Gratiano, brother to Brabantia.
Lodovico, kinsman to Brabantia.
Othello, the Moor.

Cassio, his lieutenant.
Iago, his ancient.

SCENE I. VENICE A STREET.

Enter Roderigo and Iago. Rod. Tusн, never tell me, I take it much unkindly, in Á Tên

That thou, Iago,-who hast had my purse, [this.
As if the strings were thine, should'st know of
Iago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me:-
If ever I did dream of such a matter,
Abhor me.al

[thy hate.

Rod. Thou told'st me, thou didst hold him in
Iago. Despise me, if I do not.
Three great
ono's of the city, sadni

In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Oft capp'd to him;and, by the faith of man,
I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,
Evades them, with a bombast circumstance,
Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;
And, in conclusion, nonsuits
My mediators; for, certes, says he,
I have already chose my officer.
And what was he?

Forsooth, a great arithmetician, madal
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster: unless the bookish theoric,
Wherein the toged consuls can propose
As masterly as he mere prattle, without practice,
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the elec-
tion:

And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof,
At Rhodes, at Cyprus; and on other grounds,
Christian and heathen,-must be be-lee'd and
calm'd

By debitor and creditor, this counter-caster:

།།ན།

Clown, servant to Othello. * D Herald.

196

Desdemona, daughter to Brabantio, and wife to Othello. Emilia, wife to lago.

Bianca, a courtezan, mistress to Cassio.

He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
And I, (God bless the mark!) his Moor-ship's
ancient.
[hangman.
Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his
Iago. But there's no remedy, 'tis the curse of
Preferment goes by letter, and affection, [service;
Not by the old gradation, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge
Whether I in any just term am affin'd [yourself,
To love the Moor.

1 STEM

Rod. I would not follow him then.
Iago. O, sir, content you; 1994

I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
We cannot all be masters, nor all mästers
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,

A

For nought but provender: and, when he's old,
cashier'd;
Whip me such honest knaves: others there are,
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but shows of services on their
lords,
[lin'd their coats,
Do well thrive by them, and, when they have
Do themselves homage: these fellows have some
And such a one do I profess myself.
For, sir,

[soul;

40003