will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an were any nightingale. Quin. 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; play Pyramus. therefore you must needs What beard Bot. Well, I will undertake it. were I best to play it in? Quin. Why, what you will. Bot. I will discharge it in either your straw. coloured beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French-crowncolour beard, your perfect yellow. Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare - faced. But, masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them by tomorrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse: for if we meet in the city, we shall be dog'd with company, and our devices known. In the mean time, I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play waits. I pray you fail me not. Bot. We will meet; and there we may rehearse more obscenely, and courageously. be perfect; adien. Quin. At the Duke's oak we meet. Take pains; Bot. Enough; Hold, or cut bow-strings. [Exeunt. 1 ACT II. SCENE I. A Wood near Athens. Enter a Fairy at one door, and Puck at another. Puck. How now, spirit! whither wander you? Thorough bush, thorough briar, Thorough food, thorough fire, In those freckles live their favours: Our Queen and all her elves come here anon. Puck. The King doth keep his revels here to night; Take heed, the Queen come not within his sight. And jealous Oberon would have the child And now they never meet in grove, or green, Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite, Call'd Robin Good fellow: are you not he, That fright the maidens of the villag'ry; Skim milk; and sometimes labour in the quern, And bootless make the breathless housewife churn; And sometime make the drink to bear no barm; Mislead night - wanderers, laughing at their harm? Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, You do their work, and they shall have good Are not you he? luck : Puck. Thou speak'st aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night. And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl, And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob, And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe; And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear A merrier hour was never wasted there. But room, Faery, here comes Oberon. Fai. And here my mistress : 'Would that he were gone? SCENE II. Enter OBERON, at one door, with his train, and TITANIA, at another, with hers. Obe. Il meet by moonlight, proud Titania. Tita. What, jealous Oberon? Fairy, skip hence; I have for-worn his bed and company. Obe. Tarry, rash wanton; Am not I thy lord? Tita. Then I must be thy lady: But I know When thou hast stol'n away from fairy land, And in the shape of Corin sat all day, Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, Come from the farthest steep of India? But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, Your buskin'd mistress, and your warrior love, To Thesens must be wedded; and you come To give their bed joy and prosperity. Obe. How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania, Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? Didst thon not lead him through the glimmering night From Perigenia, whom he ravished? And make him with fair AEgle break his faith, With Ariadne, and Antiopa? Tita. These are the forgeries of jealousy: Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain, corn Hath rotted, ere his youth attain'd a beard: |