That lived, that loved, that liked, that look'd with cheer.

Come, tears, confound;
Out, sword, and wound
The pap of Pyramus;
Ay, that left pap,

Where heart doth hop:

Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.

Now am I dead,

Now am I fled;

My soul is in the sky:

Tongue, lose thy light;
Moon, take thy flight:
Now die, die, die, die, die.

300

[Stabs himself.

[Exit Moonshine.

[Dies.

Dem. No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one. Lys. Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing. The. With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover, and prove an ass.

Hip. How chance Moonshine is gone before Thisbe comes back and finds her lover?

The. She will find him by starlight. Here she comes; and her passion ends the play.

Re-enter THISBE.

321

Hip. Methinks she should not use a long one for such a Pyramus: I hope she will be brief..

Dem. A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thisbe, is the better; he for a man, God warrant us; she for a woman, God bless us.

Lys. She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes. Dem. And thus she means, videlicet :

This.

Asleep, my love?

What, dead, my dove?
O Pyramus, arise!

Speak, speak.

Quite dumb?

Dead, dead? A tomb

Must cover thy sweet eyes.

These lily lips,

This cherry nose,

These yellow cowslip cheeks,

Are gone, are gone:

Lovers, make moan:

His eyes were green as leeks.

O Sisters Three,

Come, come to me,

With hands as pale as milk;

Lay them in gore,

Since you have shore

330

340

[Dics.

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

Bt. [Springing up] 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?

361

The. No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excuse. 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. But, come, your Bergomask : let your epilogue alone.

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 beguiled

The heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed.
A fortnight hold we this solemnity,

In nightly revels and new jollity.

Puck.

Enter PUCK.

Now the hungry lion roars,

And the wolf behowls the moon ;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,

All with weary tasks fordone.

Now the wasted brands do glow,

[4 dance.

Whilst 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,

370

[Exeunt.

380

390

Obe.

Tita.

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.

Through the house give glimmering light,
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.

First, rehearse your song by rote,

To each word a warbling note:

Hand in hand, with fairy grace,

400

Will we sing, and bless this place. [Song and dance.

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 issues 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;

And the owner of it blest

Ever shall in safety rest.

Trip away; make no stay;

Meet me all by break of day.

410

420

[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:

430

SCENE: Partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont, the seat of Portia, on the Continent.

Enter ANTONIO, SALARINO and SALANIO.

Ant. In sooth, I know not why I am so sad :
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;

And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.

Salar. Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail,
Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood,
Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea,
Do overpeer the petty traffickers,

That curtsy to them, do them reverence,

As they fly by them with their woven wings.

Salan. Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth, The better part of my affections would

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