Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion.
Bot. Nay; you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion’s neck, and he himself muse speak through, saying 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 moonlight into a chamber; for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moonlight.
Snout. Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?
Bot. A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac. Find out moonshine, find out moonshine.
Quin. Yes; it doth shine that night.
[Bot.] Why then may you 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 lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of Moonshine. 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 chink of a wall.
Snout. You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?
Bot. Some man or other must present Wall; and let him have some plaster, or some loam, 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 Robin [Puck, behind].
Puck.
What hempen home-spuns have we swagg’ring 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.
Bot.
“Thisby, the flowers of odious savors sweet”—
Quin.
[Odorous], odorous.
Bot.
– “odors savors sweet;
So hath 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 played here.
[Exit.]
Flu. 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.
Flu.
“Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,
Of color like the red rose on triumphant brier,
Most brisky juvenal, and eke most lovely Jew,
As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire,
I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny’s tomb.”
Quin. “Ninus’ tomb,” man. Why, you must not speak that yet. That you answer to Pyramus. You speak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter. Your cue is past; it is ‘never tire.’
Flu. O—“As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.”
[Enter Puck, and Bottom with an ass’s head.]
Bot. “If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine.”
Quin. O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted. Pray, masters, fly, masters! Help!
[Exeunt Quince, Snug, Flute, Snout, and Starveling.]
Puck.
I’ll follow you, I’ll lead you about a round,
Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier:
Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime 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 knavery of them to make me afeard.
Enter Snout.
Snout. O Bottom, thou art chang’d! What do I see on thee?
Bot. What do you see? You see an ass-head of your own, do you?
[Exit Snout.]
Enter Quince.
Quin. Bless thee. Bottom, bless thee! Thou art translated.
Exit.
Bot. I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me, to fright me, if they could; but I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.
[Sings.]
The woosel cock so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill,
The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill—
Tita. [Awaking.]
What
