For Pyramus therein doth kill himself. Which never labour'd in their minds till now; Philost. No, my noble lord, It is not for you: I have heard it over, The. I will hear that play: Hip. He says, they can do nothing in this kind. Our sport shall be, to take what they mistake: Noble respect takes it in might, not merit. I read as much, as from the rattling tongue Of sawcy and audacious eloquence. Enter PHILOSTRATE. Philost. So please your grace, the prologue is The. Let him approach. [Flourish of Trumpets. Prol. If we offend, it is with our good will, We do not come as minding to content you, We are not here. That you should here repent you, The. This fellow doth not stand upon points. 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 impair'd, but all disorder'd. Who is next? Enter PYRAMUS and THISBE, WALL, MOONSHINE, and LION, as in dumb show. Prol. "Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show; But wonder on, till truth make all things plain. "This man is Pyramus, if you would know; "This beauteous lady Thisby is, certain. "This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present "Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers sunder: "And through wall's chink, poor souls, they are content "To whisper; at the which let no man wonder. "This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn, "Presenteth moon-shine: for, if you will know, "By moon-shine did these lovers think no scorn "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; many asses do. Wall." In this same interlude, it doth befall, "This loam, this rough-cast, and this stone, doth Dem. It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard The. Pyramus draws near the wall: silence! Enter PYRAMUS. 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; "Thon wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, for this! "But what see I? No Thisby do I see. "O wicked wall through whom I see no bliss ; 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. Dem. 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. 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 invisible within the circumference. Moon. "This lantern doth the horned moon present; "Myself the man i' the 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? Dem. He dares not come there for the candle: for you see it is already in snuff •. Hip. I am aweary of this moon: 'would, he would change! The. It appears, by his small light of discretion, 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, 18, 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. Enter THISBE This." This is old Ninny's tomb: where is my love?" Lion. "Oh-." The Lion roars.-Thisbe runs off. Dem. Well roar'd, lion. The. Well run, Thishe. Hip. Well shone, moon.-Truly, the moon shines with a good grace. The. Well moused, lion. "Since lion vile hath here deflour'd my dear: "Which is-no, no-which was the fairest dame, "That lived, that loved, that liked, that look'd with cheer *. "Come, tears, confound; Ay, that left pap, "My soul is in the sky: "Tongue, lose thy light! "Now die, die, die, die, die." [Dies.-Exit Moonshine. 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 star-light.-Here she comes; and her passion ends the play. Enter THISBE. 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. [eyes. Lys. She hath spied him already, with those sweet Dem. And thus she moans, videlicet. This. "Asleep, my love? "O Pyramus, arise, "Speak, speak. Quite dumb? "Dead, dead? A tomb "Must cover thy sweet eyes. "These lily brows, "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 "With shears his thread of silk. "Tongue, not a word:"Come, trusty sword; "Come, blade, my breast imbrue: [Dies. The. Moonshine and lion are left to bury the dead. Bot. No, I assure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the [The Lion tears Thisbe's mantle, and exit. epilogue, or to hear a Bergoinask dance, between Dem. And so comes Pyramus. Lys. And then the moon vanishes. "I thank thee moon, for shining now so bright: "For by thy gracious, golden, glittering streams, "I trust to taste of truest Thisby's sight. "But stay ;-O spite! "What dreadful dole is here? "Eyes, do you see? "How can it be? "O dainty duck! O dear! "Approach, ye furies fell! "O fates! Come, come: Quail, crush, conclude, and quellt?" The. This passion, and the death of a dear friend would go near to make a man look sad. Hip. Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man. two of our company? 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 play'd Pyramus, and hang' himself in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy and so it is, truly; and very notably dis charged. But come, your Bergomask: let your epi logue alone. [Here a dance of Clowns. 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. The heavy gait of night.-Sweet friends to bed.- In nightly revels, and new jollity. 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: By the triple Hecat's team, Shall disturb this hallow'd house : To sweep the dust behind the door. Enter OBERON and TITANIA, with their Train. Obe. Through this house give glimmering light, Every elt, and fairy sprite, Hop as light as bird from brier; Sing and dance it trippingly. Tita. First, rehearse this song by rote: To each word a warbling note, SONG and DANCE. Obe. Now, until the break of day, So shall all the couples three Shall upon their children be.- And each several chamber bless, And the owner of it blest. Trip away; Make no stay; Meet me all by break of day. [Exeunt Oberon, Titania, and Train. Puck. If we shadows have offended, Think but this, (and all is mended.) Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, • Portentous. [Exit. + Way. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and King. Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, And make us heirs of all eternity. Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, Biron. I can but say their protestation over, these. Biron. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please; I only swore, to study with your grace, And stay here in your court for three years' space. Long. You swore to that, Biron, and to the rest. Biron. By yea and nay, Sir, then I swore in jest.- King. Why, that to know, which else we should common sense? King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompence. King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purshased, doth inherit pain: To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look: Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile : So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes. Study me how to please the eye indeed, By fixing it upon a fairer eye; Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed, And give him light that was it blinded by. Study is like the heaven's glorious sun, That will not be deep search'd with saucy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their shining nights, Than those that walk, and wot not what they are. Too much to know is, to know nought but fame; And every godfather can give a name. King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceed ing! Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding. Dum. How follows that? Biron. Fit in his place and time. Biron. Something then in rhyme. Long. Biron is like an envious sneaping frost That Lites the first-born infants of the spring. Biron. Well, say I am; why should proud sum. mer boast, Before the birds have any cause to sing? ⚫ Nipping. Why should I joy in an abortive birth? And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court. And hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.]-On pain of losing her tongue.Who devis'd this! Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility. [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise. This article, my liege, yourself must break; For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter, with yourself to speak, A maid of grace, and complete majesty,→ To her decripit, sick, and bed-rid father: Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords? Why, this was quite forgot. Biron. So study evermore is overshot; While it doth study to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it should: And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, 'Tis won, as towns with fire; so wou, so lost. King. We must, of force, dispense with this de cree; She must liet here on mere necessity. Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand within this three years' space; For every man with his affects is born; Not by might master'd, but by special grace: If I break faith, this word shall speak for me, I am forsworn on mere necessity. So to the laws at large I write my name: [Subscribes. And he, that breaks them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternal shame : Suggestions are to others, as to me; King. Ay, that there is: our court, you know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain; A man in all the world's new fashion planted, For interim to our studies, shall relate, Enter DULL, with a Letter, and COSTARD. • Games, sports. Lively. Temptations, Dull. Signior Arme-Arme--commends you, There's villainy abroad; this letter will tell you [me. more. Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching King. A letter from the magnificent Armado. Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words. Long. A high hope for a low having: God grant us patience! Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing? Long. To hear meekly, Sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to climb in the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner +. Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, Sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the nanorhouse, sitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner, it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman for the form,-in some form. Biron. For the following, Sir? Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; and God defend the right! King. Will you hear this letter with attention? Biron. As we would hear an oracle. Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King. [Reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's God, and body's fostering patron, Cost. Not a word of Costard yet. King. So it is, Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, in telling true, but so, so. King. Peace. Cost.-be to me, and every man that dares not fight! King. No words. Cost.of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King. So it is besieged with sable-coloured melancholy. I did commend the black-oppressing humour to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time, when? About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper. So much for the time when: now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walk'd upon it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest? -but to the place, where,-It standeth north-northeast and by east from the west corner of thy curiousknotted garden-There did I see that low-spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth, Cost. Me. King. that unlettered small-knowing soul, Cost. Me. King. that shallow vassal, Cost. Still me. King. which, as I remember, hight Costard. King, sorted and consorted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with-with-O with-but with this I passion to say wherewith. Cost. With a wench. King. with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more sweet understanding, a woman. Him I (as my ever esteemed duty pricks me on,) have sent to thee, to receive the meed of pu nishment, by thy sweet Grace's officer, Antony Ďull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and esti mation. Dull. Me, an't shall please you; I am Antony Dull. King. For Jaquenetta, (so is the weaker vessel called, which I apprehended with the aforesaid swain,) i. e. Third-borough, a peace-officer. |