roar, that I will make the duke say, Let him roar again, Let him roar again. Quin. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all. All. That would hang us every mother's son. Bot. I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere 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; therefore you must needs play Pyramus. Bot. Well, I will undertake it. What beard 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-crown-colour beard, your perfect yellow.2 Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-faced.3 But, masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moon-light; there will we rehearse for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogg'd with company, and our devices known. In the mean time I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not. Bot. We will meet; and there we may rehearse more obscenely, and courageously. Take pains; be perfect, adieu. Quin. At the duke's oak we meet. Bot. Enough; Hold, or cut bow-strings. ACT II. [Exeunt. In their gold coats spots you see; Take heed the queen come not within his sight. And now they never meet in grove, or green, Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, 14 Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite, I am that merry wanderer of the night." And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl, SCENE I. A Wood near Athens. Enter a Fairy And on her wither'd dew-lap pour the ale. at one door; and PUCK at another. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me; Puck. How now, spirit! whither wander you? Then slip I from her bum, down topples she, Fai. Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough briar," Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire. To dew her orbs' upon the green: 1 As if. 2 It seems to have been a custom to stain or dye the beard. 3 This allusion to the Corona Veneris, or baldness attendant upon a particular stage of, what was then termed, the French disease, is too frequent in Shakspeare, and is here explained once for all. 4 Articles required in performing a play. 5 To meet whether bowstrings hold or are cut is to meet in all events. But the origin of the phrase has not been satisfactorily explained. 6 So Drayton, in his Nymphidia, or Court of Fairy: 7 The orbs here mentioned are those circles in the herbage commonly called fairy-rings, the cause of which is not yet certainly known. And tailor cries, 18 and falls into a cough; And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe: And yexen19 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! 14 A quern was a handmill. 15 And if that the bowle of curds and creame were not duly set out for Robin Goodfellow, the frier, and Sisse the dairy-maid, why then either the pottage was burnt next day in the pot, or the cheeses would not curdle, or the butter would not come, or the ale in the fat never would have good head. But if a Peeterpenny, or an housle-egg were behind, or a patch of tythe unpaid, then ware of bull-beggars, spirits,' &c. 16 Milton refers to these traditions in L'Allegro. 17 Wild apple. 18 Dr. Johnson thought he remembered to have heard this ludicrous exclamation upon a person's seat slipping 8 The allusion is to Elizabeth's band of gentlemen from under him. He that slips from his chair falls as a pensioners, who were chosen from among the hand-tailor squats upon his board. Hanmer thought the passomest and tallest young men of family and fortune; sage corrupt, and proposed to read rails or cries.' they were dressed in habits richly garnished with gold Lace. 9 In the old comedy of Doctor Dodypoll, 1600, an enchanter says, 'Twas I that led you through the painted meads Where the light fairies danc'd upon the flowers, Hanging on every leaf an orient pearl. 10 Lubber or clown. Lob, lobcock, looby, and lubber, all denote inactivity of body and dulness of mind. 19 The old copy reads: And waren in their mirth, &c. Though a gliminering of sense may be extracted from this passage as it stands in the old copy, it seems most probable that we should read, as Dr. Farmer pro posed, yeren. To yer is to hiccup, and is so explained in all the old dictionaries. The meaning of the passage will then be, that the objects of Puck's waggery laughed till their laughter ended in a yer or hiccup. Puck is speaking with an affectation of ancient phraseology, SCENE II. Enter OBERON, at one door, with his | And on old Hyems' chin, and icy crown, I have forsworn his bed and company. Obe. Tarry, rash wanton: Am not I thy lord? Obe. How, canst thou thus, for shame, Titania, night From Perigenia, whom he ravished? And make him with fair Ægle break his faith, Tita. These are the forgeries of jealousy: 1 The shepherd boys of Chaucer's time had 'Many a floite and litling horne And pipes made of grene corne? 2 See the Life of Theseus in North's Translation of Plutarch. Egle, Ariadne, and Antiopa were all at different times mistresses to Theseus. The name of Perigune is translated by North Perigouna. 3 Spring seems to be here used for beginning. The spring of day is used for the dawn of day in K. Henry IV. Part II. 4 A very common epithet with our old writers, to signify paltry; pulting appears to have been its original orthography. 5 i. e. borne down the banks which contain them. 6 A rural game, played by making holes in the ground In the angles and sides of a square, and placing stones or other things upon them, according to certain rules. These figures are called nine men's morris, or merrils, because each party playing has nine men; they were generally cut upon turf, and were consequently choked up with mud in rainy seasons. 7 Human mortals is a mere pleonasm; and is neither put in opposition to fairy mortals nor to human immortals, according to Steevens and Ritson. It is simply the language of a fairy speaking of men. See Mr. Douce's Illustrations, vol. i. p. 185. 8 Theobald proposed to read their winter cheer. 9 This singular image was probably suggested to the poet by Golding's translation of Ovid, B. ii.: And lastly quaking for the colde, stoode Winter all forlorne, With rugged head as white as dove, and garments all to-torne, 9 An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds By their increase, 12 now knows not which is which: Obe. Do you amend it then; it lies in you: Tita. Set your heart at rest, The fairy land buys not the child of me. Would imitate; and sail upon the land, Obe. How long within this wood intend you stay? Obe. Give me that boy, and I will go with thee. Tita. Not for thy fairy kingdom.-Fairies, away: we shall chide down-right, if I longer stay. [Exeunt TITANIA and her Train. Obe. Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this 10 Autumn producing flowers unseasonably upon those of Summer. 11 The confusion of seasons here described is no more than a poetical account of the weather which happened in England about the time when the Midsummer-Night's Dream was written. The date of the piece may be de termined by Churchyard's description of the same kind of weather in his 'Charitie,' 1595. Shakspeare fanci fully ascribes this distemperature of seasons to a quarrel between the playful rulers of the fairy world; Churchyard, broken down by age and misfortunes, is seriously disposed to represent it as a judgment from the Almighty on the offences of mankind. 12 Produce. So in Shakspeare's 97th Sonnet; 14 It is well known that a compliment to Queen Ellzabeth was intended in this very beautiful passage, Warburton has attempted to show, that by the mermaid in the preceding lines, Mary Queen of Scots was intended. It is argued with his usual fanciful ingenuity, but will not bear the test of examination, and has been satisfactorily controverted. It appears to have been no uncommon practice to introduce a compliment to Elizabeth in the body of a play. And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow, Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: Fetch me that flower: the herb I show'd thee once: Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him. you fair? Is true as steel; Leave you your power to draw, What worser place can I beg in your love, Then how can it be said, I am alone, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. Hel. The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be chang'd; Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind Makes speed to catch the tiger. Bootless speed! When cowardice pursues, and valour flies. Dem, I will not stay thy questions; let me go : Or, if thou follow me, do not believe But I shall do thee mischief in the wood. Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, You do me mischief. Fye, Demetrius! Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex We cannot fight for love, as men may do We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo. I'll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, To die upon the hand I love so well. [Exeunt DEM. and HEL Obe. Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove, Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love. Re-enter Puck. Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. Puck. Ay, there it is. Obc. I pray thee, give it me. I know a bank whereon the wild thymne blows, Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows; Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania, some time of the night, Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamel'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in: And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes, And make her full of hateful fantasies. Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove: A sweet Athenian lady is in love With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes; But do it, when the next thing he espies May be the lady: Thou shalt know the man By the Athenian garments he hath on." Effect it with some care, that he may prove More fond on her, than she upon her love: And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow. Puck. Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do so. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Another part of the Wood. Enter TITANIA, with her train. 9 Tita. Come, now a roundel, and a fairy song; Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my Then, for the third part of a minute, hence; spirit; For I am sick, when I do look on thee. Hel. And I am sick, when I look not on you. Hel. Your virtue is my privilege for that. 1 Exempt from the power of love. 2 The tricolored violet, commonly called pansies, or heartsease, is here meant; one or two of its petals are of a purple colour. It has other fanciful and expressive names, such as-Cuddle me to you; Three faces under a hood; Herb trinity, &c. 3 Mad, raving. 4 There is now a dayes a kind of adamant which draweth unto it fleshe, and the same so strongly, that it hath power to knit and tie together two mouthes of contrary persons, and draw the heart of a man out of his bodie without offending any part of him.' Certaine Secrets Wonders of Nature, by Edward Fenton, 1509, Some, to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds; Some, war with rear-mice1o for their leathern wings, To make my small elves coats; and some, keep back Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so. How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears: For beasts that meet me, run away for fear: Lys. Fair love, you faint with wandering in the Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound: wood; And to speak troth, I have forgot our way; Her. Be it so, Lysander; find you out a bed, Lys. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. Her. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie so near. Lys. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence;2 Her. Lysander riddles very prettily:- So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend : Lys. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I; And then end life, when I end loyalty! Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his rest! Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd! [They sleep. Enter PUCK. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, 1 The small tiger, or tiger-cat. 2 i. e. understand the meaning of my innocence, or my innocent meaning. Let no suspicion of ill enter thy mind. In the conversation of those who are assured of each other's kindness, not suspicion but love takes the meaning. 3 This word implies a sinister wish, and here means the same as if she had said, 'now ill befall my manners,' &c. Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake. Hel. Do not say so, Lysander; say not so: What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content. Lys. Content with Hernia? No: I do repent Who will not change a raven for a dove? Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? And never mayst thou come Lysander near! For, as a surfeit of the sweetest things 5 So in Macbeth: 'Sleep shall neither night nor day Hang upon his pent-house lid.' [Exit. 6 i. e. the lesser my acceptableness, the favour I can gain. 7 The quartos have only-' Nature shews art.' The first folio Nature her shews art.' The second folio changes her to here. Malone thought we should read, "Nature shews her art.' 8 i. e do not ripen to it. So thou, my surfeit, and my heresy, me, [Exit. To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Bot. Peter Quince, Quin. What say'st thou, bully Bottom? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Snout. By'rlakin, a parlous' fear. Star. I believe, we must leave the killing out, when all is done. Bot. Not a whit; I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue: and let the prologue seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords; and that Pyramus is not killed indeed: and for the more better assurance, tell them, that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: This will put them out of fear. Quin. Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.4 Bot. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight. Snout. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in, God shield us! a lion among adies, is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion, living; and we ought to look to it. Snout. 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 must 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 moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light. Snug. Doth the moon shine that night we play our play? Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moonshine. Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night. Bot. Why, then you may 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 lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. 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." Snug. You never can 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 PUCK behind. Puck. What hempen home-spuns have we swag- Quin. Speak, Pyramus :-Thisby, stand forth. Pyr. odours savours 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 stanger Pyramus than e'er play'd here! [Aside.-Exit. This. 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. This. Most radiant Pyramus,most lilly-white of hue, Quin. Ninus' tomb, man: Why you must not Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine.Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [Exeunt Clowns. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier; |