Quin. Let us hear, sweet Bottom. 40 Bot. Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that the Duke hath dined. Get your apparel 35 together, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look o'er his part; for the short and the long is, our play is preferr'd. In any case, let Thisby have clean linen; and let not him that plays the lion pare his nails, for they shall hang out for the lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words; away! go, away! Exeunt. 45 ACT FIFTH SCENE I [Athens. The palace of Theseus.] Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostrate, Lords [and Attendants]. Hip. 'Tis strange, my Theseus, that these lovers speak of. The. More strange than true; I never may believe More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet Are of imagination all compact. One sees more devils than vast hell can hold; The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, 5 11 Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen 15 Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing Such tricks hath strong imagination, And grows to something of great constancy; 20 25 Enter lovers, Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena. Lys. More than to us 30 Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed! The. Come now; what masques, what dances shall we Phil. have, To wear away this long age of three hours To ease the anguish of a torturing hour? Here, mighty Theseus. 35 The. Say, what abridgement have you for this even ing? What masque? what music? How shall we beguile The lazy time, if not with some delight? Phil. There is a brief how many sports are ripe. 40 Make choice of which your Highness will see first. [Giving a paper.] The. [Reads.] "The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung By an Athenian eunuch to the harp." We'll none of that: that have I told my love, 45 "The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals, Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage." 50 55 "The thrice three Muses mourning for the death How shall we find the concord of this discord? 60 Phil. A play there is, my lord, some ten words long, Which is as brief as I have known a play; But by ten words, my lord, it is too long, There is not one word apt, one player fitted. For Pyramus therein doth kill himself. Which, when I saw rehears'd, I must confess, The. What are they that do play it? Phil. Hard-handed men that work in Athens here, Which never labour'd in their minds till now, And now have toiled their unbreathed memories With this same play, against your nuptial. The. And we will hear it. Phil. The. No, my noble lord; I will hear that play; For never anything can be amiss, When simpleness and duty tender it. 65 70 75 79 Go, bring them in; and take your places, ladies. [Exit Philostrate.] 85 Hip. I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharged, And duty in his service perishing. The. Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing. Hip. He says they can do nothing in this kind. The. The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing. |