Act V, Scene II — The same.…

Act V, Scene II — The same.

Enter the Princess, KATHARINE, ROSALINE, and MARIA.

Prin. Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart, If fairings come thus plentifully in: A lady wall’d about with diamonds! Look you what I have from the loving king.

Ros. Madam, came nothing else along with that? 5

Prin. Nothing but this! yes, as much love in rhyme As would be cramm’d up in a sheet of paper, Writ o’ both sides the leaf, margent and all, That he was fain to seal on Cupid’s name.

Ros. That was the way to make his godhead wax, 10 For he hath been five thousand years a boy.

Kath. Ay, and a shrewd unhappy gallows too.

Ros. You’ll ne’er be friends with him; a’ kill’d your sister.

Kath. He made her melancholy, sad, and heavy; And so she died: had she been light, like you, 15 Of such a merry, nimble, stirring spirit, She might ha’ been a grandam ere she died: And so may you; for a light heart lives long.

Ros. What’s your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?

Kath. A light condition in a beauty dark. 20

Ros. We need more light to find your meaning out.

Kath. You’ll mar the light by taking it in snuff; Therefore I’ll darkly end the argument.

Ros. Look, what you do, you do it still i’ th’ dark.

Kath. So do not you, for you are a light wench. 25

Ros. Indeed I weigh not you, and therefore light.

Kath. You weigh me not?—O, that’s you care not for me.

Ros. Great reason; for ‘past cure is still past care.’

Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play’d. But, Rosaline, you have a favour too: 30 Who sent it? and what is it?

Ros. I would you knew: An if my face were but as fair as yours, My favour were as great; be witness this. Nay, I have verses too, I thank Biron: The numbers true; and, were the numbering too, 35 I were the fairest goddess on the ground: I am compared to twenty thousand fairs. O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!

Prin. Any thing like?

Ros. Much in the letters; nothing in the praise. 40

Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclusion.

Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

Ros. ’Ware pencils, ho! let me not die your debtor, My red dominical, my golden letter: O that your face were not so full of O’s! 45

Kath. A pox of that jest! and I beshrew all shrows.

Prin. But, Katharine, what was sent to you from fair Dumain?

Kath. Madam, this glove.

Prin. Did he not send you twain?

Kath. Yes, madam, and, moreover, Some thousand verses of a faithful lover, 50 A huge translation of hypocrisy, Vilely compiled, profound simplicity.

Mar. This and these pearls to me sent Longaville: The letter is too long by half a mile.

Prin. I think no less. Dost thou not wish in heart 55 The chain were longer and the letter short?

Mar. Ay, or I would these hands might never part.

Prin. We are wise girls to mock our lovers so.

Ros. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so. That same Biron I’ll torture ere I go: 60 O that I knew he were but in by the week! How I would make him fawn, and beg, and seek, And wait the season, and observe the times, And spend his prodigal wits in bootless rhymes, And shape his service wholly to my hests, 65 And make him proud to make me proud that jests! So perttaunt-like would I o’ersway his state, That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

Prin. None are so surely caught, when they are catch’d, As wit turn’d fool: folly, in wisdom hatch’d, 70 Hath wisdom’s warrant and the help of school, And wit’s own grace to grace a learned fool.

Ros. The blood of youth burns not with such excess As gravity’s revolt to wantonness.

Mar. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note 75 As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote; Since all the power thereof it doth apply To prove, by wit, worth in simplicity.

Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face.

Enter BOYET.

Boyet. O, I am stabb’d with laughter! Where’s her Grace? 80

Prin. Thy news, Boyet?

Boyet. Prepare, madam, prepare! Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are Against your peace: Love doth approach disguised, Armed in arguments; you’ll be surprised: Muster your wits; stand in your own defence; 85 Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.

Prin. Saint Denis to Saint Cupid! What are they That charge their breath against us? say, scout, say.

Boyet. Under the cool shade of a sycamore I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour; 90 When, lo! to interrupt my purposed rest, Toward that shade I might behold addrest The king and his companions: warily I stole into a neighbour thicket by, And overheard what you shall overhear; 95 That, by and by, disguised they will be here. Their herald is a pretty knavish page, That well by heart hath conn’d his embassage: Action and accent did they teach him there; ‘Thus must thou speak,’ and ‘thus thy body bear:’ 100 And ever and anon they made a doubt Presence majestical would put him out; ‘For,’ quoth the king, ‘an angel shalt thou see; Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.’ The boy replied, ‘An angel is not evil; 105 I should have fear’d her, had she been a devil.’ With that, all laugh’d, and clapp’d him on the shoulder, Making the bold wag by their praises bolder: One rubb’d his elbow thus, and fleer’d and swore A better speech was never spoke before; 110 Another, with his finger and his thumb, Cried, ‘Via! we will do’t, come what will come;’ The third he caper’d, and cried, ‘All goes well;’ The fourth turn’d on the toe, and down he fell. With that, they all did tumble on the ground, 115 With such a zealous laughter, so profound, That in this spleen ridiculous appears, To check their folly, passion’s solemn tears.

Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit us?

Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparell’d thus, 120 Like Muscovites or Russians, as I guess. Their purpose is to parle, to court and dance; And every one his love-feat will advance Unto his several mistress, which they’ll know By favours several which they did bestow. 125

Prin. And will they so? the gallants shall be task’d; For, ladies, we will every one be mask’d; And not a man of them shall have the grace, Despite of suit, to see a lady’s face. Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear, 130 And then the king will court thee for his dear; Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give me thine, So shall Biron take me for Rosaline. And change you favours too; so shall your loves Woo contrary, deceived by these removes. 135

Ros. Come on, then; wear the favours most in sight.

Kath. But in this changing what is your intent?

Prin. The effect of my intent is to cross theirs: They do it but in mocking merriment; And mock for mock is only my intent. 140 Their several counsels they unbosom shall To loves mistook, and so be mock’d withal Upon the next occasion that we meet, With visages display’d, to talk and greet.

Ros. But shall we dance, if they desire us to’t? 145

Prin. No, to the death, we will not move a foot: Nor to their penn’d speech render we no grace; But while ’tis spoke each turn away her face.

Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker’s heart, And quite divorce his memory from his part. 150

Prin. Therefore I do it; and I make no doubt The rest will ne’er come in, if he be out. There’s no such sport as sport by sport o’erthrown; To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own: So shall we stay, mocking intended game, 155 And they, well mock’d, depart away with shame.

[Trumpets sound within.

Boyet. The trumpet sounds: be mask’d; the maskers come. [The Ladies mask.

Enter Blackamoors with music; MOTH; the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in Russian habits, and masked.

Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!—

Boyet. Beauties no richer than rich taffeta.

Moth. A holy parcel of the fairest dames 160 [The Ladies turn their backs to him. That ever turn’d their—backs—to mortal views!

Biron. [Aside to Moth] Their eyes, villain, their eyes.

Moth. That ever turn’d their eyes to mortal views!— Out—

Boyet. True; out indeed.

Moth. Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe 165 Not to behold—

Biron. [Aside to Moth] Once to behold, rogue.

Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes, —with your sun-beamed eyes—

Boyet. They will not answer to that epithet; 170 You were best call it ‘daughter-beamed eyes.’

Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me out.

Biron. Is this your perfectness? be gone, you rogue!

[Exit Moth.

Ros. What would these strangers? know their minds, Boyet: If they do speak our language, ’tis our will 175 That some plain man recount their purposes: Know what they would.

Boyet. What would you with the princess?

Biron. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

Ros. What would they, say they? 180

Boyet. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

Ros. Why, that they have; and bid them so be gone.

Boyet. She says, you have it, and you may be gone.

King. Say to her, we have measured many miles To tread a measure with her on this grass. 185

Boyet. They say, that they have measured many a mile To tread a measure with you on this grass.

Ros. It is not so. Ask them how many inches Is in one mile: if they have measured many, The measure then of one is easily told. 190

Boyet. If to come hither you have measured miles, And many miles, the princess bids you tell How many inches doth fill up one mile.

Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary steps.

Boyet. She hears herself.

Ros. How many weary steps, 195 Of many weary miles you have o’ergone, Are number’d in the travel of one mile?

Biron. We number nothing that we spend for you: Our duty is so rich, so infinite, That we may do it still without accompt. 200 Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face, That we, like savages, may worship it.

Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too.

King. Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do! Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to shine, 205 Those clouds removed, upon our watery eyne.

Ros. O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter; Thou now request’st but moonshine in the water.

King. Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change. Thou bid’st me beg: this begging is not strange. 210

Ros. Play, music, then! Nay, you must do it soon. [Music plays. Not yet! no dance! Thus change I like the moon.

King. Will you not dance? How come you thus estranged?

Ros. You took the moon at full, but now she’s changed.

King. Yet still she is the moon, and I the man. 215 The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it.

Ros. Our ears vouchsafe it.

King. But your legs should do it.

Ros. Since you are strangers, and come here by chance, We’ll not be nice: take hands. We will not dance.

King. Why take we hands, then?

Ros. Only to part friends: 220 Curtsey, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends.

King. More measure of this measure; be not nice.

Ros. We can afford no more at such a price.

King. Prize you yourselves: what buys your company?

Ros. Your absence only.

King. That can never be. 225

Ros. Then cannot we be bought: and so, adieu; Twice to your visor, and half once to you.

King. If you deny to dance, let’s hold more chat.

Ros. In private, then.

King. I am best pleased with that.

[They converse apart.

Biron. White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee. 230

Prin. Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three.

Biron. Nay then, two treys, an if you grow so nice, Metheglin, wort, and malmsey: well run, dice! There’s half-a-dozen sweets.

Prin. Seventh sweet, adieu: Since you can cog, I’ll play no more with you. 235

Biron. One word in secret.

Prin. Let it not be sweet.

Biron. Thou grievest my gall.

Prin. Gall! bitter.

Biron. Therefore meet.

[They converse apart.

Dum. Will you vouchsafe with me to change a word?

Mar. Name it.

Dum. Fair lady,—

Mar. Say you so? Fair lord,— Take that for your fair lady.

Dum. Please it you, 240 As much in private, and I’ll bid adieu. [They converse apart.

Kath. What, was your vizard made without a tongue?

Long. I know the reason, lady, why you ask.

Kath. O for your reason! quickly, sir; I long.

Long. You have a double tongue within your mask, 245 And would afford my speechless vizard half.

Kath. Veal, quoth the Dutchman. Is not ‘veal’ a calf?

Long. A calf, fair lady!

Kath. No, a fair lord calf.

Long. Let’s part the word.

Kath. No, I’ll not be your half: Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox. 250

Long. Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp mocks! Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so.

Kath. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow.

Long. One word in private with you, ere I die.

Kath. Bleat softly, then; the butcher hears you cry. 255

[They converse apart.

Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen As is the razor’s edge invisible, Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen; Above the sense of sense; so sensible Seemeth their conference; their conceits have wings 260 Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, swifter things.

Ros. Not one word more, my maids; break off, break off.

Biron. By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure scoff!

King. Farewell, mad wenches; you have simple wits.

Prin. Twenty adieus, my frozen Muscovits. 265 [Exeunt King, Lords, and Blackamoors. Are these the breed of wits so wonder’d at?

Boyet. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths puff’d out.

Ros. Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross; fat, fat.

Prin. O poverty in wit, kingly-poor flout! Will they not, think you, hang themselves to-night? 270 Or ever, but in vizards, show their faces? This pert Biron was out of countenance quite.

Ros. O, they were all in lamentable cases! The king was weeping-ripe for a good word.

Prin. Biron did swear himself out of all suit. 275

Mar. Dumain was at my service, and his sword: No point, quoth I; my servant straight was mute.

Kath. Lord Longaville said, I came o’er his heart; And trow you what he call’d me?

Prin. Qualm, perhaps.

Kath. Yes, in good faith.

Prin. Go, sickness as thou art! 280

Ros. Well, better wits have worn plain statute-caps. But will you hear? the king is my love sworn.

Prin. And quick Biron hath plighted faith to me.

Kath. And Longaville was for my service born.

Mar. Dumain is mine, as sure as bark on tree. 285

Boyet. Madam, and pretty mistresses, give ear: Immediately they will again be here In their own shapes; for it can never be They will digest this harsh indignity.

Prin. Will they return?

Boyet. They will, they will, God knows, 290 And leap for joy, though they are lame with blows: Therefore change favours; and, when they repair, Blow like sweet roses in this summer air.

Prin. How blow? how blow? speak to be understood.

Boyet. Fair ladies mask’d are roses in their bud; 295 Dismask’d, their damask sweet commixture shown, Are angels vailing clouds, or roses blown.

Prin. Avaunt, perplexity! What shall we do, If they return in their own shapes to woo?

Ros. Good madam, if by me you’ll be advised, 300 Let’s mock them still, as well known as disguised: Let us complain to them what fools were here, Disguised like Muscovites, in shapeless gear; And wonder what they were and to what end Their shallow shows and prologue vilely penn’d, 305 And their rough carriage so ridiculous, Should be presented at our tent to us.

Boyet. Ladies, withdraw: the gallants are at hand.

Prin. Whip to our tents, as roes run o’er land.

[Exeunt Princess, Rosaline, Katharine, and Maria.

Re-enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in their proper habits.

King. Fair sir, God save you! Where’s the princess? 310

Boyet. Gone to her tent. Please it your Majesty Command me any service to her thither?

King. That she vouchsafe me audience for one word.

Boyet. I will; and so will she, I know, my lord. [Exit.

Biron. This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons pease, 315 And utters it again when God doth please: He is wit’s pedler, and retails his wares At wakes and wassails, meetings, markets, fairs; And we that sell by gross, the Lord doth know, Have not the grace to grace it with such show. 320 This gallant pins the wenches on his sleeve; Had he been Adam, he had tempted Eve; A’ can carve too, and lisp: why, this is he That kiss’d his hand away in courtesy; This is the ape of form, monsieur the nice, 325 That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice In honourable terms: nay, he can sing A mean most meanly; and in ushering, Mend him who can: the ladies call him sweet; The stairs, as he treads on them, kiss his feet: 330 This is the flower that smiles on every one, To show his teeth as white as whale’s bone; And consciences, that will not die in debt, Pay him the due of honey-tongued Boyet.

King. A blister on his sweet tongue, with my heart, 335 That put Armado’s page out of his part!

Biron. See where it comes! Behaviour, what wert thou Till this madman show’d thee? and what art thou now?

Re-enter the Princess, ushered by BOYET; ROSALINE, MARIA, and KATHARIN..

King. All hail, sweet madam, and fair time of day!

Prin. ‘Fair’ in ‘all hail’ is foul, as I conceive. 340

King. Construe my speeches better, if you may.

Prin. Then wish me better; I will give you leave.

King. We came to visit you, and purpose now To lead you to our court; vouchsafe it then.

Prin. This field shall hold me; and so hold your vow: 345 Nor God, nor I, delights in perjured men.

King. Rebuke me not for that which you provoke: The virtue of your eye must break my oath.

Prin. You nickname virtue; vice you should have spoke; For virtue’s office never breaks men’s troth. 350 Now by my maiden honour yet as pure As the unsullied lily I protest, A world of torments though I should endure, I would not yield to be your house’s guest; So much I hate a breaking cause to be 355 Of heavenly oaths, vow’d with integrity.

King. O, you have lived in desolation here, Unseen, unvisited, much to our shame.

Prin. Not so, my lord; it is not so, I swear; We have had pastimes here and pleasant game: 360 A mess of Russians left us but of late.

King. How, madam! Russians!

Prin. Ay, in truth, my lord; Trim gallants, full of courtship and of state.

Ros. Madam, speak true. It is not so, my lord: My lady, to the manner of the days, 365 In courtesy gives undeserving praise. We four indeed confronted were with four In Russian habit: here they stay’d an hour, And talk’d apace; and in that hour, my lord, They did not bless us with one happy word. 370 I dare not call them fools; but this I think, When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink.

Biron. This jest is dry to me. Fair gentle sweet, Your wit makes wise things foolish: when we greet, With eyes best seeing, heaven’s fiery eye, 375 By light we lose light: your capacity Is of that nature that to your huge store Wise things seem foolish and rich things but poor.

Ros. This proves you wise and rich, for in my eye,—

Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty. 380

Ros. But that you take what doth to you belong, It were a fault to snatch words from my tongue.

Biron. O, I am yours, and all that I possess!

Ros. All the fool mine?

Biron. I cannot give you less.

Ros. Which of the vizards was it that you wore? 385

Biron. Where? when? what vizard? why demand you this?

Ros. There, then, that vizard; that superfluous case That hid the worse, and show’d the better face.

King. We are descried; they’ll mock us now downright.

Dum. Let us confess, and turn it to a jest. 390

Prin. Amazed, my lord? why looks your highness sad?

Ros. Help, hold his brows! he’ll swound! Why look you pale? Sea-sick, I think, coming from Muscovy.

Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury. Can any face of brass hold longer out? 395 Here stand I: lady, dart thy skill at me; Bruise me with scorn, confound me with a flout; Thrust thy sharp wit quite through my ignorance; Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit; And I will wish thee never more to dance, 400 Nor never more in Russian habit wait. O, never will I trust to speeches penn’d, Nor to the motion of a schoolboy’s tongue; Nor never come in vizard to my friend; Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind harper’s song! 405 Taffeta phrases, silken terms precise, Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affectation, Figures pedantical; these summer-flies Have blown me full of maggot ostentation: I do forswear them; and I here protest, 410 By this white glove,—how white the hand, God knows!— Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express’d In russet yeas, and honest kersey noes: And, to begin, wench,—so God help me, la!— My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw. 415

Ros. Sans sans, I pray you.

Biron. Yet I have a trick Of the old rage:—bear with me, I am sick; I’ll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see: Write, ‘Lord have mercy on us’ on those three; They are infected; in their hearts it lies; 420 They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes; These lords are visited; you are not free, For the Lord’s tokens on you do I see.

Prin. No, they are free that gave these tokens to us.

Biron. Our states are forfeit: seek not to undo us. 425

Ros. It is not so; for how can this be true, That you stand forfeit, being those that sue?

Biron. Peace! for I will not have to do with you.

Ros. Nor shall not, if I do as I intend.

Biron. Speak for yourselves; my wit is at an end. 430

King. Teach us, sweet madam, for our rude transgression Some fair excuse.

Prin. The fairest is confession. Were not you here but even now disguised?

King. Madam, I was.

Prin. And were you well advised?

King. I was, fair madam.

Prin. When you then were here, 435 What did you whisper in your lady’s ear?

King. That more than all the world I did respect her.

Prin. When she shall challenge this, you will reject her.

King. Upon mine honour, no.

Prin. Peace, peace! forbear: Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear. 440

King. Despise me, when I break this oath of mine.

Prin. I will: and therefore keep it. Rosaline, What did the Russian whisper in your ear?

Ros. Madam, he swore that he did hold me dear As precious eyesight, and did value me 445 Above this world; adding thereto, moreover, That he would wed me, or else die my lover.

Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord Most honourably doth uphold his word.

King. What mean you, madam? by my life, my troth, 450 I never swore this lady such an oath.

Ros. By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this: but take it, sir, again.

King. My faith and this the princess I did give: I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve. 455

Prin. Pardon me, sir, this jewel did she wear; And Lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear. What, will you have me, or your pearl again?

Biron. Neither of either; I remit both twain. I see the trick on’t: here was a consent, 460 Knowing aforehand of our merriment, To dash it like a Christmas comedy: Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight zany, Some mumble-news, some trencher-knight, some Dick, That smiles his cheek in years, and knows the trick 465 To make my lady laugh when she’s disposed, Told our intents before; which once disclosed, The ladies did change favours; and then we, Following the signs, woo’d but the sign of she. Now, to our perjury to add more terror, 470 We are again forsworn, in will and error. Much upon this it is: and might not you [To Boyet. Forestall our sport, to make us thus untrue? Do not you know my lady’s foot by the squier, And laugh upon the apple of her eye? 475 And stand between her back, sir, and the fire, Holding a trencher, jesting merrily? You put our page out: go, you are allow’d; Die when you will, a smock shall be your shroud. You leer upon me, do you? there’s an eye 480 Wounds like a leaden sword.

Boyet. Full merrily Hath this brave manage, this career, been run.

Biron. Lo, he is tilting straight! Peace! I have done.

Enter COSTARD.

Welcome, pure wit! thou part’st a fair fray.

Cost. O Lord, sir, they would know 485 Whether the three Worthies shall come in or no.

Biron. What, are there but three?

Cost. No, sir; but it is vara fine, For every one pursents three.

Biron. And three times thrice is nine.

Cost. Not so, sir; under correction, sir; I hope it is not so. You cannot beg us, sir, I can assure you, sir; we know what we know: 490

I hope, sir, three times thrice, sir,—

Biron. Is not nine.

Cost. Under correction, sir, we know whereuntil it doth amount.

Biron. By Jove, I always took three threes for nine. 495

Cost. O Lord, sir, it were pity you should get your living by reckoning, sir.

Biron. How much is it?

Cost. O Lord, sir, the parties themselves, the actors, sir, will show whereuntil it doth amount: for mine own part, I 500 am, as they say, but to parfect one man in one poor man, Pompion the Great, sir.

Biron. Art thou one of the Worthies?

Cost. It pleased them to think me worthy of Pompion the Great: for mine own part, I know not the degree of 505 the Worthy, but I am to stand for him.

Biron. Go, bid them prepare.

Cost. We will turn it finely off, sir; we will take some care. [Exit.

King. Biron, they will shame us: let them not approach.

Biron. We are shame-proof, my lord: and ’tis some policy 510 To have one show worse than the king’s and his company.

King. I say they shall not come.

Prin. Nay, my good lord, let me o’errule you now: That sport best pleases that doth least know how: Where zeal strives to content, and the contents 515 Dies in the zeal of that which it presents: Their form confounded makes most form in mirth, When great things labouring perish in their birth.

Biron. A right description of our sport, my lord.

Enter ARMADO.

Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense of thy royal 520 sweet breath as will utter a brace of words.

[Converses apart with the King, and delivers him a paper.

Prin. Doth this man serve God?

Biron. Why ask you?

Prin. He speaks not like a man of God’s making.

Arm. That is all one, my fair, sweet, honey monarch; 525 for, I protest, the schoolmaster is exceeding fantastical; too too vain, too too vain: but we will put it, as they say, to fortuna de la guerra. I wish you the peace of mind, most royal couplement! [Exit.

King. Here is like to be a good presence of Worthies. 530 He presents Hector of Troy; the swain, Pompey the Great; the parish curate, Alexander; Armado’s page, Hercules; the pedant, Judas Maccabæus: And if these four Worthies in their first show thrive, These four will change habits, and present the other five. 535

Biron. There is five in the first show.

King. You are deceived; ’tis not so.

Biron. ‘The pedant, the braggart, the hedge-priest, the fool and the boy:— Abate throw at novum, and the whole world again 540 Cannot pick out five such, take each one in his vein.

King. The ship is under sail, and here she comes amain.

Enter COSTARD, for Pompey.

Cost. I Pompey am,—

Boyet. You lie, you are not he.

Cost. I Pompey am,—

Boyet. With libbard’s head on knee.

Biron. Well said, old mocker: I must needs be friends with thee. 545

Cost. I Pompey am, Pompey surnamed the Big,—

Dum. The Great.

Cost. It is, ‘Great,’ sir:—

Pompey surnamed the Great; That oft in field, with targe and shield, did make my foe to sweat: And travelling along this coast, I here am come by chance, 550 And lay my arms before the legs of this sweet lass of France.

If your ladyship would say, ‘Thanks, Pompey,’ I had done.

Prin. Great thanks, Great Pompey.

Cost. ’Tis not so much worth; but I hope I was perfect: I made a little fault in ‘Great.’ 555

Biron. My hat to a halfpenny, Pompey proves the best Worthy.

Enter SIR NATHANIEL, for Alexander.

Nath. When in the world I lived, I was the world’s commander; By east, west, north, and south, I spread my conquering might: My scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander,— 560

Boyet. Your nose says, no, you are not; for it stands too right.

Biron. Your nose smells ‘no’ in this, most tender-smelling knight.

Prin. The conqueror is dismay’d. Proceed, good Alexander.

Nath. When in the world I lived, I was the world’s commander,—

Boyet. Most true, ’tis right; you were so, Alisander. 565

Biron. Pompey the Great,—

Cost. Your servant, and Costard.

Biron. Take away the conqueror, take away Alisander.

Cost. [To Sir Nath.] O, sir, you have overthrown Alisander the conqueror! You will be scraped out of the painted 570 cloth for this: your lion, that holds his poll-axe sitting on a close-stool, will be given to Ajax: he will be the ninth Worthy. A conqueror, and afeard to speak! run away for shame, Alisander. [Nath. retires.] There, an’t shall please you; a foolish mild man; an honest man, look you, and 575 soon dashed. He is a marvellous good neighbour, faith, and a very good bowler: but, for Alisander,—alas, you see how ’tis,—a little o’erparted. But there are Worthies a-coming will speak their mind in some other sort.

Prin. Stand aside, good Pompey. 580

Enter HOLOFERNES, for Judas; and MOTH, for Hercules.

Hol. Great Hercules is presented by this imp, Whose club kill’d Cerberus, that three-headed canis; And when he was a babe, a child, a shrimp, Thus did he strangle serpents in his manus. Quoniam he seemeth in minority, Ergo I come with this apology. 585

Keep some state in thy exit, and vanish. [Moth retires.

Judas I am,-

Dum. A Judas!

Hol. Not Iscariot, sir.

Judas I am, ycliped Maccabæus. 590

Dum. Judas Maccabæus dipt is plain Judas.

Biron. A kissing traitor. How art thou proved Judas?

Hol. Judas I am,—

Dum. The more shame for you, Judas. 595

Hol. What mean you, sir?

Boyet. To make Judas hang himself.

Hol. Begin, sir; you are my elder.

Biron. Well followed: Judas was hanged on an elder.

Hol. I will not be put out of countenance. 600

Biron. Because thou hast no face.

Hol. What is this?

Boyet. A cittern-head.

Dum. The head of a bodkin.

Biron. A Death’s face in a ring. 605

Long. The face of an old Roman coin, scarce seen.

Boyet. The pommel of Cæsar’s falchion.

Dum. The carved-bone face on a flask.

Biron. Saint George’s half-cheek in a brooch.

Dum. Ay, and in a brooch of lead. 610

Biron. Ay, and worn in the cap of a tooth-drawer. And now forward; for we have put thee in countenance.

Hol. You have put me out of countenance.

Biron. False: we have given thee faces.

Hol. But you have out-faced them all. 615

Biron. An thou wert a lion, we would do so.

Boyet. Therefore, as he is an ass, let him go. And so adieu, sweet Jude! nay, why dost thou stay?

Dum. For the latter end of his name.

Biron. For the ass to the Jude; give it him:—Jud-as, away! 620

Hol. This is not generous, not gentle, not humble.

Boyet. A light for Monsieur Judas! it grows dark, he may stumble. [Hol. retires.

Prin. Alas, poor Maccabæus, how hath he been baited!

Enter ARMADO, for Hector.

Biron. Hide thy head, Achilles: here comes Hector in arms. 625

Dum. Though my mocks come home by me, I will now be merry.

King. Hector was but a Troyan in respect of this.

Boyet. But is this Hector?

King. I think Hector was not so clean-timbered. 630

Long. His leg is too big for Hector’s.

Dum. More calf, certain.

Boyet. No; he is best indued in the small.

Biron. This cannot be Hector.

Dum. He’s a god or a painter; for he makes faces. 635

Arm. The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty, Gave Hector a gift,—

Dum. A gilt nutmeg.

Biron. A lemon.

Long. Stuck with cloves. 640

Dum. No, cloven.

Arm. Peace!—

The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty, Gave Hector a gift, the heir of Ilion; A man so breathed, that certain he would fight; yea 645 From morn till night, out of his pavilion. I am that flower,—

Dum. That mint.

Long. That columbine.

Arm. Sweet Lord Longaville, rein thy tongue. 650

Long. I must rather give it the rein, for it runs against Hector.

Dum. Ay, and Hector’s a greyhound.

Arm. The sweet war-man is dead and rotten; sweet chucks, beat not the bones of the buried: when he breathed, he was a man. But I will forward with my device. [To the Princess] Sweet royalty, bestow on me the sense of hearing. 655

Prin. Speak, brave Hector: we are much delighted.

Arm. I do adore thy sweet Grace’s slipper.

Boyet. [Aside to Dum.] Loves her by the foot.

Dum. [Aside to Boyet] He may not by the yard.

Arm. This Hector far surmounted Hannibal,— 660

Cost. The party is gone, fellow Hector, she is gone; she is two months on her way.

Arm. What meanest thou?

Cost. Faith, unless you play the honest Troyan, the poor wench is cast away: she’s quick; the child brags in 665 her belly already: ’tis yours.

Arm. Dost thou infamonize me among potentates? thou shalt die.

Cost. Then shall Hector be whipped for Jaquenetta that is quick by him, and hanged for Pompey that is dead by him. 670

Dum. Most rare Pompey!

Boyet. Renowned Pompey!

Biron. Greater than great, great, great, great Pompey! Pompey the Huge!

Dum. Hector trembles. 675

Biron. Pompey is moved. More Ates, more Ates! stir them on! stir them on!

Dum. Hector will challenge him.

Biron. Ay, if a’ have no more man’s blood in’s belly than will sup a flea. 680

Arm. By the north pole, I do challenge thee.

Cost. I will not fight with a pole, like a northern man: I’ll slash; I’ll do it by the sword. I bepray you, let me borrow my arms again.

Dum. Room for the incensed Worthies! 685

Cost. I’ll do it in my shirt.

Dum. Most resolute Pompey!

Moth. Master, let me take you a button-hole lower. Do you not see Pompey is uncasing for the combat? What mean you? You will lose your reputation. 690

Arm. Gentlemen and soldiers, pardon me; I will not combat in my shirt.

Dum. You may not deny it: Pompey hath made the challenge.

Arm. Sweet bloods, I both may and will. 695

Biron. What reason have you for’t?

Arm. The naked truth of it is, I have no shirt; I go woolward for penance.

Boyet. True, and it was enjoined him in Rome for want of linen: since when, I’ll be sworn, he wore none but a 700 dish-clout of Jaquenetta’s, and that a’ wears next his heart for a favour.

Enter MARCADE.

Mar. God save you, madam!

Prin. Welcome, Marcade; But that thou interrupt’st our merriment. 705

Mar. I am sorry, madam; for the news I bring Is heavy in my tongue. The king your father—

Prin. Dead, for my life!

Mar. Even so; my tale is told.

Biron. Worthies, away! the scene begins to cloud. 710

Arm. For mine own part, I breathe free breath. I have seen the day of wrong through the little hole of discretion, and I will right myself like a soldier. [Exeunt Worthies.

King. How fares your majesty?

Prin. Boyet, prepare; I will away to-night. 715

King. Madam, not so; I do beseech you, stay.

Prin. Prepare, I say. I thank you, gracious lords, For all your fair endeavours; and entreat, Out of a new-sad soul, that you vouchsafe In your rich wisdom to excuse, or hide, 720 The liberal opposition of our spirits, If over-boldly we have borne ourselves In the converse of breath: your gentleness Was guilty of it. Farewell, worthy lord! A heavy heart bears not a nimble tongue: 725 Excuse me so, coming too short of thanks For my great suit so easily obtain’d.

King. The extreme parts of time extremely forms All causes to the purpose of his speed; And often, at his very loose, decides 730 That which long process could not arbitrate: And though the mourning brow of progeny Forbid the smiling courtesy of love The holy suit which fain it would convince; Yet, since love’s argument was first on foot, 735 Let not the cloud of sorrow justle it From what it purposed; since, to wail friends lost Is not by much so wholesome-profitable As to rejoice at friends but newly found.

Prin. I understand you not: my griefs are double. 740

Biron. Honest plain words best pierce the ear of grief; And by these badges understand the king. For your fair sakes have we neglected time, Play’d foul play with our oaths: your beauty, ladies, Hath much deform’d us, fashioning our humours 745 Even to the opposed end of our intents: And what in us hath seem’d ridiculous,— As love is full of unbefitting strains; All wanton as a child, skipping, and vain; Form’d by the eye, and therefore, like the eye, 750 Full of strange shapes, of habits and of forms, Varying in subjects as the eye doth roll To every varied object in his glance: Which parti-coated presence of loose love Put on by us, if, in your heavenly eyes, 755 Have misbecomed our oaths and gravities, Those heavenly eyes, that look into these faults, Suggested us to make. Therefore, ladies, Our love being yours, the error that love makes Is likewise yours: we to ourselves prove false, 760 By being once false for ever to be true To those that make us both,—fair ladies, you: And even that falsehood, in itself a sin, Thus purifies itself, and turns to grace.

Prin. We have received your letters full of love: 765 Your favours, the ambassadors of love; And, in our maiden council, rated them At courtship, pleasant jest and courtesy, As bombast and as lining to the time: But more devout than this in our respects 770 Have we not been; and therefore met your loves In their own fashion, like a merriment.

Dum. Our letters, madam, show’d much more than jest.

Long. So did our looks.

Ros. We did not quote them so.

King. Now, at the latest minute of the hour, 775 Grant us your loves.

Prin. A time, methinks, too short To make a world-without-end bargain in. No, no, my lord, your grace is perjured much, Full of dear guiltiness; and therefore this:— If for my love, as there is no such cause, 780 You will do aught, this shall you do for me: Your oath I will not trust; but go with speed To some forlorn and naked hermitage, Remote from all the pleasures of the world; There stay until the twelve celestial signs 785 Have brought about the annual reckoning. If this austere insociable life Change not your offer made in heat of blood; If frosts and fasts, hard lodging and thin weeds Nip not the gaudy blossoms of your love, 790 But that it bear this trial, and last love; Then, at the expiration of the year, Come challenge me, challenge me by these deserts, And, by this virgin palm now kissing thine, I will be thine; and till that instant shut 795 My woeful self up in a mourning house, Raining the tears of lamentation For the remembrance of my father’s death. If this thou do deny, let our hands part, Neither intitled in the other’s heart. 800

King. If this, or more than this, I would deny, To flatter up these powers of mine with rest, The sudden hand of death close up mine eye! Hence ever then my heart is in thy breast.

Biron. And what to me, my love? and what to me? 805

Ros. You must be purged too, your sins are rack’d, You are attaint with faults and perjury: Therefore if you my favour mean to get, A twelvemonth shall you spend, and never rest, But seek the weary beds of people sick. 810

Dum. But what to me, my love? but what to me? A wife?

Kath. A beard, fair health, and honesty; With three-fold love I wish you all these three.

Dum. O, shall I say, I thank you, gentle wife?

Kath. Not so, my lord; a twelvemonth and a day 815 I’ll mark no words that smooth-faced wooers say: Come when the king doth to my lady come; Then, if I have much love, I’ll give you some.

Dum. I’ll serve thee true and faithfully till then.

Kath. Yet swear not, lest ye be forsworn again. 820

Long. What says Maria?

Mar. At the twelvemonth’s end I’ll change my black gown for a faithful friend.

Long. I’ll stay with patience; but the time is long.

Mar. The liker you; few taller are so young.

Biron. Studies my lady? mistress, look on me; 825 Behold the window of my heart, mine eye, What humble suit attends thy answer there: Impose some service on me for thy love.

Ros. Oft have I heard of you, my Lord Biron, Before I saw you; and the world’s large tongue 830 Proclaims you for a man replete with mocks, Full of comparisons and wounding flouts, Which you on all estates will execute That lie within the mercy of your wit. To weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain, 835 And therewithal to win me, if you please, Without the which I am not to be won, You shall this twelvemonth term from day to day Visit the speechless sick, and still converse With groaning wretches; and your task shall be, 840 With all the fierce endeavour of your wit To enforce the pained impotent to smile.

Biron. To move wild laughter in the throat of death? It cannot be; it is impossible: Mirth cannot move a soul in agony. 845

Ros. Why, that’s the way to choke a gibing spirit, Whose influence is begot of that loose grace Which shallow laughing hearers give to fools: A jest’s prosperity lies in the ear Of him that hears it, never in the tongue 850 Of him that makes it: then, if sickly ears, Deaf’d with the clamours of their own dear groans, Will hear your idle scorns, continue then, And I will have you and that fault withal; But if they will not, throw away that spirit, 855 And I shall find you empty of that fault, Right joyful of your reformation.

Biron. A twelvemonth! well; befall what will befall, I’ll jest a twelvemonth in an hospital.

Prin. [To the King] Ay, sweet my Lord; and so I take my leave. 860

King. No, madam; we will bring you on your way.

Biron. Our wooing doth not end like an old play; Jack hath not Jill: these ladies’ courtesy Might well have made our sport a comedy.

King. Come, sir, it wants a twelvemonth and a day, 865 And then ’twill end.

Biron. That’s too long for a play.

Re-enter ARMADO.

Arm. Sweet Majesty, vouchsafe me,—

Prin. Was not that Hector?

Dum. The worthy knight of Troy.

Arm. I will kiss thy royal finger, and take leave. I 870 am a votary; I have vowed to Jaquenetta to hold the plough for her sweet love three years. But, most esteemed greatness, will you hear the dialogue that the two learned men have compiled in praise of the owl and the cuckoo? it should have followed in the end of our show. 875

King. Call them forth quickly; we will do so.

Arm. Holla! approach.

Re-enter HOLOFERNES, NATHANIEL, MOTH, COSTARD, and others.

This side is Hiems, Winter, this Ver, the Spring; the one maintained by the owl, the other by the cuckoo. Ver, begin. 880

THE SONG.

SPRING. When daisies pied and violets blue And lady-smocks all silver-white And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue Do paint the meadows with delight, The cuckoo then, on every tree, 885 Mocks married men; for thus sings he, Cuckoo; Cuckoo, cuckoo: O word of fear, Unpleasing to a married ear!

When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, 890 And merry larks are ploughmen’s clocks, When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, And maidens bleach their summer smocks, The cuckoo then, on every tree, Mocks married men; for thus sings he, 895 Cuckoo; Cuckoo, cuckoo: O word of fear, Unpleasing to a married ear!

WINTER. When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, 900 And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nipp’d and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit; 905 Tu-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parson’s saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, 910 And Marian’s nose looks red and raw, When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit; Tu-who, a merry note, 915 While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Arm. The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo. You that way,—we this way. [Exeunt.

~~~~~ Linenotes: Love’s Labour’s Lost, V, 2.

Act V, Scene II — ] SCENE III. Pope. ACT V. SCENE I. Capell

3, 4: These two lines to be transposed. S. Walker conj.

3: A lady] All ladies Lettsom conj.

8: o’] a Q1. on Ff Q2.

11: years] yeare Q1.

12: shrewd] shrowd Q1.

13: ne’er] neare Q1.

17: ha’] a Qq F1 F2. have F3 F4.

a grandam] Grandam Q1.

28: cure...care] Theobald (Thirlby conj.). care...cure Qq Ff.

41: as] om. Rowe.

42: B] R Collier MS.

43: ’Ware] See note (XXII).

pencils] Rowe. pensalls Q1. pensals F1. pensils Q2 F2 F3 F4.

ho!] Hanmer. How? Qq Ff.

45: not so] Q1. om. Ff Q2.

46: Kath.] Theobald. Prin. QQ Ff.

I] om. Capell.

beshrew] beshrow Q1.

47: Katharine,] om. S. Walker conj.

to you from fair] you from Ritson conj.

49: moreover] sent moreover Capell.

51: hypocrisy] apocrypha Warburton conj. (withdrawn).

53: pearls] pearle Q1.

58: mock...so] make...sport Anon. conj.

so] for’t Theobald.

65: wholly to my hests] Dyce (S. Walker conj.). wholly to my device Qq F1. all to my behests F2 F3 F4.

65, 66: hests...jests] behest...jest Capell conj. MS.

66: that] Qq F1. with F2 F3 F4.

67: perttaunt-like] Q1. pertaunt-like Ff Q2. pedant-like Theobald. portent-like Hanmer. pageant-like Capell. scoffingly Douce conj. potent-like Singer. potently Collier MS. persaunt-like Grant White. pert-taunt-like Anon. conj.

70: fool:] Q1 F4. foole? F1 Q2 F2 F3.

72: own] one Q2.

74: wantonness] F3 F4. wantonesse F2. wantons be Qq F1.

79: is] Q1. om. Ff Q2.

80: stabb’d] stable Q1.

82: encounters] encounterers Collier MS.

88: their breath] the breach Collier MS.

89: sycamore] siccamone Q1.

93: companions: warily] Ff Q2. companions warely, Q1.

96: they] thy Q1.

103: shalt] shall F2.

118: folly, passion’s solemn] Theobald. follie pashions solembe Q1. folly passions solemne F1 Q2. folly passions, solemn F2 F3 F4. folly, passions, solemn Pope. folly with passion’s solemn Hanmer. folly, passions sudden Collier MS. folly’s passion, solemn Staunton conj.

120: After this line S. Walker thinks a line may have been lost.

121: as] Qq F1. or F2. and F3 F4.

122: parle, to] Capell. parlee, to Qq F1 F2. parlee F3 F4.

123: love-feat] Q1 Ff. love-seat Q2. love-suit Dyce (S. Walker conj.).

134: you] Q1. your Ff Q2.

too] two Q1.

139: mocking merriment] Ff Q2. mockerie merement Q1.

148: her] F2 F3 F4. his Qq F1.

149: speaker’s] Q1. keepers Ff Q2.

152: ne’er] ne’re F2 F3 F4. ere Qq F1.

156: Trumpets...] Sound Trom. Q1. Sound. Ff Q2.

157: Enter...] Enter Black-moores with musicke, the Boy with a speach, and the rest of the Lords disguysed. Qq Ff.

159: Boyet.] Theobald. Berow. Q1. Ber. F1 Q2. Bir. F2 F3 F4.

160: The Ladies...] This stage direction, printed in Roman type, comes after line 162 in Qq Ff.

163: ever] even Q1.

164: Boyet.] Qq F1. Bir. F2 F3 F4.

165: spirits] Qq F1. spirit F2 F3 F4.

170: Boyet.] Qq F1. Bir. F2 F3 F4.

173: [Exit Moth.] Moth withdraws. Capell. om. Qq Ff.

174: strangers] stranges Q1.

175: they] thy F2.

177: would.] Pope. would? Qq Ff.

178: princess] F4. princes Qq F1 F2 F3.

181, 182: These two lines omitted in Rowe (ed. 1).

185: her on this] Q1. you on the Ff Q2.

187: this] the Rowe (ed. 2).

193: doth] do Johnson.

208: request’st] Theobald. requests Qq Ff.

209: do but vouchsafe] Q1. vouchsafe but Ff Q2.

212: Not yet! no dance!] Not yet no dance: QQ Ff. Not yet? no dance? Pope. Not yet? no dance: Hanmer.

215: King. Yet...man] omitted by Capell (Theobald conj.).

the man] to man it Jackson conj.

216: The music...] given to Rosaline in Qq Ff, corrected by Theobald.

220: we] Q1. you Ff Q2.

224: Prize] F4. Prise Qq F1 F2 F3. Price Rowe (ed. 1).

you yourselves] Q1. yourselves F1 Q2. yourselves then F2 F3 F4.

229, 237, 241: [They converse apart.] Capell.

232: an] Q1 F1. and Q2 F2 F3 F4. See note (XXIII).

237: Gall! bitter] Gall, bitter Q1 Ff. Gall bitter Q2. Gall’s bitter Hanmer.

240: Take that] Q1. take you that Ff Q2.

242, 244, 247, 248, 249, 253, 255: Kath.] Rowe. Mar. Qq Ff.

247: Veal] See note (XXIV).

251: butt] but to F2 F3 F4.

257: invisible] invincible Theobald.

259: sense; so sensible] Punctuated thus by Pope. sence so sensible, Q1 sence so sensible: Ff Q2.

261: bullets] om. Capell.

263: pure] pure pure Capell.

264: Farewell] Adieu Capell.

265: Exeunt...] Exeunt. F1, after line 264. om. Q1.

269: wit, kingly-poor] wit, kingly poor Qq Ff. wit, kill’d by pure Collier MS. wit, stung by poor Singer. wit, poor-liking Staunton conj.

273: O] F2 F3 F4. om. Qq F1 I (for Ay) Edd. conj.

275: suit] sooth or truth Grey conj.

289: digest] Qq F1 F4. disgest F2 F3.

295: their] the Warburton.

296, 297: Dismask’d...blown] Or angel-veiling clouds: are roses blown, Dismaskt,...shewn Theobald (Warburton conj.). Or angels veil’d in clouds;...shewn Warburton.

297: Are...blown] Are angels, (val’d the clouds)...blown Becket conj. Are angels veil’d in clouds of roses blown Peck conj.

vailing] Ff Q2. varling Q1.

307: tent] tents Capell conj.

309: roes run o’er] roes runs ore Q1. roes runnes ore F1 Q2 F2. roes runs ore the F3. roes run o’er the F4. roes run over Steevens.

Act V, Scene VII — Pope. ACT V. Theobald

Re-enter...] Enter the King and the rest. Qq Ff.

312: thither], Q1. om. Ff Q2. See note (XXV).

315: pecks] Q1. pickes Ff Q2.

pigeons] pigeon Rowe.

316: God] Q1. Jove Ff Q2.

323: A’] A Q1. He Ff Q2.

324: his hand away] Q1. away his hand Ff Q2.

328: meanly] manly Rowe (ed. 2). mainly Pope.

331: flower that] fleerer Theobald conj. (withdrawn).

332: whale’s] whales Qq F1. whale his F2 F3 F4.

333: not] om. F4.

334: due] Q1. dutie F1. duty Q2. F2 F3 F4.

337: it] he Collier MS.

337–342: See...leave] Put in the margin by Pope.

338: madman] man Theobald.

341: Construe...speeches] Consture...spaches Q1.

343: SCENE VIII. Pope.

came] come Pope.

346: delights] delight Rowe.

348: must break] makes break Hanmer. made break Warburton conj.

350: men’s] F3 F4. mens Q1. men F1 Q2 F2.

352: unsullied] F2 F3 F4. unsallied Qq F1.

356: oaths] oath Q2.

365: the days] these days Collier MS.

368: Russian] Q1 F2 F3 F4. Russia F1 Q2.

373: Fair] F2 F3 F4. om. Qq F1.

374: wit makes] F2 F3 F4. wits makes Qq F1. wits make Anon. conj.

379: for] but Capell conj.

385: was it] what it F1.

390: Dum.] Duman. Q1. Du. F1 Q2. Duk. F2 F3 F4.

392: swound] F2 F3 F4. sound Qq F1. swoon Pope.

396: I: lady,] I, lady Qq F1 F2. I, lady, F3 F4. I, lady: Capell.

404: vizard] Qq F1 F2. vizards F3 F4.

405: rhyme] rime Qq Ff. time Rowe.

407: affectation] Rowe. affection Qq Ff.

415: sans] sance Q1 (ital.).

421: it] om. Q2.

433: not you] Q1. you not Ff Q2.

439: mine] my F4.

446: thereto] Qq F1. there F2 F3 F4.

454: the] to th’ F3 F4.

463: slight zany] sleight saine Q1.

465: smiles his] smiles, his Q1. smites his Jackson conj.

years] jeers Theobald. fleers Hanmer. tears Jackson conj.

472: Much...and] Boyet. Much...Biron. And Johnson conj.

it is] F2 F3 F4. tis Qq F1.

[To Boyet.] Rowe.

474: not you] you not Q2.

squier] Qq F1 F2 F3. square F4. squire Capell.

478: allow’d] F3 F4. aloude Q1. alowd F1 Q2. allowd F2.

481: merrily] merely Q1.

482: Hath this brave manage] Theobald. hath this brave nuage Q1. hath this brave manager Ff Q2. Brave manager, hath this Pope.

484: part’st] prat’st F3 F4. partest Pope.

487: vara] very Rowe (ed. 2).

488: pursents] presents Rowe (ed. 2).

490: beg] bag Becket conj.

491: hope, sir] hope F3 F4.

501: they] thy Q1.

parfect] Q1. perfect Ff Q2. persent Collier. pursent Grant White (S. Walker conj.).

in] e’en Malone.

504: Pompion] Rowe (ed. 2). Pompey Qq Ff.

510, 511: Printed as verse in Q1, as prose in Ff Q2.

511: king’s] king F3 F4.

514: least] Ff Q2. best Q1.

515, 516: contents Dies...presents] Qq Ff. content Dies...presents Rowe (ed. 1). content Dies in the zeal of that it doth present Hanmer. contents Die in the zeal of him which them presents Johnson conj. contents Die in the zeal of them which it presents Steevens. discontent Dies in the zeal of them which it present Staunton. content Lies in the zeal of those which it present Mason conj. contents Die in the zeal of them which it presents Malone. contents Lie in the fail of that which it presents Singer. contents Dyes with the zeal of that which it presents Keightley conj.

517: Their] There Capell. The Knight.

521: [Converses...] Capell.

524: He] Ff Q2. A Q1.

God’s] Ff Q2. God his Q1.

525: That is] Q1. That’s Ff Q2.

528: de la guerra] Theobald. delaguar Qq Ff. della guerra Hanmer. See note (XXVI).

529: couplement] complement Q2.

534, 535: Printed as prose in Qq Ff, as verse in Rowe (ed. 2).

540: Abate] Qq F1. A bare F2 F3 F4. A fair Heath conj. Abate a Malone. A bait Jackson conj.

novum] novem Hanmer.

541: pick] Q1. prick Ff Q2.

in his] Q1. in’s Ff Q2.

[Seats brought forth.] Capell.

542: Flourish. Enter, arm’d and accouter’d, his Scutcheon born before him, Costard for Pompey. Capell.

543: [Costard prostrates himself. Staunton conj.

Boyet] F2 F3 F4. Bero. Q1. Ber. F1 Q2.

551: [Does his obeisance to the Princess. Capell.

553: Prin.] F2 F3 F4. Lady. Q1. La. F1 Q2.

562: this,] his Q1. this Ff Q2.

563: Alexander] Alisander Capell.

573: afeard] Q1. afraid Ff Q2.

574: [Nath. retires.] Capell.

576: faith] Q1. insooth Ff Q2.

578. ’tis,] Johnson. ’tis Q1 Ff. it’s Q2.

579: [Exit Curat. Q1. Exit Cu. F1 Q2. Exit Clo. F2 F3 F4 (after line 580).

580: Prin.] Quee. Q1. Qu. F1 Q2. Clo. F2 F3 F4.

581: Hercules is] Hercules’ S. Walker conj.

582: canis] Rowe. canus Qq Ff.

587: [Moth retires.] Exit Boy. Qq Ff. [Moth does his obeisance and retires. Capell.

593: proved] F2. proud Q1. prou’d F1 Q2.

600: out of] Q1 Ff. of Q2.

607: falchion] fauchion Q1. faulchion Ff Q2.

617: as he is an ass,] Q2 F3 F4. as he is, an ass, Q1 F1 F2.

623: hath he] he hath Pope.

626: by] to Hanmer.

628: Troyan] Qq Ff. Trojan Rowe, and line 664.

631: Hector’s] Q1. Hector Ff Q2.

633: in] with F3 F4.

638: A gilt nutmeg] Ff Q2. A gift nutmeg Q1 Gift! a nutmeg Capell.

642: Peace!] om. Ff Q2.

645: fight; yea] Qq Ff. fight ye, Rowe (ed. 2).

647: mint] pink Capell conj.

653, 654: when he breathed...man] Q1 om. Ff Q2.

655: [Biron steps to Costard and whispers him. Capell.

661: The party is gone] Printed in italics as a stage direction by Qq Ff.

677: on! stir] Rowe. or stir Qq Ff.

683: bepray] Q1. pray Ff Q2.

687: [stripping. Capell.

688: [coming up to Arm. and whispering him. Capell.

699: Boyet.] Moth. (to the lords aside). Capell.

701: a’ wears] a wears Q1. he wears Ff Q2.

702: Marcade.] Qq Ff. Macard. Rowe. Mercade. Capell.

704: Marcade] good Mercade Capell, reading 703, 704 as a verse.

705: interrupt’st] interrupptest Q1. interruptest Ff Q2.

705–707: Printed as prose in Qq Ff.

706, 707: bring Is heavy in] bring; ’Tis heavy on Capell.

712: day] days Warburton’s note.

wrong] right Warburton.

718: entreat,] entreat: Q1. entreats: Ff. intreats: Q2.

725: not] but Collier MS.

a nimble] Theobald, a humble Qq F1. an humble F2 F3 F4.

726: too short] Q1. so short Ff Q2.

728: parts....forms] parts....form Rowe (ed. 1). past...forms Theobald. haste....forms Singer. dart....forms Staunton conj. parting time expressly forms Collier MS.

731: process] process of time F3 F4.

734: it would] would it Johnson conj.

738: wholesome-profitable] holdsome profitable Q1.

740: are double] Qq Ff. are deaf Capell. are dull Collier MS. hear dully Staunton conj.

740–742: Prin. I...double. Biron. Honest...And by...] Prin. I...grief. King. And by... Johnson conj.

741: ear] care Q1. ears F1. eares Q2 F2. cares F3 F4.

748: strains] strangeness Collier MS.

751: strange] Capell. straying Qq Ff. stray Coleridge conj.

756: Have] ’T hath Capell.

misbecomed] misbecombd Q1. misbecom’d Ff. misbecomm’d Q2.

762: make] make them Pope.

763: a sin] so base Collier MS.

766: the] om. Q1.

770: this in our] Hanmer. this our Q1. these are our Ff Q2. these are your Tyrwhitt conj. this (save our...) Warburton.

771: been] seen Tyrwhitt conj.

786: the] Q1. their Ff Q2.

793: me by] by F3 F4.

795: instant] Ff Q2. instance Q1.

800: intitled] F1 F2 F3 Q2. intiled Q1. intituled F4.

802: flatter] fetter Hanmer (Warburton).

804: Hence ever] Ff. Hence herrite Q1.

805–810: Included in brackets by Theobald at the suggestion of Thirlby and Warburton, and omitted by Hanmer. See note (XVIII).

806: rack’d] rank Rowe. reck’d Becket conj.

807: faults] fault F2 F3 F4.

812: A wife?...] Dyce. Kath. A wife? a beard, faire health, and... Qq Ff. Kath. A wife, a beard (fair youth) and... Theobald. Kath. No wife: a beard, fair health, and... Hanmer.

828: thy] Q1. my Ff. Q2.

829: have] had Collier MS.

833: estates] estetes Q1.

execute] exercise Collier MS.

835: fruitful] fructful Q1.

852: dear] dere Johnson conj. drear Jackson conj. dire Collier MS.

853: then] them Collier MS.

860: [To the King] Breaking Converse with the King and curtsying. Capell.

868: not] om. Q2.

872: years] yeare Q1. year Capell.

877: Re-enter...] Enter all. Qq Ff.

882, 883: Theobald. In Ff Qq the order is 883, 882.

883: cuckoo-buds] cowslip-buds Farmer conj. crocus-buds Whalley conj.

884: with delight] much-bedight Warburton.

903: foul] full Q1.

905, 906: Tu-whit; Tu-who] Qq Ff. Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who Capell.

917: Arm.] Brag. Ff Q2. om. Q1.

917, 918: The words...Apollo] In Q1 printed in larger type.

918: You that way,—we this way.] om. Q1. ~~~~~

NOTES.

NOTE I.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. Biron is spell ‘Berowne,’ Longaville ‘Longavill,’ in Q1 F1 Q2; Mercade ‘Marcade,’ in Qq Ff. Armado is written sometimes ‘Armatho.’ Mr Grant White suggests that Moth should be written ‘Mote,’ as it was clearly so pronounced. See note (VI). ‘Boyet’ is made to rhyme with ‘debt’ in V. 2. 334; ‘Longaville’ with ‘ill’ in IV. 3. 119, and with ‘mile’ in V. 2. 53; ‘Rosaline’ with ‘thine,’ IV. 3. 217. Costard, in the old stage directions, is called ‘Clown.’

NOTE II.

Mason says, ‘I believe the title of this play should be ‘Love’s Labours Lost,’ but it is clear, from the form in which it is written in the running title of Qq F1 F2 ‘Loves Labour’s Lost,’ that the full name was intended to be ‘Love’s Labour is Lost.’ On the title pages however of Q1 and Q2 it is written respectively ‘Loues labors lost,’ and ‘Loues Labours lost.’ It is called by Meres (1598) ‘Love Labour Lost,’ and by Tofte ‘Love’s Labour Lost,’ which is in favour of the ordinary spelling.

NOTE III.

As the scene through the play is in the King of Navarre’s park, and as it is perfectly obvious when the action is near the palace and when near the tents of the French princess, we have not thought it necessary to specify the several changes.

NOTE IV.

I. 1. 23. This is an instance of the lax grammar of the time which permitted the use of a singular pronoun referring to a plural substantive, and vice versa, as in The Two Noble Kinsmen, Act I. Sc. 1;

‘You cannot read it there; there, through my tears, Like wrinkled pebbles in a glassy stream, You may behold ’em.’

NOTE V.

I. 1. 110. Singer says that in a copy of F1 which he used, the reading is ‘sit.’

NOTE VI.

I. 2. 86. There is probably an allusion in the words, ‘for she had a green wit,’ to the ‘green withes,’ with which Samson was bound. In Shakespeare’s time, ‘mote’ was frequently written ‘moth,’ as in IV. 3. 157 of this play, and in Much Ado about Nothing (II. 3) the same variety of spelling gives rise to an obscure pun, ‘Note notes, forsooth, and nothing.’ Compare, also, As You Like It, III. 3. 5.

NOTE VII.

II. 1. 88. We have retained in this passage the reading of the first Quarto, ‘unpeeled,’ in preference to the ‘unpeopled’ of the second Quarto and the Folios, which is evidently only a conjectural emendation, and does not furnish a better sense than many other words which might be proposed. In the same way, in Act III. Sc. 1, line 61, we have followed the first Quarto in reading ‘volable’ instead of ‘voluble,’ as it has direct reference to Moth’s last words ‘thump, then, and I flee,’ and is in better keeping with the Euphuistic language of the speaker.

NOTE VIII.

In II. 1. 114 sqq. the speakers are ‘Berowne’ and ‘Kather.’ in Q1. This is followed by Capell, who justifies it as follows: ‘When the King and his lords enter, the ladies mask, and continue mask’d ’till they go: Biron, while the letter is reading, seeks his mistress; accosts Catharine instead of her, finds his error, and leaves her: the King’s exit gives him an opportunity to make another attempt, and he then lights on the right but without knowing her; makes a third by enquiry, and is baffled in that too, for he describes Maria, and is told she is Catharine.’ In this and other scenes the characters are so confused in the old copies that they can be determined only by the context, in this play a very unsafe guide.

NOTE IX.

II. 1. 212. In this line, as well as in III. 1. 140, 142, &c. and IV. 3. 279, the ‘O’ is superfluous and appears to have crept into the text from the last letter of the stage direction ‘Bero.’ In the first instance in which this occurs the first Quarto stands alone, and the error is corrected in the second Quarto and the Folios, and we have therefore ventured to make the same correction in the other cases.

NOTE X.

III. 1. 186. As ‘wightly,’ in the sense of ‘nimble,’ has no etymological connection with ‘white,’ we have thought it best to retain the spelling which is least likely to mislead.

NOTE XI.

IV. 2. 27. Which we of taste and feeling are, for those... In Qq Ff this passage stands as follows: ‘which we taste and feeling, are for those parts that do fructify in us more than he,’ except that Q1 F4 put a comma after ‘taste’ and Q2 omits ‘do.’ Theobald, on Warburton’s suggestion, reads, ‘parts (which we taste and feel ingradare) that do, &c.’ Hanmer is the first to print it as verse, reading,

‘And such barren plants are set before us, that we thankful should be, For those parts which we taste and feel do fructify in us more than he.’

Johnson proposes, ‘When we taste and feeling are for those parts, &c.’ Tyrwhitt conjectured, ‘Which we of taste and feeling are, &c.’ and is followed by Collier and several modern editors. This reading appears to make the best sense with the least alteration. In Collier MS. we find ‘which we having taste and feeling &c.’

NOTE XII.

IV. 2. 63, 70, 74. In Qq Ff these three speeches are incorrectly assigned to Nath., Hol. and Nath. respectively, whereas the third evidently belongs to Holofernes. Similarly the speeches beginning with lines 79, 83, 89, 99 are assigned to Nath. instead of Hol., and vice versâ line 99 which properly belongs to Nath. is given to Hol. Again 115–122 and 125–129 are given to Nath. in consequence of which ‘Sir Nathaniel,’ in line 129, was written ‘Sir Holofernes,’ a title to which the pedant had no claim. The mistake probably arose from the stage direction ‘Ped.’ being confounded with ‘Per.,’ that is, Person or Parson. Besides, in line 114, the ‘Ped.’ of F1 is changed in the later folios to ‘Pedro.’

NOTE XIII.

IV. 3. 142. In Q1 this line stands at the top of the page. The catch-word on the preceding page is ‘Fayth,’ shewing that the word omitted, whatever it be, was not the first in the line.

NOTE XIV.

IV. 3. 178. By the kind permission of the Duke of Devonshire, we have collated the copy of the first Quarto, which is in his Grace’s library, with that which is in the Capell collection. Besides the important difference mentioned in the foot-note, the following are found:

E. 3. (r) line 5, paper (Capell) p a d e r (Devonshire). E. 3. (v) line 12, corporall (Capell) croporall (Devonshire). I. 3. (r) line 22, then w i (Capell) then w (Devonshire).

NOTE XV.

IV. 3. 244. Theobald’s note is: ‘O word divine! This is the reading of all the editions that I have seen; but both Dr Thirlby and Mr Warburton concurred in reading (as I had likewise conjectured) O wood divine!’

‘Wood,’ however, is the reading of Rowe’s first edition. It was perhaps only a happy misprint, as it is altered to ‘word’ in the second.

NOTE XVI.

IV. 3. 251. As ‘suiter’ was pronounced and sometimes written ‘shooter’ (IV. 1. 101), so probably ‘suit’ was sometimes written ‘shoote,’ a word easily corrupted into ‘schoole.’

NOTE XVII.

IV. 3. 285. Although it is not necessary to omit a syllable on account of the metre, as Mr Sidney Walker seems to have thought, we have adopted one of his conjectures for the reason mentioned in note (IX). A similar error, which has hitherto escaped notice, seems to occur in IV. 2. 83, where the word ‘Of,’ which in the original MS. was part of the stage direction ‘Holof.’, has crept into the text. If this hypothesis be true, it follows that the frequently recurring error of ‘Nath.’ for ‘Hol.’ is not due to the author himself, but to an unskilful corrector.

NOTE XVIII.

IV. 3. 295. Mr Dyce omits lines 295–300, For when would you...true Promethean fire; and lines 308–315, For where is...forsworn our books, which are repeated in substance, and, to some extent verbatim, in the latter part of the speech.

There can be no doubt that two drafts of the speech have been blended together, and that the author meant to cancel a portion of it; but as there also can be no doubt that the whole came from his pen, we do not venture to correct the printer’s error. We would ‘lose no drop of the immortal man.’ The error is indeed a very instructive one. It goes to prove that the first Quarto was printed from the author’s original MS.; that the author had not made a ‘foul copy’ of his work; and that he had not an opportunity of revising the proof sheets as they passed through the press.

For the same reason we have retained V. 2. 805–810.

NOTE XIX.

IV. 3. 341. We have here retained ‘make,’ because the inaccuracy is so natural, that it probably came from the pen of the author. It escaped correction in all the Quartos and Folios, as well as in Rowe’s and Pope’s editions.

NOTE XX.

V. 1. 24, 25. The reading which we have given in the text, and which had occurred to us before we discovered that Capell had hit upon nearly the same conjecture, comes nearer to the words and punctuation of the Quartos and Folios than Theobald’s, which, since his time, has been the received reading. Sir Nathaniel is not represented elsewhere as an ignoramus who would be likely to say ‘bone’ for ‘bene.’ Holofernes patronizingly calls him ‘Priscian,’ but, pedagogue-like, will not admit his perfect accuracy. ‘A little scratched’ is a phrase familiar to the schoolmaster, from his daily task of correcting his pupils’ ‘latines.’

Capell’s conjecture, given in his Notes, Vol. I. p. 44 of the Various Readings, is ‘Nath. Laus Deo bone intelligo. Hol. Bone! bon, fort bon; Priscian.’ In his printed text he follows Theobald.

Some corruption is still left in line 22: insanie: ne intelligis. Perhaps we should read insano fare: intelligis...

NOTE XXI.

V. 1. 110. There is some corruption in this passage, which cannot with certainty be removed. In the subsequent scene five ‘worthies’ only are presented, viz. Hector by Armado, Pompey by Costard, Alexander by Nathaniel, Hercules by the Page, and Judas Maccabæus by Holofernes.

NOTE XXII.

V. 2. 43. Johnson says ‘The former editions read Were pencils,’ and attributes the restoration of Ware to Hanmer. Mr Halliwell repeats the assertion. In reality, all the editions read Ware.

NOTE XXIII.

V. 2. 232. Mr Sidney Walker, in his Criticisms, Vol. II. p. 153, remarks that, ‘and if (he means an if) is always in the old plays printed ‘and if.’ Here is an instance to the contrary. See also Mr Lettsom’s note, l. c. And, not an, seems to be printed in nine cases out of ten, whatever the following word be.

NOTE XXIV.

V. 2. 247. ‘Dutchman’ here, as usual, means ‘German.’ The word alluded to is ‘Viel,’ a word which would be likely to be known from the frequent use which the sailors from Hamburg or Bremen would have cause to make of the phrase ‘zu viel’ in their bargains with the London shopkeepers.

NOTE XXV.

V. 2. 312. Mr Collier says that in some copies of Q1 ‘thither’ is omitted.

NOTE XXVI.

V. 2. 528. The modern editors who have followed Hanmer’s reading ‘della,’ in preference to Theobald’s ‘de la,’ have forgotten that Armado is a Spaniard, not an Italian.

A

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT’S DREAM.

Dramatis Personæ

THESEUS, Duke of Athens. EGEUS, father to Hermia. LYSANDER, in love with Hermia. DEMETRIUS, ” ” ” ” PHILOSTRATE, master of the revels to Theseus QUINCE, a carpenter. SNUG, a joiner. BOTTOM, a weaver. FLUTE, a bellows-mender. SNOUT, a tinker. STARVELING, a tailor.

HIPPOLYTA, queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus. HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander. HELENA, in love with Demetrius.

OBERON, king of the fairies. TITANIA, queen of the fairies. PUCK, or Robin Goodfellow. PEASEBLOSSOM, fairy. COBWEB, ” MOTH, ” MUSTARDSEED, ”

Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.

SCENE—Athens, and a wood near it.

~~~~~ Footnote:

1: DRAMATIS PERSONÆ] first given by Rowe. ~~~~~

A

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT’S DREAM.

Act I, Scene I — Athens. The palace of THESEUS

Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants.

The. Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager, 5 Long withering out a young man’s revenue.

Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a silver bow New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night 10 Of our solemnities.

The. Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth: Turn melancholy forth to funerals; The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit Philostrate. 15 Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph and with revelling.

Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS.

Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! 20

The. Thanks, good Egeus: what’s the news with thee?

Ege. Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. 25 Stand forth, Lysander: and, my gracious duke, This man hath bewitch’d the bosom of my child: Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child: Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, 30 With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; And stolen the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, messengers Of strong prevailment in unharden’d youth: 35 With cunning hast thou filch’d my daughter’s heart; Turn’d her obedience, which is due to me, To stubborn harshness: and, my gracious duke, Be it so she will not here before your Grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, 40 I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, As she is mine, I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case. 45

The. What say you, Hermia? be advised, fair maid: To you your father should be as a god; One that composed your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax By him imprinted and within his power 50 To leave the figure or disfigure it. Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

Her. So is Lysander.

The. In himself he is; But in this kind, wanting your father’s voice, The other must be held the worthier. 55

Her. I would my father look’d but with my eyes.

The. Rather your eyes must with his judgement look.

Her. I do entreat your Grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold, Nor how it may concern my modesty, 60 In such a presence here to plead my thoughts; But I beseech your Grace that I may know The worst that may befall me in this case, If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

The. Either to die the death, or to abjure 65 For ever the society of men. Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires; Know of your youth, examine well your blood, Whether, if you yield not to your father’s choice, You can endure the livery of a nun; 70 For aye to be in shady cloister mew’d, To live a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood, To undergo such maiden pilgrimage; 75 But earthlier happy is the rose distill’d, Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn, Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.

Her. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, Ere I will yield my virgin patent up 80 Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

The. Take time to pause; and, by the next new moon,— The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, For everlasting bond of fellowship,— 85 Upon that day either prepare to die For disobedience to your father’s will, Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would; Or on Diana’s altar to protest For aye austerity and single life. 90

Dem. Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right.

Lys. You have her father’s love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia’s: do you marry him.

Ege. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love, 95 And what is mine my love shall render him. And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius.

Lys. I am, my lord, as well derived as he, As well possess’d; my love is more than his; 100 My fortunes every way as fairly rank’d, If not with vantage, as Demetrius’; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia: Why should not I then prosecute my right? 105 Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head, Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena, And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant man. 110

The. I must confess that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of self-affairs, My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come; And come, Egeus; you shall go with me, 115 I have some private schooling for you both. For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself To fit your fancies to your father’s will; Or else the law of Athens yields you up,— Which by no means we may extenuate,— 120 To death, or to a vow of single life. Come, my Hippolyta: what cheer, my love? Demetrius and Egeus, go along: I must employ you in some business Against our nuptial, and confer with you 125 Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.

Ege. With duty and desire we follow you.

[Exeunt all but Lysander and Hermia.

Lys. How now, my love! why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there do fade so fast?

Her. Belike for want of rain, which I could well 130 Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

Lys. Ay me! for aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth; But, either it was different in blood,— 135

Her. O cross! too high to be enthrall’d to low.

Lys. Or else misgraffed in respect of years,—

Her. O spite! too old to be engaged to young.

Lys. Or else it stood upon the choice of friends,—

Her. O hell! to choose love by another’s eyes. 140

Lys. Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it, Making it momentany as a sound, Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night, 145 That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, And ere a man hath power to say ‘Behold!’ The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion.

Her. If then true lovers have been ever cross’d, 150 It stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs, Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers. 155

Lys. A good persuasion: therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and she hath no child: From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; And she respects me as her only son. 160 There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee; And to that place the sharp Athenian law Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then, Steal forth thy father’s house to-morrow night; And in the wood, a league without the town, 165 Where I did meet thee once with Helena, To do observance to a morn of May, There will I stay for thee.

Her. My good Lysander! I swear to thee, by Cupid’s strongest bow, By his best arrow with the golden head, 170 By the simplicity of Venus’ doves, By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, And by that fire which burn’d the Carthage queen, When the false Troyan under sail was seen, By all the vows that ever men have broke, 175 In number more than ever women spoke, In that same place thou hast appointed me, To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.

Lys. Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.

Enter HELENA.

Her. God speed fair Helena! whither away? 180

Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair! Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue’s sweet air More tuneable than lark to shepherd’s ear. When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. 185 Sickness is catching: O, were favour so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go; My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye, My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, 190 The rest I’d give to be to you translated. O, teach me how you look; and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart!

Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.

Hel. O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill! 195

Her. I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

Hel. O that my prayers could such affection move!

Her. The more I hate, the more he follows me.

Hel. The more I love, the more he hateth me.

Her. His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. 200

Hel. None, but your beauty: would that fault were mine!

Her. Take comfort: he no more shall see my face; Lysander and myself will fly this place. Before the time I did Lysander see, Seem’d Athens as a paradise to me: 205 O, then, what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turn’d a heaven unto a hell!

Lys. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold: To-morrow night, when Phœbe doth behold Her silver visage in the watery glass, 210 Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, A time that lovers’ flights doth still conceal, Through Athens’ gates have we devised to steal.

Her. And in the wood, where often you and I Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie, 215 Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet, There my Lysander and myself shall meet; And thence from Athens turn away our eyes, To seek new friends and stranger companies. Farewell, sweet playfellow: pray thou for us; 220 And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius! Keep word, Lysander: we must starve our sight From lovers’ food till morrow deep midnight.

Lys. I will, my Hermia. [Exit Herm. Helena, adieu: As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! [Exit. 225

Hel. How happy some o’er other some can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so; He will not know what all but he do know: And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes, 230 So I, admiring of his qualities: Things base and vile, holding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind: 235 Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgement taste; Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste: And therefore is Love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguiled. As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, 240 So the boy Love is perjured every where: For ere Demetrius look’d on Hermia’s eyne, He hail’d down oaths that he was only mine; And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt, So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt. 245 I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight: Then to the wood will he to-morrow night Pursue her; and for this intelligence If I have thanks, it is a dear expense: But herein mean I to enrich my pain, 250 To have his sight thither and back again. [Exit.

~~~~~ Linenotes: A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, I, 1.

SC. I. Enter...] Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others. Qq Ff.

4: wanes] waues Q1.

6: withering out] wintering on Warburton. lithering out Becket conj.

7: night] Q1. nights Q2 Ff.

8: nights] Q1 Ff. daies Q2.

10: New-bent] Rowe. Now bent Qq Ff.

15: [Exit Ph.] Theobald.

19: revelling] revelry Holt White conj.

24, 26: Stand forth, Demetrius...Stand forth, Lysander] Printed in Qq Ff as stage directions. Corrected by Rowe.

27: This man hath bewitch’d] Qq F1. This hath bewitch’d F2 F3 F4.

bewitch’d] witch’d Theobald.

38: harshness] hardness Collier MS.

51: leave] ’leve Warburton. lave Becket conj.

69: if you yield not] not yielding Pope.

76: earthlier happy] earlier happy Pope conj. earthly happier Capell.

81: whose unwished] Qq F1. to whose unwished F2 F3. to whose unwish’d F4.

87: your] you F2.

94: Hermia’s] Hermia Tyrwhitt conj.

98: unto] upon Hanmer.

101: fortunes] fortune’s Rowe.

102: Demetrius’] Pope. Demetrius Qq Ff.

107: Nedar’s] Nestor’s S. Walker conj.

125: nuptial] Qq F1. nuptialls F2 F3 F4.

127: [Exeunt...] Exeunt. Manet L. and M. Qq Ff.

128: SCENE II. Pope.

130: which I could] yet could I Becket conj.

131: my] Qq. mine Ff.

132: Ay me! for aught that I could ever] Eigh me; for ought that I could ever Qq. For ought that ever I could F1. Hermia for ought that ever I could F2 F3 F4. Ay me! for aught that ever I could Dyce.

136: low] Theobald. love Qq Ff.

too...low] to be enthrall’d! too high, too low Becket conj.

138: to young] too young F4.

139: friends] Qq. merit Ff. men Collier MS.

140: eyes] Qq. eie F1. eye F2 F3 F4.

143: momentany] Qq. momentary Ff.

146: spleen] shene Becket conj.

148: do] to F3 F4.

154: due] dewe Q1.

159: remote] Qq. remov’d Ff.

167: observance to a] Qq. observance for a Ff. observance to the Pope.

168–178: Her. My good......with thee] Her. My good Lysander! Lys. I swear...spoke. Her. In that...with thee Warburton.

172: loves] Q1. love Q2 Ff.

180: SCENE III. Pope.

182: your fair] Qq. you fair Ff. you, fair Rowe (ed. 2).

186: so] Qq Ff. so! Theobald.

187: Yours would I] Hanmer. Your words I Qq F1. _Your words Ide_ F2 F3 F4.

191: I’d] Hanmer. ile Q1. Ile Q2 F1 F2. I’le F3 F4.

200: folly, Helena, is no fault] Q1. folly, Helena, is none Q2 Ff. fault, Oh Helena, is none Hanmer. fault, fair Helena, is none Collier MS.

205: as] Q1. like Q2 Ff.

206: do] must Collier MS.

207: unto a] Q1. into Q2 Ff.

213: gates] Qq F1 F2. gate F3 F4.

216: sweet] Theobald. sweld Qq Ff.

219: stranger companies] Theobald. strange companions Qq Ff.

225: dote] Qq. dotes Ff.

229: do] Qq. doth Ff.

237: haste] hast F4.

239: he is so oft] Q1 he is oft Q2. he is often F1. he often is F2 F3 F4.

240: in game themselves] themselves in game F3 F4.

244: this] Q1 Ff. his Q2.

245: So] Lo, Capell.

248: this] Qq. his Ff.

249: a dear expense] dear recompense Collier MS. ~~~~~

Act I, Scene II — The same. QUINCE’S house

Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING.

Quin. Is all our company here?

Bot. You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip.

Quin. Here is the scroll of every man’s name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before 5 fore the duke and the duchess, on his wedding-day at night.

Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and so grow to a point.

Quin. Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, 10 and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.

Bot. A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.

Quin. Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver. 15

Bot. Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.

Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.

Bot. What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?

Quin. A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love.

Bot. That will ask some tears in the true performing of 20 it: if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split.

The raging rocks 25 And shivering shocks Shall break the locks Of prison-gates; And Phibbus’ car Shall shine from far, 30 And make and mar The foolish Fates.

This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players. This is Ercles’ vein, a tyrant’s vein; a lover is more condoling.

Quin. Francis Flute, the bellows-mender. 35

Flu. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. Flute, you must take Thisby on you.

Flu. What is Thisby? a wandering knight?

Quin. It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

Flu. Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a 40 beard coming.

Quin. That’s all one: you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will.

Bot. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice, ‘Thisne, Thisne;’ ‘Ah 45 Pyramus, my lover dear! thy Thisby dear, and lady dear!’

Quin. No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby.

Bot. Well, proceed.

Quin. Robin Starveling, the tailor. 50

Star. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby’s mother. Tom Snout, the tinker.

Snout. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. You, Pyramus’ father: myself, Thisby’s father: 55 Snug, the joiner; you, the lion’s part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted.

Snug. Have you the lion’s part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study.

Quin. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but 60 roaring.

Bot. Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man’s heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say, ‘Let him roar again, let him roar again.’ 65

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 70 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 75 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? 80

Quin. Why, what you will.

Bot. I will discharge it in either your straw colour beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French crown colour beard, your perfect yellow. 85

Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play barefaced. 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 moonlight; 90 there will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known. In the meantime 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 most obscenely 95 and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.

Quin. At the duke’s oak we meet.

Bot. Enough; hold or cut bow-strings. [Exeunt.

~~~~~ Linenotes: A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, I, 2.

Act I, Scene II — ] SCENE IV. Pope

Quince’s house.] Capell. Changes to a cottage. Theobald.

3: according to] Q1 Ff. according Q2.

6: the duchess] duchess Pope (ed. 2).

8, 9: grow to a point] Qq. grow on to a point F1 F2 F3. grow on to appoint F4. go on to a point Warburton. go on to appoint Collier MS.

19: gallant] Qq. gallantly Ff.

22: storms] stones Collier MS.

24: cat] cap Warburton.

in, to] in two ed. 1661.

25–32: Printed as prose in Qq Ff.

26: And] With Farmer conj.

37: Flute,] Q1. om. Q2 Ff.

45: See note (I).

56: and, I hope, here] Qq. and I hope there Ff. I hope there Rowe (ed. 2).

59: it be] be F1.

66: An] And Q1. If Q2 Ff.

70: friends] friend F4.

if] Qq. if that Ff.

73: roar you] Qq. roar Ff.

84: colour] Qq. colour’d Ff.

perfect] Ff. perfit Qq.

91: will we] Q1. we will Q2 Ff.

95: most] Q1. more Q2 Ff.

obscenely] obscurely Grey conj. (withdrawn).

96: Take...adieu] given by Singer to Quince.

pains] Qq F1. paine F2 F3 F4.

perfect] Ff. perfit Qq. ~~~~~

Act II, Scene I — A wood near Athens.

Enter, from opposite sides, a Fairy, and PUCK.

Puck. How now, spirit! whither wander you?

Fai. Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire, 5 I do wander every where, Swifter than the moon’s sphere; And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be: 10 In their gold coats spots you see; Those be rubies, fairy favours, In those freckles live their savours: I must go seek some dewdrops here, And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear. 15 Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I’ll be gone: Our queen and all her elves come here anon.

Puck. The king doth keep his revels here to-night: Take heed the queen come not within his sight; For Oberon is passing fell and wrath, 20 Because that she as her attendant hath A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king; She never had so sweet a changeling: And jealous Oberon would have the child Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild; 25 But she perforce withholds the loved boy, Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy: And now they never meet in grove or green, By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen, But they do square, that all their elves for fear 30 Creep into acorn-cups and hide them there.

Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Call’d Robin Goodfellow: are not you he That frights the maidens of the villagery; 35 Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern, And bootless make the breathless housewife churn; And sometime make the drink to bear no barm; Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm? Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, 40 You do their work, and they shall have good luck: Are not you he?

Puck. Thou speak’st aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon, and make him smile, When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, 45 Neighing in likeness of a filly foal: And sometime lurk I in a gossip’s bowl, In very likeness of a roasted crab; And when she drinks, against her lips I bob And on her wither’d dewlap pour the ale. 50 The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me; Then slip I from her bum, down topples she, And ‘tailor’ cries, and falls into a cough; And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh; 55 And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear A merrier hour was never wasted there. But, room, fairy! here comes Oberon.

Fai. And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!

Enter, from one side, OBERON, with his train; from the other, TITANIA, with hers.

Obe. Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. 60

Tita. What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence: I have forsworn his bed and company.

Obe. Tarry, rash wanton: am not I thy lord?

Tita. Then I must be thy lady: but I know When thou hast stolen away from fairy land, 65 And in the shape of Corin sat all day, Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, Come from the farthest steppe of India? But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, 70 Your buskin’d mistress and your warrior love, To Theseus must be wedded, and you come To give their bed joy and prosperity.

Obe. How canst thou thus for shame, Titania, Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, 75 Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? Didst thou not lead him through the glimmering night From Perigenia, whom he ravished? And make him with fair Ægle break his faith, With Ariadne and Antiopa? 80

Tita. These are the forgeries of jealousy: And never, since the middle summer’s spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, By paved fountain or by rushy brook, Or in the beached margent of the sea, 85 To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, But with thy brawls thou hast disturb’d our sport. Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain, As in revenge, have suck’d up from the sea Contagious fogs; which falling in the land, 90 Have every pelting river made so proud, That they have overborne their continents: The ox hath therefore stretch’d his yoke in vain, The ploughman lost his sweat; and the green corn Hath rotted ere his youth attain’d a beard: 95 The fold stands empty in the drowned field, And crows are fatted with the murrion flock; The nine men’s morris is fill’d up with mud; And the quaint mazes in the wanton green, For lack of tread, are undistinguishable: 100 The human mortals want their winter here; No night is now with hymn or carol blest: Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, Pale in her anger, washes all the air, That rheumatic diseases do abound: 105 And thorough this distemperature we see The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose; And on old Hiems’ thin and icy crown An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds 110 Is, as in mockery, set: the spring, the summer, The childing autumn, angry winter, change Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world, By their increase, now knows not which is which: And this same progeny of evils comes 115 From our debate, from our dissension; We are their parents and original.

Obe. Do you amend it, then; it lies in you: Why should Titania cross her Oberon? I do but beg a little changeling boy, 120 To be my henchman.

Tita. Set your heart at rest: The fairy land buys not the child of me. His mother was a votaress of my order: And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, Full often hath she gossip’d by my side; 125 And sat with me on Neptune’s yellow sands, Marking the embarked traders on the flood; When we have laugh’d to see the sails conceive And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind; Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait 130 Following,—her womb then rich with my young squire,— Would imitate, and sail upon the land, To fetch me trifles, and return again, As from a voyage, rich with merchandise. But she, being mortal, of that boy did die; 135 And for her sake do I rear up her boy; And for her sake I will not part with him.

Obe. How long within this wood intend you stay?

Tita. Perchance till after Theseus’ wedding-day. If you will patiently dance in our round, 140 And see our moonlight revels, go with us; If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.

Obe. Give me that boy, and I will go with thee.

Tita. Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away! We shall chide downright, if I longer stay. 145

[Exit Titania with her train.

Obe. Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove Till I torment thee for this injury. My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememberest Since once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin’s back, 150 Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, That the rude sea grew civil at her song, And certain stars shot madly from their spheres, To hear the sea-maid’s music.

Puck. I remember.

Obe. That very time I saw, but thou couldst not, 155 Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid all arm’d: a certain aim he took At a fair vestal throned by the west, And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow, As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts: 160 But I might see young Cupid’s fiery shaft Quench’d in the chaste beams of the watery moon, And the imperial votaress passed on, In maiden meditation, fancy-free. Yet mark’d I where the bolt of Cupid fell: 165 It fell upon a little western flower, Before milk-white, now purple with love’s wound, And maidens call it love-in-idleness. Fetch me that flower; the herb I shew’d thee once: The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid 170 Will make or man or woman madly dote Upon the next live creature that it sees. Fetch me this herb; and be thou here again Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

Puck. I’ll put a girdle round about the earth 175 In forty minutes. [Exit.

Obe. Having once this juice, I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep, And drop the liquor of it in her eyes. The next thing then she waking looks upon, Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, 180 On meddling monkey, or on busy ape, She shall pursue it with the soul of love: And ere I take this charm from off her sight, As I can take it with another herb, I’ll make her render up her page to me. 185 But who comes here? I am invisible; And I will overhear their conference.

Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him.

Dem. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? The one I’ll slay, the other slayeth me. 190 Thou told’st me they were stolen unto this wood; And here am I, and wode within this wood, Because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

Hel. You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; 195 But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Is true as steel: leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you.

Dem. Do I entice you? do I speak you fair? Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth 200 Tell you, I do not nor I cannot love you?

Hel. And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, 205 Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love,— And yet a place of high respect with me,— Than to be used as you use your dog? 210

Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick when I do look on thee.

Hel. And I am sick when I look not on you.

Dem. You do impeach your modesty too much, To leave the city, and commit yourself 215 Into the hands of one that loves you not; To trust the opportunity of night And the ill counsel of a desert place With the rich worth of your virginity.

Hel. Your virtue is my privilege: for that 220 It is not night when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the night; Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, For you in my respect are all the world: Then how can it be said I am alone, 225 When all the world is here to look on me?

Dem. I’ll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, 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 changed: 230 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: 235 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. Fie, Demetrius! Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex: 240 We cannot fight for love, as men may do; We should be woo’d, and were not made to woo. [Exit Dem. I’ll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, To die upon the hand I love so well. [Exit.

Obe. Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove, 245 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.

Obe. I pray thee, give it me. I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows; 250 Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania sometime of the night, Lull’d in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamell’d skin, 255 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 260 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 265 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.

~~~~~ Linenotes: A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, II, 1.

[Scene i. Enter...] Enter a Fairie at one doore, and Robin goodfellow at another. Qq Ff.

3, 5: Thorough...thorough, Thorough...thorough] Q1. Through...through, Through...through Q2 Ff.

7: moon’s sphere] moony sphere Grant White (Steevens conj.).

9: orbs] herbs Grey conj.

10: tall] all Collier MS.

11: coats] cups Collier MS.

14: here] here and there Capell.

30: square] jar Peck conj. sparre Id. conj.

32: Either] Or Pope.

33: sprite] Q1. spirit Q2 Ff.

34: not you] Q1. you not Q2 Ff.

35: frights] fright F3 F4.

villagery] villageree Q1. villagree Q2 F1 F2 F3. vilagree F4.

36–39. Skim...labour...make...make...Mislead] Qq Ff. Skims...labours...makes...makes...Misleads Collier.

42: Thou] I am—thou Johnson. Fairy, thou Collier (Collier MS.).

speak’st] speakest Q1. speakest me Capell.

46: filly] Q1. silly Q2 Ff.

50: dewlap] Rowe (ed. 2). dewlop Qq Ff.

54: tailor] rails or Capell. tail-sore Anon. ap. Capell conj.

54, 55: cough...laugh] coffe...loffe Qq Ff.

56: waxen] yexen Singer (Farmer conj.).

58: room] make room Pope.

fairy] faëry Johnson conj.

room, fairy! here] fairy, room, for here Seymour conj.

59: he] Qq F1. we F2 F3 F4.

60: SCENE II. Pope.

Enter...] Enter the King of Fairies at one door with his traine, and the Queen at another with hers. Qq Ff.

61: Fairies, skip] Theobald. Fairy, skip Qq Ff. Fairies, keep Harness conj. Fairies, trip Dyce conj.

65: hast] Qq. wast Ff.

69: steppe] Q1. steepe Q2 Ff.

77: through the glimmering] glimmering through the Warburton.

78: Perigenia] Perigune Theobald. Perigyne Hanmer. Perigouna Grant White (North’s Plutarch).

79: Ægle] Rowe. Eagles Qq Ff.

80: Antiopa] Atiopa F1.

82: the] that Hanmer (Warburton).

85: in] on Pope.

pelting] Qq. petty Ff.

91: Have] Rowe (ed. 2). Hath Qq Ff.

95: his] its Pope.

97: murrion] murrain Warburton.

99: in] on Collier MS.

101: want...here;] want;...here, Knight (Anon. conj.). chant,—...here; Grant White conj.

winter here] F3 F4. winter heere Qq F1 F2. winter chear Theobald conj. (withdrawn). winters heryed Warburton. wonted year Johnson conj. winter gere Brae conj.

101–114: Johnson proposes to arrange in the following order: 101, 107–114, 102–104, 106, 105.

106: thorough] Q1 F2 F3. through Q2 F1 F4.

107: hoary] Q1 F3 F4. hoared Q2 F1 F2.

109: thin] Halliwell (Tyrwhitt conj.). chinne Qq F1 F2. chin F3 F4. chill Grey conj.

112: childing] chiding Pope.

113: mazed] amazed Rowe.

114: increase] inverse Hanmer. inchase Warburton.

115: evils comes] F2 F3. evils, Comes Qq F1. evil comes F4.

122: The fairy] Thy fairy Collier MS.

123: votaress] votresse Qq Ff.

127: on] Qq F1 F2. of F3 F4.

131: Following,—her...squire,—] Following (her womb...squire) Qq Ff. (Following...squire) Steevens (Kenrick conj.). Follying (her...squire) Theobald (Warburton). Her fellowing womb... Becket conj.

rich] ripe Collier MS.

136: do I] Q1. I do Q2 Ff.

144: fairy] om. Steevens (Farmer conj.).

Fairies] Elves Pope.

149: once] Qq F1. om. F2 F3 F4. that Rowe.

155: saw] Q1. say Q2 Ff.

157: all arm’d] alarm’d Theobald (Warburton).

158: the] Ff. om. Qq.

160: should] would F4.

162: Quench’d] Quench F3 F4.

163: votaress] votresse Qq Ff.

172: it sees] is seen Collier MS.

175: I’ll] I’d Collier MS.

round] Q1. om. Q2 Ff.

177: when] whence Q2.

179: then] Q1. when Q2 Ff. which Rowe.

181: on meddling] or meddling Rowe.

183: from off] from of Q1 off from Q2 Ff.

188: SCENE III. Pope.

190: slay......slayeth] Theobald (Thirlby conj.). stay...stayeth Qq Ff.

191: unto] Qq. into Ff.

192: wode...wood] Hanmer. wodde...wood Q1. wood...wood Q2 Ff.

197: you] om. F3 F4.

201: nor] Ff. not Qq. and Pope.

202: you] Q1. thee Q2 Ff.

206: lose] loathe Anon. ap. Halliwell conj.

208: can] can can F2.

210: use] Qq. do Ff. do use Reed.

220, 221: privilege: for that It is] Qq Ff. _privilege for that. It is_ Malone (Tyrwhitt conj.).

235: questions] question Steevens conj.

238: the field] Q1. and field Q2 Ff.

242: [Exit Dem.] om. Qq Ff. Demetrius breaks from her and exit. Capell.

243: I’ll] Ile Qq. I Ff.

244: [Exit] Q2 Ff. om. Q1.

245: SCENE IV. Pope.

246: Re-enter Puck] Enter Pucke. Qq Ff (after line 247).

247: Hast thou...wanderer] Welcome wanderer; hast thou the flower there] Jackson conj.

249: where] whereon Pope.

250: oxlips] Q1. oxslips Q2 Ff. the oxslips Rowe. oxslip Pope. oxlip Theobald.

oxlips...violets] violets...ox-lip Keightley conj.

251: Quite] om. Pope.

over-canopied] overcanopi’d Q1. overcanoped Q2. over-cannoped Ff. O’er cannopy’d Pope.

luscious] Ff. lushious Qq. lush Steevens (Theobald conj.).

253–256: Keightley proposes to arrange, 255, 256, 253, 254, and would insert a line after 254, e.g. ‘Upon her will I steal there as she lies’.

253: sometime] some time Rowe.

254: flowers] bowers Grant White (Collier MS.).

with] from Hanmer.

256: wrap] F2 F3 F4. wrappe Q1. rap Q2 F1.

257: And] There Hanmer.

266: fond on] fond of Rowe.

268: [Exeunt.] Qq. [Exit. Ff. ~~~~~

Act II, Scene II — Another part of the wood.

Enter TITANIA, with her train.

Tita. Come, now a roundel and a fairy song; Then, for the third part of a minute, hence; Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds; Some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings, To make my small elves coats; and some keep back 5 The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots and wonders At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep; Then to your offices, and let me rest.

SONG.

Fir. Fairy. You spotted snakes with double tongue. Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen; 10 Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong, Come not near our fairy queen.

CHORUS.

Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby: 15 Never harm, Nor spell, nor charm, Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good night, with lullaby.

Fir. Fairy. Weaving spiders, come not here; 20 Hence, you long-legg’d spinners, hence! Beetles black, approach not near; Worm nor snail, do no offence.

CHORUS.

Philomel, with melody, &c.

Sec. Fairy. Hence, away! now all is well: 25 One aloof stand sentinel.

[Exeunt Fairies. Titania sleeps.

Enter OBERON, and squeezes the flower on Titania’s eyelids.

Obe. What thou seest when thou dost wake, Do it for thy true-love take; Love and languish for his sake: Be it ounce, or cat, or bear, 30 Pard, or boar with bristled hair, In thy eye that shall appear When thou wakest, it is thy dear: Wake when some vile thing is near. [Exit.

Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA.

Lys. Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood; 35 And to speak troth, I have forgot our way: We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, And tarry for the comfort of the day.

Her. Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed; For I upon this bank will rest my head. 40

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! 45 Love takes the meaning in love’s conference. I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit, So that but one heart we can make of it: Two bosoms interchained with an oath; So then two bosoms and a single troth. 50 Then by your side no bed-room me deny; For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.

Her. Lysander riddles very prettily: Now much beshrew my manners and my pride, If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied. 55 But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy Lie further off; in human modesty, Such separation as may well be said Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid, So far be distant; and, good night, sweet friend: 60 Thy love ne’er alter till thy sweet life end!

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! 65

[They sleep.

Enter PUCK.

Puck. Through the forest have I gone, But Athenian found I none, On whose eyes I might approve This flower’s force in stirring love. Night and silence.—Who is here? 70 Weeds of Athens he doth wear: This is he, my master said, Despised the Athenian maid; And here the maiden, sleeping sound, On the dank and dirty ground. 75 Pretty soul! she durst not lie Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy. Churl, upon thy eyes I throw All the power this charm doth owe. When thou wakest, let love forbid 80 Sleep his seat on thy eyelid: So awake when I am gone; For I must now to Oberon. [Exit.

Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running.

Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. 85

Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so.

Dem. Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go. [Exit.

Hel. O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, wheresoe’er she lies; 90 For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears: If so, my eyes are oftener wash’d than hers. No, no, I am as ugly as a bear; For beasts that meet me run away for fear: 95 Therefore no marvel though Demetrius Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus. What wicked and dissembling glass of mine Made me compare with Hermia’s sphery eyne? But who is here? Lysander! on the ground! 100 Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.

Lys. [Awaking] And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake. Transparent Helena! Nature shows art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. 105 Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

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. 110

Lys. Content with Hermia! No; I do repent The tedious minutes I with her have spent. Not Hermia but Helena I love: Who will not change a raven for a dove? The will of man is by his reason sway’d; 115 And reason says you are the worthier maid. Things growing are not ripe until their season: So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason; And touching now the point of human skill, Reason becomes the marshal to my will, 120 And leads me to your eyes; where I o’erlook Love’s stories, written in love’s richest book.

Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? Is’t not enough, is’t not enough, young man, 125 That I did never, no, nor never can, Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius’ eye, But you must flout my insufficiency? Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, In such disdainful manner me to woo. 130 But fare you well: perforce I must confess I thought you lord of more true gentleness. O, that a lady, of one man refused, Should of another therefore be abused! [Exit.

Lys. She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there: 135 And never mayst thou come Lysander near! For as a surfeit of the sweetest things The deepest loathing to the stomach brings, Or as the heresies that men do leave Are hated most of those they did deceive, 140 So thou, my surfeit and my heresy, Of all be hated, but the most of me! And, all my powers, address your love and might To honour Helen and to be her knight! [Exit.

Her. [Awaking] Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best 145 To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here! Lysander, look how I do quake with fear: Methought a serpent eat my heart away, And you sat smiling at his cruel prey. 150 Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord! What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word? Alack, where are you? speak, an if you hear; Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear. No? then I well perceive you are not nigh: 155 Either death or you I’ll find immediately. [Exit.

~~~~~ Linenotes: A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, II, 2.

Act II, Scene II — ] Capell. SCENE V. Pope. SCENE III. Steevens

2: for] ’fore Theobald. in Heath conj.

a minute] the midnight Warburton.

7: spirits] sports Hanmer (Warburton).

9: Fir. Fairy.] Capell. Fairies sing. Qq Ff.

13, 24: CHORUS.] Capell. om. Qq Ff.

14: in our] Qq. in your Ff. now your Collier MS.

20: Fir. Fairy.] 1. Fai. Q1. 1. Fairy. Q2. 2. Fairy Ff.

21: spinners] Q1 Ff. spinders Q2.

25: Sec. Fairy.] 2. Fai. Qq. 1. Fairy. Ff.

26: [Exeunt Fairies.] Rowe. om. Qq Ff.

Titania sleeps.] Shee sleepes. F1. om. Qq.

Enter...eyelids.] Capell. Enter Oberon. Qq Ff.

32: that] what Pope.

34: [Exit.] Rowe. om. Qq Ff.

35: SCENE VI. Pope.

wood] Q1. woods Q2 Ff.

38: comfort] comfor Q1.

39: Be it] Q2 Ff Bet it Q1. Be ’t Pope.

45, 46: innocence!...conference] conference!...innocence Warburton.

46: takes] take Tyrwhitt conj.

conference] confidence Collier MS.

47: is] it Q1.

48: we can] Qq. can you Ff. can we Capell.

49: interchained] Qq. interchanged Ff.

57, 119: human] F4. humane Qq F1 F2 F3.

65: [They sleep.] Ff. om. Qq.

67: found] Q1. find Q2 Ff.

77: Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy] Near to this lack-love, this kill-curtesie Pope. Near to this kill-courtesie Theobald. Near to this lack-love kill-curtesie Warburton. Near this lack-love, kill-courtesy Steevens. Nearer this lack-love, this kill-courtesy S. Walker conj.

84: SCENE VII. Pope.

Stay] Qq F1. Say F2 F3 F4.

87: [Exit.] Exit Demetrius. Ff. om. Qq.

96: marvel] mavaile F2.

100: Lysander! Capell. Lysander Qq Ff.

104: Helena] Helen Pope.

Nature shows] Nature shewes Qq. Nature her shewes F1. Nature here shews F2 F3 F4. Nature shews her Singer (Malone conj.).

105: thy heart] my heart S. Walker conj.

106: is] Qq F1. om. F2 F3 F4.

113: I love] Q1. now I love Q2 Ff.

118: ripe not] not ripe Rowe (ed. 2).

122: Love’s stories] Love-stories S. Walker conj.

127: Demetrius’] Rowe (ed. 2). Demetrius Qq Ff. Demetrius’s Rowe (ed. 1).

138: the stomach] Qq F1. a stomach F2 F3 F4.

140: they] Qq. that Ff.

143: your] their Collier MS.

147: Ay me] Ah me Capell.

150: you] Qq. yet Ff.

154: swoon] swoune Q1. swound Q2 F2 F3 F4. sound F1.

156: Either] Or Pope. ~~~~~

Act III, Scene I — The wood. Titania lying asleep.

Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING.

Bot. Are we all met?

Quin. Pat, pat; and here’s a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tiring-house; and we will do it in action as we will do it before the duke. 5

Bot. Peter Quince,—

Quin. What sayest 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. 10 How answer you that?

Snout. By’r lakin, 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. 15 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. 20

Quin. Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.

Bot. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight.

Snout. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? 25

Star. I fear it, I promise you.

Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in,—God shield us!—a lion among ladies, is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to ’t. 30

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,’ 35 —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 40 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? 45

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 50 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 55 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 60 have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and 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, 65 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 swaggering here, So near the cradle of the fairy queen? What, a play toward! I’ll be an auditor; 70 An actor too perhaps, if I see cause.

Quin. Speak, Pyramus. Thisby, stand forth.

Bot. Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet,—

Quin. Odours, odours.

Bot. —— odours savours sweet: 75 So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear. But hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile, And by and by I will to thee appear. [Exit.

Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e’er play’d here. [Exit.

Flu. Must I speak now? 80

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 colour like the red rose on triumphant brier, Most brisky juvenal, and eke most lovely Jew, 85 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 90 past; it is, ‘never tire.’

Flu. O,—As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.

Re-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! 95

[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, 100 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.

Re-enter SNOUT.

Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? 105

Bot. What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you? [Exit Snout.

Re-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; 110 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 ousel cock so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, 115 The throstle with his note so true, The wren with little quill;

Tita. [Awaking] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

Bot. [Sings

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo gray, 120 Whose note full many a man doth mark, And dares not answer nay;—

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry ‘cuckoo’ never so?

Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: 125 Mine ear is much enamour’d of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason 130 for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days; the more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. 135

Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go: Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common rate: 140 The summer still doth tend upon my state; And I do love thee: therefore, go with me; I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee; And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep, And sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep: 145 And I will purge thy mortal grossness so, That thou shalt like an airy spirit go. Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!

Enter PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, and MUSTARDSEED.

First Fai. Ready.

Sec. Fai. And I.

Third Fai. And I.

Fourth Fai. And I.

All. Where shall we go?

Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; 150 Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; Feed him with apricocks and dewberries, With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees, And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs, 155 And light them at the fiery glow-worm’s eyes, To have my love to bed and to arise; And pluck the wings from painted butterflies To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes: Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies. 160

First Fai. Hail, mortal!

Sec. Fai. Hail!

Third Fai. Hail!

Fourth Fai. Hail!

Bot. I cry your worships mercy, heartily: I beseech 165 your worship’s name.

Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman? 170

Peas. Peaseblossom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir? 175

Mus. Mustardseed.

Bot. Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire 180 your more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.

Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower. The moon methinks looks with a watery eye; And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity. 185 Tie up my love’s tongue, bring him silently. [Exeunt.

~~~~~ Linenotes: A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, III, 1.

Act III, Scene I — Titania lying asleep.] om. Qq Ff

Enter...] Enter the Clowns. Qq Ff.

2: Pat, pat] Qq F1. Par, pat F2 F3 F4.

marvellous] marvailes Q1. marvels Capell. See note (II).

12: By’r lakin] Berlakin Q1. Berlaken Q2 Ff.

15: device] devise Q1.

18: the more better] the better Rowe (ed. 2). more better Pope.

23, 24: eight and eight] eighty eight Anon. ap. Halliwell conj. MS.

25: afeard] afraid Rowe (ed. 2).

27: yourselves] Ff. your selfe Qq.

30: to ’t] toote Q1. to it Q2 Ff.

35: defect] deffect Q2.

41: them] Qq. him Ff.

45: Snout.] Sn. Qq F1. Snug. F2 F3 F4.

47: Enter Pucke. Ff.

49: Bot.] Cet. Q1.

49, 50: great chamber window] great-chamber Anon. conj.

58: Snout.] Sno. Q1. Sn. Q2 F1. Snu. F2. Snug. F3 F4.

61: loam] lime Collier MS.

62: and] Delius (Collier MS.). or Qq Ff.

68: SCENE II. Pope.

Enter Puck behind.] Enter Robin. Qq Ff.

71: too perhaps] to perhappes Q1.

73, 75, 93: Bot.] Pir. Qq Ff.

73: flowers] flower Pope.

of] have Collier (Collier MS.).

savours] savour’s Rowe.

74: Odours, odours] Ff. Odours, odorous Qq.

76: hath] that Rowe (ed. 1). doth Rowe (ed. 2).

Malone supposes two lines to be lost here.

77: awhile] a whit Theobald.

79: Puck.] Ff. Quin. Qq.

[Exit.] Capell.

80, 83, 92: Flu.] This. Qq Ff.

81, 88, 94: Quin.] Pet. Qq Ff.

85: juvenal] juvenile Rowe (ed. 2).

92: Re-enter...head.] Capell. om. Qq Ff.

93: were fair, Thisby] were, fair Thisby Collier (Malone conj.).

95: [Exeunt......] om. Qq. The Clownes all Exit. F1. The Clowns all Exeunt. F2 F3 F4.

96: about] ’bout S. Walker conj.

97: Through bog,] Through bog, through mire Johnson conj. Through bog, through burn Ritson conj.

99: headless] heedless Delius conj.

101: Enter Piramus with the Asse head. Ff. om. Qq.

104, 105: see on thee?] see on thee? an ass’s head? Johnson conj.

113: I will] will F3 F4.

114: ousel] woosel Qq Ff.

117: with little] Qq. and little Ff.

127–129: As in Q1. In Q2 Ff line 129, On the first view, &c. precedes 127, So is mine eye...

130: mistress] mistresse Qq F1. maistresse F2 F3. maistress F4.

145: dost] doth F3 F4.

148: Peaseblossom...Mustardseed!] Qq. Enter Pease-blossom...Mustardseede and foure fairies. Ff (as a stage direction).

Moth] Mote Grant White.

149: SCENE III. Pope.

Enter...] Enter foure Fairyes. Q1 (Fairies) Q2.

First Fai. Ready... All. Where shall we go?] Capell. Fairies. Ready; and I, and I, and I. Where shall we go? Qq Ff. 1. Fai. Ready. 2. Fai. And I. 3. Fai. And I. 4. Fai. Where shall we go? Steevens (Farmer conj.).

154: The honey-bags] Their honey-bags Collier MS.

161–164: First Fai. Hail, mortal... Fourth Fai. Hail!] Capell. 1. Fai. Haile, mortall, haile. 2. Fai. Haile. 3: Fai. Haile Qq Ff.

168: you of] Qq Ff. of you Rowe.

174: you of] Qq. of you Ff.

176: After this line F1 inserts Peas. Pease-blossome (in italics): omitted in F2 F3 F4.

177: your patience] your parentage Hanmer. your passions Farmer conj. you passing Mason conj.

180: hath] have Capell conj.

181: your more] F3 F4. you more Qq F1 F2. more of your Rowe. you, more Capell. you of more Collier MS.

184: weeps, weeps] Q1. weepes, weepe Q2 Ff.

186: love’s] Pope. lovers Qq Ff.

love’s tongue,] lover’s tongue and Collier MS. ~~~~~