Confider then, we come but in defpite.

We do not come as minding to content you, Our true intent is. All for your delight,

We are not here. That you should here repent you, The actors are at hand: and by their fhew,

You shall know all that you are like to know.

The. This fellow doth not stand upon points.

Lyf. He hath rid his prologue, like a rough colt; he knows not the ftop. A good moral, my lord: It is not enough to fpeak, but to fpeak true.

Hip. Indeed he hath play'd on this prologue, like a child on a recorder; a found, but not in government. The. His fpeech was like a tangled chain; nothing impair'd, but all disordered. Who is next?

Enter PYRAMUS and THISBE, WALL, MOONSHINE, and LION, as in dumb Show,

Prol. "Gentles, perchance, you wonder at this fhow; "But wonder on, till truth make all things plain. "This man is Pyramus, if you would know;

"This beauteous lady Thifby is, certain.

"This man, with lime and rough-caft, doth present "Wall, that vile wall which did thefe lovers funder : "And through wall's chink, poor fouls, they are content "To whifper; at the which let no man wonder. "This man, with lanthern, dog, and bush of thorn, "Prefenteth moonshine: for, if you will know,

66

By moonthine did thefe lovers think no fcorn "To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo. This grifly beast, which by name lion hight, "The trufty Thisby, coming firft by night, "Did fcare away, or rather did affright: "And as the fled, her mantle the let fall; "Which lion vile with bloody mouth did ftain: "Anon comes Pyramus, fweet youth and tall, "And finds his trufty Thifby's mantle flain : "Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, "He bravely broach'd his boiling bloody breast; "And Thifby, tarrying in mulberry fhade, "His dagger drew, and died.-For all the reft,

"Let

Let lion, moonshine, wall, and lovers twain, "At large difcourfe, while here they do remain." [Exeunt all but Wall.

The. I wonder if the lion be to speak.

Dem. No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many affes do.

Wall." In this fame interlude, it doth befall, "That I, one Snout by name, prefent a wall:

And fuch a wall, as I would have you think, "That had in it a cranny'd hole, or chink,

Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, "Did whisper often very fecretly.

"This lome, this rough-caft, and this stone, doth shew "That I am that fame wall; the truth is fo: "And this the cranny is, right and finister,

"Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper." The. Would you defire lime and hair to speak better? Dem. It is the wittieft partition that ever I heard difcourse, my lord.

The. Pyramus draws near the wall-filence!

Enter PYRAMUS.

Pyr. "O grim-look'd night! O night with hue fo "black!

"O night, which ever art, when day is not! "O night! O night! alack, alack, alack! "I fear my Thifby's promife is forgot! "And thou, O wall! O fweet, O lovely wall!

"That stands between her father's ground and mine; "Thou wall! O wall! O fweet and lovely wall!

"Shew me thy chink to blink through with mine eyne. Thanks, courteous wall! Jove shield thee well for this! "But what fee I? No Thisby do I fee.

"O wicked wall, through whom I fee no blifs; "Curft be thy ftones for thus deceiving me!" The. The wall, methinks, being fenfible, fhould curfe again.

Pyr. No, in truth, Sir, he fhould not. Deceiving me, is Thifby's cue; fhe is to enter now, and I am to spy her

F 2

through

1

through the wall. You shall fee, it will fall pat as I told
you: Yonder she comes.

Enter THISBE.

Thif. "O wall, full often haft thou heard my moans
"For parting my fair Pyramus and me :
"My cherry lips have often kifs'd thy ftones :
"Thy ftones with lime and hair knit up in thee."
Pyr. "I fee a voice: now will I to the chink,
To fpy an I can hear my Thisby's face.

Thisby!"

Thif. "My love! thou art my love, I think."

Pyr. "Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace}
"And like Limander am I trusty still."

Thif." And I like Helen, till the fates me kill."
Pyr. "Not Shafalus to Procrus was fo true."
Thif. "As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you."

Pyr. "O, kifs me through the hole of this vile wall."
This. "I kifs the wall's hole, not your lips at all."
Pyr. "Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straight-
way?
7?"

Thif. "Tide life, tide death, I come without delay."
Wall. "Thus have I, wall, my part discharged fo;
"And, being done, thus wall away doth go.

[Exeunt WALL, PYRAMUS, and THISBE. The. Now is the mural down between the two neighbours.

Dem. No remedy, my lord, when walls are fo wilful to hear whithout warning.

Hip. This is the filliest stuff that ever I heard.

The. The beft in this kind are but fhadows: and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.

Hip. It must be your imagination then, and not theirs. The. If we imagine no worfe of them, than they of themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here come two noble beafts in, a moon and a lion.

Enter LION and MOONSHINE.

Lion. "You, ladies, you, whofe gentle hearts do fear
The smallest monftrous moufe that creeps on floor,

May

* May now, perchance, both quake and tremble here,
"When lion rough in wildeft rage doth roar.
"Then know, that I, as Snug the joiner, am
"A lion fell, nor else no lion's dam :
"For if I fhould as lion come in ftrife
"Into this place, 'twere pity on my life,"

The. A very gentle beait, and of a good confcience.
Dem. The very best at a beast, my lord, that e'er I faw.
Lyf. This lion is a very fox for his valour,
The. True; and a goofe for his discretion.

Dem. Not fo, my lord: for his valour cannot carry his difcretion; and the fox carries the goose.

The. His difcretion, I am fure, cannot carry his valour; for the goofe carries not the fox. It is well: leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon.

Moon. "This lantern doth the horned moon present :' Dem. He fhould have worn the horns on his head.

The. He is no crefcent, and his horns are invisible within the circumference.

Moon." This lantern doth the horned moon prefent; Myself the man i'the moon do seem to be."

The. This is the greatest error of all the reft; the man should be put into the lantern: How is it elfe the man i'the moon

Dem. He dares not come there for the candle; for you fee it is already in fnuff.

Hip. I am weary of this moon; Would he would change!

The. It appears, by his fmall light of difcretion, that he is in the wane; but yet, in courtesy, in all reafon, we must stay the time.

Lyf. Proceed, moon.

Moon. "All that I have to say, is to tell you, that the lan"tern is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this thorn, "bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog."

Dem. Why, all these should be in the lantern; for they are in the moon. But, filence; here comes Thibe.

Enter THISBE.

Thi. "This is old Ninny's tomb: Where is my love?" Lion. "Oh-” [The Lion roars.

F 3

THISBE runs off.
Dem.

Dem. Well roar'd, lion.

The. Well run, Thisbe,

Hip. Well fhone, moon.-Truly, the moon fhines with a good grace.

The. Well mous'd, lion.

Dem. And then came Pyramus.

Lys. And fo the lion vanish'd.

Enter PYRAMUS,

Pyr. "Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy funny beams;
"I thank thee, moon, for fhining now fo bright;
"For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering ftreams,
"I trust to taste of trueft Thisby's fight,
"But ftay ;-O fpight!

"But mark ;-Poor knight,
"What dreadful dole is here?
"Eyes, do you fee?

"How can it be?

"O dainty duck! O dear!
"Thy mantle good,
"What, ftain'd with blood?
"Approach, ye furies fell!

O fates! come, come;

"Cut thread and thrum;
"Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!"

The. This paffion, and the death of a dear friend, would go near to make a man look fad.

Hip. Befhrew my heart, but I pity the man.

Pyr. "O, wherefore, nature, didit thou lions frame? "Since lion vile hath here destroyed my dear :

"Which is no, no-which was the fairest dame, "That liv'd, that lov'd, that lik'd, that look'd with

"cheer.

"Come tears, confound;

"Out fword, and wound

"The pap of Pyramus :

"Ay, that left pap,

"Where heart doth hop :

"Thus die I, thus, thus, thus !

Now am I dead,

Now am I fled;

My