A Midsummer Nights Dream

Duke. Let him approach. Flor. Trum. Enter the Prologue. Quince. Pro. If we offend, it is with our good will. That you should thinke, we come not to offend, But with good will. To shew our simple skill, That is the true beginning of our end. Consider then, we come but in despight. We do not come, as minding to content you, Our true intent is. All for your delight, We are not heere. That you should here repent you, The Actors are at hand; and by their show, You shall know all, that you are like to know Thes. This fellow doth not stand vpon points Lys. He hath rid his Prologue, like a rough Colt: he knowes not the stop. A good morall my lord. it is not enough to speake, but to speake true Hip. Indeed hee hath plaid on his Prologue, like a childe on a Recorder, a sound, but not in gouernment Thes. His speech was like a tangled chaine: nothing impaired, but all disordered. Who is next? Tawyer with a Trumpet before them. Enter Pyramus and Thisby, Wall, Moone-shine, and Lyon. Prol. Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show, But wonder on, till truth make all things plaine. This man is Piramus, if you would know; This beauteous Lady, Thisby is certaine. This man, with lyme and rough-cast, doth present Wall, that vile wall, which did these louers sunder: And through walls chink (poor soules) they are content To whisper. At the which, let no man wonder. This man, with Lanthorne, dog, and bush of thorne, Presenteth moone-shine. For if you will know, By moone-shine did these Louers thinke no scorne To meet at Ninus toombe, there, there to wooe: This grizly beast (which Lyon hight by name) The trusty Thisby, comming first by night, Did scarre away, or rather did affright: And as she fled, her mantle she did fall; Which Lyon vile with bloody mouth did staine. Anon comes Piramus, sweet youth and tall, And findes his Thisbies Mantle slaine; Whereat, with blade, with bloody blamefull blade, He brauely broacht his boiling bloudy breast, And Thisby, tarrying in Mulberry shade, His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, Let Lyon, Moone-shine, Wall, and Louers twaine, At large discourse, while here they doe remaine. Exit all but Wall. Thes. I wonder if the Lion be to speake Deme. No wonder, my Lord: one Lion may, when many Asses doe. Exit Lyon, Thisbie, and Mooneshine. Wall. In this same Interlude, it doth befall, That I, one Snowt (by name) present a wall: And such a wall, as I would haue you thinke, That had in it a crannied hole or chinke: Through which the Louers, Piramus and Thisbie Did whisper often, very secretly. This loame, this rough-cast, and this stone doth shew, That I am that same Wall; the truth is so. And this the cranny is, right and sinister, Through which the fearfull Louers are to whisper Thes. Would you desire Lime and Haire to speake better? Deme. It is the wittiest partition, that euer I heard discourse, my Lord Thes. Pyramus drawes neere the Wall, silence. Enter Pyramus. Pir. O grim lookt night, o night with hue so blacke, O night, which euer art, when day is not: O night, o night, alacke, alacke, alacke, I feare my Thisbies promise is forgot. And thou o wall, thou sweet and louely wall, That stands between her fathers ground and mine, Thou wall, o Wall, o sweet and louely wall, Shew me thy chinke, to blinke through with mine eine. Thankes courteous wall. Ioue shield thee well for this. But what see I? No Thisbie doe I see. O wicked wall, through whom I see no blisse, Curst be thy stones for thus deceiuing mee Thes. The wall me-thinkes being sensible, should curse againe Pir. No in truth sir, he should not. Deceiuing me, Is Thisbies cue; she is to enter, and I am to spy Her through the wall. You shall see it will fall. Enter Thisbie. Pat as I told you; yonder she comes This. O wall, full often hast thou heard my mones, For parting my faire Piramus, and me My cherry lips haue often kist thy stones; Thy stones with Lime and Haire knit vp in thee Pyra. I see a voyce; now will I to the chinke, To spy and I can heare my Thisbies face. Thisbie? This. My Loue thou art, my Loue I thinke Pir. Thinke what thou wilt, I am thy Louers grace, And like Limander am I trusty still This. And like Helen till the Fates me kill Pir. Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true This. As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you Pir. O kisse me through the hole of this vile wall This. I kisse the wals hole, not your lips at all Pir. Wilt thou at Ninnies tombe meete me straight way? This. Tide life, tide death, I come without delay Wall. Thus haue I Wall, my part discharged so; And being done, thus Wall away doth go. Exit Clow. Du. Now is the morall downe between the two Neighbours Dem. No remedie my Lord, when Wals are so wilfull, to heare without warning Dut. This is the silliest stuffe that ere I heard Du. The best in this kind are but shadowes, and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them Dut. It must be your imagination then, & not theirs Duk. If wee imagine no worse of them then they of themselues, they may passe for excellent men. Here com two noble beasts, in a man and a Lion. Enter Lyon and Moone-shine Lyon. You Ladies, you (whose gentle harts do feare The smallest monstrous mouse that creepes on floore) May now perchance, both quake and tremble heere, When Lion rough in wildest rage doth roare. Then know that I, one Snug the Ioyner am A Lion fell, nor else no Lions dam: For if I should as Lion come in strife Into this place, 'twere pittie of my life