Steal forth thy father's houfe to morrow night; To do obfervance to the morn of May, Lyf. I fwear to thee by Cupid's ftrongest bow, By that, which knitteth fouls, and profpers loves; Her. In that fame place thou haft appointed me, Lyf. Keep promife, love. Look, here comes Helena. I fwear to thee by Cupid's frongest bow, By &c. &c. In that fame place thou haft appointed me To morrow truly will I meet with thee.] Lyfander does but juft propofe her running away from her Father at midnight, and ftraight fhe is at her oaths that she will meet him at the place of Rendezvous. Not one doubt or hesitation, not one condition of affurance for Lyfander's conftancy. Either fhe was nauciously coming; or fhe had before jilted him; and he could not believe her without a thousand Oaths. But Shakespear observed nature at another Rate.The fpeeches are divided wrong, and muft be thus rectified; when Lyjander had propofed her running away with him, the replies, Her. My good Lyfander and is going on, to ask fecurity for his fidelity. This he perceives, and interrupts her with the grant of what the demands, Lyf. Ifwear to thee by Cupid's ftrongest bow &c. By all the vores that ever men have broke, In number more than ever woman spoke Here the interrupts him in her turn; declares herself satisfied, and confents to meet him, in the following words, Her. In that fame place thou hast appointed me, To morrow truly will I meet with thee. This divifion of the lines, befides preferving the character, gives the dialogue infinitely more force and fpirit. SCENE Her. God fpeed, fair Helena! whither away? Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unfay; Demetrius loves you, fair; O happy fair! Your eyes are load-ftars, and your tongue's fweet air More tuneable than lark to fhepherd's ear, When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear. Sickness is catching: oh, were favour fo! (a) Your's would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go; My ear fhould catch your voice, my eye your eye; My tongue should catch your tongue's fweet melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being 'bated, The reft I'll give to be to you tranflated. O teach me, how you look; and with what art You fway the motion of Demetrius' heart. Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me still. Hel. Oh, that your frowns would teach fuch skill! my fmiles Her. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love. Her. Take comfort; he no more shall fee my face; [(a) Your's would catch, Oxf. Ed. catch.] Vulg. your words I'd H 3 Her Her filver visage in the watʼry glass, Her. And in the wood, where often you and I But what of that? Demetrius thinks not fo: So I, admiring of his qualities. Things bafe and vile, holding no quantity, Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight: his [Exit. Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snowt, and Quin. Starveling. Is our company S all our company here? Bot. You were beft to call them generally man by man, according to the fcrip. Quin. Here is the fcrowl of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and Dutchefs, on his wedding-day at night. Bot. First, good Peter Quince, fay what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and fo go on to a point. 2 Quin. Marry, our play is the moft lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby. Bot. A very good piece of work, I affure you, and a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scrowl. Mafters, fpread yourselves. Quin. Anfwer, as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver. Bot. Ready: name what part I am for, and proceed. Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are fet down for Pyramus. Bot. What is Pyramus, a lover, or a tyrant? Quin. A lover, that kills himself moft gallantly for love. 2 GROW on to a point] read Go on &c. H 4 Bot. Bot. That will ask fome tears in the true performing of it; if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; will move ftorms; I will condole in fome measure. To the reft;—yet, my chief humour is for a tyrant; 3 I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a Cap in: To make all split" the raging rocks, and shivering fhocks fhall break the locks of prifon-gates"and Phibbus' carr fhall fhine from far, 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, Flu. Here, Peter Quince. Quin. You must take Thisby on you. Flu. What is Thisby, a wand'ring Knight? Quin. It is the lady, that Pyramus must love. Flu. Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming. Quin. That's all one, you fhall play it in a masque; and you may speak as fmall, as you will. Bot. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too; I'll speak in a monftrous little voice, Thifne, Thifne; ah 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 taylor, 3 I could play Ercles part rarely, or a part to tear a CAT in.] We fhould read, A part to tear a CAP in. for as a ranting whore was called a tear fheet. [2d part of Hen. IV.] fo a ranting bully was called a tear cap. For this reafon it is, the Poet makes bully Bottom, as he is called afterwards, wish for a part to tear a cap in. And in the ancient plays, the bombaft and the rant held the place of the fublime and pathetic: And indeed conftituted the very effence of their tragical Farces. Thus Bale in his Acts of English votaries, part zd, says grennyng like Termagauntes in a play. Star. |