A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM 4.2

Athens. QUINCE'S house.

[Enter QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING]

QUINCE Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he come home yet?

STARVELING He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is

transported.

FLUTE If he come not, then the play is marred: it goes

not forward, doth it? 5

QUINCE It is not possible: you have not a man in all

Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.

FLUTE No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft

man in Athens.

QUINCE Yea and the best person too; and he is a very 10

paramour for a sweet voice.

FLUTE You must say 'paragon:' a paramour is, God bless us,

a thing of naught.

[Enter SNUG]

SNUG Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, and

there is two or three lords and ladies more married: 15

if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made

men.

FLUTE O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a

day during his life; he could not have 'scaped

sixpence a day: an the duke had not given him 20

sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged;

he would have deserved it: sixpence a day in

Pyramus, or nothing.

[Enter BOTTOM]

BOTTOM Where are these lads? where are these hearts?

QUINCE Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy hour! 25

BOTTOM Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not

what; for if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I

will tell you every thing, right as it fell out.

QUINCE Let us hear, sweet Bottom.

BOTTOM Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that 30

the duke hath dined. Get your apparel together,

good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your

pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look

o'er his part; for the short and the long is, our

play is preferred. In any case, let Thisby have 35

clean linen; and let not him that plays the lion

pair his nails, for they shall hang out for the

lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions

nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I

do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet 40

comedy. No more words: away! go, away!

[Exeunt]

STARVELING		He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is
		transported.

FLUTE		If he come not, then the play is marred: it goes
		not forward, doth it?	5

QUINCE		It is not possible: you have not a man in all
		Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.

FLUTE		No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft
		man in Athens.

QUINCE		Yea and the best person too; and he is a very	10
		paramour for a sweet voice.

FLUTE		You must say 'paragon:' a paramour is, God bless us,
		a thing of naught.
		[Enter SNUG]

SNUG	Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, and
	there is two or three lords and ladies more married:	15
	if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made
	men.

FLUTE	O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a
	day during his life; he could not have 'scaped
	sixpence a day: an the duke had not given him	20
	sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged;
	he would have deserved it: sixpence a day in
	Pyramus, or nothing.
	[Enter BOTTOM]

BOTTOM		Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not
		what; for if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I
		will tell you every thing, right as it fell out.

BOTTOM	Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that	30
	the duke hath dined. Get your apparel together,
	good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your
	pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look
	o'er his part; for the short and the long is, our
	play is preferred. In any case, let Thisby have	35
	clean linen; and let not him that plays the lion
	pair his nails, for they shall hang out for the
	lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions
	nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I
	do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet	40
	comedy. No more words: away! go, away!
	[Exeunt]