340

350

These yellow cowslip cheeks
Are gone, are gone:
Lovers, make moan:

His eyes were green as leeks.
O Sisters three,

Come, come to me,
With hands as pale as milk;
Lay them in gore,

Since you have shore

With shears his thread of silk.
Tongue, not a word :

Come, trusty sword;

Come, blade, my breast imbrue ; [Stabs herself.

And farewell, friends,

Thus Thisby ends,

Adieu, adieu, adieu !

[Dies.

The. Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.

Dem. Ay, and Wall too.

Bot. No, I assure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance, between two of our company?

The. No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excuse. Never excuse; for, when the 360 players are all dead, there need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged himself in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine tragedy: and so it is, truly; and very notably discharged. But, come, your Bergomask: let your epilogue alone. [A dance.

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:-
Lovers, to bed; 't is almost fairy-time.

I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn

As much as we this night have overwatch'd.
This palpable-gross play hath well beguil'd
The heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed.
A fortnight hold we this solemnity
In nightly revels and new jollity.
Enter PUCK.

Puck. Now the hungry lion roars,

[Exeunt.

And the wolf behowls the moon;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,
All with weary task fordone.

Now the wasted brands do glow,

Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe
In remembrance of a shroud.
Now it is the time of night

That the graves, all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite
In the church-way path to glide:
And we fairies, that do run
By the triple Hecate's team,
From the presence of the sun,

Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic: not a mouse
Shall disturb this hallow'd house:
I am sent with broom before,

To sweep the dust behind the door.

Enter OBERON and TITANIA, with their train.

Obe. Through the house give glimmering light,
By the dead and drowsy fire:

Every elf and fairy sprite

Hop as light as bird from brier:

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380

390

400

410

420

And this ditty, after me,
Sing, and dance it trippnigly.
Tita. First, rehearse your song by rote,
To each word a warbling note:
Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Will we sing, and bless this place.

[Song and dance

Obe. Now, until the break of day,
Through this house each fairy stray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us shall blessèd be;
And the issue there create
Ever shall be fortunate.
So shall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be;

And the blots of Nature's hand
Shall not in their issue stand;
Never mole, hair-lip, nor scar,
Nor mark prodigious, such as are
Despised in nativity,

Shall upon their children be.
With this field-dew consecrate,

Every fairy take his gait;

And each several chamber bless,

Through this palace with sweet peace:

And the owner of it blest,

Ever shall in safety rest.
Trip away; make no stay;
Meet me all by break of day.

[Exeunt OBERON, TITANIA, and train.

Puck. If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here

While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I'm an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call:

So, good-night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

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440

[Exit.

NOTES.

ACT. I.

Scene I.

1. The name of Theseus, and that of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, may have been borrowed by Shakespeare from Chaucer's Knight's Tale, although there is nothing else in the play for which he can have been indebted to the same source. But he was no doubt acquainted with the story of Theseus in North's translation of Plutarch's Lives.

4. She lingers my desires, delays the accomplishment of my desires.

5. A step-dame, or a dowager, who has a life interest in the property which falls to the heir at her death.

6. Withering out, causing the revenue to dwindle as she herself withers away.

13. Pert, lively; used in a good sense, and not as now as equivalent to something a little less than impudent, saucy. It is probably connected with the Fr. appert (whence malapert).

15. Companion, fellow. These two words have completely exchanged their meanings. "Companion" is not now used contemptuously as it once was, and as "fellow" frequently is.

19. With pomp, with triumph. A triumph was a public exhibition or show, such as was originally used to celebrate a victory. The title of Bacon's 37th Essay is "Of Masques and Triumphs," and the two words appear to have been synonymous, for the Essay treats of masques alone.

20. Duke, leader, from the Lat. dux. A title which Shakespeare might have found attached to Theseus in Chaucer. See the Knight's Tale, 1. 860.

21. What's the news with thee? What has happened to thee? 32. Stol'n the impression of her fantasy, secretly stamped his image on her imagination.

33. Gawds, trifling ornaments, toys.

76. Conceits, fanciful devices.

34. Knacks, knick-knacks, trinkets.

41. Solon's laws gave a father the power of life and death over his child.