The. Come now; what masks, what dances shall we have, To wear away this long age of three hours, Between our after-fupper, and bed-time? Where is our ufual manager of mirth? What revels are in hand? Is there no play, To ease the anguish of a torturing hour? Call Philoftrate.` Philoft. Here, mighty Thefeus. The. Say, what abridgment have you for this evening? What mask? what mufick? How fhall we beguile The lazy time, if not with fome delight? Philoft. There is a brief, how many sports are ripe; Make choice of which your highness will fee first. [Giving a paper. The. reads.] The battle of the Centaurs, to be fung We'll none of that: that I have told my love, The riot of the tipfy Bacchanals, Tearing the Thracian finger in their rage. That is fome fatire, keen, and critical, Not forting with a nuptial ceremony. a abridgment]-plays were fo called, from their comprising the events of years in the compass of a few hours. The thrice three Mufes]-alluding perhaps to Spenfer's "Tears of "the Mufes," the more than mortal fweetness of whose paftorals our author is supposed to intimate, A&t II, S. 2. where the Queen fays of Oberon, "And, in the shape of Corin, fate all day" &c. or this pretended title may contain an oblique fatire upon those, who could fuffer Spenfer himself to die in distress. critical,cenforious. A tedious A tedious brief fcene of young Pyramus, That is, hot ice, and wonderous 'ftrange fnow. Philoft. A play there is, my lord, fome ten words long; The. What are they, that do play it? Philoft. Hard-handed men, that work in Athens here, And now have toil'd their "unbreath'd memories The. And we will hear it. Philoft. No, my noble lord, It is not for you: I have heard it over, W Extremely stretch'd, and conn'd with cruel pain, The. I will hear that play : For never any thing can be amifs, · ftrange black; fcorching. unbreath'd]-untried, unexperienced. w intents, &c.]-entertainment, which in compliment to you, they have rack'd their brains to devife. When fimpleness and duty tender it. Go, bring them in;-and take your places, ladies. [Exit Philoft. Hip. I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharg'd, And duty in his fervice perishing. The. Why, gentle fweet, you fhall fee no fuch thing. Hip. He fays, they can do nothing in this kind. The. The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing. Our sport shall be, to take what they mistake: And what poor duty cannot do, Noble refpect takes it in might, not merit. Where I have come, great clerks have purposed y Throttle their practis'd accent in their fears, I read as much, as from the rattling tongue Love, therefore, and tongue-ty'd fimplicity, In least, speak moft, to my capacity. Enter Philoftrate. Philoft. So please your grace, the prologue is addrest. The. Let him approach. Enter the prologue. Prol. If we offend, it is with our good will. [Flour. Trum. * it in might, not merit.]-the best in its might to do, for the best that might be done-the will for the deed. Y periods]-full ftops. 2 addreft.]-prepared to enter. But But with good-will. To fhew our fimple skill, We do not come, Our true intent is. We are not here. as minding to content you, That you should here repent you, The actors are at hand; and, by their show, 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 speak, but to speak 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 difordered. Who is next? Enter Pyramus and Thibe, Wall, Moonshine, and Lion, as in dumb show. Prol. "Gentles, perchance, you wonder at this show; "But wonder on, till truth make all things plain. “This man is Pyramus, if you would know; "This beauteous lady Thisby is, certain. "This man, with lime and rough-caft, doth prefent "Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers funder: "And through wall's chink, poor fouls, they are content "To whisper; at the which let no man wonder. “This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn, "Presenteth moon-fhine: for, if you will know, By moon-fhine did thefe lovers think no fcorn "To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo. "This grifly beaft, which by name lion hight, "The trufty Thisby, coming firft by night, recorder ;]-a flute. F 3 b government.]-tune. Did с "Did fcare away, or rather did affright: d "His dagger drew, and died. For all the reft, "Let lion, moon-fhine, 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, "This lome, this rough-caft, and this stone, doth fhew [Holding up one hand, with a finger feparated. "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! let fall. flain:]-torn. "O |