Quin.-Aye； or else one must come in with a bush of thornsand a lanthorn， and say he comes to disfigure， or to present， the person of Moonshine. Then， there is another thing： We must have a wall in the great chamber； for Pyramus and Thisby， says the story， did talk through the chink of a wall.
Snout.-You can never bring in a wall. What say you， Bottom ？
Bet.-Some man or other must present Wall： and let him have some plaster， or some loam， or some rough-cast about him， to signify wall； and let him hold his fingers thus， and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.
Quin.-If that may be， then all is well.
(The rehearsal proceeds.)
Scene Ⅲ.-The Performance. Scene.-Athens； the Palace of Theseus. Enter Wall.
Wall.-In this same interlude it doth befall
That I， one Snout by name， present a wall；
And such a wall， as I would have you think， That had in it a crannied hole or chink， Through which the lovers， Pyramus and Thisby， Did whisper often very secretly.
This loam， this rough-cast， and this stone doth show That I am that same wall； the truth is so：
And this the cranny is， right and sinister， Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.
Enter Pyramus.
Pyr.-O grim-look"d night ！ O night with hue so black ！
O night， which ever art when day is not！ O night， O night ！ alack， alack， alack，I fear my Thisby"s promise is forgot！ And thou， O wall， O sweet， O lovely wall，That stand"st between her father"s ground and mine！ Thou wall， O wall， O sweet and lovely wall，Show me thy chink， to blink through with mine eyne！ (Wall holds up his fingers.)Thanks， courteous wall： Jove shield thee well for this ！
But what see I？ No Thisby do I see.
O wicked wall， through whom I see no bliss ！
Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me ！
Enter Thisbe.
This.-O wall， full often hast thou heard my moans， For parting my fair Pyramus and me！
My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones，
Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.
Pyr.-I see a voice ： now will I to the chink，To spy an I can hear my Thisby"s face. Thisby ！
This.-My love！ thou art my love， I think.
Pyr.- Think what thou wilt， I am thy lover"s grace； And， like Limander， am I trusty still.
This.-And I like Helen， till the Fates me kill.
Pyr.- Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.
This.-As Shafalus to Procrus， I to you.
Pyr.- Oh， kiss me through the hole of this vile wall！ This.-I kiss the wall"s hole， not your lips at all. Pyr.-Wilt thou at Ninny"s tomb meet me straightway？ This.-"Tide life， "tide death， I come without delay.
Wall， Pyramus， and Thisbe go out. Enter Lion andMoonshine.
Lion.-You， ladies， you， whose gentle hearts do fearThe smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor，May now， perchance， both quake and tremble here， When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.
Then know that I， one Snug the joiner， am A lion fell， nor else no li0n"s dam；For， if I should as lion come in strife Into this place， "twere pity on my life.
Moon.-This lanthorn doth the hornèd moon present-Thislanthorn doth the hornèd moon present-Myself the man i" the moon do seem to be-All I have to say is to tell you that the lanthorn is the moon； I， the man in the moon； this thorn-bush， my thorn-bush； and this dog， my dog.
Enter Thisbe.
Drawn by John Rowell
"I see a voice. "
This.-This is old Ninny"s tomb. Where is my love ？
Lion (roaring).-Oh- (Thisbe runs off； the Lion tears Thisbe"s mantle， and exit.)Enter Pyramus.
Pyr.-Sweet Moon， I thank thee for thy sunny beams； I thank thee， Moon， for shining now so bright ： For， by thy gracious， golden， glittering gleams， I trust to taste of truest Thisby"s sight.
But stay， O spite！
But mark， poor knight， What dreadful dole is here！ Eyes， do you see？
How can it be？
O dainty duck！ O dear！
Thy mantle good，What！ stained with blood？ Approach， ye Furies fell！
O Fates， come， come， Cut thread and thrum；
Quail， crush， conclude， and quell！
O wherefore， Nature， didst thou lions frame， Since lion vile hath here deflowered my dear？ Which is-no， no-which was the fairest dameThat lived， that loved， that liked， that looked with cheer.
Come， tears， confound； Out， sword， and wound
The pap of Pyramus； Ay， that left pap，
Where heart doth hop： (Stabs himself.)
Thus die I， thus， thus， thus！
Now am I dead，
Now am I fled；
My soul is in the sky.
Tongue， lose thy light！
Moon， take thy flight！ (Exit Moonshine.)
Now， die， die， die， die， die！(Dies.)
This.- Asleep， my love？
What， dead， my dove？
Enter Thisbe.
O Pyramus， arise！
Speak， speak. Quite dumb？ Dead， dead ？ A tombMust cover thy sweet eyes.
These lily lips， This cherry nose，
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.
And farewell， friends；. Thus Thisby ends；
Adieu， adieu， adieu.(Dies.)
Abridged and compiled from Shakespeare"s A Midsummer Night"s Dream.
Author.-William Shakespeabe (see " Cloud Pictures ").
General Notes.-Write a little note on the character of each person as revealed in the play. The story of Pyramus and Thisbe， of whichShake- spears makes a burlesque， is from Greek mythology. Pyramus， the lover of Thisbe， supposing his lady-love has been torn to pieces by a lion， stabs himself under s mulberry tree. Thisbe finds the dead body and kills herself on the same spot. Ever since then， the myth says， the juice of mulberries has been bloodstained. "Ercles " is a vulgarism for Hercules， the strong man， "Phibbus " for Ph？bus Apollo， the sun god. Mark in scene 3 what marvellously bad poetry Shakespeare could write when he tried. "Jove " swam the Hellespont. "Helen " was a blunder for Hero，beloved of Leander. "Shafalus " and " Procrus " are for Cephalos and Procris. Cephalos by accident shot his wife Procris in a forest， where she had in jealousy followed to watch him hunting.
Lesson 2
NIGHT
Hark how the tremulous night-wind is passing in joy- laden sighs！
