When I from Thebes came last a conqueror. A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus, Philost. A play there is my lord, some ten words long; Which is as brief as I have known a play; [here, The. What are they that do play it? Philost. Hard-handed men, that work in Athens Which never labour'd in their minds till now; And now have toil'd their unbreath'd memories With this same play, against your nuptial. The. And we will hear it. Philost. No, my noble lord, It is not for you: I have heard it over, And it is nothing, nothing in the world; Unless you can find sport in their intents, Extremely stretch'd and conn'd with cruel pain, To do you service. The. I will hear that play; For never any thing can be amiss, The. Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing. Noble respect takes it in might, not merit. I read as much, as from the rattling tongue Enter PHILOSTtrate. Philost. So please your grace, the prologue is addrest. The. Let him approach. [Flourish of trumpets. Enter QUINCE as Prologue. Prol. If we offend, it is with our good will. That you should think, we come not to offend, But with good will. To shew our simple skill, That is the true beginning of our end. Consider then, we come but in despite. We do not come as minding to content you, Our true intent is. All for your delight, The. This fellow doth not stand upon points. Lys. He hath rid his prologue, like a rough colt; he knows not the stop. A good moral, my lord: It is not enough to speak, but to speak true. Hip. Indeed he hath played on this prologue, like a child on a recorder; a sound, but not in government. The. His speech was like a tangled chain; nothing impaired, but all disordered. Who is next? Enter PYRAMUS and THISBE, 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-cast, doth present "Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers sunder: [tent "And through wall's chink, poor souls, they are con"To whisper, at the which let no man wonder. This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn, "Presenteth moon-shine: for, if you will know, By moon-shine did these lovers think no scorn To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo. This grisly beast, which by name lion hight, The trusty Thisby, coming first by night, "Did scare away, or rather did affright: "And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall; "Which lion vile with bloody mouth did stain: "Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth, and tall, And finds his trusty Thisby's mantle slain : "Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, "He bravely broach'd his boiling bloody breast; "And, Thisby tarrying in mulberry shade, "His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, "Let lion, moon-shine, wall, and lovers twain, "At large discourse, while here they do remain." [Exeunt Prol. THISBE, Lion, and Moonshine. The. I wonder, if the lion be to speak. Dem. No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many asses do. Wall. "In this same interlude, it doth befall, And such a wall as I would have you think, That had in it a cranny'd hole, or chink, Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, "Did whisper often very secretly. "This loam, this rough-cast, and this stone, doth shew "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." The. Would you desire lime and hair to speak better ! " eyne. [this! "Shew me thy chink, to blink through with mine [Wall holds up his fingers. Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for But what see I? No Thisby do I see. "O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss ; "Curst be thy stones for thus deceiving me!" The. The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again. Pyr. No, in truth, sir, he should not. Deceiving me, is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will fall pat as I told you :-Yonder she comes. Enter THISBE. This. "O wall, full often hast thou heard my "For parting my fair Pyramus and me: [moans, "My cherry lips have often kiss'd thy stones; "Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee." I see a voice now will I to the chink, "To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. "Thisby!" Pur. 66 : This. "My love! thou art my love, I think." Pur. "Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's "And like Limander am I trusty still." [grace; This. " And I like Helen, till the fates me kill." This. "Tide life, tide death, I come without delay." Wall. Thus have I, wall, my part discharged so; And, being done, thus wall away doth go.' [Exeunt Wall, PYRAMUS, and THIsbe. The. Now is the mural down between the two neighbours. Dem. No remedy, my lord, when walls are so wilful to hear without warning. Hip. This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard. Te. The best in this kind are but shadows; and the worse are no worse, if imagination amend them. Hip. It must be your imagination then, and not theirs. The. If we imagine no worse of them, than they of themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here come two noble beasts in, a moon and a lion. Enter Lion and Moonshine. Lion. "You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear "The 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 lion's dam: "For if I should as lion come in strife "Into this place, 'twere pity on my life." The. A very gentle beast, and of a good conscience. Dem. The very best at a beast, my lord, that e'er I saw. Lys. This lion is a very fox for his valour. The. True; and a goose for his discretion. Dem. Not so, my lord; for his valour cannot carry his discretion; and the fox carries the goose. The. His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valour; for the goose carries not the fox. It is well: leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon. Moon. "This lantern doth the horned moon present:" Dem. He should have worn the horns on his head. The. He is no crescent, and his horns are invisible within the circumference. 'Myself the man i' the moon do seem to be." The. This is the greatest error of all the rest: the man should be put into the lantern: How is it else the man i' the moon. Dem. He dares not come there for the candle: for, you see, it is already in snuff. Hip. I am aweary of this moon: Would, he would change! The. It appears, by his small light of discretion, that he is in the wane: but yet, in courtesy, in all reason, we must stay the time. Lys. Proceed, moon. Moon. "All that I have to say, is, to tell you, that thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog." the lantern is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this Dem. Why, all these should be in the lantern; for they are in the moon. But, silence; here comes Thisbe. 66 Hip. Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man. Pyr. "O, wherefore, nature, didst thou lions frame? Since lion vile hath here deflour'd my dear: "Which is no, no-which was the fairest dame, "That liv'd, that lov'd, that lik'd, that look'd with Come, tears, confound; "Out, sword, and wound "The pap of Pyramus: "Ay, that left pap, "Now am I dead, "Tongue, loose thy light! [cheer. [Dies.-Exit Moonshine. Dem. No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one. Lys. Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he Moon. "This lantern doth the horned moon present; is nothing. What, dead, my dove? "O Pyramus, arise, Speak, speak. Quite dumb? "Dead, dead? A tomb "Must cover thy sweet eyes. "Come, come to me, "Since you have shore "With shears his thread of silk. "Tongue, not a word :- 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 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. [Here a dance of Clowns. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:Lovers, to bed; 'tis 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.-- SCENE II.-Enter PUCK. Puck. Now the hungry lion roars, [Exeunt. Whilst the heavy ploughman snores, All with weary task fordone. Now the wasted brands do glow, Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud, Puts the wretch that lies in woe, That the graves, all gaping wide, By the triple Hecat's team, Enter OBERON and TITANIA, with their train. Hop as light as bird from brier; SONG, AND DANCE. Obe. Now, until the break of day, Ever shall be fortunate. So shall all the couples three And the blots of nature's hand Shall upon their children be.- And each several chamber bless, Make no stay: [Exeunt OBERON, TITANIA, and train. Puck. If we shadows have offended, Think but this, (and all is mended,) Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, [Exit, thwild aries in his time were much in fashion, common tradition had made their familiind pleasure, which Wild and fantastical as this play is, all the parts in their various modes are well written, and give the kind of had made them great.-JOHNSON, LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. PUBLISHED in 1508. Mr. Malone supposes this play to have been written in 1594. The title page in the quarto states it to have been newly corrected and augmented by W. Shakspeare, and perhaps these corrections and augmentations constituted his only share of the production. SCENE I.-Navarre. A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGaville, King. Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, Biron. I can but say their protestation over, So much, dear liege, I have already sworn, King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense. When I to feast expressly am forbid; When mistresses from common sense are hid: King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain: [vain, As, painfully to pore upon a book, To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falsely blind the eye-sight of his look: Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile : By fixing it upon a fairer eye; That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their shining nights, Than those that walk, and wot not what they are. Too much to know, is, to know nought but fame; And every godfather can give a name. King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! | But is there no quick recreation granted? Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Dum. In reason nothing. Before the birds have any cause to sing? Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court. And hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.]—On pain of losing her tongue.— Who devis'd this? Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility. [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise.This article, my liege, yourself must break; For well you know, here comes in embassy King. Ay, that there is: our court, you know, is For interim to our studies, shall relate, Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight, A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight. Enter DULL, with a letter, and COSTARD. Biron. This is he. - Dull. Signior Arme Arme-commends you. There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me. King. A letter from the magnificent Armado. Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words. Long. A high hope for a low having: God grant us patience! Biron. To hear? or forbear hearing? Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to climb in the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those The French King's daughter with yourself to speak,-three: I was seen with her in the manor house, sit A maid of grace and complete majesty, About surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, [forgot. Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. [cree; Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Suggestions are to others, as to me; ting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is in manner and form following. Now, sir, for the manner,—it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the form, -in some form. Biron. For the following, sir? Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; And King. Will you hear this letter with attention? Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King. [Reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's God, and body's fostering patron,— Cost. Not a word of Costard yet. |