Act IV, Scene ii

[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?

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 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: 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 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!

BOTTOM

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

what; for if I tell you, I am not true Athenian. I will tell you

everything, 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 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 over his part; for the short and the long

is, our play is preferred. In any case, let Thisby have clean

linen; and let not him that plays the lion pare his nails, for

they shall hang out for the lion's claws. And, most dear actors,

eat no onions nor garlick, for we are to utter sweet breath; and

I do not doubt but to hear them say it is a sweet comedy. No more

words: away! go; away!

[Exeunt.]