PROLOGUE. 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； And through Walls chink， poor souls， they are content To whisper. At the which let no man wonder. This man， with lanthorn， dog， and bush of thorn， Presenteth Moonshine； for， if you will know， By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn To meet at Ninus' tomb， there， there to woo. This grisly beast， which Lion hight by name， 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， Moonshine， Wall， and lovers twain， At large discourse while here they do remain. Exeunt PROLOGUE， PYRAMUS， THISBY， LION， and MOONSHINE THESEUS. I wonder if the lion be to speak. DEMETRIUS. No wonder， my lord： one lion may， when many asses do. 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. THESEUS. Would you desire lime and hair to speak better？ DEMETRIUS. It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard discourse， my lord.
Enter PYRAMUS
THESEUS. Pyramus draws near the wall； silence. PYRAMUS. 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 what see I？ No Thisby do I see. O wicked wall， through whom I see no bliss， Curs'"d he thy stones for thus deceiving me！ THESEUS. The wall， methinks， being sensible， should curse again. PYRAMUS. 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 THISBY
THISBY. O wall， full often hast thou beard my moans， For parting my fair Pyramus and me！ My cherry lips have often kiss'd thy stones， Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee. PYRAMUS. I see a voice； now will I to the chink， To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. Thisby！ THISBY. My love！ thou art my love， I think. PYRAMUS. Think what thou wilt， I am thy lover's grace； And like Limander am I trusty still. THISBY. And I like Helen， till the Fates me kill. PYRAMUS. Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true. THISBY. As Shafalus to Procrus， I to you. PYRAMUS. O， kiss me through the hole of this vile wall. THISBY. I kiss the wall's hole， not your lips at all. PYRAMUS. Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightway？ THISBY. Tide life， tide death， I come without delay. Exeunt PYRAMUS and THISBY WALL. Thus have I， Wall， my part discharged so； And， being done， thus Wall away doth go. Exit WALL THESEUS. Now is the moon used between the two neighbours. DEMETRIUS. No remedy， my lord， when walls are so wilful to hear without warning. HIPPOLYTA. This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard. THESEUS. The best in this kind are but shadows； and the worst are no worse， if imagination amend them. HIPPOLYTA. It must be your imagination then， and not theirs. THESEUS. If we imagine no worse of them than they of themselves， they may pass for excellent men. Here come two noble beasts in， a man 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 as 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. THESEUS. A very gentle beast， and of a good conscience. DEMETRIUS. The very best at a beast， my lord， that e'er I saw. LYSANDER. This lion is a very fox for his valour. THESEUS. True； and a goose for his discretion. DEMETRIUS. Not so， my lord； for his valour cannot carry his discretion， and the fox carries the goose. THESEUS. 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. MOONSHINE. This lanthorn doth the horned moon present- DEMETRIUS. He should have worn the horns on his head. THESEUS. He is no crescent， and his horns are invisible within the circumference. MOONSHINE. This lanthorn doth the horned moon present； Myself the Man it the Moon do seem to be. THESEUS. This is the greatest error of all the rest； the man should be put into the lantern. How is it else the man i' th' moon？ DEMETRIUS. He dares not come there for the candle； for， you see， it is already in snuff. HIPPOLYTA. I am aweary of this moon. Would he would change！ THESEUS. 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. LYSANDER. Proceed， Moon. MOON. All that I have to say is to tell you that the lanthorn is the moon； I， the Man i' th' Moon； this thorn-bush， my thorn-bush； and this dog， my dog. DEMETRIUS. Why， all these should be in the lantern； for all these are in the moon. But silence； here comes Thisby.
