Philost.

Flere, mighty The The. Say, what abridgement® have

evening? What mask? what musick? How shall The lazy time, if not with some deligh Philost. There is a brieft, how ma

ripe; Make choice of which your highness w

(Giv The, reads.] The battle with the

be sung,

By an Athenian eunuch to the harp We'll none of that: that have I told my In glory of my kinsman Hercules.

The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals,

Tearing the Thracian singer in the That is an old device; and it was play' When I from Thebes came last a conque

The thrice three Muscs mourning f

Of learning, late deceas'd in beggar That is some satire, keen, and critical, Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony.

A tedious brief scene of young Pyro

And his love Thisbe: very tragical Merry and tragical? Tedious and brief That is, hot ice, and wonderous strang How shall we the concord of this Philost. A play there is, my lord, so

long; Which is as brief as I have known a pla: By ten words, my lord, it is too long; Which makes it tedious: for in all the p There is uot one word apt, one player fi And tragical, my noble lord, it is; For Pyramus therein doth kill himself. Which, when I saw rehears'd, I must ce Made mine eyes water; but more merry The passion of loud laughter never shed

DALAM
Of sawcy and audacious eloquence,
Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity,
In least, speak most, to my capacity.

14

Enter Philostrate.

Philost. So please your grace, the prologue is

addrest
The. Let him approach. (Flourish of trumpets.

Enter Prologue,

:. What are they, that do play it?
Lost. Hard-handed men, that work in Athens

here,
I never labour'd in their minds till now;
10w have toil'd their unbreath'd* memories
this same play, against your nuptial.
?. And we will hear it.
ilost.

No, my noble lord, not for you: I have heard it over, t is nothing, nothing in the world; ss you can find sport in their intents, mely stretch'd, and conu'd with cruel pain, ► you service. e.

I will hear that play; jever any thing can be amiss, a simpleness and duty tender it. ring them in;-and take your places, ladies.

[Exit Philostrate. p. I love not to see wretchedness o'ercharg'd, duty in his service perishing e. Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such

thing ip. He says, they can do nothing in this kind. ie. The kinder we, to give them thanks for no.

thing sport shall be, to take what they mistake: what poor duty cannot do, le respect takes it in might, not merit. re I have come, great clerks have purpos'd reet me with premeditated welcomes; re I have seen them shiver and look pale, e periods in the midst of sentences, ottle their practis'd accent in their fears, I, in conclusion, dumbly have broke off, paging me a welcome: Trust me, sweet, of this silence, yet, I pick'd a welcome; Tin the modesty of fearful duty ad as much, as from the rattling tongue

Prol. If we offend, it is with our good will.
That

you should think, we come not to offend,
But with good-will. To show 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,
We are not here. That you should here repe

you,
The actors are at hand; and, by their show,
You shall know all, thut you are like to know.

The. This fellow doth not stand upou points.
Lys. He hath rid his prologue, like a rough ce
he knows not the stop. A good moral, my lord
is not enough to speak, but to speak true.

Hip. Indeed he hath played on this prologue, a child on a recordert; a sound, but not in gor menu.

The. His speech was like a tangled chain; not impaired, but all disordered. Who is next?

Enter Pyramus and Thisbe, Wall, Moonshine,

Lion, as in dumb show,

Prol. "Gentles, perchance, you wonder at

show;

Unexercised.

• Ready.

Of sawcy and audacious eloquence.
Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simp
In least, speak most, to my capacity.

Prol. If we offend, it is with our goe

That you should think, we come no But with good-will. To show our sim

That is the true beginning of our erConsider then, we come but in despite

We do not come as minding to conte Our true intent is. All for your delt We are not here. That you should

you, The actors are at hand; and, by thei You shall know all, that you are like

The. This fellow doth not stand upo

Lys. He hath rid his prologue, like he knows not the stop. A good moral, is not enough to speak, but to speak tru

Hip. Indeed he hath played on this p a child on a recordert; a sound, but n ment.

The. His speech was like a tangled cha impaired, but all disordered. Who is

Pyr. 'O grim-look'd night! O E

black ! O pight, which ever art, whea O night, О night, alack, alack, ala

'I fear my Thisby's promise is fc And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lov * That stand'st between lier fat!

mine; • Thou wall, 0 wall, O sweet and lc Show me thy chink, to blink th eyne.

[Wall hol *Thanks, courteous wall: Jove sh

this! • But what see I? No Thisby do I • O wicked wall, through whom I s Curst be thy stones for thus dece

The. The wall, metlinks, being curse again.

Pyr. No, in truth, sir, he should me, is Thisby's cue: she is to entto spy her through the wall. You fall pat as I told you:

-Yonder sh