Shakespeare's a Midsummer-Night's Dream; With Introduction, and Notes Explanatory and Critical. for Use in Schools and Families (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ... ACT III. Scene I. -- The Wood. Titania lying asleep. Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling. Bot. Are we all met? Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our 'tiring-house; and we will do it in action as we will do it before the Duke. Bot. Peter Quince, -- Quin. What say'st thou, bully Bottom? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Snout. By'r lakin, a parlous fear.1 Star. I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done. Bot. Not a whit: I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue; and let the prologue seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not kill'd indeed; and, for the more better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the Weaver: this will put them out of fear. Quin. Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.2 1 By'r lakin is a diminutive of by'r Lady, which, again, is a contraction of by our Lady, an old oath of frequent occurrence in these plays; Lady meaning the Virgin Mary. Parlous is a corruption of perilous. 3 In alternate verses of eight and six syllables. Bot. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight. Snout Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? Star. I fear it, I promise you. 5 Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in -- God shield us -- a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to it. Snout. Therefore another prologue must tell he...