Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:148
Methought a serpent eat my heart away,
And you sat smiling at his cruel prey.
Lysander! what! remov'd?—Lysander! lord!
What! out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?152
Alack! where are you? speak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves! I swound almost with fear.
No! then I well perceive you are not nigh:
Either death or you I'll find immediately.Exit.
ACT THIRD
Scene One
[The Wood. Titania lying asleep]
Enter the Clowns [Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling].
Bot. Are we all met?
Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous con-
venient place for our rehearsal. This green plot
shall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our4
tiring-house; and we will do it in action as we
will do it before the duke.
Bot. Peter Quince,—
Quin. What sayst thou, bully Bottom?8
Bot. There are things in this comedy of
Pyramus and Thisby that will never please.
First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill him-
self, which the ladies cannot abide. How answer
you that?13
150 prey: preying
154 of: for the sake of
swound: swoon
Scene One S. d. Clowns: men of the lower class; also, comedians
5 tiring-house: dressing-room
8 bully: a friendly term equivalent to 'good old'
