Page:Midsummer Night's Dream (1918) Yale.djvu/44

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32
A Midsummer

spoken your speech, enter into that brake; and
so every one according to his cue.81

Enter Robin [behind].


Puck. What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here,
So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What! a play toward; I'll be an auditor;84
An actor too perhaps, if I see cause.

Quin. Speak, Pyramus.—Thisby, stand forth.

Bot. Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet,—

Quin. Odorous, odorous.88

Bot. —odours savours sweet:
So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.
But hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile,
And by and by I will to thee appear.— Exit.

Puck. —A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here!

[Exit.]

Flu. Must I speak now?

Quin. Ay, marry, must you; for you must
understand, he goes but to see a noise that he
heard, and is to come again.97

Flu. Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,
Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier,
Most brisky juvenal, and eke most lovely Jew,
As true as truest horse that yet would never tire,101
I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

Quin. 'Ninus' tomb,' man. Why, you must
not speak that yet; that you answer to Pyra-
mus: you speak all your part at once, cues and
all. Pyramus, enter: your cue is past; it is
'never tire.'

82 hempen home-spuns: rude fellows
84 toward: in preparation
100 juvenal: an affected word for 'youth'
eke: also