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Quince

and then you will play barefaced. – But masters, here are
your parts, and I am to entreat you, request you, and
desire you to con them by tomorrow night, and meet me
in the palace wood a mile without the town. By moonlight
There will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city
we shall be dogged with company and our devices
known. In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties
such as our play wants. I pray you fail me not.

Bottom

We will meet, and there we may rehearse most
obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect.
Adieu.

Bottom

Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best
to play it in?

Quince

Why, what you will.

Bottom

I will discharge it in either your straw-color
beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain
beard, or your French-crown-color beard, your perfect
yellow.

Bottom

Let me play the lion too. I will roar that I will do
any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar that I will
make the Duke say “Let him roar again, let him roar
again.”

Quince

An you should do it too terribly you would fright
the Duchess and the ladies that they would shriek, and
that were enough to hang us all.

All

That would hang us, every mother's son.

Bottom

I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies
out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but
to hang us, but I will aggravate my voice so that I will
roar you as gently as any sucking dove. I will roar you
an 'twere any nightingale.

Bottom

Let me play the lion too. I will roar that I will do
any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar that I will
make the Duke say “Let him roar again, let him roar
again.”

Quince

An you should do it too terribly you would fright
the Duchess and the ladies that they would shriek, and
that were enough to hang us all.

All

That would hang us, every mother's son.

Bottom

I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies
out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but
to hang us, but I will aggravate my voice so that I will
roar you as gently as any sucking dove. I will roar you
an 'twere any nightingale.

Flute

What is Thisbe? A wandering knight?

Quince

It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

Flute

Nay, faith, let not me play a woman. I have a
beard coming.

Quince

That's all one. You shall play it in a mask, and
you may speak as small as you will.

Bottom

An I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too. I'll speak
in a monstrous little voice: “Thisne, Thisne!” —
“Ah Pyramus, my lover dear!" – "Thy Thisbe dear and lady dear!”

Quince

Flute, you must take Thisbe on you.

Flute

What is Thisbe? A wandering knight?

Quince

It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

Flute

Nay, faith, let not me play a woman. I have a
beard coming.

Bottom

That will ask some tears in the true performing of
it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes. I will
move storms, I will condole in some measure.  To the
rest — yet my chief humor is for a tyrant. I could play
Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split.
    The raging rocks
    And shivering shocks
    Shall break the locks
    Of prison gates,
    And Phibbus' car
    Shall shine from far
    And make and mar
    The foolish Fates.

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