[Enter Quince, Flute, Snout, and Starveling]
Quince
Have you sent to Bottom's house? Is he come
Starveling
He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is
Flute
If he come not, then the play is marred. It goes not
Quince
It is not possible. You have not a man in all
Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.
Flute
No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraftman
Quince
Yea, and the best person, too; and he is a very
paramour for a sweet voice.
Flute
You must say “paragon”. A paramour is – God bless
[Enter Snug the joiner]
Snug
Masters, the Duke is coming from the temple, and
there is two or three lords and ladies more married. If
our sport had gone forward we had all been made men.
Flute
O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a
day during his life; he could not have scaped sixpence a
day. An the Duke had not given him sixpence a day for
playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged. He would have
deserved it. Sixpence a day in Pyramus, or nothing.
[Enter Bottom]
Bottom
Where are these lads? Where are these hearts?
Quince
Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy
Bottom
Masters, I am to discourse wonders – but ask me
not what, for if I tell you, I am no true Athenian – I will
tell you everything, right as it fell out.
Quince
Let us hear, sweet Bottom.
Bottom
Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is that
the Duke hath dined. Get your apparel together, good
strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps.
Meet presently at the palace. Every man look o'er his
part. For the short and the long is, our play is preferred.
In any case let Thisbe have clean linen, and let not him
that plays the lion pare his nails, for they shall hang out
for the lion's claws. And most dear actors, eat no
onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath, and
I do not doubt but to hear them say it is a sweet comedy.
No more words. Away, go, away!
[Exit all]
