_Quin._ Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moonshine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for 55 Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall. _Snout._ You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom? _Bot._ Some man or other must present wall: and let him 60 have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper. _Quin._ If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother’s son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, 65 you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake: and so every one according to his cue. _Enter_ PUCK _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; 70 An actor too perhaps, if I see cause. _Quin._ Speak, Pyramus. Thisby, stand forth. _Bot._ Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet,— _Quin._ Odours, odours. _Bot._ —— odours savours sweet: 75 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? 80 _Quin._ Ay, marry, must you; for you must understand he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again. _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, 85 As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire, I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny’s tomb. _Quin._ ‘Ninus’ tomb,’ man: why, you must not speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: you speak all your part at once, cues and all. Pyramus enter: your cue is 90 past; it is, ‘never tire.’ _Flu._ O,—As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire. _Re-enter_ PUCK, _and_ BOTTOM _with an ass’s head_. _Bot._ If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine. _Quin._ O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! Help! 95 [_Exeunt Quince, Snug, Flute, Snout, and Starveling._ _Puck._ I’ll follow you, I’ll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier: Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, 100 Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. [_Exit._ _Bot._ Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afeard. _Re-enter_ SNOUT.