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A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Act 5, scene 1
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Act 5, scene 1Act 5, scene 1
⌜Scene 1⌝
Synopsis:
Theseus dismisses as imaginary the lovers’ account of their night’s experience, and then chooses “Pyramus and Thisbe” for the night’s entertainment. The play is so ridiculous and the performance so bad that the courtly audience find pleasure in mocking them. When the play is over and the newly married couples have retired to bed, the fairies enter, led by Titania and Oberon, to bless the three marriages. Robin Goodfellow asks the audience to think of the play as if it were a dream.
Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, and Philostrate, ⌜Lords, andAttendants.⌝
HIPPOLYTA
1779 ’Tis strange, my Theseus, that these lovers speak of.
THESEUS
1780 More strange than true. I never may believe
1781 These antique fables nor these fairy toys.
1782 Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
1783 5 Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
1784 More than cool reason ever comprehends.
1785 The lunatic, the lover, and the poet
1786 Are of imagination all compact.
1787 One sees more devils than vast hell can hold:
1788 10 That is the madman. The lover, all as frantic,
1789 Sees Helen’s beauty in a brow of Egypt.
1790 The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
1791 Doth glance from heaven to Earth, from Earth to
1792 heaven,
1793 15 And as imagination bodies forth
1794 The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
1795 Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
1796 A local habitation and a name.
1797 Such tricks hath strong imagination
1798 20 That, if it would but apprehend some joy,
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145
1799
It comprehends some bringer of that joy.1800 Or in the night, imagining some fear,
1801 How easy is a bush supposed a bear!
HIPPOLYTA
1802 But all the story of the night told over,
1803 25 And all their minds transfigured so together,
1804 More witnesseth than fancy’s images
1805 And grows to something of great constancy,
1806 But, howsoever, strange and admirable.
Enter Lovers: Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena.
THESEUS
1807 Here come the lovers full of joy and mirth.—
1808 30 Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love
1809 Accompany your hearts!
LYSANDER 1810 More than to us
1811 Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed!
THESEUS
1812 Come now, what masques, what dances shall we
1813 35 have
1814 To wear away this long age of three hours
1815 Between ⌜our⌝ after-supper and bedtime?
1816 Where is our usual manager of mirth?
1817 What revels are in hand? Is there no play
1818 40 To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?
1819 Call Philostrate.
PHILOSTRATE, ⌜coming forward⌝ 1820 Here, mighty Theseus.
THESEUS
1821 Say what abridgment have you for this evening,
1822 What masque, what music? How shall we beguile
1823 45 The lazy time if not with some delight?
PHILOSTRATE, ⌜giving Theseus a paper⌝
1824 There is a brief how many sports are ripe.
1825 Make choice of which your Highness will see first.
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THESEUS 1826 “The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung
1827 By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.”
1828 50 We’ll none of that. That have I told my love
1829 In glory of my kinsman Hercules.
1830 “The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals,
1831 Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage.”
1832 That is an old device, and it was played
1833 55 When I from Thebes came last a conqueror.
1834 “The thrice-three Muses mourning for the death
1835 Of learning, late deceased in beggary.”
1836 That is some satire, keen and critical,
1837 Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony.
1838 60 “A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus
1839 And his love Thisbe, very tragical mirth.”
1840 “Merry” and “tragical”? “Tedious” and “brief”?
1841 That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow!
1842 How shall we find the concord of this discord?
PHILOSTRATE
1843 65 A play there is, my lord, some ten words long
1844 (Which is as brief as I have known a play),
1845 But by ten words, my lord, it is too long,
1846 Which makes it tedious; for in all the play,
1847 There is not one word apt, one player fitted.
1848 70 And tragical, my noble lord, it is.
1849 For Pyramus therein doth kill himself,
1850 Which, when I saw rehearsed, I must confess,
1851 Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears
1852 The passion of loud laughter never shed.
THESEUS
1853 75 What are they that do play it?
PHILOSTRATE
1854 Hard-handed men that work in Athens here,
1855 Which never labored in their minds till now,
1856 And now have toiled their unbreathed memories
1857 With this same play, against your nuptial.
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THESEUS 1858 80 And we will hear it.
PHILOSTRATE 1859 No, my noble lord,
1860 It is not for you. I have heard it over,
1861 And it is nothing, nothing in the world,
1862 Unless you can find sport in their intents,
1863 85 Extremely stretched and conned with cruel pain
1864 To do you service.
THESEUS 1865 I will hear that play,
1866 For never anything can be amiss
1867 When simpleness and duty tender it.
1868 90 Go, bring them in—and take your places, ladies.
⌜Philostrate exits.⌝
HIPPOLYTA
1869 I love not to see wretchedness o’ercharged,
1870 And duty in his service perishing.
THESEUS
1871 Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing.
HIPPOLYTA
1872 He says they can do nothing in this kind.
THESEUS
1873 95 The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing.
1874 Our sport shall be to take what they mistake;
1875 And what poor duty cannot do, noble respect
1876 Takes it in might, not merit.
1877 Where I have come, great clerks have purposèd
1878 100 To greet me with premeditated welcomes,
1879 Where I have seen them shiver and look pale,
1880 Make periods in the midst of sentences,
1881 Throttle their practiced accent in their fears,
1882 And in conclusion dumbly have broke off,
1883 105 Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet,
1884 Out of this silence yet I picked a welcome,
1885 And in the modesty of fearful duty,
1886 I read as much as from the rattling tongue
1887 Of saucy and audacious eloquence.
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1888
110 Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity1889 In least speak most, to my capacity.
⌜Enter Philostrate.⌝
PHILOSTRATE
1890 So please your Grace, the Prologue is addressed.
THESEUS 1891 Let him approach.
Enter the Prologue.
PROLOGUE
1892 If we offend, it is with our goodwill.
1893 115 That you should think we come not to offend,
1894 But with goodwill. To show our simple skill,
1895 That is the true beginning of our end.
1896 Consider, then, we come but in despite.
1897 We do not come, as minding to content you,
1898 120 Our true intent is. All for your delight
1899 We are not here. That you should here repent
1900 you,
1901 The actors are at hand, and, by their show,
1902 You shall know all that you are like to know.
⌜Prologue exits.⌝
THESEUS 1903 125This fellow doth not stand upon points.
LYSANDER 1904 He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt;
1905 he knows not the stop. A good moral, my lord: it is
1906 not enough to speak, but to speak true.
HIPPOLYTA 1907 Indeed he hath played on this prologue like
1908 130 a child on a recorder—a sound, but not in
1909 government.
THESEUS 1910 His speech was like a tangled chain—nothing
1911 impaired, but all disordered. Who is next?
Enter Pyramus ⌜(Bottom),⌝ and Thisbe ⌜(Flute),⌝ and
Wall ⌜(Snout),⌝ and Moonshine ⌜(Starveling),⌝ and Lion
⌜(Snug),⌝ ⌜and Prologue (Quince).⌝
QUINCE, as Prologue
1912 Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show.
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1913
135 But wonder on, till truth make all things plain.1914 This man is Pyramus, if you would know.
1915 This beauteous lady Thisbe is certain.
1916 This man with lime and roughcast doth present
1917 “Wall,” that vile wall which did these lovers
1918 140 sunder;
1919 And through Wall’s chink, poor souls, they are
1920 content
1921 To whisper, at the which let no man wonder.
1922 This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn,
1923 145 Presenteth “Moonshine,” for, if you will know,
1924 By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn
1925 To meet at Ninus’ tomb, there, there to woo.
1926 This grisly beast (which “Lion” hight by name)
1927 The trusty Thisbe coming first by night
1928 150 Did ⌜scare⌝ away or rather did affright;
1929 And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall,
1930 Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain.
1931 Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall,
1932 And finds his trusty Thisbe’s mantle slain.
1933 155 Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
1934 He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.
1935 And Thisbe, tarrying in mulberry shade,
1936 His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest,
1937 Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain
1938 160 At large discourse, while here they do remain.
THESEUS 1939 I wonder if the lion be to speak.
DEMETRIUS 1940 No wonder, my lord. One lion may when
1941 many asses do.
Lion, Thisbe, Moonshine, ⌜and Prologue⌝ exit.
SNOUT, as Wall
1942 In this same interlude it doth befall
1943 165 That I, one ⌜Snout⌝ by name, present a wall;
1944 And such a wall as I would have you think
1945 That had in it a crannied hole or chink,
1946 Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe,
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1947
Did whisper often, very secretly.1948 170 This loam, this roughcast, and this stone doth show
1949 That I am that same wall. The truth is so.
1950 And this the cranny is, right and sinister,
1951 Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.
THESEUS 1952 Would you desire lime and hair to speak
1953 175 better?
DEMETRIUS 1954 It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard
1955 discourse, my lord.
THESEUS 1956 Pyramus draws near the wall. Silence.
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
1957 O grim-looked night! O night with hue so black!
1958 180 O night, which ever art when day is not!
1959 O night! O night! Alack, alack, alack!
1960 I fear my Thisbe’s promise is forgot.
1961 And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall,
1962 That stand’st between her father’s ground and
1963 185 mine,
1964 Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,
1965 Show me thy chink to blink through with mine
1966 eyne.
1967 Thanks, courteous wall. Jove shield thee well for
1968 190 this.
1969 But what see I? No Thisbe do I see.
1970 O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss,
1971 Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me!
THESEUS 1972 The wall, methinks, being sensible, should
1973 195 curse again.
BOTTOM 1974 No, in truth, sir, he should not. “Deceiving
1975 me” is Thisbe’s cue. She is to enter now, and I am
1976 to spy her through the wall. You shall see it will fall
1977 pat as I told you. Yonder she comes.
Enter Thisbe ⌜(Flute).⌝
FLUTE, as Thisbe
1978 200 O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans
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1979
For parting my fair Pyramus and me.1980 My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones,
1981 Thy stones with lime and hair knit ⌜up in thee.⌝
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
1982 I see a voice! Now will I to the chink
1983 205 To spy an I can hear my Thisbe’s face.
1984 Thisbe?
FLUTE, as Thisbe
1985 My love! Thou art my love, I think.
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
1986 Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover’s grace,
1987 And, like Limander, am I trusty still.
FLUTE, as Thisbe
1988 210 And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill.
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
1989 Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.
FLUTE, as Thisbe
1990 As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you.
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
1991 O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall.
FLUTE, as Thisbe
1992 I kiss the wall’s hole, not your lips at all.
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
1993 215 Wilt thou at Ninny’s tomb meet me straightway?
FLUTE, as Thisbe
1994 ’Tide life, ’tide death, I come without delay.
⌜Bottom and Flute exit.⌝
SNOUT, as Wall
1995 Thus have I, Wall, my part dischargèd so,
1996 And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.⌜He exits.⌝
THESEUS 1997 Now is the ⌜wall down⌝ between the two
1998 220 neighbors.
DEMETRIUS 1999 No remedy, my lord, when walls are so
2000 willful to hear without warning.
HIPPOLYTA 2001 This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.
THESEUS 2002 The best in this kind are but shadows, and
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2003
225 the worst are no worse, if imagination amend2004 them.
HIPPOLYTA 2005 It must be your imagination, then, and not
2006 theirs.
THESEUS 2007 If we imagine no worse of them than they of
2008 230 themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here
2009 come two noble beasts in, a man and a lion.
Enter Lion ⌜(Snug)⌝ and Moonshine ⌜(Starveling).⌝
SNUG, as Lion
2010 You ladies, you whose gentle hearts do fear
2011 The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on
2012 floor,
2013 235 May now perchance both quake and tremble here,
2014 When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.
2015 Then know that I, as Snug the joiner, am
2016 A lion fell, nor else no lion’s dam;
2017 For if I should as lion come in strife
2018 240 Into this place, ’twere pity on my life.
THESEUS 2019 A very gentle beast, and of a good
2020 conscience.
DEMETRIUS 2021 The very best at a beast, my lord, that e’er I
2022 saw.
LYSANDER 2023 245This lion is a very fox for his valor.
THESEUS 2024 True, and a goose for his discretion.
DEMETRIUS 2025 Not so, my lord, for his valor cannot carry
2026 his discretion, and the fox carries the goose.
THESEUS 2027 His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his
2028 250 valor, for the goose carries not the fox. It is well.
2029 Leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the
2030 Moon.
STARVELING, as Moonshine
2031 This lanthorn doth the hornèd moon present.
DEMETRIUS 2032 He should have worn the horns on his
2033 255 head.
THESEUS 2034 He is no crescent, and his horns are invisible
2035 within the circumference.
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STARVELING, as Moonshine 2036 This lanthorn doth the hornèd moon present.
2037 Myself the man i’ th’ moon do seem to be.
THESEUS 2038 260This is the greatest error of all the rest; the
2039 man should be put into the lanthorn. How is it else
2040 “the man i’ th’ moon”?
DEMETRIUS 2041 He dares not come there for the candle,
2042 for you see, it is already in snuff.
HIPPOLYTA 2043 265I am aweary of this moon. Would he would
2044 change.
THESEUS 2045 It appears by his small light of discretion that
2046 he is in the wane; but yet, in courtesy, in all reason,
2047 we must stay the time.
LYSANDER 2048 270Proceed, Moon.
STARVELING, as Moonshine 2049 All that I have to say is to tell
2050 you that the lanthorn is the moon, I the man i’ th’
2051 moon, this thornbush my thornbush, and this dog
2052 my dog.
DEMETRIUS 2053 275Why, all these should be in the lanthorn,
2054 for all these are in the moon. But silence. Here
2055 comes Thisbe.
Enter Thisbe ⌜(Flute).⌝
FLUTE, as Thisbe
2056 This is old Ninny’s tomb. Where is my love?
SNUG, as Lion 2057 O!
⌜The Lion roars. Thisbe runs off,
dropping her mantle.⌝
DEMETRIUS 2058 280Well roared, Lion.
THESEUS 2059 Well run, Thisbe.
HIPPOLYTA 2060 Well shone, Moon. Truly, the Moon shines
2061 with a good grace.
⌜Lion worries the mantle.⌝
THESEUS 2062 Well moused, Lion.
Enter Pyramus ⌜(Bottom).⌝
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163
DEMETRIUS
2063
285And then came Pyramus.⌜Lion exits.⌝
LYSANDER 2064 And so the lion vanished.
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
2065 Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams.
2066 I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright,
2067 For by thy gracious, golden, glittering ⌜gleams,⌝
2068 290 I trust to take of truest Thisbe sight.—
2069 But stay! O spite!
2070 But mark, poor knight,
2071 What dreadful dole is here!
2072 Eyes, do you see!
2073 295 How can it be!
2074 O dainty duck! O dear!
2075 Thy mantle good—
2076 What, stained with blood?
2077 Approach, ye Furies fell!
2078 300 O Fates, come, come,
2079 Cut thread and thrum,
2080 Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!
THESEUS 2081 This passion, and the death of a dear friend,
2082 would go near to make a man look sad.
HIPPOLYTA 2083 305Beshrew my heart but I pity the man.
BOTTOM, as Pyramus
2084 O, wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame,
2085 Since lion vile hath here deflowered my dear,
2086 Which is—no, no—which was the fairest dame
2087 That lived, that loved, that liked, that looked with
2088 310 cheer?
2089 Come, tears, confound!
2090 Out, sword, and wound
2091 The pap of Pyramus;
2092 Ay, that left pap,
2093 315 Where heart doth hop.⌜Pyramus stabs himself.⌝
2094 Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.
2095 Now am I dead;
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165
2096
Now am I fled;2097 My soul is in the sky.
2098 320 Tongue, lose thy light!
2099 Moon, take thy flight!⌜Moonshine exits.⌝
2100 Now die, die, die, die, die.⌜Pyramus falls.⌝
DEMETRIUS 2101 No die, but an ace for him, for he is but
2102 one.
LYSANDER 2103 325Less than an ace, man, for he is dead, he is
2104 nothing.
THESEUS 2105 With the help of a surgeon he might yet
2106 recover and yet prove an ass.
HIPPOLYTA 2107 How chance Moonshine is gone before
2108 330 Thisbe comes back and finds her lover?
THESEUS 2109 She will find him by starlight.
⌜Enter Thisbe (Flute).⌝
2110 Here she comes, and her passion ends the play.
HIPPOLYTA 2111 Methinks she should not use a long one for
2112 such a Pyramus. I hope she will be brief.
DEMETRIUS 2113 335A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus,
2114 which Thisbe, is the better: he for a man, God
2115 warrant us; she for a woman, God bless us.
LYSANDER 2116 She hath spied him already with those
2117 sweet eyes.
DEMETRIUS 2118 340And thus she means, videlicet—
FLUTE, as Thisbe
2119 Asleep, my love?
2120 What, dead, my dove?
2121 O Pyramus, arise!
2122 Speak, speak. Quite dumb?
2123 345 Dead? Dead? A tomb
2124 Must cover thy sweet eyes.
2125 These lily lips,
2126 This cherry nose,
2127 These yellow cowslip cheeks
2128 350 Are gone, are gone!
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2129
Lovers, make moan;2130 His eyes were green as leeks.
2131 O Sisters Three,
2132 Come, come to me
2133 355 With hands as pale as milk.
2134 Lay them in gore,
2135 Since you have shore
2136 With shears his thread of silk.
2137 Tongue, not a word!
2138 360 Come, trusty sword,
2139 Come, blade, my breast imbrue!
⌜Thisbe stabs herself.⌝
2140 And farewell, friends.
2141 Thus Thisbe ends.
2142 Adieu, adieu, adieu.⌜Thisbe falls.⌝
THESEUS 2143 365Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the
2144 dead.
DEMETRIUS 2145 Ay, and Wall too.
⌜Bottom and Flute arise.⌝
⌜BOTTOM⌝ 2146 No, I assure you, the wall is down that
2147 parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the
2148 370 Epilogue or to hear a Bergomask dance between
2149 two of our company?
THESEUS 2150 No epilogue, I pray you. For your play needs
2151 no excuse. Never excuse. For when the players are
2152 all dead, there need none to be blamed. Marry, if
2153 375 he that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged
2154 himself in Thisbe’s garter, it would have been a fine
2155 tragedy; and so it is, truly, and very notably discharged.
2156 But, come, your Bergomask. Let your
2157 epilogue alone.
⌜Dance, and the players exit.⌝
2158 380 The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve.
2159 Lovers, to bed! ’Tis almost fairy time.
2160 I fear we shall outsleep the coming morn
2161 As much as we this night have overwatched.
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2162
This palpable-gross play hath well beguiled2163 385 The heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed.
2164 A fortnight hold we this solemnity
2165 In nightly revels and new jollity.They exit.
Enter ⌜Robin Goodfellow.⌝
ROBIN
2166 Now the hungry ⌜lion⌝ roars,
2167 And the wolf ⌜behowls⌝ the moon,
2168 390 Whilst the heavy plowman snores,
2169 All with weary task fordone.
2170 Now the wasted brands do glow,
2171 Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
2172 Puts the wretch that lies in woe
2173 395 In remembrance of a shroud.
2174 Now it is the time of night
2175 That the graves, all gaping wide,
2176 Every one lets forth his sprite
2177 In the church-way paths to glide.
2178 400 And we fairies, that do run
2179 By the triple Hecate’s team
2180 From the presence of the sun,
2181 Following darkness like a dream,
2182 Now are frolic. Not a mouse
2183 405 Shall disturb this hallowed house.
2184 I am sent with broom before,
2185 To sweep the dust behind the door.
Enter ⌜Oberon and Titania,⌝ King and Queen of Fairies,
with all their train.
OBERON
2186 Through the house give glimmering light,
2187 By the dead and drowsy fire.
2188 410 Every elf and fairy sprite,
2189 Hop as light as bird from brier,
2190 And this ditty after me,
2191 Sing and dance it trippingly.
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TITANIA 2192 First rehearse your song by rote,
2193 415 To each word a warbling note.
2194 Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
2195 Will we sing and bless this place.
⌜Oberon leads the Fairies in song and dance.⌝
OBERON
2196 Now, until the break of day,
2197 Through this house each fairy stray.
2198 420 To the best bride-bed will we,
2199 Which by us shall blessèd be,
2200 And the issue there create
2201 Ever shall be fortunate.
2202 So shall all the couples three
2203 425 Ever true in loving be,
2204 And the blots of Nature’s hand
2205 Shall not in their issue stand.
2206 Never mole, harelip, nor scar,
2207 Nor mark prodigious, such as are
2208 430 Despisèd in nativity,
2209 Shall upon their children be.
2210 With this field-dew consecrate
2211 Every fairy take his gait,
2212 And each several chamber bless,
2213 435 Through this palace, with sweet peace.
2214 And the owner of it blest,
2215 Ever shall in safety rest.
2216 Trip away. Make no stay.
2217 Meet me all by break of day.
⌜All but Robin⌝ exit.
ROBIN
2218 440 If we shadows have offended,
2219 Think but this and all is mended:
2220 That you have but slumbered here
2221 While these visions did appear.
2222 And this weak and idle theme,
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173
2223
445 No more yielding but a dream,2224 Gentles, do not reprehend.
2225 If you pardon, we will mend.
2226 And, as I am an honest Puck,
2227 If we have unearnèd luck
2228 450 Now to ’scape the serpent’s tongue,
2229 We will make amends ere long.
2230 Else the Puck a liar call.
2231 So good night unto you all.
2232 Give me your hands, if we be friends,
2233 455 And Robin shall restore amends.
⌜He exits.⌝