Quin. Haue you sent to Bottomes house? Is he come home yet? Staru. He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt hee is transported
This. If he come not, then the play is mar'd. It goes not forward, doth it? Quin. It is not possible: you haue not a man in all Athens, able to discharge Piramus but he
This. No, hee hath simply the best wit of any handycraft man in Athens
Quin. Yea, and the best person too, and hee is a very Paramour, for a sweet voyce
This. You must say, Paragon. A Paramour is (God blesse vs) a thing of nought. Enter Snug the Ioyner.
Snug. Masters, the Duke is comming from the Temple, and there is two or three Lords & Ladies more married. If our sport had gone forward, we had all bin made men
This. O sweet bully Bottome: thus hath he lost sixepence a day, during his life; he could not haue scaped sixpence a day. And the Duke had not giuen him sixpence a day for playing Piramus, Ile be hang'd. He would haue deserued it. Sixpence a day in Piramus, or nothing. Enter Bottome.
Bot. Where are these Lads? Where are these hearts? Quin. Bottome, o most couragious day! O most happie houre! Bot. 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 euery thing as it fell out
Qu. Let vs heare, sweet Bottome
Bot. Not a word of me: all that I will tell you, is, that the Duke hath dined. Get your apparell together, good strings to your beards, new ribbands to your pumps, meete presently at the Palace, euery man looke ore his part: for the short and the long is, our play is preferred: In any case let Thisby haue cleane linnen: and let not him that playes the Lion, paire his nailes, for they shall hang out for the Lions clawes. And most deare Actors, eate no Onions, nor Garlicke; for wee are to vtter sweete breath, and I doe not doubt but to heare them say, it is a sweet Comedy. No more words: away, go away.
Exeunt.