A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Уильям Шекспир

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СКАЧАТЬ marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tiring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the duke.

       BOTTOM

       Peter Quince,—

       QUINCE

       What sayest thou, bully Bottom?

       BOTTOM

       There are things in this comedy of ‘Pyramus and Thisby’ that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?

       SNOUT

       By’r lakin, a parlous fear.

       STARVELING

       I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.

       BOTTOM

       Not a whit: I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue; and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and for the more better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not Pyramus but Bottom the weaver: this will put them out of fear.

       QUINCE

       Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.

       BOTTOM

       No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight.

       SNOUT

       Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?

       STARVELING

       I fear it, I promise you.

       BOTTOM

       Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in, God shield us! a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing: for there is not a more fearful wildfowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to it.

       SNOUT

       Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion.

       BOTTOM

       Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion’s neck; and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect,—‘Ladies,’ or, ‘Fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life. No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are:’—and there, indeed, let him name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner.

       QUINCE

       Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber: for, you know, Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.

       SNOUT

       Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

       BOTTOM

       A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moonshine, find out moonshine.

       QUINCE

       Yes, it doth shine that night.

       BOTTOM

       Why, then may you leave a casement of the great chamber-window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the casement.

       QUINCE

       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 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?

       BOTTOM

       Some man or other must present wall: and let him 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.

       QUINCE

       If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother’s son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, 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 homespuns have we swaggering here,

       So near the cradle of the fairy queen?

       What, a play toward! I’ll be an auditor;

       An actor too perhaps, if I see cause.

       QUINCE

       Speak, Pyramus.—Thisby, stand forth.

       PYRAMUS

       ‘Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet,’

       QUINCE

       Odours, odours.

       PYRAMUS

       ‘—odours savours sweet:

       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 played here!

       [Aside.—Exit.]

       THISBE

       Must I speak now?

       QUINCE

       Ay, marry, must you: for you must understand he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again.

       THISBE

       ‘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,

       As true as truest horse, that would never tire,

       I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny’s tomb.’

       QUINCE

       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 past; it is ‘never tire.’

       THISBE

       O,—‘As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.’

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