A Midsummer Night's Dream

duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.'

QUINCE If you should do it too terribly, you would fright the

duchess and the ladies that they would shriek, and that were

enough to hang us all.

ALL That would hang us, every mother's son.

BOTTOM I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the

ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion70

but to hang us: but I will aggravate71 my voice so that I will

roar you as gently as any sucking dove. I will roar an 'twere72

any nightingale.

QUINCE You can play no part but Pyramus, for Pyramus is a

sweet-faced man, a proper75 man, as one shall see in a

summer's day; a most lovely gentlemanlike man: therefore

you must needs play Pyramus.

BOTTOM Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to

play it in?

QUINCE Why, what you will.

BOTTOM I will discharge it in either your81 straw-colour beard,

your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain82 beard, or

your French-crown-coloured83 beard, your perfect yellow.

QUINCE Some of your French crowns84 have no hair at all,

and then you will play bare-faced. But,

Passes out the parts

masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you,

request you and desire you, to con87 them by tomorrow night,

and meet me in the palace wood a mile without the town by

moonlight. There will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city

we shall be dogged with company, and our devices90 known. In

the meantime I will draw a bill91 of properties, such as our play

wants. I pray you fail me not.