A Midsummer Night's Dream

Did whisper often, very secretly.

This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show

That I am that same wall; the truth is so.

And this the cranny is, right and sinister166, Gestures to gap between his legs

Through which the fearful167 lovers are to whisper.

THESEUS Would you desire lime and hair to speak

better?

DEMETRIUS It is the wittiest partition170 that ever I heard discourse, my lord.

THESEUS Pyramus draws near the wall. Silence!

Enter Pyramus

PYRAMUS [BOTTOM] O grim-looked173 night! O night with hue so black!

O night, which ever art when day is not!

O night, O night! Alack, alack, alack,

I fear my Thisbe's promise is forgot.

And thou, O wall, thou sweet and lovely wall

That stands between her father's ground and mine!

Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,

Show me thy chink180, to blink through with mine eyne!

Wall opens his legs

Thanks, courteous wall. Jove181 shield thee well for this.

Pyramus peers between Wall's legs

But what see I? No Thisbe do I see.

O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss!

Cursed be thy stones184 for thus deceiving me!

THESEUS The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again.185

PYRAMUS [BOTTOM] No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Deceiving me' is Thisbe's cue; she is to enter and I am to spy her

through the wall. You shall see, it will fall pat189 as I told you.

Yonder she comes.

Enter Thisbe

THISBE [FLUTE] O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans, For parting my fair Pyramus and me.