A Midsummer Night's Dream

With shears his thread of silk336.

Tongue, not a word.

Come, trusty sword,

Come, blade, my breast imbrue339.

Stabs herself

And farewell friends,

Thus Thisbe ends:

Adieu, adieu, adieu.

Dies

THESEUS Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.

DEMETRIUS Ay, and Wall too.

BOTTOM No, I assure you, the wall is down that

Gets up

parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the epilogue, or

to hear a Bergomask dance between347 two of our company?

THESEUS No epilogue, I pray you, for your play needs no excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all dead, there

need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had played

Pyramus and hung himself in Thisbe's garter, it would have

been a fine tragedy: and so it is, truly, and very notably

discharged. But come, your Bergomask; let your epilogue

alone.

A dance

The iron tongue of midnight hath told355 twelve.

Lovers, to bed, 'tis almost fairy time.

I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn

As much as we this night have overwatched358.

This palpable-gross play hath well beguiled359

The heavy gait360 of night. Sweet friends, to bed.

A fortnight hold we this solemnity361, In nightly revels and new jollity.

Exeunt