Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1596 [1594-1596] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe · 541 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is, most fair Pyramus. hay ho. Peter Quince? Flute the bellows-mender? Snout the tinker? Starveling? God's my life! Stolen hence, and left me asleep: I have had a most rare vision. I had a dream, past the wit of man, to say, what dream it was. Man is but an Ass, if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was, there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had. But man is but a patched fool, if he will offer to say, what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballet of this dream, it shall be called Bottoms Dream, because it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter end of a play, before the Duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death. Have you sent to Bottomes house? Is he come home yet? He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is transported. If he come not, than the play is marred. It goes not forward, doth it? It is not possible: you have not a man in all Athens, able to discharge Pyramus but he. No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft man in Athens. Yea, and the best person too, and he is a very Paramour, for a sweet voice. You must say, Paragon. A Paramour is (God bless us) a thing of nought. Masters, the Duke is coming from the Temple, and there is two or three Lords & Ladies more married. If our sport had gone forward, we had all been made men. O sweet bully Bottom: thus hath he lost sixpences a day, during his life; he could not have scaped sixpence a day. And the Duke had not given him sixpence a day for playing, Pyramus, I'll be hanged. He would have deserved it. Sixpence a day in Pyramus, or nothing. Where are these Lads? Where are these hearts? Bottom, o most courageous day! O most happy hour! 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 every thing as it fell out. Let us hear, sweet Bottom. Not a word of me: all that I will tell you, is, that the Duke hath dined. Get your apparel together, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps, meet presently at the Palace, every man look over his part: for the short and the long is, our play is preferred: In any case let Thisbe have clean linen: and let not him that plays the Lion, pair his nails, for they shall hang out for the Lion's claws. And most dear Actors, eat no Onions, nor Garlic; for we are to utter sweet breath, and I do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet Comedy. No more words: away, go away.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
When my cue comes, call me, and I will anſwer. My next is, moſt faire Piramus. Hey ho. Peter Quince? Flute the bellowes-mender? Snout the tinker? Starueling? Gods my life! Stolne hence, and left me aſleepe: I haue had a moſt rare viſion. I had a dreame, paſt the wit of man, to ſay, what dreame it was. Man is but an Aſſe, if he goe about to expound this dreame. Me-thought I was, there is no man can tell what. Me-thought I was, and me-thought I had. But man is but a patch'd foole, if he will offer to ſay, what me-thought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the eare of man hath not ſeen, mans hand is not able to taſte, his tongue to conceiue, nor his heart to report, what my dreame was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballet of this dreame, it ſhall be called Bottomes Dreame, becauſe it hath no bottome; and I will ſing it in the latter end of a play, before the Duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I ſhall ſing it at her death. Haue you ſent to Bottomes houſe? Is he come home yet? He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt hee i tranſported. If he come not, then the play is mar'd. It goes not forward, doth it? It is not poſſible: you haue not a man in all Athens, able to diſcharge Piramus but he. No, hee hath ſimply the beſt wit of any handycraft man in Athens. Yea, and the beſt perſon too, and hee is a very Paramour, for a ſweet voyce. You muſt ſay, Paragon. A Paramour is (God bleſſe vs) a thing of nought. 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. 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. Where are theſe Lads? Where are theſe hearts? Bottome, ô moſt couragious day! O moſt happie houre! 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. Let vs heare, ſweet Bottome. 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.