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DAUGHTER I would be sorry else.

Give me your hand.

SCHOOLMASTER Why?

DAUGHTER I can tell your fortune. [She examines his hand.]

You are a fool. Tell ten -- I have posed him. Buzz! ...

Friend, you must eat no white bread -- if you do,

Your teeth will bleed extremely. Shall we dance, ho?

I know you -- you're a tinker, Sirrah tinker,

Stop no more holes but what you should.

SCHOOLMASTER Dii boni --

A tinker, damsel?

DAUGHTER Or a conjurer --

Raise me a devil now and let him play

Qui passa o'th' bells and bones.

SCHOOLMASTER Go, take her,

And fluently persuade her to a peace.

Et opus exegi, quod nec lovis ira, hec ignis --

Strike up, and lead her in.

2 COUNTRYMAN Come, lass, let's trip it.

DAUGHTER I'll lead.

3 COUNTRYMAN Do, do.

SCHOOLMASTER Persuasively and cunningly --

[Wind horns within.] ~~~ away, boys,

I hear the horns. Give me some meditation,

And mark your cue.

[Exeunt all but Gerald the Schoolmaster.] ~~~ Pallas inspire me.

[Enter Theseus, Pirithous, Hippolyta, Emilia, Arcite, and train.]

THESEUS This way the stag took.

SCHOOLMASTER Stay and edify.

THESEUS What have we here?

PIRITHOUS Some country sport, upon my life, sir.

THESEUS [to the Schoolmaster.] Well sir, go forward -- we will edify.

Ladies, sit down -- we'll stay it.

[They sit, Theseus in a chair, the others on stools.]

SCHOOLMASTER Thou doughty Duke, all hail! All hail, sweet ladies.

THESEUS This is a cold beginning.

SCHOOLMASTER If you but favor, our country pastime made is.

We are a few of those collected here,

That ruder tongues distinguish 'villager';

And to say verity, and not to fable,

We are a merry rout, or else a rabble,

Or company, or by a figure, chorus,

That fore thy dignity will dance a morris. ...

And I, that am the rectifier of all,

By title, pedagogus, that let fall

The birch upon the breeches of the small ones,

And humble with a ferula the tall ones,

Do here present this machine, or this frame;

And dainty Duke, whose doughty dismal fame

From Dis to Daedalus, from post to pillar,

Is blown abroad, help me, thy poor well-willer,

And with thy twinkling eyes, look right and straight

Upon this mighty 'Moor' -- of mickle weight -- ...

'Ice' now comes in, which, being glued together,

Makes 'morris', and the cause that we come hither.

The body of our sport, of no small study,

I first appear, though rude, and raw, and muddy,

To speak, before thy noble grace, this tenor

At whose great feet I offer up my penner.

The next, the Lord of May and Lady bright;

The Chambermaid and Serving man, by night

That seek out silent hanging; then mine Host

And his fat Spouse, that welcomes, to their cost, ...

The galled traveler, and with a beck'ning

Informs the tapster to inflame the reck'ning;

Then the beest-eating Clown; and next, the Fool;

The babion with long tail and eke long tool,

Cum multis alits that make a dance --

Say 'aye', and all shall presently advance.

THESEUS Ay, aye, by any means, dear dominie.

PIRITHOUS Produce.

SCHOOLMASTER [Knocks for the dance.]

Intrate filii, come forth and foot it.

[He flings up his cap.] Music.

[The Schoolmaster ushers in May Lord, May Lady, Serving man, Chambermaid, A Country Clown, or Shepherd, Country Wench, An Host, Hostess, A He-Babion, She-Babion, A He-fool, The Jailer's Daughter, as She-fool.]

[All these people appareled to the life, the men issuing out of one door and the wenches from the other. They dance a morris.]

Ladies, if we have been merry,

And have pleased ye with a derry, ...

And a derry, and a down,

Say the schoolmaster's no clown.

Duke, if we have pleased thee too,

And have done as good boys should do,

Give us but a tree or twain

For a maypole, and again,

Ere another year run out,

We'll make thee laugh, and all this rout.

THESEUS Take twenty, dominie. [to Hippolyta.] How does my sweetheart?

HIPPOLYTA Never so pleased, sir.

EMILIA 'Twas an excellent dance, ...

And for a preface, I never heard a better.

THESEUS Schoolmaster, I thank you.