Lysander. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth.

Hermia. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

Lysander. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence !
Love takes the meaning in love's conference.

I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit
So that but one heart we can make of it:
Two bosoms interchained with an oath;
So then two bosoms and a single 'troth.
Then by your side no bed-room me deny;
For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.

Hermia. Lysander riddles very prettily:
Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,
If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
Lie further off; in human modesty,
Such separation as may well be said
Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid,

50

So far be distant; and, good night, sweet friend :

60

Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end!

Lysander. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;

And then end life when I end loyalty!

Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest!

Hermia. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd!

And here the maiden, sleeping sound,
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty soul! she durst not lie
Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe.
When thou wak'st, let love forbid

Sleep his seat on thy eyelid !
So awake when I am gone;

For I must now to Oberon.

Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running.

Helena. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

80

[Exit.

Demetrius. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me

thus.

Helena. O, wilt thou daikling leave me? do not so.

Demetrius. Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go.
Helena. O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.
Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies;
For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.

How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:
If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers.

No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;

For beasts that meet me run away for fear:
Therefore no marvel though Demetrius
Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus.
What wicked and dissembling glass of mine
Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne?—
But who is here? Lysander! on the ground!
Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.-
Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.

[Exit.

90

100

Lysander. [Awaking.] And run through fire I will for thy

sweet sake.

Transparent Helena! Nature shows art,

That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.
Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word

Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

Lord, what though? content.

Helena. Do not say so, Lysander; say not so.
What though he love your Hermia?
Yet Hermia still loves you: then be
Lysander. Content with Hermia!
The tedious minutes I with her have spent.
Not Hermia but Helena I love:

No; I do repent

Who will not change a raven for a dove?
The will of man is by his reason sway'd,
And reason says you are the worthier maid.
Things growing are not ripe until their season:
So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason;
And touching now the point of human skill,
Reason becomes the marshal to my will
And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook
Love's stories written in love's richest book.

Helena. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?
When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?
Is 't not enough, is 't not enough, young man,

That I did never, no, nor never can,

Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,
But you must flout my insufficiency?

Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do,
In such disdainful manner me to woo.

But fare you well: perforce I must confess

I thought you lord of more true gentleness.
O, that a lady, of one man refus'd,

Should of another therefore be abus'd!

[Exit.

Lysander. She sees not Hermia.-Hermia, sleep thou there:

And never mayst thou come Lysander near!
For as a surfeit of the sweetest things

The deepest loathing to the stomach brings,

Or as the heresies that men do leave

Are hated most of those they did deceive,
So thou, my surfeit and my heresy,

Of all be hated, but the most of me!

And, all my powers, address your love and might

To honour Helen and to be her knight!

140

[Exit.

Hermia. [Awaking.] Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy

best

To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!

Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here!
Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:
Methought a serpent eat my heart away,
And you sat smiling at his cruel prey.
Lysander! what, remov'd? Lysander! lord!
What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?
Alack, where are you? speak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.
No? then I well perceive you are not nigh:
Either death or you I'll find immediately.

150

[Exit.

CUPID WHETTING HIS DARTS. FROM AN ANTIQUE GEM.

SCENE I. The Wood. Titania lying asleep.

Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STAR

VELING.

Bottom. Are we all met?

Quince. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage,