Henceforth be never number'd among men ! Oh! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake; Dirst thou have look'd upon him, being awake, Ani hast thou kill'd him sleeping? O brave touch! Could not a worm, an adder, do so much? I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. Dem. And if I could, what should I get therefore ? Her. A privilege, never to see me more.- [Exit. Puck. I go, I go; look, how I go; Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. Obe. Flower of this purple die, Hit with Cupid's archery, Sink in apple of his eye Re-enter PUCK. Puck. Captain of our fairy band, Helena is here at hand; And the youth, mistook by me, Pleading for a lover's fee; Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be ! [Exit. Obe. Stand aside: the noise they make, Puck. Then will two at once, woo one; Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. Lys. Why should you think, that I should Woo in scorn? Scorn and derision never come in tears: Look, when I vow, I weep; and VOWS SO born, In their nativity all truth appears. How can these things in me seem scorn to you. Dem. [Awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne! Crystal is muddy. Oh! how ripe in show Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! That pure congealed white, bigh Taurus' snow, Fann'd with an eastern wind, turns to a crow, When thou hold'st up thy hand: O let ine kiss This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss! Hel. O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent To set against me, for your merriment. If you were civil, and knew courtesy, You would not do me thus much injury. Can you not hate me, as I know you do, But you must join in souls, to mock me too? If you were men, as men you are in show, the You would not use a gentle lady so; Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that one man holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. And Helena of Athens look thou find : dear: To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, When, I am sure, you hate me with your hearts. You both are rivals, and love Hermia : • Heartily. + Degree. Would so offend a virgin; and extort A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport. Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not 80; For you love Hermia; this, you know, I know: And here, with all good will, with all my heart, In Hermia's love I yield you up my part; Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I none: If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone. journ'd; And now to Helen is it home return'd, There to remain. Lys. Helen, it is not so. idle will Her. I am amazed at your passionate words : I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me. Hel. Have you not set Lysander as scorn, in To follow me, and praise my eyes and face? To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare, Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know, Lest, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.. Hel. Ay, do, persévere, counterfeit Make mows upon me, when I turn my back; Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy Wink at each other; hold the sweet jest up: dear. Enter HERMIA. Her. Dark night, that from the eye his func tion takes, The ear more quick of apprehension makes; But why unkindly didst thou leave me so? Her. What love could press Lysander from my side ? Lys. Lysander's love, that would not let him bide, Fair Helena; who more engilds the night The hate I bare thee made me leave thee so? Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be. Hel. Lo, she is one of this confederacy! Now I perceive they have conjoin'd, all three, To fashion this false sport in spite of me. Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid! Have you conspir'd, have you with these con triv'd To bait me with this foul derison? Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd, When we have chid the hasty-footed time All school-days' friendship, childhood, innocence ? We, Hermia, like two artificial gods, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem: friend? This sport well carried, shall be chronicled. Lys. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse; Her. Sweet, do not scorn her so. Dem. If she cannot entreat, I can compel. Lys. Thou canst compel no more than she entreat; Thy threats have no more strength, than her weak prayers. Helen, I love thee: by my life, I do I swear by that which I will lose for thee, Lys. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it Therefore, be out of hope, of question, doubt, Her. O me! you juggler! you canker-blos som; You thief of love: what, have you come by night And stol'n my love's heart from him? Hel. Fine, i'faith! Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the Now I perceive that she hath made compare And are you grown so high in his esteem, Let her not hurt me: I was never curst; t think, Because she's something lower than myself, Her. Lower! hark, again. may Did not you tell me, I should know the man Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night; Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with Whose liquor bath this virtuous property, † You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made; Dem. You are too officious In her behalf that scorns your services. Take not her part: for if thou dost intend [] Lys. Now she holds me not; Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try whose right, Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by To take from thence all error, with his night, Whiles I in this affair do thee employ, Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with For nights's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger; At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there, Troop home to church-yards: damned spirits all, They wilfully themselves exi'e from light, Obe. But we are spirits of another sort: I with the Morning's Love have oft made And, like a forester, the groves may tread, [Exit OBERON. Puck. Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou? Lys. I will be with thee straight. Puck. Follow me then To plainer ground. [Exit Lys. as following the voice. Enter DEMETRIUS. Dem. Lysander! speak again. Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled? When thou wak'st, Thou tak'st True delight In the sight Of thy former lady's eye: And the country proverb known, Speak. In some bush? Where dost thou hide The man shall have his mare again, and all shall thy head? Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the thou not? Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'st: for well I wot, Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place; And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face. Where art thou? Puck. Come hither; I am here. Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy this dear, If ever I thy face by day-light see: be well. [Exit PUCK.-DEM. HEL. &c. sleep. ACT IV. SCENE 1.-The same. Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM, FAIRIES, attending; OBERON behind unseen. Tita. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed, While I thy amiable cheeks do coy, And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head, Peas. Ready. Bot. Scratch my head, Peas-blossom.-Where's monsieur Cobweb? Cob. Ready. Bot Monsieur Cobweb; good monsieur, get your weapons in your hand, and kill me a redhipped humble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good monsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, monsieur ; and, good monsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not: I would be loath to have you overdown with a honey-bag, signior.-Where's monsieur Mustard-seed? Must. Ready. Bot. Give me your neif,+ monsieur Mustardseed. Pray you, leave your courtesy, good mon sieur. Must. What's your will? Bot. Nothing, good monsieur, but to help I must to the cavalero Cobweb to scratch. barber's, monsieur; for, methinks, I am marvellous hairy about the face: and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch. [Lies down and sleeps. Tita. What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love? Bot. I have a reasonable good ear in music: let us have the tongs and the bones. Tita. Or, say, sweet love, what thou desir'st to eat. Bot. Truly a peck of provender; I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks, I have a great desire to a bottle of hay: good hay, sweet bay, hath no fellow. Tita. I bave a venturous fairy that shall seek The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts. Bot. I had rather have a handful, or two, of dried peas. But, I pray you, let none of your people stir me; I have an exposition of sleep come upon me. Tita. Sleep thou and I will wind thee in my I did upbraid her, and fall out with her : Was wont to swell, like round and orient pearls, And think no more of this night's accidents, But first I will release the fairy queen. The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan hung With ears that sweep away the morning dew; Crook-knee'd, and dew-lap'd like Thessalian bulls ; Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like Each under each. A cry more tuneable Judge, when you bear.-But, soft; what nymphs Ege. My lord, this is my daughter here And this, Lysander: this Demetrius is; I wonder of their being here together. [Touching her eyes with an herb. That Hermia should give answer of her choice? See, as thou wast wont to see: Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower Hath such force and blessed power. Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen. Tita. My Oberon! what visions have I seen! Methought, I was enamour'd of an ass. Obe. There lies your love. Tita. How came these things to pass? Titania, music call; and strike more dead Puck. Now, when thou wak'st, with thine own Obe. Sound, music. [Still Muste.] Come, my queen, take hands with me, And rock the ground whereon those sleepers Now thou and I are new in amity; Puck. Fairy king, attend, and mark; Obe. Then, my queen, in silence sad, Ege. It is, my lord. The. Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns. Horns, and shout within. DEMETRIUS, LY. SANDER, HERMIA, and HELENA, wake and start up. The. Good-morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past; Begin these wood-birds but to couple now? [He and the rest kneel to THESEUS. The. I pray you all, stand up. I know you are two rival enemies; cannot truly say how I came here: I came with Hermia hither: our intent Without the peril of the Athenian law. Ege. Enough, enough, my lord; you bave I beg the law, the law upon his head.- Demetrius, Thereby to have defeated you and me: Dem. My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth, Tita. Come, my lord; and in our flight, Of my consent that she should be your wife. Tell me how it came this night, That I sleeping here was found, With these mortals, on the ground. [Exeunt. [Horns sound within. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train. Of this their purpose hither to this wood; The. Fair lovers, you are fortunately net : For in the temple, by and by with us, And, for the morning now is something worn, |