ACT III. Oberon discovers that Puck has mistaken Lysander for Demetrius, and by his magie charms corrects the error. SCENE.-A Wood. DEMETRIUS [Sleeping], LYSANDER, and HELENA. Lys. Why should you think, that I should woo in scorn? Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born, How can these things in me seem scorn to you, Hel. You do advance your cunning more and more. Lys. I had no judgment, when to her I swore. Dem. [Awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, And now both rivals, to mock Helena; A trim exploit, a manly enterprise, To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes, A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport. Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so; For you love Hermia: this, you know, I know: Whom I do love, and will do till my death. Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. My heart with her but, as guest-wise, sojourn'd; Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know, Lest, to thy peril, thou aby* it dear.— Look, where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear. Enter HERMIA. Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go? Than all yon fiery oest and eyes of light. Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know, The hate I bear 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, Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd, Have with our neeldst created both one flower, * Pay dearly for it. † Circles. + Needles. Had been incorporate. So we grew together, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem: Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it; April 27thi067 ACT IV. Oberon directs Puck to cast the lovers into a "death counterfeiting sleep," and then to disenchant Lysander, so that when they wake, all the mistakes shall seem a dream. SCENE.-A Wood. LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HERMIA, and HELENA, discovered sleeping. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train. The. Go, one of you, find out the forester ; For now our observation is perform'd; And since we have the vaward of the day, Of hounds and echo in conjunction. Hip. I was with Hercules, and Cadmus, once, The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, Was never holla'd to, nor cheer'd with horn, In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly: Judge, when you hear.But soft; what nymphs are these? And this, Lysander; this Demetrius is; This Helena, old Neda's Helena : I wonder of their being here together. The. No doubt, they rose up early, to observe But, speak, Egeus; is not this the day That Hermia should give answer of her choice? The. Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns. Horns and shout within. DEMETRIUS, LYSANDER, Hermia, and HELENA, wake and start up. The. Good-morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past; Begin these wood-birds but to couple now? Lys. Pardon, my lord. [He and the rest kneel to THESEUS. I pray you all stand up. I know, you are two rival enemies; Lys. My lord, I shall reply amazedly, I came with Hermia hither: our intent Was, to be gone from Athens, where we might be Ege. Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough. They would have stol'n away, they would, Demetrius, You, of your wife; and me, of my consent; Of my consent that she should be your wife. Dem. My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth, Of this their purpose hither, to this wood; And I in fury hither follow'd them; Fair Helena in fancy following me. But, my good lord, I wot not by what power, Now do I wish it, love it, long for it, The. Fair flowers, you are fortunately met: For in the temple, by and by with us, And, for the morning now is something worn, Come, Hippolyta. [Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and rain. Dem. These things seem small and undistinguishable, Like far-off mountains turned into clouds. Her. Methinks I see these things with parted eye. When every thing seems double. Hel. So, methinks: It seems to me, And I have found Demetrius like a jewel, Dem. That yet we sleep, we dream.-Do not you think, Her. Yea; and my father. Hel. And Hippolyta. Lys. And he did bid us follow to the temple. Dem. Why then, we are awake: let's follow him; And, by the way, let us recount our dreams. ACT V. [Exeunt. SCENE I.-The same. An Apartment in the Palace of Theseus. These antique fables, nor these fairy toys. Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact: One sees more devils than vast hell can hold ; That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic, Sces Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt: The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, |