Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the game. How low am I, thou painted maypole ? speak; But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes. Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen, Let her not hurt me: I was never curst; I have no gift at all in shrewishness; I am a right maid for my cowardice; Let her not strike me: You, perhaps, may think, Her. Lower! hark, again. Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you; I told him of your stealth unto this wood: You see how simple and how fond I am. Her. Why, get you gone: Who is't that hinders you? Hel. With Demetrius. Lys. Be not afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena. Dem. No, sir; she shall not, though you take her part. Hel. O, when she's angry, she is keen and shrewd: She was a vixen when she went to school; And, though she be but little, she is fierce. Her. Little again? nothing but low and little ?Why will you suffer her to flout me thus ? Let me come to her. Lys. Get you gone, you dwarf; You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made; Dem. You are too officious In her behalf, that scorns your services. Let her alone; speak not of Helena ; Take not her part: for, if thou dost intend Thou shalt aby it. Lys. Now she holds me not; Now follow, if thou darest, to try whose right, Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole. [Exit. [Erit, pursuing Helena, Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mistakest, Or else committ'st thy knaveries wilfully. Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook. And so far blameless proves my enterprise, As this their jangling I esteem a sport. Obe. Thou seest, these lovers seek a place to fight: Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night; The starry welkin cover thou anon With drooping fog, as black as Acheron; Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue, Shall seem a dream, and fruitless vision; With league, whose date till death shall never end. I'll to my queen, and beg her Iudian boy; And then I will her charmed eye release From monster's view, and all things shall be peace. At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there, For fear lest day should look their shames upon, And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night. I will lead them up and down: I am fear'd in field and town; Goblin, lead them up and down. Here comes one. Enter LYSANDER. Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius ? speak thou now. Puck. Here, villain; draw and ready. Puck. [thou? Where art Follow me then To plainer ground. [Exit Lys, as foliowing the voice. Dem. Enter DEMETRIUS. Lysander! speak again. Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled ? Speak. In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head? Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars, Telling the bushes, that thou look'st for wars, And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child; I'll whip thee with a rod: He is defiled That draws a sword on thee. Dem. Yea; art thou there? [Exeunt. Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here. Re-enter LYSANDER. Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on; And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day! (Lies down.) For if but once thou shew me thy gray light, (Sleeps) Puck. Ho, ho ho, ho! Coward, why comest thou not? Dem. Abide me, if thou darest; for well I wot, Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place; And darest not stand, nor look me in the face. Where art thou? Puck. Come hither; I am here. Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. this dear, If ever I thy face by day-light see: Thou shalt buy Now, go thy way.-Faintness constraineth me By day's approach look to be visited. (Lies down and sleeps.) Enter HELENA. Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night, Abate thy hours: shine comforts from the east ; That I may back to Athens, by day-light, From these, that my poor company detest: And, sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye. Puck. Yet but three? Come one more; Here she comes, curst and sad: Cupid is a knavish lad, Thus to make poor females mad. Enter HERMIA. Her. Never so weary, never so in woe, (Sleeps) Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers; I can no farther crawl, no farther go; My legs can keep no pace with my desires. Here will I rest me, till the break of day. Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray! (Lies down.) Puck. On the ground To your eye, (Squeezing the juice on Lysander's eye.) Thou takest True delight In the sight Of thy former lady's eye: And the country proverb known, Jack shall have Jill; Nought shall go ill; The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be [Exit Puck.-Dem. Hel. &c. sleep. well. ACT IV. SCENE I.-The same. Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM, Fairies attending Tita. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed, 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 red hipped 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 loth to have you over-flown with a honey-bag, signior.-Where's monsieur Mustard-seed? E |