The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quil!. Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed 7 4 [Waking. Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark, And dares not answer, nay;for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry, cuckoo, never so?

Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again;
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;
And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move

me,

On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee. Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep litle company together nowadays: The more the pity, That some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go;
Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate;
The suminer still doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep:
And sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost
sleep:

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.-
Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-

3 Fai.

4 Fri.

And I.

And I.

And I. All. Where shall we go? Tita Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; Feed him with apricocks and dewberries, With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; The honey bags steal from the humblebees, And, for night tapers, crop their waxen thighs, And light them at the fiery glowworm's eyes. To have my love to bed, and to arise; And pluck the wings from painted butterflies, To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes: Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies. 1 Fai. Hail, mortal!

2 Fai. Hail!

3 Fai. Hail!

4 Fai. Hail!

Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower.

The moon, methinks, looks with a watery eye; And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity. Tie up my lover's tongue, bring him silently. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Another part of the Wood. Enter Oberon.

Obe. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd; Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Which she must dote on in extremity. Enter Puck.

Here comes my messenger.-How now, mad spirit ?

What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
Puck. My mistress with a monster is in love.
Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.
The shallowest thick-skin of hat barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented, in their sport
Forsook his scene, and entered in a brake:
When I did him at this advantage take,
An ass's now I fixed on his head;
Anon, his Thisby must be answered,
And forth my mimick comes: When they him
spy,

As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report,
Sever themselves, and madly sweep the sky;
So, at his sight, away his fellows fly:
And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;
He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.
Their sense, thus weak, lost with their fears,

thus strong,.

Made senseless things begin to do them wrong:
For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch;
Some, sleeves: some, hats; from yielders all
things catch.

I led them on in this distracted fear,
When in that moment (so it came to pass,)
And left sweet Pyramus translated there:
Titania wak'd, and straightway lov'd an ass.

Obe. This falls out better than I could devise, But hast thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes Puck. I took him sleeping,-that is finish'd With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

too,

Cob. Cobweb.

Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse;

Pers. Peas-blossom.

The sun was not so true unto the day,
As he to me: Would he have stolen away
From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon,
This whole earth may be bor'd; and that the

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 raid! Have you conspir'd, have you with these contriv'd

To bait me with this foul derision!

Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd,
The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us.-O, and is all forgot?

All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,

Have with our neelds created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key;
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and mind's,
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted;
But yet a union in partition,

Two lovely berries moulded on one stem:
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.
And will you rend our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it;
Though I alone do feel the injury.

Her. I am amazed at your passionate words:
1 scorn you not: it seems that you scorn me.
Hel. Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
To follow me, and praise my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius
(Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,)
To call me goddess, nymph, divine,and rare,
Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander
Deny your love, so rich within his soul,"
And tender me, forsooth, affection;
But by your setting on, by your consent?
What though I be not so in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, so fortunate;
But miserable most, to love unlov'd?
This you should pity, rather than despise.
Her. I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do persever, counterfeit sad looks,
Make mows upon me when I turn my back;
Wink at each other; hold the sweet jest up:
This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me such an argument.
But, fare ye weil: 'tis partly mine own fault;
Which death, or absence, soon shall remedy.
Lys. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse;
My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena !
Hel. O'excellent!

ceive,

A weak bond holds you; I'll not trust your word. Lys. What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead 7

Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so. Her. What, can you do me greater harm than hate?

Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love?

Am not I Hermia? are not you Lysander?
I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
Since night you lov'd me: yet since night you

left me:

Why, then you left me,-0, the gods forbid 1-
In earnest shall I say?

Lys.
Ay, by my life;
And never did desire to see thee more.
Therefore, be out of hope, of question, doubt,
Be certain nothing truer; 'tis no jest,
That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me, you juggler! you canker blossom!
You thief of love! what, have you come by night,
And stol'n my heart's love from him?
Hel.
Fine, i' faith!
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,
No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?
Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet you!
Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the

Sweet love?

game.

Now I perceive that she hath made compare
Between our statures, she hath urged her height;
And with her personage, her tall personage,
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with

him.

And are you grown so high in his esteem,
Because I am so dwarfish, and so low?
How low am 1, thou painted maypole? speak;
How low am I? I am not yet so low,
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.
Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentle

men,

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,
Because she's something lower than myself,
That I can match her.
Her.

Lower! hark, again. Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me. 1 evermore did love you, Hermia, Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you;

Save that, in love unto Demetrius,

told him of your stealth into this wood: He follow'd you; for love, I follow'd him. But he hath chid me hence: and threaten'd me, To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too: And now, so you will let me quiet go, To Athens will I bear my folly back, And follow you no further: Let me go; You see how simple and how fond I am. Her. Why, get you gone: Who is't that hin ders you?

Hel. A foolish heart that I leave here behind. Her. What! with Lysander?

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 shrew'd:

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 7-

Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?

Let me come to her.

Lys.

Puck. Up and down, up and down, I will lead them up and down: I am fear'd in field and town; Goblin, lead them up and down.

Get you gone, you dwarf,

Here comes one.

You minimus of hind'ring knot-grass made; You bead, you acorn.

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 Never so little show of love to her, Thou shalt aby it.

Lys Now she holds me not; Now follow, if thou dar'st,to try whose right, Or thine, or mine, is most in Helena. Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee cheek by [Exeunt Lys. and Dem. Her. You, mistress, all this coil is long ot you:

jole.

Nay, go not back.
Hel.
I will not trust you, I:
Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray;
My legs are longer though, to run away. [Exit.
Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.
[Exit, pursuing Helena.
Obe. This is thy negligence: still thon mistak'st,
Or else committ'st thy knaveries wilfully.
Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me, I should know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprise,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes:
And so far am 1 glad it so did sort,

As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

fight:

Hie, therefore, Robin, overcast the night

The starry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
And lead these testy rivals so astray,
As one come not within another'sway.
Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,
Then stir Demetrias up with bitter wrong;
And sometime rail thou like Demetrius:
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep:
Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye:
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error with his might,
And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall seem a dream, and fruitless vision;
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend
With league whose date till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmed eye release
From monster's view, and all things shall be

peace.

Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste;

For night'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 churchyards; damned spirits all,
That in cross-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;
For fear lest day should look their shames upon,
They wilfully themselves exile from light,
And must for aye consort with black-brow'd;

night.

Obe. But we are spirits of another sort:

1 with the Morning's love have oft made sport;
And, like a forester, the grove's may tread,
Even till the eastern gate, ail fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his salt-green streams.
But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay :
We may effect this business yet ere day.
[Exit Oberon.

The villain is much lighter heel'd than 1:

I follow'd fast, but faster he did fly;

That fallen am I in dark uneven way,

And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day!

[Lies down

For if but once thou show me thy gray light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite.

Re-enter Puck, and Demetrius.

[Sleeps.

Puck. Ho, ho ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thou not?

Dem. Ahide me, if thon 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:
Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.-
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 Steal me awhile from mine own company.

eye,

[Sleeps. Puck. Yet but three? Come one more; Two of both kinds makes up four. 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 wo, Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers;

1 can no further crawl, no further go;

My legs can keep no pace with my desires.