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Bot. Methinks, miftrefs, you fhould have little reafon for that and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days. The more the pity, that fome honeft neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occafion.

Queen. Thou art as wife, as thou art beautiful.

Bot. Not fo neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine

own turn.

Queen. Out of this wood do not defire to go,

Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a fpirit of no common rate;

The fummer ftill 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 fhall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And fing, while thou on preffed flowers doft fleep:
And I will purge thy mortal grofsnefs fo,
That thou fhalt like an airy fpirit go.
Peafebloffom! Cobweb! Moth! and Muftardfeed! (16)

1 Fair. Ready.

2 Fair. And I.

3 Fair. And I.

Enter four Fairies.

4 Fair. And I, where fhall we go?

Queen. Be kind, and courteous to this gentleman; Hop in his walks, and gambole in his eyes;

Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,

With purple grapes, green figs and mulberries,

Generality of the Impreffions have fhuffled, and confufed thefe Verfes, to the utmost degree of Obscurity and Nonfenfe: but I have from one of the old Quarto's reduced 'em to Clearnefs and Order: and as, without knowing fuch an Authority for it, Dr. Thirlby ingenioufly hinted to Me, they should be placed..

(16) Enter Peafebloffom, Cobweb, Moth, Muftardfeed, and four Fairies.] Here the common Editions have been fo extravagant as to fplit four Fairies into eight: but the old Quarto Impreffions both came into my Affiftance to reduce 'em to their right Number. The Queen calls them by their refpective Names, and immediately the four Fairies enter upon Call.

The

The honey-bags fteal from the humble bees,
And for night tapers crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arife:

And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his fleeping eyes;
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtefies,
1 Fair. Hail, mortal, hail!

2 Fair. Hail!

3 Fair. Hail!

Bot. I cry your worship's mercy heartily; I befeech, your worship's name.

Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I fhall defire of you more acquaintance, good mafter Cobweb; if I cut my finger, I fhall make bold with you. Your name, honeft gentleman?

Peafe. Peafebloom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to miftrefs Squash your mother, and to mafter Peafcod your father. Good mafter Peafebloom, I fhall defire of you more acquain tance too. Your name, I befeech you, Sir?

Muf. Muftardfeed.

Bot. Good mafter Muftardfeed, I know your patience well: that fame cowardly giant-like Ox-beef hath devour'd many a gentleman of your houfe. I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire more of your acquaintance, good mafter Muftardfeed.

Queen. Come, wait upon him, lead him to my bower. The moon, methinks, looks with a watry eye, And when the weeps, weep ev'ry little flower, Lamenting fome enforced chastity!

Tie up my love's tongue, bring him filently. [Exeunt.

Enter King of Fairies.

Ob. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd:
Then what it was that next came in her eye,
Which the muft doat on in extremity.

Enter

'Enter Puck.

Here comes my meffenger! how now, mad fprite,
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
Puck. My mistress with a monfter is in love.
Near to her close and confecrated bower,
While fhe was in her dull and fleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian ftalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Thefeus' nuptial day.
The shallow'ft thick-skin of that barren fort,
Who Pyramus presented, in their sport
Forfook his scene, and enter'd in a brake;
When I did him at this advantage take,
An Afs's nole I fixed on his head;
Anon, his Thisby must be answered,

And forth my minnock comes: when they him fpy,
As wild geefe, that the creeping fowler eye,
Or ruffet-pated choughs, many in fort,
Rifing and cawing at the gun's report,
Sever themselves, and madly fweep the sky;
So, at his fight, away his fellows Aly;

And, at our ftamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;

He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.

Their fenfe thus weak, loft with their fears thus ftrong,
Made fenfeless things begin to do them wrong.
For briars and thorns at their apparel fnatch,
Some fleeves, fome hats; from yielders all things catch.
I led them on in this diftracted fear,

And left fweet Pyramus tranflated there:
When in that moment (fo it came to pafs)
Titania wak'd, and straitway lov'd an afs.

Ob. This falls out better, than I could devife.
But haft thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes
With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

Puck. I took him fleeping; that is finish'd too; And the Athenian woman by his fide,

That, when he wakes, of force she must be ey'd.

Enter

Enter Demetrius and Hermia.

Ob. Stand clofe, this is the fame Athenian.d Puck. This is the woman, but not this the man. Dem. O, why rebuke you him that loves you fo? Lay breath fo bitter on your bitter foe.

Her. Now I but chide, but I fhould ufe thee worfe;
For thou, I fear, haft giv'n me cause to curfe:
If thou haft flain Lyfander in his fleep,

Being o'er fhoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
And kill me too.ale jellegge

The fun was not fo true unto the day,
As he to me. Would he have ftol'n away
From fleeping Hermia? I'll believe as foon,

This whole earth may be bor'd, and that the moon
May through the center creep, and fo difplease
Her brother's noon-tide with th' Antipodes.
It cannot be, but thou haft murther'd him;
So fhould a murtherer look, fo dread, fo grim.

Dem. So fhould the murther'd look; and fo fhould
Pierc'd through the heart with your ftern cruelty:
Yet you the murtherer look as bright, and clear,
As yonder Venus in her glimm'ring fphere.

Her. What's this to my Lyfander? where is he? Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me? Dem. I'ad rather give his carcafs to my hounds. Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv'ft me paft the bounds bu

Of maiden's patience. Haft

Henceforth be never numberou flain him then?

among men. O! once tell true, and even for my fake,

Durft thou have look'd upon him, being awake?
And haft thou kill'd him fleeping? O brave touch!
Could not a worm, an adder do fo much? elda
An adder did it, for with doubler tongue.
Than thine, thou ferpent, never adder ftung.

Dem. You spend your paffion on a mifpris'd mood; I am not guilty of Lyfander's blood,

Nor is he dead, for ought that I can tell..
Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well.

Dem.

Dem. And if I could, what should I get therefore? Her. A privilege never to fee me more; And from thy hated prefence part I fo: See me no more, whether he's dead or no..

[Exit.

Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vein, Here, therefore, for a while I will remain: So forrow's heavinefs doth heavier grow, For debt, that bankrupt fleep doth forrow owe; Which now in fome flight measure it will pay, If for his Tender here I make fom ftay. Lies down.

Ob. What haft thou done? thou haft miftaken quite, And laid thy love-juice on fome true love's fight: Of thy mifprifion muft perforce enfue

Some true love turn'd, and not a falfe turn'd true.

Puck. Then fate o'er-rules, that one man holding troth A million fail, confounding oath on oath.

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Ob. About the wood go fwifter than the wind, And Helena of Athens, fe thou find.

All fancy-fick fhe is, and pale of cheer;

With fighs of love, that cofts the fresh blood dear;
By fome illufion, fee, thou bring her here;
I'll charm his eyes, against the doth appear.
Puck. I go, I go, look, how I go;

Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.
Ob. Flower of this purple dye,

Hit with Cupid's archery,

Sink in apple of his eye!

When his love he doth efpy,
Let her fhine as gloriously
As the Venus of the sky.
When thou wak'ft, if the be by,
Beg of her for remedy.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Captain of our fairy band,

Helena is here at hand,

And the youth, miftook by me,

Pleading for a lover's fee.

Shall we their fond pageant fee?
Lord, what fools thefe mortals be!

[Exit.

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