་ སྙ་ ༈༙ ་ Bot. [As PYRAMUS.] If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine: Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters fly, masters! help! [Excunt all the players, in various ways. Puck. I'll follow, I'll lead them about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier. [Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afcard, Re-enter SNOUT. Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? Bot. What do you see? you see an ass's-head of your own; do you? Re-enter QUINCE. Quin. Bless thec, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated. [Exeunt SNOUT and QUINCE. Bot. I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me; to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear that I am not afraid. The ousel-cock, so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, The throstle with his note so truc, The wren with little quill: [Sings. Tita. [Waking.] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo gray, Whose note full many a man doth mark, Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again : So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me, Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays. The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. 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 summer 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, ? That thou shalt like an airy spirit go. Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-seed! [The Goblins enter as each one is called by name. Where shall we go? [All making obeisance. Tit. Be kind and courteous. to this gentleman ; And pluck the wings from painted butterflies, Cob. Hail! Moth. Hail! Mus. Hail! Bot. I cry your worships' mercy, heartily.-(To COBWEB.) I beseech your worship's name. Cob. Cobweb. Bot. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good master Cobweb. If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.(To PEAS.) Your name, honest gentleman ? Peas. Peas-blossom. Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash, your mother, and to master Peas-cod, your father. Good master Peas-blossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too.(To MUSTARD-SEED.) Your name, I beseech you, sir? Mus. Mustard-seed. Bot. Good master Mustard-sced, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you of more acquaintance, good master Mustard-seed. Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower. ers. Obe. How now, mad spirit? What night-rule now about this haunted grove? Puck. My mistress with a monster is in love. A crew of patches, rude mechanicals, And forth my mimic comes when they him spy, Obc. This falls out better than I could devise. Puck. I took him sleeping,-that is finish'd too,And the Athenian woman by his side; That when he wak'd, of force she must be cy'd. Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA. Obe. Stand close; this is the same Athenian. Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foc. Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse; For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse. If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep, Then kill me too. The sun was not so true unto the day, As he to me would he have stol'n away. From sleeping Hermia? It cannot be, but thou hast murder'd him ; So should a murderer look; so dread, so grim. Dem. So should the murder'd look; and so should I, Pierc'd through the heart with your stern cruelty: Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear, As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere. Iler. What's this to my Lysander? where is he? Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me? Dem. I'd rather give his carcase to my hounds. Iler. Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv'st me past the bounds Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him then? t Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd mood: I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell. Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. And from thy hated presence part I so: See me no more, whether he be dead or no. Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vein : [Exit. [Lies down. Obe. What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite, And laid the love-juice on some truc-love's sight: About the wood go swifter than the wind, All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer With sighs of love, that cost the fresh blood dear. As the Venus of the sky. [Exit. [Squeezes juice of flower. When thou wak'st, if she be by, 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; |