On meddling monkey, or on busy ape,)
She shall pursue it with the soul of love.
And ere I take this charm off from her sight,
(As I can take it with another herb,)
I'll make her render up her page to me.
But who comes here! I am invisible 34 ;
And I will over-hear their conference.

Enter DEMETRIUS, Helena following him. Dem. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander, and fair Hermia ? The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. Thou told'st me, they were stol'n into this wood, And here am I, and wood 35 within this wood, Because I cannot meet with Hermia. Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

Hel. You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Is true as steel: Leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you.

Dem. Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth Tell you—I do not, nor I cannot love you ?

Hel. And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love,

(And yet a place of high respect with me,) Than to be used as you use your dog?

Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick, when I do look on thee.

Hel. And I am sick, when I look not on you.

Dem. You do impeach your modesty too much,
To leave the city, and commit yourself
Into the hands of one that loves you not;
To trust the opportunity of night,
And the ill counsel of a desert place,
With the rich worth of your virginity.

Hel. Your virtue is my privilege for that.
It is not night, when I do see your face,
Therefore I think I am not in the night:
Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company;
For you, in my respect, are all the world :
Then how can it be said, I am alone,
When all the world is here to look on me?

Dem. I'll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. "

Hel. The wildest hath not such a heart as you.
Run when you will, the story shall be chang’d:
Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase ;
The dove pursues the griffin ; the mild hind
Makes speed to catch the tiger : Bootless speed !
When cowardice pursues, and valour flies.

Dem. I will not stay thy questions : let me go:
Or, if thou follow me, do not believe
But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.

Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,

You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius !
Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex:
We cannot fight for love, as men may do;
We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo.
I'll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell,
To die upon the hand I love so well.

[Exeunt Dem. and Hel. Obe. Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this

grove, Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love.

Re-enter Puck.
Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer.

Puck. Ay, there it is.
Obe.

I pray thee, give it me.
I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows,
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows;
Quite over-canopied with lush-woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine :
There sleeps Titania, some time of the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamel'd skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in :
And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantasies.
Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove:
A sweet Athenian lady is in love
With a disdainful youth : anoint his eyes;
But do it, when the next thing he espies
May be the lady: Thou shalt know the man
By the Athenian garments he hath on.

Effect it with some care; that he may prove
More fond on ber, than she upon her love :
And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.
Puck. Fear not my lord, your servant shall do so.

[Ereunt.

SCENE III.

Another Part of the Wood.

Enter TITANIA with her Train. Tita. Come, now a roundel 36, and a fairy song; Then, for the third part of a minute, hence : Some, to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds; Some, war with rear-mice for their leathern wings, To make my small elves coats; and some, keep back The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots, and wonders At our quaint spirits : Sing me now asleep; Then to your offices, and let me rest.

SONG.
i Fai. You spotted snakes, with double tongue,

Thorny hedge-hogs, be not seen ;
Newts, and llind-worms, do no wrong;

Come not near our fairy queen :
CHORUS. Philomel, with melody,

Sing in our sweet lullaby;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby:

Never harm, nor spell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh;
So, good night with, lullaly.

II.

2 Fai. Weaving spiders, come not here;

Hence, you long-legg'd spinners hence:
Beetles black, approach not near;

Worm, nor snail, do no offence.
Chorus. Philomel, with melody, &c.

1 Fai. Hence, away; now all is well: One, aloof, stand centinel.

[Ereunt Fairies. TITANIA sleeps.

Enter OBERON.
Obe. What thou seest, when thou dost wake,

Squeezes the flower on TITANIA's eye-lids.
Do it for thy true love take;
Love, and languish for his sake:
Be it ounce 37, or cat, or bear,
Pard, or boar with bristled hair,
In thy eye that shall appear
When thou wak'st, it is thy dear;
Wake, when some vile thing is near. [Erit.

Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA. Lys. Fair love, you faint with wandering in the

wood: And to speak troth I have forgot our way: We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,

And tarry for the comfort of the day.

Her. Be it so, Lysander; find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will rest my head.