Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mistak'st, Or else commit'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 enterprize, That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes: And so far am I glad it so did sort, 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 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, 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, For fear lest day should look their shames upon, I with the morning's love have oft made sport; may effect this business yet ere day. [Exit Obe. 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; drawn and ready. Where art 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 defil'd, That draws a sword on thee. Dem. Yea; art thou there? Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here. Re-enter LYSANDER. [Exeunt. Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on; When I come where he calls, then he is gone. The villain is much lighter-heel'd, than I: 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 grey light, Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS. Puck. Ho, ho! ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thou not? Dem. Abide me, if thou 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.- [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, Steal me awhile from mine own company. [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 woe, Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers; I can no further crawl, no further go; with my desires. My legs can keep no pace Puck. On the ground Sleep sound: I'll apply To your eye, Gentle lover, remedy. [Lies down. [Squeezing the juice on Lysander's eye. When thou wak'st, Thou tak'st True delight In the sight Of thy former lady's eye: And the country proverb known, That every man should take his own, Jack shall have Jill 11; Nought shall go ill; The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well. [Exit Puck.-Dem. Hel. &c. sleep. |