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* 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 not I 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?
Bring in question.

* Mad, raving.

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. Fye, 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.

t

[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 enamell❜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.

* By.

†The greater cowslip.

‡ Vigorous.

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 her, than she upon her love :·
And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.
Puck. Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do
[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Another part of the wood.

Enter Titania, with her train.

Tita. Come, now a roundel*, 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.

1 Fai. You spotted snakes, with double tongue,
Thorny hedge-hogs, be not seen;

Chorus.

Newts §, and blind-worms ||, do no wrong;
Come not near our fairy queen :

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 lullaby.

II.

2 Fai. Weaving spiders, come not here;
Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence;

* A kind of dance.

VOL. II.

+ Bats.
Slow-worms.
S

+ Sports.

§ Efts.

Chorus.

Beetles black, approach not near;
Worm, nor snail, do no offence.
Philomel, with melody, &c.

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

[Exeunt 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*, 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.

Enter Lysander and Hermia.

[Exit.

Lys. Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood;

And to speak truth, 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.

Lys. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. Her. "Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

:

Lys. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence; Love takes the meaning, in love's conference. I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit, So that but one heart we can make of it Two bosoms interchained with an oath; So then, two bosoms, and a single troth. Then, by your side no bed-room me deny ; For, lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.

Her. Lysander riddles very prettily :

* The small tiger.

Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,
If Hermia meant to say, Lysander lied.
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
Lie further off; in human modesty
Such separation, as, may well be said
Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid:
So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend :
Thy love ne'er alter, till thy sweet life end!
Lys. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;
And then end life, when I end loyalty!

Here is my bed sleep give thee all his rest! Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be [They sleep.

press'd!

Enter Puck.

Puck. Through the forest have I gone,
But Athenian found I none,

On whose eyes I might approve
This flower's force in stirring love.
Night and silence! who is here?
Weeds of Athens hé doth wear:
This is he, my master said,
Despised the Athenian maid;

And here the maiden, sleeping sound,
On the dank and dirty ground.

Pretty soul! she durst not lie

Near this lack-love, kill-courtesy.

Churl, upon thy eyes I throw

All the power this charm doth owe* :

When thou wak'st, let love forbid

Sleep his seat on thy eye-lid.
So awake, when I am gone;
For I must now to Oberon.

Enter Demetrius and Helena, running.

[Exit.

Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me

thus.

Hel. O, wilt thou darkling † leave me? do not so.