Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine :Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [Exeunt Clowns. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier; Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound, A hog, a beardless bear, sometime a fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. [Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them, to make me afeard *. 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 thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated. [Exit. 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 I am not afraid. [Sings. The ousel-cock, so black of hue, With orange-tawney bill, The throstle with his note so true, The wren with little quill; Tita. 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, * Afraid. [Waking. + The cuckoo, with his uniform note. for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry, cuckoo, never so. Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: 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 now-a-days: the more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek* upon occasion. 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 : Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth and Mustard-seed! Where shall we go? Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; Feed him with apricocks and dewberries †, With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; The honey bags steal from the humble bees, And pluck the wings from painted butterflies, 2 Fai. Hail ! 3 Fai. Hail! 4 Fai. Hail! Bot. I cry your worship's mercy, heartily.—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. Your name, honest gentleman? Peas. Peas-blossom. Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash, your mother, and to master Peascod, your father. Good master Peas-blossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir? Mus. Mustard-seed. : Bot. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well that same cowardly, giant-like oxbeef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you more acquaintance, good master Mustard-seed. Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower. The moon, methinks, looks with a watery eye; And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity. Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Another part of the wood. Enter Oberon. Obe. I wonder if Titania be awak'd; Enter Puck. Here comes my messenger.-How now, mad spirit? And forth my mimick || comes: when they him spy, And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls ;. Their sense, thus weak, lost with their fears, thus For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch; I led them on in this distracted fear, Obe. 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 ey'd. Enter Demetrius and Hermia. Obe. Stand close; this is the same Athenian. Puck. This is the woman, but not this the man. Dem. O, why rebuke you him that loves you so? Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe. Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse; For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse. Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep, The sun was not so true unto the day, As he to me: Would he have stol'n away This whole earth may be bor'd; and that the moon Pierc'd through the heart with your stern cruelty: |