Then, for the third part of a minute, hence; Some, war with rear-mice for their leathern wings, SONG. 1 Fai. You spotted snakes, with double tongue,& Newts, and blind-worms, do no wrong; CHORUS. Philomel, with melody, Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby; Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good night, with lullaby. II. 2 Fai. Weaving spiders, come not here: 8 Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence: 7 CHORUS. Philomel, with melody, &c. with rear-mice-] A rere-mouse is a bat, a mouse that rears itself from the ground by the aid of wings. 8 with double tongue,] our author means—forked. 9 Newts, and blind-worms,] The newt is the eft, the blind worm is the Cæcilia or slow-worm. 2 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: Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA. [Exit. 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. Lys. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; Lys. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence; 2 1 Be it ounce,] The ounce is a small tiger, or tiger-cat. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence;] Understand the meaning of my innocence, or my innocent meaning. Her. Lysander riddles very prettily :— 3 Now much beshrew my manners and my pride, Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his rest! Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd! Enter PUCK. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, [They sleep. On whose eyes I might approve 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:4 Sleep his seat on thy eye-lid. 3 Now much beshrew, &c.] This word, of which the etymology is not exactly known, implies a sinister wish, and means the same as if she had said " now ill befall my manners," &c. + “this kill-courtesy.” MALONE. All the power this charm doth owe:] i. e. all the power it possesses. So awake, when I am gone; For I must now to Oberon. [Exit. Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running. Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. Dem. I charge thee hence, and do not haunt me thus. 5 Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so. [Exit DEMETRIUS. How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears: For beasts that meet me, run away for fear: Lys. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet sake. [Waking. Transparent Helena! Nature here shows art, + That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word Is that vile name, to perish on my sword? Hel. Do not say so, Lysander; say not so; What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? Yet Hermia still loves you; then be content. 6 5 wilt thou darkling-] i. e. in the dark. my grace.] My acceptableness, the favour that I can gain. +"Nature shows her art." MALONE. Lys. Content with Hermia? No: I do repent Who will not change a raven for a dove? 8 Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, But fare you well: perforce I must confess, O, that a lady, of one man refus'd, Should, of another, therefore be abus'd! [Exit. Lys. She sees not Hermia: - Hermia, sleep thou there; And never may'st thou come Lysander near! For, as a surfeit of the sweetest things The deepest loathing to the stomach brings; Are hated most of those they did deceive; ተ 7 till now ripe not to reason ;] i. e. do not ripen to it. Ripe, in the present instance, is a verb. 8 touching now the point of human skill,] i. e. my senses being now at the utmost height of perfection. 9 Reason becomes the marshal to my will,] that is, my will now follows reason. |