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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, Lye further off, yet, do not lye so near.

Ly. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence; Love takes the meaning in love's conference.

Ι

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:-
Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,
If Hermia meant to say, Lysander ly'd.
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy.
Lye further off; in human modesty
Such separation, as, may well be said,
Becomes a virtuous batchelor, 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 pray'r, 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
press'd!
[They sleep.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Through the forest have I gone,

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10 Lys. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet
[Waking.
Transparent Helena! Nature shews art,
That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.
Where is Demetrius? Oh, how fit a word

15 Is that vile name, to perish on my sword!

20

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.
Lys. Content with Hermia? No: I do repent
The tedious minutes I with her have spent.
Not Hermia, but Helena I love:

Who will not change a raven for a dove?
The will of man is by his reason sway'd;
25 And reason says you are the worthier maid.
Things growing are not ripe until their season:
So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason;
And touching now the point of human skill,
Reason becomes the marshal to my will,
30 And leads me to your eyes; where I o'erlook
Love's stories, written in Love's richest book.
Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery
born?

When, at your hands, did I deserve this scorn? 35 Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, That I did never, no, nor never can,

Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,
But you must flout my insufficiency?
Good troth, you do me wrong, good soth, you do,
40 In such disdainful manner me to woo.

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 he 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 lye
Near to this lack-love, this 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.
Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.
Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me 50
thus.

[Exit.

Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so.
Dem. Stay on thy peril: I alone will go.
[Exit Demetrius.
Hel. O, I am out of breath, in this fond chace!
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace2.
Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies;

For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. [tears:
How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt
If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers.

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55

But fare you well: perforce I must confess,
I thought you lord of more true gentleness.
Oh, 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;
Or, as the heresies, that men do leave,
Are hated most of those they did deceive;
So thou my surfeit, and my heresy,

Of all be hated, but the most of me!
And all my powers, address your love and might,
To honour Helen, and to be her knight! [Exit.
Her. [starting from sleep.] Help me, Lysan
der, help me! do thy best,

To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!
Ay me, for pity!-what a dream was here?
160 Lysander, look, how I do quake with fear!

2

› Beshrew means the same as if she had said, "Now ill befal my manners, &c." i. e. My acceptableness. i. e. What then? Meaning, that he had more of the spirit of a gentleman.

Methought

Methought, a serpent eat my heart away,
And you sat smiling at his cruel prey:-
Lysander! what, remov'd? Lysander, lord!
What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?

Alack, where are you? speak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves'; I swoon, almost with fear,
No?-then I will perceive you are not nigh;
Or death, or you, I'll find immediately.

[Exit.

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30

Bot. Not a whit; I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue: and let the prologue seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords; and that Pyramus is not kill'd indeed : and, for the more better assurance tell them, that 35 1 Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: This will put them out of fear.

Quin. Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and six.

Bot. No, make it two more; let it be written 40 in eight and eight,

Snout, Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?
Star. I fear it, I promise you.

Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in, God shield us! a lion among ladies, is a most dreadful thing: for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl, than your lion, living; and we ought to look to it.

Snout. Therefore, another prologue must tell, he is not a lion.

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Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck;} and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect,—Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, 155 would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life: No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are:-and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them plainly, he is Snug the joiner,

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hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by noon-light.

Snug. Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moon-shine. Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night.

Bot. Why then you may leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the casement.

Quin. Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moonshine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall.

Snug. You never can bring in a wall;-What say you, Bottom?

Bot. Some man or other must present wall; and let him have some plaster, or some lome, or some rough-cast, about him, to signify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake'; and so every one according to his cue. Enter Puck behind.

Puck. What hempen home-spuns have wę swaggering here,

So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor;}
An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.
Quin. Speak, Pyramus:-Thisby, stand forth.
Pyr. "Thisby, the flower of odious savours
Quin. Odours, odours.
[sweet."

Pyr. "

-odours savours sweet, "So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.— "But, hark, a voice! stay thou but here a whit', And by and by I will to thee appear."

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[Exit Pyramus, Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here! [Aside. Exit.

This. Must I speak now?

Quin. Ay, marry, must you: for you must un60derstand, he goes but to see a noise that he heard, land is to come again,

2

'This adjuration is frequently used by our author. i. e. by our Ladykin, or little lady. lous means dangerous, Brake anciently signified a thicket or bush. i. e. a little while.

3 Par

This!

This. "Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white) "of hue,

"Of colour like the red-rose on triumphant brier, "Most briskly juvenal', and eke most lovely Jew, "As true as truest horse, that yet would never "tire,

"I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb."

2

5

Quin. Ninus' toinb, man: Why you must not] speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: you speak all your part at once, cues and all.-Pyra-10 mus enter; your cue is past; it is, never tire. Re-enter Puck and Bottom with an ass's head. This. “O—As true as truest horse, that yet "would never tire."

Pyr. “If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine:"15 Quin. Omonstrous! O strange! we are haunted! Pray, masters! fly, masters! help!

[Exeunt Clowns. Pack. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round,

Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier:

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;
And thy fair virtue's force, perforce doth move me,
On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little coinpany together now-a-days: The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek, upon occasion.

Queen. 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.

Queen. Out of this wood do not desire to go; Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. am a spirit, of no common rate;

I

The summer still doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I'll give thee faries to attend on thee;

20 And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep:
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so,
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.-
Pease-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-
seed!

Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
Anneigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar and burn, 25
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 3.

Re-enter Snout.

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35

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 40
walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they
shall hear I am not afraid.

The ousel-cock, so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill,

The throsil with his note so true,
The wren with little quill:

[Sings.

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The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,

The plain-song cuckow gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer, nay:

1451

Enter four fairies.

1 Fair. Ready.

2 Fair. And Í.

3 Fair. And 1.

4 Fair. And I: where shall we go?
Queen. 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, for night tapers, crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arise;
And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.
1 Fair. Hail, mortal, hail!

2 Fair. Hail!

3 Fair. 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,

50 good master Cobweb: If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.-Your name, honest gentleman ?

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for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a55 Squash your mother, and to master Peascod, your

bird? Who would give the bird the lye, though

he cry cuckow, never so.

Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:

Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,

father. Good master Pease-blossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too.-Your name, I beseech you, sir?

Mus. Mustard-seed.

i. e. young man. 2 A cue, in the language of the stage, is the last words of the preceding speech, and serves as a hint to him who is to speak next. i. e. afraid. "The ous cock is generally understood to be the cock blackbird. The throstle is the thrush. i. e. deceive, or beguile. A squash is an unripe peascod.

Bot. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like, ox-beef 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.

Queen. 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.

SCENE II.

Enter Oberon.

[Exeunt.

Ob. I wonder if Titania be awaked; Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Which she must doat on in extremity.

Enter Puck.

Here comes my messenger,-How now,mad spirit:
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?

Puck. My mistress with a monster is in love.
Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches', rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.
The shallowest thick skin of that barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented, in their sport
Forsook his scene, and enter'd in a brake:
When I did him at this advantage take,

An ass's now!' I fixed on his head;

Anon, his Thisby must be answered.

5

And the Athénian woman by his side;
That, when he wak'd, of force she must be ey'd
Enter Demetrius und Hermia.

Ob. 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. [worse;
Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee
For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse.
10f thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
And kill me too.

The sun was not so true unto the day, As he to me: Would he have stol'n away 15 From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon, This whole earth may be bor'd; and that the moon May through the centre creep, and so displease Her brother's noon-tide with the Antipodes. It cannot be, but thou hast murder'd him; 20 So should a murderer look, so dead, so grim.

Dem. So should the murder'd look and so should I,

Pierc'd through the heart with your stern cruelty: Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear, 25 As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere.

30

[spy, 35

And forth my minnock comes: When they him
As wild geese, that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report
Sever themselves, and madly sweep the sky;
So, at his sight, away his fellows fly:
And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;
He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.
Their sense, thus weak, lost with their fears, thus

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Her. What's this to my Lysander? where is he?
Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me?
Dem. I had rather give his carcase to my hounds.
Her. Out, dog! out, cur, thou driv'st me past
the bounds

Of maider's patience. Hast thou slain him then?
Henceforth be never number'd among men!
Oh! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake;
Durst thou have look'd upon him, being awake,
And hast thou kill'd him sleeping? O brave touch!
Could not a worm, an adder, do so much?
An adder did it; for with doubler tongue
Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.
Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd'
mood:

I am not guilty of Lysander's blood;
Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell.

Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well.
Dem. An if I could, what should I get therefore?
Her. A privilege, never to see me more.―
And from thy hated presence part I so:
See me no more, whether he be dead, or no. [Exit.

Dem. There is no following her in this fierce Here, therefore, for a while I will remain. [vein: 50 So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow, For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe; Which now in some slight measure it will pay, If for his tender here I make some stay.

Ob. This falls out better than I could devise.
But hast thou yet latch'd' the Athenian's eyes. 55
With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

Puck. I took him sleeping-that is finish'd too,

1

[Lies down.

Ob. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken

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By patience is meant, standing still in a mustard-pot to be eaten with the beef, on which it was a constant attendant. Meaning, what frolick of the night? i. e. low, paltry fellows. * i. e. a head. Minnekin, now minx, is a nice trifling girl. Minnock is apparently a word of contempt; it is more probable that Shakspeare wrote mimmick or player. i. e. company. 'i. e. closed. shut the door. • Touch, in

To latch the door, in Staffordshire, and the adjoining counties, is, to our author's time, was the same with our exploit, or rather stroke.

i.e. mistaken.

Of

Of thy misprision' must perforce ensue
Some true love turn'd, and not a false turn'd true.
Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that, one man hold-
ing troth,

A million fail, confounding oath on oath.

Ob. About the wood go swifter than the wind,
And Helena of Athens look thou find:
All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer
With sighs of love, that cost the fresh blood dear:
By some illusion see thou bring her here;
I'll charm his eyes, against she do appear.
Puck. I go, I go; look, how I go;
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.
Ob. Flower of this purple dye,
Hit with Cupid's archery,

Sink in apple of his eye!
When his love he doth

espy,

Let her shine as gloriously
As the Venus of the sky.-
When thou wakʼst, if she be bye,
Beg of her for remedy.

Re-enter Puck.

Puck. Captain of our fairy band,
Helena is here at hand;
And the youth mistook by me,

[Exit.

Hel. Ospight! O hell! I see you all are bent
To set against me, for your merriment.
If you were civil, and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
5 Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join, in souls', to mock me too?
If you were men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle lady so;
To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts,
10When, I am sure, you hate me with you hearts.
You both are rivals, and love Hermia;
And now both rivals to mock Helena:
A trim exploit, a manly enterprize,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes,
15 With your derision! None of nobler sort
Would so offend a virgin; and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

4

Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so;
For you love Hermia; this, you know, I know:
20 And here, with all good-will, with all my heart,
In Hermia's love I yield you up my part;
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love, and will do to my death.

25

Pleading for a lover's fee;

Shall we their fond pageant see?

Lord, what fools these mortals be!

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When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!
These vows are Hermia's! Will you give her o'er
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing
weigh:

Your vows, to her and me, put in two scales,
Will even weigh; and both as light as tales.

Lys. I had no judgment, when to her I swore.
Hel. Nornone, in my mind,now you give hero'er.
Lys. Demetrius loves her; and he loves not you.
Dem. [awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph,
perfect, divine!

To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O how ripe in show
Thy lips, those, kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus snow,
Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow,
When thou hold'st up thy hand: O let me kiss
This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!

That is, mistake. 2 i. e. all love-sick. or qua ity. i. e. Harass, or torment.. ter a circle; here he means the stars.

135

Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath,
Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none;
If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone.
My heart with her but as guest-wise sojourn'd;
And now to Helen it is home return'd,
There to remain.

Lys. Helen, it is not so.

6

Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,
Lest to thy peril, thou aby it dear——
Look, where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.
Enter Hermia.

Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function
The ear more quick of apprehension makes; [takes,
Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense,

It pays the hearing double recompense: Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found. 40 Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound. But why unkindly didst thou leave me so? Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go?

45

Her. What love could press Lysander from my

side?

[bide?
Lys. Lysander's love, that would not let him
Fair Helena; who more engilds the night
Than all yon fiery o's', and eyes of light. [know,
Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee
50 The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?

Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be,
Hel. Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd, all three,
To fashion this false sport in spight of me.
55 Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid!
Have you conspir'd, have you with these contriv'd
To bait me with this foul derision?

Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd,
The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent,
60 When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us-O, and is all forgot?

Alf school-day friendship, childhood innocence?
That is, join heartily.
'See note *, p. 188.

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