That they have overborne their continents'. Since once I sat upon a promontory. 5 And certain stars shot madly from their spheres, Puck. I remember. Ob. That very time I saw, (but thou could'st not) And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow, In maiden meditation, fancy-free". Yet, mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower,- [wound, Is, as in mockery, set: The spring, the summer, 20 Before, milk-white; now purple with love's The childing' autum, angry winter, change Ob. Do you amend it then; it lies in you: Queen. Set your heart at rest, [day. [once; And maidens call it, love in idleness'. Fetch me that flower; the herb I shew'd thee 25 Upon the next live creature that it sees. 30 35 On meddling monkey, or on busy ape) 40 And I will over-hear their conference. Enter Demetrius, Helena following him. 45 The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. Queen. Perchance, till after Theseus' wedding-50 [Exeunt Queen and her train. Ob. Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this "Till I torment thee for this injury. [grove, 55 Is true as steel: Leave you your power to draw, Dem. Do I entice you? do I speak you fair? 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; My gentle Puck, come hither: Thou remember'st 60 Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, 2 Meaning their banks. Nine men's morris is a game still played by the shepherds, cow-keepers, &c. in the midland counties The confusion of seasors here described, is no more than a poetical account of the weather, which happened in England about the time when this play was first published. That is perturbation. That is, the pregnant. That is, produce. Page of honour. This was intended as a compliment to Queen Elizabeth. i. e. heart's-ease. 10 Wood, here means mad, wild, racing. In this sense it was formerly spelled wode. Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, [rit: Hel. And I am sick, when I look not on you. Hel. Your virtue is my privilege for that. 5 [10] Another part of the Wood. Enter the Queen of Fairies, with her train. To make my small elves coats; and some keep back Hel. The wildest has not such a heart as you. Dem. I will not stay thy questions; let me go: 30 Or, if thou follow me, do not believe Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, 35 You do ine mischief. Fie, Demetrius! this grove, Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love.- • Puck, Ay, there it is. Ob. I pray thee, give it me, I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes; The greater cowslip. burton reads quaint sports, 45 First Fairy. You spotted snakes, with double tongue, Philomel, with melody, Sing in your sweet lullaby: Lulla, tulla, lullaby; lulla, lilla, lullaby; Weaving spiders, come not here; Philomel, with melody, &c. Hence, away; now all is well: [Exeunt Fairies. The Queen sleeps, Ob. What thou seest, when thou dost wake, Do it for thy true love take; 55 60 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, A roundel is a dance in a ring. A rere-mouse is a bat. Dr. War- Her Her. Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed, For upon this bank will rest my head. Ls. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; One heart, one bed, two bosems, and one troth. Hr. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake,my dear, L. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence; Har. Lysander riddles very prettily:- Lys. Amen, amen, to that fair pray'r, say I; Enter Puck. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, But Athenian found I none, All the power this charm doth owe: For I must now to Oberon. [Exit. 10 Ljs. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet 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 3? Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content. Who will not change a raven for a dove? When, at your hands, did I deserve this scorn? 351s't not enough, is't not enough, young man, That I did never, no, nor never can, Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, 1451 "Enter Demetrius and Hlena running. II. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so. [Exit Demetrius. For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. [tears 55 But fare you well: perforce I must confess, And never may'st thou come Lysander near! Of all be hated, but the most of me! And all my powers, address your love and might, To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Ay me, for pity!—what a dream was here? 60Lysander, look, how I do quake with fear! Beshrew means the same as if she had said, "Now ill be fal 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, Alack, where are you? speak, an if you hear; [Exit. A CT 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 I 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? Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with your- Snout. Therefore, another prologue must tell, he is not a lion. 150 155 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, 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 60 plainly, he is Snug the joiner. hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-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 distigure, 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. Come, Quin. If that may be, then all is well. 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. Quin. Ay, marry, must you: for you must understand, he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again. i. e. by our Ladykin, or little lady. 1 This adjuration is frequently used by our author. lous means dangerous. Brake anciently signified a thicket or bush. i. e. a little while. 3 Par 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." 5 Quin. Ninus' tomb, 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 i 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." Pur." If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine:"15 Quin. Omonstrous! O strange! we are haunted! Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [Exeunt Clowns. Puck. I follow you, I'll lead you about round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier: So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; 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. 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 a The summer still doth tend upon my state, 20 Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound, Re-enter Snout. Snout. O Bottom, thou art chang'd! what do I see on thee? Bot. What do you see? you see an ass' head] of your own; Do you? Re-enter Quince. 30 35 Bot. I see their knavery: this is to make an ass The ousel-cock, so black of hue, The throstle with his note so true, [Sings. Queen. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? Bottom sings. Waking. 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: 45 And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep, Enter four fairies, 1 Fair. Ready. 3 Fair. And I. 4 Fair. And I: where shall we go? Queen. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a 55 Squash' your mother, and to master Peascod, your bird? Who would give the bird the lye, though he cry cuckow, never so. Quien. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note, ather. Good master Pease-blossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too.-Your name, I beseech you, sir? Mus. Mustard-seed. 1i. e. young man. 2A 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. 3i. e. afraid. The ousel cock is generally understood to be the cock blackbird. The throstle is the thrush. i. e. deceive, or beguile. Å squash is an unripe peascod, |