Lamenting some enforced chastity. SCENE II. Another part of the Wood. Enter OBERon. [Exeunt. Obe. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd; Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Which she must dote on in extremity. Enter PUCK. Here comes my messenger.-How now, mad spirit? And forth my mimick comes: When they him spy, 6 - 5 What night-rule-] Night-rule in this place should seem to mean, what frolick of the night, what revelry is going forward? •patches,] Patch was in old language used as a term of opprobry; perhaps with much the same import as we use raggamuffin, or tatterdemalion. 7 An ass's nowl-] a head. 8 Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort," And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls; strong, Made senseless things begin to do them wrong: 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. 8 1 choughs,] The chough is a bird of the daw kind. 9 sort,] Company. latch'd-] Or letch'd, lick'd over, lecher, to lick, Fr. In the North, it signifies to infect. If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep, 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 May through the center creep, and so displease Pierc'd through the heart with your stern cruelty: 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 maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him then? O! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake; 2 Durst thou have look'd upon him, being awake, And hast thou kill'd him sleeping?] Hast thou kill'd him sleeping, whom, when awake, thou didst not dare to look upon? O brave touch!] Touch in Shakspeare's time was the same with our exploit, or rather stroke: but a touch anciently signified a trick. Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd mood: 3 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 vein : Here, therefore, for a while I will remain. [Lies down. Obe. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite, And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight: 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 holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Obe. 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; 3 on a mispris'd mood:] is put for " in a mispris'd mood;" i. e. " in a mistaken manner." 4 - pale of cheer-] Cheer, from the Italian caru, is frequently used by the old English writers for countenance. Puck. I go, I go; look, how I go; Hit with Cupid's archery, Re-enter PUCK. Puck. Captain of our fairy band, And the youth, mistook by me, Pleading for a lover's fee; Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be! Obe. Stand aside: the noise they make, Will cause Demetrius to awake. Puck. Then will two at once, woo one; That must needs be sport alone; And those things do best please me, That befal preposterously. Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. Lys. Why should you think, that I should woo in scorn? Scorn and derision never come in tears: How can these things in me seem scorn to you, 5 Bearing the badge of faith, to prove them true?] In allusion to the badges (i. e. family crests) anciently worn on the sleeves of servants and retainers. |