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

This. Most radiant Pyramus, most lilye-white of hue,
Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier,
Most briskly juvenal, and eke must lovely Jew,

As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire,
I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

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. Pyramus, enter; your cue is past; it is, never tire.

Re-enter Puck, and BOTTOM with an ass's head.
This. 0,-Astrue as truest horse, that yet would

never tire.

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 around,

Through bog, through bush, through brake, through
brier;

Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,

A hog, aheadless 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?

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,
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.-
Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-seed!

1 Fai. Ready.

2 Fai. AndI.

3 Fai. And I.

Enter four Fairies.

4 Fai. Where shall we go?

Tita. Bekind and courteous to this gentleman;
Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks, and dewberries,
With purple grapes, greenfigs, 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 Fai. Hail, mortal!

Bot. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good

Bot. What do you see? you see an ass's head of your master Cobweb. If I cut my finger, I shall make bold

own; do you?

Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?
[Waking.

Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not answer, nay;

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!
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
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 rea-
son for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love
keep little company together now-a-days. The more

with you.-Your name, honest gentleman?
Peas. Peas-blossom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to Mrs Squash, your
mother, and to master Peas-cod, your father. Good
master Peas-blossom, I shall desire you of more ac-
quaintance too. - Your name, I beseech you, sir?
Mus. Mustard-seed.
Bot. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your pa-
tience well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef
hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I pro-
mise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere
I desire you more acquaintance, good master

now.

Mustardseed.

Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower!
Themoon, 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;
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,
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,

the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make | Were met together to rehearse a play,

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A million fail, confounding oath on oath.
Obe. About the wood go swifter than the wind,
And Helena of Athens look thou find:

Their sense, thus weak, lost with their fears, thus All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer

Dem. So should the murder'd look; and so should I, How can these things in me seem scorn to you,

Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd mood: Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow,

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,
When, I am sure, you hate me with your hearts.
You both arerivals, and love Hermia;
And now both rivals, to mock Helena:
Atrim exploit, a manly enterprise,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eye's,
With your derision! none, of noble sort,
Would so offend a virgin, and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

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

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 hut, as guest-wise, sojourn'd;
And now to Helen is it home return'd,
There to remain.

Though I alone do feel the injury.
Her. I am amazed at your passionate words:
I scorn you not; it seems, that you scorn me.
Hel. Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
To follow me, and praise my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius,

(Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,)
To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander
Deny your love, so rich within his soul,
And tender me, forsooth, affection,
But by your setting on, by your consent?
What though I be not so in grace as you,
So huug upon with love, so fortunate;
But miserable most, to love unlov'd?
This you should pity, rather than despite.
Her. I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do persever, counterfeit sad looks,
Make mows upon me, when I turn my back;
Wink at each other; hold the sweet jest up:
This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me such an argument.
But, fare ye well: 'tis partly mine own fault;
Which death, or absence, soon shall remedy.
Lys. Stay, gentle Helena, hear my excuse;
My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!
Hel. O excellent!

Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press

to go?

Her. What love could press Lysander from my side?
Lys. Lysander's love, that would not let him bide,
Fair Helena; who more engilds the night

Than all yon fiery oes and eyes of light.

Why seek'st thou me?could not this make thee know,
The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?

Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be.
Hel. Lo, sheis one of this confederacy!
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd, onjoin'd, all three,

To fashion this false sport in spite of me.
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,
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us,-O, and is all forgot?

All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,
Have with our neelds created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key;
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds
Had been incorporate. Sowe grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted;
But yet a union in partition,

Two lovely berries moulded on one stem:
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:

Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it;

Her. Sweet, do not scorn her so!

Dem. If she cannot entreat, I can compel.
Lys. Thou canst compel no more, than she entreat;
Thy threats have no more strength, than her weak

prayers.

Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do;

I swear by that, which I will lose for thee,

To prove him false, that says I love thee not.
Dem. I say, I lovethee more, than he can do.
Lys. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.
Dem. Quick, come -

Her. Lysander, whereto tends all this?

Lys. Away, you Ethiop!

Dem. No, no, sir; -he will

Seem to break loose; take on, as you would follow;
But yet come not! You are a tame man, go!

Lys. Hang off, thou cat, thou burr: vile thing, let

loose!

Fach

Her. O me! you juggler! you canker-blossom!
You thief of love! what, have you come by night,
Andstol'n my love's heart from him?

Hel. Fine, i'faith!

Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,
No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
Impatient answers from my gentletongue?
Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet you!
Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the game.
Now I perceive, that she hath made compare
Between our statures, she hath urg'd her height;
And with her personage, hertall personage,
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with him. -
And are you grown so high in his esteem,

Because I am so dwarfish, and so low?

How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak!

How low am I? I am not yet so low,

But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen,
Let her not hurt me: I was never curst;

I have no gift at all in shrewishness;
Iamaright maid for my cowardice;
Let her not strikeme; you, perhaps, may think,
Because she's something lower, than myself,
That I can match her.

Her. Lower! hark, again.

Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me!
I evermore did love you, Hermia,

Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you;
Save that, in love unto Demetrius,

I told him of your stealth unto this wood:

He follow'd you; forlove, I follow'd him.

But he hath chid me hence; and threaten'd me
To strikeme, spurn me, nay, to kill me too:

And now, so you will let me quiet go,

To Athens will I bear my folly back,

And follow you no further. Let me go!

You see how simple and how fond I am.

Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully.
Puck. Believeme, king of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me, I should know the man
By the Athenian garments, he had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprize,
That I have nointed an Athenian's eyes:
And so far am I glad it so did sort,

As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

Obe. Thou seest, these lovers seek a place to fight:

Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;
The starry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
And lead these testy rivals so astray,
As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,
Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And sometime rail thou like Demetrius;

And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep:
Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye;
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error, with his might,
And make his eye-balls roll with wonted sight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall seem a dream, and fruitless vision;
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,
With league, whose date till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmed eye release

From monster's view, and all things shall be peace.
Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste;
For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;

At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there,
Troop home to church-yards; damned spirits all,
That in cross-ways and floods have burial,

Her. Why, get you gone; who is't that hinders you? Already to their wormy beds are gone,
Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.

Her. What, with Lysander?

Hel. With Demetrius.

Lys. Benot afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena.
Dem. No, sir; she shall not, though you take her part.
Hel. O, when she's angry, she is keen and shrewd;
She was a vixen when she went to school;

And, though she bebut little, she is fierce.

Her. Littleagain? nothing but low and little ?

Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?

Let me come to her!

Lys. Get you gone, you dwarf;

You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made;

You bead, you acorn!

Dem. You are too officious

In her behalf, that scorns your services.

Let her alone; speak not of Helena;

Take not her part; for, if thon dostintend

Never so little show of love to her,

Thou shalt aby it.

Lys. Now she holds me not;

Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try, whose right,
Or thine or mine, is most in Helena.

Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole.

[Exeunt Lys. and Dem.

Her. You, mistress, all this coil is 'long of you:

Nay, go not back!

Hel. I will not trust you, I;

Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray:

Mylegs

are

Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.

longer though, to run away.
longe

For fear, lest day should look their shames upon,
They wilfully themselves exile from light,

And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night.
Obe. But we are spirits of another sort:

I with the morning's love have oft made sport;
And, like a forester, the groves may tread,
Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red,

Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his salt-green streams.

But, nothwithstanding, haste; makeno delay!
We may effect this business yet ere day. [Exit Oberon

Puck. Up and down, up and down;

I will lead them up and down:

I am fear'd in field and town;

Goblin, lead them up and down.

Here comes one.

[Exit.

And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou

child!

[Exit, pursuing Helena. I'll whip thee with a rod: he is defil'd,

Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mistak'st,

That draws a sword on thee,

Puck. Comehither; I am here.

Bot. Nothing, good monsieur, but to help cavalero

Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber's, monsieur;

this dear,

If ever I thy face by day-light see:

Now, go thy way! - Faintness constraineth me

for, methinks, I am marvellous hairy about the face: and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch.

To measure out my length on this cold bed.

By day's approach look to be visited.

Tita. What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love?

[Lies down and sleeps.

Enter HELENA.

Bot. I have a reasonable good ear in music: let us have the tongs and the bones.

Tita. Or say, sweetlove, what thou desir'st to eat. Bot. Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks, I have a great desire to a bottle of hay: good hay, sweethay, hath no fellow. Tita. I have a venturous fairy, that shall seek The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts. Bot. 1 had rather have a handful, or two, of dried peas. But, I pray you, let none of your people stir me; I have an exposition of sleep come upon me. Tita. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away!

Enter HERMIA.

So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle,

1

Gently entwist, -the female ivy so

Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.

O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee! [They sleep.

sight?

Her. Never so weary, never so in woe,
Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers;
I can no further crawl, no further go;

My legs can keep no pace with my desires.
Here will I rest me, till the break of day.
Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!

Puck. On the ground
Sleep sound:
I'll apply
To your eye,

Gentle lover, remedy.

OBERON advances. Enter Puck.

Obe. Welcome, good Robin! See'st thou this sweet

[Lies down. Her dotage now I do begin to pity.

For meeting her of late, behind the wood,
Seeking sweet savours for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her, and fall out with her:
For she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;

[Squeezing the juice on Lysander's eye. And that same dew, which sometime on the buds

Was wont to swell, like round and orient pearls,
Stood now within the pretty flow'rets' eyes,
Like tears, that did their own disgrace bewail.
When I had, at my pleasure, taunted her,
And she, in mild terms, begg'd my patience,
I then did ask of her her changeling child;
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent
To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
And, gentle Puck, takethis transformed scalp
From of the head of this Athenian swain;
That he, awaking, when the other do,
May all to Athens back again repair
And think no more of this night's accidents,