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Re-enter QUINCE.

Quin. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou [Exit. 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 walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid. [Sings.

The ousel-cock, so black of hue,
With orange-tawney bill,
The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill;

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 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, can gleek upon occasion.

Tita. 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.

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

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 !

Enter four FAIRIES.

1 Fai. Ready.

2 Fai. And I.

3 Fai. And I.

4 Fai. Where shall we go?

Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentle

man;

Peas. Peas-blossom.

Bot. I pray you, 'commend me to mistress Squash, your mother, and to master Peascod, your father. Good master Peas-blossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too.-Your name I beseech you, Sir?

Hop in his walks, and gambol in bis eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries, I
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 Fai. Hail, mortal!

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Mus. Mustard-seed.

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 bath made my eyes water ere now. I desire YOU more acquaintance, good master Mustard-seed. Tita. 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 tougue, 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 bour,
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' now I fixed on his bead;
Anon, his Thisbe must be auswered,
And forth my mimický comes; When they his

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thus strong,

Made senseless things begin to do them wrong:
For briers and thorus at their apparel snatch:
Some, sleeves; some, hats from yielders all
things catch.

I led them on in this distracted fear,
And left sweet Pyramus translated there :
When in that moment (so it came to pass,)
Titania wak'd, and straightway lov'd an ass.

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

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

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DREAM

Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse;

For thou, I fear, bast given me

curse.

cause to

If 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
From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon,
This whole earth may be bor'd; and that the

moon

May through the center creep, and so displease

Her brother's noon-tide with the Antipodes.
It cannot be, but thou hast murder'd him;
So should a murderer look; so dead, so grim.
Dem. So should the murder'd look; and so
should I,

Pierc'd through the

cruelty:

heart with your stern

Yet you the murderer, look as bright, as clear,
As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere.
Her. What's this to my Lysander? where is
he?

Ah! good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me? Dem. I had rather give his carcass to my hounds.

Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv'st me past the bounds

of maiden's patience.

then?

Hast thou slain him

Henceforth be never number'd among men!
Oh! once tell true, tell true, even for my
sake;

Drst thou have look'd upon him, being awake,
And hast thou kill'd him sleeping? O brave

touch!

go; look, how I go ;
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.
[Exit.

Obe. Flower of this purple die,
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 wak'st, if she be by,
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,
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: Look, when I vow, I weep; and

born,

In their nativity all truth appears.

VOWS SO

How can these things in me seem scorn to you,

Bearing the badge of faith, to prove them true!

Hel. You do advance your cunning more and

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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+These
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. And if I could, what should I get

therefore ?

Her. A privilege, never to see me more.And from thy nated presence part I so: See me no more, whether he be dead or no.

[Erit.

Dem. There is no following her in this fierce
vein :

Here, therefore, for a while I will remain.
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.

[Lies down. Obe. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite, And laid the love-juice on sight:

some true-love's

Of thy misprison must perforce ensue
Some true-love turn'd, and not a false turn'd

true.

Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that one bolding troth,

A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Obe. About the wood go swifter than wind,

And Helena of Athens look thou find :
All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer

man

devilish holy

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. Nor none, in my mind, now you give

her o'er.

Lys. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

Dem. (Awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!

I compare thine Oh! how ripe in show kissing cherries, tempting

To what, my love, shall
eyne!
Crystal is muddy.
Thy lips, those
grow!

That pure congealed white, high Taurus' snow,
Fann'd with an 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! Hel. O spite! 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. 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, the You would not use a gentle lady so;

With sighs of love, that cost the fresh blood

dear:

By some illusion see thou bring her here; I'll charm bis eyes, against she do appear.

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To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, When, I am sure, you hate me with your hearts.

You both are rivals, and love Hermia:
And now both rivals, to mock Helena:
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
With your derision! none, of noble sort,

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Would so offend a virgin; and extort

A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.
Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not

80;

For you love Hermia; this, you know, I know:
And here, with all good will, with all my
heart,

In Hermia's love I yield you up my part;
And your's of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love, and will do to my death.
Hel. Never did mockers waste more
breath.

Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I

none :

If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone.
My heart with her but, as guest-wise,

journ'd;

And now to Helen is it home return'd,
There to remain.

Lys. Helen, it is not so.

idle

will

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, Demetrias,
(Who even but now did spurn me with his
foot,)

To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks be 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 youJ,
so- So hung upon with love, so fortunate:
But miserable most, to love unlov'd?
This you should pity, rather than despise.
Her. I understand not what you mean by
this.

Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,

Lest, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.⚫

Hel. Ay, do, persévere, counterfeit gad looks,

Make mows upon me, when I turn my back;

Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy Wink at each other; hold the sweet jest up:

dear.

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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 bands, our sides, voices, and minds,
Had been incorporate. So we 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

friend?

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poor

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; bear my excuse;
My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena !
Hel. O excellent!

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 ber
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 love thee more than he can

do.

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But yet come not: You are a tame man, go t Lys. Hang off thou cat, thou bur: vile ting, let loose;

Or I will shake thee from me, like a serpent. Her. Why are you grown so ruée ? what change is this,

Sweet love?

Lys. Thy love? ont, tawny Tartar, out! Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence ! Her. Do you not jest?

Hel. Yes, 'sooth; and so do yon.

Lys. Demetrius, I will keep my word with

thee.

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DREAM

Therefore, be out of hope, of question, doubt,
Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jest,
That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me! you juggler! you canker-blos-
som; •

You thief of love: what, have you come by night

And stol'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 ny gentle tongue ?
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 beight;
And with her personage, her tall personage,
Her height forsooth, she hath prevail'd with
bin.-

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.
Her. I pray you, though you mock me, gen-
tlemen,

Let her not hurt me: I was never curst; +
I have no gift at all in shrewishness;
I am a right maid for my cowardice;
Let her not strike me: You, perhaps,
think,

Because she's something lower than myself,
That I can match her.

Her. Lower! hark, again.

may

, 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;
My legs are longer though, to run away.
[Exit.
Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.
[Ecit, pursuing HELENA.
Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mis-
tak'st,

Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully.
Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mis-

took.

Did not you tell me, I should know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprise,
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 uerb into Lysander's eye;

Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with Whose liquor hath this virtuous property, +

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Why will you suffer her to flout me thus ?
Let me come to her.

and

Lus. Get you gone, you dwarf;
You minimas, of hind'ring knot-grass made;
You bead, you acorn.

Dem. You are too officions

In her behalf that scorns your services.
Let her alone; speak not of Helena;
Take not her part: for if thou dost intend ||
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
jule.
[Exeunt Lys. and Dex.

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To take from thence all error, with his night,
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 shail 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 nights'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,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;
For fear lest day should look their shames
upon,

They wilfully themselves exi'e 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 til the eastern gate, all fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold bis salt-green streams.
But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay:
We may elect 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.

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[Exit Lys. as following the voice.

Enter DEMETRIUS.

Dem. Lysander! speak again.

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled ?

When thon wak'st, Thou tak'st

True delight

In the sight

Of thy former lady's eye:

And the country proverb known,
That every man should take his own,
In your waking shall be shown:
Jack shall have Jill;

Naught shall go ill;

Speak. In some bush? Where dost thou hide The man shall have his mare again, and all strall

thy head?

Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the

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thon not?

Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'st: for well I wot,

Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place; And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face. Where art thou?

Puck. Come hither; I am here.

Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy this dear,

If ever I thy face by day-light see:
Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.-
By day's approach look to be visited.

[Lies down and sleeps.

Enter HELENA.

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be well.

[Exit PUCK.-DEN. HEL. &c. sleep.

ACT IV.

SCENE 1.-The same.

Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM, FAIRIES, af tending; OBERON behind unseen.

Tita. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,

While thy amiable cheeks do coy,

And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head, And kiss thy fair large cars, my gentle joy. Bot. Where's Peas-blossom?

Peas. Ready.

Bot. Scratch my head, Peas-blossom.--Where's monsieur Cobweb? Cob. Ready.

Bot Monsieur Cobweb; good monsieur, get your weapons in your hand, and kill me a redhipped humble bee on the top of a thistle; and, good monsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, monsieur ; and, good monsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not: I would be loath to have you overflown with a honey-bag, signior.-Where's moonsieur Mustard-seed?

Must. Ready.

Bot. Give me your neif,+ monsieur Mustardseed. Pray you, leave your courtesy, good nonsieur.

Must. What's your will?

Bot. Nothing, good monsieur, but to help cavalero Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber's, monsieur; for, methinks, I am marvellous hairy about the face: and I am soch a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch.

Tita. What, wilt thou hear some music, my

sweet love?

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

Tita. Or, say, sweet love, what then 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 bay, sweet bay, hath no fellow.

Tita. I bave a venturous fairy that shall seek The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.

Bot. I had rather have a handful, or two, af 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

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