Ob. What thou feeft, when thou doft wake,
[Squeezes the flower on her eye-lids.

Do it for thy true love take;
Love, and languish for his fake:
Be it ounce 5, or cat, or bear,
Pard, or boar with briftled hair,
In thy eye that shall appear
When thou wak'ft, it is thy dear;

Wake, when fome vile thing is near. [Exit Oberon.

Enter Lyfander and Hermia,

Lyf. Fair love, you faint with wandering in the

And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way; We'll reft us, Hermia, if you think it good, And tarry for the comfort of the day.

The greater cowflip. 2. A roundel is a dance in a ring. 3. A rere-mouse is a bat. 4 Dr. Warban reads quaint fports. 5 The ounce is a fmall tyger, or tyger-cat,

N 3

Her, Be it fo, Lyfander: find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will rest my head.

Ly. One turf fhall ferve as pillow for us both;
One heart, one bed, two bofoms, and one troth.
Her. Nay, good Lyfander; for my fake, my dear,
Lye further off yet, do not lye so near.

Lyf. O, take the fenfe, fweet, of my innocence;
Love takes the meaning, in love's conference.
I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit
So that but one heart we can make of it:
Two bofoms interchained with an oath;
So then, two bofoms, and a single troth.
Then, by your fide no bed-room me deny;
For, lving fo, Hermia, I do not lie.

Her. Lyfander riddles very prettily:

I

Now much bethrew my manners, and my pride,
If Hermia meant to fay, Lyfander ly'd.
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
Lye further off; in human modesty
Such feparation, as, may well be faid,
Becomes a virtuous batchelor, and a maid:
So far be diftant; and good night, fweet friend:
Thy love ne'er alter, till thy fweet life end!

No, no, I am as ugly as a bear,
For beafts, that meet me, run away for fear
Therefore, no marvel, though Demetrius
Do, as a monster, Aly my prefence thus.
What wicked and dissembling glass of mine
Made me compare with Hermia's fphery eyne?
But who is here? Lyfander? on the ground?
Dead or afleep? I fee no blood, no wound :-
Lyfander, if you live, good fir, awake.

Ly. And run through fire I will, for thy fweet
fake.
[Waking、

Tranfparent Helena! Nature fhews art,
That through thy bofom makes me fee thy heart.
Where is Demetrius? Oh, how fit a word

Is that vile name, to perish on my sword!
Hel. Do not fay fo, Lyfander; fay not fo:
What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what
though 3?

Yet Hermia ftill loves you: then be content.

Lyf. 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 reafon fway'd;
And reason fays you are the worthier maid.
Things growing are not ripe until their feafon:

Lyf. Amen, amen, to that fair pray'r, fay I;
And then end life, when I end loyalty!
Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his reft!
Her. With half that with the wifher's eyes bc | So 1, being young, till now ripe not to reafon ;

But Athenian found I none,
On whofe eyes I might approve
This flower's force in ftirring love.
Night and filence! who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear:
This is he, my master said,
Defpifed the Athenian maid;

And here the maiden, fleeping found,
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty foul! fhe durft 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 feat on thy eye-lid.
So awake, when I am gone;
For I muft 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
thus.

[Exit.

Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not fo.
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 leffer is my grace 2.
Happy is Hermia, wherefoe'er fhe lies;
For the hath bleffed and attractive eyes.
How came her eyes fo bright? Not with falt tears:
If fo, my eyes are oftner wath'd than hers.

And touching now the point of human skill,
Reafon becomes the marshal to my will,
And leads me to your eyes; where I o'erlook
Love's ftories, written in Love's richest book.

Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery

born?

When, at your hands, did I deferve this fcorn?
Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man,
That I did never, no, nor never can,
Deferve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,
But you muft ficut my infufficiency?
Good troth, you do me wrong, good footh, you do,
In fuch difdainful manner me to woo.

But fare you well: perforce I must confefs,

I thought you lord of more true gentleness 4.
Oh, that a lady, of one man refus'd,
Should, of another, therefore be abus'd!
Lyf. She fees not Hermia:-Hermia, fleep thou

there;

[Exit.

And never may'it thou come Lyfander near!
For, as a furfeit of the sweetest things,
The deepest loathing to the ftomach brings;
Or, as the herefies, that men do leave,
Are hated most of those they did deceive;
So thou, my furfeit, and my herefy,
Of all be hated; but the moft, of me!
And all my powers, addrefs your love and might,
To honour Helen, and to be her knight! [Lair,
Her. [farting from fleep. Help me, Lyfander,
help me! do thy beft,

To pluck this crawling ferpent from my breaft!
Ay me, for pity !--what a dream was here?
'Lyfander, look, how I do quake with fear!

Befhrew means the fame as if he had faid, "Now ill befal my manners, &c."

2 i. e. My

acceptablenels. 3. e. What then? 4 Meaning, that he had more of the Spirit of a gentleman.

Methought

Methought, a ferpent eat my heart away,
And you fat fmiling at his cruel prey :-
Lyfander! what, remov'd? Lyfander! Drd!

Alack, where are you fpeak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves; I fwoon almost with fear.
No?-then I well perceive you are not nigh:

Wax, out of hearing? gone? no found, no word ?Or death, or you, I'll find immediately.

[Exit.

ACT

III.

Quin. Well, it fhall be fo. But there is two 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 fhine that night we play our play?

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

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

Quin. Ay; or elfe one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and fay, he comes to diffigure, or to prefent, the perfon of moon-fhine. Then, there is another thing; we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thifby, fays the ftory, did talk through the chink of a

Star. I believe we must leave the killing out, wall. when all is done.

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

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

Bot. Some man or other must present wall: and let him have fome platter, or fome lome, or some rough-caft, about him, to fignify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny fhall Pyramus and Thitby whisper,

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come,

. Well, we will have fuch a prologue; and fit down, every mother's fon, and rehearse your it thall be written in eight and fix.

parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have fpo

B. No, make it two more; let it be written in ken your fpeech, enter into that brake+; and fo eight and eight. every one according to his cue.

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

Bet. Mafters, you ought to confider with yourfelves: to bring in, God fhield us! a lion among ladies, is a molt dreadful thing: for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl, than your lion, living; and we ought to look to it.

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

Enter Pack behind.
Puck. What hempen home-ipuns have we fwage
gering here,

So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor
An actor too, perhaps, if I fee caufe.

Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself muft fpeak through, faying thus, or to " the fame defect,-Ladies, or fair ladies, I would with you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble; my life for If you think I come hither as a lion, yours. i were pity of my life: No, I an no fuch thing; I am a man as other men are :-and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them paly, he is Snug the joiner,

Quin. Speak, Pyramus :-Thifby, stand forth.
Pyr. "Thitby, the flower of odious favours sweet.”
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr. " -odours favours sweet.

"So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.-But, hark, a voice! itay thou but here a whit 5, "And by and by I will to thee appear."

[Exit Pyramus. Puck. A ftranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here! [Afide. [Exit.

Thif. Muft I fpeak now? Quin. Ay, marry, muft you: for you must un deritand, he goes but to fee a noife that he heard, fand is to come again.

1 This adjuration is frequently fed by our author. 2 i.e. by our Ladskin, or little Lady. 3 Parmeans dangerous. 4 Brake anciently fignified a thicket or bush. 5 i. e, a little while.

N4

T

Thif. "Moft radiant Pyramus, moft lilly-white | So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

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 fleeping eyes;
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtefies.
1 Fair. Hail, mortal, hail!

Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress for, indeed, who would fet his wit to fo foolish a Squash 7 your mother, and to master Peafcod, your bird? Who would give a bird the lye, though he father. Good mafter Pease-bloftom, I shall defire cry cuckoo, never fo. you of more acquaintance too.➡Your name, Ibe, Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, fing again: feech you, fir? Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,

1 i. e. young man. A cue, in the language of the ftage, is the laft fpeech, and terves as a hint to him who is to fpeak next. 34. e. afraid. rally underflood to be the cock blackbird, 5 The throfile is the thrush. A fquafh is an unripe peafood.

B. Good master Mustard-feed, I know your And the Athenian woman by his fide;

patience well; that fame cowardly, giant-like, oxbeef hath devoured many a gentleman of your houfe: I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I defire you, more acquaintance, good mafter Mustard-feed.

Queen. Come, wait upon him; lead him to

Pek. I took him Qeeping, that is finish'd too, And laid the love-juice on some true-love's fight:

• By patience is meant, ftanding ftill in a mustard pot to be eaten with the beef, on which it was 2 Meaning, what frolick of the night ? 3. e. low, paltry fellows. 4 i. e. a bead. 5 Minnekin, now minx, is a nice trifling girl. Minnock is apparently a word of contempt. 7 i.c. clofed. To latch the door, in Staffordshire, and the adjoining counties, is, to Jae the dour. • Touch, in our author's time, was the fame with our exploit, or rather stroke. 9 i. c. Lica.