Of thy mifprifion I must perforce enfue
Some true love turn'd, and not a falfe turn'd true.
Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that, one man hold-
ing troth,

A million fail, confounding oath on oath.

Hel. O fpight! O hell! I fee you all are bent,
If you were civil, and knew courtesy,
To fet against me, for your merriment.
You would not do me thus much injury.
wind,But you must join, in fouls 3, to mock me too?
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
If you were men, as men you are in show,
You would not ufe a gentle lady fo;

Ob. About the wood go fwifter than the
And Helena of Athens look thou find :
All fancy-fick 2 fhe is, and pale of cheer
With fighs of love, that coft the fresh blood dear :
By fome illufion fee thou bring her here;
I'll charm his eyes, against the do appear.

Puck. I go, I go; look, how I go;
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. [Exit.
Ob. Flower of this purple dye,
Hit with Cupid's archery,
Sink in apple of his eye!
When his love he doth espy,
Let her thine as gloriouíly
As the Venus of the fky.----
When thou wak'ft, if he be by,
Bcg 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 fee?
Lord, what fools thefe mortals be!

To vow, and fwear, and fuperpraise my parts,
When, I am fure, 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 enterprize,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes,
With your derifion! None, of nobler fort 4,
Would fo offend a virgin; and extort 5
A poor foul's patience, all to make you sport.

Lyf. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not fo;
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 yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love, and will do to my

death.

Hel. Never did mockers wafte more idle breath.
Dem. Lyfander, keep thy Hermia; I will none:
If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone.

My heart with her but as gueft-wife fojourn'd;
And now to Helen it is home return'd,

Ob. Stand afide: the noife they make,There to remain.

Will caufe 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 prepost'rously.

Enter Lajander and Helena.

Lyf. Helen, it is not fo.

Dr. Difparage not the faith thou doft not know, Left, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.

6

Look, where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.

Enter Hermia.

Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function

Lyf. Why fhould you think, that I should woo The ear more quick of apprehenfion makes ; [takes,

in fcorn?

Scorn and derifion never come in tears:
Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows fo born,

In their nativity all truth appears.
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

more.

When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!
Thefe 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.

Lyf. I had no judgement, when to her I fwore.
Hel. Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er.
Lyf. Demetrius loves her; and he loves not you.
Dem. [awaking.] O Helen, goddefs, nymph,
perfect, divine!

To what, my love, fhall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show

Thy lips, thofe kiffing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus' fnow,
Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow,
When thou hold'ft up thy hand: O, let me kifs
This princefs of pure white, this feal of blifs!

Wherein it doth impair the feeing fente,
It pays the hearing double recompence :—
Thou art not by mine eye, Lyfander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy found.
But why unkindly didft thou leave me fo?

Lyf. Why should he ftay, whom love doth prefs
to go?

Her. What love could prefs Lyfander from my
fide?

Fair Helena; who more engilds the night
Lyf. Lyfander's love, that would not let him bide,
Than all yon fiery o's 7, and eyes of light. [know,
Why feek'it thou me? could not this make thee
The hate I bear thee made me leave thee fo?

Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be.
Hel. Lo, fhe is one of this confederacy!

Now I perceive they have conjoin'd, all three,
To fashion this falfe fport in fpight of me.
Injurious Hermia! moft ungrateful maid!
Have you confpir'd, have you with these contriva
To bait me with this foul derifion?

Is all the counfel that we two have shar'd,
The fifters' vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hafty-footed time
For parting us,-0, and is all forgot?
All school-day friendship, childhood innocence ?

1 Meaning, ingenious, artful. 2 That is, needles. 3 Meaning, fuch a fubject of light merriment. Shakspeare here alludes to the worm that preys on the leaves or buds of flowers, always beginning in the middle,

And follow you no further: Let me go:
You fee how fimple and how fond I am. [you?
Her. Why, get you gone: Who is't that hinders
Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.
Her. What, with Lyfander?.
Hel. With Demetrius.

Lvf. Be not afraid, she shall not harm thee, Helena.
Dem. No, fir; she shall not, though you take her
part.

Hel. O, when she's angry, she is keen and fhrewd;
She was a vixen, when she went to school;
And, though she be but little, fhe is fierce.

To take from thence all error, with his might,
And make his eye-balls roll with wonted fight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall feem a dream, and fruitlefs vifion;
And back to Athens fhall 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 fhall be peace.
Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with
hafte;

Her. Little again? nothing but low and little-For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, Why will you fuffer her to flout me thus ?

Let me come to her.

Lyf. Get you gone, you dwarf ;

And yonder fhines Aurora's harbinger; [there,
At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and
Troop home to church-yards: damned fpirits all,

You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grafs made 3; That in cross-ways and floods have burial,
You bead, you acorn.

Dem. You are too officious,

In her behalf that fcorns your services.

Let her alone: fpeak not of Helena ;
Take not her part: for if thou dost intend
Never fo little fhew of love to her,
Thou shalt aby 4 it.

Lyf. Now the holds me not;

Already to their wormy beds are gone ;

For fear left day should look their shames upon,
They wilfully themselves exile from light,
And must for aye confort with black-brow'd night.
Ob. But we are spirits of another fort:

I with the morning's love have oft made sport ;
And, like a forefter, the groves may tread,
Even till the eaftern gate, all fiery-red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his falt-green streams.
But, notwithstanding, hafte; make no delay :
[Exe. Lyfander and Demetrius. We may effect this business yet ere day. [Exit Ob.

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

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

Her. You, miftrefs, all this coyl is 'long of you: Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not truft 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.
Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.
[Exeunt: Hermia pursuing Helena.
Ob. This is thy negligence: ftill thou mistak'st,
Or else commit'ft thy knaveries willingly.

Puck. Believe me, king of fhadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me, I should know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And fo far blameless proves my enterprize,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes:
And fo far am I glad it did fo fort 5,
As this their jangling I efteem a sport.

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.

Enter Lyfander.

Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius ? speak

thou now.

Puck. Here, villain, drawn and ready. Where

art thou?

Lyf. I will be with thee straight.
Puck. Follow me then

To plainer ground.

[Lyf. goes out, as following Dem.

Enter Demetrius.

Dem. Lyfander! speak again.

[fight: Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?

Ob. Thou feeft, thefe lovers feek a place to Speak. In fome bush? where doft thou hide thy

Hie therefore, Robin, overcaft the night;

The ftarry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
And lead thefe tefty rivals so astray,
As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lyfander fometime frame thy tongue,
Then ftir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And fometimes 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 Lyfander's eye;
Whofe liquor hath this virtuous property,

6

head?

[ftars,

That is, foolish. 2 i. . you diminutive of the creation, you reptile. 3 Knot-grafs was anciently fuppofed to prevent the growth of any animal or child. 4 To aby is to pay dear for, to fuffer, 5 i, e. fo happen. 6. e. falutiferous.

The

The villain is much lighter heel'd than I:
Ifollow'd faft, but fatter he did fly;

That fallen am I in dark uneven way,

And here will reft me. Come, thou gentle day!

[Lies down.

For if but once thou fhew me thy grey light,
I find Demetrius, and revenge this fpight.

Re-enter Pack and Demetrius.

Pack. Ho, ho, ho! coward, why comefst thou not?
Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'ft: for well I wot,
Thou runn'ft before me, fhifting every place;
And dar'ft not ftand, nor look me in the face.
Where art thou?

Park. Come hither; I am here.

Dem. Nay, then thou mock'ft me. buy this dear,

If ever I thy face by day-light fee:

Thou shalt

Now, go thy way. Faintnefs constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.----
By day's approach look to be vifited. [Lies down.
Enter Helena.

Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hours; fhine, comforts, from the
eaft;

That I may back to Athens by day-light,

From there that my poor company detest :— And, fleep, that fometimes thuts up forrow's eye, Sted me a while from mine own company.

Here she comes, curft, and fad :-
Cupid is a knavish lad,

Thus to make poor females mad.
Enter Hermia.

Her. Never fo weary, never fo 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 defires.
Here will I reft me, till the break of day.
Heavens fhield Lyfander, if they mean a fray!

Puck. On the ground

Sleep found:
I'll apply

To your eye,

Gentle lover, remedy.
[Squeezing the juice on
When thou wak'ft,

Thou tak't

True delight

In the fight

Of thy former lady's eye:

[Lies down.

Lyfander's eye.

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

[Sleeps. The man fhal have his mare cain, and all shall be
[Exit Puck. [They fleep.

Pak. Yet but three? come one more;
Two of Loth kinds make up four.

well.

SCENE

A Wood.

ACT IV.

1.

Cod. Ready.

honey-bag, fignior.-Where's monfieur Mustardfeed?

Muf. Ready.

Bot. Give me your neif 2,monfieur Mustard-feed. Pray you, leave your courtesy, good monfieur. Muft. What's your will?

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

Queen. What, wilt thou hear some musick, my fweet love?

Bot. I have a reasonable good ear in mufick: let us have the tongs and the bones 4.

Queen. Or, fay, fweet love, what thou defir'st to eat.

Ba. Monfieur Cobweb; good monfieur, get your weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hip'd Bot. Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch Methinks I have a great de.. lemble-bee on the top of a thiftle; and, good mon- your good dry oats. fer, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret your-fire to a bottle of hay: good hay, sweet hay, hath inf too much in the action, monfieur; and, good no fellow.

deur, have a care the honey-bag break not; Queen. I have a venturous fairy that shall feek wd be loth to have you over-flown with a The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.

Bot. I had rather have a handful, or two, of And will, to-morrow midnight, folemnly,
dried peafe. But, I pray you, let none of your Dance in duke Thefeus' houfe triumphantly,
people ftir me; I have an expofition of fleep come And biefs it to all fair pofterity:
Wedded, with Thefeus, all in jollity.
There fhall these pairs of faithful lovers be

upon me.

[arms.

Queen. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my
Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away 1.

So doth the woodbine, the sweet honey-fuckle,
Gently entwist,-the female ivy fo

Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.

O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!
Oberon advances. Enter Puck.

Ob. Welcome, good Robin.
fweet fight?

Seeft thou this

Her dotage now I do begin to pity.
For meeting her of late, behind the wood,
Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her, and fall out with her :
For the his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
And that fame dew, which fometime on the buds
Was wont to fwell, like round and orient pearls,
Stood now within the pretty flouret's 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 afk of her her changeling child;
Which strait she gave me, and her fairy fent
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, take this transformed scalp
From off the head of the Athenian fwain;
That he awaking when the others do,
May all to Athens back again repair;
And think no more of this night's accidents,
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will releafe the fairy queen;
Be, as thon wast wont to be;

[Touching

ber eyes See, as thou waft wont to fee: Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Puck. Fairy king, attend, and mark;
I do hear the morning lark.

Ob. Then my queen, in filence fad 2,
Trip we after the night's fhade:
We the globe can compafs foon,
Swifter than the wand'ring moon.
Queen. Come, my lord; and in our fig
Tell me how it came this night,
That I fleeping here was found,
With thefe mortals, on the ground.[Exeunt.
[Wind borns within.

Enter Thefeus, Egeus, Hippolita, and train.
The. Go, one of you, find out the forefter ;-
And fince we have the vaward of the day,
For now our obfervation is perform'd 3:
My love fhall hear the mufick of my hounds.
Uncouple in the western valley; go:-
Difpatch, I fay, and find the forefter.-
We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top,
And mark the mufical confufion

Of hounds and echo in conjunction.

Hip. I was with Hercules, and Cadmus, once,
When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I bear
Such gallant chiding 5; for, befides the groves,
The fkies, the fountains, every region near"
Scem'd all one mutual cry; 1 never heard

So mufical a difcord, fuch fweet thunder. [kind,
The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan
So flew'd", fo fanded, and their heads are hung
With ears that fweep away the morning dew;
Crook-knee'd, and dew-lap'd like The Talian bulls;
Stow in purit, but match'd in mouth like bells,
with an herb Each under each. Acry more tuncable

Hath fuch force and bleifed power.

Now, my Titania; wake you, my tweet queen.
Queen. My Oberon! what vitions have I feen!
Methought I was enamour'd of an afs.

Ob. There lies your love.

Queen. How came these things to pass?
Oh, how mine eye doth loath his vifage now!
Ob. Silence, a while.-Robin, take off this
head.-

Titania, mufick call; and strike more dead
Than common fleep, of all these five the fenfe.
Queen. Mufick, ho! mufick; fuch as charieth
fleep.

Leyes peep.
Puck. When thou awak'st, with thine own fool's
Ob. Sound, mufick. [Still mufick.] Come, my
queen, take hands with me,

And rock the ground whereon thefe fleepers be.
Now thou and I are new in amity;

Was never halioo'd te, nor cheer'd with horn,
In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Theffaly: [are thefe ?
Judge, when you hear.-But, foft; what nymphs
Fge. My lord, this is my daughter here afleep;
And this, Lylander; this Demetrius is;
This Helena, old Nedar's Helena :

I wonder at their being here together.

The. No doubt, they rofe up early, to observe
Came here in grace of our folemnity.-
The rite of May; and, hearing our intent,
But, fpeak, Egeus; is not this the day
That Hermia fhould give answer of her choice?
Ege. It is, my lord.

The. Go, bid the huntfmen wake them with
their horns.

Horns, and fhout within; Demetrius, Lyfander, Hermia, and Helena, wake and start up.

The. Good-morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is Begin these wood-birds but to couple now? [part;

3 Meaning, the honours due to the morn5 Chiding means found. o i. c

That is, difperfe yourselves. 2 i. e. grave, or fober. ing of May. 4 Vaward is an obfolete word fignifying the fore part. fo mouthed. Flews are the large chaps of a deep-mouthed hound.

Lyf