The Works of William Shakespeare

name his name; and tell them plainly, he is Snug the joiner.

Qi Well, it shall be so. 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.

Saug. Doth the moon shine, that night we play our play?

Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanae; find out moonshine, find out moonshine.

Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night.

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

Quin. Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chinks of a wall. Snug. You never can bring in a wall. What Say you, Bottom?

Bt. Some man or other must present wall: and let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some ough-cast about him, to signify wall; or let him bodd his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin. If that may be, then ail is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake; and so every one according to his cue.

Enter PUCK behind.

Re-enter QUINCE.

Quin. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated. [Exit.

Bot. I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me; to fright me, if they could. But I will no stir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shal hear I am not afraid. [Sing

The ousel cock, so black of hue,
With orange-lawny bill,

The throst'e with his note so true,
The wren with little quill.

Tita. What angel wakes ine from my flowery
Waking

bed!

Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
The plain-song cuckoo grey,

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

or, 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 enamor'd of thy note, So is mine eye enthrall'd 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 neighbors will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleck' upon

occasion.

Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to

Puck. What hempen home-spuns have we swag-get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine

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 see cause.

Quin. Speak, Pyramus:-Thisby, stand forth. Pyr. Thisby, the flowers of odious savors sweetQuin. Odors, odors.

Pyr.odors suvors sweet:

So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.But, hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile, And by and by I will to thee appear. [Exit. Pack. A stranger Pyramus than e'er played here! Aside.-Exit. This. Must I speak now?

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

This. Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,

Of color like the red rose on triumphant brier, Most briskly juvenal, and eke most lovely Jew, As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire, I meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb. Quin. Ninus's tomb, man: Why you must not Keak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: you prak all your part at once, cues and all.-PyraBus, enter; your cue is past; it is, never tire.

Re-enter Pock and BOTTOM with an Ass's head. This. 0,-As true 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. Fray, masters! tly, masters! help!

[Exeunt Clowns. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier;

Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fize; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like borse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. [Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them, to make me afeard.

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 coinmon 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,
Peas-blossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-seed!
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.-
Enter four Fairies.

1 Fai. Ready.

2 Fui.

3 Fai.

And I.

4 Fui. Where shall we go? Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman:: Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; Feed him with apricocks and dewberries, And, for night-tapers, crop their waxen thighs, The honey bags steal from the humble-bees, 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 moonbeams from his sleeping eyes: Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies. 1 Fai. Hail mortal!

2 Fui. Hail!

3 Fai. Hail!

4 Fai. Hail!

Bot. I cry your worship's mercy, heartily.-1 beseech your worship's name? Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good master Cobweb: If I cut my finger, I shal. make bold with you. Your name, honest gentle man?

Peas. Peas-blossom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash Good master Peas-blossom, I shall desire you of more your mother, and to master Peascod, your father acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir! Mus. Mustard-seed.

Bot. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like oxbeef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you more acquaint ance, good master Mustard-seed.

Tita. Come wait upon him; lead him to my bower • Joke.

Here comes my massenger.-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,
Were met together to rehearse a play,
Intended for great Theseus' nuptual 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's now I fixed on his head;
Anon, his Thisbe must be answered,

Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd
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 hated presence part I so:

See me no more, whether he be dead or no. [Eril.
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. [Lifs 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 turn'd, and not a false turn'd true.
Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that, one man hold-
ing 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;

And forth my mimic comes: When they him spy, I'll charm his eyes, against she do appear.

As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,

Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report
Sever themselves, and madly sweep the sky;
So, at his sight, away his fellows fly;

And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;
He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.
Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears thus

strong,

Made senseless things begin to do them wrong:
For briers and thorns 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 devise.
But hast thou yet latch'ds 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 DEMETRICS 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.
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 centre creep, and so displease
Her brother's noontide 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 heart with your stern cruelty:
Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear,
As vonder 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 carcase to my hounds.
Her. Out, dog out, cur! thou driv'st me past
the bounds

Of maiden patience. Hast thou slain him then?
Henceforth be never number'd among men!
O! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake;
Durst thou have look'd upon him, being awake,
And hast thou kill'd him sleeping! O brave touch!
Could not a worm, an adder, do so much?
An adder did it; for with doubler tongue
Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.
• Infected.

Simple fellows.

Puck. I go, I go; look how I go;

Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. [Eril.
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?

O, 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 LISANDER 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 vows so 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

perfect divine!

To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne!
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus' snow,
Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow,
When thou hold'st up thy hand: 0 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,
A Mistaken. a Love-sick.

Countepar's.

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 ine 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,
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, you know, I know:
And here, with all good will, with all my heart,
In Hermia's love 1 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 loved her, all that love is gone.
My heart with her, but as guest-wise, sojourn'd;
And now to Helen is it home return'd,
There to remain.

Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,

The ear more quick of apprehension makes;
Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense,
It pays the hearing double recompense:-
Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it. brought me to thy sound.
But why unkindly didst thou leave me so!

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 ocss 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, she is one of this confederacy! Now I perceive they have conjoin`d, all three, To fashion this false sport in spite of me. Injarious 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,-0, and is all forgot?

All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial1 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. 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 poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it;
Though I alone do feel the injury.

Hr. I am amazed at your passionate words:
I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me.
H. 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;
Pay dearly for it.
• Needles.

• Beartily.

• Circlee.

• Ingenious.

But by your setting on, by your consent?
What though I be not so in grace as you,
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.
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!"

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

I swear by that which I will lose for thee,
Го prove him false, that says I love thee not.
Dem. I say, I love thee more than he can do.
Lys. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.
Dem. Quick, come,-

Her.

Lysander, whereto tends all this? Lus. 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;

Or I will shake thee from me, like a serpent.
Her. Why are you grown so rude? what change
is this,
Sweet love?
Lys.
Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out!
Her. Do you not jest?

Hel.
Yes, 'sooth; and so do you.
Lys. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.
Dem, I would, I had your bond; for, I perceive,
A weak bond holds you; I'll not trust your word.
Lys. What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill
her dead!

Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so.

Her. What, can you do me greater harm, than hate?

Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love?
Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander?
I am as fair now, as I was erewhile.

Since night, you lov'd me, yet, since night you left

me:

Why, then you left me-0, the gods forbid!-
In earnest, shall I say?

Lys.
Ay, by my life;
And never did desire to see thee more.
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 blossom!
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
Impaitent answers from my gentle tongue?
Fie, tie! you counterfeit, you puppet you!

Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the

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 followed you; for love, I follow'd him:
But he hath chid me hence; and threaten'd me
To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill ine 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 fonda I am.

Her. Why, get you gone: Who is't that hinders you?

Hel. A foolish heart that I leave here behind.
Her. What, with Lysander?
Hel.

With Demetrius.

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. ou, mistress, all this coil is 'long of you: Nav, go not back.

I will not trust you, I;

Hel. 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. [Exit, pursuing HELENA. Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mistak'st, Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully.

Puck. Believe me, 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,

a Foolish.

Anciently, knot-grass was believed to prevent the growth of children. • Pretend. • Go.

Fornight'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 crossways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;
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, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay:
We may effect this business yet ere day. [Exit Oв.
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.

Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
Telling the bushes that thou look'st for wars,
And wilt not come? come, recreant; come, thou
child;

I'll whip thee with a rod: He is defil'd,
That draws a sword on thee.

Dem.
Yea; art thou there!
Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood
here.
[Exeunt.

Re-enter LYSANDER. Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on; When I come where he calls, then he is gone. The villain is much lighter heel'd tuan 1: I follow'd fast, but faster he did tly; That fallen am I in dark uneven way, And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day. Lies down. For if but once thou show me thy grey light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite. [Sleeps. Re-enter Puck and DEMETRIUS.

Puck. Ho, ho! ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thou 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 daylight 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.

Hel. O weary night. O long and tedious night, Abate thy hours: shine, comforts, from the east That I may back to Athens, by day-light,

From these that my poor company detest:And, sleep, that sometime shuts up sorrow's eye, Steal me awhile from mine own company. | Sleeps Puck. Yet but three? Come one more, Two of both kinds, make up four. Here she comes, curst and sad :Cupid is a knavish lad,

Thus to make poor females mad.

Cephalus, the paramour of Aurora.

SCENE I-The same.

ACT IV.

Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM, Fairies attending:
OBERON behind unseen.

Tula. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

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

Pras. Ready.

I then did ask of her her changeling child;
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sen
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 this Athenian swain;
That he awaking when the others do,
May all to Athens back again repair;
And think no more of this night's accidents,

Bot. Scratch my head, Peas-blossom.-Where's But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
monsieur Cobweb?

Cos. Ready.

B. Monsieur Cobweb; good monsieur, get your weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hipped buble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good monseur, 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 honeyJaz, siznior.-Where's monsieur Mustard-seed? Must. Ready.

Bt. Give me your nief, monsieur Mustard-seed.
Priv you, leave your courtesy, good monsieur.
Mit. What's your will!

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

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

Bof. I have a reasonable good ear in music: let ushave the tongs and the bones.

Tua. Or, say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat. Bot. Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your dry good oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a bottle of hay; good hay, sweet hay hath no felow.

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

Bot. I had rather have a handful, or two, of dried s. But I pray you, let none of your people stir L: I have an exposition of sleep come upon me. Tufa. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in iny arms. Fairies, begone, and be all ways away. [Exeunt Fairies. So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle, Genty entwist,-the female ivy so anngs the barky fingers of the elm. O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!

[They sleep.

OBERON advances. Enter PUCK.

But first I will release the fairy queen.
Be, as thou wast wont to be,

[Touching her eyes with an herb.

See, as thou wast wont to see:
Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower
Hath such force and blessed power.
Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen.
Tita. My Oberon! what visions have I seen!
Methought, I was enamor'd of an ass.
Obe. There lies your love.

Tita.

How came these things to pass?
O, how mine eyes do loath his visage now!
Obe. Silence, a while. Robin, take off this head.
Titania, music call; and strike more dead
Than common sleep, of all these five the sense.
Tita. Music, ho! music, such as charmeth sleep.
Puck. Now, when thou wak'st, with thine own
fool's eyes peep.

Obe. Sound, music. [Still music.] Come, my
queen, take hands with me,
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
Now thou and I are new in amity;
And will, to-inorrow midnight, solemnly,
Dance in duke Theseus' house triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair posterity:
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.

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

Obe. Then, my queen, in silence sad,
Trip we after the night's shade:
We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wand'ring moon.
Tita. Come, my lord; and in our flight,
Tell me how it come this night,
That I sleeping here was found,
With these mortals, on the ground.

[Exeunt.
[Horns sound within.
Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train.
The. Go, one of you, find out the forester;-
For now our observation is perform'd;
And since we have the vawards of the day,

0. Welcome, good Robin. See'st thou this My love shall hear the music of my hounds.

sweet sight!

Her dotage now I do begin to pity.

For meeting her of late, behind the wood,
ting sweet savors for this hateful fool,
Ied upbraid her, and fall out with her:

she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
And that same dew, which sometime on the buds
Was wont to swell, like round and orient pearls,
Stood now within the pretty flowrets' 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,

Uncouple in the western valley; go:-
Despatch. I say, and find the forester.-
We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top,
And mark the musical confusion

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 hear
Such gallant chiding; for, besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seem'd all one mutual cry: I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.
The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
1 Forepart.

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The Works of William Shakespeare: Complete, Accurately Printed from the Text ...