I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows,
Where ox-lip and the nodding violet grows,
O'er-canopy'd with luscious woodbine,
With fweet musk-rofes, and with eglantine.
There fleeps Titania, fome time of the night,
Lull'd in these flow'rs, with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enammel'd skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:

And with the juice of this I'll ftreak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantafies.

Take thou fome of it, and seek through this grove j
A fweet Athenian lady is in love

With a difdainful youth; anoint his eyes;
But do it, when the next thing he efpies
May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man,
By the Athenian garments he hath on.
Effect it with fome care, that he may prove
More fond of her, than fhe upon her love;)
And, look, you meet me ere the firft cock crow.
Puck. Fear not, my lord, your fervant fhall do fo. [Exe.
Enter Queen of fairies, with her train.

Queen Come, now a roundel, and a Fairy song: Then, 'fore the third part of a minute, hence; (11) Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds,

Some war with rear-mice for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats; and fome keep back
The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots, and wonders
At our queint fpirits. Sing me now asleep:

Then to your Offices, and let me reft.

Fairies fing.

You fpotted fnakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not feen;
Newts and blind worms, do no wrong

Come not near our fairy Queen.

(11) Then for the third part of a Minute hence,] But the Queen fets them Work, that is to keep them employ'd for the Remainder of the Night: The Poet, undoubtedly, intended her to fay, Dance your Kound, and fing your Song, and then inftantly (before the third part of a Minute) begone to your refpective Duties.

Hz

Philo

Philomel, with melody,

Sing in your fweet lullaby;

Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby:
Never harm, nor spell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh;

So good night, with lullaby..

Hence, away; now all is well:

One, aloof, ftand Centinel.

[Exeunt Fairies. The Queen fleeps.

Enter Oberon.

Ob. What thou feeft, when thou doft wake,

Do it for thy true love take;
Love and languish for his fake;
Be it ounce, or cat, or bear,
Pard, or boar with bristled hair,
In thy eye that fhall appear,
When thou wak'ft, it is thy dear;
Wake, when some vile thing is near.

Enter Lyfander and Hermia.

[Exit Oberon.

Lyf. Fair love, you faint with wandring in the wood And, to fpeak troth, I have forgot our way: We'll reft us, Hermia, if you think it good, And tarry for the comfort of the day.

Her. Be't fo, Lyfander; find you out a bed,

For I upon this bank will reft my head.

Lyf. One turf fhall ferve as pillow for us both, One heart, one bed, two bofoms, and one troth.

Her.

Her. Nay, good Lyfander; for my fake, my dear, Lye further off yet, do not lye.fo near.

Lyf. O take the fenfe, fweet, of my conference; (12)
Love takes the meaning, in love's innocence;
I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit;
So that but one heart can you 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 lying fo, Hermia, I do not lye.

Her. Lyfander riddles very prettily;
Now much befhrew my manners, and my pride,
If Hermia meant to fay, Lyfander ly'd.
But, gentle friend, for love and curtefie
Lye further off; in human modefty,
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!
Lyf. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, fay I;
And then end life, when I end loyalty!
Here is my bed; fleep give thee all his reft!

Her. With half that wish, the wisher's eyes be preft! [They fleep.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Through the foreft have I gone,

But Athenian found I none,

(12) O take the Senfe, Sweet, of my Innocence;

Love takes the Meaning in Love's conference.] 'Tis plain here, that the Players, for the fake of the jingle between Senfe and Innocence, tranfpos'd the two laft Words in the two Lines, and fo made unintelligible Nonfenfe of them. Let us adjust them, and This will be the Meaning. When the interpreted his Words to an evil Meaning, he fays, O, take the Senfe of my Conference; i. e. judge of my Meaning by the Drift of the other part of my Difcourfe; and let That interpret This. A very proper Rule to be always obferv'd, when we would judge of any one's Meaning: The Want of which is the most common Caufe of Mifinterpretation. He goes on and fays, Love takes the Meaning, in Love's Innocence. i. e. The Innocence of your Love may teach you to discover mine. Another very fine Sentiment. So that these two most beautiful Lines were perfectly disfigur'd in the aukward Tranfpofition.

Mr. Warburton.

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 mafter faid,
Despised the Athenian maid.
And here the maiden fleeping found
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty foul! the durft not lye
Near to this kill-curtefie. (13)
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the pow'r this charm doth owe:
When thou wak'ft, let love forbid
Sleep his feat on thy eye-lid;
So awake, when I am gone:
For I must now to Oberon.

Enter Demetrius and Helena running.

[Exit.

Hel. Stay, tho' thou kill me, fweet Demetrius!
Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus,
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.
Happy is Hermia, wherefoe'er the lyes;
For the hath bleffed, and attractive, eyes.
How came her eyes fo bright? not with falt tears;
If so, my eyes are oftner wash'd than hers:
No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;

For beafts, that meet me, run away for fear.
Therefore no marvel, tho' Demetrius

Do (as a monster) fly my presence thus.

(13) Near to this lack-love, this kill-curtefie.] Thus, in all the printed Editions. But this Verfe, as Ben. Jonfon fays, is broke loose from his Fellows, and wants to be tyed up. I believe, the Poet wrote;

Near to this kill-courtefie.

And fo the Line is reduced to the Measure of the other. But this Term being fomewhat quaint and uncommon, the Players, in my Opinion, officioufly clap'd in the other, as a Comment; and fo it has ever fince held Poffeffion. .

What

What wicked, and diffembling, glafs 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 Sir, awake.

Lys. And run thro' fire I will, for thy fweet fake.
[Waking.

Transparent Helen, nature here fhews art,
That through thy bofom makes me fee thy heart,
Where is Demetrius? Oh, how fit a word
Is that vile name, to perifh on my sword!
Hel. Do not fay fo, Lyfander, fay not fo;
What tho' he love your Hermia? lord, what tho' ?
Yet Hermia ftill loves you; then be content.
Lyf. Content with Hermia? no: I do repent
The tedious minutes I with her have fpent;
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 says, you are the worthier maid.
Things, growing, are not ripe until their season;
So I, being young, 'till now ripe not to reafon;
And, touching now the point of human skill,
Reason becomes the marfhal 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 mock'ry born?
When at your hands did I deferve this scorn:
Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man,
That I did never, no, nor never can,
Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,
But you must flout my infufficiency?

M

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:
Oh, that a lady, of one man refus'd,

Should of another therefore be abus'd!

[Exit.

Lyf. She fees not Hermia; Hermia, fleep thou there; And never may'ft thou come Lyfander near;

H 4

For