SCENE IV. Enter King of Fairies. Ob. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd: Than what it was that next came in her eye, Which the muft doat on in extremity. 8 Enter Puck. Here comes my meffenger! how now, mad fprite, And forth my * minnock' comes: when they him spy. Rifing and cawing at the gun's report, Sever themselves, and madly fweep the fky; And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls; For briars and thorns at their apparel fnatch, 4 Some, fleeves; fome, hats; from yielders all things catch. I led them on in this diftracted fear, Ob. This falls out better than I could devise. Puck. I took him fleeping; that is finish'd too; And the Athenian woman by his fide, That when he wakes, of force fhe must be ey'd. 3 And at our ftamp] This feems to be a vicious reading. Fairies are never represented ftamping, or of a fize that should give force to a ftamp, nor could they have diftinguished the ftamps of Puck from thofe of their own companions. I read, A ftump doth trip him in his pace, Down fell poor Hob upon his face, Among the briers and bramble. 4 Some fleeves, fome hats.] There is the like image in Drayton of Queen Mab and her Fairies And at a stump here e'er and flying from Hobgoblin. cer one falls. So Dreyton, SCENE V. Enter Demetrius and Hermia. Ob. Stand clofe, this is the fame Athenian. Puck. This is the woman, but not this the man. Dem. O, why rebuke you him that loves you fo? Lay breath fo bitter on your bitter foe. Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse; For thou, I fear, haft giv'n me cause to curse : If thou haft flain Lyfander in his fleep, 6 Being o'er fhoes in blood, plunge in the deep, The fun was not fo true unto the day, As he to me. Would he have ftoll'n away This whole earth may be bor'd; and that the moon Her. What's this to my Lyfander? where is he? Dem. I'd rather give his carcafs to my hounds. Of maiden's patience. Haft thou flain him then? Durst thou have look'd upon him, being awake! 6 Being o'er fhoes in blood.] An allufion to the Proverb, Over Shoes, over boots. * I. II. III. IV. all read fo dead in my copy of III. fome reader has altered dead to dread. And haft thou kill'd him fleeping? O brave touch! 7 An adder did it, for with doubler tongue 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 fhould I get therefore? Her. A privilege never to fee me more; And from thy hated prefence part I fo: See me no more, whether he's dead or no. [Exit. Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vein, Here, therefore, for a while I will remain: So Sorrow's heavinefs doth heavier grow, For debt, that bankrupt fleep doth forrow owe; Which now in fome flight measure it will pay, If for his Tender here I make some stay. [Lies down. Ob. What hadft thou done? thou haft mistaken quite, And laid thy love-juice on fome true love's fight: Of thy mifprifion must perforce enfue Some true-love turn'd, and not a falfe turn'd true. Puck. Then fate o'er-rules, that, one man holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Ob. About the wood go fwifter than the wind, All fancy-fick fhe is, and pale of cheer; 7-O brave touch.] Touch in Shakespeare's me was the fame with our exploit, or rather froke. A brave touca, a noble roke, un grand coup. Mafon was very merry,pleafantly playing both with the fhrewd touches of many curft boys, and the fmall difcretion of many lewd fchoolmafters. ASCHAM. -milpris'd.] Mistaken; fo below misprifion is mistake. Puck. Puck. Captain of our fairy-band, And the youth, miftook by me, Shall we their fond pageant fee? Ob. Stand afide: the noife they make, Will caufe Demetrius to awake. Puck. Then will two at once woo one; That befal prepoft'rously. SCENE VI. Enter Lyfander and Helena. Lyf. Why fhould you think, that I fhould woo in fcorn; Scorn and derifion never come in tears. Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows fo born, How can these things in me feem fcorn to you, Hel. You do advance your cunning more and more; Thefe |