For indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, tho' he cry cuckow never so ?

Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, fing again,
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
So is mine eye enthralled to thy Thape,
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 honeft neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

Queen. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

Bot. Not fo neither : but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

Queen. Out of this wood do not desire to go,
Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.
I am a fpirit of no common rate ;
The summer. still doch 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 Aowers doft sleep:
And I will purge thy mortal grosiness so,
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.
Peafeblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardfeed !

S CE N E III.

Enter four Fairies.
1 Fai. Ready.
2 Fai. And I.
3 Fai. And I.
4

Fai. And I, where shall we go?
Queen. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman.
Hop in his walks, and gambole in his eyes,
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,

H4

With

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 fán the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes,
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtefies.

i Fai, Hail, mortal, hail!
2 Fai. Hail !
3 Fai. Hail !

Bot. I cry your worship’s mercy heartily, I beseech your worship's name.

Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I shall desire of you more acquaintance, good master Cobweb; if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman ?

Peale. Peafeblossom.

Bot. I pray you, commend me to mistress Squash your mother, and to master Peascode your father. Good master Peafeblossom, I shall desire of you more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, Sir?

Muf. Mustardfeed.

Bot. Good master Mustardfeed, I know your ? 'parentage' well: that same cowardly giant-like Ox-beef hath devour'd many a gentleman of your house. I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire more of your acquaintance, good master Mustardseed.

Queen. Come, wait upon him, lead him to my bower.

The moon, methinks, looks with a watry eye, And when she weeps, *'weeps' every little Power

Lamenting fome enforced chastity. Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently. [Exeunt.

3 patience

4 weep

SCENE

Ob. Wonder if Titania be awak'd: 06. IM

Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Which she must doat on in extremity.

Enter Puck.

Here comes my messenger: how now, mad sprite!
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 Neeping 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' nuptial day.
The shallow it s'thick-skulls 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 nole I fixed on his head;
Anon his Thisby must be answered,
And forth my • 'mimick'comes: When they him fpy,
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in fort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report,
Sever themselves and madly sweep the sky;
So at his fight away his fellows fly,
And at our stamp here o'er and o'er one falls ;
He murder cries, and help from Atbens calls.
Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears thus strong,
Made senseless things begin to do them wrong.

For s thick-skin 6 minnock

For briars and thorns at their apparel snatch,
Some Neeves, fome 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 straitway lov'd an Ass.

Ob. This falls out better than I could devise.
But hast thou yet lech'd the Athenian's eyes
With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

Puck. I took him seeping; that is finish'd too;
And the Athenian woman by his fide,
That, when he wakes, of force she must be ey'd.

S CE N E V.
Enter Demetrius and Hermia.

Ob. 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 fo?
Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe.

Her. Now I but chide, but I shall use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, haft giv'n me cause to curse :
If thou hast sain 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 center creep, and so 7 'disease
Her brother's noon-tide with th' Antipodes.
It cannot be but thou hast murther'd him,
So should a murtherer look, so dread, fo grim.

Dem. So should the murther'd look, and so should I,
Pierc'd through the heart with your stern cruelty:
Yet you the murtherer look as bright and clear
As yonder Venus in her glimm'ring sphere.

'Iler. 7 displease

Her. What's this to my Lysander ? where is he? Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me?

Dem. l'ad rather give his carcass to my hounds.

Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv'st me past the bounds Of maiden's patience. Haft thou Nain him then? Henceforth be never number'd among men! Oh! once tell true, and even for my fake, Durft thou have look'd upon him, being awake? An hast thou kill'd him Neeping? 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 ftung.

Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd mood;
I am not guilty of Lysander's blood,
Nor is he dead for ought 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 lo;
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 forrow's heaviness doth heavier grow For debt, that bankrupt Neep doth forrow owe, Which now in some Night measure it will pay, If for his Tender here I make some ftay. [Lyes down.

Ob. What hast thou done ? thou hast mistaken quite, And laid thy love-juice on some true love's light: Of thy misprision must perforce ensue 8 /Some true love turn'd false, not a false turn'd true.'

Puck. Then fate o'er-rules ; ' 'for one man holding troth A million fail, confounding oath on oath.

Ob. About the wood go swifter than the wind, And Helena of Athens fee thou find.

All 8 Some true love curn'd, and not a false turn'd true.

9 that