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 eyeballs 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 charméd eye release

From monster's view, and all things shall be peace Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste,

For night'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 churchyards; damnéd 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-browed 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.
Puck. Up and down, up and down,

I will lead them up and down :

I am feared in field and town;
Goblin, lead them up and down.

Here comes one.

Re-enter LYSANDER

[Exit

Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak

thou now.

Puck. Here, villain! drawn and ready.

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?

Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?

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 defiled,

That draws a sword on thee

Dem.

Yea; art thou there?

Puck. Follow my voice: we'll try no manhood

here.

Re-enter LYSANDER

[Exeunt.

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-heeled than I : I followed fast, but faster he did fly, That fallen am I in dark uneven way,

And here will rest me. [Lies down.] Come, thou gentle day!

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 now?

Puck.

Come hither: I am here.

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

If ever I thy face by day-light see:

Thou shalt

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.

Re-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 sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye, Steal me awhile from mine own company.

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,

[Sleeps

Re-enter HERMIA

Her. Never so weary, never so 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 desires. Here will I rest me till the break of day.

Heaven shield Lysander if they mean a fray!

26-F

[Lies down.

Sleep sound:

I'll apply

To your eye,

Gentle lover, remedy.

[Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER's eye When thou wak'st,

Thou tak'st

True delight

In the sight

Of thy former lady's eye :

And the country proverb known,

That every man should take his own,
In your waking shall be shown:

Jack shall have Jill;

Nought shall go ill;

The man shall have his mare again,

And all shall be well.

83

[Exit PUCK