Re-enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass's head. Bot. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine. Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! Help! [Exeunt Quince, Snug, Flute, Snout, and Starveling. 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 fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, 100 [Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them to make me afeard. Re-enter SNOUT. Snout. O Bottom, thou art changed! what do I see on thee? Bot. What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you? Re-enter QUINCE. [Exit Snout. Quin. Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated. [Exit. this is to make an ass of me; But I will not stir from this Bot. I see their knavery: to fright me, if they could. place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid. The ousel cock so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, The throstle with his note so true, The wren with little quill,— [Sings. 114 Tita. [Awaking.] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? Bot. [Sings] The finch, the sparrow and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo gray, Whose note full many a man doth mark, And dares not answer nay;— I 20 for, 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 enamour'd of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me 129 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 neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion. Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine 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 common 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, That thou shalt like an airy spirit go. Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed! 140 Enter PEASEBLossom, Cobweb, MOTH, and Mustardseed. 150 Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; Cob. Hail! Moth. Hail! Mus. Hail! 160 Bot. I cry your worships mercy, heartily: I beseech your worship's name. Bot. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman ? 170 Bot. I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir? Mus. Mustardseed. Bot. Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire your more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed. Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower. And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, 181 Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Another part of the wood. Enter OBERON. Obe. I wonder if Titania be awaked; Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Enter PUCK. Here comes my messenger. How now, mad spirit! Anon his Thisbe must be answered, 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; ΙΟ 20 Some sleeves, some hats, from yielders all things catch. 30 I led them on in this distracted fear, Obe. This falls out better than I could devise. Puck. I took him sleeping,-that is finish'd too,-And the Athenian woman by his side; That, when he waked, of force she must be eyed. Enter HERMIA and DEMETrius. Obe. Stand close: this is the same Athenian. 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, The sun was not so true unto the day As he to me: would he have stolen away 50 This whole earth may be bored and that the moon 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, Her. What's this to my Lysander? where is he? Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me? Dem. I had rather give his carcass to my hounds. 60 40 |